Auto Special: Mercedes-Benz unveils new after-sales promise

A month after Mercedes-Benz launched its new "My Service" after-sales brand promise at its headquarters in Germany, the premium carmaker brought the new program to China as part of its commitment to the market.

The automaker released the Chinese slogan for "My Service" on Oct 26 with the key characters "Xiuyang" - which means cultivation.

China is the first regional market with a localized version of the new brand promise.

Guests in attendance received a surprise when the new brand promise was unveiled at the launch ceremony at the Chaoyang Museum of Urban Planning - the characters for "Xiuyang" were aesthetically designed in the form of a traditional seal to reflect the Chinese element.

Interactive workshops onsite showed four key areas in after-sales service: reception, vehicle parts, body & paint, and pre-inspection, illustrating Mercedes-Benz's strict global standards for technical competence and service in the China market.

Along with the new brand promise, Mercedes-Benz will improve and upgrade after-sales services across the country.

To enhance after-sales services, the company plans to invest 150 million yuan ($23.6 million) in training programs and related facilities and over 2 billion yuan in strengthening its parts distribution network in China, said Klaus Maier, president & CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

"Mercedes-Benz has witnessed excellent performance in the China market in recent years. Our outstanding delivery of after-sales service ensures that our customers will continue to enjoy a premium driving experience and a lifetime relationship with Mercedes-Benz," Maier said.

Mercedes-Benz sales in China increased 38 percent in the first nine months of the year over the same period in 2010.

"Everyone in our company acknowledges that if we are not successful in China, we can't be successful globally, so China is the key," said Daniel Whitehead, executive vice-president of after-sales at Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd.

"We do a lot of things really well today (in after-sales services), but we can't rest on that," he said, "It (the new brand promise) is not revolution, it's evolution for us."

To get closer to customers, a lecture tour with an estimated 1,000 Mercedes-Benz owners participating will start in Nov across 15 cities in China, to offer professional instruction on car driving and maintenance.

(China Daily 10/27/2011 page15)