JEDDAH — Juffali Automotive Company (JACO) has a very aggressive and extensive network development plan for the upcoming 3-4 years in Saudi Arabia, Chenghez Ahmed Khan, General Manager at Juffali Automotive Company, has said.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Khan revealed that the company is working on opening the largest Mercedes-Benz showroom in Saudi Arabia by end of 2023 in Riyadh. "This flagship facility in Riyadh will be built on an area exceeding 13,000m2 with an investment of over SR100 million."

He also said further developments in Jeddah are also in the works to potentially open a Mercedes-Benz Service factory in the North of Jeddah by 2024/2025.

JACO will be launching various fully electric cars starting 2022 with the EQS followed by the EQE, EQS SUV, EQA in 2023.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Q: As a leader in the automotive industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, how do you see the future of transportation from a local and global perspective?

A: The transportation industry is one of the most significant and impactful segments in any economy. Therefore, there will always be a considerable focus on the industry from governments and global economic organizations. Saudi Arabia is following a strategic approach to growing the national economy with supporting regulations and legislation that aid in the evolution and growth of the automotive industry. The Kingdom is allocating huge budgets to develop future infrastructure, including the gradual introduction of electric transportation in Saudi.

Q: Companies and car dealers are competing to develop programs and services to gain customers’ satisfaction regarding offers and after-sales services; so what do you think about that?

A: Let’s agree on a focal point here: consumer behavior has changed — they have become smarter due to the communication revolution, which made it easier to access information and compare products and services. In addition, positive and negative customer experiences are crucial for recognizing the product through what customers share on different social platforms. These have motivated companies to develop their services and compete over providing tactical offers and special services for their customers.

We take pride at Juffali Automotive company in all the years of consistent development of our services, with a view to offering a unique experience to our customers and building a sustainable relationship with them. We believe that customers are our ambassadors. We care that they positively reflect their experiences with our services and products to others around them.

Throughout the past years, JACO has taken significant development steps with extensive refurbishment of our Sales and Service facilities and internal process re-engineering all with a view to enhance the customer experience from vehicle inquiry and sales to after-sales service.

Q: You mentioned the revolutionary evolution of communication worldwide, so what are your steps as the Mercedes-Benz car dealer in Saudi regarding this aspect?

A: We worked hard on early investments in elevating our digital services so we can be closer to our customers and use technology to know their opinions and suggestions to develop our services. We also collaborated in this regard with the biggest tech-services companies to help us achieve our goals. This has been reflected in our clients' positive reviews and compliments, in addition to the local and regional prizes we have won due to the development of our digital services. For example, we launched our integrated online service appointment system, which ensures minimal waiting time at vehicle check-in and a quicker service turn-around time.

Q: Saudi Arabia is moving forward with developing infrastructure, which includes electric cars in the Kingdom. Will we witness full electric Mercedes-Benz cars soon in the Kingdom?

A: As you may know that Mercedes-Benz has developed and introduced numerous hybrid and fully electric models in the past few years and is at the forefront of the electric car revolution with a commitment to being a purely electric car brand from 2030 onward. In line with this strategy, JACO will be launching various fully electric cars starting 2022 with the EQS followed by the EQE, EQS SUV, EQA in 2023. In support of this, we have developed strategic partnerships essential to providing home electric charging stations in addition to the stations at our facilities.

Q: You have focused on customer satisfaction in many areas of your talk; how do you evaluate customer satisfaction?

A: One of our company's strategic pillars is customer satisfaction and as such whatever we develop and implement is with an eye to this goal. We are a service provider and as such customer satisfaction is job 1. Customer satisfaction is measured at various stages of the customer journey, from vehicle purchase experience to after-sales service care. Digital technology, in addition to extensive training, is utilized whenever possible. For example we use video messaging both in sales and service to enhance the customer experience. To this end our customer service levels are measured through an independent company, which conducts a monthly survey to ensure we are seeing the right picture.

Q: What is new regarding the business network development in Juffali Automotive Company?

A: We have a very aggressive and extensive network development plan for the coming 3-4 years, which includes building a flagship sales and service facility in Riyadh. This flagship facility will be built on an area exceeding 13,000m2 with an investment of over SR100m. It will be made according to the latest Mercedes-Benz MAR 2020 standards with the creative use of digital technology. This facility will house the largest Mercedes-Benz showroom in Saudi Arabia, spread over two floors displaying over 30 cars, and a state-of-the-art service center. This facility is scheduled to open at the end of 2023.

Further investment plans in Riyadh city include the renovation to Mercedes-Benz MAR standards of our Khurais Road facility, which provides both a showroom and service center. The service center in Khurais is the largest Mercedes-Benz service center in Saudi Arabia, with a functional space of over 16,500m2 and a capacity to receive over 75 cars daily.

In addition, over the past two years, we have developed our sales and service centers in Jeddah (Medina Rd) and Dammam/Al Khobar to meet the latest Mercedes-Benz MAR 2020 standards with incorporated digital infrastructure. Further developments in Jeddah are also in the works to potentially open a Mercedes-Benz service factory in the north of Jeddah by 2024/2025, which will be the most extensive service and body shop center in the western region. Customers will be able to drop off their car at a specialized receiving & delivery center in central Jeddah for convenience rather than driving up to the service factory. Hand-in-hand with the development of our facilities is the development of our staff in all areas to meet the high standards expected by our customers.

Q: You recently announced winning 26 marketing awards from 2021 until the middle of 2022; what does that mean to you?

A: The awards we won were earned because of the campaigns we launched that focused on activating social responsibility. These awards will always be a huge motivation for us as an entity to go forward because they show the distinction of Mercedes-Benz and give us a positive indication of the high spirits and the desire of all the team members. All of this is an extension of the global excellence of Mercedes-Benz cars that is a result of its firm steps and makes us always ahead of others.

Q: Let’s move away from the business industry a bit, and talk about your participation in huge events embraced by the Kingdom, given the Vision of 2030.

A: Saudi Arabia has been through a significant change in the past 4-5 years under the strategic umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030. There has been a quantum change in all aspects of life with Saudi Arabia becoming the hub for regional and global economic events, sports events, sustainability initiatives, cultural and entertainment events and technology initiatives. JACO has been an active participant in this initiatives through various events and sponsorships such as the Formula 1 event in Jeddah and the Formula E event in Diriyah as well as a constant presence at the Saudi Design festival. This is in addition to our various activities in exhibitions and events in the automotive landscape.