Japan's Representative Crowned World Champion

Audi Japan has set three growth strategies: enhancing brand power, achieving higher customer satisfaction, and strengthening its dealer network. Essential to improving brand power and customer satisfaction are the service system and maintenance technology.

Hiroshi Okita, President of Audi Japan, states, "Although it's diligent work that often goes unnoticed, after-sales service is extremely important in the automotive world." By improving the technical level of service and providing high-level support, customer satisfaction increases, and trust in the Audi brand grows. This, in turn, creates a cycle of repeat purchases of Audi vehicles.
To this end, Audi organizes the "Audi Twin-Cup" service skills competition in 36 countries worldwide, culminating in the "Audi Twin-Cup World Championship" to determine the global best.

While many car manufacturers hold similar technical competitions, Audi's is likely unique on a global scale. The aim is to bring attention to service staff by setting a "world" goal, akin to a World Cup for Audi vehicle service skills, thereby motivating them to achieve higher technical proficiency.
Indeed, Audi's service system improvements are showing steady upward progress, evidenced by its recent J.D. Power survey results, ranking second overall in customer satisfaction and first among imported car brands.

At the "Audi Twin-Cup World Championship 2011," the Audi Takamatsu team, representing Japan, won the Technology category. Held in Spain from October 4th to 7th, 2011, the Audi Takamatsu team secured victory in the Technology division, while Audi Tsuki-sappu placed 13th in the Service division, and the Japanese team as a whole achieved a commendable 6th place overall.

New Champions Emerge from Miyagi

With the echoes of the World Championship 2011 still fresh, on October 17th, the "Audi Twin-Cup" national final was held at Fuji Speedway to determine the participants for next year's World Championship.AudiTwelve teams competed in both the Technology and Service divisions at this event, bringing together top talent from across the nation.

Twelve teams competed in both the Technology and Service divisions at this event, bringing together top talent from across the nation.

The competition tasks involved repairing engine starting issues and performing basic inspections for the Technology division, and customer interaction and vehicle checks for the Service division.

The engine starting issue in the Technology division was particularly challenging, difficult to detect even with diagnostic tools. Without following a proper diagnostic process, pinpointing the cause within the 45-minute time limit would be impossible.

Identifying the fault in a car that cannot verbally express its discomfort is akin to the work of a veterinarian.

According to the Audi Takamatsu team, winners of the recent world competition, the Japanese final might have been more challenging than the world event. This indicates the high caliber of candidates required to represent one of Japan's 104 Audi dealerships.

While the 12 teams in the Technology division were closely matched, the ultimate victory went not to the world champion Audi Takamatsu team, but to Audi Miyaginoh, a dealership most profoundly affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

According to Assistant Manager Terada of the After-Sales Department, the key factors were the ability to interpret the underlying messages from the diagnostic tools and the proficient use of specialized tools for correctly and quickly repairing Audi vehicles during the basic inspection. He concluded, "The hints lie within our daily work."

As if to corroborate this, the Miyaginoh team stated, "We simply did what we do every day; we are committed to practical application." In fact, their training time for the competition was limited to just three hours a day for three days prior. Their success in becoming representatives can be attributed to their meticulous adherence to process. Their response, "Audi is a manufacturer that allows us to engage with advanced technology in our daily maintenance, making it a rewarding job," was particularly striking.

Service Division Achieves Back-to-Back Victory

The winner of the Service division was Tatsuya Mizunuma from Audi Tsuki-sappu, who had just participated in the recent world competition, marking his second consecutive win.AudiTsuki-sappu, Tatsuya Mizunuma, received the award for the second consecutive year.

The Service division tasks involved an exterior check with the customer present, identifying vehicle malfunctions, and making adjustments. The customer interaction portion, with a 25-minute time limit, focused on evaluating friendliness and adherence to proper procedures.

The car check, also within a 25-minute limit, required identifying five pre-set faults in the vehicle, assessing the service staff's ability to evaluate the car's condition before it is sent for maintenance.

"What I focus on in my daily work is listening carefully to the customer's concerns," said Mizunuma of Audi Tsuki-sappu, who achieved victory for the second year in a row. His next goal is to achieve an even better result than last time at the world competition.

The Audi Takamatsu team, winners of the recent world competition, shared, "Since winning, our customers' expectations have become even higher. We keenly feel the demand for even higher quality maintenance now."

This dedication to performing tasks meticulously under constant pressure likely contributes to Audi's high level of customer satisfaction.

The Twin Cup from an Audi Owner's Perspective

For this year's Twin Cup, we invited a special participant: an OPENERS reader and an Audi owner.AudiThe participant, Shuichi Tokita, is an Associate Professor at Waseda University's Institute of Asian Studies, lecturing on public policy, and also serves as a board member for a company that supports overseas business expansion and M&A.

He previously owned a car from a different manufacturer but became an Audi enthusiast after witnessing Audi's performance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Tokita is completely satisfied with his A6 3.0 TFSI S line. Although it's his first time owning an all-wheel-drive vehicle, he notes that it drives like a regular car without drawing attention to its drivetrain, yet provides reassuring stability when needed. With his next car already decided to be an Audi, how did the Twin Cup impress him?

"First, the scale of the competition, global in scope yet internal to the company, is remarkable. It serves as a serious platform for technical development, boosting motivation. Seeing such high skills demonstrated today instills great confidence; knowing they are the ones maintaining my car brings peace of mind. I see the service staff as our local doctors, and the maintenance as rehabilitation stays. Audi's background is truly impressive."

He also commented on the Audi Takamatsu team's statement about "customers' eyes becoming more critical after winning," saying, "The fact that such sentiments are expressed indicates a positive chain reaction. I have high expectations for Audi's future."

Tokita, who stayed for the final awards ceremony, remarked, "Cars are fundamentally product-out. However, Audi clearly demonstrates a commitment to engaging with its users. This competition is a symbolic initiative where this engagement becomes market feedback, reflecting user voices. This is why they consistently produce excellent cars. Their current popularity is the result of accumulated past efforts, and the future is a product of present endeavors. Audi embodies a philosophy of integrating cars harmoniously with people and the environment, a kind of public philosophy, fitting for the times."