GM Goodwrench Becomes "Customer Care and Aftersales"

General Motors is making efforts to support its image after delivering severe blows to some of its brands, like the defunct Saturn, the recently rescued Saab and the distressed Hummer.

The company’s service and spare parts arm is being rebranded and will have a new, customer-orientated image. The division, formerly named ACDelco, Goodwrench and GM Performance Parts will be named Customer Care and Aftersales.

"Our new name better reflects GM's critical role in customer retention and service after the sale," said Steve Hill, who was appointed this week to succeed Kevin Williams - who is now President and General Manager of GM Canada.

"It's going to be less about selling parts and more about taking care of customers, hence the name customer care," Hill said of the former SPO. "All successful organizations are centered on the customer. If you're not customer focused, you're just not going to win."

Hill stressed the importance of the Saturn, Hummer and Saab owners: "If we're not taking care of these customers and their service needs, they've told us flat-out to forget about selling them a new car. If you're not meeting their needs, there's a zero chance of selling them a new car. Our name change is a signal that we've changed the way we're doing business."

General Motors first started using Goodwrench in 1977, as a way to market the service departments of the carmaker’s dealers. The division was originally brought to the market using Mr. Goodwrench, a special character – a mechanic who had fixing superpowers.