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| Barry Member Since: 26 Apr 2011 Location: North East Posts: 137  
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Oh I also wanted to say , well done for coming on here , brave move ...
For my sins I also have a Swift Caravan and they have taken it one step further and created a forum of their own and deal with the public on that forum , some is just technical help others customer problems , brave move and I respect them for it , it will have a baring on the brand of my next van. 2011 Defender XS 110 Station Wagon - Rejected 2008 Discovery 3 XS Auto (Gone) 1997 Discovery ES Auto 300TDI (Traded in on a flat bed) |
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11th Jun 2011 8:10pm |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5035 
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I will add - i know the chief parts guy at the stratstone i used and he was fantastic.
But like i said - i have 1/2 or 3 examples of each of my headings, involving 2/3 stratstone dealers. Guy Salmon is the way forward Mike |
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12th Jun 2011 8:56am |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8581
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I was about to buy a 1 year old 90 from Salmons in Leeds What a bunch of idiots! Sales people upstairs did NOT understand basic difference between models/engines. We are in the Discovery/Range Rover market SIR! Agreed price on a 90. Oh we can beat any finance deal you can arrange Sir! Oh yes! Their finance director/manager REFUSED to quote APR. As far as I know that is completely illegal. REFUSED to let me take away a copy of agreement to read at my leisure. OK not illegal, but not exactly good customer relationship. As I walked out I told the sales guy that the finance idiot had just lost him the sale (i.e.. his commission!) He was gob smacked! Brendan |
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12th Jun 2011 9:13am |
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| pom Member Since: 01 Jun 2010 Location: Worcester Posts: 1343 |
a -1 for guy salmon as well. out and out liars and warranty scammers. At least stratford branch.
Tried to tell me that a failed fuel filler cap on my d3 (wouldn't open so couldn't add fuel)was not covered by LR extended warranty. The service desk chimp quoted 'i have checked with our landrover warranty checker and he is 100% it is not covered'. Picked up his deskphone called LR on speaker who confirmed that was rubbish and of course it was covered. Quite amusing to be proved a liar on speakerphone with other customers listening and thinking what the hell ? Pom |
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12th Jun 2011 9:23am |
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| pom Member Since: 01 Jun 2010 Location: Worcester Posts: 1343 |
He would be on very sticky ground there, FSA would pick him clean. Guessing he would deny it if questioned though. Which would just confirm your correct opinion of him. Pom |
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12th Jun 2011 9:25am |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Guy Salmon in Crawley were hopeless, couldn't get through to the right people, never got back to me after repeated requests. Reception and boss seem to be taking on sales at one point
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12th Jun 2011 9:33am |
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| mse Member Since: 06 Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 5035
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Guy Salmon in stratford and coventry are very good - both on the Range Rover and Defender. Warranty work, parts and sales done from there - great service. Anyone who knows the new TDV6, knows it uses special oil - they gave me some for free as you cant buy it. The one in Coventry did some work on the defender FOC outside of any warranty claim because "I can see it needs to be done, Land Rover can be funny with this, so as its here ill just fix it" thats service. On
Thats nothing uncommon - Stratstone tried to do that to me, so did a friend who bought a Honda and another toyota. Stratstone also tried to convince me the flat rate was the APR! I cant recall Guy Salmon telling me the apr on the sport - but then i didnt get a retail deal 
Guy Salmon also did a number of other things...at services they often are the cheapest and throw something in - had LR sweets, gear, vouchers etc etc as a returning customer. Maybe its the difference between Range Rover and Land Rover - or Employee and jo public Even employee's get poor service at Stratstone So the -2 on guy salmon ill +4 to cancel it out  Mike |
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12th Jun 2011 9:43am |
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| Ads90 Member Since: 16 Jun 2008 Location: Cots-on-the-Wolds Posts: 809 
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Another -1 for Guy Salmon of Stratford here, for being the most incompetent dealer I've had the misfortune of spending time & money with (on servicing & warranty repairs).
