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Stuttgart– Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are major factors that contribute to Daimler AG’s long-standing success in the passenger car and commercial vehicle sectors. Since its establishment in 1998, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in the Dutch city of Maastrichthas been a key precondition for customer satisfaction. Over the last ten years, the CAChas become the primary contact and service center for established and potential customers all over Western Europe. The facility’s employees, who are recruited from 13 different European countries, are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide advice and services.

“Our Mercedes-BenzCustomerAssistanceCenterin Maastrichtstrongly contributes to the continuing improvement of customer satisfaction at the Group,” says Dr. Frank Reintjes, Head of Global Service and Parts, the worldwide after-sales organization of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars, vans and commercial vehicles as well as Maybach and smart. “The international makeup of the workforce, and the great expertise on hand, mean that we offer existing and potential customers a range of services that’s unique in the automotive industry. Our staff members at CACMaastricht know everything there is to know about all of our vehicle models and the services and customer loyalty programs we offer. This comprehensive service portfolio makes the CACunique in the European automotive industry.”

The CACalso serves customers of passenger cars, vans and commercial vehicles of the Maybach, smart, EvoBus, Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge brands as well as the Mitsubishi Canter. Staff members handle an average of around 7,000 calls per day, with inquiries ranging from requests for emergency assistance to questions regarding products and services. Employees serve customers in their own native languages and can also provide help in numerous dialects and regional languages such as Catalan.

The CustomerAssistanceCenterwas launched in October 1998 with 130 employees to provide 24-hour service for the Mercedes-Benz brand in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. “We intentionally picked Maastrichtback then because of its geographical position in the center of EUREGIO, the border region between the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. It was the ideal location to set up an international team with the outstanding language skills that are needed by a European customer center,” says Reintjes. Today, 67 percent of CACemployees come from the multilingual EUREGIO area.

ver the years, the scope of services offered by the CAChas been gradually expanded and new countries and brands have been added to the mix. The CACnow has 600 employees from 40 nations who serve established and potential customers from the following European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and Spain. Staff members are always available to help customers in the event of an emergency (24-hour service) and to provide a comprehensive range of other customer services. These include complaint management and the provision of information on passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In addition, the CACoperates customer loyalty programs, conducts surveys, and analyzes vehicle data.

As services have been expanded and new countries and brands have been added to the mix, the number of inquiries handled by the CACincreased accordingly. Since 1998, some 6.6 million customers and interested parties have taken advantage of the services offered by the CACby contacting the center either via telephone, e-mail, normal mail, or fax. CACemployees currently address an average of 2.5 million inquiries per year.

 You hear a lot of hype about hydrogen fuel cell cars from manufacturers like GM and BMW, but the fact of the matter is that the Honda FCX Clarity was the first hydrogen-powered car to become “official,” whatever that means anyway.

For $600 a month, if you live in either Torrance, Santa Monica, or Irvine, California, you will be able to lease Honda’s FCX Clarity. In starting this program this summer, Honda will become the first major manufacturer to lease their hydrogen fuel cell cars. GM is currently just giving its it people to use. Financially, these things all cost millions to build, so for Honda the lease money is really more of a symbolic thing than anything. But I’m sure there will be people knocking down the doors to cough up that money.

The lease will last for three years, meaning that Honda is planning on giving people a decent amount of time with the cars, but after which they’ll probably yank them up in order to pave the way for newer and better hydrogen technology. Let’s just hope that, unlike in the electric vehicle case, there is a better and newer model instead of every manufacturer cancelling their programs.

Also, Honda has said that in the near future they plan on building a hybrid based on the FCX body style, so those of you who liked the look but not the hydrogen or the 20 year wait may still have a shot!

May 26 (Bloomberg) — Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s largest maker of luxury cars, plans to raise prices in the U.S. by 1 percent because of the weak dollar.

The increase for cars such as the X5 sports-utility vehicle and 5-Series luxury sedan will take effect on June 1, Markus Sagemann, a spokesman for the Munich-based company, said today.

“It’s a moderate price increase that reflects the conditions in the market,” Sagemann said in a telephone interview, adding that the last U.S. increase was in March 2007.

The dollar’s drop hurts BMW because the company gets fewer euros for every car it sells in the U.S. The dollar has fallen about 8 percent against the euro this year. This means that for a car like the 5-Series, BMW gets more than 2,000 euros ($3,150) less now for each one it sells than it did at the beginning of the year.

The carmaker took a first-quarter charge of 236 million euros because of bad debts and lower values on cars it sells in the U.S. after leases expire. BMW, which sold 22 percent of its cars in the U.S. in 2007, raised lease rates by about 3 percent on May 1. Higher new car prices typically boost used car values.

The first-quarter charge led to a 17 percent drop in BMW’s net income for the first three months. Four-month U.S. sales fell 4 percent to about 100,000 cars as the financial crisis sours consumers’ desire to make purchases.

HERNDON, Va. - Mass Communications students at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) were recently given the opportunity to participate in the U.S. media launch of the new 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan.

Thirty students from the CU School of Journalism and Mass Communication attended the press briefing which provided an overview of the Tiguan’s technical and marketing specifics. The briefing was then followed by a vehicle “walk-around”, a presentation of its features and a test drive. Students from print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising disciplines assisted the Volkswagen launch team in various aspects of the event.

“What better opportunity to give back to our hosts at CU-Boulder than to allow their students the opportunity to take part in a real press event,” said Keith Price, public relations manager for Volkswagen of America Inc. “Boulder reflects the active lifestyle of the Tiguan customer and prospect profile, so the location was a perfect fit and the opportunity to work with the university made it even better for Volkswagen.”

“It’s not often we can give our students hands-on experience in public relations, advertising and magazine journalism in the same event,” said Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Paul Voakes.

In addition, Road & Track magazine will review articles submitted by students about the Boulder event and will consider publishing the best submission on its Web site. “Road & Track magazine, in both print and online media, needs to contribute to the development of the next generation of automotive journalists,” said Matt DeLorenzo, deputy editor, Road & Track. “We are excited about this opportunity”

Courtesy: Volkswagen of America Inc., USA