The vice president of electric car maker Tesla, Jerome Guillen, poses at the Paris Motor Show on the last day of publicity, 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 notified customers on Friday that Tesla Service Centers now offer collision repairs, something the company has been talking about since 2018.
In a message to customers entitled “Collision repair is here”, the company praised its ability to fix everything from dents and scratches to “suspension and axle damage” in its own service centers, as an “alternative option” to a body shop. “
Services, including collision repairs, are expected to represent a larger revenue segment for Tesla over time, as its cars are out of warranty and the company delivers more of them around the world. Although Tesla reported $ 678 million for a combined Services and Others segment during the fourth quarter of 2020, the company does not split service revenue separately. Overall, this segment grew 17% from $ 580 million in the same quarter a year ago.
Tesla operates 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 said on Wednesday.
The service has been a sore point for many Tesla customers in recent months, to the point where investors asked executives at the fourth quarter 2020 earnings conference call: “What is Tesla doing to improve the service experience? Tesla had a reputation for excellent customer service. It is now impossible even to call a service center and appointments are scheduled weeks in advance. ”
Guillen replied, “For us, the best service is no service, so we’ve put a lot of effort into improving the quality and reliability of our cars. In the past two years, the frequency of service visits has been reduced by a third, so customers have to come to the service less often, which is really the goal, no service. “
He emphasized that Tesla also offers “mobile service”, during which a Tesla service vehicle and a mechanic go to a customer’s car to repair it. Mobile visits now represent 40% of all service visits in North America and Tesla wants that number to rise to 50% in 2021, according to Guillen.
But not all repairs can be done on a mobile tour. For example, replacing the panoramic glass roof on a Tesla vehicle should be done at a store.
Guillen also said that Tesla is pushing all customer communications about the service through the Tesla app – meaning that Tesla Service Centers now prefer not to or simply do not accept calls.
“The app is much better than the phone,” explained Guillen. “It can detect alerts directly from the car and schedule a service appointment. There is a written record of all communications between the customer and the service team. You can have pictures there. You can take care of your payment without inserting your credit card. and do all of that. You get updates about the service. “
Guillen predicted that most other automakers will follow suit.
This is the complete communication to customers:
Collision repair is here
January 28, 2021
Repair minor dents, scrapes, scratches and more now at your local Tesla Service Center as an alternative option for a workshop. Our streamlined repair flow allows for a fast, seamless experience when you need it most.
Collision repair services may include: suspension and axle damage, front and rear bumpers, hoods, lift doors and side mirror covers, along with doors, wheels and all glass repairs.
To schedule an appointment, select “Collision and Glass Repair” from the Service menu in your Tesla app and track your service experience with step-by-step notifications.