X-1R goes the extra mile for service advisors
A total of 150 service advisors from dealerships across the Philippines recently flew to Singapore as guests of X-1R Philippines.
The scale of the program alone makes it unusual in the local automotive industry, where international incentive trips are typically reserved for a company’s own sales achievers, executives and employees.
X-1R has taken a different approach.
For the fourth straight year, it recognized top-performing service advisors from its partner dealerships—people who are not part of its organization but play an important role in customer care and retention. This year’s delegation, representing various automotive brands and dealer groups nationwide, was its largest yet.
The group explored Sentosa, enjoyed Universal Studios Singapore and visited Gardens by the Bay. Away from dealership visits, product discussions and sales targets, the participants also mingled with X-1R employees and got to know one another outside work.
Professional connections soon turned into friendships that are expected to last well beyond the trip.
In the dealership ecosystem, service advisors are the critical link between customers and workshops. They interpret technical findings, recommend necessary repairs and help motorists make informed decisions about vehicle maintenance.
Their work may happen behind the service counter rather than in the showroom spotlight, but their influence on the ownership experience is significant.
Brixton Aw, President of exclusive X-1R distributor CreativeSparx, Inc. said the trip was the company’s way of recognizing that contribution.
“These service advisors may not be part of our internal organization, but they’re very important to us,” said Aw. “They’re on the front line every day, helping motorists take better care of their vehicles and building trust in the process. This is our way of saying thank you and letting them know we appreciate what they do.”
Harold Ledda, General Manager of X-1R Global, Ltd., said the shared experience also helped build stronger personal relationships between the participants and the company.
“Taking 150 participants abroad is a major undertaking, but seeing everyone enjoy Singapore made it worthwhile,” Ledda said. “They came from different dealerships and different parts of the country, but by the end of the trip, real friendships had already been formed.”
The program has grown into an annual tradition that service advisors actively work toward qualifying for.
Behind X-1R’s presence in the Philippine automotive aftermarket is CreativeSparx, Inc. (CSI), its exclusive distributor in the country. Led by Aw, CSI manages the nationwide distribution of X-1R’s NASA Space Technology Hall of Fame-recognized lubricants, engine treatments, decarbonizers and fuel additives across major car and motorcycle dealership networks.
Originally developed in the United States and used in NASA’s space shuttle program, X-1R’s lubrication technology has since been adapted for automotive applications through CSI’s local operations.
While sales teams are usually rewarded for moving vehicles out of showrooms, service advisors help customers care for those vehicles for years afterward. Their recommendations often shape how motorists maintain their cars and how much trust they place in a dealership.
By investing in these frontliners, X-1R strengthens not only its dealership network but also the personal relationships behind it.
Addressing the trip’s participants on his birthday, X-1R Global Ltd. CEO Nigel McKenzie said, “It’s amazing to see 150 automotive frontliners in an exciting trip in Singapore. Thank you very much for your support, you derserve this trip.”The company has already confirmed that the incentive program will continue, with Vietnam selected as next year’s destination.
“We’ve been doing this for four years, and every year we try to make the experience better,” Ledda added. “Vietnam will be another exciting destination and something our service advisor partners can definitely look forward to.”
For a company to bring its own employees on an international incentive trip is one thing. To extend the same privilege to 150 people outside its organization is quite another.
This year, that recognition took X-1R’s service advisor partners from dealership service bays to Singapore—and turned working relationships into lasting friendships.
Next stop: Vietnam.
