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[From the Scene] Han Sung Motor expands service center for Mercedes-Benz owners

With 80 workbays and over 130 technicians, Seongdong Service Center reigns as largest among auto importers in S. Korea

By Kan Hyeong-woo

Published : April 10, 2023 - 08:47

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Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor, speaks to reporters at the Seongdong Service Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Han Sung Motor) Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor, speaks to reporters at the Seongdong Service Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Han Sung Motor)

Dozens of customers were seen waiting in the lounge of the first floor at Han Sung Motor’s Mercedes-Benz Seongdong Service Center on a Thursday afternoon. About two hours later, only several remained. As the official dealer of Mercedes-Benz cars, it showed Han Sung Motor’s swift customer service for Korean owners of the German luxury brand.

“The first keyword is superior customer dedication. Under superior customer dedication, we understand customers’ intricacy, customer satisfaction and long-lasting customer relations,” said Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor, in a press conference.

Han Sung Motor opened its largest service center as it integrated the Yongdap Service Center with the Seongdong Service Center in August 2022. With 80 workbays and over 130 technicians, the newly expanded Seongdong Service Center is the largest of its kind among auto importers in Korea, according to Han Sung Motor. A workbay refers to a flat working area designed to carry out various repair services for a vehicle.

The service center in eastern Seoul has 11 floors with a gross floor area of 38,000 square meters. It covers all Mercedes-Benz models ranging from the high-end Maybach to the all-electric EQ models. Han Sung Motor plans to increase the number of technicians to offer faster and higher quality services in the future.

Kim Min-jun, a certified Mercedes-Benz technician, explains how workbays operate at Han Sung Motor's Seongdong Service Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Han Sung Motor) Kim Min-jun, a certified Mercedes-Benz technician, explains how workbays operate at Han Sung Motor's Seongdong Service Center in Seoul on Thursday. (Han Sung Motor)

“We have very qualified and very loyal employees at Han Sung. We are a young company because 70 percent of our employees are in the age bracket between 20 to 30. We are particularly strong in employee qualification and certification, in particular for our mechanics, technicians and service personnel,” said Ausprung.

The Seongdong Service Center’s reservation system allows customers to book their time slot on the day of before their actual visit. In case of regular checkups and changing vehicle consumables, customers can get everything done in one day. Drivers who get in accidents late at night or on weekends would have no problem sending their Mercedes-Benz vehicles as the Seongdong Service Center takes in damaged cars round the clock.

Kim Min-jun, a Han Sung Motor technician who is one of the four mechanics that have completed Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Expert training, showed reporters how the Maybach-tailored workbay can lift the heavy vehicle in a safe manner.

“The Seongdong Service Center has the country’s only workbay that can lift over 6 metric tons,” he said.

Han Sung Motor boasts the biggest network of auto importers in the country with 20 showrooms, 22 service centers and seven exhibition sites for secondhand Mercedes-Benz vehicles with certification across the country.

A rendering of Han Sung Motor's Seongdong Service Center in Seoul (Han Sung Motor) A rendering of Han Sung Motor's Seongdong Service Center in Seoul (Han Sung Motor)