9 minutes
HONDA Malaysia recently announced that all its dealerships have commenced full operations and reopened showrooms starting May 13.
Preventive protocols have already been put in place and are strictly implemented across all Honda dealerships nationwide.
Honda Malaysia continues to emphasise the importance of safety and hygiene measures and “all our dealers are ready for you” with the facilities at the premises also sanitised according to the prescribed schedule to provide customers a peace of mind to visit the dealership.
Honda Malaysia sales office and manufacturing plant are resuming operations in stages during the conditional movement control order (CMCO) period.
Honda Malaysia managing director and CEO Toichi Ishiyama said for customers to continue to experience the “Joy of Buying” at Honda dealerships with peace of mind, all Honda sales and service advisors are required to adhere to the new standard operating procedure (SOP), at the same time.
The company has earlier announced preventive measures that comprise among others, temperature screening, hand sanitising and crowd control.
In addition to the measures for after-sales service operations which was announced on April 29, the following are the precautionary measures that have been activated at all dealerships nationwide:
1. Showroom visit (car viewing)
Upon arrival at any Honda dealership nationwide, customers will undergo temperature screening and are required to use the hand sanitiser made available at the entrance, before entering the showroom.
Individuals recording temperature of 37.5 degrees Celcius and above or are exhibiting symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath will be advised to leave the premises to immediately seek medical attention.
The customer flow at all dealerships has been restructured to have only one entrance and one exit for a more effective check-and-control measure.
High traffic or frequently used areas such as the door handles and washrooms are sanitised and disinfected on a regular basis every day.
Upon entrance into the showroom, face masks will be provided to the customers. Both customers and Honda sales advisors are required to wear face masks before engaging in any discussion.
All display cars in the Honda dealerships are cleaned using certified sanitisers regularly every day.
Sales advisors are required to adhere to the recommended social distance of one metre from customers during the explanation on the exterior of the Honda models.
During the demonstration and explanation of interior features of the car, the sales advisors will sit in the rear seat to maintain social distancing at all times.
2. Customer test drive
All test drive cars also are sanitised using certified sanitisers before and after each test drive session with particular attention to the areas and accessories that are frequently touched such as the steering wheel, switches, dashboard, door handles and car keys.
To provide assurance and maintain hygiene at all times during a test drive, gloves are provided and both customers and sales advisors must wear their face masks and gloves throughout the test drive.
To continue social distancing, the sales advisor will sit in the rear seat at all times while the customer is conducting a test drive.
3. Booking a car
For this, Honda Malaysia encourages customers to make payment directly into the respective dealership’s accounts via e-transaction to minimise contact with common items such as table, stationery and also point-of-sale terminal.
Honda Malaysia has also enabled online renewal for car insurance, making it more convenient and safer at the same time.
4. New car delivery
The company advises customers to limit guests present during the new car delivery occasion to just one person to avoid having a large crowd in the showroom.
Every new car will be thoroughly sanitised before the customer takes possession of it.
5. Honda after-sales services, warranty extension
It is compulsory for customers to make appointments for their car service at the dealerships as Honda Malaysia is enforcing stringent measures including crowd control and social distancing.
The number of customers present at any one time for car service in the dealership is limited at minimum capacity. Advance appointments will ensure that the customers are able to enjoy a smoother after-sales service experience.
For warranty extension, Honda Malaysia has made special considerations as follows (warranty expiry*/service due period* and extension*):
1. Warranty expired on March 18-May 12 (dates inclusive): Warranty extended until June 11, 2020.
2. Service required during March 18-May 12 period in order to maintain warranty validity: Service need to be done before July 11, 2020.
*Terms and conditions apply.
General precautionary neasures at dealerships
Honda Malaysia is also taking extra precautions to ensure the highest safety and good personal hygiene of its sales and service advisors.
Temperature checking is implemented on all employees and they are reminded to wash their hands regularly.
All Honda sales and service advisors are required to practise social distancing by maintaining a distance of one metre from one another at all areas.
Honda dealers has also set up hand sanitising stations at key areas in all dealerships, such as the showroom entrance, customer lounge, discussion area, reception counter, workshop entrance, service advisor counter, cashier counter and washrooms.
In addition, the windows or doors of the dealerships are opened every 30-60 minutes to ensure good ventilation while the “kids’ zone” and cafe remain closed for the time being.
The company has also prepared educational materials on prevention guidelines and these are made available at the reception counters and every discussion table as a reminder for all associates and customers.
