On the 20th, as the scorching heat set in, I visited the Mercedes-Benz Shinsung Motors Gwangju Suwan Integrated Center located in Gwangju Gwangsan. The Gwangju Suwan Integrated Center is an all-in-one center with a new car showroom, certified used car showroom, and service center, which relocated to its current location on Imbangul Road in Gwangju Gwangsan District in May of last year.
The Suwan Integrated Showroom is the largest in the Honam region, with a total floor area of 6,551m² (1,982 pyeong). Dressed with the shining three-pointed star, it welcomes customers. Despite it being a quiet weekday morning, there were no vacancies in the 150 parking spaces surrounding the building. Customers from all over the Honam region, including Damyang, Jangseong, Naju, and Yeonggwang, visit the Gwangju Suwan showroom and service center.
The first floor features a reception desk where customers are greeted by female employees, who assist them in navigating to the new car showroom, used car showroom, or service center. The second floor houses the new car showroom and a certified used car showroom that are strategically positioned next to each other.
The close proximity of the new car showroom and certified used car showroom is a significant advantage for customers entering the Suwan showroom. Manager Moon Du-hwan of the certified used car section explained, “When there’s a low volume of customers in the new car showroom, our sales staff guides them toward the certified used car section, and vice versa.”
On weekdays, an average of about 5 to 6 teams visit for consultations. On weekends, it’s so crowded that there is hardly any room to stand. Even on the Tuesday morning that I visited, customers browsing the new and certified used car showrooms were clearly visible. Notably, famous personalities, including regional sports athletes, also frequent the Gwangju Suwan showroom.
One corner of the new car showroom features a life collection. Yoon Jong-min, the planning team leader at Shinsung Motors, mentioned, “Recently, items such as clothing and bags in the life collection have gained popularity,” adding, “The purchase rate among customers is also high.” It seems that many customers are not just driving Mercedes-Benz but also ‘wearing and carrying’ it.
The service center is located on the basement first floor, first floor, and third floor. The first floor is home to a quick shop mainly focused on the exchange of engine oil and consumables, where technicians are busy completing Mercedes-Benz’s fast consumable exchange service, the ‘Express Service.’ While the first floor is dedicated to minor maintenance services, the third floor caters to vehicles requiring long-term repairs.
If the first floor is bustling, the third floor appears relatively calm and relaxed. Technicians remained focused on their repairs, either lifting vehicles or opening hoods, seemingly oblivious to my presence as I walked by.
In the basement first floor, there is a panel beating and painting area for accident vehicles. A car with a toothless grin welcomes visitors, missing its bumper. Nearby, a freshly painted bumper is neatly hung on a drying rack, waiting for the paint to dry. In the three painting booths, technicians were busy working on dented vehicles, smoothing out the damaged areas.
Team leader Yoon remarked, “The technicians at Shinsung Motors can hold their own in any Mercedes-Benz center worldwide,” adding, “We even have an employee who came in second place at a global Mercedes-Benz maintenance competition,” highlighting Shinsung Motors’ pride.
Shinsung Motors is also actively engaged in regional marketing. They boost Mercedes-Benz sales in Gwangju by placing advertisements in local radio stations and daily newspapers. Thanks to vigorous marketing efforts and the dedication of their sales team, they achieved recognition at the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Dealer Awards, where they surpassed competitors from the capital region to become the certified used car sales king in Gwangju.
Moreover, Shinsung Motors has a unique marketing strategy of their own. They have partnered with nearby coffee shops for test drive customers, allowing salespersons to consult and finalize contracts at the coffee shops after a test drive. This marketing approach is unique to Shinsung Motors and is not found at any other dealership nationwide.
The Shinsung Motors Gwangju Suwan Integrated Center, which has made a name as the largest showroom in the Honam region, has achieved a remarkable feat in winning a national dealer award thanks to the efforts of its staff. With these ongoing efforts, there are high hopes that the Gwangju Suwan Integrated Center will soon rise as a nationwide flagship showroom.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr