Profession No. Gender Age Model of Skoda
IT Specialist 1 M 38 Octavia
Human Resources 2 F 36 Fabia
Administrative 3 M 41 Fabia
Used Cars Seller 4 M 32 Fabia
Financial Analyst 5 M 42 Octavia
Insurance Agent 6 M 40 Octavia
Real Estate Agent 7 M 48 Octavia
Accountant 8 M 47 Octavia
Have you even been in Europe before and what was your impression?
I have visited Hungary, France and Holland for a business trip. It was 15 days in total. All these countries are very tidy and colorful. I have traveled with my Dutch colleague through Germany. When we were driving along in Germany, I was surprised that there was no speed limit there. This would be never possible in Taiwan. It was really a great emotional experience. I had a great feeling of freedom.(1)
We have visited Europe with my whole family. We have seen Prague, Berlin, Brussels and other cities. We got an impression Europe is a very relaxed place. I think the people are very playful. The streets are wider and there is also much more grass and trees in the cities compared to Taiwan.(6)
I have been in France. It was a very romantic experience. We started our trip in Paris and continued to the north. I really liked the mood of French coffee shops and the food was also delicious. The people seem to be very self-confident.(4)
I have never been in Europe, but I would definitely like to go there some day. I heard from my friends that Prague is very beautiful. (8)
I have been in France, Germany and Italy. I was the most impressed by the views of the countryside. It was very impressive, the beautiful villages and historical castles were magnificent. I had a really great feeling. (7)
97 I never went to Europe, but my friends gave me very positive remarks. People in Taiwan have different impressions about various European countries. Sweden and Germany are perceived as industrially developed countries, when France for instance is being a romantic country for the most of people. I think European people are very passionate.(5)
I think European people have a very good style. It could be seen on their furniture, clothes and also on restaurants. I was impressed by European castles and palaces. I am very envious about that style.(2)
What do you think about Europe as a place for living?
No I do not think so. It is a nice place to visit, but I would be missing Taiwanese food (smiling)(3)
I do not think it would be a place where I would feel so comfortable during my whole life. I would be missing my family. The prices in Europe are also much higher than here in Taiwan.(1)
If I could move somewhere, it could be only China. I have relatives there and it is also culturally similar to here, Taiwan. I Europe I would mind the language.(4)
Yes, the language barrier would be a problem for me too. I would be missing to share my stories with the friends.
Moreover I have my work here.(5)
If I would have to move to Europe, I will choose Prague. I could spend hours by walking on the historical streets and taking pictures (Smile).(2)
Can you tell me, what this symbol means? (The flag of European Union) I am not sure, but it is something connected to Europe I think.(1)
Yes, it is a symbol of peace and harmony. (3)
It could be seen on the plates in Taiwan. It means Europe.(4)
I am not sure but it is something connected to Europe. Maybe it means unity? I have seen it during my travel.(8) Yes, it is a European Union flag.(2)
What can you tell me what do you know about European Union?
It is a group of rich European countries which agreed on economical cooperation. The members are Germany, France, Italy and others.(5)
It was created in 1980’ as a platform for closer cooperation between countries. It also cares about perseverance of cultural values. Lately also some Eastern countries joined but I am not sure which ones.(3)
I think the Sweden and Germany were the first members. It is a group of countries which has the same foreign policy, but he should know more about it, he has many European friends (pointing on other participant)(6)
I am not sure (smiling). But all the countries I have visited were in the European Union. So I think it is Germany, France, Holland, Hungary and also maybe Czech Republic.(7)
98 I have noticed that there is a lot of cars with a mounted plated with this flag under the Taiwanese plate, do you have any idea why do they do it?
“The bumper of the cars is designed for an European style of plate and the Taiwanese plate does not fill all the space. The other underlying plate simply makes the car look better.(3)
The blue stripe it is a part of an every European plate, it symbolizes the continent.(6)
It is the way how the members of different car clubs can identify each other. They also use signals of front lights, when they meet each other on the road. (7)
I like the blue stripe. It is an integral part of every foreign plate. (1) What do you know about Czech Republic?
Yes, it is a very beautiful country and they make good cars! (All the group smiling) (4)
I do not know much about Czech. Just that it used to be communist and the capital city is Prague. It is very famous here in Taiwan. It used to be communist (7) (Others nodded)
The Prague is very beautiful and also one other city on the south. There is a very beautiful palace with a high tower (participant probably meant Cesky Krumlov – common tourist destination). There are a lot of historical cities. We bought some beautiful glass there. The countryside is very nice. I noticed that all the houses have a red roof, I was really surprised. (6)
It was communist and the language is similar o French and also to Russian. The country produces a lot of steel I think.(1)
I never heart about Czech before I purchased Skoda. I made some research on the Internet and I have seen Prague.
There is a very famous bridge there.(8)
How did you get to know about Skoda for the first time?
