Garage to close...
Discussion
On a very sad note 
in Reading I hear are going to close their doors for good!
What will customers do? They will go somewhere else and get their car serviced and now get treated like a customer should with another dealer hopefully!
Just think take you car into somewhere and not have any damage on it when you get it back or have to get the car valeted where the muppet who serviced it left grease on the seats!
Not have to re wash your car because of the Crap service wash you had when you collected it.
Not have to remind them to stamp the service book,Not have to book the car in again to have warranty work done again because the parts were wrong.
No more taking six months to get warranty issues done..
Sales dept that really don't know what call the customer back means!(Sometimes never)
Not knowing that leather wrap dash on a 08MY is a £2,600 option and is not standard i.e the bit in centre console (So you have to refund deposits!)
Knowing that a 07 has not got the 6.2 V8 in the car!
Le Mans blue is not the only colour you can have a C6 in.
When customers phone and want to look at cars telling them you have a car for sale only to find out being on a test drive means at the Birmingham branch for a few days!
Takeing forever to pick up the phone saying who you are and overhearing I don't want to talk to him right now I will phone him after 2Pm (one week later!)
Yep they will be missed...... I bet Customer complaints drop to in few weeks..
Please no naming and shaming in the forums http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/rules.htm
in Reading I hear are going to close their doors for good!What will customers do? They will go somewhere else and get their car serviced and now get treated like a customer should with another dealer hopefully!
Just think take you car into somewhere and not have any damage on it when you get it back or have to get the car valeted where the muppet who serviced it left grease on the seats!
Not have to re wash your car because of the Crap service wash you had when you collected it.
Not have to remind them to stamp the service book,Not have to book the car in again to have warranty work done again because the parts were wrong.
No more taking six months to get warranty issues done..
Sales dept that really don't know what call the customer back means!(Sometimes never)
Not knowing that leather wrap dash on a 08MY is a £2,600 option and is not standard i.e the bit in centre console (So you have to refund deposits!)
Knowing that a 07 has not got the 6.2 V8 in the car!
Le Mans blue is not the only colour you can have a C6 in.
When customers phone and want to look at cars telling them you have a car for sale only to find out being on a test drive means at the Birmingham branch for a few days!
Takeing forever to pick up the phone saying who you are and overhearing I don't want to talk to him right now I will phone him after 2Pm (one week later!)
Yep they will be missed...... I bet Customer complaints drop to in few weeks..
Please no naming and shaming in the forums http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/rules.htm
Edited by Ballistic Banana on Sunday 2nd November 22:51
Spoken from somebody who never spent over 45k on a new car and the had to deal with what was meant to be the Number Corvette centre in the south for Customers.
While the weather still nice take a trip down to Reading. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
While the weather still nice take a trip down to Reading. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
Vet Guru said:
Spoken from somebody who never spent over 45k on a new car and the had to deal with what was meant to be the Number Corvette centre in the south for Customers.
While the weather still nice take a trip down to them. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
IMO That reads as tad harsh as a response to a simple question..While the weather still nice take a trip down to them. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
I for one will not shed a tear when they closes, after the nightmare we had with the purchase of my wifes Calibre which took 5 months post purchase to settle they don't deserve to be in the motor trade let alone handling Corvette's..
Edited by Ballistic Banana on Sunday 2nd November 22:51
Strange as it may seem, They are not actually shutting because of the Cadillac/Corvette dealership, but because of the Volvo part of the business.
There was a point just over a year ago when they had slowly been getting to grips with running a half decent dealership, and was making a profit, but even then was under resourced and only had one person in the sales team who was geniuinely interested in the product that they were pedalling, and he had his head buried behind the scenes with paperwork and fire fighting inherited issues.
It's a shame because Pendragon actually spent some money at this site and it had the potential to do well.
Wavendon is now the closest official service centre for the South [in reality this has always been the case though!]
There was a point just over a year ago when they had slowly been getting to grips with running a half decent dealership, and was making a profit, but even then was under resourced and only had one person in the sales team who was geniuinely interested in the product that they were pedalling, and he had his head buried behind the scenes with paperwork and fire fighting inherited issues.
It's a shame because Pendragon actually spent some money at this site and it had the potential to do well.
Wavendon is now the closest official service centre for the South [in reality this has always been the case though!]
Edited by Ballistic Banana on Sunday 2nd November 22:53
So they are going the way of Luton,Derby,Cardiff,Swansea,Manchester,Leeds which leaves Edinburgh,Birmingham, and Park Lane.
We should run a book on who's next.
