Allianz Partners drove FCA dealers’ warranty work in COVID-19 lockdown

By Tom Sharpe

30 September 2020

A new partnership between Allianz Partners and the FCA Group helped to drive warranty work to Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Jeep dealers across the UK during COVID-19 lockdown, it has been claimed.

Allianz Partners was appointed as the new supplier of approved used car warranty for the FCA group of brands – including the Fiat Professional light commercial vehicle (LCV) offering – earlier this year.

It said that a new, fully online, approved used warranty system that brings together sales, claims and accounts into one integrated solution has already seen the FCA retailer network experience increased sales volumes year-on-year, despite the current COVID-induced market challenges.

Liz Grindell, head of warranty and F&I for Allianz Partners in the UK, said: “Without doubt the UK automotive industry has faced unprecedented challenges this year, which is why, in order to deliver the high level of customer support our clients have come to expect, we ensured our dedicated warranty workforce was on hand throughout lockdown.

“Crucially, we utilised that period to fine-tune our training and services to reflect the new COVID-19 world, which in turn means we have been able to provide our clients the support needed to enable them to regain ground as lockdown eases.”

In preparation for FCA’s return to business, the Allianz Partners warranty field team produced new information resources for its retailer sales administrators, including video conference training, collateral explaining the sales process and warranty benefits along with FAQs to help staff familiarise themselves with Allianz Partners as a new supplier.

Karl Ordell, MOPAR vehicle protection and fleet manager at FCA, said: “The new partnership with Allianz Partners creates a more comprehensive extended warranty cover.

“We also benefit from a much larger field force who are working closely with our retailers to provide support and training. In the future, we will launch a dedicated FCA-branded website to sell extended warranties which will further enhance the customer journey and increase retention.”