Going the extra mile – update on my vain attempt to buy a new car
9 Oct 2009
Continuing the saga from my previous newsletter and BLOG at http://www.bruceking.co.uk/development/blog/index.asp
You’ll recall in a previous newsletter my failed attempt to test drive and buy a Fiat 500. After a week or so of getting over the stress of that episode, I decided to have a go at test driving and buying a Mini. Oh dear me – another disaster!
I telephoned Scotthall at Sterling Corner – main Mini dealers. I telephoned them on Thursday, spoke to a young lady called Claire who said she’s be delighted to take me on a test drive and we booked that for the following Saturday at 2 pm. I arrived with my wife a few minutes beforehand – I’m always on time for appointments with my clients and extend the same courtesy to people I’m buying from.
At 2.15 the receptionist informed me that Claire was off today but someone else would take me on a test drive. She apologised for the delay and said it would be 15 minutes or more before someone could assist me. I asked what ‘more meant’. Was it another 15 minutes or could it be an hour or more. Her response was to shrug her shoulders and tell me she had no idea.
I wanted to leave but my wife, being far more patient than I, insisted we wait. Who was I to argue with Mrs. King?!
We finally got into the test drive vehicle at 2.40 pm. I had several questions for the salesman who accompanied us but he was unable to answer them. He’d been borrowed from the BMW dealer next door and knew nothing about the Mini.
Not a bad drive, so when we got back to the showroom I wanted my questions answered. The gut who accompanied us said he would get the Mini Brand Manager, a guy called Shaun Cadogan to speak with us right away and answer our questions. Guess what – Shaun was busy!
We waited another fifteen minutes by which time steam was coming out of my ears. I told the receptionist I would not wait any longer, gave her my card and asked her to get Shaun to call me that afternoon. She promised he would.
At the time of writing this section of my newsletter which is the following Thursday morning, I have not heard from either Shaun, or Claire with whom I booked the test drive.
Would I recommend Scotthall? Did they go the extra mile – or even 100 yards? Will I be buying a Mini from them? I think you know the answer to those questions.
Not that I’d consider buying one, but I wonder if I’d get any better service from a Bentley dealer?
On a more positive note…
I was shopping in Tesco the other day and couldn’t find the Brussels Sprouts. I asked an assistant where I might find them and they stopped what they were doing and walked me down to where they were located.
Did they go the extra mile? Well it wasn’t a mile, just about 25 yards. But in my book, that was an extra 5 miles! Isn’t it amazing that I could get better service when spending £1.25 than when I wanted to spend £15,000!
Well done Tesco!!!!
How do you score on ‘the extra mile?’