Only partly related to bikes and not related to each other.
Having decided to change the Honda for something else from the Honda stable, I popped into the Gloucester branch of Thunder Road Motorcycles on the off chance a few weeks ago. Had a mooch round the showroom, upstairs to the off-road bit and was about to leave when a salesman actually looked up and asked if he could help. Well, I needed a sit down after the shock and so I accepted his off of a coffee and a chat. Told him the story and he agreed with all my gripes about the Honda and was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the mods I have made to improve the bike.
Have you seen the new CRF300L? Well, not in the flesh!
Out we pop to see the one I had ignored on the way in. He took a towel to wipe the seat dry and wheeled it out from between its mates so I could try it for size. I was amazed at how much lighter it was than mine and I had explained that I wasn't looking for new one but he said I could still test ride it to see if I liked it. I was in the car and loaded down with clobber and hadn't planned on a test ride anyway but then he looked a bit sheepish and said...
'Could I just ask how old you are?' When I told him he said he was amazed and that I didn't look that old (so why did he ask?). 'Only, we have an age limit of 74 for test rides.' He was as gobsmacked at this policy as I was and said especially for the big tourers, that it was a real problem as most of their customers were getting on in years.
Anyway, didn't want a test ride anyway, but how do they expect to sell bikes to folks with deep pockets if we can't do test rides. Strangely, there is nothing on their website, nor Honda UK site about this limitation.
So, obviously, half of this forum is getting to be too old to (do a test) ride (on a Honda).
On to the idle buggers and swimbo is looking for a newer car and has been searching for probably a decade, with nothing fitting her needs which are overly restrictive...
However, one came up in Reading Audi and as she has never actually driven an TT we decided to take a drive and have a test drive. I recounted my tale of age-related woe in Honda and, being older than me, panic set in about turning up, drivers licence in hand and politely being refused a test drive. How embarrassing...
I'll phone up and check says I. Phone goes to answerphone. Bugger, a bit early perhaps. Ring back later and discover that Reading Audi and indeed all Sytner Group dealerships nationwide only work 6 days a week.
What is the world coming to? One realises that folks need days off but all these big players seemingly have legions of salesfolks to ignore you whilst browsing their stock. Inchcape group sales are all open on Sunday, as are Jardines and most of the others. So, of the 2 days in the week that honest, hard working folks have off to go buy another car, Sytner are closed for one of them.
Now of course, Audi wouldn't close on Sundays if they had customers banging on their doors so one assumes that they don't. So when do those honest, hardworking folks buy their cars? Well, seeing as most of them are probably working from home they obviously do it during the week...in the firm's time.
As for today, Audi's potential customers in Reading are in the BMW, Jaguar or Volvo dealers which are all in business to do business and are obviously looking to do more.
Meanwhile, aged riders in Honda dealerships are being told they are too old for playtime.
