Many car owners might have avoided scheduling maintenance on their vehicles during recent months because they didn’t feel safe sitting in the waiting room of a dealership, but Audi Shawnee Mission has offered a creative solution through its concierge valet service and “At Your Door” program.
Audi Shawnee Mission first began offering this service when they opened in 2016, but it has become an important offering this year as a way of ensuring social distancing.
“I’ve believed for a few years now that concierge valet service is the next frontier in retail automotive service as a unique offering,” says Clint Tomlinson, service manager. “First it was Saturday service hours, and once every dealer offered Saturday service the next step was offering loaner vehicles. Now just about every brand and even some independent shops have loaner vehicles, so we have raised the bar on service and offered concierge valet service since the day our store opened. We come to your home or office and bring your vehicle back to our service department, complete your requests and then return your vehicle to you.”
Service is not the only department of the dealership offering the “At Your Door” service. Sales has developed a digital purchasing process and even delivers new Audis to customers’ doors.
“During the time of stay-at-home orders, we were presented with various challenges as were many of our customers,” says John Coats, general manager of the dealership. “We felt [Audi at Your Door] was a great way to fulfill the need of servicing vehicles while helping bring employees back to work as staffing to facilitate this program.”
Coats says they have about five or six “At Your Door” customers a day on the service side. While there are fewer “At Your Door” requests for sales, the offering adds another layer of convenience if desired. He says they are not looking to force anyone into using the program, but they want customers to know it is an option.
There is no additional cost for the service, but there are mileage limitations. Currently, they can provide the service to a 40-mile radius.
Susan Webster used the service recently for annual maintenance on her vehicle and said the dealership went above and beyond what she expected when they returned her car early in the morning so she could run errands.
“It cemented me as a fan of Audi and Audi Shawnee Mission,” Webster says. “It was great any way you look at it and even more so now that people are concerned about interaction.”
In other developments at the dealership, Coats says Audi continues to develop new and exciting products. He says they will see the fully electric Etron Sportback during the second half of the year and receive a full list of sport vehicles including the SQ7, SQ8, RSQ8 as well as the return of the RS6 Avant.
