Landrover Dealership Parts Counter!?!

[PeteB]

Had to go to a local Landrover dealership for a part that I'm fed up wasting time trying to get used or from a breakers. Went to Inchcape in Derby, parked out front amongst the shiny stuff and went in. I was met with a reception desk which wasn't manned, walking past that was a posh seating area, cafe, desked area for customers to lounge and discuss things. The was a Service office with indoor drop off and collect point - very swish! The handover area was there to further massage the buying experience with your car covered in a black, sheer fabric cover! I couldn't see a sign for a parts counter so grabbed a passing suit, it came with expensive shoes, haircut and aroma. "Scuse me, where is the parts counter?" He looked at me with a level of distate, I was in the GreenMech Ranger, complete with triaxle trailer with Evo205SureTrak and fit for a demo! I got directed to the side door to buzz and wait. I did.....I was let into a stock room with shelves, racks of special tools etc. The part ordered, later collected and it was reasonable too but the total absence of a counter or seating etc was bizarre! I was told that it is the new way with parts delivered by van or post with no-one coming to a counter. LR don't want oily people upsetting the buying experience !

[Bunzena]

Maurice Wilks will be spinning...

[difflock]

I took some delight in sampling the reasonable coffee and petit-fours all served on Thomas porclain at Agnews MB, when collecting bits for the Steyr Puch van  .  .  . while attired like Wurzel Gummidge, I must say the lovely young woman behind the desk was not in the least phased.

[monkeybusiness]

47 minutes ago, PeteB said:

Had to go to a local Landrover dealership for a part that I'm fed up wasting time trying to get used or from a breakers. Went to Inchcape in Derby, parked out front amongst the shiny stuff and went in. I was met with a reception desk which wasn't manned, walking past that was a posh seating area, cafe, desked area for customers to lounge and discuss things. The was a Service office with indoor drop off and collect point - very swish! The handover area was there to further massage the buying experience with your car covered in a black, sheer fabric cover! I couldn't see a sign for a parts counter so grabbed a passing suit, it came with expensive shoes, haircut and aroma. "Scuse me, where is the parts counter?" He looked at me with a level of distate, I was in the GreenMech Ranger, complete with triaxle trailer with Evo205SureTrak and fit for a demo! I got directed to the side door to buzz and wait. I did.....I was let into a stock room with shelves, racks of special tools etc. The part ordered, later collected and it was reasonable too but the total absence of a counter or seating etc was bizarre! I was told that it is the new way with parts delivered by van or post with no-one coming to a counter. LR don't want oily people upsetting the buying experience !

I’ve got a late old-shape Defender and was mail-shotted to have a ‘Post-covid oil change and vehicle check’ by the local main dealer for a reasonable price (!!!). They are constantly asking if I want to sell it back to them (as they are clearly in fashion at the moment). 

Wanting another dealer stamp in the service book (which doesn’t exist any more, it’s all on their online Topix system but I’m old-school so bought a book when it had its first service) I booked it in and also asked them to MOT it at the same time. 
Saturday morning comes around, I turn up in what is more like an airport than a garage - floor to ceiling (3 stories high!) glass separating the showroom/first-class-lounge-waiting-room from the massive undercover drop-off-pick-up handover area and in turn from the immaculate workshop. 
It took all morning and I could see them working on my car on two separate ramps through the glazed-both-sides parking area. 
Two things really stuck with me throughout the ‘experience’.

Firstly, an incredible number of Freelanders/Discovery Sports passed through the handover ‘palace’. I’m not sure if they were all being serviced or were being collected by buyers but more than 20 cars (and maybe more than 30) went across my vision whilst I drank 17 tasty lattes from their machine in 3 or so hours.
Secondly, the showroom (half Jaguar, half Land Rover) adjoined the waiting room, and there were endless hordes of immaculate salespeople constantly rushing around (far more populous than any potential customers walking in, the place was really quiet in that respect). The only vehicle in the showroom that caught my eye was the new Defender, and I spent ten minutes giving it a good looking at. It was pretty much the new version of mine - top spec working-man’s machine, and the price on the windscreen was £85000(!!!!).
Not one sales-creature talked to me at any point in the entire time I was in that place, and I’d even had a wash, was wearing clean clothes and had my friendly face on… I genuinely wanted info on the Defender, went looking for someone with info, and gave up in the end as I was clearly beneath all of them.

