US electric car maker Tesla, Vice President Jerome Guillen, poses at the Paris Motor Show on the last press day on October 3, 2014. The Paris Motor Show opens to the public on Saturday.
Eric Piermont | AFP | Getty Images
Elon Musk’s electric car company informed customers Friday that Tesla Service Centers are now offering crash repairs, something the company has been talking about since 2018.
In a message to customers entitled “Crash Repair is Here”, the company praised its ability to repair everything from dents and scratches to “suspension and axle damage” in its own service centers as an “alternative to a body shop”.
Services, including collision repairs, should represent a larger income segment for Tesla over time as its cars are out of warranty and the company is supplying more around the world. Although Tesla reported $ 678 million from a combined Services and Other segment in the fourth quarter of 2020, the company does not separate services revenue. Overall, that segment grew 17% from $ 580 million in the same quarter a year ago.
Tesla has 140 service centers in North America. The company aims to open more, including 46 in the first half of 2021, Tesla Automotive president Jerome Guillen revealed Wednesday.
Service has been a sore point for many Tesla customers in recent months, to the point where investors asked executives during the Q4 2020 earnings call, “What is Tesla doing to improve the service experience? Tesla had a reputation for excellent customer service. Now it is impossible to even call a service center and the appointments are scheduled for a few weeks. ”
Guillen replied, “For us, the best service is not a service. So we have put a lot of effort into improving the quality and reliability of our cars. Over the past two years, the frequency of service visits has been reduced by a third, so customers are less frequent to be employed, which is actually the goal, not a service. “
He emphasized that Tesla also offers “cellular service,” where a Tesla service car and auto mechanic go to a customer’s car to fix it. Mobile visits now represent 40% of all service visits in North America, and Tesla wants that number to rise to 50% by 2021, Guillen said.
But not all repairs can be done on a mobile visit. For example, replacing the panoramic glass roof of a Tesla car has to be done in a shop.
Guillen also said Tesla is pushing all customer service communications through the Tesla app, meaning Tesla service centers now prefer not to take or simply not take calls.
“The app is much better than the phone,” explains Guillen. “It can detect alerts right from the car and schedule a service appointment. There is a written record of all communication between the customer and the service team. You can have pictures in it. You can take care of your payment without entering the credit card. And do all those things. You will get updates on the service. “
Guillen predicted that most other car companies will follow suit.
Here is the full communication to customers:
Collision Repair is here
January 28, 2021
Fix minor dents, scuffs, scratches and more now at your local Tesla Service Center as an alternative to a body shop. Our optimized repair flow ensures a fast and seamless experience when you need it most.
Collision repair services may include damage to the suspension and axle, front and rear bumpers, hoods, tail lifts and side mirror covers, as well as doors, wheels and all glass repairs.
To schedule an appointment, select “Collision & Glass Repair” from the Service menu in your Tesla app and follow your service experience with step-by-step notifications.