MCI Service Centers set new standards

Predictability, paired with quality. It's what we like about our favorite coffee shops, and it's what we expect from our service providers, too. That's why, recognizing that each and every service event is important to how operators regard MCI, MCI's service centers have adopted the highly successful lean operations philosophy in use at the MCI manufacturing plants. The service centers created a Lean Promotion Group during the first quarter of 2007, with the goal of meeting customers' repair and maintenance expectations.

Over the past nine months, MCI's lean promotion group facilitated "kaizen" events across multiple locations. The group helped redefine the repair event, trained every service center employee in "lean" principles and new processes, and created a company wide intranet to provide real time communication of standards, work instructions and customer expectations. All with one single objective in mind: Deliver the ultimate customer experience.

Some of the changes are small ones — the way a phone is answered, or the way an invoice looks. Some of the changes are a bit bigger and take longer to implement — like how parts are stocked, or what kind of internal training an MCI technician will bring to the job.  And many things haven't changed at all — like our same-day service guarantee on all repairs to an MCI coach estimated to take less than four hours, or the level of hospitality drivers enjoy in the MCI lounge. So what should you expect when you walk through the door of your local — or faraway — MCI Service Center?

Continuous Process Improvements
"Our first and foremost objective is to improve customer satisfaction and we will do so through continuous and incremental improvements in process," said Shannon Thibault of the MCI Sales and Service Lean Promotion Group. "And it starts even before you arrive."

Training
Training technicians is not just about nuts and bolts. MCI believes that customers should be confident that they will find a clean, well organized and professional environment every time they visit a service center. So, while William "Gator" Pryne, MCI senior technical advisor, leads classes (both at individual service centers and at the MCI National Training Center in Louisville) covering repair and maintenance of various coach systems, all MCI technicians also undergo 5S and safety training.

Customer Service
When you visit a service center for repairs or maintenance work, you or your driver will be greeted by a service advisor who will lead a visual inspection of your coach with your company representative before the work is to be done. The inspection form will document areas where damage has occurred to the exterior and interior of the vehicle, and the advisor and your company rep will sign the form.

After listening to your representative describe any problems and / or getting a list of requested repairs, an estimate will be prepared and submitted for approval before work begins. If you or your driver are waiting for work to be completed, each service center has a comfortable drivers lounge in which to relax.

Once repairs are completed and before the repaired coach leaves the service center, there will be a repair quality inspection and another visual inspection of the coach. When that is completed and signed, your coach will be returned to you.

Parts
Our most recent continuous improvement project focuses on service center parts inventory. We understand how important it is to our customers that we have the parts they need on our shelf when they need them. We are working with our demand planning, information technology and service centers to further improve upon our parts forecasting and planning capabilities. With process and technology improvement, we expect to deliver significant improvements in same day fill rates across our entire network of service centers.

If you have questions about what's new at your MCI Service Center, call or stop by. See just how predictable — in a good way — service can be.

The FYI from MCI editorial staff values your feedback. Please e-mail any suggestions, comments, or ideas for future articles to fyi@mcicoach.com.