Fixed Ops Journal - October 2019 - F25

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

HOTLINE

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of Audi-certified body shops.
Flat tires are the most frequent reason for
hotline calls. Jensen says he contacts Audi's
roadside assistance program, which hires a
nearby contractor to put the spare tire on and
deliver the damaged tire to the customer's
dealership for evaluation. "That way, the client is always directed back to us," he says.
Sometimes, Jensen says, the dealerships -
with Audi's help - go out of their way to help
customers.
"A client had her purse snatched while fueling up at a gas station," he says. "We towed her
car from the gas station to the dealership, and
then had a locksmith rekey her apartment so
that she could get in. Audi backed it, because
we were not going to leave her stranded."
On other occasions, Jensen says he calls on
dealership employees to apply their expertise.
"A customer's convertible roof would not go
up and it was forecast to be a rainy night," he
says. "I found one of our techs, who was out to
dinner with his girlfriend. They diverted to the

customer's location, he closed the roof manually and directed the car to the dealership the
next morning, where we fixed it."
Not all hotline calls report crises. Some customers call the 800 number to schedule a regular service appointment. Jensen transfers
them to the dealerships' business development center.
"I get all kinds of calls," Jensen adds. "A customer can't open the trunk" because its latch
is in valet mode. "Or, how do I set my date and
time [on the dashboard clock]? I am familiar
enough with the product to walk the client
through the process to get it done."
If Jensen can't take a hotline call immediately, he says, he notes the caller's number
and calls back promptly, even if the customer
didn't leave a message.
"When they answer, I say, 'You just tried
calling the Audi hotline - is everything OK?' "
The response is generally one of gratified surprise, Jensen says.
In all the years of the hotline's operation,
Jensen adds, he's been pranked only once,
"and I got them back."
"A bunch of kids called up late one night," he

To read the original story
in Automotive News, go to
autonews.com/callpaul.

recalls. "I called them back via caller ID the next
day, telling them not to do that again. We haven't
heard from them since."
Gus Batista, Atlanta regional aftersales manager for Audi of America, says Jensen's hotline mirrors the automaker's values of customer service.
"We're glad the hotline is still working," Batista told Fixed Ops Journal. "No one else is
doing this at this level. Paul is really out there
with this endeavor.
"Customers think, this is my store," Batista
adds. "That type of service is so important, especially when you least expect it."
Jensen says Audi's support of the initiative
has made a big difference.
"With Audi, we have some goodwill authorization," he says. "They tell us that if we are
making good decisions for the customer, they
will back us." 

OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 25

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Fixed Ops Journal - October 2019

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