Selling a car nowadays is more akin to selling an experience or service to a person rather than just a lone object and passing the buck on to the customer with no regard for anything that happens following that. Granted, new cars come with warranties but even then we’ve all heard of our fair share of horror stories.
After sales service is now the key in getting people to put their John Hancock’s on the agreement, especially so when it concerns niche cars or cars that don’t cater to the mass market.
While it may not be one of the first brands that spring to mind in the Malaysian market, Renault has been churning out some quality cars for a long time. It’s a shame though that the French brand doesn’t get the recognition or credit that it deserves, especially for its hot hatches, some of which would leave the competitors more than a little warm under the collar.
Since the brand was established here in Malaysia back in 2003, the Renault Service Hub at Section 13 in Petaling Jaya has been catering to all the maintenance needs of Renault cars. Now, the brand is looking to shine some light on their service center and the special people behind it that possess the know-how to keep any Renault vehicle in tip-top condition.
There a total of 15 work bays, each with a technician assigned to it. Customers can wait for their vehicles in an air-condtioned room with Wi-Fi and Astro. For those that prefer to leave their card and collect it once it’s done, there’s even a shuttle service to drop off the customer at the nearest LRT or bus stop.
The PJ service hub has two technical coordinators (co-techs) stationed there. Co-techs are certified by Renault after undergoing three months of training at the regional training center located in Singapore. On the whole, Malaysia has a total of six co-techs that are assisted by a team of electro-mechanics that are also Renault-certified. Co-techs are in charge of overlooking all the technical aspects or maintaining and repairing a Renault vehicle.
Furthermore, the service center has a dedicated car for training purposes. Therefore, any dis-assembly or practical training will be conducted on that car alone, ensuring that the personnel are well-equipped with the proper knowledge once they get to work on customers cars.
While there may only be a small number of co-techs in the country, Renault customers nationwide can still enjoy the same level of attention to their cars courtesy of the nationwide network of Renault Service Centers.
The plus side to having a small number of co-techs is that the experience becomes more personal, which can only mean good things for the customer. Customers of the Renault Sport (RS) brand can expect a little extra attention and tender loving care for their vehicles.
A team of RS Engineers has been set up with the sole purpose of providing dedicated attention and care solely for the RS vehicles. RS machines, ranging back to the Megane R26, Clio RS and right up to the current Megane RS 250 Cup cater for purists that are looking for more than just a means of commuting from point A to point B. They desire driving pleasure and regularly push their machines hard on the tracks whilst giving it a go on the regular daily commutes as well.
The RS machines are very capable weekend warriors, tearing it up on the tracks come the weekends and then serve as dependable everyday cars once the week starts over again. Such enthusiasm and passion should rightly be repaid in equal terms and that is precisely the reason behind the formation of the RS Engineers.
From this point on, the RS Engineers will serve as the single contact point for all RS machines, from basic maintenance up to heavy repair related matters. Before the RS cars can leave the workshop, they need to receive a Quality Control Certificate by the RS Engineer that handled the car.
The level of service even extends to off-site assistance if the need arises. A fully-equipped Renault Technical Assistance vehicle for off-site support is available for the RS Engineers. All RS vehicle owners have the direct numbers of the RS Engineers on their speed dial for emergency situations.
Support directly from the headquarters is vital in rectifying any problems that arise in RS vehicles that the RS Engineers are unable to fix themselves. For that, the RS Engineers have direct access to the Renault Technical Center in Korea as well as the Renault Sport center in Dieppe, France.
As we mentioned earlier, the smaller the community of service personnel’s allows for a closer knit community. How many car owners can claim to personally know their service technicians? RS vehicle owners are the handful that can lay claim to that.
The RS Engineers team compromises of Zulhelmi and Luqman. The former is a certified Renault Co-tech with 12 years of experience in the automotive industry and had graduated from the Federal Institute of Technology (FIT). Since then, he has spent seven years of his career specialising in Renault vehicles. His capabilities extends to overseeing Pre-Delivery Inspection of all new vehicles as well as being the technical trainer for new Renault models and technologies.
Luqman on the other hand is equipped with a qualification from the Malaysia France Institute in Automotive Maintenance Technology and possesses six years of practical experience in the industry. He has tenured at German, Japanese and even national marques, specialising in vehicle maintenance, repair and trouble shooting.
The network of Renault Service Centers extends nationwide to include the following cities;
· Klang
· Cheras
· Ipoh
· Butterworth
· Bayan Lepas
· Langkawi
· Melaka
· Johor Baru
· Kuantan
· Kuching
· Kota Kinabalu
