Taking the lead in customer service
For ages, one of the biggest criticisms against Chinese automakers was their subpar aftersales.
There were horror stories abound of broken cars languishing for months in the casa – owners spiralled from beady-eyed optimism into bleary-eyed madness over parts that never seemed to arrive. Chery Auto Philippines addressed this simply by offering the most comprehensive after-sales package in the country.
And the effort has paid off big-time.
“Our customer satisfaction rate for after-sales is at 95 percent,” said United Asia Automotive Group Inc. (UAAGI) Customer Service Division vice president Lito Landicho, in an exclusive interview with Inquirer Mobility.
“We cannot deny that there are customers with concerns, but we make sure that Chery Auto Philippines acts promptly and ensures that issues are immediately addressed,” he added.
Total coverage
And just how did UAAGI, the mother company of Chery Auto Philippines, accomplish this?
Two words: Premium Preserv, which applies to all models except the Tiggo 2 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro. This after-sales package follows the 10-5-3 scheme – 10-year/1,000,000-kilometer (whichever comes first) engine warranty, 5-year/150,000-kilometer (whichever comes first) general vehicle warranty, and three years of free Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS).
Meanwhile, the Tiggo 2 Pro gets a 5-year/150,000-kilometer (whichever comes first) general vehicle warranty, three years of free roadside assistance, and one year of free PMS. Finally, the Tiggo 8 Pro has a 7-year/200,000-kilometer (whichever comes first) general vehicle warranty and three years of free PMS.
“I can proudly say that we are one of the manufacturers with longer warranty coverage and a complete customer care package,” Landicho said. “This is part of the selling point that our Sales groups are offering to our potential customers.”
Parts, staff at the ready
And unlike Chinese car companies of the past, Chery Auto Philippines maintains an extensive parts supply in the country so that most repairs can be done promptly.
“Our parts fill rate is at 96 percent, which so far is the highest in the automotive industry,” said Landicho. “We closely monitor parts movement across our dealer network and make an accurate forecast to ensure that everything will be available when needed.”
The automotive executive also emphasized that dealer after-sales teams receive non-technical and technical training all year round.
“In addition, we conduct assessment and certification processes to ensure that the training we have conducted is absorbed and applied to their work,” he said. “We also provide our dealers with a strong technical-support group to immediately address any issues that customers may encounter with their units.
Moving forward in a big way
Landicho said all these efforts have made the idea that Chinese cars are substandard, “a thing of the past.”
“With the rapid sales growth for Chinese car brands nowadays, it’s a manifestation that their product quality has significantly improved,” he said. “Chery has indeed proven that they are already a strong contender in the market right now.”
And given that Chery Auto Philippines’ offerings already offer substantially better value for money than cars from other brands, things like Premium Preserv are just icing on the cake.
