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'Imported cars are difficult to get a service,

and its parts are expensive' is a common perception about imported cars among Korean consumers.

It is a phenomenon that appeared with the rapid growth of the imported car market.'

Domestic imported car sales have grown at a rapid rate of about 20% since the rapid growth started in 2010 with 48.5% growth rate. Despite a slight decline in sales due to the exhaust gas manipulation of Audi Volkswagen in 2016 and the suspension of sales due to the certification issue for some imported car brands, the market is still growing.

The sudden increase in sales of new cars is inevitably accompanied by maintenance problems. Vehicle sales are on the rise, but the number of service facilities is not catching up. For some brands without a proper service network, it takes 1-2 weeks for simple oil exchange. As a result, customers complain that it is inconvenient to get an after service. However, leading companies are responding quickly to these A/S issues. Mercedes-Benz, which sells between 60,000 and 70,000 units a year, is increasing its service network by three to four service facilities each year in proportion to its increasing sales volume.  As of the end of November, Mercedes-Benz Korea has a total of more than 1,200 service technicians, including 54 national wide showrooms, 58 service centers, 5 accident specialized centers, 1,040 work-bays, and about 1,200 maintenance experts. Of these, 30 repair centers are capable of painting sheet metal. The accumulated number of Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in Korea is about 370,000, which is enough to cover with the current size of the service network. Currently, Mercedes-Benz has an average maintenance waiting period of 1.8 days. However, A/S cannot increase customer satisfaction by facility size alone. It should have a high level of maintenance manpower and organizational ability to solve the problems that are different by situations. As a result, most automakers are securing their technologies in a variety of ways, and every year they hold global technology contests to check their technological capabilities.

Mercedes-Benz Korea's 'Korea TechMaster Competition' is also a technology competition in which Mercedes-Benz's official service center's service advisors and technicians participate. This year's Korea Tech Master Competition gathered more than 900 service personnel from 11 official dealers nationwide.

In this year 's Tech Master Competition, Han Sung Motor, the largest dealer of Mercedes-Benz Korea, participated in 10 events, won four titles, second place in seven titles, resulted in swept more than half of the total of 20 awards.

Particularly, in the most important technology sector, 70% of the winners (7 out of 10 categories) were from Han Sung Motor, and first and second place in the ‘Certified Diagnosis Technician’ (CDT), first place in ‘The system expert- the safety in driving part’ and second place in the power transmission. The winner of the Korea TechMaster Competition is entitled to participate in the Global Tech Master, which is a global competition. In the 2016 Global TechMaster event, experts from the Han Sung Motor Bun-dang Service Center ranked first in the CDT sector. There are significant differences in technology quality even if it is the same Mercedes-Benz brand. As a result, car buyers may choose to purchase a car that has better service than their sales offer.

'Maintenance skills are the key to how well the education system works'

(interviewed by Ahn Jong-bu, Maintenance executive director at Han Sung Motor)

◆ What is the reason Han Sung Motor won the Mercedes-Benz Tech Master Competition this year?

▲ Han Sung Motor has a well-established maintenance education system. When a new employee joins the company, Han Sung Motor's own education (including the company ideology, basic education of the Mercedes-Benz brand, Han Sung Motor’s brand value, and corporate culture, etc.), the situation of the domestic automobile market, and services and sales education is provided. Han Sung Motor's technical education is conducted by the winners of domestic and overseas technology departments, and it is divided into maintenance expert course, system expert course, and diagnostic expert course, which is conducted by Mercedes-Benz Korea.

Education is entitled to receive the next level of education only after completing all the courses at each stage and passing the evaluation process. If a technician passes all the courses at each step, he has to build 3 ~ 4 years of experience in the field to move on to the higher level of technical training. The specialist course will be provided with four training courses including engine, passenger convenience device, and safety device.Out of all the course, CDT (Diagnostic Expert) is the most advanced technology course.

◆ How large is the service network of Han Sung Motor and how are maintenance personnel trained?

▲ Han Sung Motor operates 16 showrooms and 21 service centers nationwide, of which more than half are capable of painting and coating. More than 1,100 people are working in the service sector, and about 400 technicians who have obtained technical qualifications are working as maintenance, system specialists, diagnosis specialists, sheet metal/painting experts.

Han Sung Motor maintenance specialists are characterized by long career. There are three employees worked for over 30 years, and about 200 employees worked more than 10 years in the service field.Mercedes-Benz Korea's largest dealer, Han Sung Motor has 22 diagnostic experts, 102 system specialists, and 250 maintenance experts. Mercedes-Benz Korea's most elite maintenance technicians are gathered at the company. Maintenance personnel are mainly hired from meister high schools (technical high school), and college of automobile engineering graduate students.

Moreover, the Ausbildung and apprenticeship education implemented by Mercedes-Benz Korea are also contributing to nurturing maintenance manpower. Especially, Ausbildung, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is recruiting students for the third year of high school after training and practicing. Han Sung Motor’s educational programs are fostered through sales academy, mechanic academy, and service advisor academy.

◆ What is special about Han Sung Motor's maintenance compared to other dealers?

▲ Han Sung Motor aims to gather loyal customers by providing superior maintenance technology and maximizing customer satisfaction through precise repair after thoroughly understanding the problems. We have a system that enables reservation systems for faster maintenance process which gathers and distributes them to other available service centers when maintenance work overloads by using the nation's largest Mercedes-Benz service network.

