Enabling customers to make the most of their time while their car is being serviced, independent Porsche dealership Autofarm recently began offering a complimentary travel service to and from a nearby luxury outlet mall.

Rather than waiting out the four-hour car service at the garage, Autofarm will arrange for customers to be driven the four miles to and from Bicester Village to enjoy its outlet boutiques and restaurants. According to Autofarm, the service is designed to cater to the growing number of female Porsche owners, especially mothers. Autofarm’s Workshop Manager, Robin Bartholomew explains: “Getting the car serviced often falls to the lady of the house. Children understandably get bored waiting, but this provides an opportunity to go somewhere suitable, rather than being trapped in a car showroom or workshop waiting room.”

It takes little tread off Autofarm's tires to offer the service, which provides a substantial value to their customers and is a great example of what our sister site would call a brand butler offering—something extended to consumers that helps make their lives easier and more enjoyable. How can your brand drive customers to new heights of satisfaction...? ;-) (Related: Hotel perks for Mercedes drivers – Fiat offers electric bikes as loaner vehicles — Volvo dealership loans bikes instead of cars.)

Website: www.autofarm.co.uk
Contact: porsche@autofarm.co.uk

The internet may have already brought new transparency, accountability and ease to myriad aspects of consumers' lives, but auto repair is not typically among them. Aiming to provide an alternative to the time-consuming process of driving from shop to shop collecting estimates, DentBetty is an online system that lets users upload photos of the damage to their car and receive competing bids from local repair shops in return.

Structural damage typically requires a physical inspection for a realistic estimate, DentBetty notes; for that reason, it focuses on dings, dents, scrapes and scratches instead. Users begin on the free system, which is currently in beta, by simply entering their ZIP code and uploading at least two photos of the damage to their car. Local auto body shops can then examine the photos and come up with bids for getting the repair done. Whenever a shop makes an estimate, DentBetty notifies the user by email; all estimates received so far (up to the maximum of seven) are presented together on a personal DentBetty page. The DentBetty Quality Scoreboard, meanwhile, keeps a running record of consumer feedback and other information about the various vendors involved to help consumers evaluate their reliability. When the consumer selects a bid, he or she then contacts the shop directly to schedule an appointment.

There are currently more than 100 shops nationwide in the DentBetty Network, each prescreened against DentBetty’s rigorous standards. Such members get notified every time a new consumer within driving distance requests an estimate. Since some repairs are difficult to estimate by photo alone, shops can indicate a level of confidence along with their bid. DentBetty's staff also prescreens every photo to make certain that it's from a legitimate consumer—“not just some teenager having fun with his camera.”

Of the USD 36 billion spent each year in the US on collision repair, some USD 3 to 5 billion takes the form of out-of-pocket expenditures for cosmetic damage. One to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world? (Related: Home-repair bidding site prescreens contractors — Premium tire chain focuses on transparency.)

Website: www.dentbetty.com
Contact: thebetty@dentbetty.com

Last year we saw a UK Volvo dealership offer bicycles as loaner vehicles when customers' cars are in for service, and recently one of our spotters alerted us to something similar in Spain. Specifically, Fiat now offers owners of its Fiat 500 an electric bike option while their car is in the shop.

Launched in May, Fiat's offering is now available in its Barcelona, Valencia, A Coruña, Sevilla and Madrid locations through a partnership with bicycle maker Trek. There's no charge for borrowing the electric bikes, which have a 70 km range and recharge during braking as well as through plug-in power. The motivation for the move, Fiat says, is to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable mobility; the company also offers an eco:Drive service to help consumers use their cars more efficiently.

If the electric-bike loaner program proves popular in Spain, Fiat will reportedly extend it to other European countries as well. Other car makers and dealerships: what about you? And since this is a relevant and appealing way to let consumers try out a product that's still unfamiliar to most consumers, electric bicycle brands would do well to seize the opportunity and initiate similar partnerships. (Related: Bicycle trailers on loan at IKEA.)

Website: www.fiat.es
Contact: www.fiat.es/contacto

Spotted by: Leticia Pérez Prieto

The concept of the pop-up drive-in movie is not brand-new—we covered a California-based effort back in 2006, after all—but we're pretty sure the involvement of a major car brand has not been seen before. Sure enough, though, that's exactly what's enabled the Starlite Urban Drive-in, which recently sold out a three-night run in London's East End.

Situated in the cultural heart of London at the Truman Brewery, the Starlite featured a full-sized, outdoor screen along with 25 pre-parked Volvo cars, ready for patrons' viewing, reminiscing and snacking pleasure. Tickets were GBP 25 per person, with a maximum of two people per car—included among those were the Volvo XC60, C30 and convertible C70, all wired to play the soundtrack on their radios. Snacks were even available from waitresses on roller skates at the event, which began on July 1 with a specially commissioned short film about the story of the drive-in movie. “Dirty Dancing” was featured the next night, followed by “Grease” on the last of the run. Tickets to the Startlite's events sold out in two minutes, causing its creators to begin planning a nationwide expansion of the theater, which is even carbon-neutral.

“The opportunity seemed to be one that fit well with our brand," a Volvo spokeswoman told AdAge. "It also gave us a fun and unique opportunity to reach a younger audience that may not have been exposed to the Volvo brand before. We've been delighted with the success of the Starlite Urban drive-in." Other car brands and entertainment entrepreneurs: time to embark on your own trip down memory lane...?

Website: www.starliteurbandrivein.co.uk
Contact: info@starlite.co.uk

Spotted by: AdAge via Raymond Kollau

While national automobile associations have been branching out into other areas—from credit cards to car rental—the primary reason drivers sign up is for emergency roadside assistance. Building on that "there when you need us" sentiment, ANWB, the Dutch motorists association, has launched a mobile store that will tour France* this summer.

The ANWB's store on wheels will stop at campgrounds across France, selling tourists items they forgot to pack, from toothbrushes and sunblock to its own maps and travel guides. On July 10th, the association will sell its wares from rest stops along the Autoroute du Soleil, where it will be joined by motor care teams who'll check tire pressure, give traffic updates and clean car windows and mirrors. The ANWB will also treat drivers to a massage while sitters entertain their children. (This might seem excessive, but the Autoroute du Soleil is the main motorway from the north to the south of France, and is so choked with traffic on heavy travel dates that July 10th is dubbed Black Saturday.)

Last but not least, when drivers have finally reached their destination, the ANWB's 'Helping Hands' will pitch tents, fill jerry cans and even dry dishes.

All of which makes for a prime example of what our sister-site calls brand butlers. As trendwatching.com puts it, "serving is the new selling", and by following its members and assisting them when and where they need it most, the ANWB builds a stronger relationship with its customers and highlights the diversity of its offerings. (Related: Light therapy for weary travellers — Method's mobile laundry truck facilitates clothing donations.)

Website: www.anwb.nl
Contact: www.anwb.nl/contact-en-service,/contact.html

Spotted by: Ruben van Rhijn

* Not only has France long been the number one holiday destination for Dutch tourists, last year 87.8% drove there from Holland, making it a prime marketing location for the ANWB.