Porsche 2009 Annual Report Download - page 76

mium Sporty Car” category. Conducted between No-
vember 2009 and February 2010, the study, in which
82,000 people evaluated their new vehicles, reflects
owners’ satisfaction during the first 90 days following
their purchase. The catalog of criteria examined by the
“APEAL” study covers areas such as handling, perform-
ance, design, practicality and comfort.
In addition, Porsche placed first in J.D.
Power’s “Vehicle Dependability Study”. Conducted in
October 2009, this survey polled 52,000 people on
the long-term quality of their vehicles and reflects pur-
chasers’ satisfaction over a three-year period of own-
ership. The catalog of criteria used by the study in-
cludes areas such as the driving experience, vehicle
interior, vehicle exterior, engine and transmission, fea-
tures, controls and displays, as well as audio and en-
tertainment.
In Germany, the Panamera made its debut in
the annual reader survey of the magazine “auto motor
und sport”, placing first in the “luxury class” category
in the prestigious “Best cars of 2010” poll. The
Panamera went on to win the “Golden Steering Wheel”
for the year’s best new car in the luxury class. The
prize was awarded by the German publications “Bild
am Sonntag”, “Auto Bild” and affiliated European titles.
Sales structure of the Volkswagen group
The Volkswagen group’s multibrand structure
allows continuous standardization of wholesale and
retail processes. Management of the wholesale busi-
ness, around 80 percent of which is handled by com-
panies within the group, has also been successfully
established in the emerging markets in recent years.
The focus in wholesale and retail on proximity to cus-
tomers, which is supported by an exclusive brand pro-
file, plays a key role in increasing customers’ satisfac-
tion. The group meets demand for cross-brand sup-
port for fleet customers through key account man-
agement. Volkswagen’s dealership partners and
wholesalers alike can also leverage cross-brand syn-
ergies in this way. By optimizing structures and im-
plementing programs to raise quality in sales and cus-
tomer service, the group further improved the profit-
ability and efficiency of the distribution network strat-
egy. Volkswagen’s close working relationship with
dealers remains the focus of its distribution network
strategy. Its implementation is supported by the con-
scious use of state-of-the-art communication media
and technologies tailored to the specific needs of in-
dividual customer groups.
Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in
the Volkswagen group
The Volkswagen group’s brands regularly
measure the satisfaction of their customers in many
countries with the help of specialized questionnaires
that concentrate primarily on product and service
quality. The results are analyzed and used to develop
measures to further increase customer satisfaction.
In terms of satisfaction with product quality, the Audi
brand occupies a leading position in the core Euro-
pean markets. However, the scores of the other
group brands for overall satisfaction are also encour-
aging.
Customers who are satisfied with the quality
of Volkswagen’s products and services are loyal cus-
tomers. Customers’ confidence in the group’s brands
is clearly reflected in the loyalty figures: for example,
the Volkswagen passenger cars brand was able to
maintain brand loyalty at a high level in its European
76 Group management report