Kenwort’s PremierCare ExpressLane is one of a number of criteria dealers need to offer to gain PremierCare Gold certification.Kenworth announced its new Kenworth PremierCare Gold Certified program for Kenworth dealerships in North America offering superior levels of service.
“Dealers have to have a focused approach on how they maximize uptime,” said Preston Feight, Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice president. “We go through a comprehensive certification process for them and then assign them the PremierCare Gold status.”
Dealers must meet a number of criteria to gain the new certification, including a PremierCare ExpressLane with technicians to support quick diagnosis and estimated repair time and cost within two hours.
Other criteria include extended hours of service, 24-hour roadside assistance support, all engine technicians require MX certification, outstanding parts availability and dedicated TruckTech+ personnel. Dealerships also must have a premium driver’s lounge.
“We talked with our dealer group about how we can make sure that a truck dealership doesn’t seem like some 20-year-old archaic idea of what an experience should be,” said Feight. “We want our business experience to be excellent for the drivers, we want to have enough bays available to create a competitive advantage for Kenworth in the future.”
Kenworth currently has 380 dealer locations with 4,500 service bays throughout North America, and the company says its network has invested $500 million in facility improvements in the last five years.
“PremierCare Gold is a great opportunity for dealers to look in the mirror and see where they stand relative to the standard,” said Feight. “We are seeing significant adjustments. Our goal is to see that no less than 80 percent of dealers are in that category.”
