Back to basics strategy helps Audi boost true fleet share

When Fleet News first interviewed Audi UK head of direct sales Warren Richards in May 2023, four months after his appointment, the message was clear: ‘we’re going back to basics to re-engage with customers’.

Audi isn’t the only manufacturer pressing re-set; several have outlined variations on the theme of ‘being easy to do business with’, seeking to counter some damning criticism by fleets about deteriorating communications and underwhelming standards of service.

Richards was determined to tackle this view head on, while simultaneously believing Audi’s own relationships with fleets were already healthier than many of its rivals.

Fourteen months on and what impact is his ‘back to basics’ strategy having on fleet relationships and – crucially – Audi’s true fleet registrations?

“We have addressed customer concerns on specification, availability and delivery times – we are over that now,” Richards said, emphatically.

“We have had a great year so far. We are number three overall in true fleet with a 9.9% market share and number two in premium.

“We’ve made great progress in our back-to-basics plan: we are out with customers, talking to them about their future needs, our cars and our services. We understand what’s frustrating for them and where we can help, especially with electrification, ownership, charging and conversations with their own drivers.”