PARTS AND SERVICE PROFESSIONALS KEEP YOUR CARS ON THE ROADS

BY RENNAY CRAATS

In a market where new car supply can be limited and preowned cars are often snapped up as soon as they are listed, drivers are paying more attention to maintaining their cars to improve their performance and extend their life. To do that, drivers are looking to their trusted Wood Automotive Group (WAG) dealerships’ parts and service departments to provide them with everything they need to keep their vehicles on the road and running like a dream.

In the 40 years since the Wood family entered the Calgary car market with the flagship Woodridge Ford Lincoln dealership, service departments have undergone a serious evolution as they have kept up with the times.

“There have been huge changes, mostly in respect to technology. The service points on the vehicles aren’t as frequent as they used to be; a lot of fluids had to be changed at 5,000 kilometres and now the lifetime on those fluids is probably triple that,” says Kathy Atkins, retired long-time service manager and director of fixed operations for WAG.

Advancements in design allow modern cars to run more efficiently which has led to a significant drop in warranty and maintenance work. Today’s vehicles are more like a laptop on wheels, employing sophisticated electronics to provide a stateof-the-art experience for drivers. In turn, the skillset of WAG professionals in service departments has grown to be as much technical as mechanical.

The introduction of electric vehicles has also changed service departments, and while the percentage of EVs on the road is still low, it’s growing and WAG’s experience servicing these systems is growing as well.

“Whether you call it a revolution or an evolution, we are facing a disruption right now. We have electric vehicles coming in, and we have to figure out what that will look like,” says Rory Wood, vice president of Parts and Service, WAG.

From additional tire wear from the extra weight of EVs to technicians using special hoists, ionizers and battery testers, today’s shops need to adapt to the direction of the industry so they are ready for EVs. The high-tech, complicated components in both EVs and gas vehicles offer efficiency and automation, and along the way that has all but eliminated many who would tinker with their cars on the weekend.

This has made WAG’s service departments even more indispensable for customers. The team makes it as easy and enjoyable as possible for people to get their vehicles serviced. Customers can receive a text or email reminder outlining the service due, book an appointment online and can either use the shuttle to get wherever they need to be or they can relax with a coffee in the comfortable lounge while they wait for their service to be completed. With multiple service bays and teams of experienced certified technicians, the WAG dealerships pride themselves on doing quality work that gets customers in and out quickly. One dealership even offers a mobile service van for oil changes, tire rotations and regular maintenance right in a customer’s driveway. Valet drop-off and pick-up service make it even easier for customers to get a vehicle serviced with WAG.

“At a lot of service departments, they can’t look after your needs for two or three weeks. That doesn’t do you any good as a consumer when you have an immediate need today. We take care of customers as quickly as possible,” says Gerard LeClerc, one of WAG’s original employees and now-retired long-time service manager and body shop general manager.

Whether customers need an oil change or their tires rotated, require a coolant flush or a government inspection, or to have their engine serviced or get a brake job, WAG’s technicians can perform virtually any service on any vehicle and get customers out the door and on with their day.

For those customers looking for something extra, the parts and accessories specialists are ready to add on elements that help personalize their vehicle. With impressive inventories that span the WAG network, these dealerships can easily source the parts and products customers are looking for. From tow packages and roof racks to running boards and spoilers, WAG delivers custom solutions to add more personality, functionality and fun to their vehicles.

Whether customers are adding a bit of flare or keeping to the maintenance schedule, WAG’s service and parts departments are there to keep customers driving in style.

TOP LEFT: DRIVE-THROUGH LANES MAKE IT EASY FOR CUSTOMERS TO DROP OF THEIR VEHICLES FOR SERVICING IN JUST A MATTER OF MINUTES.

MIDDLE 1: DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ARE EQUIPPED WITH MULTIPLE SERVICE BAYS FOR CARS, TRUCKS, SUVS AND EVEN HEAVY INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES.

MIDDLE 2: SERVICE TECHNICIANS CONNECT THEIR COMPUTERS DIRECTLY TO A VEHICLE’S ELECTRONIC SYSTEM TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS.

BOTTOM LEFT: THE WAG DEALERSHIPS’ EXTENSIVE PARTS AND ACCESSORIES DEPARTMENTS GIVE CUSTOMERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERSONALIZE THEIR VEHICLES.

PHOTO SOURCE: MITCH WIEBE

In 2023 the Wood Automotive Group celebrates its 40th anniversary. In this edition and in the coming months, Wood Automotive Group Founder and Executive Chair, Gerry Wood and his team will recollect how vehicles have changed in the past 40 years and how serving customers continues to evolve. In this issue we focus on parts and service.