Area 51

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Posts posted by Area 51

  1. Posted

    Welcome! Plenty of useful and friendly help here... I'd suggest going into the old posts with a warm drink and you will find loads of answers and knowledge FOC!

    Most topics are covered.. Good luck!

    • Like 1

  2. Posted

    9 minutes ago, twerp said:

    How many X-Trails Mk2 did you see on the road anyway? 

    Ignore, move on.

    Agreed.. the Nissan CEO has been in jail since before Xmas; he was bringing Renault and Nissan closer to common manufacturer (merger?) had been for years - from stuff I read some time ago. Seems the orientals decided they were too far down the "becoming one" route for their liking, CEO is accused of hiding bonuses.. Maybe Nissan are using this as another reason for switching build out of EU (UK)...

    Other reasons being

    downturn in SUV sales

    downturn in new car sales

    downturn in diesel sales

    Non are just a UK problem, its global

    EU did a trade deal with Japan in late 2018, be interesting to see if they eventually shafts the UK and Nissan presence here.. I dont think for a moment it will have been done in UK interests foremost in their minds

     

  4. Posted

    1 minute ago, NOACROSS said:

    I (honestly) had an email the other day the other day offering to pay six grand (cash mate whoo-hooo) on a ten grand Jag.

    i'd send them a link to a Jag for sale at £6k.... Some tossers & chancers out there, think everyone is as desperate as themselves... occupational hazard...

    Slightly off topic, the link being tosser... Saw a dealer in shorts (tight and high thigh) and trainers last Friday at BCA, just has his eyebrows done too... Lordy lordy.. its quiet but the phone is on, I'm off to Costco..  

  6. Posted

    1 minute ago, MrC said:

    Why do you feel the need to give a 3rd party warranty, I used to stick to the customers consumer rights, dont count on a 3rd party warranty to pull you out of the shit. 

    I'd a agree with this, just put something aside each sale to cover "silly billies"... ;)

     

  8. Posted

    2 hours ago, Stalker said:

    Im gonna kick off with this one,

     

    Sold a MK5 Mondeo to a regular customer, phoned up asking us to look at why the heated front windscreen wasn't working.

    Googled it first and found several people mentioning about battery not being charged up enough, so as soon as it came in i plugged it into the diagnostic machine and noticed that battery charge was at 45% and the battery was 1145 days old. Told it the car had a new battery installed (even though we didn't change it) and then the battery charge went immediately to 78% and the heated screen started working!

    I'm glad we go out mitts on it and not the main stealers, where no doubt it would have got:-

     

    2 Hours Diagnostic

    One New battery

    Software update

    £465 all in (guestimate) :unsure:

    I'd say with service like that you are better than the main stealers and will get some rewards from the billie spreading the good word what a decent chap you are on a chilly morning.. sh*t batteries seem to count for a lot nowadays.. dont get me "started" on low battery and stop starts...

     

  9. Posted

    2 hours ago, Nick M.K. said:

    +1. I went to a really good car dealer masterclass where one of the tips was to advertise SOLD vehicles. Called "The syndrom of the busy pub" in marketing (where you walk along a street of restaurants and you naturally want to go in the one which is full of customers or even has a queue to get in)

    Will have to think of another text: 

    Thank you, no longer available

    Thank you, found a great new home

    Thank you, you just missed out :-)

     

    Lessons from Nick, thanks for advice here plus the objective and positive view .. V.helpful... ;)

    33 minutes ago, EPV said:

    Because AT don’t want a load of sold adverts sitting around on their platform screwing up their data that they sell to gullable divs like me

    In a nutshell as always EPV... Data, we all need DATA...

     

  11. Posted

    33 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

    1)  Not worrying about what everyone else is doing.

    2)  Finding ones niche and earning good money out of it ;) 

    3)  Being adaptive to change.

    And them 3 are coming from me, who is an old dinosaur who can always see a problem with everything, and doesn't like change ;)

    Exactly Dave, then rinse and repeat!

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    1 hour ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    Yes, ahh, understand and I couldn’t agree more, I don’t always help myself... in fact I’m really stubborn sometimes if they are rude.....

    I never have the intention or would never knowingly put a customer in that position, but when they’re assumption is immediately it’s my fault and I knew..... it rattles me

    Remember being told "treat others how you would wish to be treated yourself".. Nothing wrong with this, just need to sniff out the mickey takers.. early on! Non the less, well done dealing with this one at such a distance and keeping the billie happy. He will be enjoying his motor this weekend and sleeping easy.. which is all part of the service we aim to deliver..

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    2 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    , it really makes all the difference to me when the customer is polite and reasonable, then I bend over backwards for them.

    Couldnt agree more, Customer service in a nutshell.. and I reckon this gets you a thousand kind words; once you could never finance!

