Unless you’re a diehard car enthusiast who enjoys wrenching on cars, maintaining and servicing can be a bit of a faff. It’s especially true if you’re a busy person. There’s now a way to (partially) eliminate the hassle of keeping a vehicle in tip-top shape. BMW Romania is launching a program called Digital Service Only that makes it less of a chore to service your automobile.
How does it work? You can book an appointment without having to interact with a service receptionist. The great thing about Digital Service Only is that its availability doesn’t depend on the service shop’s usual schedule. There’s no waiting time, and you can drop off the car anytime. The BMW Auto Cobălcescu dealer in Bucharest has 20 parking spaces to support the new program. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without a €500,000 investment.
This supplementary service program aims to take over simple operations and relieve the main service. Digital Service Only will not, for the time being, take over complex operations such as bodywork or electrical. The service mechanic sends video messages to the customer. The car’s owner then decides which operations they want based on a digital estimate by simply selecting the items on an electronic form.
There are no in-person car exchanges since BMW Romania has implemented a secure key drop-off and retrieval system. Payment is also made using the available digital tools, so the whole process should work smoothly from when you drop off the car until you pick it up after it’s been serviced.
The Digital Service Only pilot program has been operational since the start of the year. BMW Romania is looking to extend its availability at a national level. Meanwhile, the goal for this year is to attract 2,000 people to use the digital tools at the BMW Auto Cobălcescu dealer. Additional investments to expand the service capacity will follow in 2026.
