The race for the Service Award 2017 has been decided. The prize for the best workshop business in a brand-affiliated automotive business goes to the Bierschneider dealership in Mühlhausen in the Upper Palatinate. The main location of the Bierschneider Group is a Volkswagen partner and impressed the jury above all with its outstanding performance in all areas. For example, the entire company is completely geared towards digitalization. This applies not only to customer contact and service acceptance, but also to aftercare and the sale of accessories and tires. In addition, the company's range of services is so comprehensive that no customer has to be sent away. Bierschneider is an Abt Tuning and Recaro partner, offers glass repair and has a body and paint center as well as a smart repair department and an extensive tire and wheel store.

"Every participant is a winner"
The representatives of the car manufacturers emphasized at the awards ceremony that all of the top ten companies are true winners. Raimund Thomandl, Head of Service Germany at Audi, said to the participants: "It is impressive what you have achieved. Many can learn something from this." His Group colleague Jan Bures, Head of Volkswagen Service Germany, added: "All the winners have reason to be proud of themselves."

Stefan Vorbeck, board member of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (ZDK), emphasized the important role of automotive businesses for the future of mobility in view of the IAA, which begins at the same time as the award ceremony: "Without us, the mobility of the future could not be ensured. That is why companies must retain the ability to invest in the future. The companies honored here show how this can be done."

The top ten of the Service Awards 2017:
But it's not just the first-placed company that can feel like a winner. All other participants who made it into the top ten are characterized by an exemplary service business and are positioned for the future.

Here is the list of the winners:
1st place: Autohaus Bierschneider, Mühlhausen
2nd place: Seat branch, Berlin
3rd place: Autohaus Liliensiek, Dippolsdiswalde
3rd place: Autoforum Ble, Ahaus 5th place: Autohaus Herbrand, Kleve 6th place: Autohaus Hahn, Pforzheim 7th place: Volkswagen Center, Frankfurt/Main 5th place: Autoforum Bleker, Ahaus
5th place: Autohaus Herbrand, Kleve
6th place: Autohaus Hahn, Pforzheim
7th place: Volkswagen-Zentrum Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main
8th place: Autohaus Schragl, Mindelheim
9th place: Automobilgruppe Dirkes, Cologne
10th place: Autohaus Waltershausen, Waltershausen

The Service Award is a Germany-wide, cross-brand competition for the service departments of brand-bound car dealerships. The top ten companies submitted a comprehensive questionnaire and proved with their answers that they operate their service business at the highest level. They then had to face a visit from a jury made up of representatives from "kfz-betrieb" and the sponsors Continental, Fuchs Schmierstoffe and TÜV Nord. The jury assessed the car dealerships' service and product offerings, processes, marketing, customer approach and support as well as company and employee management. By taking part in the Service Award, car dealerships can put their internal processes and service marketing to the test, compare themselves with other dealerships in a manufacturer-neutral way and receive valuable tips for their day-to-day business.

"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 Business Media is Germany's largest trade media company with 100+ trade journals, 100+ web portals, 100+ business events as well as numerous mobile offerings and international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The company celebrated its 125th birthday in 2016.