I have seen a lot of Skoda in Europe. I think it is quite popular there. (5)
My colleague from UK recommended the brand to me. He told me the quality is very good.(2)
I have seen it in Europe. My friends had one. The information about Skoda in Taiwan I found on the internet.(8) I have read about it on internet forums. There I also get the information about the promotional offer they made. I got interested because of the high discount, but I never heard about Skoda before.(1)
My friends told me about Skoda. I used to have pre-owned VW golf and I was interested to buy a new one. I was gathering information and found about the same German technology in Skoda.(3)
99 Why have you decided for Skoda?
The car has a great handling and is quite roomy. I have two children and every time I go for a trip with my family, I greatly appreciate the size of the trunk and the spaciousness inside the car. The driving experience is simply great, similar to Volkswagen. The fuel consumption is excellent. Last week I went to Alishan (Alishan National Park) and Octavia took only little more than 6 liters on 100 km. I took all my family and a lot of thinks there. The car economy is really great and its surprisingly silent for a diesel. (6)
Before I always used to have Volkswagen, but I could afford only a pre-owned one. When I found there is a discount on Skoda, which shared the same technology, the low price was the reason for my decision. My friends can not believe me I got the German technology so cheap.(2)
Skoda was very cheap, because of 40 % discount. I like the low fuel consumption and safety. I originally thought the car is from Malaysia, so I had no idea about the quality. The German technology was a good guarantee.(4)
Yes, safety was a very important factor. I have red a lot of reviews and Octavia had very god reviews on safety. (8) The safety I good, but Volkswagen offers four airbags, and Skoda only two. Four airbags could increase the interest of Taiwanese customers.(7)
I like Octavia, because it is quite roomy inside, also the quality is good. My final decision was made based on the test drive. The car has a great handling and manufacturing quality is also good. The fuel consumption of the engine was also very low. The TDI engine is a very big competitive advantage of the brand here in Taiwan. The fuel prices are increasing recently and people more and more considers the car’s running costs.(1)
The quality of German cars is very high, but they are also very expensive. The engines are excellent and Skoda represented a great opportunity to obtain the superior driving comfort for a good price.(5)
I got impressed by Fabia from the first time the dealer closed the front door. I simply liked the sound. In that moment, I was sure that I want to buy this car.(4)
According to your opinion, why people preferred other brands than Skoda ?
Firstly, not many people knew about Skoda. There were no advertisements and brand building. The people usually knew about Skoda through a word of mouths. If they lacked this channel, it was much more difficult to know about the brand.(8)
There were only a few Skoda cars which could be seen on the streets. The car’s styling looks like Korean or Malaysian, while the price was almost the same as for Volkswagen. There were no reasons for people to come to show-rooms, when there was only a little promotion made. For instance, Formosa should use Skoda as their company cars to increase the people’s consciousness about the brand. (4)
Skoda models were simply too much expensive for most of people. It was not very known, that it is because of the German technology, so people did not know, why they have to pay premium price.(7)
Next time I would probably prefer to buy VW Jetta. The offer of equipment is better and the brand is more prestigious. If Skoda wants to attract more customers, it has to be significantly cheaper than VW. (6)
European cars have a good reputation here (Taiwan), but the most of the people prefers Japanese brands, because European cars are much more expensive.(3)
100 Is there anything what should be done better on Skoda?
Firstly it was leather seats. I was deciding between Octavia and VW Jetta and the German car offered these seats as a part of basic equipment. I do not understand why it was not included in the offer of Skoda. Secondly it was the color of display.(1)
The car looks good, but for this price it should look more elegant. I do not like these rubber parts on doors and bumpers. I think that a car of such a class deserves a better quality of used materials.(7)
I do not like the car stereo. It does not have many functions and the styling is also not good.(8)
I miss the navigation system. I wanted one, but according to dealer, there was impossible to obtain these original accessories. I was very surprised and disappointed. I wanted to invest my money, but the company was out of stock.
(7)
I do not like the doors handles. I think that they should be made out of steel, or aluminum. (8) The chrome parts on your Octavia, is it an original accessory?
No, I asked my friend from Shanghai to bring it for me. I think it looks better. Skoda should install these parts as original equipment. (7)
I think that Octavia has better, more elegant and more stylish looks if the chrome is used instead of rubber. There are not many people who made this car’s customization, but if these parts would be available in Taiwan, I guess it would be very popular.(5)
Was there anything else you did not like on the Car’s styling?
I would like to see more wood in the interior. Like this it looks little bit cheap. The use of more chrome parts will also make the car to look better. The car’s styling is typical for German cars, it does not offer a lot of luxury parts, I prefer the American style though. (7)
I think the rear part and the side of Octavia look very good. But the front side looks little bit old. I would prefer the shapes to be little rounder – as the new Fabia looks. (5)
The New Fabia is a very nice car. The old one does not look too friendly, but the styling is ok. (3) Fabia does not have a very modern styling, but in the red color it is still very cute. (2)
Every time I park my Fabia close to some shopping mall, it always get a lot of attention of women. That’s very good.
