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On December 9, the Wisconsin Limousine Association (WLA) held its monthly conference call to discuss regional industry news and to share a bit of seasonal fun.
COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates were the main topic of discussion, as the Midwest continues to be a hotbed for the virus. WLA Director Paula DiBiasi of Chicago Coachworks informed the group that Illinois is in the midst of lockdown, with restaurants closed for dine-in meals and party buses prohibited. The city is only allowing events for groups of 10. In Wisconsin, however, mandated capacity restrictions for businesses have expired.
Ugly Sweater prize winner DeVon Gillespie of Milwaukee Executive
With Christmas coming, and holiday cheer in full swing, WLA Secretary/Treasurer Karen Lotts of A Knight Rider Limousine asked members to take part in an Ugly Christmas Sweater competition. Participants were invited to send in a photo of the ugliest sweater they could find, and a winner was chosen by way of random drawing. DeVon Gillespie of Milwaukee Executive was the winner of a prize pack courtesy of Midwest Transit.
In keeping with the holiday discussion, holiday light tours are popular in the state. Milwaukee, Madison, LaCrosse, and Chippewa Falls were cited as popular areas for the tours.
Before the meeting concluded, WLA officers said that the association renewed its NLA membership for 2021. The next WLA conference call will be held Wednesday, January 13 at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Visit wisconsinlimo.org for more information.
[12.14.20]
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Despite the numerous challenges that arose in 2020, Lincoln and its dealer partners delivered exceptional client experiences and world-class vehicles this year, earning recognition as the highest ranking luxury brand in the J.D. Power and Associates annual Sales Satisfaction Index, moving up five spots over its 2019 ranking.
Lincoln North America Director Michael Sprague
The study, now in its 35th year, has been redesigned to place greater emphasis on digital retail and remote buying. It measures customers’ satisfaction with selecting vehicles from inventory, receiving credit approval, purchase price agreements, and complete purchase paperwork.
Lincoln’s standard Pickup and Delivery service continues to be a key differentiator for the brand, with more than 223,000 experiences in 2020—an increase of 19 percent in November alone. Plus, in the spring, Lincoln worked closely with its dealer partners to accelerate the launch of its Effortless Sales Experience, which includes a fully remote sales platform and a virtual walk-around tool to better serve clients during the pandemic, allowing them to enjoy convenient and effortless services while keeping them safe in the comfort of their homes.
“Serving our Lincoln clients in ways that extend beyond the vehicle is one of the most important and exciting opportunities for our brand,” said Lincoln North America Director Michael Sprague. “Despite the challenging year, by working in lockstep with our dealer partners we were able to deliver on an ownership experience that is a true representation of Lincoln luxury and, simply put—effortless.”
The J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index is based on responses from nearly 36,000 buyers who purchased or leased their new vehicle from January through June. A comprehensive analysis of the new vehicle purchase experience, it measures customer satisfaction with the selling dealer as well as satisfaction with brands and dealerships that were shopped but ultimately rejected in favor of the selling dealership.
Visit lincoln.com for more information.
[12.10.20]
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Till Oberwoeder Daimler Buses
Daimler Buses NA is further strengthening its motorcoach business in the US by joining forces with its North American business unit Daimler Coaches North America (DCNA), the parts distribution of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), and distributors of Detroit Diesel engines. Setra operators will now fully benefit from the unique infrastructure that DTNA operates in North America.
“With the foundation of our business unit DCNA, Daimler Buses demonstrates with our North American bus operations its commitment to the North American motorcoach industry and its ambition to continually grow in this core market. By leveraging our Daimler infrastructure in North America, we will provide best in class service to our Setra operators and continue to expand our customer base,” says Head of Daimler Buses Till Oberwoeder.
North American Service Centers
As of September 2020 DCNA has partnered with four experienced and highly qualified Detroit Diesel Distributors in the U.S. to significantly grow its service network:
- Interstate Companies (Midwest)
- Penn Power Group (Northeast)
- Stewart and Stevenson (Southeast)
- Valley Power Systems (West Coast)
Daimler Coaches North America has qualified eight new workshop locations for those selected Detroit Diesel distributors, to perform dedicated motorcoach service. These service locations will expand their service for Detroit Diesel engines and Allison transmissions to full coach support. Their service will now include electrical, HVAC, pneumatics, and interiors. Customers will benefit from this unique full coach service to the industry: the new workshop set-up will enable Setra operators to have all of their coach service performed in one location by specialized coach mechanics, resulting in reduced service repair times for our operators.
Thomas Rohde Daimler Coaches North America
Additionally, the new service locations are qualified to serve as selling points for motorcoach spare-parts offering a true one stop shopping experience to Setra operators.
“These new workshop locations in the U.S. offer a service coverage and parts supply that operators expect from Setra as the premium motorcoach brand. It is our ultimate target to minimize idle times for our customers—wherever they need us, we will be there,” adds Head of Daimler Coaches North America Thomas Rohde.
Aftermarket service parts logistics
The backbone of the aftermarket parts distribution is the DTNA supply chain, which includes 10 parts distribution centers (PDC) across the U.S. and Canada, as well as a Dedicated Delivery Service (DDS) for next-day delivery on 90 percent of orders. Setra’s motorcoach parts are integrated into DTNA’s existing support of more than 50 product lines that serve the commercial transportation industry with reliable new and remanufactured parts. In working with DTNA’s aftermarket, Detroit Diesel’s service partners will be able to leverage its best-in-industry supply chain network, ensuring fast and reliable supply for Setra motorcoach operators.
Visit daimler.com for more information.
[12.08.20]