While the quality, reliability and durability of a car are important considerations for car-buyers, just as important is the support that an owner gets in the years that follow the purchase. This can make a big difference between an enjoyable and satisfying ownership experience and one where the customer regrets buying the car.
For the company, a happy customer with a good ownership experience is likely to remain with the brand over a long period, while a bad ownership experience would probably lose that customer to another brand. And once the customer gets to experience another brand, they may like it more and never want to return.
For this reason, while the manufacturers spend a lot on developing ever better cars, the companies downstream – the dealerships – have to give attention and invest in ensuring their sales and aftersales services are the best possible. This not only ensures more customers but also builds loyalty with those they already have.
Toyota is among the brands which has a strong reputation for top-notch sales and aftersales services, one reason why the brand is a leader in the market. For many owners, the high quality of aftersales services is why they have stayed with the brand, and even encouraged family members and friends to buy a Toyota.
Pioneer in customer care
This strong reputation developed from the 1980s when UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) was the first car company in Malaysia to have a division dedicated to customer relations. It pioneered services such as a call centre with a toll-free number which would later be offered by other companies as well. As a pioneer in customer relations, UMWT often set benchmarks in the industry which have kept its aftersales services being among the best.
Each year, UMWT organises the Toyota Skills Contest not only as a showcase of the aftersales services but also to assess diagnostics, repair accuracy, service advisory, and customer engagement. The competitive element of the event motivates participants to show their very best and be recognised.
Customer First, Quality First
For the 2025 event held today, the theme was ‘Customer First, Quality First’, and included representatives from the Ministry of Education, MARA, and key private institutions, reflecting collective efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s automotive talent ecosystem.
This year’s Toyota Skills Contest had 9 competitive categories: Customer Relations, GS (General Service) Technician Diagnosis, GS Technician Maintenance and Repair, GS Service Advisor, Parts Assistant, Sales Advisor, Admin Assistant, Workshop Controller, and Service Advisor.
The participants were finalists in the various categories and came from dealerships all over the country, so they were the best in their field. Many participants began their journey through the Toyota Technical Education Programme (T-TEP), a long-standing partnership between UMWT and Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.
Since 1991, the programme has produced more than 7,000 graduates across 25 partner institutions, offering students practical training and career pathways into the automotive industry.
Challenges and simulated scenarios
For each category, the participant undertook appropriate tests – written assessments, diagnostic challenges and customer-handling simulations. While diagnostic challenges involved work in the engine bay, those who were frontliners like service advisors or customer relations executives were judged on how they interacted with customers.
The communication skills of the frontliners are especially important and the participants had to show this in a simulated situation. For the service advisor, the scenario was to go over a vehicle after servicing was completed and to explain various issues to the owner. This requires good communication and drawing attention to potential issues which the owner should be aware of.
In the case of customer relations, the executive was faced with an owner who had to change a shock absorber which had to be paid for because it was not under warranty. Having had one replaced just a year earlier at no cost, the owner was puzzled why she had to pay this time.
How the executive explained the warranty conditions and wear-and-tear items to an unhappy customer was the challenge. Dealers are expected to resolve issues so the executive had to use tact, compromise and even offer special concessions to pacify the customer. A good xustomer relations executive will be able to calm down a customer and ‘recover’ loyalty if the case has seriously upset the person.
RM155,000 in cash prizes
In total, RM155,000 in cash prizes were awarded to exceptional individuals with RM6,000 for the champion of each category. There was also a Best Team award of RM20,000 which was won by Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd.
Click here for full list of winners
“People are at the heart of everything we do,” said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “Toyota’s long-term success has always been built on the skills, values and pride of its people. Through the Toyota Skills Contest, we celebrate excellence and invest in the future of Malaysia’s mobility ecosystem.”
