A Role Model for Automotive Customer Service Professionals in Gujarat.
Dhanraj was born in an educated family background; his mother was a convent schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. He was the youngest sibling among four and lost his parents at a very early age. Despite the numerous challenges he faced, his passion for learning led him to achieve a Gold Medal in Automotive Engineering Diploma. In 2012 he completed his Post Graduation in Sales and Marketing. Being a self-made man with his own values, he firmly believes that you are not old as long as you are learning. As a result of his belief in his values, he is one of the very few automotive professionals with 20 years of experience in luxury car customer service of prestigious brands such as Toyota, Lexus, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Currently, he serves as Head- Customer Service at Central Star, Mercedes-Benz dealership in Gujarat.
Dhanraj worked in various domains like Manufacturing, Quality, After Sales Services, and Sales in India and abroad. He realised that after sales service to a product or business is like ink to a fountain pen. No matter how expensive the pen is, it is useless without ink. He saw an opportunity in this challenge and chose his career in Customer Experience in a highly competitive and challenging automotive retail market in India. This gave him the opportunity to create a separate identity and respect for after sales services. He believes in focusing on customers instead of focusing on competition. In this way, he understands the changing customer needs, implementing their feedback to offer an excellent customer experience.
Dhanraj says, a delighted customer will become a brand ambassador and promotes your products and services. He believes in delivering an experience to the customer over a product. His strategy of selling after servicing over servicing after selling was a game-changer in his industry, creating separate respect for after-sales/CX heads of the automotive retail industry. This made him stand out of the crowd and set him as a role model for automotive customer service professionals of Gujarat.
Dhanraj believes that challenges are inevitable but being defeated is optional. Facing tremendous challenges of the changing trends of customer perceptions and demands along with changing industry trends, he sailed out of it safely and successfully due to his impeccable communication and leadership skills. He is always morally supported by his multitalented wife, Mital, and the couple is blessed with a son, Dhyan.
Dhanraj is clear that customer experience is a top priority business strategy for coming decades, and the reason is simple; companies that focus on customer experience reduce churn and increase revenues – leading to higher profits. Happy customers always remain loyal to your brand!
Passion for perfection in whatever he does, drives him. He says the type of high-end customers segment that he serves demands excellence in service and experience given to them. During COVID, the automotive industry was hit the worst. He adapted strategies for consistency in serving customers with the best resources. Dhanraj and his team continued generating a better customer experience even during the lockdown. He took care of his team financially, mentally, and morally as he believes that we need to develop people who develop our business.
Dhanraj’s assimilated mantra of “Being an Entrepreneur Over Being an Employee” has helped build the economic strength of operations led by him. Self and situational awareness, excellent communication and negotiation skills, ability to make courageous and sometimes hard decisions and the tendency to work with different personality styles with a positive and empathetical approach has brought Dhanraj to be an influential CX leader and first luxury automotive dealership professional being featured in this magazine.
Dhanraj has achieved a lot professionally and personally, that includes, Gold Medal in Diploma in Automotive Engineering, Best Service Manager Awards by two leading Luxury German automotive brands in India, featured as ‘Most Influential CEOs to Watch in 2021’ in the business magazine The CEO Story, Winner of “CEO of the Year” Award by Indian Achiever’s Forum 2021. Dhanraj is also a public speaker and has been awarded the Advanced Communicator and Advanced Leader SILVER by Toastmasters International.
Dhanraj says, for a successful business, always keep your heart in your customers and customers in your heart, because you will find your treasure where your heart is. Take your life and make it the best story in the world, don’t waste it. Moreover, do not become a product of your circumstances, but a product of your own courageous decisions.
