Volvo's Secret to Capturing Korea: 'Investment in Customer Service'

Volvo Korea Ranks 4th Among Imported Car Brands Until August This Year
Invested 110 Billion KRW in Service Sector Since Last Year
Service Centers Expanded by 15% in First Half Compared to Previous Year

Volvo Cars Korea has maintained its position as the 4th largest imported car brand in the domestic market through consistent investment in customer service. Excluding the electric vehicle brand Tesla, it has proven its presence by forming a top three structure in the premium imported car market alongside BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

According to the Korea Imported Automobile Association on the 27th, Volvo Korea sold 9,841 units domestically from January to August this year, ranking 4th among imported car brands. This result surpassed strong competitors such as the premium imported car brands Audi from Germany and Lexus from Japan.

The domestic growth of Volvo Korea is backed by continuous improvements in service quality and investments to enhance customer satisfaction. Since last year, Volvo Korea has expanded its service network in the Korean market through investments totaling 110 billion KRW. In the first half of this year alone, it expanded its service centers by 15% compared to the previous year, operating 39 showrooms and service centers nationwide.

Additionally, to increase customer satisfaction, it offers one of the longest quality warranty periods in the industry. Volvo Korea provides a free warranty service for 5 years or 100,000 km, and for plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles, the high-voltage battery is covered by a free warranty for 8 years or 160,000 km. Furthermore, it operates a 'Lifetime Parts Warranty System' that offers a lifetime free warranty on parts replaced for a fee through official service centers.

A Volvo Car Korea service network representative is inspecting a vehicle.
[Photo by Volvo Car Korea]

It also provides differentiated services by nurturing automotive maintenance talent. Since 2018, it has been running the 'Apprentice Training Program,' a specialized technician training course. This program, which completed its 6th graduation ceremony in July, aims to cultivate professional technicians equipped not only with an understanding of the brand and advanced technology but also with customer service capabilities.

Moreover, in 2016, it was the first in the industry to introduce 'Volvo Personal Service (VPS),' a personal dedicated service, and it also offers the industry's first 'Real-time Kakao Reservation Consultation Talk' service, which allows booking service center visits and accident repair consultations. Features such as the 'Car Logbook,' which enables more efficient vehicle management including mileage, expenses, and maintenance records, and the customer evaluation group system, a customer service enhancement program, are innovative programs Volvo has introduced to improve customer service satisfaction.

Through these efforts, Volvo Korea ranked first among European brands for the fourth consecutive year last year in the Consumer Insight automotive after-sales service (A/S) satisfaction survey. A Volvo Korea official stated, "We will expand the service network so that customers do not experience inconvenience in vehicle management or after-sales service," adding, "Our goal is qualitative growth based on customer satisfaction going forward."