Automakers find new ways to keep customers satistied 1-800 numbers give consumers access to wealth of information WITH INCREASED emphasis on customer satisfaction, ear companies all over North America have been incor- porating various customer-friendly services in recent years. A Service such as a roadside assistance program — offered by more and more companies this year — no doubt helps close the distance between automakers and customers. While the roadside assistance is only helpful to the existing vehicle owners, there is another valuable - service offered by many car com- . panies that can benefit those looking to buy a new car: a toll- free information service. Aithough toll-free numbers '. available in Canada aren’t as ex- tensive as those offered by car ~ companies south of the border, there are still a total of 12 charge-free numbers that can be dialed by consumers. ‘.” These 1-800 numibers give you convenient, quick access to a ’ wealth of information on a par- ticular car that you may be con- . sidering purchasing. . Through these services, con- sumers can request brochures and '.. catalogues, ask non-technical ...questions, aud find out the loca- “tion of the nearest dealers. In most cases, help-line repre- sentatives are unable to answer technical questions, but they will usually redirect you to someone who will be able to help you with specific questions. Most toll-free services operate between Monday and Friday, with the exception of BMW and Audi, ‘which offer 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week service. . By the way, some car companies will ask you a few questions in return, as part of a marketing survey. While these services are an in- . valuable way of getting some pro- duct questions answered and cat- alogues obtained — without ever leaving your comfortable armchair — please don’t abuse the system. Making unnecessary requests only incur additional expenses and ultimately drive.up the cost of the cars themselves. The following is a short sum- mary of all 12 available toll-free customer service numbers. I per- sonally called all of them a few times to informally evaluate the level of service offered. Most of the car companies were prompt, and sent out catalogues | requested within a week or two of my phone call. e AUDI: !-800-668-AUD!, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Audi’s around-the-clock helpline is impressive, with polite, extremely professional repre- sentatives answering the phone. ’ My request for an Audi catalogue arrived with a letter written by the Audi marketing personnel. A few survey questions were asked. In- formation of Audi's parent com- pany, Volkswagen, is not available through this number, @ BMW: 1-800-667-6679, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. This is another first-class ser- vice and is similar to Audi’s toll-free service in terms of the type of questions asked and the fevei of professionalism. My pro- duct information request was mailed out just two days after my call, and arrived here within 10 OVERDRIVE days, again with a polite letter at-' tached. @ MERCEDES-BENZ: 1-800- 387-4632, Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. . Though the service is not avail-" able over the weekend, they do leave an answering machine on so you can leave a detailed explana- - tion of your request. Personnel are pleasant and professional, and able to answer some technical questions. They promise a 10-day turnaround for catalogue requests, but mine tock more than a few weeks to arrive. @ LEXUS: 1-800-26-LEXUS, Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to3 p.m, The service representative was helpful and courteous. If you’re put on hold for any reason, pleas- ant classical music is played. Since this phone number is also used by the existing owners of Lexus pro- ducts to reach the roadside assistance program, you'll have to press “‘f’" to reach the customer assistance line when you make the call, A professional letter and re- quested information arrived within five days of my call — impressive. @ TOYOTA: 1-800-263-7640, Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. i Toyota's friendly service — again with classical background music — is able to offer prompt assistance with most questions and information requests. Similar to Lexus’ service. © INFINITI: 1-800-4792; and NISSAN; 1-800-387-0122, Mon- day to Friday, § a.m. to 4 p.m. The phone numbers for the In- finiti and Nissan buyers are shown separately, but both reach the same satisfaction centre so either number can be used, Like Lexus’ information centre, the Infiniti/ Nissan service staff are very pleas- ant and helpful. If you havea technical question, they will direct you to another person within the company who can address your concerns, @ HYUNDAT: 1-800-667-5504, Monday to Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will try to answer all types of questions, as well as help you with any dealer service complaints. Jf the service is busy, you will See Services page 29 .. 4 Door, automatic, power '80-'90 POD FIREFLY Automatic, very eco- nomical 4 cylinder, AM/FM cassette, low kilometers, Trustmore warranty. Many colors to choose from, but ACT FAST! for making our 94 Toyota new car preview an unprecedented success! 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