Unplanned downtime due to breakdown or urgent repair means significant costs, both time and monetary. This could be avoided with well-planned service and repairs and this is where the Volvo Service Planning comes in handy.

With the Volvo Service Planning feature, customers' uptime is guaranteed. Pre-booking with this service allows Volvo's service advisors to ensure a bay is booked with the technician and parts on standby, all ready to go when customer's truck enters the workshop for its scheduled maintenance and repairs. This helps get customers' trucks back on the road in a timely manner.

"We have a system that lets us plan our customers' truck maintenance schedule," said Law Ah Tiong, Volvo Malaysia's Aftermarket Vice President. "All our dealers use Volvo Service Planning to schedule their customers' maintenance. We track their mileage through a system and send them emails or short text messages to inform them when it's time for service, about seven days prior. We suggest to them which workshops to go to depending on their locations," he told Asian Trucker in an exclusive interview recently.

With the aim to allow customers focus on their main businesses, Law said it is important for trucks to be maintained regularly, which is why after every few thousand kilometres, Volvo service advisors will actively call customers to schedule their service slots.

"This way, they (customers) do not need to worry about missing a service or late maintenance because there is a team that is already keeping track of when their vehicles need servicing," Law said. The service advisors will also ask whether the customers need any additional repairs or attention to their trucks. This is a proactive step on Volvo's part, so they can put technicians, bays and parts on standby.

Maintaining close engagement, service advisors will tell the customers how long their trucks or buses' downtime will be, so the customers can arrange backup vehicles for their businesses, hence uptime can be ensured.

Besides dealing with trucks and buses, Volvo also hoped to raise awareness on punctuality among its customers. "We want to educate them on being punctual when it comes to bringing their vehicles in for scheduled maintenance. If they come late, they will have to wait much longer as we would have others to attend to," Law said. Volvo had done roadshows to raise awareness in May, but it will not stop there as they want to have a continuous engagement with customers.

The Volvo Service Planning is exclusively for customers under the Volvo Blue and Volvo Gold Service Agreements.

Volvo Service Planning: Step by step

1. The right input

4. Keeping you updated.

All relevant information about your truck is entered into the system. This includes the truck’s exact specifications, how it will be used, the expected distances involved, and much more.

Volvo will contact you 7 days before the actual service due date to make an appointment with your nearest dealer. A reminder will be sent 2 days before the appointment date for your team’s peace of mind. This simplifies fleet planning and you know that each truck is getting the right service.

2. Identifying the best solution.

5. Fine-tuning your service.

Volvo determines the right level of maintenance for your truck and develop your Individual Service Schedule.

When your truck is with Volvo, they fine-tune the Individual Service Schedule if new data shows that this is necessary. This ensures optimal maintenance for best possible truck performance and fuel efficiency.

3. Precise planning.

The Individual Service Schedule shows exactly when your truck needs a service and what actions need to be performed.