Lincoln's Job 1: Getting to know you

As Ford Motor Co. introduces premium features and more expensive trim levels in its mainstream vehicles, Lincoln is taking a novel path to differentiate itself. 

The luxury brand is focusing on exclusive service-based experiences, which it designs before crafting its new vehicles. 

Getting those experiences right is critical to setting Lincoln apart at a time when the Lincoln and Ford brands overlap on price. High-end Platinum and Titanium Ford trims are even more expensive than base Lincolns. A Platinum Fusion, for example, starts around $36,000, while a base MKZ, which uses the Fusion platform, starts around $35,000.

To be sure, customers can get a host of Lincoln-exclusive luxury amenities not offered in the most fully loaded Fusions, Escapes and Expeditions. They include massaging seats in the Continental, a special 400-hp, 3-liter V-6 engine in the MKZ, an exclusive head-up display in the newly revealed 2018 Navigator, and unique push-button shifters throughout the lineup. 

But the main selling point for choosing a Lincoln over a Ford -- or other luxury brands -- comes from the service-focused experiences meant to make customers' lives easier. Last year, Lincoln said it became the first in the industry to offer pickup and delivery on every model when it's being serviced. The brand has had more than 15,000 pickups and deliveries so far. 

It is piloting at-home test drives in Dallas and Houston. And last week, in a handful of markets, it launched a Lincoln Chauffeur pilot program that lets customers use a smartphone app to call for a personal chauffeur to drive them around in their own car. The driver will also run errands, such as getting gasoline or groceries or picking up kids. 

"We want to make every one of those experiences feel warm, human and personally crafted," Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra told Automotive News. "We've been very consistent with that. That's a key differentiator for us."

Galhotra said the brand's new strategy is to develop the experiences even before they design the vehicles. Lincoln did this through unique observational research: It hired trained observers who embedded themselves with customers for days at a time to monitor how they interact with their vehicles and what particular moments bring them joy or frustration.

"As you observe, you get some really great insights into customers' needs," Galhotra said. "Then you start designing experiences around those unmet needs. It's proven to be more effective for us than the other forms of research."

Lincoln first tested unique customer experiences in China with its "Lincoln Way" strategy, creating warm and friendly dealerships with tea houses and other amenities. It then turned to the U.S. and began to roll it out on high-end Black Label variants of its vehicles. The response was so positive, Galhotra said, that it began to offer similar service experiences across the brand.

One of the early services, Lincoln Date Night, allows customers in certain states to set up a 24-hour test drive in a new Lincoln. They're given a gift card as part of the promotion to spend on dinner, shopping or other events.

"For us at Lincoln, luxury isn't a thing, it's an experience," Ford CEO Mark Fields said.

That strategy stands in contrast to some other luxury automakers.

Jeff Bracken, general manager for Lexus, said the brand is beginning to add its own unique experiences but will always put the product first. 

"We have amazing products and feel compelled that it needs to begin there," he said. "These other nonautomotive emotional efforts can supplement and build upon our luxury image. If we ever reverse that, we feel we'd be getting ourselves down a bad path." 

Despite the focus on service, Lincoln is still introducing exclusive vehicle features. Consider the 2018 Navigator SUV, unveiled last week in New York. 

The full-size family hauler shares many of the features of its sibling Ford Expedition, from reclining seats and power outlets to a lip in the back to keep groceries or other items from rolling out. 

But the front end and interior look completely different. The head-up display, which Lincoln says is the biggest and brightest in the industry, can't be found on Fords. The shifter is unique, storage areas are enhanced and interior materials are also Lincoln-specific. 

"Being part of the Ford enterprise helps us in several different ways, but the products are uniquely Lincoln," Galhotra said. 

Galhotra said the new strategy's results speak for themselves. For 2017, Lincoln ranked No. 3 among all luxury automakers on J.D. Power's customer service index. 

Added Andrew Frick, Lincoln director of sales, service and operations: "When you add up the sum of all these parts, it's helped fuel our sales growth over the last several years." 

Lincoln sold 111,724 vehicles in the U.S. last year, up 10 percent and eighth place among luxury makes, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Executives say Lincoln is on track to reach global sales of 300,000 by 2020.