10:43 am, January 8, 2018
A NEW vehicle breakdown service has been launched that its developers say will revolutionise the recovery and repair industry.
WMS Rescue & Recovery – from national warranty provider WMS Group – is the latest addition to the company’s expanding portfolio and offers a range of premium vehicle breakdown services and benefits to retailers and consumers.
It follows six months of development and is now operating via a national network of the highest-calibre approved vehicle recovery operators (VROs), with an aggregate fleet of more 3,000 recovery vehicles comprising regular and specialist equipment.
Investment from the parent company included the development of its dedicated Leeds-based contact centre, recruitment of technically trained operator staff and advanced electronic systems linking directly into the VROs’ systems.
The premium products include cover for misfuelling, key assist and flat tyres as standard, with no callout charges or additional fees. But the main difference, says WMS Group, will lie in the commitment to delivering a consistently outstanding customer service.
WMS Rescue & Recovery is spearheaded by head of operations Rajiv Kapoor. He is the former head of UK operations for DHL Courier Services, where he oversaw 400 contact centre staff, and former head of operations for a Cambridgeshire-based vehicle recovery firm.
Rajiv Kapoor
Kapoor said: ‘Our first priority is customer safety. We will ensure that the driver and their passengers are in a safe location away from the road, also taking into account any medical conditions and arranging help where required.
‘Following that, our mechanically trained call handlers will be able to obtain the exact cause of the failure by asking the customer a series of questions. This enables us to send the right vehicle and equipment from our approved VRO network, therefore minimising downtime and inconvenience for the customer.
‘WMS Rescue & Recovery is a game-changer. We have created this product from the ground up to ensure that it exceeds our customer expectations at every single stage. From the point of purchase to making a call-out and extending to renewal, our mission is to ensure that each of our customers receive only the best possible care, and that they are returned to the road as quickly and safely as possible.’
It is already being sold into new and used dealerships, service outlets and repair centres, and is also being offered to existing policy-holders. Available as FCA and non-FCA-regulated products, the net cost to the retailer for 12 months is £59 before insurance premium tax or VAT, with a fixed retail price of £99 inclusive.
John Colinswood, managing director of WMS Group, which was named Warranty Provider of the Year at last year’s Car Dealer Power and was highly commended at the 2017 Car Dealer Used Car Awards for its Safe and Sound scheme, said: ‘Warranty and recovery are two products that go hand in hand, so launching our own recovery division was a natural progression.
‘There was a tremendous opportunity in the market to introduce a range of premium products that would extend outstanding protection to drivers and their passengers, while providing our retailers with additional revenue opportunities. We firmly believe that WMS Rescue & Recovery will set the benchmark in terms of both coverage and customer care.’
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