Dews Motor Group has launched a 24-hour email service for its aftersales customers.

The help@dews.co.uk email went live last week aimed at providing customers who have increasingly turned to Twitter, in particular, and Facebook and LiveChat for information from the multi-franchise  dealer with an additional, more formal, source of support , particularly outside of normal hours.

Jason Moorhouse, group marketing manager and Tim Ellis, group aftersales manager monitor the account.

Dews has about 35 – 40 service customers a day. The email address has been used already by a customer at 9pm on Friday.

Moorhouse said: “It’s clear consumers are using more digital tools to satisfy their motoring needs and the time of day at which they want answers is not limited to our dealership opening hours. The amount of activity on our Twitter and Facebook accounts made this clear.

“The addition of the 24-hour email service is an extension of the care we want to offer customers – we may not be able to fix their car at 4am, but at least we can let them know how we will help them once the workshop is open. We’re a sympathetic ear, and that on its own will hopefully improve customer service and therefore service business.”

While in the experimental stages, and ahead of the service being publicised, Moorhouse is unsure how popular the email will become, but said additional resource would be available to maintain the 24-hour response offering. And he sees no reason why it couldn’t be extended to the sales department if successful.

Dews offers all makes servicing and has the Ford, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Mitsubishi new car sales franchises in Halifax.