New Delhi, October 15, 2004: General Motors India today announced the launch of a 24x7 call centre, a first by any auto manufacturer in India, to attend to customer complaints, servicing of vehicles and provide any information related to GMI products and services round the clock with just one local call to a centralised number from any landline or mobile phone across the country. This is one of the many innovative marketing strategies developed by the company in response to the growing popularity of its Chevrolet and Opel brand of cars to stand out against competition. The new centralised system will be run by GM India itself instead of a select dealer driven activity, offered by competition that works only through MTNL phones.

Starting with Delhi and NCR on October 20, 2004 the new system will be integrated with GMI's after sales service facility and would become available on a unique single number - 3030-8080 - across India by December 1, 2004. Customers calling from anywhere in the country will be charged only for a local call with all distance charges being borne by GM. "The objective of this initiative is to transform the GMI contact centre into a world-class operation to achieve significant improvement in customer satisfaction, service, and quality. GM also plans to move to tele-based customer experience surveys," said Mr. Rajeev Chaba, Chief Operating Officer General Motors India. The idea is to build a lifetime relationship with the customer and act as an advocate in the pursuit of finding a mutually agreeable solution to differences between the customer and a specific retail facility. GMI recognizes the critical role Customer Contact Centres play in building customer satisfaction, loyalty, and repurchase. It is the focal point for enquiries and concerns relating to issues arising from the sale or potential sale of GMI products and the provision of after sales service for existing GMI products, he added.

The Customer Contact Centre is set to become the 'face' of GMI, eventually encompassing all facets of in-bound and out-bound relationship servicing and marketing, from resolving customer concerns to pro-actively marketing GMI products and services. Under the new business-operating model GMI seeks to improve efficiencies, reduce churn, improve customer enthusiasm and become more pro-active within the Customer Contact Centre by means of moving towards an inbound /outbound call centre and ultimately applying smarter technologies utilizing CRM solutions.

Outsourced to M/s Solutions Integrated Marketing Services, GMI call centre operations would be conducted out of Solutions' Okhla facility in Delhi with Reliance Infocom providing the unique single number, on which GM customers and prospective buyers across the country can reach GM call centre executives.

Mr. Chaba said General Motors India is also starting Road Shows in 110 cities across the country to bring home the advantage of owning a car from the GMI stable which sold a record 3207 cars in September 2004, the highest in a month since its inception. September also saw the global auto major surge to the leadership position in Entry "D" Luxury sedan segment with the sale of 1062 units of the popular Chevrolet Optra. Another Chevy Model, the recently launched new-generation premium multi-utility vehicle (MUV) Chevrolet Tavera, branded as the Comfortable Family Car has received an overwhelming response with over 4,500 cars sold in just four months.

GM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation. Besides the Chevrolet Tavera and Optra, GM India manufactures the Opel Corsa, Corsa Sail and Swing at its facility in Halol, Gujarat. GM India also sells the imported Opel Vectra in addition to the Chevrolet Forester.