In addition, we are collecting problems that arise at the point of contact with customers and operates role-play type educational program to improve service quality.

◆ Employees' satisfaction is directly related to customer satisfaction. What are the programs to raise employee morale?

▲ We are introducing an incentive system to motivate employees to achieve sales goals and CSI (Customer Satisfaction rate) goals, and we are conducting various awards for each service center and achievements achieved each year.

In addition, the service center and its employees who have won their own technology competitions are also provided with opportunities for overseas trips. Moreover, diagnosis, system, and maintenance process are being performed well through the mentoring system.

Han Sung Motor has the longest Mercedes-Benz Korea dealership history of 33 years. As a result, Han Sung Motor has various accumulated know-hows which other dealers have not acquired.

For this reason, about 20% cars sold from other dealer companies are being driven to Han Sung Motor Service Center, and vehicles that cannot be fixed by other dealers’ service center are being brought into Han Sung Motor service center. Ahn Jong-bu, who leads the Han Sung Motor A/S division, joined Han Sung Motor and has been working for 33 years.

Last year, He was awarded the Prime Minister's award in the category of Automotive maintenance at the Korean National Quality Award, co-hosted by National Technical Standards Agency of the Ministry of Industry and the Korea National Standards Institute

'Mercedes-Benz’s best diagnosis. System experts, what kind of nurturing process do they go through'

In the '2018 Korea Tech Master Competition' of Mercedes-Benz Korea, Han Sung Motor won both first and second place in the Certified Diagnosis Technician (CDT), the diagnostic expert with the highest level of skill in automobile maintenance. Moreover, first and second in System expert-safety in driving (DST-DS) and system expert-power transmission (SCT-PT) and second place in advanced technology.

The CDT (Diagnostic Expert) is a specialist who can diagnose Mercedes-Benz vehicle problems and is a key player in repair. Therefore, it is difficult for general mechanics to become one and it usually takes 8 ~ 10 years to become a CDT. Before becoming a Certified Diagnostic Specialist, it is necessary to go through several different processes. First, a service center manager who has worked at a service center for more than five years must pass a written and practical test procedure to be qualified for the System Technician (CST). Then, after two years of CST, one will be eligible to receive CDT training, which includes 22-day long curriculum, as well as the final written exam and practical exam, covering diagnostic strategies, engine, electronics. One can be certified as a certified diagnostic specialist after passing the whole curriculum and tests.

CDT’s mission is to help to solve problems by creating a guideline for other mechanics in the maintenance process. Assessing to become a diagnostic expert is fierce and challenging because of its high degree of difficulty.

Four finalists of Mercedes-Benz diagnostic specialists from across the country gather and take a written exam and then compete in the training center for the quickest and most accurate resolution of a given problem. Jung Hun, the 14-year career veteran technician who won the CDT title at the '2018 Korea TechMaster Competition,' says that the secret to winning is the result of 'endless efforts.' Diagnostic experts have to look at the whole system to find out the exact problem. Park Sung-yul Technician, who won the System Expert Driving Safety (CST-DS) category, is a senior maintenance engineer with the 8 years of experience. System experts diagnose and repair driving safety systems such as ESP, Airmatic and other power transmission systems, comfort devices and ABS. He said there are so many great technicians at Han Sung Motor who have helped me to improve maintenance skills. Moreover, his goal is to become a CDT, the best maintenance machinic position.

◆ Mercedes-Benz’s best diagnosis. System experts, what kind of nurturing process do they go through?

▲ In the '2018 Korea Tech Master Competition' of Mercedes-Benz Korea, Han Sung Motor won the both first and second place in the Certified Diagnosis Technician (CDT), the diagnostic expert with the highest level of skill in automobile maintenance. Moreover, first and second in System expert-safety in driving (DST-DS) and system expert-power transmission (SCT-PT) and second place in advanced technology.

The CDT (Diagnostic Expert) is a specialist who can diagnose Mercedes-Benz vehicle problems and is a key player in repair. Therefore, it is difficult for general mechanics to become one and it usually takes 8 ~ 10 years to become a CDT. Before becoming a Certified Diagnostic Specialist, it is necessary to go through several different processes. First, a service center manager who has worked at a service center for more than five years must pass a written and practical test procedure to be qualified for the System Technician (CST). Then, after two years of CST, one will be eligible to receive CDT training, which includes 22-day long curriculum, as well as the final written exam and practical exam, covering diagnostic strategies, engine, electronics. One can be certified as a certified diagnostic specialist after passing the whole curriculum and tests.

CDT’s mission is to help solving problems by creating guideline for other mechanics in maintenance process. Assessing to become a diagnostic expert is fierce and challenging because of its high degree of difficulty. Four finalists of Mercedes-Benz diagnostic specialists from across the country gather and take a written exam and then compete in the training center for the quickest and most accurate resolution of a given problem. Jung Hun, the 14-year career veteran technician who won the CDT title at the '2018 Korea Tech master Competition' says that the secret to winning is the result of 'endless efforts.' Diagnostic experts have to look at the whole system to find out exact problem. Park Sung-yul Technician, who won the System Expert Driving Safety (CST-DS) category, is a senior maintenance engineer with the 8 years of experience. System experts diagnose and repair driving safety systems such as ESP, airmatic and other power transmission systems, comfort devices and ABS. He said there are so many great technicians at Han Sung Motor who have helped me to improve maintenance skills. And his goal is to become a CDT, the best maintenance machinic position.