GreenGiant

OOOH! Can of worms! or is that #canofworms? To answer: I communicate mostly by email; its a wonderful thing. I have used social media for marketing purposes and got lots of very nice people 'liking' us. Didn't sell any more cars than by actually talking to them though. I have helped design and develop Motor Trade websites and fully understand how instantaneous information and response is now a necessity. And, do you know what? If I choose to ignore social media in its current form, I will still have customers to talk to because, as I said, the vast majority of people are not obsessed with it. Yet. Maybe I'm a bit old school and cynical. However, it disturbs me that there is slowly developing a partially-illiterate sub-class of (mainly, but not exclusively) youngsters who cannot look you in the eye (too busy checking status updates), cannot have a spoken conversation without using the word 'like' twice in every sentence, cannot spell anything with more than three letters properly (and don't know the difference between there, their and they're). They have some massively misguided belief that the whole world gives a damn what they think and believe they're only one lucky break away from tv fame and fortune. They don't know anything of any importantance, don't go anywhere interesting with the intention of learning something and have little or no chance of achieving much at all, really. Makes you wonder where the next generation of business leaders is going to come from. But I guess that view is, like, soooo, like, last senchurry.... The world of 'social media' is in grave danger of becoming the snake that eats itself, whereby everyone within its clutches becomes so dependent (addicted perhaps?) to the constant need to be updated and updating, that they lose touch with reality and only have time for maintaining the obsession to the detriment of all else. The constant, mind-numbing stream of new platforms, apps, programmes etc will eventually become so overwhelming that no-one will know what works or doesn't. But we all know who the real winners are though, don't we? (Clue: have a look at Google's share price) One day, one day, hopefully, we'll all wake up and realise that face-to-face communication will ALWAYS be preferable to anonymous online postings.... ...says the anonymous online poster... A last question: How many of you sales managers have used the phrase: "Put your bloody phone away and go and talk to those people on the forecourt!"? If it's one of you, it's one too many.

I'm glad they don't, tbh. More for me... :0)

Tell you what guys... You can spend all your time tweeting, liking, instagramming or Klouting each other and doing whatever you do on't tinterweb. Meanwhile, I'll spend that time talking (ie actual speech... with words and everything) to the vast majority of your customers that don't give a toss about any of it, and sell a few cars to them. I'm sure there's room for all of us.

Andy... Motability cars can be taxed at Post Offices that are able to tax cars. This has been the case for several months. Unless the car originated in N Ireland.

I've always wondered why there is not a system available to the Trade where we can check all offered cars (potential p/x or otherwise) against the PNC? I understand HPI and Experian sort of cover this, but if the Police/Border Control/Interpol were on the lookout for specific non-stolen vehicles(eg a car suspected of being involved in an accident, child abduction, trafficking etc), we could check what comes in on a daily basis against the 'wanted' list. I can't see a down side or am I being too simplistic?

The only thing the privatisation of Royal Mail could affect is the efficiency of the postal service....possibly. The poor guys in the Post office have enough on their plates already with Disabled taxation class changes of ex-Motability cars on top of the general day-to-day stuff (ever had that sinking feeling when you're in the queue for a road tax and the person in front starts unloading a sackful (that sounded OK in my head!) of small Ebay packages to be individually recorded and stamped?). It is incredible that a road tax renewal can be done online, but CTs and Retentions have to be posted to Swansea. When all the local offices close - next month - the whole thing is going to crash and burn. Plus, neither the local DVLA office staff or the Post Office have any idea how we're supposed to get a Northern irish Disabled Class registered when they do close. At the mo' it's over the counter, but not for much longer. Any ideas guys?