Baier rolls out area's first Mobile Service Van

Game Changer

This is for the customer. It's the next big step in our commitment to service. It's a game changer.”

Jamie Baier, Jim Baier Ford

FORT MADISON – Jamie Baier is changing the face of local vehicle service.
It’s one of those ideas that make you think, ‘why has this taken so long.’
And Baier says it’s a game changer.
Jim Baier Ford in Fort Madison is unveiling the first ever mobile service van in the area.
The van that was on the auto dealership lot in Fort Madison Wednesday afternoon is capable of doing oil changes, tire rotations,  recall work and diagnostics – from your house.
“That’s a good word for it – Game changer,” Baier said Wednesday while Technician Derian Scully performed some training on a Ford Escape on the lot.
“People don’t like to come to the dealership anymore and sit in the waiting room. That time factor is more important now than it’s ever been,” Baier said.
“So that ‘s the theory behind this whole thing.”
The program was launched by Ford back in 2019 according to Ford's Dan Kimball.
Baier said it’s a sizeable investment, but it gets the dealership a mobile service stall.
“This is uncharted territory. I’m less concerned about the financial investment as I am about taking care of the customer. Because I think this is the future of customer service. I really do,” Baier said.
“If I break even I’ll be happy.”
He said plans include being able to take the van to customers’ work sites if allowable so oil changes, rotations and other services can be done while the employee is at work.
Baier said he’s not convinced that eventually he won’t need a fleet of the vans, but wants to take it one step at a time.
He wants to offer the service all throughout Lee County and up to Burlington.
They are going to be able to go out into the marketplace and actually take care of customers on site. Whether it’s a business, a fleet, or a customer at t heir house. We will have the ability to change oil, rotate tires. We can do programming and recalls on vehicles,” said Kimball, a Ford mobile van specialist.
"It's a very friendly and efficient way for Jamie and his team to be all over taking care of customers.”
The vans have air compressors that will allow for extracting old oil and pumping in fresh.
It has 20, 20 and 40 gallon oil tanks with fresh oil and a 49-gallon recovery tank, which will allow the vans to do six or seven oil changes before having to return to replenish and discard old oil.
Kimball said Ford started doing mobile servicing with 450 mobile units on the road, and currently there are up to 1,300 throughout the country.
They have ordered another 1,000 for this year.
“Jamie is really excited and we are really excited for him to have a mobile service unit and be able to start getting out to customers.”
Baier said there is heavy training with the van going on throughout this week and he wants to put the system into operation with customers starting Monday.
“They just need to call and ask about the mobile service,” he said.
Baier also said there would be no surcharge on the mobile service.
“Nope, same prices as if they came into the dealership,” he said.
The van is blue and white emblazoned with the Ford Logo and “Ford Mobile Service” with email and phone contact information  for Jim Baier Ford on the side.
Baier said the service isn't just for Ford or dealership models and vehicles.
"We we be able to service almost any make or model with this new service," he said.
"This is for the customer. It's the next big step in our commitment to service. It's a game changer."