Mercedes’ new after-sales brand promise will support continued business success

<!–enpproperty 2011-10-28 08:05:15.0Li Fangfang and Xiao HanMercedes’ new after-sales brand promise will support continued business successMercedes’ new after-sales brand promise will support continued business success1161359Auto Special2@cndy/enpproperty–>

 

Mercedes-Benz, on Wednesday, announced some heavy investment in its parts distribution network and training facilities in China, to improve its after-sales service and show its strong commitment to the world’s biggest automobile market, and its care for the customers.

The German luxury car brand is putting 2 billion yuan ($314.8 million into strengthening the parts distribution network and 150 million yuan into training facilities.

The announcement came at a ceremony for the company’s after-sales, brand promise «My Service». This is the first regional market to get the news after the promise was announced at its headquarters, in Stuttgart, in September.

«China is already our third largest market by sales volume and will become the top one by 2015. Our sales in recent years show that our Chinese customers have the same fascination with Mercedes-Benz and enjoy premium luxury as much as other customers worldwide,» commented Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China Ltd.

«We certainly appreciate our customers who have supported Mercedes-Benz’s success in the China market, especially over the past several years.»

However, Maier was quick to point out, «Our appreciation for our customers doesn’t stop with the sale of a premium car. Once people have experienced the design and driving pleasure of our cars, they become life-long members of a very unique family, and they share a special, close relationship with Mercedes-Benz.

«We feel a strong sense of responsibility to our customers with our premium after-sales service, as we recognize that our Chinese customers demand unparalleled perfection and luxury, not just in their initial choice of vehicle, but also in the continued service.»

That after-sales service program supports Mercedes’ core values of heritage, competence, and appreciation of the China market. And it doesn’t just bring the Mercedes-Benz’s global standards and exceptional record of quality service to Chinese customers, but a tailor-made approach to China’s unique market.

Its brand promise, «Xiu yang zhi dao yi mai xiang cheng», captures the essence of maintenance and care that has a heritage, relates closely with Chinese culture, according to Zhou Ning, vice-president of sales and marketing, After-Sales of Mercedes-Benz (China Ltd.

The Chinese expression «Xiu yang», an abbreviation of the Chinese for «repair and maintenance», Zhou explained, has formed a new word that means «refinement» or «self-cultivation». This fits very well with the automaker’s core values.

And, she continued, «The word ‘mai’, says it all. It means we’ve taken the stand for our customers to think for them and to offer them the best suitable service they need.»

Daniel Whitehead, the executive vice-president of after-sales at Mercedes-Benz (China, agreed with this and added, «We spend a lot of our time making sure that we ask the customers just what they want, and don’t tell them what they need – the two things are very different.»

Whitehead explained that the new brand promise will lead the company continues to make changes in after-sales service that Chinese customers need and want.

«It (the brand promise isn’t a revolution, it’s evolution,» he said, adding that, although the company is doing well today in after-sales services, it can not rest on its laurels and needs to make progress in the future.

«Our after-sales work is based on what we’ll need with a 10-year horizon. It gives us flexibility, so that when the China market surprises us again, we can make sure that we continue to be ahead of what we need, to support our customers here in China. We can’t afford to be behind,» he said.

«Every single one of our customers deserves perfect service, every time they come to our dealership. »

Whitehead pointed out that he himself expects 100 percent customer satisfaction for Mercedes-Benz in after-sales service and that it wasn’t impossible, and «should be our target».

He said that the company’s consensus is that, without the success in China, it can’t achieve its global goal – «China’s the key.»

The company needs to be proactive and constantly checking on what the customer need, he said. The company has a careful customer segmentation process to make certain that it offers the most suitable services to different customers. The owners of a B-Class or a GLK generally have different needs from those of a S-Class owner.

Comprehensive training

Over the past few years, Whitehead went on, Mercedes has built a solid foundation with qualified wholesale and retail employees, by introducing very intense, very comprehensive training and certification programs that cover all key after-sales positions.

This year, Mercedes will deliver almost 80,000 participant-days of training for its retail network. On top of the training programs, it has different retail consulting programs. And it provides performance enhancement measures, tailored to dealers’ needs, to help them deliver exactly what their customers need and expect, as the best customer service in the industry.

Another important part of the dealer support programs in China is the Star Service Technical Mentor Program. Under this program, Mercedes invites experienced technicians from headquarters in Germany to stay with Chinese dealers for a two-week period and provide intensive on-site coaching. More than 80 dealers have been mentored through this program.

«Everything we do is about customer satisfaction. In after-sales service, that’s our No 1 priority. We’re proud of the success we’ve had in China so far, but, as the Chinese saying goes, ‘Either progress or regress’. Of course, for Mercedes-Benz, there’s only one direction: progress. And we’ll continue to set benchmarks for the rest of the industry to follow,» Whitehead continued.

To improve customers’ vehicle ownership experience, Mercedes-Benz works to deliver its innovative services from the heart. Its after-sales programs, including the Value Enhancement Plan, TechMasters China, and Vehicle Familiarization Workshop, as well as customer appreciation programs, have had a good reception and have seen active participation by Chinese customers.

By November, the Vehicle Familiarization Workshop will be available in 15 cities across China, and can engage more than 1,000 customers in forums on Mercedes-Benz vehicles and after-sales services, all conducted by industry experts.

 

 

(China Daily 10/28/2011 page15

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