My new Hilux Invincible X is mint though!

[PeteB]

Some years back, a customer regailed me of the story of the RR Sport being released. He had been out in his existing 3yo RR and decided to bob in and have a look. He had seen to his pigs and birds, rubbed off a few logs then mended a tractor before going to the dealership. He circled the Sport in the show room, in combats, rigger boots, muck, dust and oil. He noticed a gaggle of well dressed sales sorts, they noticed him too. After another few laps of the car and opening doors etc, they hadn't moved so he approached them. "How much is the new Sport?", he asked. "Why? Do you think you can afford one?" was the response. "I paid you cash for the HSE last time and now I'm off to your neighbours who might appreciate the business!" He demurred and turn and strode out! He said that there was a sudden scraping of chair legs and a rush after him but he just put a hand up and told not to waste their time as they had missed their chance through arrogance!

[dig-dug-dan]

On 11/08/2022 at 22:45, PeteB said:

Some years back, a customer regailed me of the story of the RR Sport being released. He had been out in his existing 3yo RR and decided to bob in and have a look. He had seen to his pigs and birds, rubbed off a few logs then mended a tractor before going to the dealership. He circled the Sport in the show room, in combats, rigger boots, muck, dust and oil. He noticed a gaggle of well dressed sales sorts, they noticed him too. After another few laps of the car and opening doors etc, they hadn't moved so he approached them. "How much is the new Sport?", he asked. "Why? Do you think you can afford one?" was the response. "I paid you cash for the HSE last time and now I'm off to your neighbours who might appreciate the business!" He demurred and turn and strode out! He said that there was a sudden scraping of chair legs and a rush after him but he just put a hand up and told not to waste their time as they had missed their chance through arrogance!

Ha! Similar thing happend to me. Back in early 2000, I was I interested in buying a discovery, so when to the nearest dealer, during work hours, dressed in scruffy clothes. I looked around the showroom car, and approached the sales guy, who saw me, got up, walked past me and served the well to do people who came in after me.

I walked out, and went elsewhere and brought a pick up instead.

Amusingly, that salesmen ended up cleaning wheelie bins for a living not long after, so I guess justice served

[Retired Climber]

On 11/08/2022 at 22:45, PeteB said:

Some years back, a customer regailed me of the story of the RR Sport being released. He had been out in his existing 3yo RR and decided to bob in and have a look. He had seen to his pigs and birds, rubbed off a few logs then mended a tractor before going to the dealership. He circled the Sport in the show room, in combats, rigger boots, muck, dust and oil. He noticed a gaggle of well dressed sales sorts, they noticed him too. After another few laps of the car and opening doors etc, they hadn't moved so he approached them. "How much is the new Sport?", he asked. "Why? Do you think you can afford one?" was the response. "I paid you cash for the HSE last time and now I'm off to your neighbours who might appreciate the business!" He demurred and turn and strode out! He said that there was a sudden scraping of chair legs and a rush after him but he just put a hand up and told not to waste their time as they had missed their chance through arrogance!

Staff at a franchised main dealer actually said "Why? Do you think you can afford one?"?

I smell an embellishment in this story.😉

[PeteB]

37 minutes ago, Retired Climber said:

Staff at a franchised main dealer actually said "Why? Do you think you can afford one?"?

I smell an embellishment in this story.😉

I'd give you the blokes number, then you can ask him the story direct? It may be embellished by him but the Sport was from a dealer in the neighbouring county!

[Retired Climber]

1 minute ago, PeteB said:

I'd give you the blokes number, then you can ask him the story direct? It may be embellished by him but the Sport was from a dealer in the neighbouring county!

You see my point. Can you honestly imagine someone in a main dealer saying that? 

[PeteB]

7 minutes ago, Retired Climber said:

You see my point. Can you honestly imagine someone in a main dealer saying that? 

To be honest, I can. A scruffy, shaven headed, be stumbled bloke, smelling of pig muck, in riggers, combats and dirty shirt isn't the archetypal buyer of an expensive 4x4. As a salesman, you have to be assured that the buyer can afford your product?