Commercial Service Solution Helpful Videos

Opportunity

Are there other products or OEC services I must buy to make CSS active?

No, CSS is a stand-alone, no-charge offering. FordParts.com, CollisionLink, and  RepairLink are other product examples unrelated to CSS and not a requirement to purchase.

Will participating in CSS bring in new Fleet Management Company (FMC) business for maintenance and light repair?

Yes, we would expect Fleet Management Companies to send fleet units into your dealership for MLR. FMCs manage over 900,000 Ford VINs and service 50,000 per month within the Ford dealer network. FMCs have indicated CSS as a key enabler to servicing these VINs.

Will CSS allow dealers to service competitive make vehicles and use the centralized billing that CSS brings to the table? 

Yes, CSS allows dealers to bill non-Ford VINs. As long as the P.O. and approved dollar amount match, and the repair order is entered by the enrolled P&A code, it will pay like a Ford VIN. The Quick Lane network is ideal to service non-Ford VINs using Omnicraft parts. 

Will the leasing company provide the fleet ID or FIN code upon the advisor calling for authorization?

The Fleet Management Company will provide the fleet ID if it is required, which is their internally assigned number to identify their client – this is NOT the FIN code. Dealers do NOT need to produce or report FIN codes.

Can we expect the FMCs involved in CSS to be willing to have all repairs performed at Ford dealerships after sending MLR business to the aftermarket?

If the dealership is enrolled in CSS, the dealer is considered a preferred dealer in the Fleet Management Companies list of recommended dealers.

Enrollment

How can I learn a bit more about CSS, enrollment, and what reconciliation of the payments will look like?

Please visit the Commercial Service Solution Microsite to view where FAQs are provided, along with training videos about how the tool works, and how to reconcile repair order payments from your P&A code statement.

How do I enroll in CSS? 

Go to the Commercial Service Solution Microsite and select “Enroll Now” to complete the enrollment process. For OEC training and login support, you can view the “Recorded Training” link, access the Support Center once logged in, or contact Customer Support at 1-888-776-5792. 

Who are the FMCs on CSS? 

Element, Emkay, Enterprise and LP USA / Wheels / Network are the Fleet Management Companies engaged. 

If a dealer wants to keep his current agreement(s) with a FMC and not enroll in CSS, is there any reason why they couldn't do that going forward? 

Yes, a dealer can retain their current agreement, but the FMCs want a consistent billing system with a single invoice to pay, and every dealer who retains a previous billing process is defeating one of the big benefits the FMCs want from dealers. With no credit card merchant fee, no checks to reconcile, and easy online payment, we hope dealers will consistently join. FMCs prefer to do business with dealers who are enrolled in CSS as a first priority. 

How do I get my login credentials?  Do I need to call OEC for that information? 

Enrollment by the dealer results in a welcome email from OEC that allows the dealer to create a username and password. 

Bill Pay

If I sign up for CSS, and already give a 10% discount to the FMCs, will the CSS 10% add to my discount, so I am giving back 20% to the FMC? 

No, the CSS enrollment overwrites existing agreements, confirming all the latest dealer and Quick Lane information is correct, and doesn't add a discount on top of an existing agreement. 

Why is payment being processed weekly as one sum? 

Because the payment information is coming to Ford via the CSS website, the closest interval Ford can post to the dealer statement through the ARMIS billing process is all of the activity once per week, which pays to the dealer once a month. 

Does CSS bill services at Warranty or Retail rates? 

Neither. There are no labor times or pricing in CSS, as those pricing and times are between the dealer and FMC; determined initially at work approval and P.O. 

If a dealer signs up for CSS, is it mandatory to use the billing process through Ford? 

Yes, that’s the benefit to both the dealer and FMC with the consistent billing and is a requirement of CSS. In fact, enrollment with all FMCs on this is also a requirement. The dealer has this clearly posted to their statement with no credit card and/or other payment fees, and the Fleet Management Companies have one invoice to pay.  

Every dealer who says no to CSS because of the billing makes themselves another pay location for the FMCs in the old process – which is what they want to eliminate via centralized billing. 

Are engine and transmission assemblies discounted 10%? There is no standard markup on those, just a handling fee with less than a 10% total margin. 

