GEELY SAYS SORRY — Carmaker vows better service, opens complaints hotline

Geely Philippines just recently made proactive moves to address the viral issues regarding its service.

While admitting to the "lapses in addressing the concerns regarding the handling of the vehicles," the carmaker said it wanted to make sure no complaint would fall on deaf ears.

It established a dedicated hotline email address with a promise to take care of the customers' concerns within two days.

Not bad for a car brand that suffered a slew of bad publicity the past weeks.

It recently found itself in the spotlight for customer service issues. The brand, which has been experiencing a 52 percent growth rate and ranks eighth in industry sales, faced a series of complaints from customers.

Chief among them is the availability of spare parts. Add to that long waiting times for vehicle repairs, and issues of "mishandling" the vehicle while it sat for repair in the "casa."

These issues were even highlighted in a change.org petition, which called for improved parts availability for Geely cars in the Philippines.

The decline in brand trust was attributed to customer dissatisfaction with after-sales service and poor communication.

Customers reported that they were left in the dark about the status of their repairs, with one customer citing the ordeal of waiting months for a simple replacement part that was still not resolved.

In response to the growing concerns, Geely Philippines issued an official statement last 1 September. The statement acknowledged the lapses in customer service and offered an apology for any inconvenience caused.

"We humbly acknowledge that there were lapses in addressing the concerns regarding the handling of the vehicles, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this might have caused," the statement read.

The official statement also emphasized Geely's commitment to transparency and open communication.

"With transparency being paramount to us, we connected very closely with the customers involved, expressed our sincerest apologies, and through open communication and understanding while respecting their privacy, we were able to come to an amicable solution," the company stated.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the continued support and patronage from our cherished customers and prospective clients. Rest assured, we are steadfast in our resolve to prevent such occurrences in the future," the statement concluded.

The official statement and the introduction of a dedicated customer care hotline are Geely Philippines' latest initiatives to address customer service concerns.

The brand has committed to transparency and open communication as part of its strategy to improve customer satisfaction and after-sales service.