According to a recent report in Auto News, Chrysler has created toll-free telephone lines for its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands that customers can use to contact the company for almost any purpose. The company said that the move is an attempt to shift the communication model from between the consumer and the corporation to “the consumer and the brand.” While customers can use the phone lines to complain, the service is designed to improve overall customer care, said Pietro Gorlier, Chrysler’s Customer Care Chief Executive, who apparently has fielded some of the calls himself. Customers can use the phone service to book test drives and ask questions about warranty coverage or any other topic. The company has outsourced the service to Convergys, a Cincinnati-based call center company.

Our view: The key to the success of this initiative will be the people who answer the phones, and how they handle those calls.