I appreciate staff change though, my experience was a year ago. But I wouldn't risk going back. |
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12th Jun 2011 10:41am |
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| JASPERTHEHORSE Member Since: 29 Apr 2011 Location: Durham Posts: 49 
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12th Jun 2011 4:07pm |
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| JASPERTHEHORSE Member Since: 29 Apr 2011 Location: Durham Posts: 49
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Interestingly Barry,
weve now introduced a seperate CSI survey on top of the Land Rover one for both sales and aftersales customers and the issues weve had since introduction have been nipped very much in the bud and weve seen our level of dissatisfaction drop dramatically. Strikes me that it all goes wrong when communications break down and way to many people get involved leaving customers confused and who actually is dealing with their issues and concerns. Personally for me on the sales side, once one of my lads gets even a whiff of a complaint its taken off them immediately and me or the DP jump in instantly to take over. Reading some poor folks posts here makes a mockery of customer service. I notice so many similar threads along the lines of sales staff not being interested unless its Range Rover product thats on the table. Certainly not in my dealership folks, we would go pop very quickly if all we relied on was selling range rover. Trust me when I say that theres not as many people as you may think who can splash £70k + on a car. Freelander 2 is by far and away our core product, closely followed by D4. unfortunately Defender is very much the thin end of the wedge. I dont think theres a soul on here would disagree when I say that unless "you get" Defender then theres many other more modern product out there on the marketplace. We probably sell an average of 2 defenders a month new. Hey! on the bright side lets just look forward to our retained values going sky high when project icon comes along and Defender gets cast to the history books. |
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12th Jun 2011 4:21pm |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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Interesting when you say unless "you get" the product then there's many more modern products out there in the market place!
The problem is that some staff don't get it, as they don't know the product and don't realise what it is capable of compared to other modern products. You don't have to "get it" they just need product knowledge! It's the reason the Defender has been in production for so long and why they are having such difficulties coming up with it's replacement - again. It's simply far more versatile as a platform than any other vehicle. Many people just look at it and say it looks old but just don't realise what it can be turned into. The staff just need to actually pick up a brochure and read it or if they like pretty pictures look at page 39 and the 19 pictures demonstrating the various uses of a Defender that a Nissan, Toyota etc just aren't capable of doing. The enduring capability of the Defender having a separate chassis (that you can bolt cherry pickers, flat beds, cranes, drills, refrigerator containers onto etc and have a choice of 3 different wheel base lengths to suit your needs) is simply not available from other manufacturers. I am lucky as the staff in Edenbridge DO understand the product and are enthusiasts themselves. They are in a rural area and the two main staff members I have dealt with so far own Defenders themselves (one has 3 the other one!) Last edited by Zagato on 12th Jun 2011 5:08pm. Edited 2 times in total |
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12th Jun 2011 4:50pm |
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| JASPERTHEHORSE Member Since: 29 Apr 2011 Location: Durham Posts: 49
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So, so true.
Interestingly, all sales staff have to attend a 3 day "product immersion course" with Land Rover within a short period of time on starting with the company. Regrettably whilst you can teach knowledge you cant teach passion though. Believe me when I say, It would be a dream to have a full team of true enthusiasts working as a sales team for you. Im lucky, Ive got a real good set of lads who truly love and understand the product, myself included. When I was a sales exec I was actually a Defender specialist, they can be very, very tricky things to spec up. I get a real kick out selling Defender, as Barry has pointed out earlier I have a true passion for the product. I just love the idea of converting the curious into owners and giving birth to a new Defender. Sadly it seems that this level of passion is sadly lacking in many dealerships around the UK.  |
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12th Jun 2011 5:06pm |
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| LR90XS2011 Member Since: 05 Apr 2011 Location: bickenhill Posts: 3641 
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I had a great salesman call Richard Gibbons at Stratstone Solihull, was/is a defender entusiast and owns a few himself, cant say I have any experience of aftersales yet except when the clock was changed as Im only upto 1200 miles so far in 2 and 1/2 months DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,
I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy |
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12th Jun 2011 5:17pm |
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| Barry Member Since: 26 Apr 2011 Location: North East Posts: 137
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Hi Tony , No Problem , I can safely say it was a very different experience this time around at Newcastle , I tried to buy a Defender 3 years ago from Newcastle , I had reservations about buying a defender and the Team then managed to fuel them to the point of putting me off , when I finally went in to buy my D3 the salesman had been sent out on a job of some sort despite having an appointment with me , the snotty sales manager ( not you ) took over , having gone through everything again with him he continued to get under my skin to the point that I walked out went to Durham and bought it there. Great guy in Durham BTW. During my limited time on this forum I have found the guys on here to be very straight forward , very knowledgable and very helpful and I cant think of another reason other than their love for the product , I think you can easily fall into the trap of thinking there are different types of owners for each product ie. A different type of owner has a RR than a Defender and these are looking for a different type of service , I don't think that is true more different types of owners that could own any of the landrover products , some that want to hand over there vehicle and others who would like to share the responsibility and be a little more involved as it is much more than a car. I think to approach aftersales with a one shoe fits all approach will leave Stratstone with alot of customers with the same size feet. Just my views and I speak as I find in terms of the people on the forum , I do hope I have not offended anyone. Cheers Barry. 2011 Defender XS 110 Station Wagon - Rejected 2008 Discovery 3 XS Auto (Gone) 1997 Discovery ES Auto 300TDI (Traded in on a flat bed) |
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12th Jun 2011 6:01pm |
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