CRATOS

saw this on the car connection this morning:

Audi Service Mind-Blowing?

Audi of America will launch a new service program designed to appeal to even the most demanding customer, hinted the automaker's chief executive, Johan de Nysschen. "I want to deliver service to the customer that will blow their mind," he said Wednesday, following the first U.S. showing of the production Q7 SUV. Audi quality has been on a steady climb, said the South African-born executive, noting that warranty costs have been coming down an average of around 20 percent annually since 2003. But "the real test for me is how we react when the customer experiences a problem." De Nysschen wouldn't discuss specifics of the project, which is still in the early development stages. He did acknowledge that part of the challenge will be getting the full commitment of Audi retailers. "We've got a high degree of variability among our dealers where levels of dedication are not always where we like to see it." Adding that "I do not want to rush into it," de Nysschen declined to discuss when the new service program will be formally unveiled.

saholz

...which excludes all "wear' items from the free maintenance schedule after the first 12 months....including brakes, bulbs, and wiper blades.

ChrisS -2008 A6-4.2

Audi changed it's brake replacement policy and returned to the old "Audi Advantage" policies many months ago.

Plus- many of the changes you describe are simply internal accounting / housekeeping changes that deal more with fine tuning allocation of warranty expense vs maint. expenses.

If you are working with a dealer who fails to replace wiper blades and such, you should change dealers. A dealer that truly interested in creating a "a family like customer base" focused on repeat business will change your blades as long as your car remains under the 4yr 50K mileage program.

Dealers service operations have and use Audi service slush funds to cover items like this for their best customers.

For those who hammer the last penny out of every deal and pound the service operation at every opportunity- you'll never experience what I describe.

However, for those who pay a fair price, write the occassional thank you note and approarch the dealer as a friend not a foe, you might be surprised as the level of service that will be rendered on your behalf.

True- not every dealer will respond as described, however, they are out there and with just a little personal care and relationship cultivation one can experience all that Audi has to offer.

newyorker2

A dealer is a dealer. They need to make a living and they have perfected ways to do just that. Audi of USA is nothing but a useless body of pencil pushers. Especially their "advocats".
My 2¢

Flounderasu

I just bought my B7 in June....dealer specifically told me that Audi changed the maintenance policy....I will have to see what the service dealer says, as I get mine serviced at a different dealer than I purchase from.