DETROIT and MONTVALE, N.J. -

Both General Motors and Mercedes-Benz USA announced moves this week that aim to beef up their respective customer service and experience departments.

Starting with GM, chosen to be the new U.S. vice president of customer experience is Alicia Boler-Davis.

In this new role, Boler-Davis will be responsible for leading “GM’s effort to make the way customers are treated a driver for repeat purchases of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac products and services,” the company explained.

The appointment is effective immediately, and she wil report to GM North America president Mark Reuss.

Boler-Davis is the current plant manager at Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping in Michigan, and will replace Paul Copses in her new position.

Copses will be assuming leadership of GM Customer Care and Aftersales Global SAP project.

Reuss also explained the thinking behind Boler-Davis’ position change:  “The breakthrough change that Alicia led as plant manager at Orion Assembly, while launching the all-new Chevy Sonic and Buick Verano, needs to be brought to our customer experience.

“What I admire about her is her candor with leaders and strength of commitment she engenders among her team,” he continued.

Highlighting Boler-Davis’ history with the company, she started her GM career in 1994 and has served in various engineering leadership positions including vehicle line director/vehicle chief engineer, small car; and plant manager for both Lansing Consolidated Operations and Arlington Assembly.

MBUSA Hires New VP of Customer Service

And for Mercedes-Benz USA, Gareth Joyce will be assuming the role of vice president of customer services, effective immediately.

Joyce will replace Alan McLaren, who left the company this past December.

As new VP of customer services, Joyce will be responsible for all customer service operations, engineering services, after-sales marketing and logistics, as well as MBUSA’s customer assistance center. 

“Joyce comes to MBUSA with extensive international management experience,” the company stressed.

He was most recently director of after-sales for Mercedes-Benz Netherlands with responsibility for all after-sales, customer service and parts sales and distribution. 

He began his automotive career in 2004 with DaimlerChrysler South Africa as senior technical manager for all five brands of the business, including Chrysler Jeep, Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles and Freightliner/FUSO commercial vehicles. 

Three years later, Joyce was named vice president of after-sales for Mercedes-Benz South Africa “where he not only delivered on customer service strategy, but worked to grow the already significant parts revenue with improved efficiency,” officials noted.