Chrysler 2013 Annual Report Download - page 90

89
Report on
Operations
Interaction with Customers
To ensure a consistent and high standard of quality in the interaction with customers, the Group has established Customer Contact Centers
(CCC) dedicated to managing relationships with existing and potential customers.
A total of 26 Centers with around 1,000 customer care professionals manage approximately 10 million contacts a year. The services provided
range from information, to complaint management and coordination of roadside assistance. Together with dealers, the Customer Contact
Centers represent an essential channel of communication with customers.
In order to respond to the constantly evolving needs and expectations of customers, the CCCs regularly monitor customer satisfaction levels
to identify potential areas for improvement in service levels, as well as customized, on-demand channels of communication.
Given the vital importance of transparency and professionalism, particular emphasis is placed on training for personnel who communicate
directly with customers.
Integrated On-board Safety
The Group is strongly committed to its efforts to enhance safety for all road users. Research in this area includes solutions that assist drivers in
avoiding dangerous situations and in taking evasive action to prevent accidents.
The Group applies an integrated approach to the development of on-board safety systems – which has been proven to significantly reduce the
probability of injury in the event of an accident – focusing on the following key areas:
accident prevention: systems that assist the driver in recognizing potentially dangerous situations
driver assist: systems that provide active assistance in controlling the vehicle and maneuvering to avoid collisions
damage mitigation: systems to minimize damage and injury in the event of an impact
Proper vehicle maintenance and responsible driving are also essential to vehicle safety. The Group contributes in this area by conducting driver
safety courses and awareness campaigns on the importance of proper vehicle maintenance, as well as raising public awareness of the dangers
of driving while distracted.
As a result of thousands of hours of virtual simulation, testing of components and sub-systems, as well as extensive crash tests, all of the
Group’s new models have been recognized for their safety performance.
In 2013, the new Maserati Ghibli and Jeep Cherokee were awarded the Euro NCAP 5 Stars. And, as evidence of the Group’s emphasis on
vehicle design in all markets, the Fiat Panda also received an ANCAP 5 Star rating in Australia. In the U.S., the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) recognized the Maserati Ghibli and Fiat 500L as “Top Safety Picks” for 2013 and the Dodge Dart, Dodge Avenger and Chrysler
200 sedan as “Top Safety Picks” for 2014. In addition, the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD was awarded the NHTSA NCAP 5 Stars and the Jeep
Grand Cherokee 2WD and Jeep Compass received a 4 Star rating.
The need for affordable mobility and efficient infomobility systems is expected to be even more vital in the future. CRF and Magneti Marelli
have both been actively working on wireless technology solutions for effective Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I)
communications, which together represent one of the key technological challenges for sustainable mobility. Both organizations continued
experimentation with systems to support safe and eco-compatible driving, as well as researching advanced driver interfaces that improve
recognition of dangerous situations. By alerting the driver of potential dangers and assisting in taking evasive action, such technologies help
maximize the level of protection for vehicle occupants and other road users. In addition, systems that use real-time information to reconstruct
and predict conditions around the vehicle represent significant progress toward the concepts of assisted driving and autonomous vehicles.