The iniquity of trial by publicity

When print, radio, and television were the only sources of information, this was how a person, a brand, or even a whole country was brought down. The relentless negative narratives pushed by agenda-driven personalities would ensure that all mass media was fed with the storylines crafted to shape public opinion for or against a target.

In today’s age of social media, the same is true but on a magnified scale. News and information travel faster. More opinions are heard by a larger audience than ever before. It is almost impossible to find someone without a stand on something controversial unless they don’t have a social media account. 

In the past week, Chinese car brand Geely has become the focus of many netizens for its shoddy handling of a customer’s vehicle. We all know what happened unless you've lived under a rock in the last few days. So, there’s no need to echo it further. 

But from being the darling of the Chinese car brand resurgence to now one of the most reviled Chinese car makers, Geely has somehow lost its well-earned reputation. 

As someone who spent a few years inside the automobile industry in the public relations and marketing fronts, the curious case of the Coolray owner isn’t something new. Despite being in the country for only five years, Geely isn’t alone in regrettable customer mishandling cases. Surprise, it isn’t even because the brand in question is Chinese. 

Almost every car brand in the country has had severe missteps that have, at one time or another, tainted their reputations. Japanese, European, American, and, yes, even Chinese car makers have failed customers over the years. So waving the anti-China get-out-of-the-West-Philippine-Sea racist flag doesn’t fly well if you’re trying to assess this scenario objectively.

However, what separates the more established brands from the newer ones is how they cope with such negative publicity and, more importantly, how they implement countermeasures to ensure these don’t happen again. Ever.

If I were there…

They say hindsight is always 20/20. So, talking about how this situation with what the industry calls an "irate" customer should’ve been handled borders on the righteous and condescending. 

However, based on experience, this commotion would have been avoided had the dealer been more proactive in communicating regularly with the customer.

One reason why car owners go on the warpath against a brand is when the dealership’s first responders do not meet their expectations. Whether it’s the sales consultant, the service advisor, or even the managers supervising them, the dealership personnel are always the first line of defense for a brand. 

A weak system addressing service and parts shortcomings is a surefire way of making customers hate your brand. That's why monitoring the progress of every vehicle's repair in the service department's care should be a given. Anything beyond 30 days in the shop should be flagged and addressed with extra oversight and attention.

Also, customers should be informed of the progress of their vehicle repairs. Contingencies should be in place to prevent the customer from experiencing distress or disappointment. Remember, many customers continuously pay their monthly car loan obligations while their vehicles are in repair limbo. Isn’t that unfair to them twice over?

Dealers and, by extension, distributors should never forget that their customers have invested their hard-earned money in their products and services. The least a brand can do is ensure this trust is not broken.

Is the customer always right?

While this mantra is an excellent way to ground one’s business, the reality is some customers are beyond reason. But there’s a step-by-step progression before they blow their tops like what happened with this Geely Philippines debacle. For dealers and brands who miss addressing a step, this is what happens. 

Unfortunately, there is one hard reality that not everyone can accept, and that is there is no perfect car. And in manufacturing, there will always be a percentage that will have a defect, even how insignificant it might be. 

It is the duty, however, of a distributor and its dealers to address these defects in a timely, efficient, and pain-free manner for the customer. That is why car buyers put their money on you, dear dealer. And that is why car buyers decided to go with your brand over another, dear distributor. Trust always works both ways. 

There’s a reason we didn’t jump on the hate-mongering bandwagon that this issue has become. And it’s not because Geely is an advertiser. No one there knows us, and we don't know who's running the show now.

We didn’t fan the flames because we believe in accuracy, balance, and fairness when we write our stories. We don’t write them for views and engagement; we write them because you deserve to know the truth.

Geely Philippines has yet to release an official statement on the matter, and we’ve tried to get their side of the story even through intermediaries. But their silence is their call, and they will face the music because of their decision.

To dealers and distributors, treating your customers with respect and due consideration is a foolproof way for repeat business to find its way back to you. Fail your customers once, and they’ll be knocking at your competitor's door. Or worse, airing their disdain for your brand on social media.

Take your pick.