PML Master Technician tops BMW International Aftersales Competition

It’s great to know that we’re in good hands!

Roland Krueger (Managing Director of BMW Asia), third from
left, and Simon Rock (Managing Director of PML), far right, with world-beating
PML Aftersales team (from l)- Jeffrey Anthony Vatsaloo (Senior Customer Service
Advisor), David Goh (Training Manager), Jimmy Cheah Seng Fai (Master Technician),
Yeow Ing Hwa (Director of Aftersales) and Andy Sim Chee Keong (Parts Technician)

Master Technician Mr Jimmy Cheah Seng Fai from Performance Motors Ltd emerged
the champion in the individual category under “Service Technicians, Electrical/Electronic
Systems” in a BMW international competition amongst 69 other highly trained
BMW Service Technicians, Customer Service Advisors and Parts Executives.

The Ultimate Test
The BMW International Aftersales Competition of Excellence (ASCE 2007), held
in Munich from March 18 to 24, saw the top BMW aftersales personnel in their
field from 23 countries vie for honours at the prestigious event. The competition
aims to continuously improve the level of quality customer service performance,
service expertise and product knowledge at all authorized BMW dealerships through
the sharing of best practice and ideas.

The participants, selected from 47,000 personnel worldwide, competed in a
mix of practical and theoretical tests under the categories of ‘Service
Technicians’, ‘Service Advisors’, and ‘Parts/Accessories/Lifestyle’.
The category for Service Technicians was further subdivided into different disciplines
such as Drive train, Chassis, Body, Electric / Electronics. It was the first
time the competition hosted three categories together. For Mr Cheah, who has
almost 20 years of experience as a BMW Technician with Performance Motors, the
climb to the top was far from easy. He had to compete on the national and regional
levels before qualifying for the BMW ASCE 2007.

“During the International competition, I was nervous and under severe
pressure. The BMW competition tests a participant’s time management skill
by presenting a complex problem on a car which we had to solve in less than
40 minutes, following the right procedures and using the correct tools and equipment.
Accuracy and speed were marked, as was our individual product knowledge,”
Mr Cheah said. Nevertheless, Mr Cheah’s problem-solving skills won the
day. He cites BMW’s systematic
training, experience and his keenness to solve problems as contributing factors
to his excellent performance. Mr. Cheah is the first PML technician to win this
coveted award.

PML Team ranked best in East Asia

The Performance Motors’ aftersales team of Andy Sim Chee Keong (Parts
Technician), Jeffrey Anthony Vatsaloo (Senior Customer Service Advisor) and
Jimmy Cheah Seng Fai (Master Technician) also scored highest in a similar regional
competition. After ranking best in East Asia, the PML aftersales team was then
chosen by BMW Asia to represent the region at the BMW International Aftersales
Competition of Excellence (ASCE 2007).

Mr Simon Rock, Managing Director of Performance Motors said: “We are
very proud of our team’s exceptional accomplishment within the region
and internationally. Jeffrey Vatsaloo, Andy Sim and Jimmy Cheah’s efforts,
hard work and commitment continues to demonstrate the expertise, positive attitude
and dedication of our staff in PML. We are thrilled that Mr Cheah emerged victorious
in the Service Technician’s category of Electric / Electricals category.
It’s testament to the regular comprehensive BMW training conducted by
BMW and our internal trainers.”

Commenting on the results, Mr Roland Krueger, Managing Director of BMW Asia
said: “We are delighted with Mr Cheah’s outstanding performance
at the ASCE and the PML aftersales team ranking in East Asia. We at the BMW
Group continually work with our partners like PML to share with them best practice
processes, knowledge, methodologies that are vital to a strong and professional
customer service. The quality service that Performance Motors and our partners
worldwide provide is indicative of the success of these collaborative efforts.
We heartily congratulate Mr Cheah and PML for this very commendable achievement.”

Mr Cheah, 45, who is only one of four BMW master technicians in Singapore, oversees
a technical team at Performance Motors that covers areas such as body, powertrain,
chassis and suspension, electrical/electronic systems, and IT systems. He joined
PML in 1988 as a technician and has a diploma in Electronics, Computer &
Communications from the Singapore Polytechnic. Mr Cheah’s hobbies include
traveling, billiards and reading car magazines.