Anyway, I rang two "local" London Ford dealers - Dees in Wimbledon and Fullers of Malden when I bought the car three years ago. It was a Saturday and I got answer phones not people.
Dees almost redeemed themselves by ringing back in an hour. Fullers rang back the following Wednesday.
So I bought from Dees. The dealership is a DIY superstore in the wastelands of Wimbledon, miles from the strawberries and cream and green lawns of SW19. Even by Ford standards, it looks a mess.
But I came, they saw me, they were efficient and courteous, I bought and they ring every six months or so to see if I'm happy. I am. Ventilation fault apart - a day after the warranty expired! - the Focus has been faultless.
Compare these experiences with Waterstone's, the book store. I am always in my local branch, browsing and often buying. It is a pleasure to be there. Knowledgeable staff; interesting layout; and, yes, the store looks good too, in corporate correct burgundy livery.
 |
| Dealerships are designed around the salesmen, not the customers |
Car dealers do not encourage browsers - "tyre kickers" are shooed away. Car dealerships are designed around the salesmen, not the customers. Car dealers intimidate, not welcome. If they're on the phone, you wait. Few people, including car enthusiasts, are comfortable walking into a car retailer. Car dealers are also usually in inaccessible, ugly places.
Some dealers, of course, do a good job. I'm told that some Skoda dealers are fine (ironically, they often use old Rover dealers, kicked out because they were too small or couldn't afford a corporate makeover: how glad they must be now).
Good words have also been heard about Toyota garages. Everyone I know who owns a Lexus likes their dealers - not least because they never have to go there. The dealer that used to look after my motor scooter - Chiswick Honda in west London - was also first-rate.
But, by and large, car dealers seem to be in the dark ages of retailing. Multimillion-pound marketing budgets may have improved advertising creativity, showroom design and the dress sense of salesmen, but they have also typically added up to a buying experience less enjoyable than purchasing a 10 quid paperback.
