Ford PH boss aims to improve dealer-customer relations

Ford's Michael Breen on new models and enhancing customer experiences

Earlier this month, Ford Philippines welcomed their new Managing Director: Michael Breen.

In an online meeting held by Ford, Breen was introduced to the Philippine motoring media where he spoke of his 28-year tenure at the Blue Oval, overseeing a variety of major branding-related activities such as placements of vehicles in movies and TV shows, among many others. Breen steps into the role as the new overall boss for the Philippine market, succeeding PK “Uma” Umashankar who has moved on to handle the Customer Service Division of Ford's International Markets Group (IMG).

The new Ford Philippines Managing Director says he wants the company to leverage its advantages and maximize the business groundwork that has already been established in the local market by his predecessors. Breen announced that the company will be launching the Ford Ranger Raptor X as a limited edition (only 200 units) for PHP 2.038 million, along with an enhanced Ranger Wildtrak 4x4 variant that has a power roller shutter for the rear deck.

Among the many questions of future models and electrification, we asked the new Ford MD about one key issue that affects the brand: servicing. As reported over several online groups, there are customers that have varying experiences when it comes to servicing at their dealers; some are happy, some not so much (typically with parts availability), while some are frustrated. Actually, some are frustrated to the point that they have gone so far as to published ads in newspapers to air out their issues with certain dealers.

So we asked Michael Breen how he intends to address the many customer concerns over the service experience at Ford. What kind of steps will Ford take to improve customer satisfaction and consistency?

“It's not so much rocking the boat, the way I look at it is don't mess up the steps that Uma and the team have put into place up until now, but build on it,” said Ford new Managing Director.

Breen highlighted that the company will focus on improving parts logistics to get parts supplies to dealers faster so customer cars can be sorted out more rapidly.

“At its core, when we talk about the perception of parts, service, and customer interaction at the dealerships, it's also tied to communication: how we communicate,” continued Breen. “There are things outside of the dealer's control. My focus is in ensuring we give the dealer as much insight and information as possible.”

One of the underlying issues with the previous managing directors of Ford Philippines is the varying degrees of the difficulty some had when working with the dealers in the country. Breen's approach is to establish a good working relationship with the dealers and what they need to service the customers. He also mentioned that they aim to “develop and mature our training” at the dealership level and do right by the customer.

“We support them where ever we possibly can to assist them in taking care of customers. It's to leverage what's already in place at the dealerships and look for ways to piece that apart and figure out what other pieces of that puzzle do we need to fit in to take that to the next level to really show customers that Ford Motor Company is focused and concerned that they can get their vehicles serviced quickly and affordably and they can move on with their business and enjoy their vehicles moving forward,” continued Ford's Michael Breen.

Currently, Michael Breen is working more remotely than you would expect; he's still in Bangkok, Thailand due to the travel restrictions. But he's been busy connecting with his team online and establishing good ties with Ford dealers in the country.

“We're thrilled to be working with the Philippine dealers. My experience with the dealer groups have been incredible. My key message as it relates to the dealers is that the dealers are 100% aligned to working together to satisfying the customer needs and requirements,” said Michael Breen, the new Managing Director of Ford Philippines.

Do you have any feedback about your experiences with after sales at Ford? Let us know in the comments.