Ford Motor Company is attempting to streamline warranty processes in order to reimburse claims faster and keep repair work flowing at a time when dealerships are depending more heavily on service departments to sustain profits amid inventory shortages. The majority of the reforms are aimed at reducing bureaucratic red tape that has irritated service technicians and caused jobs to be delayed.
In one instance, Ford eliminated the need that a technician obtain prior factory clearance before beginning work on a warranty claim in order to save time. Also changed are the regulations on keeping problematic parts that Ford may recall for examination, which took up valuable shelf space and required technicians to complete time-consuming paperwork when Ford requested the part be returned.
“When you looked at the bureaucracy and intricacy of what we were doing, it was kind of like a dog chasing its tail,” David Abatsis, owner of Acton Ford in Massachusetts, said in an interview with Automotive News. “It was like a dog pursuing its tail.” “Ford’s goal has always been to keep a wrench in a technician’s hand rather than getting involved in all of this processing and documentation.”
The modifications, which have been implemented over the past several months and were based on dealer feedback and internal surveys, are intended to not only speed up repair work but also to provide relief to technicians who operate in high-stress conditions. It is part of a larger attempt by Ford to retain employees in an industry that is experiencing a scarcity of qualified candidates.