Chevrolet Grows GM Infotainment Team at SXSW

Connected Customer Specialists U.S. team doubles in size from 25 to 50 Behind-the-scenes tech support and training helps keep customers connected

AUSTIN, TX--March 8, 2013: Chevrolet is doubling its investment in the General Motors Connected Customer Specialists team by adding 25 young, tech savvy technology experts, bringing to 50 the number of individuals working with dealers and customers across the United States.

The team helps train and certify dealership employees, who demonstrate infotainment and OnStar to customers before, during and after their purchase of a GM vehicle. Many of them will help owners understand how to get the most out of their Chevrolet MyLink system.

This investment builds on an industry first of coupling customer connectivity with highly skilled support. The specialists have equal parts technology smarts and customer skills to help everyone - from technology natives to newbies - get more from their systems.

“Our Connected Customer Specialists have backgrounds in consumer electronics and the service industry to better ensure our customers have a great ownership experience with their state-of-the-art technology,” said Jim Moloney, general director, Customer & Relationship Services. “This investment reflects our commitment to combining the world’s best vehicles with the highest levels of customer service in any industry.”

Technology Teams in Action

In support of today’s announcement, Chevrolet kicks off SXSW® with a behind-the-scenes look at its latest technology offerings and sustainability research projects that are helping the automaker Find New Roads. The “Texas Technology” day includes a look inside:

The nation’s only GM Infotainment Center solely dedicated to supporting Chevrolet MyLink and other in-vehicle technology systems, Pecan Street Inc.’s Mueller community, home to the most Chevrolet Volts in a concentrated residential area, and The new Pike Powers Lab

“Chevrolet’s current investment in technology not only provides our customers on-the-go access that safely keeps them in touch with their daily lives, but also acts as a sounding board for future advancements that will continue to enhance their overall experience with their vehicles,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet Marketing.

Technology That Takes Care of You

The GM Infotainment Center – dedicated to infotainment support – will provide an inside look at how the Connected Customer Specialists help consumers learn more about their in-vehicle technology, via training dealer representatives to become Certified Technology Experts in their own community.

The “Texas Technology” day offers a look at the latest Chevrolet Infotainment systems and how technology can help enhance consumers’ overall driving experience. Specialists and technology experts will answer questions and demonstrate the next-gen Chevrolet MyLink, Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps get things done just by asking, and other smart phone app integrations like the OnStar RemoteLink.

The “Living Laboratory”

Pecan Street is a research and development organization based in Austin that has created a smart grid research community, where residents have agreed to be part of a “living laboratory” of smart grid technology for sustainable living. The community has the nation’s most residential electric vehicles in a concentrated area, about 85 percent of which are Chevrolet Volts.

Additionally, Pecan Street recently opened a new laboratory called the Pike Powers Lab, the nation’s first non-profit smart grid research lab.

The lab will give researchers, Chevrolet, and other partnering companies improved access to data while allowing them to test different real-world scenarios through home simulation. The partnership with Pecan Street currently allows researchers from both companies to study how the residents’ Volts interact with the smart grid on a daily basis and how charging habits differ based on variables.

Using OnStar, Chevrolet recently introduced a concept app called EcoHub, that allows Volt owners in the Mueller community to see exactly how much it costs them to charge their vehicle and compare that against their overall home energy use. The app also allows users to see the current impact of all Volts on the market, with a live ticker showing total miles driven, total EV miles driven and total gallons of fuel saved.