Author:
RALPH MORTON
Do you drive any of these brands: Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen (both car and light commercial vehicles)?
Are you getting the customer service you think you deserve?
If not, and despite the reputation for existing customer service levels, you soon could be getting even better attention. And that’s because the Volkswagen Group – embracing all the above mentioned brands – is getting its very own customer quality director on the Volkswagen Group UK Board of Management.
Step forward Alison Jones, formerly head of operations at Audi UK, and from the beginning of June the new customer quality director – a newly created role.
“Our future must be based on a business model that puts the customer at the centre of our planning priorities” Simon Thomas, managing director, Volkswagen Group
Alison’s brief is is to spearhead a Group-wide drive to improve the quality of customer experience at every touch point. Alison will report directly to Volkswagen Group managing director Simon Thomas, and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Milton Keynes.
Although each individual brand within the Volkswagen Group will retain its front line responsibility for its customer base, Alison’s role will include overall management responsibility for the Volkswagen Group Customer Service Centre in Leeds, and for the Group’s customer contact strategy – such as market research and customer insight.
It will also involve the implementation of a monthly review process which will be deployed to ensure alignment and engagement across the whole company – something that will be welcomed by any business car manager involved in company car policy.
Managing director of the Volkswagen Group, Simon Thomas commented: “I know Alison will relish the challenges involved in giving greater strategic impetus to our drive to deliver industry-leading customer service in all brands, at all levels and in all areas. Our future must be based on a business model that puts the customer at the centre of our planning priorities and builds our growth plans based on a strong foundation of new car purchase loyalty and service retention.’
“As a previous Head of Contact Strategy, Customer Service and Aftersales in Volkswagen and Head of Operations in Audi, Alison has extensive experience and a deep understanding of our customers’ needs,’ added Thomas about this business car issue.