Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/668965
2 0 1 6 V 1 | BULLDOG | 3 HEADLIGHTS A s part of efforts to continuously improve service experiences for customers, Mack Trucks has begun designating certain dealer locations as Mack ® Certifi ed Uptime Centers. Through a 28- element evaluation, Certifi ed Uptime Centers demonstrate the use of streamlined workfl ow, as well as service bays optimized for rapid diagnoses and turnaround times. "It's important that our customers' trucks are on the road working earning money for them," says Stephen Roy, recently named senior vice president of Uptime for North America. "Through our Mack Certifi ed Uptime Centers, we've completely rethought our approach to how trucks are diagnosed and repaired, enabling us to get trucks serviced and back to the customer as quickly as possible." In February, Mack announced the fi rst four dealers to achieve the certifi cation: Vision Truck Center of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Vanguard Truck Center of Phoenix; Nextran Truck Center of Birmingham, Alabama; and Westfall O'Dell Truck Sales of Kansas City, Missouri. With a focus on major markets, the company will continue rolling out certifi cations this year. To qualify as a Certifi ed Uptime Center, a Mack dealer must prove profi ciency in new procedures designed to simplify and acceler- ate the service process. For instance, trucks needing repairs that take less than four hours get immediate attention instead of taking a place in line as they do under the typical "fi rst come, fi rst served" practice. Dealerships striving for Uptime Center cer- tifi cation also must redesign their service bays to take full advantage of Mack's array of uptime tools and solutions, including Mack ® GuardDog ® Connect telematics and the Mack ASIST service management system. "Not only have our Certifi ed Uptime Centers addressed the pace of the repair process, we've also taken steps to ensure our diagno- ses are even more accurate," says David Pardue, vice president of connected vehicle and contract services for Mack. "The combi- nation of speed and accuracy has only been made possible through Mack's unparalleled col- lection of uptime tools." The certifi cation pro- cess takes about eight weeks, and Mack dealer fi xed operations manag- ers conduct assessments. Many of the evaluation elements, which range from shop organization to diagnostic-tool imple- mentation, sprang from industry best practices. "We, along with other dealer groups, worked closely with Mack to gather proven ideas that help improve the service process for custom- ers," says John Slotegraaf, dealer principal of Vision Truck Center. "In fact, many of the 28 process steps required for certifi cation are tried-and-true methods that have been tested every day at the dealer level." Mack Trucks rolls out Certifi ed Uptime Center designations Mack Certifi ed Uptime Centers have passed a rigorous evaluation verifying the use of practices and tools that improve the accuracy of diagnoses and the speed of maintenance and repairs. "We, along with other dealer groups, worked closely with Mack to gather proven ideas that help improve the service process for customers." John Slotegraaf, dealer principal of Vision Truck Center.