A next-generation technology platform, focusing on delivering a customer-centric experience, is taking on the automotive industry.
365 Assistance was selected as Toyota Financial Services’ (TFS) national roadside assistance partner after a competitive tender process.
Now one year into a contract with TFS, 365 is continuing to build strong, ongoing partnerships with major OEMs and dealer groups.
“We believe in consistent approach, and we have strategically aligned our vision to dealers across Australia,” Roadside Assistance chief executive Peter Richardson says.
“365 is an agnostic next-gen tech platform and service operation, and the way we look at dealers and servicing are integral to us. Without the servicing relationship with the dealer, you don’t have a customer.”
“We understand virtues and we make sure everybody that comes 365 has a positive experience.”
Working with 365 allows dealers in locations across Australia to work and have a voice with the 365 network.
With the launch of its new Uber-style Roadside Assistance app, it enables the 365 repair network to pinpoint exact driver location to create the fastest provision of services in the market.
Richardson says 365 has been building in the driven-Uber-style motoring and financial services space and takes operations in the industry to the next level.
Its Uber-style provider network platform gives providers flexibility such as choosing rates, picking the job allocation and receiving ongoing industry support.
“The result is we need to further our continued investment into our platform,” Richardson says.
“In our view, having a 365 in one place of operation limits us in terms of time it gets to the clients, and secondly, it’s expensive and not an efficient means of supporting customers spread across Australia.”
Richardson does not see this as the way of the future and does not support the dynamics of the industry.
365 Assistance originally started with a retail focus to motor traders, but quickly realised the missing opportunity in the market was not on the retail side, but to align to businesses to needed to support customers.
“The retail sense is a well-understood and accepted challenge and there are players in the market who do this reasonably well,” Richardson says.
“We’re not a traditional roadside assistance provider, rather, we approach our vision as being a solutions tech specialist partnering to drive business to business, and as part of this journey we’ve invested heavily in IT.
“This strategic shift now means we have developers who sit in-house building IoT infrastructures such digital platforms, communication cycles, payment gateways and mobile apps on behalf of our partners including Toyota Financial Services and more location-specific dealer groups.”
Richardson says he sees a bright future in this space.
“We are beginning to see success now and understanding where our niche fits. Roadside assistance can no longer be transactional, it needs to be a more focused solution.”
“Dealers and OEMs are at the core of this.”
365’s key point of difference would be that it is not transactional and invests in IT.
“We are investing in technology and will have some exciting announcements in the coming months,” Richardson says.
He spills that there will shortly be a home assistance option, which will be the same as roadside assistance, further leveraging power in the environment.
“We are using major support partners to provide home assistance.”
A rewards program will also be offered in an app, allowing access to rewards like petrol, restaurant and clothing discounts to reward customers.
A number of completely new projects, with TFS and other brands, is in the works, as well as plans to expand overseas – first stop New Zealand.
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