AUDI FORT LAUDERDALE OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Poised as ‘the next level’ in automotive buying and customer service experience, new state-of-the-art Audi dealership provides convenient East Fort Lauderdale location and innovative technological advancements
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (August 3, 2015) – Qvale Auto Group (QAG) today announced that its newest South Florida dealership, Audi Fort Lauderdale, is officially open to the public. Positioned to be a major game changer in the market, the 158,000 S.F., state-of-the-art Audi dealership challenges convention through technology and innovations that will forever change the auto buying experience for customers and may well set a new industry standard for dealer operations nationwide. Situated on 1.7 acres at 1200 North Federal Highway, the four-story dealership also provides a prime, convenient location with ease of access for both existing and future customers in East Fort Lauderdale.
“We put a lot of work into creating a more customer service oriented environment with the right operational systems in place to ensure the long-term growth and viability of Audi Fort Lauderdale,” said Bruce Qvale, owner and president of QAG. “There’s certainly still value in the traditional brick-and-mortar showroom but like all things, it must evolve. We are proud of this dealership and look forward to welcoming customers to experience our newest Audi store in South Florida.”
In addressing the needs of today’s technologically-savvy consumer, function-ability, swiftness and ease in customer service all played an integral role in the design of the new dealership. Audi Fort Lauderdale’s physical showroom clearly reflects the dealership’s increasingly important digital presence, incorporating technology and other features to facilitate a faster transaction time and a more customer-friendly environment.
The dealership is one of a growing number to utilize Radio Frequency Identification tags, known as RFID—a technology that allows its service department to recognize when a customer’s vehicle arrives in its service lanes. These tags are placed on all customers’ vehicles when they arrive at the dealership or when a new car is delivered.
“When the car comes into the store the RFID system recognizes the customer and notifies the service writer that the car is in the lane, the sales person that their customer is on the premises, and marries the customer to the loaner vehicle,” said Bret Macy, executive manager, Audi Fort Lauderdale. “The system cuts approximately six minutes off of each customer’s repair order time. Those minutes add up when a customer is waiting; they multiply into hours considering the service department handles about 60 vehicles on any given day.”
In addition to utilizing the latest technology, Audi Fort Lauderdale also incorporates a variety of aesthetics and value-added features to enhance customer comfort and experience. The dealership’s 24,000-square-foot showroom encompasses two floors with LED lighting and robust Wi-Fi throughout. It also features four customer waiting areas in total, including two lounge seating areas with 65” HDTV’s and another more private lounge seating area open to the showroom. A 100’ semi-circular countertop along the second floor rounds out the customer experience, featuring barstool seating, and power and data connections for charging phones and laptops. Perhaps one of its most striking features is a unique curved wall design representative of the high-bank race track, which pays homage to Audi’s longtime heritage of racing. A glass-enclosed elevator between the first and second floor allows customers to take in the full view between showroom floors.
Located on the second floor of the dealership is a separate vehicle delivery area with special lighting throughout to create a unique delivery experience for customers. This area is directly connected to the finance offices and was created to provide customers a prime view of their new Audi while signing their paperwork.
The dealership’s business development center (BDC) is located on the mezzanine overlooking the showroom where typically it is tucked behind closed doors. The open BDC concept aims to improve the overall sales process at the dealership.
“The main function of the business development center is to alert the sales staff to customers coming in and their various needs,” said Macy. “A sales consultant is ready to greet and service each customer the moment he or she arrives. It streamlines the process to avoid any disconnect internally amongst the various staff, providing a much more beneficial customer experience all around.”
With the capacity to house 500 vehicles at any given time Audi Fort Lauderdale will feature a wide-ranging inventory of the latest and most sought-after Audi vehicles on the market. Currently, the dealership features an air conditioned service area with a full-service car wash and 22 working stalls; however, the shop has been designed to expand to 44 stalls in the future to accommodate multiple Audi technician shifts.
“This will allow future growth and service capacity in the long term,” said Qvale. “We are excited for the official opening of Audi Fort Lauderdale. We have the utmost confidence in the Audi brand, and believe the new dealership will be well-received in the Fort Lauderdale market.”
Located at 1200 North Federal Highway, Audi Fort Lauderdale is now officially open to the public. The dealership offers ample onsite parking for customers in addition to pickup and delivery of cars for service in order to provide convenience for owners and lessees. Sales hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 8pm; Friday, 9am to 7pm; Saturday, 10am to 7pm; and Sunday, 12pm to 6pm. For more information, call (954) 545-4650 or visit wwww.audifortlauderdale.com.
**Editorial Note: Media tours, interviews with dealership representatives and hi-res imagery are available by request. Interested/covering media should please contact Mallory McQuail at Susan Penrod PR (SPPR) to coordinate at mallory@susanpenrod.com.
About Qvale Auto Group
One of America’s most distinguished automotive groups for more than six decades, the family-owned Qvale Auto Group has been involved in manufacturing, importing, distributing, and retailing cars through three generations. Norwegian-born Kjell Qvale founded the family business, British Motors, in 1947 importing European cars. Today, under the leadership of his son, Bruce, the Qvale family legacy lives on. QAG currently owns and operates 18 dealerships, including Audi Coral Springs and Audi Fort Lauderdale. Visit www.audicoralsprings.com or www.audifortlauderdale.com for more information.
