Skip to main content

As Geely's Boat Takes on Water, Where is the Captain



This Channel's been around for a few years and we've built relations with almost every brand operating in the Philippines with the exception of a few. One of those exceptions is Geely. We don't know a single person currently working at Sojitz, Geely’s distributor, as they didn't engage with "new media" car reviewers until just very recently. For an upstart that could use as much exposure as it could get, it’s a curious decision.

Problems arise in every brand, even those considered to be the most reliable. The difference is in the People behind the brand and what they do when the pressure mounts up.

Ford gets a lot of flak for what people say are reliability issues but Ford Philippines is very quick when it comes to addressing them before they get bigger. They have teams that monitor social media posts and facebook groups for complaints and reply to them very quickly. Problems will inevitably arise but they try to nip it at the bud as much as possible.

The issue with Geely is not true of all Chinese brands

Chery is one of the first brands that I worked with. Parts availability is not as big of an issue as it is with Geely as they have a dedicated warehouse for parts. From talking to Chery vehicle owners and monitoring Chery groups, they mostly seem to be happy with the aftersales service so far. UAAGI is the distributor behind Chery and Foton  and they have the funds and the manpower to make things right when they go wrong as things did with Geely. 

GAC has a very competent team behind it composed of veterans in the industry and they're distributed by Astara, a global automotive powerhouse, also with the funds to fix things when they go awry

Jetour is one of the newest brands in the Philippines but I've met the people behind the brand, I've seen their roadmap, I've even met the people from Jetour Global and this is a brand that I have no problem recommending.

These are brands that I have no problems recommending as I've met the people at the helm. Sojitz on the other hand are in their own little bubble which seems to get smaller and smaller as this issue gets bigger and bigger. We don't know anyone from Geely, but what we hear about in media circles are  budget cuts and cancelled events. 

In a way, we also put our names at stake with our reviews and we’d like to know the captain and crew of the ship so when they take on water, we know that the captain won't abandon ship and leave us with nothing but our life vests. That's especially true for these newer Chinese brands.

The fact that as of now there is still no official statement from Geely is troubling. There’s no one at the helm capable of doing any sort of damage control. It makes you question if they have a PR team at all.

While we’re not seeing anyone from Sojitz standing up for their brand in an official capacity, We’re seeing a lot of Geely owners defending the brand. It’s a reminder that Geely does have very good products that people love despite their poor aftersales. What's needed is an adjustment in the balance between profitability and customer experience

...Also a good social media manager





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why do people lower their cars?

Why do people lower their cars? This is a question often asked by non-car enthusiasts. “ To improve the car’s performance, so I can take corners flatter ” –this is the usual response. But what they really mean is. “ Who cares if I lose a tooth every time I hit a pothole at 60mph, I want my car to look good " I haven’t done a scientific survey but I'm pretty sure that 70% of the time, people lower their cars for looks. There are obvious trade-offs but the car will look sportier, long er and wider once it’s lowered. If you plan to upgrade to bigger wheels, lowering the car becomes essential as putting 17in or bigger wheels on a non-lowered car will give the car a “lifted” look. Case in point below:   19in wheels on a non-lowered car Same wheels, same car but it doesn’t look like it’s on jack stands this time. How do I drive a lowered car:  You’ll find that driving a lowered car requires a new set of skills that they probably won’t teach you at your local driving
Post a Comment
Read more

GAC Launches the Emkoo at MIAS 2023

  GAC launched the Emkoo at this year’s Manila International Auto show. It’s a 5 seater compact crossover with futuristic styling and a price tag that will make it compete directly with the Ford Territory. The Styling is very sharp with an abundance diagonal lines and acute angles.   It has Tesla type, hidden door handles that pop out when activated and 19 inch wheels. Seeing it in person, I can say with confidence that it has a high chance of turning heads. The interior looks premium with plenty of high quality materials on high traffic surfaces. Interior appointments include:   Power adjustable, ventilated front seats, rear aircon vents, ambient lighting, a 10.1 inch infotainment screen with apple carplay and 360 camera The Emkoo also has Full ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) which includes: Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist among others. Under the hood is a   1.5L turbocharged engine which puts out 177hp, a
Post a Comment
Read more

BMW Philippines shows off the new BMW M3 CS

  BMW Philippines shows off the new BMW M3 CS This souped-up version of the M3 has a retuned version of BMW's 3.0L 6 cylinder S58 engine which puts out 550hp and650Nm of torque. That's 40 more horsepower than the M3 competition. That power propels the M3 CS from 0-100kph in just 3.4 seconds The CS has an all wheel drive system but for those who like going tail happy, it can be set up so that power is only sent to the rear wheels. The adaptive suspension has also been retuned with different springs. Aside from the performance upgrades, it also comes with a lot of aerodynamic and cosmetic enhancements. It gets a carbon fiber front lip, a carbon fiber hood, sidekirts, rear diffuser. It gets a unique set of staggered wheels finished in a bronze-like paintjob. it gets 19s at the front and 20s at the back Only 2000 units of the CS will be produced globally. We're lucky that we get an allocation here in the Philippines but expect the price tag to reflect its rarity. The M3
Post a Comment
Read more