Gasgoo.com (Shanghai March 30) - Great Wall is planning to remove a number of dealers that don't meet its standards, decreasing its sales network by around 20 percent, the Beijing Times reported. The manufacturer hopes that the move will help resolve complaints about problems with customer service, while helping streamline its overall sales network.

Earlier this month, Great Wall Motor President Wang Fengying pointed out that the manufacturer's current sales network structure and overall customer service was proving a major hurdle in its development. He pledged that the manufacturer will focus its efforts to resolve the problem within the year, helping raise service quality for all of its customers.

According to an internal source, when Great Wall was developing its sales network, it did not push its dealerships as hard as it could have. In addition to its own models, many dealers would sell vehicles from other brands such as Geely and FAW Xiali. Additionally, several dealers, mostly in the northwest of the country, do not offer any sort of aftermarket service. "Although Great Wall's quality and sales are very good, in a J.D. Power survey on customer satisfaction, [the manufacturer's] score was very low," said source remarked.

According to calculations, Great Wall should be on track to get rid of 160 dealerships. As all of the manufacturer's outlets in Beijing are 4S style shops with upstanding records, they will not be affected by the move. The decision will mainly affect independent shops.

However, manufacturer Vice President Shang Yugui commented that he had not heard the 20 percent reduction figure, saying only that Great Wall was focusing on improving customer service in 2012.

Source:gasgoo.com