By Samuel Ee

CHEVROLET has launched a courtesy car service for customers of its bigger models - probably the first such programme rolled out by a mass market brand here.

Called the Chevy Priority Concierge Service, it offers complimentary use of a car to owners of Epica, Captiva and Cruze 1.8 models for 24 hours while their vehicles are serviced.

These models are in COE Category B because their engines are bigger than 1,600cc.

Owners of Category A Chevy models such as the Cruze 1.6, Optra and Aveo can also enjoy the courtesy car service at a cost of $500 for a two-year programme.

All Chevrolet cars are scheduled for servicing twice a year - at intervals of six months or every 10,000km, whichever comes first.

According to David Pang, general manager of Chevrolet agent Alpine Motors, the cost of providing the service is 'substantial'.

He declines to say how much, but says the company needs extra staff to man the Chevy Priority Hotline, courtesy cars and car grooming services, among other things. 'We do not view it as purely a 'cost' but rather an investment to enhance the brand,' he says.

Besides the courtesy cars, there are dedicated service counters for Chevy Priority members at Alpine's service centre in Ubi.

Other benefits include free car grooming, special discounts and birthday vouchers.

'We want the Chevy Priority programme to enhance the overall ownership experience of our Chevy customers,' says Mr Pang.

Alpine actually started offering the service when it took on the brand with the gold bow tie two years ago.

But it only formally introduced it in August and across the board when it became the sole Chevy dealer here.

A couple of premium brands also extend the use of courtesy cars - but selectively.

One is understood to be Mercedes-Benz, which has a pool of cars at the disposal of customers who own top-of-the-line S-Class limousines and high-performance AMG models.

But these courtesy cars are usually only for customers who come in for repair work. Merc owners sending in their car for a routine service only get a courtesy car if one is available.

Another premium marque does not have courtesy cars but offers a pick-up service.

When a top-of-the-line Lexus LS limousine has to go into the workshop, authorised distributor Borneo Motors collects the car and returns it later. The Japanese luxury make has been doing this since 1992.

Most in the industry agree it is almost impossible to provide a courtesy car to all customers because of the costs involved.

'The cost of this service is not easy to manage because the after-sales business usually doesn't make enough to justify it,' says one observer.

At the same time, it does not help that the margins from new car sales are much thinner these days, he says.

'Plus in recent years, there has been a big jump in the number of car owners. So who is going to pay for this service?'

This was first published in The Business Times.