Vista Wheel Sdn Bhd: The Journey to 3S Dealership

Having started out as an official Fuso 1S dealer in2005, Vista Wheel Sdn Bhd embarked on new journey after being appointed as a 3S Fuso dealer in 2016 by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM), the authorised distributor of Fuso trucks in Malaysia. Their new 3S centre in KampungBaruSubang offers a full range of Fuso trucks, after sales services and spare parts to their customers.

Vista Wheel SdnBhd’shead of sales department Book Lim Guan was a remisier in an investment bank before he founded the company with his brother Billy Book in 2002. Having been in the commercial vehicle industry for almost 12 years, their customer base has expanded widely from small operators to fleet operators as well as from the government sector such as MajlisBandarayaPetaling Jaya (MBPJ), MajlisPerbandaranSubang Jaya (MPSJ) and MajlisBandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) among others. Therefore, they decided to open a new 3S centre to fulfil their customer needs.

The 0.5 acre 3S centrestarted operations since the fourth quarter of 2016. The workshop has 4 service bays and currently they are servicing an average of 5 trucks per day. There is still ample capacity to accommodate more trucks.

Book said;“I strongly believe this is the right move. We needed to move forward and come out with new ideas. We can’t be only selling and buyingtrucks,butrather we need to understand our customers and their needs. We have the scale so we neededa workshop.”

Vista Wheel Sdn Bhd offers a one stop solution for truck buyers. Besides truck sales, they will also handle trade ins, loan applications via Fuso Financial services by Mercedes-Benz Services Sdn Bhd, supply all types of truck bodies, submission of vehicle permit applications, JPJ &Puspakom inspections and insurance needs.

Book said that one of their biggest challenge after opening the 3S centre has been findinggoodand knowledgeabletruck mechanics.

“There are a lot of car mechanics but not many truck mechanics. Different truck models havedifferent features too. Luckily, we are able to find the right people.”

Book recalled that one of their first repair jobsthat they boldly took on was an engine overhaul case,from which they really learned a lot in terms of experience, as they had to basically take the whole engine apart and put it back together again.

Excellent support from Mercedes-Benz Malaysia

Book commented that they have a very strong partnershisp with MBM who provide excellent training and support.

“I used to have different dealerships with other brands. What I can say is MBM’s support is the best. As an established and proven Japanese truck brand, the product quality is good. Apart from products, the principal is resourceful and supportive. All of these factors actually benefit the dealers.”

MBM’s continuous training programmes includea 6 months course which covers technical, sales and after sales personnel. Training covers proper sales techniques including role play and isfollowed by examinations. After the course, all participants can get an“F”sales certificate which is recognised worldwide. A “F” sales certificate holder is qualified to apply for work in any Fuso dealer all over the world.

The secret of success: customer loyalty and retention

In spite of the competitive and economic slowdown, Vista Wheel Sdn Bhd has still been able to achieve beyond its sales target every year and is consistently among the top Fuso dealers in Malaysia.

One of their secrets of success is providing good after sales services and building strong relationships with customers.

“In this industry, repeat buyers and customer referral are very important. Some of our customers are buying trucks every year. ”

For after sales service, we also provide basic driver training which helps drivers to familiarise with Fuso trucks and theirspecial features as well as eco driving tips.

New Business in the pipeline - Commercial vehicle operating lease

Truck operating lease businessis very common in Western countries and even Singapore but not in Malaysia.Book sees a lot of potential for this business in this country.

The company is keen to venture into this new business and the target is foreign companies in Malaysia, because Book realised these companies don’t actually invest in assets such as buildings or vehicles.

“Under the leasing package, we will provide anew truck and cover the maintenance & repair as well as insurance. We can even include tyre changesin the package. In addition, we plan to provide standby trucks if the leased truck needs repair work so that it will not affect the customer’s operation. With almost zero downpayment and downtime, we are trying to provide them with a full range of logistic solutions.”

The company is still working on the leasing scheme and package and hopes to roll it out in the near future.