People First, Performance Now!!

Ansel Adam - The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)
(This is one of my fav photo. Just so blissful and tranquil)

First of all i would like to say sorry for the long silence. It has been a really busy and dilemma week for me indeed. And i think this will be my last or second last posting. Sad case for me. Sob sob. Maybe someone will take over this blog - i am not sure still. Still undecided yet but i am taking the worse case scenario. This blog will turn into some posting of products and etc only.

The real purpose i am creating this blog is to bridge the gap between ML and their customers. Somehow i think it will be successful if one can water this plant and shower it with love everyday for a year or two more. Very ambitious of me huh? Or silly? Hahahaa.

I always think each business will have some minor issue that make it hard to go a little further. Well ML is no exception. (this is merely my point of view ya. who am i to say that ML is not doing well after all it have been here for more than a decade and been expanding leap and bound every year) Its vice versa too honestly. ML not looking hard enough for the improvements and customers not able to understand the nature of this business. Maybe i can identify all this because i am standing at the middle of everything. Things are certainly clearer for me. Again i might be wrong again ya. Just sharing my point of view.

One will say i am more to corporate. Am i? Or am i talking bs? But i always believe that you need to put customer first then only your business will grow. This is because more and more customer are getting / buying parts from you. Not sure how to put it in words but what i am trying to say is - you will see success in the later year if the formula are right.

In this new era, buying parts or doing comparison are very easy so if one company need to survive they must have "value added services". Things that make them coming back for more even though your prices keep on increase. A lot of people nowadays do not mind to pay a little bit more if the services, the presentation, the quality, the communication which are given are top notch. (In this argument - we take out the "availability" equation from the argument ya)

Just look at "Ikea". I always think that their business model are superb. Their products ain't cheap and the quality ain't any better than those outside but still they are doing very very good. They are really putting people's first. You can send back the item if you don't like it, warranty or many more which i don't aware of. If you want i can name thousands of international brand that putting people's first. Be it Acer, Sony, Nokia and Apple and etc. But of course their approach are somehow different.

So in a way, i always hope people will be proud when buying from ML and will always recommend their friends to come here because of all the above factor. And in a way i want this blog to function the same too. Sales person will not tell you much because they need to do sales. So its up for the management in a way. Maybe i failed here to convey my message but at least i tried. =)

Anyhow enough grumbling. ML is doing good and it is moving in the right direction. Maybe not perfect but they are improving.

In a way they are doing very good such as :
- providing customer needs (demand)
- providing jobs opportunities
- contribute to malaysia economy
- indirect sector contribution etc food. logistic. transportation. f&b. etc
- recycling used parts.

It is certainly sad again for me that i can't continue this blog. Tonnes of things that i want to share and etc. One of my europe friend told me this blog is good - at least we know everything from the inside. Its like looking things at the other perspective. =)

Lastly a little bit of favour - if you think this blog are good for you. Please ask ML to keep on blogging and sharing the insights.

Or maybe perhaps telling them how good the previous blogger is. Ask them to built a statue of me in from of ML so that i will be remembered until the end of time. Hahahaha. Thanks a million.

Cheers.

Larut Hill International 4X4 Challenge 2010

Unfortunately for us we can only complete 9 out of the 13 stages. It was a great outings and we did enjoy it very much. Never thought "offroads" could be this fun. Very hopeful for next year. =)

Halfcut / Front clip offer prices August 2010

Note: this post will be deleted in 2 weeks time.

From the poll that we created on the previous shop.munleeauto.com website - we realized that many of our customers / readers would like to know more about the halfcut that we are offering. Both availability and also prices. Some even take the initiative to call us or sent us email asking why we do not post prices on the website.

Actually there are many reasons for it.

1. Secret. Can't let you know because its company policy. =P

2. Prices changes all the time because of the currency and also demand & supply curve. Maybe today i am offering this prices as below but you cannot expect it to be the same in a month time. Because we are getting in Japan, so most of the time we are affected by the currency exchange and also the availability of these halfcut in Japan.

3 . Many are merely surveying prices. Not genuine buyer so it is rather hard for us. But i am sure if one are really interested, he/she will visit ML and look at the halfcut themselves.

We are talking about few Ks in transaction. So i believe one would like to look at the halfcut before they decide. When you are here then we talk about the best price. =)

4. Some shop even use our prices for references.
And you will be surprised if i tell you that even companies in Japan not to mentioned few other companies we spotted worldwide are using our photos. They do not mind about the watermark at all.

5. And etc.


Anyhow we began to realize that there are always risk for everything. Pros and cons. In this era of globalization and online media - one must accept the fact. You can minimize the risk only. We want to do online sales so we must be open to everything.

So enough crap and here are some prices of halfcut we are offering now. We will be having more and more prices posted here and also in our shop.munleeauto.com. Still i will have this post remove in 2 weeks time because by that time i will have new post with new prices for you. So one cannot refer this to ML and telling us they got this price from the blog.

Happy shopping!!

