It’ll be some time before India gets back to its feet, without the fear of catching a deadly virus. And while it tries to do that, nothing will be taken for granted. That includes the luxury of buying or investing in a depreciating asset, such as a car. So, what do carmakers do? Sit with their hands folded and waiting for that time to arrive? Nope. To try and ignite some fire of hope in diminished consumer sentiment, they thought of introducing customised financing solutions alongside tasty discounts.

The list of carmakers who did that included Mercedes-Benz. But all that is for prospective customers. What about those who are already on board? Well, the German brand has just introduced a couple of new customer-centric, after-sales service initiatives which promise to make life easier for existing customers.

Digital Service Drive Next (DSDNxt)

In a nutshell, DSDNxt incorporates an array of digital solutions to stay connected with their car while it is at the workshop. Mercedes-Benz has enhanced it with the addition of a few new features. One – customers will get a ‘Service Web Check-In Pass’ for each service. It helps in providing real-time tracking of the car during pick & drop, regular updates regarding service status and the option of online payment.

To make things simpler, Mercedes-Benz has added WhatsApp for Business as a new communication platform for service updates. Lastly, customers can expect more personalised experiences at workshops.

‘Pay at your convenience’

As the name suggests, this new initiative allows existing customers to opt for a flexible payment plan for the services availed — for instance, one swipe EMI easy payment option for both preventive maintenance and general repairs. Other options include zero-cost EMY option for three months, and credit card EMI solution for a tenure of up to 12 months. Mercedes-Benz says that there are at least 13 banks with which it has partnered for these financial solutions.

The new initiatives will surely help customers in the long run. And, most importantly, they increase the chances of generating more repeat customers for Mercedes-Benz.