Catering to new car buyers?

[BRUCE <BRUCE@mannlawfirm.com>]

I think my rant was misunderstood, by some.

I have no problem with Audi making money, okay?  My point, in essence was this:  Don't make all of it off of me.  Second, understand customer service.  It does not mean the customer serves the seller.  One recent recall notice is a perfect example--the one about the airbags on '89's and perhaps other years.  Audi informs you that it will make the repairs, but if non-OEM equipment has to be removed in order to make the repairs, the customer will pay for the removal and reinstallation.  What?  It is an Audi defect, recalled via a myriad of codes and special handshakes.  It is not a customer caused problem.  Now, how much do you suppose Audi will make off of removing some non-OEM part, making the customer pay for it?  My guess is very little, relatively speaking.  Basically, I am talking about a concept known as value add.  It is a bit "old-school" [apparently] but it works like this:  A little grocer sells a customer a dozen eggs, two of which it turns out are rotten.  Customer comes back.  Instead of telling the customer he should be happy with the 10 good eggs, the grocer refunds his money and gives him another dozen.  Cost?  Very little.  Reward?  Customer loyalty.

Bruce