NASHVILLE. Rush Enterprises rolled out its new RushCare Service Connect system here at the 2016 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting this week; a system that provides truck customers with an online, on-demand, 360-degree view of the service work being conducted on their vehicles at Rush Truck Centers facilities.
“RushCare Service Connect is the next step in helping our customers improve uptime,” noted W.M. “Rusty” Rush, chairman, CEO and president of Rush Enterprises, in a statement.
“[This new] technology, we are giving customers fast, convenient access to repair information and enhancing our communication with them … to create a more efficient repair process,” he added.
Via the RushCare online portal, customers can receive real-time repair updates about their vehicles, establish two-way communication with service advisors and service managers and have complete transparency regarding their vehicle status, the company said.
Also via the online porta – which can be accessed by traditional desktop computers, tablets or mobile devices – customers can request new service, review and approve repair orders quickly and easily as well as document all aspects of service events, anytime and anywhere, noted Paul Tucker, Rush’s director of eBusiness and digital marketing.
“We took particular care to address customer needs in designing this portal, giving them the ability to sort information within the platform, review trucks at each repair status level with a dashboard view and expand each area for more detailed vehicle information,” he said.
For additional convenience, the system also features repair status that incorporates TMC’s Vehicle Maintenance Record Standards (VMRS) with visual indicators for easy identification by users.
RushCare also integrates with a customer’s own or third-party service event management system, such as Decisiv and Navistar OnCommand Repair Advocate, so customers can choose to access this data in whichever way is most convenient, noted Brian Mulshine, Rush’s director of operations technology and innovation.
To aid in the repair process, customers can add and receive attachments of estimates, purchase orders (POs), photos and forms online and receive email notifications of updates, he said.
There are several “packages” being offered via this new system, the company noted:
RushCare Service Connect Online Portal Only, which provides access for a nominal annual fee.
RushCare Service Connect with Fault Code Management, via which a dedicated team of diagnostics experts proactively monitors vehicle fault codes, immediately notifies customers of critical faults, documents history of fault codes and provides comprehensive vehicle health reports. This functionality helps improve uptime and repair accuracy, provide faster diagnostics and minimize unexpected breakdowns and service costs, the company said.
RushCare Service Connect with Repair Management, via which a dedicated “service concierge” team provides personal communication, manages repair event oversight, expedites parts ordering and delivery, involves truck and engine OEMs when needed and schedules repairs.
RushCare Service Connect with Total Management offers all the features and benefits of both the Fault Code and Repair packages.
Also, with both the Fault Code and Repair packages, customers receive access to the RushCare Service Connect online portal, recall reporting, plus special labor pricing and support, noted Mike Besson, managing VP for service and customer solutions at Rush.
The system also comes with complimentary service scheduling, dealership location assistance, vehicle diagnostics, RushCare Rapid Parts support, emergency breakdown assistance and service issue resolution as well, he noted.
Mulshine added that RushCare Service Connect will be fully integrated with the company’s own advanced telematics offering, powered by Geotab.
“With this technology, customers will benefit from real-time vehicle and driver risk alerts … with reporting providing operators the data intelligence they need to analyze and improve fleet efficiency,” he explained.
The company also noted it recently released several enhancements to make its free mobile application – available for both Apple and Android devices – more convenient and user-friendly; upgrades that now allow customers to search Rush Truck Centers’ complete inventory of new and used trucks across the country, which totals more than 5,000 vehicles.
Other features include maps and directions to the nearest Rush Truck Center with contact info for each location, while users will now also be able to search for dealerships by state, ZIP code or truck manufacturer. A variety of videos and sales specials are also available. This free app is available on Apple and Android devices.
“Our customers have been using their mobile devices to contact us when they are on the road, but they also need access to current inventory, no matter where they are,” noted Karen Konecny, Rush’s VP-marketing and communications. “With our app, customers can not only search for the truck they need, but they can contact us quickly and easily, all from the road.”
