BMW Welcome to customer information. How can I help you today?
Mktg Hi, I've seen something about the BMW 'Gold car' promotion. Do you know about it?
BMW The gold car?
Mktg Yes. I saw something in the paper about BMW wanting to promote the fact that it's a sponsor of the Olympics, and there's the opportunity to win tickets but also to win a car for a year. You've got to take pictures of yourself with a car and I wanted to ask some questions about it.
BMW OK, bear with me. I'll find out who you need to speak to.
(Mktg is put on hold.)
BMW Hello, thanks so much for holding for me. So I have information on the BMW Golden campaign, where you take a picture and you can win tickets for the Olympics – not a car.
Mktg Really? I thought you were supposed to find a car and take pictures with it, then the winner gets a car for a year.
BMW No, if you see a gold car, you take a picture of it, upload it to the website, and can win a pair of tickets for the Olympics – it's a pair each day for 70 days.
Mktg I [had] the impression there was an overall winner.
BMW I've got the bulletin here, it doesn't mention anything about winning a car for a year.
Mktg That's a bit misleading.
BMW It says... [call-handler reads directly from the release detailing the campaign].
Mktg Oh, I was going to ask about the car, but I guess you don't get to win one.
BMW No, you don't I'm afraid, it's just tickets for the Olympics. Oh yes, sorry – it does say at the bottom here: 'One lucky winner will win the chance to drive a BMW for a year.'
Mktg Do you know if you win one of the gold cars?
BMW Let me look it up... OK, the prize includes one of four models from our Olympic fleet. It'll be one of the Olympic cars.
Mktg That's pretty cool.
BMW I know one of the 3 Series is an Olympic car, and the Mini-E, but I don't know whether you would be able to use that as it's an electric car and they can only be used in specific areas. It doesn't say which cars it includes, but they are all brand new cars.
Mktg OK, thanks for the help.
BMW It's quite alright, thanks very much for your call today.
VERDICT: 7 out of 10
Although the call took 11 minutes in total, and the call-handler was at first unaware of the project, she was quick to adapt to the query and used all possible resources to answer it. She was thorough enough in her research to be able to get to the bottom of the question in hand.