That STEVENS campaigns passionately for biking cycling isn’t news. STEVENS bikes are sold in 34 countries all over the world, in almost as many countries teams are supported.
From mass sports to the very special STEVENS Dealer Sponsoring Programme to the professional elite, STEVENS is always leading the field.
But environmental projects like “Stadtradeln” (city biking) or development aid projects like the “Tour du Faso” are supported passionately and competently as well.
STEVENS is taking on even more social responsibility – together with the VSF.
The VSF is an independent industry association committed to traffic policy and environmental concerns that claims 285 bicyle dealerships, manufacturers, service companies and non-material projects as members.
Service and quality are in the focus of its work. That is not the only thing that STEVENS and the VSF have in common.
VSF veteran Albert Herresthal, one of the most distinguished experts on the German biking scene and first among the VSF dealers: “We welcome STEVENS to the circle of the passive members and are happy about the fast and well-founded decision to take part. On the last annual meeting, many dealers suggested that we talk to STEVENS and strengthen their engagement. After all, many established VSF dealers are longstanding STEVENS dealers as well.
The dealers’ vote in the VSF supplier feedbacks is perfectly clear. STEVENS gets outstanding marks in product quality and is, for many of our dealers, the ‘most important brand in their product line’. Furthermore, they have an excellent reputation for the quality of their customer care. That, combined with the premium quality production in Germany, is almost a unique selling point. In this respect, STEVENS is a perfect match to the VSF and our core values.”
The VSF is a recognized non-profit association that promotes job training and further education, develops concepts for better products and lobbies pro bike – another similarity, because STEVENS, too, not only promotes sport but also the bike per se. A significant number of the 500 STEVENS dealers are members of the VSF, which in the end moved us to apply for the passive VSF membership. Because the VSF is honest, transparent and an important ‘currency’ in the bicycle world.
Your assessment, please
The VSF annually assesses the country’s bicycle brands.
In this VSF dealer ranking, the qualities of the suppliers are laid open honestly and thoroughly. STEVENS achieved the best mark of 1.2 (in 2011 it was 1.4) in the category “Importance in the product range”.
STEVENS also achieved the best rank of all brands in “Trade margin”. (Mark 2.0 as in 2011)
In quality and pre-assembly, STEVENS made the top five with marks of 1.6 and 1.7 respectively. STEVENS also improved their marks for “Accessibility”. (From a 1.7 in 2011 to a 1.5)
And STEVENS also improved its customer appeal (Mark 1.6, up from 1.7). STEVENS’ quality of delivery was ranked better by the dealers than in the preceding year. (Mark 2.26 in 2011, 2.13 in 2012)
STEVENS thanks the VSF dealers for their trust and the good marks. This is also motivation for us to further improve our dealer support and to work on our future innovative range.
We speak to our STEVENS dealers on an equal footing and take them seriously. We are loyal to specialist retailers and work with territorial protection. We explicitly don’t support online and mail order offers. That is not always easy in our modern, fast paced times, it is not the ‘convenient way’, but it is our way. And we are staying true to that.
Volker Dohrmann, Brand and Marketing Manager of the Hamburg manufacturer: “We know the VSF dealers from many meetings, seminars and from day-to-day work. When I visit a retailer, I feel if I am working with a VSF member after a short time. Bicycle knowledge, experience and lifeblood is lived here. The discussions with Albert Herresthal were therefore marked by a high measure of consensus and progress: We want to move things for the bike and the bicycle market together.”
Albert Herresthal on presenting the good marks to STEVENS: “I am under the favourable impression that we are speaking the same language and think in the same direction in many respects.”
We were almost as happy about this statement as we were about the very good marks by the VSF dealers.
