OREANDA-NEWS. Mercedes-Benz opened its new Shanghai Training Center, the brand's largest passenger car training site globally. The facility is capable of providing 140,000 Participant Training Days per year. The strengthening of Mercedes-Benz' Chinese training infrastructure goes hand-in-hand with the company's fast-pace network initiative in the country: 100 new dealership outlets will be opened through 2014, of which 65 percent will be in fast-growing lower tier cities. By the end of the year, the brand will have significantly more than 400 outlets across the country.

"As we are midst our biggest network initiative ever, retail excellence is key to our sustainable development in China," says Hubertus Troska, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for China. "Our all-new Shanghai training site demonstrates our commitment to our Chinese customers and our ambition to raise the bar in sales and service quality in the Chinese automotive industry."

The new Shanghai training facility provides - together with 4 other training centers that are distributed across the country in Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu - in total 220,000 Participant Training Days in China annually for the three-pointed star. The new center covers an area of 11,250 m2, and features state-of the-art training equipment and an IT infrastructure that is suitable for large-scale training on all retail software systems. In addition to a 800 m2 large designated event space that can accommodate up to 400 people and 6 display cars, the center boasts 20 multi-purpose theory training rooms, 10 combined practical training rooms for technical repair and body training, and even a true-to-life reception space with up to 3 vehicles on display that follows Mercedes-Benz' latest retail standard. Instruction can emphasize real-world sales and service situations.

"Dealerships are a window into our brand, and it is here customers expect to experience excellent Mercedes-Benz products and services," explains Nicholas Speeks, President and CEO of Beijing Mercedes-Benz Sales Service Co., Ltd. (BMBS). "Our new Shanghai facility is strong testament to our dedication to dealership training and certification. It also represents the next step in our quest to exceed customer expectations."

Mercedes-Benz' latest training facility also boasts a multifaceted curriculum underpinned by a holistic approach across a wide array of programs, from sales and dynamic product launches, to after-sales and management training. All programs are based on and continuously updated according to Mercedes-Benz' globally unified standards, yet all are also tailor-made for the needs of the Chinese market as well. Local trainers are certified by Daimler's Global Training Organization, headquartered in Stuttgart - where regular refresher courses await them.

Mercedes-Benz has been providing comprehensive training programs in China since 1996.Thanks to topnotch training processes applied to all aspects of its business; the company became in 2011 the first automotive company in China to receive the prestigious VDA 6.2 certification for achieving the highest international standards in premium auto services in the market.