Premier Honda 3S Showroom Opens in Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Sumber Auto Edaran Sdn Bhd, an authorized dealer of Honda Malaysia, officially opened its brand new premises on Saturday. They are located along Jalan Universiti (next to the Philips Malaysia office) in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and can be considered a model for all Honda outlets in Malaysia.
“As we have mentioned a number of times, Honda Malaysia wants all its dealers to have a ‘3S’ facility, meaning that the Sales, Service and Spare Parts are in the same location,” explained Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim, Chief Operating Officer/President of Honda Malaysia. “The reason for this is customer convenience – a top priority for us – as a customer will be able to have everything done in one spot – from making enquiries about the latest Honda models to purchasing one and then getting all the required after-sales services.”
The investment in a 3S facility is not cheap but Sumber Auto Edaran, which has been in the Honda business since 1997, decided to take the plunge and spent some RM3 million to establish brand new premises in place of the original one in Damansara Utama.
“We are confident in the Honda brand and products and believe that our business can grow in years to come, so we are willing to make this big investment for a 3S facility,” said Sumber Auto Edaran’s Managing Director, Alston Tan.
Mr Tan’s attitude is just the kind which Honda Malaysia wants in its dealers, according to Datuk Abdul Rashid. “These are people who will be in the business for the long-term, who have the car business as their life. As businessmen, they can put their money into a fixed deposit and get money that way, but I believe they find this kind of business more challenging and we know they will be dedicated towards making their business successful, and that is just the sort of Honda dealer we want,” he told AUTOWORLD.COM.MY. He revealed that Honda Malaysia does not subsidise any of the investment made by dealers but provides support in terms of advertising and promotion.
Although Honda Malaysia’s suggested design calls for a 3S facility to have everything under a ‘single roof’, the existing buildings on the property next to Philips Malaysia are such that it would have been a waste to demolish everything and rebuild a single building. The 650 sq. metre front section has plenty of space for a showroom while at the rear, a wide driveway leads to the fully-equipped service centre which has a spare parts counter. There is also a large warehouse which is used for keeping new cars safe and not exposed to the sun and rain.
Honda Malaysia expects its dealers to convert their facilities to 3S types within 18 months. Some have already been able to do so but others still need to acquire large pieces of land and this can take a while. Many will be located within reach of residential districts so as to be close to customers.
