New managing director looks to build on momentum — and listen to feedback
FORD PHILIPPINES Managing Director Mike Breen assumed his post in June of 2021, but only reached our part of the world two months ago because of the pandemic.
Last week, the executive was finally able to meet members of the Philippine media over lunch in Makati City. He reported how Ford Philippines registered robust sales in the first quarter of the year, delivering 4,634 units led by the Ford Ranger and Ford Territory.
In March alone, the Territory small SUV marked its highest-ever sales output — moving 904 units or 51% more than the same month a year ago. It seems the Ford Territory continues to blaze a trail for the company as it remains the leader in its segment, “with an average quarterly market share of 54% and a 63% market share in March,” according to the company.
“We are off to a great start this year as we see the growing popularity of our Ford vehicle lineup among our customers, particularly the Ford Territory which continues to be one of the best-selling SUVs in the market today,” underscored Mr. Breen. “With the easing of travel restrictions and increased demand for safe mobility, we are optimistic that we will maintain the momentum in the next quarter together with our Ford dealers nationwide.”
All told, the Territory has breached the 10,000-unit mark in sales. Since its launch in August of 2020, 10,758 examples have been sold, as of last reckoning by Ford Philippines. The firm is looking to bank on this momentum to surpass its 20,000 vehicles sold in 2021 — led by the Ford Ranger with 9,184 vehicles moved. “It’s been incredible for us and we’re looking to continuing that momentum as we move forward,” he said.
Aside from wearing the crown for small SUV sales, Ford Philippines also continues to corner the 4×4 pickup market — something that will doubtless be magnified when the all-new Ranger (and Everest) launch sometime this year.
For Mr. Breen, the priority now is to buckle down to work. “Leading the team and spending time with them,” he stated.
He has also been meeting with the dealership teams. “That’s where the rubber meets the road, the executive described. “I’m seeing and understanding and realizing what a wonderful dealership network we have, focused on customers and customer satisfaction. In some cases, we need to find ways to make it easier for dealers to take care of customers. That’s on us. We’re ready to do it and we’ll continue to do so and I’m looking forward to that. In order to do that, we also need to spend time with them.”
The good news, he added, is that they’re all pointing in the same direction. It’s a matter of moving the “collective organization” forward.
Part of moving forward, of course, involves Ford’s portfolio of vehicles. Mr. Breen averred he is “confident” in the local lineup, even as he adds they will add “exciting new products.” Addressing a question on the global semiconductor shortage and its implication on vehicle production, he said that Ford is focused on ensuring it keeps the impact to a minimum. “This is not just a Ford challenge, but we’re doing everything to protect our production.”
Replying to a question from “Velocity” on dealership affairs, Mr. Breen said it is imperative to be cognizant of where they are coming from. “We launched a dealer council committee again to formalize the input and feedback from dealers, and make sure we hear and understand what the concerns are; to allow us to have subcommittees to work with them.
As for prospects? “The real opportunities are no surprise to anyone,” he maintained. “We need to improve parts availability. Uma (PK Umanshankar, his predecessor) made great progress on that last year, and as we set ourselves up for the launches of the Ranger and Everest, we need to make sure we have the right parts when those units arrive.”
Vehicle and parts availability will be enduring priorities, but Mr. Breen also shared that communication is a must between Ford Philippines and its dealership network. “Good, clear communication,” he said, quoting dealer feedback. “Just keep them posted about what’s going on. Everything we do should be focused on helping dealers satisfy what customers require.”
In keeping with the goal of improving customer experience, Ford Philippines is introducing the Click to Chat function on its website “to enhance (its) customer-facing processes and systems to increase efficiency and agility in the way (it operates).”
In a statement, Mr. Breen said, “Click to Chat was introduced as we continue to recognize that convenience and getting real-time support and access to Ford is important for our customers. (It is) an innovative feature that extends our customer service operations on the digital space to ensure we are able to listen and respond to our customers’ queries.”
Customers can access the function by visiting the Ford Philippines website and clicking “Live Chat” on the right side of the page. They need to key in their name, e-mail address, 11-digit mobile number, and city or province. The browser will also be asked if he or she is a current Ford owner, and if the concern is sales- or service-related. Finally, customers will need to accept the Privacy Policy statement before they can chat with a customer service agent.
Click to Chat is available Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. During offline hours and on weekends, customers can click “Leave a Message” located on the right side of the page. An agent will attend to their inquiry once the agents are back online. Aside from Click to Chat, customers can also reach out to Ford Philippines via its Customer Relationship Center at +632-8866-9408, e-mail at emailus@ford.com, or its social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
“The Ford Philippines team is 100% focused on supporting the dealerships. I think customers will see an increased level of engagement and accessibility to Ford through our dealerships, through Click to Chat, on the Ford website, and other online and offline opportunities,” concluded Mr. Breen.