For the 16th time, the Würzburg trade magazine "kfz-betrieb" honored the best service companies in Germany during this year's IAA in Frankfurt. At the top of the winners' podium were the VW dealership Hermann Klein in Fuldatal in the passenger car category and the Daimler branch in Berlin in the commercial vehicle category.
"We are proud of the fact that our companies and their employees are committed to their region with diligence and great passion. This is the only way to achieve top rankings in the "kfz-betrieb" Service Award," said Hans-Bahne Hansen, member of the MBVD management and responsible for Service Sales. In his laudatory speech, Arno Kalmbach, Head of Service at Volkswagen AG, particularly emphasized the creativity of the Klein dealership. "At the Klein dealership in particular, service is lived practice," Kalmbach is convinced. The management team of the dealership would continuously develop the service and the efforts for the customer - at a very high level.
"kfz-betrieb" editor-in-chief Wolfgang Michel presented the industry award together with the sponsors Fuchs Europe and Pirelli Germany. A total of over 350 participants took part in this year's Service Award. The jury, consisting of the editors of "kfz-betrieb" and the sponsors, visited 17 automotive businesses throughout Germany following a pre-selection process. Within three weeks, they covered well over 3,000 kilometers to find the best service company in 2011.
In addition to the first place winner, the Renault dealership Hermann in Göttingen (2nd place) and the Mercedes dealership Schmolck in Emmendingen (3rd place) also made it onto the car podium. "The decisive factor for the success in service is the great innovative strength of the Hermann dealership," said Renault's Head of Communications Reinhard Zirpel. The owner's exemplary commitment is noticeable throughout the entire company. Daimler also took second place in the commercial vehicles category with the Kurt Liebrecht dealership in Lemgo. Once again, Mercedes proved its service qualities, especially in the commercial vehicle category.
Almost logically, third place in the commercial vehicle category also went to a Mercedes dealership: Autohaus Oppel in Ansbach. However, the Ansbach-based company had to share this place with a competitor. The jury also awarded third place to Man Truck & Bus GmbH in Wildau.
The Opel, Nissan, Toyota, BMW, Seat and Audi brands also made it into the top ten in the passenger car category this year. In addition to Mercedes and MAN, the DAF brand also qualified among the top five commercial vehicle companies.
During the award ceremony, Michel particularly emphasized that the best service companies often address their customers with creative and innovative marketing ideas. As a rule, they did not rely on their manufacturers, but developed their own customer service campaigns that would be well received in their own market. To do this, car dealerships not only need well-trained, but also highly motivated staff. Other selection criteria were clear processes, excellent customer service and individual remuneration systems.
Of course, a look at the key operating figures was also a must. Here it became clear that, from the customer's point of view, good service companies also record a continuously positive sales trend over the years. "The companies presented master their service business with excellently structured processes and creative ideas," was the conclusion of the "kfz-betrieb" editor-in-chief.
The ten best service companies in 2011 in the "Cars" category
1st place VW/Audi Hermann Klein, Fuldatal
2nd place Hermann GmbH, Göttingen
3rd place Schmolck GmbH & Co. KG, Emmendingen
4th place Autohaus Wilhelm Neustadt, Elsterwerda
5th place Auto-Treff Oranke GmbH, Berlin
6th place Autohaus Wieser GmbH, Munich
7th place Autohaus karl & Co, Wiesbaden
8th place Volkswagen Zentrum Karlsruhe GmbH
9th place Autohaus Wicke GmbH, Bochum
10th place Autohaus Heinrich Rosier GmbH & Co. KG, Stendal
The five best service companies in 2011 in the "Commercial vehicles" category
1st place Daimler AG, Berlin branch
2nd place Kurt Liebrecht GmbH, Lemgo
3rd place Autohaus Oppel GmbH, Ansbach
3rd place MAN Truck & Bus Deutschland GmbH, Wildau
4th place Rolf Bauer GmbH, Gundelfingen
5th place Autopark am Erfurter Kreuz GmbH, Neudietendorf
The trade magazine "kfz-betrieb" will present all the winning companies and their special features in a special publication. This will provide the industry with comprehensive information on innovative marketing concepts and their efficient implementation. The magazine will be published on October 20, 2011 together with "kfz-betrieb" issue 42 / 2011.
"kfz-betrieb" is the most widely read trade magazine in the automotive industry and has been informing the automotive trade and service sector for 100 years. "kfz-betrieb" is the official organ of the German Motor Trade (ZDK), the professional lobby for around 38,000 car dealerships and workshops. Daily news from the entire automotive industry is available at www.kfz-betrieb.de and in the daily newsletter. The parent company Vogel Business Media is one of the leading German providers of specialist information with around 100 trade journals and 60 websites as well as numerous international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2011.
