As Stuttgart Auto celebrates 30 years of exclusive dealership ties with Porsche in Singapore, it’s difficult not to talk about the day in 1970 when Karsono Kwee, its founder and executive chairman, fell in love with a green Porsche 911 Targa that zipped past him at Paya Lebar Airport, which was still operating then. That was all that was needed to kick-start a dream for Kwee, who founded the only Porsche agent here 15 years later.  

Porsche stands out in the world of automotive engineering; its cars boast a perfect balance between sports performance and efficiency. The same year it opened, Stuttgart Auto welcomed its first Porsche buyer, commodities trader Brian Whillock, who has since been a loyal customer and instructor at several Stuttgart Auto events. Other prominent visitors to the showroom include Wolfgang Porsche, the youngest son of Ferdinand Porsche. It is not unusual for customers to return to Stuttgart Auto for their next purchase, thanks to its well-thought-out pre- and post-sale client services in place at its showrooms, which continues to be fine-tuned according to modern expectations. Kwee talks about the details. 

As a Porsche owner, what are your expectations of the brand for quality and service? 
As an owner, I want a high performance sportscar that comes with intricate workmanship and the highest quality system. I also expect professionalism and service efficiency from the Porsche service staff.

How do you ensure this gets translated into what Stuttgart Auto provides for its customers?
Being passionate about cars and a Porsche owner myself have allowed me to understand the needs and expectations of our customers. Owning a car is an emotional experience. At Stuttgart Auto, our mission is to provide excellent ownership experiences to all our customers. From the first touch point and through the entire ownership journey, experiences are critical. The ownership experience never ends. The services shouldn’t stop when an owner drives away with the car.

About 70 per cent of local Porsche buyers custom-build their cars. What best explains this figure?
These Porsche buyers want to build their dream sportscars, and the brand and Stuttgart Auto gives them the opportunity to do so. Porsche Exclusive, for example, allows owners to tailor their cars to reflect their unique characters, styles and what they’ve envisioned.

How far does Stuttgart Auto go for its customers?
You can’t do enough to satisfy the customers. On the showroom front, we focus on “delighting” them through the various touch points, which starts from our greeting to our customers’ lounge and merchandise area and so on. We also have in place an attractive Porsche Customer Experience Management programme to deal with the creation of positive experiences for all these touch points. Maintaining close relationships with our customers is key. When someone purchases a Porsche, he or she is immediately introduced to the world of Porsche. This means exclusive driving experiences, personalisation services, access to the Porsche Clubs, bespoke events, and the like. Through this, a lot of our customers have also become our friends. And indeed, this has helped our business grow.

What has been the most challenging request from a customer?
A VIP Porsche customer walked into our showroom one day expressing his desire to purchase a car and drive it off that same day. Our team instantly made the necessary arrangements and the customer managed to drive his new car out of the showroom within two hours.

How does Stuttgart Auto empower its team? 
Our people are our greatest asset. They are trained to live and breathe the brand and help build the success of the company. My key management and staff are entrusted to make operational decisions, and I’m glad to say that many of my older employees are still working with me today.