No one wants to have an accident and even small dents can be ‘painful’. While there are many places where repairs can be done, it’s always best to use the services of a repair centre of an authorised dealership of the vehicle’s brand. This is not only because professional and qualified services are assured but the facility will be able to get technical information from the manufacturer, if necessary, to ensure that repairs are done properly. Furthermore, there is the assurance of genuine parts being used.
Volvo Car Malaysia has been establishing a network of Volvo Car Damage Repair Centres since last year to offer high quality body repair and paint service to Volvo owners. The latest one is in Juru, Penang, and it is the largest one to date in the country.
Today’s cars have advanced construction techniques and engineering to not only make them more lasting but also provide better resistance against impact forces during accidents. The materials used are also a mixture of steel, aluminium as well as others like carbonfibre and even titanium. Therefore when it comes to repairs, no longer can the ‘milo tin’ method be used where sheets of scrap steel are just welded onto damaged body.
For this reason, carmakers like Mercedes-Benz have very specific repair techniques using sophisticated equipment to repair damaged vehicles. This ensures that they will be safe to use after repairs and continue to be reliable.
Of course, even the best equipment still requires human operation. Robots could be used but repairing a damaged car also requires human judgement because of the many variables, so fully automated repairs are something in the distant future.
Sime Darby Motors represents (through its subsidiaries) a number of different automotive brands and as part of its commitment to principals, it has to provide a high standard of sales and aftersales support. Besides showrooms, Sime Darby Motors also has a Centralised Body and Paint Centre located in Bukit Jelutong, Selangor, to provide repair and refinishing services.
The Sime Darby Motors centre was recently accredited to the Volvo Certified Damage Repair (VCDR) standard for such facilities. This means it meets the high standards set and required by the Swedish carmaker for such services. The VCDR standard involves the use of a state-of-the-art body repair system and advanced tools, including a fast and highly accurate 3D sensor-equipped measuring system. An efficient paint booth setup was also put in place, creating a well-ventilated and dust-free environment.
Cycle & Carriage was the company that brought Mercedes-Benz to Malaysia 70 years ago; in fact, it was one of the first official importers of the German cars in Asia. While it is no longer the distributor in Malaysia, it continues to have a strong and dominant presence in the retail and aftersales side and has continued to upgrade the facilities in its Autohaus network.
Largest Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in the south
The latest example of its investments is in Johor Bahru where its outlet has been upgraded to become the largest Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in the southern region. The built-up area covers 142,000 square feet on a site that is over 224,000 square feet located along Jalan Skudai in the Tampoi area.
As with every Autohaus, the environment offers the luxurious automotive retail experience that would be expected from the brand. State-of-the-art technology and systems are incorporated to presents a retail experience that addresses the customer’s individual needs. Designed with a large open space and supplemented with custom daylight-emitting spotlights allows the customer to experience the true colours of the cars, all intentionally arranged in an arc to maximise visibility of every model displayed. Customers are invited to explore freely and fully immerse themselves in a journey across various touchpoints supported by digital tools and the latest in multimedia.
More than just ‘a point of sales’
The new retail experience allows for more face-time interactions between customers and the service team, making it more than just ‘a point of sales’ and instead, a point of experience. Even beginning the journey of owning a Mercedes-Benz is an experience of its own. Designed as a “black box” concept, the vehicle delivery room enables an experience-oriented journey of the hand-over process that is personal and memorable.
Mercedes-Benz Certified Body & Paint Centre
Besides the enhanced showroom, the Autohaus also has the only accredited and authorised Mercedes-Benz Certified Body & Paint Centre in the southern region. It is equipped with the latest automotive innovation and technologies as well as expertise to conduct structural repairs while upholding global safety standards specified by the manufacturer. With 35 work bays, up to 850 vehicles can be serviced each month, with owners enjoying the convenience of ‘Drop & Go’ and ‘Door-to-Door’ services as well.
“For more than 26 years, Cycle & Carriage has brought the Mercedes-Benz brand and experience to the southern region through our Johor Bahru Autohaus. Today, we unveil the latest manifestation of the Mercedes-Benz’s definition of luxury and all its accoutrements. This milestone could not have happened without the outstanding support from our partner, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, and our remarkable team here. We are honoured to continue being entrusted to complement every vehicle bearing the world-renowned 3-pointed star with our Cycle & Carriage brand of exceptional service to our customers,” said Wilfrid Foo, CEO of Cycle & Carriage Bintang, at the recent opening of the facility.
“The future of automotive retail represented here is a concept that weaves the key elements of our design philosophy – sensual purity and spaciousness; it is more than just architecture. It creates an experience that seamlessly blends simplicity and craftsmanship that are unique to the brand,” said Dr. Claus Weidner, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
Every car company wants to grow its sales volume, a measure of business success. However, selling more and more vehicles means that population increases and demand for aftersales support by owners also increases. Honda Malaysia, for example, has had an average increase of 30% from 2014 to 2018. Forward-thinking companies will plan for such growth and ensure that aftersales facilities are progressively increased to match the rise in vehicle numbers.
Besides establishing new 3S (sales, service and parts) dealerships around the country, Honda Malaysia also makes sure that many of them have Body & Paint (B&P) Centres. This year, the company opened six new B&P Centres, bringing the total number of such facilities to 28 nationwide. The expansion of B&P Centres is in line with the company’s direction to provide convenience to its customers by fulfilling their various needs in just one service centre.
Increasing intakes at B&P centres
As of October 2019, authorised Honda dealerships around Malaysia recorded a combined total of over 36,000 B&P service intakes, a 40% increase from the BP service intakes in the same period last year. The rising number is attributed to customers understanding the need for professional and qualified restoration of bodywork, genuine parts as well as high quality paintwork for their vehicles to ensure continued long-term durability.
Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director and CEO, Toichi Ishiyama, that the company is striving to provide more aftersales convenience to customers by extending the B&P Centre footprint. “To date, we have 28 B&P Centres in operation. We believe the expansion of B&P Centres will help Honda Malaysia meet the increasing demand as well as offer high quality aftersales service and benefits to our customers such as skilled technicians and conducive environment. All our dealerships are also equipped with advance facilities and equipment to ensure that our customers’ vehicles are well taken care of,” he said.
Only genuine, quality products used
Honda Malaysia ensures that quality products and materials are used at the B&P Centres. This includes waterborne paint which is more environment-friendly, as well as genuine Honda parts that are certified by Honda Motor.
Additionally, all Honda B&P centres act as one-stop centres by providing comprehensive assistance to owners in terms of vehicle inspection, accident vehicle repairs, painting, quality checks after repair and many more service. More importantly, they provide assistance for making insurance claims which can be very welcome at a time when the owner may be distressed or unfamiliar with the procedures.
For more information on Honda Malaysia’s B&P Centres, visit www.honda.com.my.