Get Guardian on GoogleAutomotive industry executives have urged vehicle buyers to look beyond purchase prices and specifications to warranty coverage and after-sales support, warning that inadequate maintenance services and spare-parts availability could undermine customer confidence and expose owners to avoidable costs.
They stressed that the long-term success of automotive businesses depended not just on vehicle sales, but also on their ability to provide reliable technical support, accessible spare parts and efficient maintenance services throughout the ownership period.
General Manager, Marketing, Carloha Nigeria, Felix Mahan, described after-sales service as a strategic investment that determines customer retention, brand reputation and sustainable business growth.
According to him, “After-sales is central to customer retention, brand reputation and long-term business growth.”
He explained that customers’ actual ownership experience, rather than advertising promises, ultimately determines their confidence in an automotive brand.
“Advertising may attract customers, but their actual ownership experience determines whether they trust the brand,” Mahan said.
He noted that a strong after-sales proposition could also influence initial purchase decisions, particularly in Nigeria, where maintenance costs, spare-parts availability and access to qualified technicians remain major considerations for vehicle owners.
Mahan cited CarlohaCare 6-6-7 as an example of an integrated ownership support programme, combining six years of warranty, six years of free servicing and a seven-day repair promise, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
Also,, General Manager, Sales and Marketing of Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limited, Gaurav Vashisht, said extended warranty programmes were increasingly important in reassuring customers and strengthening confidence in automotive brands.
He explained that longer warranty periods offered buyers protection against qualifying repair costs, making vehicle ownership more reassuring.
“From customers’ perspective, they feel more secure,” Vashisht said, explaining why some automotive companies were extending warranty coverage from five to seven years.
He, however, cautioned against purchasing vehicles from private importers operating without adequate after-sales infrastructure, describing some of them as traders more interested in one-time sales than long-term investment in customer support.
“They can only buy once. They can’t go back the second and third time because they would have lost confidence in such importer, who is a mere trader not an investor,” he warned.
Both executives maintained that automotive companies must invest in technical training, diagnostic equipment, spare-parts networks and efficient service centres, insisting that the true test of a vehicle distributor’s credibility lies in the quality of support customers receive long after leaving the showroom.
