German premium automaker BMW is stepping up its efforts to enhance customer satisfaction with its aftersales services in the increasingly competitive Chinese market.

Among these efforts is the biennial BMW and MINI National Aftersales Competition of Excellence, which concluded this year on Thursday in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Organized by the BMW China Training Academy, the event is designed to improve the skills of aftersales staff, inspire their passion for work and encourage them to share their experiences with each other to enhance customer satisfaction and trust in the BMW and MINI brands.

Clifford Kang, vice-president of BMW Brilliance Automotive, responsible for aftersales, said: "We have a customer-centric philosophy that is based on service quality and features 'value, convenience and care', so that we have won trust from our customers."

The automaker said the event, which covered tasks in 11 aftersales positions, attracted over 20,000 people from 585 dealerships to enroll when it started in May and 279 survived several rounds of exams to compete as finalists.

The competition was composed of two parts - knowledge and skills.

As most of the participants were young people, the organizer designed a gaming-based test in the form of an online driving journey from Beijing to Munich, Germany, during which they were required to finish six stages of learning comprised of 652 mini-tasks.

The skill test was focused on their ability to solve problems with the vehicles, which required the contestants to pin down and fix the issues in accordance with strict BMW and MINI standards and procedures.

Finally 13 prizes were awarded to the winners . The organizer also presented special prizes to 37 dealership representatives who have worked for more than 15 years in BMW and MINI's aftersales services in honor of their long-term dedication and outstanding work.

The event is more than a competition, said Kang. He said in addition to improving the service capabilities of aftersales staff, it helps to bolster their enthusiasm and encourages them to take pride in their work, all of which contribute to customer satisfaction.

The carmaker said BMW and MINI have kept an industry-leading position in aftersales services, based on the two brands' customer-oriented philosophy and pursuit of perfection.

BMW is one of the first automakers to establish a training academy in China. It now has four Chinese training centers - in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an - and 15 training bases in the country. Combined they offer 600,000 man-days of aftersales training a year.

After 13 years of development, the academy has a new strategic goal, to transform itself from being a training provider into a provider that offers a platform to support the comprehensive growth of employees, said Kang.

"We are convinced that the only way to achieve win-win results for BMW and its dealers is to offer a continuous supply of talents to them and to sharpen the brand's competitive edge with these talents," he said.

Despite its leading position, BMW is not resting on laurels. Instead, it watches closely how customer demands are changing, so it can react quickly to them.

For instance, it has been working on digitalization. Among other services, it offers online appointments to ensure customers' vehicles are serviced as soon as possible.

Customers who have made a reservation online can have their vehicles' lubricant oil checked and refilled in less than one hour, according to Kang. It is also stepping up efforts to offer convenience for customers whose cars are being serviced.

It is offering more than 3,800 vehicles to provide customers with mobility services. So far, the vehicles have served more than 138,000 car owners. The carmaker also provides vehicle pickup and drop-off services in the country.

"Only when we make service a core pillar of development, can we see enhanced customer satisfaction and therefore grow together with our dealer partners," said Kang.