Service is not always bad, Top marks for Audi
One of readers Charles Parsons has sent us this letter in response to our recent article one “poor service” in South Africa - Well done Audi West Rand
Dear Hannes
As you have been close to the problems I had with my S8 I am writing too you to let you know, if you don’t already, that all the issues surrounding the car have been resolved. As you may or may not know this was a very tender issue for me and with my natural ability to enter into very forceful dialogue with a volatile and passionate motoring persona I really need to praise the gentleman from both organisations I dealt with for managing a customer like myself in such a professional manner with intent to reach an acceptable outcome that would ultimately retain me as a Audi enthusiast.
However, more importantly and something that completely overshadows the above which I believe you need to know and inform your readers of is a recent happening and proof of just how professional, efficient and superb Audi Westrand and Audi Roadside Assistance are.
On Friday the 30th of November 2007 at around 18h00 travelling with 3 colleagues to Kuruman & Sishen in the Northern Cape with my S8 I most unfortunately struck a stray dog resulting in damage to the cars radiator which left us stranded on the side of the road approximately 32 km’s from Kuruman. Not really sure how to get help so late in the afternoon and not having the Audi Assist number with me I called Lydia Sauer of Audi Westrand, who was in the middle of a dinner function to ask her if she could give the Audi assist number. In stead she got Audi Roadside Assistance to call me which happened literally within a minute, thereafter Audi Roadside Assistance, and a wonderful lady by the name of, and I hope I have it correct,” Nandi” called to see if we required medical attention and to arrange to get a tow truck to us. Not less than 8 calls were made from Audi Roadside assistance to us to reassure us and to stay in touch with the process. Further to that Mr. Wayne Keppler, in his capacity of Dealer Principle of Audi Westrand made no less than 6 calls to us to see if we were being assisted. Within a half hour of the first call the car was on a truck on its way. After we arrived in Kuruman for the evening I still received approximately 4 calls from Audi Roadside Assistance and Audi Westrand to confirm that we had been properly attended to.
I need to mention that I had a staunch Mercedes Benz passenger as well as staunch BMW passenger in the car with me and I must tell that both passengers are now changing brands as a result of this most incredible and dedicated service rendered to ourselves.
I believe it is service like this that the motoring public needs to know about and that other brands should learn about and for all of us who say that there is no service and quality after sales service in South Africa “keep believing that” or visit Audi Westrand and may you never need to use Audi Roadside Assistance but should you then your in for quality care. Thank you Audi South Africa.
With kind regards
Charles Parsons
Chief Executive Officer – Calibre Clinical Consultants
Dear Audi South Africa, Audi Assist, Audi WestRand
Your slogan says....Vorsprung.durch Technik......, and up until late afternoon Friday 30 November 2007 this slogan had absolutely no meaning to me. You see we were on a drive, cruising between Vryburg and Kuruman in the Northern Cape in South Africa, a road I am told AUDI uses regularly for speed and endurance testing, and we accidentally hit a dog. We were cruising in your top of the range S8 Audi owned and driven by my good friend Charles Parsons, who only knows and says good things about AUDI. On a five hour drive I had not stopped admiring how we were literally eating up everyone infront of us with no effort at all.
The dog was on the edge of the road not sure whether it wanted to cross or to wait for us to pass. Charles swerved to the right to make sure that even if it crossed he would not hit it. As we approached, it suddenly lunged forward and was hit by the left front fender (bumper) of our car and our radiator started leaking. We stopped immediately and parked the car on the side of the road. Charles immediately phoned AUDI ASSIST and ran back about 50 metres to see if there was anything that could be done for the dog. We were four passengers in the car and two of us are doctors and there was some idea that the doctors could assist and revive the dog. Someone even mentioned mouth to mouth resuscitation if possible! Can you picture that? Anyway it turned out that the dog unfortunately did not survive the impact. By the time Charles returned to the car AUDI ASSIST had phoned twice to enquire whether anybody was injured and needed an ambulance. They wanted to know if we needed transportation from where we were. They phoned repeatedly to find out whether the tow truck was on the way to lift the car, all in a space of about one hour.
I am a doctor who, like many other doctors drives and has always aspired and preferred to drive a Mercedes Benz car. I am writing to you to say what I said to Charles and it is that, I have never seen anything like it. Your service is second to none and it set me thinking.
My older son is starting his second year B Com Information Systems degree at Rhodes University in Grahamstown IN 2008 and he needs a car in January. I need to change my car quite soon, I am considering giving myself a new year present. My wife's old car needs to be changed quite soon, you don't have to be a genius to guess what cars my family will be driving in a couple of weeks time.
Well done AUDI ASSIST! Well done AUDI! ......”VORSPRUNG”.......What a car! What service! What engineering!
Regards
Dr. Clarence Mini
Corporate Affairs Executive
Thebe Ya Bophelo Healthcare Administrators
