YONGIN: Emerging automakers, particularly Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brands, are rapidly expanding their presence in South Korea.
But Mercedes-Benz South Korea bets on its two decades of technician training and rigorous German certification standards to defend its position in the market.
Establishing retail networks may be relatively straightforward, but building a reliable after-sales service infrastructure is a far greater challenge for newcomers.
At the HS Hyosung The Class Jukjeon Service Centre, operated by one of the German automaker’s authorised dealers, Mercedes-Benz South Korea Training Academy executive director Kong Hyun-sang identified after-sales capabilities as a critical competitive advantage during a media tour organised by the South Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.
“What emerging brands struggle with most right now isn’t sales strategy, but building a service network and sourcing qualified personnel,” Kong said.
He stressed that the company’s greatest strength lies in the training ecosystem it has developed over decades.
“The deep know-how passed down by our experienced trainers creates a vast knowledge base across our network that simply cannot be replicated in a year or two.”
As the automotive industry shifts toward electrification and autonomous driving, Mercedes-Benz South Korea is updating its training curriculum to cover emerging technologies, including high-voltage battery safety, introduced in 2021, and advanced driver-assistance systems.
Kim Chang-ho, head of technical training at the academy, emphasised the growing importance of after-sales service in retaining customers, particularly as automakers compete on increasingly sophisticated vehicle technologies.
“The first car is sold by sales, but the second car is sold by after-sales,” Kim said, adding that Mercedes-Benz South Korea’s strategy centres on delivering a premium customer experience through sustained investment in employee training.
According to Kong, the company’s service technicians are recruited through two main channels: its in-house Automotive Electric Technician (AET) programme and Ausbildung, a German-style vocational training initiative. Established in 2006, the AET programme offers intensive, accelerated training for graduates of vocational colleges and technical universities, preparing them for careers in automotive maintenance and repair.
Ausbildung, a German-style dual vocational training programme launched in 2017 by the KGCCI in partnership with Mercedes-Benz South Korea and BMW Group Korea, takes a different approach.
The 36-month work-study programme targets vocational high school graduates, combining classroom instruction with practical experience to bridge the gap between academic training and industry requirements. — The Korea Herald/ANN
