It’s never easy operating a large dealership for a premium brand as globally renowned as Mercedes-Benz. This is more so when the brand is associated with the famous tagline – ‘The Best Or Nothing’.
In order to meet the growing demands and expectations of the privileged Mercedes-Benz clientele, it’s paramount that Hap Seng Star and its team of skilled customer service professionals are well-equipped and adept in offering the best aftersales service in light of more sophisticated customers and technologies.
During the recently concluded Mercedes-Benz SEA II Skills Competition 2018, which marked the tenth anniversary of the event, Hap Seng Star and its experienced team locked horns with other glory seekers from Malaysia and around the SEA region.
The biennial competition has been held since 2008, and was designed to bring together Mercedes-Benz dealers and their teams to be tested on their on-the-job skills & competence. This year marked the first time that members of other countries in the region were invited to participate in the competition, which saw a jump in the number of participants from 133 back in 2008 to a whopping 631 this year.
A fierce battle awaited the Hap Seng team and the reward is well worth the challenges that awaited them. The reward? To be declared the best when it comes to technical know-how and adeptness within the Mercedes-Benz network. With the competition taking place just once every two years, this was the perfect platform for Hap Seng Star to showcase why it’s the go-to Mercedes-Benz dealership in Malaysia.
On competition day, there was an air of excitement in the hall of Wisma Mercedes-Benz Malaysia but Hap Seng Star’s finest showed no signs of fear or unsteadiness before plunging into the challenge with the aim to coming out on top.
Those representing Hap Seng Star would be competing in five categories, including the Qualified Maintenance Technician (QMT), Qualified System Technician (QST), Certified Diagnostic Technician (CDT), Certified Service Advisor (CSA) and Qualified Parts Process Specialist (QPPS). With five participants in each category, all 25 will be judged by a distinguished panel of judges comprising of skilled experts and the senior management within Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
As the competition intensified over the day, the cheers from Hap Seng Star camp only grew louder to boost the morale of their participants. Suffice to say, all the effort put in by the Hap Seng Star participants proved worthwhile as the dealer was named the overall champion by winning three out of the five categories, with podium finishes in four of the five categories it entered.
The individual winners from Hap Seng Star not only took home cash prizes as high as RM10,000 and trophies for their outstanding performances, but also secured some very important bragging rights in the presence of other participating dealerships. More importantly, they have added another colourful chapter in Hap Seng Star’s history of participating in the competition.
Since the competition first started in 2008 with just two categories – Certified Maintenance Technician and Certified Diagnosis Technician – Hap Seng Star has voluntarily thrown its hat in the ring to prove it was among the best in the business.
Hap Seng Star’s 2018 competition results (left), past results (right)
While the scale of the event grew over the years, what remained a constant was at least one member of the Hap Seng Star team would be named champion in a category, or at the very least, claim a podium finish, as the results table clearly shows. Certain patterns are also made known, with consistent wins in the Certified Service Advisor category (2018, 2016, 2014 and 2010) except in 2012. This year is especially meaningful as it is the first time Hap Seng Star scored a hat trick of victories in three categories.
All in all, the Skills Competition by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia continued to deliver the excitement by bringing together all dealers in the spirit of competition. While it may be all “fun and games,” the competition throughout the years always remains focused on its goal to challenge those under the Mercedes-Benz banner to strive to deliver excellent service.
As one of the biggest dealerships for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Malaysia, Hap Seng Star’s victory proved it had what it took to be declared the best and be positioned above the rest in its field. Of course, its competitors will be back next time with a renewed passion to win, and Hap Seng Star will continue pushing because the best never rest.
You can find out more about Hap Seng Star’s achievements over here, as well as success of its parent company, Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad, here.
