Proton to increase 3S, 4S centres

GEORGE TOWN: Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton) is calling its distributors to upgrade their operation centres from 1S (sales) or 2S (service and spare parts) to either 3S (sales, service and spare parts) or 4S (sales, service, spare parts and body and paint services) over the next few years.

Deputy chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said this year, five operation centres -- each one in Banting, Selangor; Batu Kawan, Penang; Jerantut, Pahang; Kuching, Sarawak; and Kuala Nerus, Terengganu -- will be upgraded to become 3S and 4S centres to provide better service to customers.

“With the five additional 3S and 4S operation centres, Proton will have a combined total of 160 3S and 4S centres nationwide,” he said.

Speaking to members of the media, Roslan said that the cost to upgrade each centre ranges between RM7 million and RM20 million, depending on the area and location.

“Currently, Proton has 43 1S centres and 78 2S centres. We are encouraging distributors to upgrade their operation centres to 3S and 4S, but there are some who face encumbrances in doing so.

“Nonetheless, we expect more 1S and 2S centres to be upgraded in the next few years,” he said.

Earlier on, Roslan had led a media familiarisation visit to Vivahill Motor Service Sdn Bhd, one of Proton’s official distribution centres in Bayan Lepas to introduce the Proton Operational Excellence (POE) initiative.

The POE initiative aims to improve the performance of Proton service centres nationwide by instilling trust in the national car brand’s commitment to excellence. -Bernama