31-MAY-2013
Kia Service Advisors Battle Out National Final
The cream of Kia Australia's Service Advisors from dealerships around the country went head-to-head at KMAu headquarters in Sydney recently to decide the nation's best.
From 53 Service Advisors in the penultimate round of selections five were chosen _ one from each of the company's five service regions _ to undergo a gruelling day of testing and assessment before the final winner was selected.
The crown ultimately went to 39-year-old John Tarran from Cardiff Kia in Newcastle, finishing just ahead of Carla Smith (Len Patti Kia, Queensland) and Natasha McRoberts (Rockingham Kia, Western Australia).
Also competing in the finals was Marcus Vickers from Stillwell Kia in South Australia and Rebecca Palensky from McRae Kia in Victoria.
"That was daunting, really daunting," Tarran said after being crowned the winner. "It was a terrific challenge and I am very proud to have been able to get this far."
Tarran has worked for Cardiff Kia for seven years and is unstinting in his praise of the improvements he has seen in the brand over that time.
"Quality, no doubt about it," Tarran said of the biggest improvements he has seen. "The fit and finish of the new product and the standout styling are amazing.
"Kia has also become much more aggressive and proactive with servicing and making sure the customer is getting the best available. Capped price servicing has made that part of the business much more transparent and given owners a confidence they didn't have previously."
Tarran will now move on to compete against national Service Advisor winners from around the globe with the 40 international winners gathering in Seoul from June 11-13 to determine the global champion.
From 53 Service Advisors in the penultimate round of selections five were chosen _ one from each of the company's five service regions _ to undergo a gruelling day of testing and assessment before the final winner was selected.
The crown ultimately went to 39-year-old John Tarran from Cardiff Kia in Newcastle, finishing just ahead of Carla Smith (Len Patti Kia, Queensland) and Natasha McRoberts (Rockingham Kia, Western Australia).
Also competing in the finals was Marcus Vickers from Stillwell Kia in South Australia and Rebecca Palensky from McRae Kia in Victoria.
"That was daunting, really daunting," Tarran said after being crowned the winner. "It was a terrific challenge and I am very proud to have been able to get this far."
Tarran has worked for Cardiff Kia for seven years and is unstinting in his praise of the improvements he has seen in the brand over that time.
"Quality, no doubt about it," Tarran said of the biggest improvements he has seen. "The fit and finish of the new product and the standout styling are amazing.
"Kia has also become much more aggressive and proactive with servicing and making sure the customer is getting the best available. Capped price servicing has made that part of the business much more transparent and given owners a confidence they didn't have previously."
Tarran will now move on to compete against national Service Advisor winners from around the globe with the 40 international winners gathering in Seoul from June 11-13 to determine the global champion.