    Awkward arses I need to stand in the corner and do three turns whilst biting my lip otherwise I can take the bait, not proud of it at all.. Its fatal and I regret it.. Good result.

  15. Posted

    50 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

    The E46 Turing BMW will be going home too after I've had my lunch ;)

    Clutch and DMF plus Steering Angle Sensor fault due to Wanker Garage setting Tracking with Steering Wheel pissed, plus 2 new Bonnet Catches that arrived today, and a minor repair from a bump, (number plate and 2 kidney grilles) with a few paint touch ins, but the same wanker Garage absolutely destroyed the bonnet Catches with a crowbar / chisel because the Cable had become dislodged !! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

    What type of Pikey uses a chisel FFS.... lemme guess, skirt wearing swivel eyed relative of Sturgeon from the hills... 

  16. Posted

    On 16/01/2019 at 7:15 AM, Arfur Dealy said:

    All fixed and done, customer happy again :) 

    Bazzin result here, one impressed billy and one happy Arfur... Good start too the weekend in my book.. Well done all here..

     

    9 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

    Hi, Left front Wheel Bearing, 4very deep salty corrosion pits on outer race and 1 on inner race, balls colouring up straw colour ;)

    I was surprised absolutely horrendous noise and harmonic at 30 mph, worse with speed but Driveshafts / CV's all perfect, it has had ABS Sensor and New Bearing, drives as lovely as they ever do now ;)

    Customer on way to collect it :D 

    RESULT! Nicely done here, another good one to end the week on.

     

  17. Posted

    2 hours ago, Dave2302 said:

    That would be far too sensible ;)

    Sent it off new 12mths off at end of November, still square of jack by way of a response.. Why they dont make the renewal auto and online is a another mystery... But then again.. Anything delivered by this government remains a mystery full stop.

  21. Posted

    24 minutes ago, tradex said:

    To me that proves the system has bad flaws, that they must match Mr average tester, I may if misunderstood something though. 

    Just experienced odd first hand. All my cars prepped before ticket so no silly fails. Picked car up with a pass sheet on seat......and a fail underneath for rear side AND stop light, hmm? 

    Think there will always be flaws to be honest, then throw in the odd pissy tester/self appointed savior of the billies and highways in the UK.. I cringe when I see advisory say, unable to inspect underside due protection being in place.. Utter plank who includes this or any other insignificant comments.. Need their biro sticking up their nose

  22. Posted

    Was at my local GRG this morning with three jobs for them on new arrivals, they had closed yesterday at 3pm so I missed them. The reason, annual refresher training for the three MOT Lads.. I was told they were shown their individual results vs national results as a test station and as testers! Looks like they are monitored back door to front now, frequency of failures/ares of failures.. head tester was showing as red and a warning, turns out as he performs the most tests - some 218 in the last 6mths of the 2018 so he gets the most results against his test number.. no issues with him, just really rigorous tester! I am told they used him as a good example! Shows how tightly they intend monitoring and how they will choose what stations to inspect/repeated areas of failure..

    Just think of the ruddy stats they have on failure rates/areas of failure by Manufacturer/model... Got to be worth a good few quid to someone..! For me, so long as the car is tested thoroughly and gets its ticket, its peace of mind.

  24. Posted

    4 hours ago, David Horgan said:

    Good question Nick :ph34r:

    I know a girl who works for BCA and she said when online was  first launched it was mentioned that its a good idea to add a charge and as it gets used more it will be a billy bonus , " we all fell for it hook line and sinker didn't we " :ph34r: Imagine if we had just £50 extra for our cars it would add up but BCA sell hundreds of thousands online don't they , Millions of £££££££££££££££££ extra since it started 

    Handy extra little income stream for how much outlay exactly... ? If only we could get away with something similar, oh yeah; with a guaranteed multiplier of thousands of users taking you up on the option.. 

    About this time of year these planks get their bonuses isnt it... Ho hum

    3 hours ago, David Ayers said:

    I think that’s a compliment!

    #metoo

  25. Posted

    19 hours ago, Arfur Dealy said:

    BHM, I always find its easier selling the cheaper cars by video, it takes a away their ability to negotiate and it also makes selling the car a much nicer process. Billies don't have the anxiety in meeting you. I could amagine you doing a John Cleese character type of video, would be hilarious.....

    This sprung to mind right away, given the interest in videos... I'm sure they do work.. getting the right location is everything!

    Tend to agree ebay has been / is quiet! Wonder if they are intergrating Gumtree behind the scenes in some way.. Usually when ebay is quiet, they are updating or messing up their site.. I say this based on a few selling forums that report on ebays "antics" and reasons why sales/views are down!! Its all about exposure and bring the customers too you, so for the £175.. I'd say its worth it.. More likely to be shortage of ready funds for billies, pre / post Xmas..