(smiling).(4)
There are no model and engine specifications on some of your cars. Can you tell my, why did you remove it?
There is no particular reason. The car just looks better. (1)
The rear side looks more elegant without redundant things as the car model’s specifications. (7) Were there any difficulties you experienced with your Skoda during the period of ownership?
The quality and reliability is very good. I did not have any technical problems. I visit the service only for regular check-ups, as the oil change and etc. (5)
101 I had problems with the air-condition and the air-cooling system. It was little bit disappointing, but aside from that I did not experience any problems. (3)
How did you like Skoda dealership and the work of the dealer?
I think they look very nice. I liked the combination of green and white color. They were clean and tidy. I just think they were not enough in Taiwan. I think four are not enough. (2)
I think there were maybe five show-rooms in Taiwan. But I am not sure. The dealerships were clean, but I found some dirt in the car’s interior after the purchase. This thing surprised me little bit. (7)
Dealer did not know so much about Skoda. He appeared to me he is little bit hiding, it is from the communist country.
(8)
It happened to me the same. I think dealer was not very good informed. But on the other hand, I red a lot about Skoda on the internet before, so I did not need much further explanations from him. Generally speaking, he was very kind and professional. (6)
My dealer was also not likely to tell me much about Skoda. He was emphasizing it is a brand with a long history and it is famous in Europe. He pointed out at the German technology and immediately offered the test drive. (5)
I have a very good relation with the dealer. For instance we have made couple of parties in the showroom. I appreciate that he still cares about the spare parts for us, even Formosa shat down. But the spare parts are too expensive now. The price was raised by 25 %. (1)
This is the interesting point. How is the situation about the spare parts for Skoda now?
I did not have any serious mechanical problems with a car, so the spare parts were not an issue for me yet. I am little worried about the future. Also for this reason I hope Skoda will return to Taiwan soon. (1)
The good thing on Skoda is it shares the majority parts with VW. So even though Skoda would not be present on Taiwan anymore, I believe there will be no problem with parts because of the compatibility. (6)
Some of Skoda owners still do not know that the VW parts are compatible with Skoda. Although the people knew that the Skoda technology is VW, not all of them are aware that they can have their car serviced also in all VW repair shops. When some of the dealership closed down, they had difficulties in seeking for help in distant locations. It could save a lot of time and energy to them if they knew, they can obtain it also somewhere else, than just purely in the Skoda dealership. (5)
Was there any special promotional offers given by dealers?
I have bought my Fabia during the big sale period. The remaining models on the company’s stock were offered with maybe 30 – 40 % discount. (3)
I bought my Octavia together with my friend and we receive a total discount of 10% for both cars. (1)
What I know from some other Skoda owners, they received for free some electronic accessories, as GPS. But my dealer did not offer anything like this to me. It is bad, because I think it is a very good bonus. (7)
102 Can you tell me, what kind of events do you do as a Skoda club?
We usually communicate through internet. It is a very good platform for sharing our opinions and problems about Skoda. (1)
The club virtual domain is an important information source for our members. They exchange their opinions, problems and tips about Skoda and also about other things in life. (4)
We have bigger events two, three times a year. We meet with our families on some place and have a barbecue. It is very interesting to meet the people you know only from forums before alive. (5)
According to your opinion, what were the main reasons for Skoda failure in Taiwan?
Firstly it was too expensive. Especially Fabia and Superb were offered for a very high price. I think Superb is very hard to sell in Taiwan. Octavia price was fairer, but it could be cheaper. (6)
I think it was because Formosa is stupid. This is what the most of Skoda Club members think. They did not invest into a brand building. (4)
Skoda had a relatively low brand recognition compared to Volkswagen and the brand is very important in Taiwan.
The most of people had no idea, where these cars from are and that the quality is so good. They thought it is something similar to Proton (The automotive brand from Malaysia). They did not know, what they have to expect from the brand. (3)
There were only few cars sold, so the brand recognition was very low. “The low numbers of sold Skoda models also made people think that the quality is not good because only a few people bought it.” I also do not remember any TV commercial or Newspaper ad. (7)
I think there were some TV commercials, but only a very few. I just remember an ad in one very famous business magazine. (8)
I remember it too, it was “Global Views Monthly”. (5)
“I remember only one commercial and it was for Skoda Superb. They were putting an umbrella into the door case—
it was so impressive (sarcasm) .(2)
The company should focus more on communicating the German technology. My friends who own German cars are very satisfied with the comfort and the reliability. German cars have a very good reputation here in Taiwan. I can say the same about Skoda. (1)
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