Yes, and in those types of commodity, the dealer needs to price for it. So, a $5,000 engine cost to the dealer with nothing but a handling allowance should be quoted at something like $5,600. This is an example of the approach and not a suggested exact price, but the dealer needs to take this into account when pricing work like this. 

What does it mean when Ford promises no credit card fees with CSS? 

Currently many dealers get paid by Retail and Fleet clients with a credit card and the service provider pays a few percentage points on the transaction. FMCs billing by credit card may be charging a few percentage points in fees to the dealer. CSS passes no credit fees to the dealer; free enrollment, free repair order payment, free float. Ford carries the receivable with no transfer costs from Ford to the dealer. 

Processing Claims

How and how often does my dealership get paid for CSS repair work? 

Dealer enters payment claims into the CSS site and when matched to dealer requests, they are paid to the dealer P&A code parts statement.

Claim activity is bundled by week and posted with a single line every week to the statement which pays monthly. Claims are grouped and paid in a weekly line of activity but are paid to the dealership once per month on the schedule of the P&A parts statement. 

What is classified as a Miscellaneous expense when creating the CSS repair order? 

Miscellaneous fees include towing, inspections, and shop fees that are not discounted and may need to be called out with comments to explain the detail. 

What happens when the FMC rejects a repair order?  How will Ford administer refunds or chargebacks? 

Repair orders are required to match before payment, so dealers or Fleet Management receives a notice from CSS when a repair order is incomplete or in error and needs to be corrected. Both parties are advised to resolve the issue, either by key entry correction or additional work approval so repair order details match for payment, minimizing billing issues or reversals. 

Who provides the fleet vehicle unit number to build a claim? 

The FMC will provide the unit number, or it may be printed on the maintenance guide in the glove box issued by the FMC. 

What do dealers use for the Customer Pay op codes?  Will the FMC need them or recognize a special CP labor op – i.e., battery service, coolant flush, etc.? 

No, none of the labor codes have times or prices connected to them.

What dealer personnel are doing the authorization and RO entry into CSS – the warranty clerks or the advisors?  

It make sense to have the advisor do it since they are getting paid for writing up a customer and they are also writing up the ticket initially.  The service advisors consistently handle the write-up and authorization, and while some also build the CSS payment repair order, others want an office manager to enter the repair order.  It all depends on dealer set up.  

A dealer's first CSS repair order took 20 minutes to process.  Will this process get easier for advisors? 

Dealer staff will quickly get more efficient in CSS and many repairs will repeat and become very familiar. If a challenge persists, CSS WebEx training or video clip training exists to help the dealership. 

Is the time allowed for the repair restricted to warranty labor standards or can a dealer charge regularly published times from other sources?

The labor code and description in CSS is there to ease the creation of the payment repair order but is not tied to any times.  FMCs in general use ALLDATA for labor timing and expect the nationally advertised prices for the everyday MLR work. 

What labor times are allowed for non-maintenance repairs? 

Labor time, rate, and part costs are all negotiated between the dealer and FMC; Ford has no involvement. The dealer needs to price competitively for this business and know it is billed at 10% off the final price. The dealer must also take all of the other benefits into consideration, knowing all other vendor competitors pay the 10% so that is not a unique penalty to Ford. 

Is the approval a guarantee of payment without charge-back liability? 

Chargebacks really don’t exist here, because once payment is authorized via a match in the system, the dealer will be paid.  A reversal can take place if both parties agree something was wrong with the first repair order and they want to cancel and start over, but if there is a quality of repair argument, the FMC and dealer will need to work that out rather than just unwind a repair order payment. 

How can I view the permanent video clips on the CSS site that depict how to get a repair order entered and reconciled? 

Go to the Commercial Service Solution Microsite select "Recorded Training." A dealer can also visit the Support Center once logged into the program. 

Does the repair order work have to be completed before entering information into Ford CSS?

No, in fact the information can be entered into Ford CSS right away. All of the information will be saved and is searchable by a VIN, RO, or PO number. Once the work is completed, the repair order can be edited (if needed), and then submitted for payment. This is a best practice for some dealerships. 

Does being on CSS mean I’m the #1 recommended dealer in the FMC Network? 

CSS is a key enabler to do business with the Fleet Management Companies. Being enrolled in both CSS and the Ford Pro Maintenance Program (FPM) makes you a top recommended Ford dealer in the FMC Network. To learn more about FPM, go to fmcdealer.dealerconnection.com and search “FPM”.