CENTERLINE, Mich. -
Chrysler dealers will now have a new way to win more service dollars thanks to a new deal the automaker signed that allows technicians to work on and replace parts in competitor vehicles.
 
Chrysler’s Mopar division announced a strategic agreement with Magneti Marelli and Shell Lubricants that will give its dealership network the ability to fully service competitive vehicles.
 
Starting this month, Magneti Marelli will begin supplying Mopar and Chrysler dealerships with all sorts of parts, including brakes, shocks, struts, oil filters, air filters and more. Other product lines will also gradually be phased into the Chrysler dealer network.
 
"After introducing a number of initiatives to improve service for our customers, including brand-specific customer-care lines, extended service hours during weekdays and weekends and a push for Mopar Express Lanes, taking care of owners with competitive vehicles is the next frontier," explained Pietro Gorlier, president and chief executive officer of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand.
 
"For customers with competitive vehicles, Mopar’s agreement with Magneti Marelli and Shell Lubricants effectively creates one-stop service shops at our Chrysler Group dealerships. And with the addition of 3,000 quality-tested parts, our dealership network will now have the ability to fully service customers who drive into our service lanes with competitive vehicles,” he continued.
 
According to the automaker, more than 2.6 million customers with competitive vehicles visited Chrysler dealerships for light maintenance, including oil changes and tire rotations, last year.
 
"In addition to customers with competitive vehicles, our dealers will now be able to supply independent repair facilities with a full line of premium parts," said Gorlier. "With this unique collaboration, this move further positions Mopar as a leader in customer care."
 
Dino Maggioni, CEO of Magneti Marelli Aftermarket, added, “Over the past few months, we have worked closely with Mopar on distribution synergies and our parts range proposition. We are ready to develop our presence in the U.S. aftermarket, bringing our product expertise and becoming the brand source for the company’s all-makes parts."
 
In addition to Magneti Marelli, Mopar is also working with Shell Lubricants to support the company’s move to offer dedicated express-lane services in its dealerships.
 
Shell Lubricants can provide dealer-level program and marketing support and supplies the Mopar oil program with premium Mopar and Pennzoil motor oils for Chrysler and competitive makes.
 
In addition to Pennzoil passenger-car motor oils, Mopar’s oil program will feature Shell Rotella heavy-duty engine oils. Both Pennzoil and Shell Rotella are the most preferred brands in the US in their respective categories and will be featured components of Mopar’s Express Lane program.
 
"We are very pleased to be working with Chrysler Group, the Mopar brand and its dealers," said Lisa Davis, president of Shell Bulk Fuels and Lubricants, Americas. "Chrysler Group builds some of the finest vehicles in the U.S., delivering cutting-edge design and performance, and we are proud to provide their dealers with our leading Pennzoil and Shell Rotella motor oils for the vehicles they service."
 
Currently 72 percent of Chrysler Group’s 2,311 dealers now offer Saturday service hours. Mopar is planning to improve this number to 80 percent by the end of this year. Dealers who have made the move to Saturday service hours have increased their overall service business by 20 percent, according to officials.
 
To support the move to Saturday service hours, Mopar has extended its technical support dealer call center hours to 16 hours Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to midnight) and now Saturday as well (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.).
 
Beginning in January of this year, Mopar started providing Saturday service at its parts distribution centers. For customers, Mopar established extended hours for the company’s brand-specific customer-care telephone lines from just weekdays (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to Saturdays as well (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST). In addition, the company announced that it will now offer Sunday customer service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, with the exception of national holidays.
 
Regarding Mopar Express Lane service, currently 600 dealers, or 26 percent of the Chrysler dealer network, now offer express service. Mopar is planning to improve this number to 80 percent by the end of 2014.
 
Dealers who add Mopar Express Lane service to their dealerships average a 50-percent increase in their retail service business within the first six months and double their oil-change business in the first year, officials claimed.
 
"It’s important to note that competitive vehicles currently make up 25 percent of Mopar Express Lane traffic," said Gorlier. "Our new relationship with Magneti Marelli and Shell Lubricants will allow us to further serve this growing market. Our dealerships will become full-line retail service and tire centers."