The winner of the German Workshop Award 2019 is Schmauder & Rau. The family business from Baden-Württemberg is characterized above all by its wide range of services and its unusual service campaigns to build customer loyalty. "With reliability, friendliness and an open ear for drivers' problems, we have earned the loyalty of many customers," said owner Stefan Schmauder at the award ceremony on the eve of the symposium for independent garages and service companies.
Automechanika Frankfurt and the trade journal "kfz-betrieb" presented awards to the ten best independent garages in Germany on October 18 at the Vogel Convention Center in Würzburg. The approximately 230 guests at the ninth award ceremony not only praised the winners of the German Workshop Award. They also experienced a very emotional event with impressive videos of the award winners' businesses and happy winners on the podium.
It was no easy task for the jury to determine the best independent garages. This is because all of the companies and workshop teams offer a very high quality of service and work. "The winners of the German Workshop Award know the needs of their customers very well and offer them imaginative services. And they show great appreciation for the young talent in their businesses," said Dr. Ann-Katrin Klusak, Head of Marketing Communication at Automechanika, describing her impressions of the top ten companies.
The jury for the German Workshop Award is made up of representatives from the "kfz-betrieb" editorial team and Automechanika. After evaluating the applications, they visited the ten best workshops on site. The jury members assessed the external appearance of the automotive businesses, the services offered, marketing, customer approach and support as well as company and employee management. "The independent garages awarded in 2019 are investing in additional employees and previously untapped business areas as well as in new buildings and extensions. All of this is done with the aim of expanding further and satisfying customers even more," said "kfz-betrieb" editor-in-chief Wolfgang Michel.
The jury particularly liked the courage to expand shown by the couple Bettina and Stefan Schmauder. They started their own business around 25 years ago with just two employees. As their range of products and services grew, so did the number of employees. Today, around 40 employees look after the business of the independent workshop in Kirchheim unter Teck.
In addition to traditional maintenance and repair work, these include wheel and tire services, support for leasing and fleet customers, vehicle trading and car rental, accident and classic car repairs, the sale of pedelecs and the repair of all-electric Streetscooters. For Bettina Schmauder, the employees play a very special role in all the services offered: "They are the central interface between the customers and the workshop. They ensure satisfaction on the customer side and maximum efficiency in the workshop."
The top ten of the German Workshop Award 2019
1st place: Schmauder & Rau, Kirchheim unter Teck
2nd place: HAS-Antriebstechnik, Winterberg
3rd place: Autohaus Hagenlocher, Sindelfingen
Top Ten: Bosch Car Service Mezger, Dresden
Top Ten: Auto-Check Schmick, Netphen
Top Ten: Retzlaff Automotive, Ahrensfelde
Top Ten: SKN Tuning, Salzhemmendorf / Benstorf
Top Ten: Auto Metzner, Langquaid
Top Ten: Autohaus Krause, Mitterteich
Top Ten: OF Motorsport, Bielefeld
"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for over 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German automotive trade (ZDK), the professional interest group for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. News from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Communications Group is one of the leading service providers for B2B communication in the German-speaking world. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. With four agencies in Berlin, the Group offers comprehensive communications expertise. The Group's services range from specialist media, corporate publishing, social media services, PR, trade fair services, networks and communities to market intelligence & insights and an in-house congress center.