- RM5500 Daihatsu Terios 1.3 halfcut AT with bodyparts. (perodua kembara)

- RM10500 DC2 B18C Type R halfcut. LSD gearbox w/ petrol tank. rear disc

- RM3000 L5 EF MT halfcut w/ petrol tank

- RM8600 MMC Evo3 halfcut MT w/petrol tank and rear disc

- RM7200 CK Mivec MT halfcut w/ rear disc, petrol tank (satria, persona)

- RM5800 EG6 B16a MT LSD halfcut w/rear disc & petrol tank.
(no radiator, condenser)

- RM8000 Pajero V46 for M40 MT halfcut (no bodypart)

- RM8000 Pajero V45 MT halfcut 6G74 3.5CC (no bodyparts)

- RM8300 GSR 4G93-T AT halfcut w/rear disc, petrol tank (wira, satria)

- RM6800 GSR 4G93-T AT halfcut w/rear disc, petrol tank
(waja, satria, persona, gen2)

Hari Raya Promotion 2010 Are Here Again!!

It's the Ramadhan month again! Here we wish all our Muslim clients and every Muslim in the world, Selamat berpuasa! Happy Fasting in this holy month of Ramadhan!

And during this festive eve, ML is giving a special promotion again. Yes again!! Only valid for a month starting from today. =) So don't missed out. Some of the items are really selling at a very good price as far as i know.

RM580 Bride Full Bucket FRP
RM150 Momo Pedal / Gear Knob / Safety Belt Cover Set
RM23 Momo Gear Knob
RM130 Momo Steering Gold Lining & Black
RM780 Recovery Kit
RM4200 Absorber Amada & King Spring & Steering Damper Toyota Land Cruiser
RM450 Aluminium Radiator Racing Honda SM4
RM100 HKS SQV Blow Off
RM110 Honda Engine Damper
RM200 Simota Air Filter

more photos / promotion are available at our http://shop.munleeauto.com

2010 August Sepang Race Event

Going to make this a simple and short one....

This is our very first event and first booth and first model girls. Imagine this, more than 10 years since ML being established this is our first time. Hahaha. I leave it all for you to think.

Worthy or not worthy. =)

Misconception 01 - All Tuning / Aftermarkets Parts are from Dismantled Car

"Once upon a time in Japan long long time ago... people that want to get rid of their car need to pay that particular recycling company some fees for it"

With this statement alone i am sure many of us can imagine how good this business was like 20 years ago. Not only you able to get the car that you want but you are also paid at the same time. Good business huh? But nowadays it is a different story after all. You need to pay almost everything now.

So to the main point...

Japanese people are much more smarter nowadays. (20 years back they are smart. Now much more smarter) If they have performance parts in their car for example wheels, absorber, timers and etc - they will take it out and sell to the tuning shops in Japan for extra money. Most of them definitely will not left it intake and even if they do so...those sales agent or other people will take it out for them and then resell too. That is how thing goes in Japan now and part of it is because of the demand for these aftermarket and tuning parts. We are all contributing to this factor whether we realized it or not. Congratulations!!

ML are buying from these shops in Japan so that is why most of the time our prices are a little more expensive compare to the others. We go to many shops in Japan and buy these parts for you all!! Blame them for selling it expensive and not us. We only earn you a small margin only.

Some people claimed that we make good profit out of these because it is from the car that being dismantled - zero cost. Think again please!

Just look at the photos as per attached. These huge stocks - could it be logic if all are from the car that being dismantled? More than 100 sets of absorber so that means all the 100 cars that are being dismantled are with these. Wow!! Hahaha if it yes then it is certainly a good business and i will want to venture into this business myself too. Won't be working in ML anymore, so many goodies in a car. Lol.

So in conclusion, i hope our readers / customers will understand us - this business and ML. We ain't making that good or hefty profit as one will imagine us to. No such thing as zero cost and we can sell to you super cheap. So please understand and hopefully next time when you are in ML - don't bargain too much. Lol. If it is possible for us to do business with you then we definitely will do. =)

August 6th 2010 - Absorber New Arrival

Fresh from Japan.
Some are still flipping around and gasping for air. First come first basis. =)

RM1500 HKS TYPE GYMKHANA, SUBARU GC8

(high low/soft hard with pillar ball)

RM2000 TEIN SUPERSTREET MAZDA RX7 FD3S
(high low/soft hard)

RM1500 GAB A31, S13
(high low/soft hard with pillar ball)

RM1800 KAYABA FOR WIRA / SATRIA / EVO 1,2,3
(high low/soft hard with pillar ball)

RM2200 CUSCO ZERO FOR WAJA / WIRA / SATRIA

RM2200 BUDDYCLUB FOR EK9
(high low/soft hard with pillar ball and body shift)

Part 2 : Drag and Drift Shop in Sunway

D&D PERFORMANCE SDN.BHD

NO.18 & 20, Jalan PJS 11/7,

Bandar Sunway, 46150,
Selangor, Malaysia
http://www.dragndrift.com

TEL: +603-56380888, +603-56370888
FAX: +603-56316888
HP: +6016-3283090,+6012-3366500

Mun Lee's Staff are ill-mannered, rude and impolite!!

