Interior motives

MANILA, Philippines - Buying a car in this day and age is hardly a straightforward affair. Spoiled for choices and ready information through an array of media, the contemporary car buyer can, if so inclined, compare a dizzying number of attributes, performance numbers, after-sales service quality, and such across a range of brands and price points.

With an increasingly discerning and knowledgeable motoring public and in the face of stiff competition, automobile companies have taken a long hard look at everything about their brand – which means it’s not just about the vehicle anymore but the whole package and experience.

Take the case of showrooms. Once spartan, unadorned spaces, in days past they were almost inevitably painted a sterile white and crammed with vehicles. You’d walk in, check out the cars, and walk out – and nary give a second thought to anything else.

Bid good riddance that era. Welcome the days of free Wi-Fi, coffee, movies/cable television, and other niceties that make your visit to the “casa” memorable in a good way. Gone too (at least generally) is the tedious wait for your vehicle to be serviced. No more staring at the ceiling or taking naps of boredom as your sedan gets its 10,000-km. checkup. You sometimes get to wait in pomp and style.

“We want our customers to feel relaxed and at home in our showroom – to experience and indulge in our genuine hospitality,” says Daniel Isla, Lexus Manila president. “We want to them enjoy the freedom and luxury of time and space.”

If the pitch sounds more akin to a hotel or resort promise, you’re not far off the mark.

It actually makes good sense, you see. Treating your customers well tips the scales in your favor. It’s also about presentation – making an indelible positive mark consistently across all possible areas about your brand invariably raises its face value and keeps the cash register fat and happy. The caveat, of course, is that the vehicles you put out should be sound, and not lemons on wheels.

So, yes, it’s okay for a company bigwig to obsess about the public face of his firm.

In the case of the very first Lexus facility in Manila, Isla says: “From planning to construction, it was a collaborative effort of the Japan head office, the regional office, and local operations. The selection of the site (Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City) was well thought of in terms of the area’s image and accessibility to potential customers.”

Aside from making the customers feel welcome, showrooms also seek to convey distinct value propositions and characteristics of the portfolio of cars they sell.

At the sole Subaru showroom in Southeast Asia, Motor Image-Subaru Marketing Manager Ariel de Jesus shares: “It is a representation of what the organization and the brand stand for. We see to it that the Subaru Greenhills (on EDSA) showroom reflects the sporty and luxurious character of Subaru vehicles.”

Indeed, a stylized photo of a tachometer needle on high rpm adorns a wall of the well-lit showroom, representing the promise of sporty excitement.

De Jesus underscores that their facility “must be consistent with the engineering excellence Subaru has been known for worldwide.

“Our parent company, Motor Image Enterprises (MIE), led by our Group Chief Executive Glenn Tan, took the lead in the whole process from planning and conceptualization, development and construction, and the eventual start of operations of the first Subaru dealership in the Philippines.”

Daniel Isla says that Toyota executives “wanted to make sure that every detail had meaning to the customer and to the brand image of Lexus. The design was executed by a renowned architect from Japan. You can say the facility has all the personal touches of people who understand not just the technical considerations of construction but the aesthetic appeal as well.”

The premium quality of Lexus is certainly communicated well – from the tasteful lighting, décor, and pieces of furniture that adorn the showroom. The mix of natural lighting and indirect artificial illumination further adds to the drama. An indoor garden completes a feeling of calm and comfort. “We went for simple elegance that speaks of luxury – not ostentatious, but nonetheless imposing,” continues Isla.

Michelle Peralta, Autohub Group (which distributes, among others, Nissan vehicles) AVP for marketing, shares: “All Nissan Dealerships around the world follow one brand image. We call it RVI or Retail Visual Image. Our manufacturers here in the Philippines have their own accredited contractors in charge of designing and constructing the showroom façade of every dealership. With regards to the interior image of the dealerships, our manufacturers provide us with the Outlet Presentation Guidelines or the OPG. These guidelines serve as basis on how we present the dealership, our products and services to our customers. Elementary as it is, the OPG shows the do’s and don’ts in the operations.”

The bottom line, says Michelle is “to give our customers a ‘wow’ feeling as soon as they set foot in the dealership. Whether sales or after sales, we see to it that customers don’t feel intimidated or upset.”

Peralta doubtless knows what we all do – an irritated (or even unimpressed) customer will not be a loyal one.

Nissan also standardizes the look of its showrooms to evoke a consistent feeling and attitude towards the global brand. Peralta however maintains: “We continuously improve our facilities to comfortably accommodate our client’s needs.”

“Lexus is not just about selling cars. We offer a luxurious experience,” says Isla.

“We want our customers feel a sense of confidence and trust in our organization the moment they step inside our showroom and after-sales facility. We also want them to feel that the Subaru Greenhills showroom is an extension of their own cars and make them comfortable,” maintains De Jesus.

So the next time you are at a dealership, look around you. There’s a good chance that much thought was put into designing that showroom as that car you fancy taking home with you.