Zubie And AutoNation Partnership To Increase Customer Service

Zubie announced that AutoNation has launched a connected-car program to utilize its technology in a new partnership between the two companies.

AutoNation is the largest automotive retailer in the United States, operating 282 new vehicle franchises across the country. Through this initiative, Zubie’s Dealer Platform and vehicle analytics will assist AutoNation’s customers and allow them to easily interact with AutoNation Customer Care Centers.

Zubie’s service is being installed in both new and used cars that are sold at AutoNation dealerships, as well as in cars that are returning for service. Zubie’s technology will notify AutoNation’s customers with real-time vehicle alerts about engine performance, battery issues and other maintenance issues. When an AutoNation customer’s “Check Engine” light comes on, or their vehicle is in need of scheduled maintenance, the Zubie-enabled car will allow AutoNation to quickly communicate with the customer regarding the issue, and the customer can easily schedule an appointment for maintenance to avoid a breakdown of their vehicle. Additionally, the technology will provide vehicle owners with helpful driving and vehicle health reports to increase the overall value of the customer service that they receive from AutoNation.

“Zubie’s solution will help improve relationships between AutoNation and our customers by giving them a source of information about the service needs of their vehicles,” explained AutoNation’s CIO and SVP of IT, Allan Stejskal. “We expect that we will be able to improve customer satisfaction and customer retention as we drive a peerless customer experience.”

This partnership is noteworthy to all auto dealers, considering the massive scale of AutoNation’s reach across the country. All dealerships are interested in finding innovative methods to deepen the connection to their customers to increase loyalty, and the auto industry will certainly be watching to see how consumers react to AutoNation’s usage of Zubie’s technology.

“This initial program, with industry leader AutoNation, is a breakthrough initiative to provide compelling solutions for the automotive industry and also deliver peace of mind to drivers,” said Tim Kelly, CEO of Zubie. “Zubie’s platform provides auto retailers a flexible and powerful data-driven solution which increases service visits, while also elevating loyalty to auto dealers from their customers in entirely new ways.”

Although this partnership provides the potential for increased customer service, safety-enhancing technology such as Zubie can raise concerns about vehicle security. As connected-car technology usage increases, researchers continue to analyze the various ways that hackers might be able to compromise vehicles. Last year, alumni of Israel’s cyber intelligence division, Unit 8200, discovered that Zubie technology could have been exploited, providing hackers with the ability to remotely unlock the doors and manipulate the car’s dials, as well as the potential to control the brakes, steering and engine.

Although Zubie CEO Tim Kelly explains that this issue has subsequently been fixed, its prior existence is a reminder of the importance for cyber safety in the automotive industry. Fortunately, the security vulnerability in Zubie’s technology was discovered, so AutoNation’s customers appear to be safe to enjoy the enhanced customer service that the new partnership will provide.