The PROTON After Sales Service Competition 2018 was officially concluded earlier today. The finals were held at the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST) Shah Alam from 29 September to 2 October 2018 and marks an end to the skills competiton which began on the 20th of July 2018. The competition is also deemed to be part of the continuous training for Proton's after sales personnel in preparation for the launch of the Proton X70 SUV.
A total of 189 participants nationwide entered the Proton After Sales Service Competition 2018. From there, the top-3 finalists from each region competed in the finals. From here, 6 winners were chosen - the champion, 2 runner-ups and 3 consolation prize winners. All 6 winners were rewarded with some prize money, a trophy and a trip to Geely Holdings in China which should be an experience they will never forget.
The winners were:
1st Place - Fairinjitip Rasmin of PESB KK Kolombong, East Malaysia
2nd Place- Mohd Azzhori Zainol PESB CoSE, Central region, Peninsular Malaysia
3rd Place- Putera Iskandar Zakariya PESB KK Inanam, East Malaysia
Consolation Prizes
Hairul Nizam Mohd Nor PESB Bachang Melaka - Southern region, Peninsular Malaysia
Abdullah Fahmi Mohd Zaki Zoom Teknik Services Sdn Bhd - Northern region, Peninsular Malaysia
Khairul Kasser Johan Proton Edar Bukit Kecil, Kuala Terengganu - East Coast region, Peninsular Malaysia
The closing ceremony was graced by YB Dato’ Haji Mahfuz bin Haji Omar, Deputy Minister of Human Resources cum Chairman of Malaysia Skill Competition Council (sixth from left). Also attending the event were senior management staff of Proton which included Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton (7th from left).
The PROTON After Sales Service Competition is a platform for after sales personnel to showcase their skills and knowledge. It has been going on in one form or another over the years, but this year, under the new management, the incentives have gotten bigger. You can see that the winners get to travel overseas and actually broaden their horizons in terms of their skill and knowledge. All technicians and mechanics from PROTON branches and dealers outlets were encouraged to compete against one another for cash prizes and incentive trips worth a total of RM50,000.
According to Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of PROTON, the winners of the competition are given the opportunity to visit Geely Holdings Headquarters and Geely Research Institute in China. He also stated that the trip will be an eye opener for the local technicians as they will be able to observe the full breadth of capabilities at Geely from designing to the development of a complete vehicle.
It can be said that this after sales competition actually adheres to PROTON's current quality improvement initiatives which have started earlier this year. All of the improvements are made in order to ensure that all PROTON branches and outlets are ready for the launch of new Proton X70. This underscores the importance of after sales service to back up a product that will mark a new milestone in the history of the Company. After all, after sales is the key to continued customer rapport and at this moment, it is the only logical preparatory step taken before any new model is launched.
All of this is important so that the perception of customers towards the brand improve. PROTON wants to make sure our after sales service personnel are well-trained and capable to handle the new model and meet the demands of our customers.
Prior to Geely being given management control, PROTON's quality perception hit rock bottom even with a lot of initiatives. So what they have done is keep working on strengthening their sales and after sales network until the new product is ready. Having good products without the support of good after sales service actually hurt PROTON's customer retention as well as their overall reputation. So this push on quality makes sense.
This push on quality lies in making sure that PROTON has properly trained personnel. So skills traning and a competition which actually rewards their technical staff is a very good thing. In terms of skills competition, PROTON has been proactively involved in skills competitions since 2003 and the Company plays an active role in developing young local talents for the Malaysian automotive industry. Of course, there have been hiccups along the years but you can tell that the company is still putting their money into their human capital.
I actually was at Proton's Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam a few weeks ago and got to witness the ongoing PROTON After Sales Skills Competition central region round (or part of it). I was there for another event but I made time to observe the participants. There you can see that it isn't just PROTON (or any other manufacturer) or the training that the company gives the participant. There are some participants that aren't as dedicated and there are some who are amazingly dedicated to their skill until they themselves invest in a set of special tools of their own. And the tools aren't cheap stuff, but proper quality stuff. There is only so much you can do in training. The next level comes with dedication and understanding. Something that may not be teachable to some. So yes, I managed to observe part of the competition and I can see the effort some of the participants.
The PROTON Skills Competition is open only to technicians and mechanics from PROTON Edar Service Centres and overseas PROTON distributors. As for the Open Category Skills Competition, participation is open to instructors from vocational and technical institutions, as well as technicians and mechanics from workshops across the country, without any age limit. The competition basically offers its participants a reward which isn't only on the monetary sense, but a reward for their technical knowledge and skill to be named as the best among their peers. Sometimes, that feel good factor motivates us humans.
Now aside from the PROTON After Sales Skills Competition, the today's event at CIAST also hosted three other competitions namely the World Skill Malaysia Belia, PROTON Skills Competition and Open Category Skills Competition. PROTON is one of the strategic partners that collaborates with Skills Malaysia and the Department of Skills Development (JPK) to develop a skilled workforce. These competitions are supported by the Ministry of Human Resources.
World Skills Malaysia Belia is an annual contest which will provide the right training skills to youths and promote the best in innovation at a national level. It also provides them with an avenue to compete at the Asean Skills Competition and World Skills Competition. This competition is open to youths aged 21 years and below.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS - PROTON AFTER SALES SERVICE COMPETITION 2018
1 Southern Hairul Bakthiar Mohamad Motorwise Sdn Bhd, Pasir Gudang, Johor.
2 Southern Muhammad Fahmi Usri PESB Plentong, Johor Bharu
3 Southern Hairul Nizam Mohd Nor PESB Bachang Melaka
4 East Coast Khairul Kasser Johan Proton Edar Bukit Kecil, Kuala Terengganu
5 East Coast Nasira Mohamed Lela Indah Sari Otomobil, Kuala Terengganu
6 East Coast Mohd Fikri Izzuddin Fauzi Wasilah Global, Mentakab, Pahang
7 Northern Lau Kuok Jian L.C.H Lian Hup Motors Sdn Bhd
8 Northern Abdullah Fahmi Mohd Zaki Zoom Teknik Services Sdn Bhd
9 Northern Saiful Nizam Hizan Edaran Saga Servis & Alat Ganti
10 East Malaysia Fairinjitip Rasmin PESB KK Kolombong
11 East Malaysia Asmi Ali PESB KK Inanam
12 East Malaysia Putera Iskandar Zakariya PESB KK Inanam
13 Central Muhammad Faiz Mohd Ishak CSH Automobile, Sungai Besar, Selangor
14 Central Mohd Azzhori Zainol PESB CoSE
15 Central Amad Yusri Mohd Yunus PESB Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya
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