One of the missions of Proton, which initiated the first National Car project, was to advance the automotive industry at all levels. Prior to the 1980s, the auto business was largely in the hands of a small number of players – many foreign-owned – and the aim was to help Malaysian businessmen get into the business in a bigger way.
Thus when Proton started, it saw the establishment of a network of dealers, small and large, starting up all over the country. For some, it was the first entry into the car business and they received the necessary support to grow their business. Over time, many of these dealers have worked hard to grow and with guidance and encouragement from Proton, they have become bigger.
Today, the small 1S dealerships which rely only on sales of new vehicles are no longer viable and Proton has persuaded dealerships to upgrade to 3S or 4S facilities where they offer sales, service, spare parts as well as body repairs and painting. In other words, they offer their customers the full range of services that will be required throughout vehicle ownership.
Every car company wants to sell as many vehicles as possible and each year, there is the expectation that there will be more deliveries than the year before. However, as some companies have discovered to their regret, the pursuit of more and more sales without equal attention to expanding the aftersales network – especially authorised service centres – can create problems for customers. Lack of advance planning to cope with an increased number of new vehicles requiring regular servicing will mean customers have to wait longer for an appointment.
Push to upgrade network for future
One of the first things which Proton did after it had Geely as a partner was to review its entire network and upgrade it. Though there were many dealers all over the country, not all were offering the full range of services for customers and in order to enhance the ownership experience, Proton aimed to get its network to be majority 3S/4S outlets. This meant that they would have sales, service and spare parts (3S) at one location, and those with additional space would also have extra services such as painting and body repair (4S).
The initiative was initially met with resistance as it required large investments. There were many small dealers who had just a showroom in a single shoplot and were satisfied just selling a few cars a month all the while. They didn’t understand that with additional investment to upgrade their dealership, they could grow their business further and derive extra income from aftersales services. Instead, their customers were being ‘stolen’ by dealerships which would look after their needs and probably sell them their next Proton. So these one-shoplot dealerships (referred to as ‘1S’ in the industry) could never grow as the only money they made was from the sale of the car. As those in the car business will tell you, there is much more money to be made in the aftersales side.
Proton’s CEO, Dr. Li Chunrong, pushed hard for the upgrades in spite of criticism by certain groups but he explained that it was necessary to prepare the network for growth and to ensure that customers would have a better ownership experience. There was no point in developing better models if the aftersales support was poor and people felt the brand image was not something they were proud of.
100 3S/4S outlets to date
With the opening of a new outlet in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, recently, Proton now has 100 3S/4S outlets nationwide, which makes it the brand with the largest such network. The new 3S outlet at the Oakland Industrial Park was built with an investment of approximately RM4 million. Located near the Seremban 2 Township, it is surrounded by new malls and housing areas which already have many Proton owners and will have many more in future.
The new 3S outlet at the Oakland Industrial Park in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.
“What we have achieved is the culmination of hard work, dedication and commitment by the entire Proton family, from our vendors, dealers and talents in the company. From the beginning, we held the belief that to progress, we need sufficient outlets, good products, great technology in our cars and talent to manage the expectations of the company,” said Dr. Li.
“The results speak for themselves. Our sales have soared and we have since reclaimed the second spot since April this year. Total sales for the month ending July stand at 52,269 units compared to 35,561 in the same period last year, which equates to 47% growth in overall year-on-year sales,” he added.
Quill Automobiles, a BMW dealership situated in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, offers customers a new experience and expression that further elevates delivery of the BMW premium ownership experience.
The new showroom occupies a total built-up space of over 33,000 square feet in the heart of Petaling Jaya’s prime business district. Up to 14 BMW vehicles can be displayed at one time, which makes this dealership one of the largest of its kind in Malaysia.
Speaking at the opening event, Alex Tang, Dealer Principal of Quill Automobiles said: “For over a decade, Quill Automobiles have been delivering our commitment to the BMW premium ownership experience to our loyal customers in Petaling Jaya. This commitment is now further strengthened with the opening of our new showroom which reflects the newest experience and expression from the BMW brand.”
The right environment and ambience
Harald Hoelzl, MD of BMW Group Malaysia, meanwhile, added: “The needs of our customers have always been at the forefront of everything we do. While it is our priority to deliver award-winning vehicles and industry-leading services to our customers, it is also equally important that we create the right environment and ambience for this experience. Quill Automobiles are the experts when it comes to creating this experience and they have executed this excellently once again.”
In its new expression, Quill Automobiles now features a new Grand Klasse luxury boutique in addition to the BMW Customer Lounge, Isetta Bar and BMW Lifestyle area. The dealership also operates a full-fledged, stand-alone BMW Service Centre located in Section 13 of Petaling Jaya. This 58,500 square feet facility houses a complete service workshop and a body and paint facility.
Meeting all the needs of BMW customers
With a team of 90 dedicated staff members, the dealership offers the full suite of Sales, Services, Spare Parts and Systems (4S) for the BMW brand. It also functions as a BMW Premium Selection dealership, serving those who are looking for pre-owned vehicles.
Quill Automobiles is currently running its ‘X Marks the Future’ campaign for customers who purchase a brand-new BMW vehicle by December 31, 2019. They will be entitled to 10 entry forms to participate in a contest to win the latest Z4 sDrive 30i M Sport.
