Gavin@Rousdon

I get it..................I've ignored it so far.................sorry, doesn't help you GG!!!!!!

Thats brilliant...............how did the step daughter and wife react James???

Hope you paid the sales junior a good commission for that sale!!!!! First impressions and all that!! As for lucky sales, I sold a Discovery 3 once that didn't come back under warranty.....thats lucky!!! I've had a few where its right place right time like Jim says but we never know how many sales we have lost by a customer not seen a car because it's at the valeter etc etc so I guess it evens out in the end

It seems they paid out in the end. I get the feeling some dealer don't like doing warranty work because it doesn't pay as well as retail work. Also the dealer can get stung badly if they don't follow the exact process laid down by the manufacturer. I've heard countless stories of my customers getting treated very badly in relation to cars under manufactures warranty with some of the excuses given to try and charge them are laughable. Ford seems very good at offering bad service local to myself. I get the feeling it's sometimes internal politics which are causing the customer to get ripped off, dealer doesn't follow the process for warranty work, manufacture refuses to pay the dealer, dealer tries to charge customer.

GG maybe I should have phased it different, I'm happy for people to rant and rave on forums it's part of makes them fun, the point I was trying to make was that we all have the power to chose who we advertise with, to moan about AT but to carry on using them with giving them a bit of credit seems a little hypocritical as they must still be offering a value to a business ('return on investment' I think is the phase accountants use). I enjoy hearing about people who drop AT and it works for them as its interesting to compare what work for one site but not another. It's always dangerous to look back at how much things cost a few years ago because times change, I can remember paying £5 I think for a lady to come out and photograph a car and take the advert for that weeks AT on a Monday for an advert that appeared in Friday's magazine, then paying £1200 for a tiny advert in Yellow Pages. We now live in a instant world where the car advert is live within hours if not minutes and Yellow Pages are no more. Which advertising platform would we rather have in today's world??? I think one of big issues AT has at present is that it has so much 'Data' thats its trying to find a way of selling it back to us, the problem is that they don't have all the data so what they are trying to sell is flawed at present. Will this become their undoing in the end?

The Autotrader debate rages on!!! If people in the motor trade feel it doesn't work or is a rip off the answer is simple....Don't use it. If it turns out you sell as many cars without it there is only one winner...thats yourself. It's no secret that AT is expensive, you know that before you sign up, do they get it right all the time...I doubt it, Retail Checker is an example of this, will all knew at some point Deltapoint would become chargeable and the product that's replaced it has many flaws. I'm sure there are lots of variables that dictate how viable AT is to a business, location, type of vehicle, cost of vehicle, size of business etc etc AT works for some of us and not for others. Vote with your custom but please stop moaning about it. If AT are really that bad they will implode soon and the knockers can have the last laugh.......................well until Motor's increase their prices tenfold and the cycle starts again.

Maybe Mr Bean is the answer. If you look at all the countries that strike fear into you they normally have a nutjob leading them. Mr Bean could fit that role !!!

To much time on your hands Mr Baggott ??!!!!!

The problem with lots forums in general is that a large percentage of what is written is simply made up. Classics on PH include, a BMW M3 E46 isn't a quick car, the BMW 1 Series is based on a Rover and Saab's are good !!! The next problem is that a certain percentage of people believe what is written !!! We walk amongst these people daily, added to the fact these people always find us at Christmas parties and talk the same rubbish. To counter this I now tell people I'm an Accountant.

If you read the Pistonhead's forum I can see where all that time goes !!! A brilliant example of a forum and a great example of how the human mind works!!!! After reading it you notice all the problems in the world are solved if you buy a Saab !!!!!

I must admit I was invited to AT HQ and took up the offer this week. The impression I got is that they are listening. We were shown idea's, some were liked and some weren't. We were given a chance to make our feelings known. It was all done in a very professional manner. GG I would say take up the offer. If you plan to continue using AT why not try and become part of the solution rather then just accepting the problem.

I've got a workshop and its an important part of the business, we can do about 99% of what we need but there is always the odd job that despite having lots of expensive equipment need to go to a main dealers (mainly to get a part coded to the car). I don't actively market the workshop as there is very little need, over the years I have built my customer base, its nice when sales customers return because it means they are happy with the car and the service they are offered. We send out MOT reminders but that is all we do. I have a free courtesy car, in it is a sticker politely reminding them that it is a free service and if they could replace any fuel they use. We are what would be considered a rural location with one town 3 miles away and the other 5 miles so happy to collect and deliver service cars. It never ceases to amaze me how many turn up with no way of getting home, its gets frustrating because you have to stop what your doing to drop them back, if they had asked at time of booking its fine because you can arrange it to tie in with other jobs. As for workshop staff, you have to remember mechanics are wired up different, once you work out how their minds work you are ok....never tell them they are wrong just suggest a slightly different way may work better !!! Experience is the best qualification they can have. As for training courses they are expensive and hard to find, maybe that due to location. I'm happy to send them of courses I they are available. I'm sure this is different in bigger cities etc etc. As for wages its a hourly rate. I offer a bonus plus will take them for nights out durring the year plus a decent day out for a Christmas party. I'm easy going so happy to let them use the workshop for their owns cars etc seems to keep them happy...i hope!! Diagnostic is a minefield but depend of what cars you are dealing with. What ever you buy the first car that come in it won't work on!!!! Trust me !! Main Dealers........helpfull???.....how long have you got !!!! My tip is to always be friendly with the parts guys, you learn more from them about common faults then the service department will ever let on!!!

