Patria interview with AC Quattro Sarajevo Director: We had a good year behind us

The sale of new cars in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been showing an unfavorable trend for the last two years – either declining or stagnating, and if there is growth, it is usually for a specific model of one of the market-present brands.
At first glance, this may seem like incorrect information, considering the huge number of vehicles on the streets of the Bosnian capital, where the 'rush hour' no longer exists.

The answer to the dilemma should be sought in the difference between new and used, and imported cars.

Namely, statistics show that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6,102 imported used vehicles were registered in October alone this year, which is the most dramatic ratio to date – for every registered new car, 12 imported used cars are registered.

In search of first-hand information on how much authorized dealers are endangered, we spoke with Mirza Alispahić, director of AC Quattro d.o.o. Sarajevo, a company that has been an authorized dealer and service provider for the Volkswagen program in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 18 years.

We were interested in the extent to which the imported vehicle market endangers the sale of new vehicles at AC Quattro:

- The positive aspect is that we see diversity in terms of brands on our roads; after all, tastes differ. The negative side is that there are too many imported vehicles (over 10 years old) on our roads. However, what is important to emphasize in our case is that Volkswagen has been among the top-selling brands for many years, I would dare to say – ever since it has been present in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Customers recognized the value of Volkswagen as a brand a long time ago, creating a true tradition – Alispahić states.

The same statistics also indicate a decrease in the monthly average sales of new cars through authorized dealers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The monthly average of new cars sold this year is 502, which is significantly less than 544 in 2014, or 555 in 2013, or the now unbelievable 735 – the average in 2013.

Nevertheless, Volkswagen, which consistently holds second place in market share, made a more significant move in the last quarter than the leader on the same list – Škoda. Volkswagen, however, achieved a relatively good result, contributed to by this year's record sales of the Golf 7.

Plans and Achievements

It is less known that authorized dealers have qualitative and quantitative annual plans that they are obliged to fulfill in order to retain their license. Qualitative plans include numerical targets for specific models of a given brand.

- We at AC Quattro have managed to fulfill our qualitative plan by this December, and I am sure that by the end of the year, thanks to a fleet delivery of vehicles, we will also round it off with the fulfillment of the quantitative plan – Alispahić informed us.

Plans also include improvements in the education and training of technical staff, as well as the appearance of showrooms. Thus, each year brings new goals in terms of Volkswagen's growth and development.

- Despite our predictions, each year brings something new. We continue to focus on actively training our service and sales staff. At the beginning of the current business year, we started selling the new eighth-generation Passat, and in the middle of the year, we introduced two more new models from the commercial vehicle program – the sixth-generation Transporter and the new Caddy, which contributed to us achieving a significantly better result in 2015 – Alispahić explains.

Family Business

Hoping that he would reveal details about different models, we asked the director of AC Quattro which model he personally drives and 'what is the best car in his opinion'. Alispahić charmingly replies with a smile, "the best car is a new car, preferably a Volkswagen.".

- I drive a Golf 7. I opted for this class and model because it fully suits my needs and, most importantly for us drivers, it is characterized by high reliability.

I would also like to mention the results of a survey by a relevant German car magazine: when asked 'If you had to decide which car you would drive for the rest of your life', the most frequent answer was 'Golf 7' – Alispahić reveals.

Like most other private companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, AC Quattro also went through a crisis phase. It emerged from the crisis as a winner, with almost the same number of employees.

- Our company underwent a major reorganization, primarily in terms of financial planning. Ziraat Bank played a key role in this process. We can conclude that good strategic partners and adequate internal organization are the key to success – says Alispahić.

AC Quattro is a family business run by two brothers. While some oppose the concept of family businesses, considering them risky due to the involvement of complex family dynamics in business, others consider them a concept that works and wins.

- It's true, I am the director, and my brother is the executive director of AC Quattro. Since he has a master's degree in mechanical engineering, he is in charge of the service part, which he understands much better than me, a law graduate. Thus, we complement each other. During our morning meetings, we exchange opinions and reach agreements regarding tasks and approaches to daily issues. However, as the older brother and director, I take responsibility for the company's operations.

Alispahić: It is certain that family businesses can function very well, and our company is one of the examples.

AC Quattro clearly works in favor of customers, as it has maintained a respectable clientele for two decades. We were interested in what the special value of AC Quattro is that makes customers and clients return and stay.

- Our goal is customer satisfaction. We have been cooperating with numerous individuals and legal entities for years, and we have developed mutual trust. There are more and more new clients who recognize our professional approach, where we solve problems with advice and work to the customer's satisfaction – says Alispahić.

New in 2016.

Volkswagen enthusiasts, and car enthusiasts in general, take great pleasure in predicting what the new year will bring in terms of new models – both their completely new look and the so-called 'facelift' versions, where only minor changes and updates are made in line with new global trends. So, we were also interested in what the new year 2016 will bring within the VW program.

- We have set high but realistic business goals. I have no doubt that we will reach them. We remain optimistic about future economic growth. Our plan includes the introduction of the new Tiguan in April next year, which, I am sure, will make a significant sales impact on the Bosnian market. We expect the same from the redesigned model of the ideal city car, the UP!, whose presentation is planned for the second half of next year – says Mirza Alispahić, director of AC Quattro.