“If you have the use and maintenance manual in your hand it means that the car has a problem” and, again, “the best service is no service”: following these two maxims, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, first abolished the manual use and maintenance and then reduced assistance services to a minimum, which it now even wants to abolish completely. A visionary and slightly crazy project which under the name 'Zero Service' aims – for now – to identify and eliminate the causes that bring a machine to the workshop, and then move on to completely eliminate the need for assistance.
As we know, nothing about Teslas is “normal”: the man-machine interface, the sales method, the use of the car itself changes. An example for everyone: Teslas lack the “start” button: you sit down and the car is ready to go. On the other hand, what else could a person who sits in the driver's seat and buckles up want? It's a detail, but it testifies to the cultural revolution that Tesla has set up. The “Start” button is in fact a fetish, the symbol of the world of motors. But not on the Tesla.
However, one of Tesla's most profound – and secret – revolutions is its maintenance and assistance system which now seeks to take the next leap forward with the “Zero Service” program. However, let's start from a fact: Teslas already today do not require annual maintenance. The classic coupon has been abolished completely. Unlike cars with internal combustion engines, a Tesla does not need traditional interventions such as changing the oil, fuel filters, replacing the spark plugs or checking emissions. Nothing.
Then, as on all electric cars, the brake pads also require few replacements, as regenerative braking returns energy to the battery, significantly reducing brake wear. Routine maintenance interventions, therefore, are so minor that Tesla even explains to its customers how to carry them out themselves, if they prefer, with an endless series of tutorials, all available online on a dedicated website.
The ultimate goal is to not create problems for customers and consequently reduce the amount of time vehicles spend in Tesla Service. All right. But when does a Tesla break down (because obviously it can happen)? That happens? There are two paths: the physical Service Centers and the Mobile Service fleet, the assistance that comes directly from the customer.
“The fleet of mobile technicians, who move throughout the peninsula (including the islands), can carry out up to 80% of maintenance operations directly at the customer's home or workplace, without him having to go to a service center,” they proudly explain at Tesla.
It all starts with the customer asking for an appointment (via phone or app). At that point, to direct the customer towards the best solution, the Tesla team can exploit the connectivity of Model S, Model it can in fact be diagnosed and therefore identified remotely by the customer, allowing the teams to orient the customer in the most effective way between a visit to the workshop or the intervention of a mobile technician. And thanks to over-the-air updates, i.e. over the air and therefore remotely, some of these technical problems can be solved with a simple phone call and the installation of a software patch. Likewise, since all Teslas are connected to the Internet, we also use remote diagnostics to facilitate predictive maintenance. Our cars monitor certain components to make sure they are healthy; if a part needs to be replaced, we can pre-order the necessary parts prior to a customer's physical or mobile service visit.”
And the technicians always remotely understand if the physical intervention of a technician is necessary. And, above all, if it is an intervention that can be carried out with a Mobile Technician or if the car will have to be taken to the workshop, which here are called “Service Center”: it is more chic and knows less about faults.
Another refinement: the home appointment can also take place in a completely touchless manner. When the Mobile Technician arrives at the appointment location (which could be the Tesla owner's home, office, company), he notifies the customer, who can choose not to show up in person and authorize the technician to open the door via App. the car independently via the software systems and then complete the intervention with a possible subsequent verification test drive. Opening and closing the car without the slightest contact with the customer. This process was perfected during the pandemic period, to minimize physical contact, and continues to remain a valid option appreciated by customers for its convenience and time optimization.
Now, to conclude the visionary “Zero Service”, what is missing? Much more. This is why Tesla is investing heavily in its service infrastructure and assistance centers to shorten waiting times, increase productivity and improve the overall customer experience. Suffice it to say that, until two years ago, there were only 2 Tesla Service Centers in Italy: Milan and Padua. Today, however, there are 7 assistance centers in Italy: Milan-Linate, Padua, Bologna, Rome, Florence, Caserta, Turin, plus new affiliated body shops, and the expansion will continue.
Let's say straight away that the source of this data is Tesla itself: numbers from third parties are missing. So the “host how is the wine” effect is high. But the official data of the Mobile Service is really scary: the average customer satisfaction score (CSAT) for the appointment with Mobile Service is 97 percent. There is nothing like this in the car. Not only that: the average time taken for each visit is less than 50 minutes. Another record never seen before. These are truly crazy numbers that make it clear that the “Zero Service” project is probably achievable.
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