In July 2007, Stratstone closed Corvette and Cadillac in Leeds which upset me greatly because I was running it.
Leeds was profitable and growing.
I did manage to find jobs for all my team members within Pendragon but, as with Reading, it was something which could have been avoided, and the impact to the credibility of the brand and the well being of the employees was, as is the norm with Stratstone, ignored.
Right now I feel for the Reading team and wish them well.
Looking back, leaving Pendragon felt like getting out of jail.
We should run a book on who's next.
In July 2007, Stratstone closed Corvette and Cadillac in Leeds which upset me greatly because I was running it.
Leeds was profitable and growing.
I did manage to find jobs for all my team members within Pendragon but, as with Reading, it was something which could have been avoided, and the impact to the credibility of the brand and the well being of the employees was, as is the norm with Stratstone, ignored.
Right now I feel for the Reading team and wish them well.
Looking back, leaving Pendragon felt like getting out of jail.
Edited by Ballistic Banana on Sunday 2nd November 22:54
If they were bothed about the brand at all they should already be opening another site in the south but to me it looks like Shutting Volvo takes care of Corvette/Cadillac after all the money spent on what was meant to be a flagahip showroom in the south, It shows you can't polish a turd!
I would love to have a dealership local that would sell these products but sadly they don't seem bothered. It is a real shame because it had a chance for a while and was a nice showroom.
Looks like Ian Goss services better order some more oil and filters!
I would love to have a dealership local that would sell these products but sadly they don't seem bothered. It is a real shame because it had a chance for a while and was a nice showroom.
Looks like Ian Goss services better order some more oil and filters!
Edited by Ballistic Banana on Sunday 2nd November 22:55
David,
You've made no mention of Newcastle...
Or the Croydon site that got to the point of having the windows sign written and having brochures in the showroom (but no cars).
Or the Walton on Thames site that is still empty (and still owned by Pendragon) two years later. I emplyed someone who ultimately was meant to go to Walton - he's now running a [very nice] pub in the Cotswolds.
If you need a Corvette friendly stop in Gloucestershire you could do far worse than going to see Louis at The Royal Oak in North Woodchester.
I dropped in for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago and found out where my Corvette pen had gone - It's in his booking diary on the bar!
You've made no mention of Newcastle...
Or the Croydon site that got to the point of having the windows sign written and having brochures in the showroom (but no cars).
Or the Walton on Thames site that is still empty (and still owned by Pendragon) two years later. I emplyed someone who ultimately was meant to go to Walton - he's now running a [very nice] pub in the Cotswolds.
If you need a Corvette friendly stop in Gloucestershire you could do far worse than going to see Louis at The Royal Oak in North Woodchester.
I dropped in for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago and found out where my Corvette pen had gone - It's in his booking diary on the bar!
JimexPL said:
David,
You've made no mention of Newcastle...
Or the Croydon site that got to the point of having the windows sign written and having brochures in the showroom (but no cars).
Or the Walton on Thames site that is still empty (and still owned by Pendragon) two years later. I emplyed someone who ultimately was meant to go to Walton - he's now running a [very nice] pub in the Cotswolds.
If you need a Corvette friendly stop in Gloucestershire you could do far worse than going to see Louis at The Royal Oak in North Woodchester.
I dropped in for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago and found out where my Corvette pen had gone - It's in his booking diary on the bar!
Ooops sorry Newcastle. I seem to overlook it since Julian and Richard left. You've made no mention of Newcastle...
Or the Croydon site that got to the point of having the windows sign written and having brochures in the showroom (but no cars).
Or the Walton on Thames site that is still empty (and still owned by Pendragon) two years later. I emplyed someone who ultimately was meant to go to Walton - he's now running a [very nice] pub in the Cotswolds.
If you need a Corvette friendly stop in Gloucestershire you could do far worse than going to see Louis at The Royal Oak in North Woodchester.
I dropped in for Sunday lunch a couple of weeks ago and found out where my Corvette pen had gone - It's in his booking diary on the bar!
I think the point here, and this is without prejudice, wether you've spent 10 quid on part or 45k on a car if your supplier/service lets you down then it's a poor show. We still have a ZR-1 owner that is a lot more than £1,000 out of pocket over a rear end rebuild, and has a valid grievance over the service supplied. How is the Stratstone experience any different from IG ?
Like I say this is without bad feeling, it's how I feel about the situation concerning another vette owner. When things go wrong and the business handles the issues poorly you certainly learn how good that particular company really is, this issue has been left to bubble under and bring negative feeling IMO.
As you were.
