Leading the way forward

Q: During last two years, Mercedes-Benz has been growing more slowly in China. What's your plan to help Mercedes to catch up?

A: No doubt, we will pick up the pace and sustain it. But it has to be done in a way that does not damage the brand. People buy our car because they believe they buy a premium brand.

They expect the car to retain its value. In the long term, we have to do it in a sustainable and profitable way. It's based upon the value we represent as a premium brand.

We were the fastest growing brand between 2006 and 2010. Over the past two years, we experienced some model changeover issues, but those issues have now been addressed.

 

In the coming years, we will focus on a customer-oriented business strategy, to further develop and reinforce our business from product, dealer network, and after-sales aspects.

In addition to the new products I mentioned earlier, this year we are putting in place more than 75 new dealer outlets in China, 45 percent of which will be outside tier-one cities.

Also, Mercedes-Benz' after-sales is dedicated to the overall customer ownership experience. We will continue making our best efforts to provide service that matches the quality level of our products.

Q: What new initiatives has Mercedes introduced to China to reinforce the service sector?

A: We continue to provide a benchmark three-year warranty without mileage limitations to our Chinese customers, and since Feb 1 we have offered car owners a more competitive maintenance cost structure over the life of their vehicle.

In the meantime, more value-added services are available to our customers in order to live up to Mercedes-Benz' "My Service" brand promise, including Vehicle Familiarization Workshops, Seasonal Service Campaigns and a tailor-made Service App.

We are also focused on enhancing our overall training capacity in China to guarantee the sustainable development of retail staff talent who in turn will provide the best retail service to our customers. Our Chengdu training center, Mercedes-Benz' largest outside Germany in terms of scale, just opened this past Tuesday.

Q: How would you like to build Mercedes-Benz' image in China?

A: Mercedes-Benz is a very aspirational and respected brand in China. While our business here is developing fast, we will try our best to make the Mercedes-Benz brand more approachable and closer to our Chinese customers.

When people think about Mercedes, I want them to associate our brand with being cool, about being comfortable and confident. I am not young, but I am eager to be associated with this cool brand. We are about innovation, products, and services.

It's about creating an environment that makes people feel comfortable.

We need to address that at whatever age, Chinese people do want to feel cool. It's difficult to define but you will know it when you see it.