I admit to setting the cruise control to 52mph whilst going through average speed camera on the M5. If i'm in an Audi I set it to 53mph because people will think i'm a T#@#£! just because Im in an Audi I so feel the need to prove them correct !!!

In the process of dropping Motor's, 3 months and £700 spend, no sales. I wonder how the cancellation team will try and try me ZERO sales for £700 is good for my business !!! Now £700 spent with AT would have got me at least 5 sales if not 10 !!!!

I turned off the last 5 minutes of the Rugby League I was watching in the hope of seen 15 mins of 205 GTI's, 505 Diesels, 405 Diesels etc but it was just a pointless feature that didn't seem to go anywhere. I think it was one of those things that they gave up on half way through making it because it was crap. When Top Gear is good its very good but like all forms of entertainment it can fail to hit the mark.

Cheers James! Sold to a friend in the end as a Valentine's day out for his partner!!!

To be fair it's the way of most forum's that people keep there identity private. This one is fairly tame but I know things can get out of hand with threats of this and that on other forum's I read !!!! Saying that I have nothing to hide so I'm easy to find from my profile. Each to their own I guess

I think you have to try and qualify your email leads like you would with a customer. Some aren't worth the effort to reply too when its an insulting offer but for the time it takes to reply you have nothing to lose. Some on the other hand are red hot leads with the email asking the right questions and giving the right information about their p/x etc etc. I amazed at how many on this forum act like they have no time to spare, most of us have a smart phone so could reply to an email where ever we are. Its part of the job and take no longer then writing a text. A frustrating as it can be I would rather waste my time with a tyre kicker via email then face to face when you have to give them attention instantly.

Bethany No point talking to a representative as I haven't got one. I tried talking to the telesales person who deals with my account and even she was confused by the pricing stucture. You say AT care but it seems it only cares at a cost. I dropped a product and was told that I would cost 50% more if I wanted that produce in the future, basicly trying to scare me into keeping that product. I put it to you that you don't care, why don't you personally make direct contact with us? Everyone in the trade is saying the same yet AT carry on as before because you are the market leader. Please explain why cost is going up whilst service is going down??

Sorry it's not car related but I have a couple of tickets for this weekends game at Twickenham if there are any Rugby fans out there!! Can't think of anywhere else to offer them and time is short !! £89 each which is face value plus whatever postage is !!! Call or email me for more details Sorry again to James if this isn't allowed

I talked to my Autotrader rep (phone based) today. She had to phone me back as even she couldn't fully understand the packages!!! The big con is that they price protect you on certain products, so if you remove them and then decide you want them back on the price can almost double, seem like they are trying to scare you into not removing them !!!!

2 months into using Motor's, a few leads but not 1 firm sale as yet. In footballing terms I guess Autotrader are Man United, hated by many but get results whilst Motor's are Hartlepool Utd, a good result now and again but large un-noticed by the masses.

I can't remember the figure that the Government is losing in RFL income due to people buying cars with lower Road Tax, something like £200 million a year springs to mind (it maybe more or less). Now with the price of oil failing I expect the motorist to get hit with some extra fuel duty in the next few months.

And in 15 years time there will be a issue with the bi-products of what petrol cars produce. Amazingly the politicians answer is to increase the tax on these vehicles, which in no way reduces the problem as no right minded person is going to scrap a 4 years old BMW 320D or a Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi. What increasing the tax does do it help bring in more money which used to be dressed up as a 'green' issue but is now going to be dressed up as a 'public health' issue.

I'm not an autotrader hater but if I could change anything other then the cost it would be make there packages easier to understand. I have no idea what I can add or take off to make it more cost effective. Also the switch to using Glass's hasn't enhanced the product at all. As i'm spending circa £15k a year with them it would be nice to see a rep rather then it be phone based. Motors seems a good base but the enquiry level doesn't quite seem to be where they claim. I've been with them a month and not 1 clear cut sale as yet despite a certain level of enquiry. The fact they use CAP is good and you can speak to a rep. If you mixed the two together you may get a prefect balance !!!