Like I say this is without bad feeling, it's how I feel about the situation concerning another vette owner. When things go wrong and the business handles the issues poorly you certainly learn how good that particular company really is, this issue has been left to bubble under and bring negative feeling IMO.
As you were.
Vet Guru said:
Spoken from somebody who never spent over 45k on a new car and the had to deal with what was meant to be the Number Corvette centre in the south for Customers.
While the weather still nice take a trip down to Reading. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
Actually, I was making the point that it has tended to be a point of policy of the forums we're on that directly criticising companies has been a bit of a no no publicly, and much has been written on the subject on the CCCUK website. I quite understand your viewpoint and don't hold any issue with that or what you have written, it was merely surprise that this is now seen as okay, as I know there are others out there that would counter some of the otherwise positive sayings about other suppliers.While the weather still nice take a trip down to Reading. If somebody is useless in the Corvette world you would like that information kept quite? If somebody gives a good service I am just as quick to let everyone know as well?
Anyway I am sure I am not the only one who may be happy about this news....
Since we are talking about my personal situation, you are correct, I've never spent £45k on a new car. In fact, I think if I added all the cars I'd bought since getting my driving licence, I think the total would still be under this amount.
As for talking about service, or taking a trip to Reading, I won't be doing this. I only buy parts and 99.9% of car work I need doing gets done by my own (or with the help of friends) hands, so I am not qualified to comment on dealer service in any way shape or form, and I intend to carry on working like that.
I do know of some good people in Corvette circles (suppliers and specialists) that I know can get me things,and offer good service, advice and more, and will recommend them to others as necessary.
I hope you are not still offended by my post.
franv8 no problems and thanks for the reply. I think when you care about a product like we do, When you see it being dragged down by a company that has no intrest in the customer who even selling the product it makes me mad! 
My point about the price of the car is meant to point out the fact that you pay top money and you would like a top service. Sadly this did not happen with Reading.
I have bought a fiesta and had better aftersales! The other point is to say it never use to be like this at the Start of Stratstones opening up Park Lane was excellent salesman like Lee buick and James helped the brand and If they were their now I would have gone back. I know what you mean by bad mouthing somebody on a forum but just look at the loads of unhappy customers on the other topics about Strats and you will see that people just want something done to make things better for the product we all care about.
My point about the price of the car is meant to point out the fact that you pay top money and you would like a top service. Sadly this did not happen with Reading. I have bought a fiesta and had better aftersales! The other point is to say it never use to be like this at the Start of Stratstones opening up Park Lane was excellent salesman like Lee buick and James helped the brand and If they were their now I would have gone back. I know what you mean by bad mouthing somebody on a forum but just look at the loads of unhappy customers on the other topics about Strats and you will see that people just want something done to make things better for the product we all care about.
Understand where you are coming from Vet Guru. Unfortunately from experience and in the time I've been into American cars all sorts of 'businesman' creep under the umbrella of our favourite pass-time to take our money, and it's so easy when you are dealing with someone's passionate interest. Like I've always said - now and then things do go wrong, but if the business made an attempt to put things right one could get over any issue and move on.
So, are there any options other than Wavendon for those of us in the South? (i.e. places that can do warranty work and put an "official" stamp in the service book) Taking a daily driver to the Midlands for a service isn't really a viable option... Are Park Lane really going to expect their customers to get their cars serviced in Wavendon?
haven't we been here before about 5-6 years ago? GM come to the UK make a half ass ed attempt to sell a splendid car made up for only by the enthusiasm of a few salesman. Then offer quite frankly s:censorred:t after sales service for a few years before shutting the whole thing down leaving BM as the only place to get warranty work, no doubt if GM survive the next 12 months they will be making plans to do exactly the same for the C7
Edited by ViperDave on Monday 3rd November 08:11
GW65 said:
So, are there any options other than Wavendon for those of us in the South? (i.e. places that can do warranty work and put an "official" stamp in the service book) Taking a daily driver to the Midlands for a service isn't really a viable option... Are Park Lane really going to expect their customers to get their cars serviced in Wavendon?
Well no Wavendon is all that's left in our area for offical service work!I have to say Steve Talbot is a top guy and never had any problems with him shame that never made it to other areas in the company. He has always been very helpful and does the job with no problems. So I don't mind a trip if I get good service.
No signs of a credit crisis / closing down sale at Reading though. Their old, familiar adverts for the same familiar cars have re-appeared at the top of the Corvette classifieds on PH at exactly the same unrealistic prices that they have been hanging around at for the last 6 months to a year.
I wonder why they do not sell
I wonder why they do not sell
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