
SA Auto Week to take place in Eastern Cape during October
Despite potential headwinds, South Africa’s automotive industry remains committed to long-term growth and resilience.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2025
Maja Smith is the new Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) Director. She brings with her vast experience in the Customer Experience space and will introduce a new way of thinking to what is one of Ford’s most important areas of business.
She will be responsible for developing customer satisfaction and business growth initiatives that will maximise the potential for the company’s parts and service businesses. Her new responsibilities build upon the changes she made to Ford’s Customer Experience (CX), which included the launch of a like-for-like, instant customer loan car programme, a proactive call centre that reaches out to customers who experience a vehicle failure, and system enhancements that allow Ford to monitor customers’ vehicles while at dealer workshops.
As the company prepares for the launch of its next-gen Ranger and Everest later this year, Maja will lead a team through the process of operating 10 hubs across South Africa that will gather the best technical minds to ensure no customer is without his or her car for longer than a week in the event of a technical concern.
“Ford’s Customer Service Division is not only about selling genuine Ford parts and technical expertise. It is about the whole experience, every single touchpoint our customers experience in their journey with us, which we hope will last a lifetime,” she says.
Neale Hill, President of Ford Motor Company Africa region, acknowledges Maja for revitalising and modernising Ford’s CX to a stage where it now sets new benchmarks in its field. “Her contributions have had a profound effect throughout so many stages of the customer journey, and I know she’ll tackle her new role of FCSD Director with the same determination, echoing Ford’s commitment to the country, its customers, as well as its commitment to the future,” says Neale.
Despite potential headwinds, South Africa’s automotive industry remains committed to long-term growth and resilience.
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