Sanjeev Kumar, President and Head of Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles at Ashok Leyland, has called for a “collaborative way” of handling customer complaints between the original equipment manufacturer and the dealer, instead of leaving the responsibility solely with the dealer.
Speaking at a panel discussion during the 7th Auto Retail Conclave in Delhi, Kumar highlighted the dual challenge faced by the commercial vehicle industry: attracting and retaining skilled manpower, and effectively managing the growing influence of customer voices on social media.
He acknowledged that retaining and motivating talent is a significant concern in today’s competitive environment, where young professionals have many career opportunities both inside and outside the automotive sector.
Ashok Leyland has been addressing this issue by utilising its own infrastructure to train manpower. Its factories train thousands of apprentices every year, many of whom are absorbed into dealerships, providing a skilled workforce to reduce dealer staffing challenges. The company also partners with Industrial Training Institutes to create customised training programmes aligned with their curriculum, with some graduates joining the company afterwards.
However, Kumar stressed that money alone is not enough to keep employees motivated. “The aspirations of this workforce are not different… You need to take care of their motivation,” he said, adding that much of this responsibility lies with channel partners.
Other industry leaders also took part in the panel, including representatives from automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturers, as well as senior executives from dealerships. The discussion was moderated by an industry expert.
As the conversation moved to social media, Kumar noted how it has amplified the customer voice in today’s business landscape. In the commercial vehicle segment, an issue with a truck has a direct impact on customer earnings, which makes each complaint critical.
He emphasised that the best solution is a joint approach where both the manufacturer and the dealer work together to resolve issues, creating opportunities to strengthen customer relationships. Kumar concluded that such collaborative handling of complaints can help the industry build lasting trust with its customers.
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