Value-added services

Trinidad and Tobago

Shiraz Ahamad, director of Southern Sales and Service Company, talks to The Energy Year about products and services the company offers to the energy industry and how it shapes its business to provide for industry needs. Southern Sales offers vehicle sales and services as well as car rental utilising four globally recognised brands.

What are the services offered by Southern Sales to the energy industry?
Southern Sales and Service Company Limited just celebrated 70 years in the automotive business and is the local company that conducts sales and service for four premium brands: Audi from Germany, Mazda and Isuzu from Japan, and Kia from South Korea. All of of our automotive brands have strong relationships within the energy sector and our rental division is our primary tool in bringing speciality value-added services to the energy industry and the market.
Southern Sales Car Rental Division offers corporate car rental and leasing (for both long and short term), car and driver services, shuttle services, airport and conference transfers, and a host of other customised ground transportation solutions. Our current fleet size is over 1,100 vehicles.
To offer a superior service experience and to meet our customers’ needs, Southern Sales expanded its offer and recently partnered with and acquired the SixT Car Rental Franchise. SixT is best known for its dynamic orange colour, high-end luxury vehicles and a customer experience that is second to none. As an international, well-known brand with over 100 years of knowledge and experience in the mobility business, we saw them as a perfect partner.
We recently opened our first SixT Rental Office at the Piarco International Airport, where we cater for both global and local business from walk-ins and online reservations. Although new, the office is experiencing great success with our fleet of new, economy and premium vehicles, where we offer superior customer experience. SixT rent a car is available for all your mobility requirements.

What is the target clientele of Southern Sales Car Rental (SSSCR)?
As SSSCR, our main focus is on corporate long-, medium- and short-term business. The main emphasis of the car rental division is the government, private business sector and the energy and energy-related industries. The success in these sectors is achieved by SSSCR assigning a dedicated customer service representative (CSR) to manage our corporate clients’ mobility needs. All the premium brands that we are partnered with are also available for long-, medium- and short-term rentals at our four strategic locations.
The parent company for Southern Sales is Universal Investments Limited (UIL).

How do you cater services to the energy industry specifically?
We’ve been in the car rental business for more than 45 years and have always been very focused on government, business and the energy sector and have strong relationships with the companies that are affiliated with the energy sector. We have established dedicated and strategic offices in Point Lisas, San Fernando, El Socorro and Santa Flora that manage our vehicles and client needs in those areas. We will continue to partner with the energy companies across the island to support their objectives, fulfil their mobility requirements, increase their efficiency and reduce cost and downtime. Our five strategic locations are conveniently situated throughout the country to service the transportation needs of the energy sector.
SSSCR continues to partner with the organisers of international energy and HSSE conferences to provide customised ground transportation solutions to this sector. Our executive car and driver service is very well established and all our operators are defensive driving trained and certified, dressed in uniforms with SSS Company Identification and equipped with a mobile phone. Development and safety is integral, so all motor vehicle operators participate in training programmes, including those not required to work with companies in the energy industry. Many operators are PLEA [Point Lisas Energy Association] certified so they can provide services to Point Lisas-based organisations and other energy-related companies.
Our focus is on the customer experience and this is achieved by our clients having a dedicated customer service representative (CSR) to manage all of their ground transportation needs. This sets us apart from the competition. In addition, with our diversified automotive brands, we can cater to all the various segments and vehicle categories. For instance, we can supply all luxury vehicles from our Audi Brand, commercial vehicles (pick-ups and trucks) from the Isuzu Brand and cars and SUVs from our Kia and Mazda brands, all at competitive rates backed by best in class service and customer care.
SSSCR is in the customer experience business, and we welcome the opportunity to show how our services can benefit the energy sector and why after 45 years we remain the preferred automotive mobility option in Trinidad and Tobago.

Have you considered expanding your services into Guyana or elsewhere regionally?
We always wanted to expand the UIL footprint into different areas outside of Trinidad and Tobago. We reviewed many options and decided to enter into the hospitality sector and acquired a franchise for a Hyatt hotel in Guyana. The Hyatt Place in Guyana is now under construction and when completed will offer unique and added enhanced amenities for a greater customer experience.
We have also acquired the SixT rent a car franchise for Guyana. We will be spending more time on this implementation in 2023. Our activity there would also entail the Hyatt Place hotel project as Guyana will be the next frontier in the region. Because of the increased business activities in this region for the next 10-15 years, there will be a need for hotel rooms and ground transportation requirements as the economy grows and develops.

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