Audi 2012 Annual Report Download - page 36

pressure anyone to buy a car. What we
are aiming for is to establish a friendly
long-term relationship, not short-term
sales success. We want our customers
to enjoy the brand. If they want to, they
can spend all day playing around on our
touchscreens.”
Fittingly, Leckie has chosen a quote
from writer George Bernard Shaw as
the motto for the Audi City experience:
“We don’t stop playing because we
grow old, we grow old because we stop
playing.” In this spirit, Leckie stresses
that he makes sure any sta he hires
has the right attitude. Amit Sood is a
case in point. A native of India, he spent
eight years at Apple as an IT manager.
He does not have a classic automobile
background, says Sood, adding that
he doesn’t need one, either. His job is
to help customers on their way into
the virtual car world even though they
may find the experience unfamiliar at
first. “This technology provides all the
information anyone will need. My job
is interactive education, not persuasion.”
Audi and Apple – might the two com-
panies be more alike than one might
think? Sood sees one main common
point: “Both companies have the vision
of always being one step ahead of
others.”
In the meantime, Oliver and Natasha
have made up their mind and decided
they want to buy their dream car here
and now. Romain Nogues escorts them
to the Customer Private Lounge to sign
the contract. He hands over the Audi
Key to Senior Sales Executive Paul Weir.
This holds the data on the Q3; nobody
is given a classic brochure here anymore.
Weir calls up the configuration from
the Audi Key onto his screen, then
reaches behind him for material and
A friendly goodbye from the Audi City: Romain Nogues accompanies the Smiths to the door.
Audi City: Experience
the possibilities of interactive
vehicle configuration.
color samples. Do the colors look as
they did on screen? Might Oliver and
Natasha want to make any last-minute
changes? The four of them confer
one more time and determine all the
details. “This final conversation shows
that our relationship with the cus-
tomer is a mutual one aimed at jointly
achieving the best possible outcome,”
says Weir. As Oliver signs the purchase
contract, Romain Nogues mentions
that the Q3 is Audi City’s bestselling
car. Its combination of design and
functionality makes it ideal for a me -
tro polis such as London. The Smiths
seem to see it exactly that way, too. «
33