Devoted dealers say Audi has given them philosophy of excellence

As the first premium carmaker to enter China, Audi has been a legend in the country, now the world's largest vehicle market and the biggest market for the carmaker with the four-ring logo.

Among premium brands, Audi has been the sales champion for three decades in a row. It is the very first brand that helped to foster the idea of premium vehicles among Chinese customers, and the marque that has inspired people, both its customers and its dealers, with its emphasis on progress.

One of them is Li Xiang. Starting his relationship with the brand 19 years ago, Li was one of the first authorized Audi dealers when he opened his store, Jiefeng Audi, in Tianjin in 1999.

As its dealership built up in accordance with Audi's global standards, Li's store became the exemplar in terms of marketing, sales and service for almost all other dealerships in the northern coastal city.

"I will not say that I have accumulated a lot of experience for success, but I have indeed learned something during my work with Audi over the years," said Li, who is known for his humbleness, a virtue in the Chinese culture.

He said back in the 1990s, it was Audi that allowed people to discover what premium cars were - and for people in the automotive industry, especially car sellers, it was Audi that set the standard, and in a way that changed their lives.

"If the automotive industry is a constellation of stars, then Audi must be the brightest one," he said.

Besides Audi's strict standards and procedures, Li said he has learned that people can bring out the very best in themselves when they are joyful, and this joy is what he believes lies behind the success of any organization.

"We encourage our staff to make friends with our customers, so that customers can have perfect service at an affordable price, thereby starting their joyful experience with Audi vehicles," Li said.

"Our ultimate goal is to offer our customers service that meets or exceeds their expectations, and meanwhile to become a reliable and responsible partner of Audi and our employees," he said.

For Han Jia, whose career at Audi started in 2003 in Hebei province, the goal of her life is to develop her better self.

Starting as a salesperson, Han soon became one of the best in her store, selling around 30 Audis per month back in 2003, a lot more than any of her colleagues.

Han's secrets to success - great people skills and a passion for solving any problems and concerns her customers might have - made her a trustworthy name for car owners in the province and for potential owners to boot. "Too many customers came to me, and my boss even hired an assistant for me," Han said, recalling those days.

Her outstanding sales performance helped her move up the corporate ladder to the post of assistant to the store's general manager, but the new responsibilities required much more than the skill set of a salesperson.

"It involved coordinating the work of several different departments including the after-sales and the service departments, and offering them my advice, but more often than not they did not take it, making it difficult for me to finish my work," she said.

Han soon found out that when they didn't take her advice it was because the actual work involved was more than she had envisaged.

She then went on to work with them and gradually won their confidence after a month of working together with receptionists and watching closely how mechanics repaired vehicles.

"I pursue perfection, either in life or at work. I always hope to make myself better through learning," said Han, who is now a brand director at Grand Auto, one of the country's biggest dealers. "For me, there are neither wasted efforts nor accidental successes. No matter who you are and what job you do, as long as you work hard and have the right attitude, you are sure to meet your better self," she said.

For Li Ting, now general manager of the Yonghao Aoda dealership in Tianjin, continuous care and attention led to her step-by-step success. "Now the internet is everywhere. Customers already have a very good understanding of the car they are interested in, so our job is less about products and more about service," Li said.

To her employees, Li is like an old friend. She remembers their birthdays and sends them cards every year, offering them encouragement and advice.

"I am not the sort of person who rushes toward her goals. I would rather go step by step and experience the joy in those little steps," said Li. Having been with Audi for eight years, Li said she has benefited a lot from Audi's progressive spirit. "I feel I am already part of Audi, and I am excited about each step it takes to go forward," she said.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/29/2018 page19)