In my 4 years working in ML i have received/heard quite a number of complains from customer saying that our staff here are ill-mannered, rude and impolite. Well i must admit the complains does hold a certain truth but if you are standing in our point of view long enough - i believe you will understand. But we are doing ok and improving from time to time.

You see...i grow up in kampung so almost all my friends are malay. And being a malay...hormat menghormati, sopan santun, taat and toleransi is a must for everyone. These value will stay with you even after you grown up because it is a good thing. It won't just disappear in one day because it is being implanted into you for centuries. (I still have a fond memories of my chilhood whereby i spend lots of time playing games and enjoying every second of it. No tuituin no nothing. Just you and the nature. You made up games from your surroundings. I guess many never heard about konda kondi, sorok sorok, ikan laga, mandi lombong and etc. Those really the days of my life.)

So after graduated from uni and been wandering around for a year plus. I managed to get a job in ML. Not going to talk how i able to land this job but sometimes i believe it is luck. =) So first impression i have for the staff here are as what most of you are thinking. They are rude, ill mannered and impolite. I really can't get use to it at the beginning.

I still remember my first day at work, there is one staff asked me where i am staying so i said Puchong. Guess what he replied? "Puchong so big and you stay in the whole Puchong ah? Here also Puchong and 20km away there also Puchong. Be specified la!". Hahaha he really caught me there and if he is using a softer town then i might laugh or smile back to him. But the look at his face and also intonation...zzzZzzzz....if you are girl i think you will think twice about coming to work the next day.

So fast forward, i managed to mix well with them and realized that they are not as bad as i think they are. And i hope many of the readers / customers of ML will think the same as i do too. I am not sure how i able to put it in words for you but i will try:

1. Many of staff here are only educated right until form 3 or form 5. And most of the time they spend their chilhood working as hard labour. So in hard labour - you really cannot be soft. You need to speak loud so that your leader can hear you, know what do you think or etc.

You can't say that they are not educated but just that manners aren't really something that is needed for them to do their job. Not part of the job criteria. It maybe harsh for someone but for them...this is what they are and most of the time they don't mean it at all. It is normal for them.

2. Working in ML is not as easy as one think. You need to be multitasking - serve customer, quote prices, prepare the parts for customer, climb here and there and etc etc. Plus with the hot weather in Malaysia, it is really making the job tiring and frustrating.

Just try to imagine how many walk-in customers ML have in one day. So sometimes personally i do think it is ok for them just to give you a straight answer. Yes we have and no we don't have ; full stop. Not rude. There is not a need to elaborate more such as....sorry sir we do not have this part available. I am not sure when we will have incoming or etc. Please understand that they also have KPI.

I am not encouraging them to be rude. Just that i hope they should use the right way to answer to all the inquiries. Make it firmed and straight forward yet in a very polite way!

3. Almost all of the staff here did not take up the subject "public relationship" during secondary school. =P

4. Maybe yes we have one rotten egg in ML but please do not perceived the whole ML are like that. We have nice and friendly staff in ML too. =) In every company there's always someone want to take up the role of a bad guy. In ML there is no exception.

5. Irritating customers. This is also one of the reason for the above title too. Some of them are really expecting the parts that they are buying are like new with warranty and etc. They should understand that these are used parts and ML have really try their best to satisfy the customer. (We are doing business here so we definitely do not want to deal with you only one time. And my boss always give me this example...when you bought a new car and by the time you drive out of the showhouse...they still give you warranty for it?) Again we have try our best to meet all your need and requirement!

Sometimes it is not our fault to begin with too. For example the car almost going to break down and they buy only that specified part to repair only. They installed and after awhile other parts are starting to make noise and create problem. So they blame it on us. It is NOT chain reaction from the parts we are selling - but it is CAUSED by you not maintaining your car good enough.

And what's best, sometimes the customer's mechanic are the one that screwing up the car and then put the blame on us. It happens really.

And also sometimes it is the customer itself. Can you imagine some customer pretending to be others and keep calling few times a day for few days to ask for discount and check availability. This is really not a way to do business. Please show your sincerity and if our prices cannot match yours...then you should go on instead.

6. Few more reasons which i don't think it is polite enough to mention here. We will just leave it as it is for now.

Again problem from customer only stood a very minor percentage only. Majority problem are still because of the ML's staff here. Please give us more time and i am sure we will be presenting ourselves better from time to time. Every week ML is having meeting to discuss on the whatever issues we can think of. And we are doing our best to educate them in this area. The business nowadays are not like 10 years ago already. In the era of globalization - good services are power!

I am 100% sure we are better than other used auto parts shop available in Malaysia in terms of services, presentation and ideas but we are not satisfied with the current us yet. We are improving and hope you can be more lenient towards us. Give us more time.

Lastly but not least...maybe i will propose to my boss that we have race queen, stewardess or models here to serve customers. It will definitely be nice right?!! Prices of parts also will go up because we need to cover their cost and i am 100% sure many bros here will not mind at all. What is the extra few ringgits/dollars compare to the services they able to give you. Hahaha. And the first thing i will do is to ask them to climb up the shelves to get some items for me. =P