Michelin Launches North America Blackberry Application

A mobile dealer locator application for Blackberry smart phones currently being rolled out in the US and Canada has been described by Michelin Americas Truck Tires (MATT) as the “first truly mobile tyre-related application in the trucking industry.” The tyre maker intends the new Blackberry application to complement its existing Michelin ONCall emergency road service and online dealer and service locator in its “Wherever You Go” offering.

“Based on research into the most popular mobile platforms in the trucking industry, we launched the Blackberry application first,” said Jaye Young, US country marketing manager, MATT.  “But the Android and iPhone applications are not far behind. It’s no secret that today’s business runs in real-time, and our customers expect information literally at their fingertips—including information about where they can find Michelin tyres.”

The Blackberry application provides the location of the nearest Michelin truck tyre or service provider in the US or Canada, as well as basic information about that location. Users can call Michelin ONCall ERS directly from the app or search for a provider by category, including emergency road service, travel plazas, onsite tyre service or MRT retread providers. The application can provide service providers based on the user’s current GPS location or an entered location. It also gives users the ability to call the service provider or save the provider’s information to their device’s contacts or address book.

In addition to being able to call for emergency road service directly from the application, Michelin has recently enhanced its Michelin ONCall ERS at 1-800-TIRE-911. “We now have direct contact with service technicians in order to ensure timely service of customers who need us, many times in the middle of the night,” said Clive Guest, emergency roadside service manager, MATT. “We’ve also implemented very clear service metrics, so our partners are accountable for their performance. The initial response has been very positive, with call volumes increasing significantly in a very short time.”