Audi is apparently cashing in on the universal paranoia of having your car at the dealer as well as the distinctly British love of video surveillance, by offering AudiDirect Reception, which allows owners to watch their car go through maintenance. According to a press release [via WCF], the new program makes Audi technicians wear video cameras and two-way communication systems, allowing owners to constantly watch over their shoulders and interrupt their work. Or, as Audi puts it
Candid cameras will soon be focused on all Audi Centre service areas as part of a new Direct Reception initiative being rolled out across the network that will enable Audi customers to view in ‘real time’, and communicate with, technicians as they carry out diagnosis and repair work.
Up next? Chat Roulette!
WTF??? Seriously? How much of a premium will Audi dealers have to pay to hire mechanics?
“Oh, and just one more thing before we conclude your job interview for the Tech position… As an Audi Service Technician you will be required to wear a video camera on your head so customers can see you working on their car. And, they’ll also be able to speak with you directly while you’re working on their ca–wait, wait–where are you going?”
Just what every mechanic wants, somebody who knows next to nothing about how a car works (99% of car owners who use a mechanic) looking over their shoulder and asking questions. Great idea Audi.
My sentiments exactly.
the list is endless:
“why are you taking that off”
“what’s that?”
“did that really need to be replaced”
“are you done yet”
“how come you guys are going to lunch in my car”
and on and on….
I hope they shut that thing down at bathroom breaks.
Give it to a 4-yr old…
Was dis fing?
Was dis fing?
Why?
Hello?
Why?
Why?
Hello?
Why?
Why?
I would think this would drive the techs crazy. I would prefer that the tech do the job minus any interruption from me.
It does seem rediculous, but then again when I have people do work on my house, I sometimes check in and watch for a little while and sometimes ask a bunch of questions.
Kinda reminds me of how I got to watch my own colonoscopy – which I enjoyed without sedation, since I needed to drive home and lecture the same afternoon.
You enjoyed it? TMI
Hahaha +1
Mikey,
Look at his name. Question answered.
The customer ultimately pays for all this or, rather, doesn’t and goes to an indi.
“will enable Audi customers to view in ‘real time’, and communicate with, technicians as they carry out diagnosis and repair work.”
Since Audis seem to spend a lot of time with technicians carrying out diagnosis and repair work , this sounds like a cracking idea.
I guess they do this when u’re paying the tab, not when its done under Warranty.
As it can really stretch out a 1/2 hr oil change job to 3 x the time.
Is a swell idea as one can see what wong with your own car.
To me visually recorded the whole process will be adequate, not sure if I really want to ask Q. when he needs to concentrate on his job.
Wow… if you thought there were a lot of suicides at the Foxconn factory, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
I would have loved to have this when my former ’01 A6 Avant was in the shop a year or so ago and the dealer told me I needed 2 new catalytic converters and 3 O2 sensors ($3k+) … even though one of the cats had been replaced by my longtime trusted indep. shop just the week before!
Typical dealership shotgunning expensive parts all over instead of actually diagnosing which component(s) were failed. Took it back to my friend’s shop (it was at the dealer for an ECU reflash that we thought might fix the problems) and he confirmed that only one of the 3 O2 sensors the dealer mentioned were bad (it had tested fine the week before, no codes), and the one-week old cat was fine, though the other one had just given it up at the flex pipe (the preferred failure mode for that car apparently)… he had me out of there for less than 1/3 of what the dealer wanted to charge.
So though I’d hate someone looking over my shoulder, I would love to be able to see what they are actually doing — and NOT doing — for the huge bill they would inevitably present to me.
The big deal for em anyway, is the question part. I see no problem with a customer being able to see what the technician is doing; however, asking questions? Definitely not a good idea.
Mixed bag here. I think a customer spooking the wrench in “real time” would not be such a good thing…wasted time, idle chatter, etc. BUT, considering your typical stealership charges what, $120/hour or more, a little more transparency might be a good thing. I just don’t think this is the way to achieve that goal, though. Your average customer really has no idea how their modern car works, so a shop could be viewed changing out a part but the viewer really has no way of knowing if it was defective or not.
How is the customer going to feel when he’s charged 1hr labor time for changing a sensor in 2 minutes and gets to see it all for himself?
That looks like a pain in the ass to wear. Two way communication? All they would hear on my end is a series of expletives about how Audi/VW have to over complicate everything. So I can’t do something as simple as change the oil or check the air filter without jumping through flaming hoops.
I even know what he is saying.
This rear tire has 2/32 less tread than the other three so because it’s a quattro it would be best to replace all four.
Think of the safety of the children! And it certainly wouldn’t be safe for you to drive your car before these are replaced. That will be $$$$.
Have a nice day!
Two words: Battery problem.
Want to know who thinks this stuff up? People who don’t work on cars, that’s who. The two way radio link takes the cake.
I wonder how much of this is really about Audi tightening the reins on their personnel. Very likely they are going to archive all that stuff, and if there is a dispute, they can either prove that they did due diligence, or if not they can go after the tech who bungled the job.
It would be nice to have this in my VW dealer.
Maybe this way I could have prevented them from using the wrong type of oil in my engine.