2020 Automotive News All-Stars

Volvo’s Scott Doering knows a main thoroughfare to the new-car showroom runs right through the service department. Customers who are happy with the service they receive are very likely to stay loyal and buy a vehicle when the time comes.

Doering, 53, led teams that have been ahead of several trends aimed at making sure Volvo customers get their vehicles fixed right the first time and with a minimal amount of inconvenience. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, his team started Volvo’s effort to persuade dealers to offer pickup and delivery for service customers. The automaker has developed its own branded pickup and delivery software that works seamlessly with the company’s other dealer management software.

Doering also knows that customers are keeping their vehicles longer, so his team started a program that caters to drivers of older Volvos aimed at keeping them coming back to the dealership for service. No matter how old a Volvo is, if a technician installs an eligible part, it comes with a lifetime warranty that also covers labor.

Another Doering-led initiative rolled out this summer — the Volvo Technician Tool Program — can save new technicians as much as $20,000 on purchasing their own tools. The program provides a graduating tech with a 72-piece tool kit that covers about 80 percent of the repairs normally done replacing worn and broken parts.