GM has renamed its Service Parts Operations (SPO) division – the name that entailed ACDelco, Goodwrench, and GM Performance Parts – to Customer Care and Aftersales.
In a press release, Steve Hill, newly-appointed President of the department, said, “Our new name better reflects GM’s critical role in customer retention and service after the sale. It’s going to be less about selling parts and more about taking care of customers, hence the name customer care,” Hill said of the former SPO. “All successful organizations are centered on the customer. If you’re not customer focused, you’re just not going to win.”
Expressing the value in retaining owners of the now-defunct Saturn, Hummer, and Saab owners, Hill said, “If we’re not taking care of these customers and their service needs, they’ve told us flat-out to forget about selling them a new car. If you’re not meeting their needs, there’s a zero chance of selling them a new car. Our name change is a signal that we’ve changed the way we’re doing business.”
That statement – in and of itself – makes perfect sense, especially as owners of the now-defunct brands may feel alienated by GM. Will a divisional name change keep them GM customers? We’ll find out soon enough. We have the full presser right after the break!