Understanding retailing

The chosen business is Audi which there the Customers demands a high quality service which means before sale of the car, the actual process in the sale, and after sale service this helps the company retain their client. In this report you’ll see the writer has use some underpinning theories such as the Servqual Model, and Loyalty Ladder.

Audi in some way is able to cater to different types of clientele the reason for that is once your branded with them you tend to see the same people coming back which then shows good customer service these people can be known as a client for example if I were to buy one of these cars every 2 years it would mean I’m a repeated client Audi would have a sure profit off of me because I come back every 2 years for a new car.

At Audi car rages differently such as the R8 Audi sports model with this when selling such a high quality product Employees must be trained to deal with the type of customers coming in to the show room like that car is seen as a status automobile , employees must be able to sell the brand giving the customer a feeling of content the employees that work for this company often have a nice salary and good benefits these demands are expected from the employee and is delivered by the company the employees here are seen as a Partner they are the brand .

The customers has expectations which then gives them a perception of the company most consumers needs for this company is a high perception of the company when you hear Audi you think one time durability, power, quality and that is what the consumer expects. For example if someone steps into an a Audi car dealership show room the thing they need from the company itself is good customer service they need to feel a part of the sale step by step in addition to that the car has a luxurious feel to it.

The payment/service between a B2B transaction is that a b2b transaction often buys a bigger bulk from a company meaning they are a sure client of the business so in order to keep them coming back the business has a high CRM with that business, whereas for a B2C transaction they can be one time customers but not forgetting those customers that always buy from them as well in my opinion the first impression of a company can say a lot for the business. In the chosen business Audi treats all their clients the same however it is hard to know how often they cater on a B2B basis they more cater to B2C where customers purchase their products.

Audi has develop over the years in service, nowadays customer service is a high reliance on technology. One of their services they provide is after purchase service. What Audi does is after each purchase the name of the client is stored in a data base along with their personal information after a couple months the data base reminds the company that the car needs its first service then the sales clerk calls the client in and tells them about the service that is due and makes an appointment to their convenience. Having a good EPOS is good for keeping ahead in customer service and competitors.

Another example is that website technology allows customers to personalise the product such as interior of the car to the what colour fits the vehicle. Pre purchasing is hard work when working in the car retail industry staff needs to be trained, they are workshops set in place as a training plan for the retail motor industries, which focuses on understanding the retail sales process, implementing customer retention strategies. Staff will learn how to sell vehicles in a structured manner which ensures complete customer satisfaction.

Working for a business like this is essential to get all the necessary training in sales and CRM, but also training on the cars itself like the type of model the specs etc. I find being a salesman in general is a hard job reason for that is because it’s a skill that your born with it, which deals with knowing how to sell the product before the purchase is actually made. Car dealerships provides service before during and after sales they do this because it is important to know if a customer will come back. Before a purchase is made they allow the customers to take the car for a test run so they get a feel of how it drives.

They identify the customers and treat them effectively providing them with information they need about the product. During the purchase they also help customers find the perfect car and help them with documents that needs to be filled in for the car. One of the main things they offer is insurance on the spot, once everything is finish they let them know that it was a good choice and tell them enjoy their new car. After the purchase is made they offer delivery Audi dealers offer the customer service on the car whenever it is due, and stays in touch with the customer to make sure their happy with the car.

When looking at sales techniques for Audi it is one of the special brands what the company promise their clients is what they get the customers are the sole heart of the company. The principles of customer service is how they deal with the customers for example when walking into a show room from Audi you will find the love of the sales clerk because as a clerk working in the show room they must have love for that product meaning the knowledge they have for the car customers love the fact that when they walk into a store they can hear all they can about a product.

When going into a show room there are mini offices you can go into if you’re ready to purchase the car there is where your treated with coffee tea etc. When bringing your car in to service they provide each car with a special number and is then placed into a huge garage with space between each car so no damage can occur to them they also provide a 24 hour security guard to watch the cars all day these little things they do all plays a role of how they can attract customers.

As for customer loyalty schemes programs there aren’t any due to the fact that loyalty schemes is more for everyday purchases and for car dealerships such as this you won’t get people buying cars everyday so to speak. So as far as the loyalty programme goes there isn’t any for them but what they do have is loyalty from customers because of how the clerk deals with them. Companies think they have an idea as to what customers want or their demands. One of the known models for this is known as a Servqual which shows the gaps between customers and companies and what companies believe that customers expect.