MUMBAI: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Wednesday announced the launch of multiple PRO Service Centres to cater to the increasing number of customers in smaller cities and towns across the country.
Currently, TKM has 396 outlets and 79 dealer partners pan-India.
The newly set-up PRO Service Centers, which are dedicated service facilities but have no sales operations, are coming up in cities and towns that did not have Toyota Service Centres so far, TKM said in a release.
TKM had set up a pilot PRO Service Centre at Jorhat in Assam in January this year.
The new centres are now operational in Narnaul (Haryana), Nagaur (Rajasthan), Jorhat (Assam), Kharagpur and Asansol (West Bengal), Morbi, Patan and Palanpur (Gujarat), the release said.
It added that the other proposed 80 locations of network will see a significant proportion of PRO Service outlets by the end of the year.
These facilities are equipped to service any Toyota car ranging from free service to gular paid periodic maintenance, minor general repairs and minor body and paint repairs as per the company's standards.
Besides, the PRO Service workshop owners will also service non-Toyota cars, said the release.
"There was an emerging business need for service operations in smaller cities and towns, owing to the increasing number of Toyota car owners," said Naveen Soni, senior vice-president (sales and service), TKM.
He added that with the launch of the PRO Service Centres, the company's customers can get their cars serviced in their own city or town and avoid travelling to bigger cities nearby for the same.
Soni also said the service network expansion is primarily aimed at customer convenience.
He added that the new locations have been selected carefully keeping in mind the cities and towns that have seen a rise in Toyota car owners and to ensure that they get service closer to their homes.
The pilot PRO Service Centre in Assam has helped the company understand the needs of the customers and workshop owners, he said.
With the launch of the nationwide PRO Service combined with our existing MICRO 2S (sales and service) centres, TKM has now substantially increased its service footprint in smaller cities and towns.
"We will support the new PRO Service centres by enabling them to achieve our established standard operating procedures that ensure lean stock and high supply.
"Further, TKM will handhold the PRO Service facilities by providing operational and technical training for their entire staff. The PRO Service facilities will be a part of our regular manpower development programs and processes as set by TKM," Soni added.
The company said to ensure these centres meet Toyota's global standards of service, they will have direct parts supply besides technical and operational support from TKM.
They will work in close collaboration with nearby Toyota dealers to ensure all the stakeholders, PRO Service workshop owners, dealers and customers, benefit from the model, said the release.