After almost 2 years without a car, my girlfriend recently got a new job at the SLAC Guest House. Unfortunately, the shuttle busses don’t operate when she gets off of work, so I’ve been having to borrow a City Car Share car every night to pick her up.

As a result of the new job and our friends moving to places less accessible by public transit, we broke down and placed an order for an Audi.

Let me just say that, so far, the customer experience has been top notch. We dealt with Christopher Bearman at Carlsen Audi, in Palo Alto. Christopher was unlike any car salesman I’ve ever dealt with (which admittedly, isn’t many, but you know the stereotype). He was very respectful of our time, never pressured us in any way and seemed to know everything about our car. He was even able to answer my questions about the difference between Audi’s North American and European product lines. Wow!

Apparently, the Audi customer experience is no accident, as reported in the Gallup article, “Audi’s Drive to Service Excellence.” From the article:

Audi Centres are focusing on the customer experience rather than on processes, and they see this program as an important business tool. Customer relationships—not just cars—are running well, and that means a smooth ride for customers and employees alike.

Although the article is focused on customer experience improvement endeavors in the UK, my buying experience suggests there is a related program here in the States.