Volkswagen Service Qualification World Championship: The Champions Come From Germany
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WOLFSBURG – October 28, 2008: Both winners of the Volkswagen brand’s 2008 Service Qualification World Championship come from Germany: Oliver Buchinger from Regensburg defended his title as best service adviser and Guido Lembke from Stendal was the winner among the service technicians. The competition ended at the weekend with the finals in Wolfsburg. For two days, the best service specialists from 65 countries were tested on theory and practice – from vehicle repair to customer consultation.
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and patron of the world championship, led the award ceremony on Saturday evening. Addressing the candidates, he said: "You are all true winners and Volkswagen service champions in your home country. You convinced us with excellent specialist knowledge, practical know-how, personality and plenty of passion, and that is why you are all ambassadors for the Volkswagen brand."
The annual world championship with its preliminary rounds in the 65 participating countries and the finals in Wolfsburg forms an important bridge from Volkswagen through the importers to the retailers in the markets. With the world championship, the Volkswagen brand aims to secure the high quality standards of Volkswagen Service in an international context. Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand with responsibility for Sales, underscored the significance of after sales for Volkswagen: "Our partners all over the world already look after 150,000 customers every day – that’s 150,000 opportunities for customer satisfaction." Klingler also pointed out that Volkswagen has global potential – particularly with regard to customers who do not yet use the services offered by the brand.
The overriding goals of the competition include safeguarding the high quality of service qualification and the efficient and effective realization of this target. The world championship also serves as a bridge for putting service into practice, spanning cultural differences and differentiated learning methods in the various countries. Dietmar Hildebrandt, Head of Volkswagen Service, emphasized that when it comes to complete customer satisfaction and long-term success, top service is just as important as innovative vehicles. He was very pleased with the results of the competition: "These achievements set an example for day-to-day work in our service business worldwide. They raise the quality of work and customer care and therefore strengthen customer loyalty."
Overview of the world championship results:
Service adviser competition –
Service technician competition –
