Available initially as part of a pilot project involving 300 Volvo owners in San Francisco, the concierge service, available within Volvo's smartphone app, aim to make the lives of Volvo owners easier by providing certified Volvo service providers to take care of mundane vehicle tasks like fuelling and servicing, while the owner continues about their daily business.
Research by Volvo has shown that over 70 percent of customers want fuelling services at their fingertips, while 56 percent want their car picked up for routine maintenance, and 49 percent would like to be able to have their car moved to another location when desired.
"Our approach is a simple one: we aim to make life easier by employing the latest connected technology in an easy-to-use smartphone app. We are taking an open and agile approach to this, and welcome collaboration with partners which offer new and innovative services. This is just the beginning," says Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, vice president Consumer Connectivity Services at Volvo Car Group.
The Volvo owners participating in the pilot project will be able to use the pilot app to identify concierge services available in the immediate vicinity and order them via their smartphone. Requests are then sent to an authorised Volvo service provider, who will refuel the vehicle, perform scheduled maintenance, or whatever additional service the owner has requested.
The app also provides a one-time-use digital key, which is location- and time-specific, and sends it out to the authorised service provider. When services are complete, the car is locked and the digital key expires. The car can also be returned to where the customer left it or delivered to a completely new location at the customer's request.
Volvo On Call is still under review for South African introduction.