FAW makes strides in after-sales customer satisfaction

FAW SA has made a concerted effort to set industry-leading after-sales benchmarks. As a result, all FAW dealers are operating at a higher level than ever before.

Over the last two years specifically, FAW SA has, therefore, developed industry-standard criteria, which embody dealer and branch facilities and the proper management thereof. It has also developed a reporting structure to measure and better manage the performance of its South African dealers and after-sales departments.

FAW SA has also introduced processes to increase dealer stockholding and improve the time it takes to supply parts. Simultaneously, it is busy introducing FAW Total Quality Care (TQC) in South Africa.

TQC is a worldwide programme that was launched two years ago by FAW in China. It is a framework and umbrella brand that represents all of the initiatives being undertaken in the FAW after-sales environment globally. FAW dealers in South Africa will need to be accredited by FAW SA in order to reach TQC level.

To this end, various training and technical improvement courses have been implemented over the last year. Furthermore, all FAW technicians are required to attend certain service courses to fast-track their technical development.

This has culminated in the FAW National Service Technician Competition. Held in February, the biennial event was won by FAW technician Martin Fick. The intention was to find the best three technicians and workshop managers, before developing them further by sending them overseas.

The overarching idea is to motivate FAW technicians, while improving their ability to find and fix problems on customer vehicles in a practical manner. The competition further sought to motivate workshop managers to increase the scope and frequency of the technical training offered to staff.