SMG Cowfold Reviews

[GrannyJen]

For a lot of dealers I would suspect that selling a Cali is an unwanted irritation.

If you have a high volume market, selling lots of transporters and other regular vehicles a week, why would you want to encumber yourself with selling a vehicle that is twice as complicated, difficult to understand - even for those used to sleeping in the things, full of potential warranty claims that have nothing to do with the bread and butter mechanical bits, a check list that is as long as your arm and an operating manual to explain to a customer that is more detailed and complex than the average PhD thesis?

This is the flaw in VW's marketing of the California. It is being sold through the wrong outlets mostly.

 

[Hannick]

Hereford gets my vote as well.

 

[Archie]

I agree with G Jen, I suspect Cali's are a royal PITA for most dealers.
We all think we are doing them a favour spending £50k on a van but the next man through the door may want half a dozen transporters with no bells or whistles and spend £150k with none of the hassle for the sales or maintenance team. We've had the classic greasy handprints on the fridge before, and I couldn't figure out whether it was pure ignorance, jealousy or a protest at having to take more care on the part of the mechanic concerned.
As has been mentioned before, VW would be better setting up a few specialist centres using dealers that are genuinely interested in selling them.
While the OP appears to have been treated shabbily for no reason other than disinterested idleness on the part of the so called salesman concerned,I think it is a little bit naive of anyone to just turn up and expect the red carpet treatment when most dealers only have one Cali specialist at best and any genuine interaction with a potential customer will likely take a couple of hours. If another Cali customer has just walked in 5 minutes before you, you are in for a long wait even if they show interest in selling you one! We have always made an appointment to view, order and collect both the vans we have bought and never had to wait more than a few minutes as a result. (Both bought from Laine at SMG Tonbridge who is excellent)

 

[T6 CFO]

I have no doubt whatsoever having spoken to my dealer that they get many customers who breeze in want to spend 2 hours pocking all over the showroom Cali, drink coffee and then breeze out again with no intention of ever buying. Others who do the same are there to pick the dealers brains then go off and buy on the Internet. On other occasions I can well believe there is a legitimate customer and a rude dealer I just wanted to give some balance. I agree a few dedicated dealerships would be a good idea. There are poor rude dealers and poor rude customers. I think it is as much up to the customer to strike up a trusting relationship as the dealer.


Mike

 

[GrannyJen]

I hear all these cries of support fr the poor dealer who was so inconvenienced by someone walking in and expecting someone to actually take notice when he wants to spend £50k.

Frankly if I was the dealer principal I would be totally, out of my head, incandescent that no one approached the bloke aimlessly wandering around the showroom with just a few words such as "sorry there is no one here to deal with your query at present. Perhaps we can contact you? Can I just have your phone number and I will make sure someone rings you back with a view to at least handling your query and hopefully making an appointment".

Sorry, if it was me when I was running my group of commercial vehicle service centres anyone walking in is a potential customer and a potential customer is who ends up being the person who pays my wages.

For the record despite looking after my vehicle on the service front, despite me emailing to say I want to talk an Albert replacement, despite me emailing to say "I am in your place on this day with my vehicle can I talk a sale with you" I neither received an acknowledgement of my emails nor any contact when I was stood in the middle of the place looking as forlorn as an an ice cream seller in a Russian winter. I might just have well been invisible.

 

[T6 CFO]

I hear all these cries of support fr the poor dealer who was so inconvenienced by someone walking in and expecting someone to actually take notice when he wants to spend £50k.

Frankly if I was the dealer principal I would be totally, out of my head, incandescent that no one approached the bloke aimlessly wandering around the showroom with just a few words such as "sorry there is no one here to deal with your query at present. Perhaps we can contact you? Can I just have your phone number and I will make sure someone rings you back with a view to at least handling your query and hopefully making an appointment".

Sorry, if it was me when I was running my group of commercial vehicle service centres anyone walking in is a potential customer and a potential customer is who ends up being the person who pays my wages.

For the record despite looking after my vehicle on the service front, despite me emailing to say I want to talk an Albert replacement, despite me emailing to say "I am in your place on this day with my vehicle can I talk a sale with you" I neither received an acknowledgement of my emails nor any contact when I was stood in the middle of the place looking as forlorn as an an ice cream seller in a Russian winter. I might just have well been invisible.

Where are these cries of support or defence of rudeness. Not in my post anyway or others I have seen. If a dealership is rude or unhelpful from the off then go somewhere else. What I'm saying is that I have no problem with outing poor dealers on here and would not hesitate to do so myself. A couple of posts discussing it without just saying "oh! That's terrible" is not a defence of them.

 

[phillme]

Thanks for the support GJ it does make me wonder if other people have actually read my first post .... i popped in to place an order because they advertise they sell California's ... i wasn't expecting a red carpet nor coffee nor to poke around a van .... there was no "ello" .. i cant see how i wasn't patient as there was no one there to loose my patience with .... there was no queue as I asked the only other customer if he was waiting ..... I'm def not posh and would happily except any greeting if said with a smile ... even "ello u tw@t sorry I'm busy can you wait two hours or if not can I take your number and I will call you ....
ps i popped in to the Bentley garage on the way home and the salesman said sorry they don't make them ...but took my name and number just in case he was wrong ! the seven they had were all cheaper than the cali i want

 

[T6 CFO]

Phil frankly this is the reason bulletin boards become a PITA. Everyone was giving you support. Nobody was saying you were poking around and expecting coffee.The conversation moved on to discuss dealers in general. You have then taken comments out of context and quote them back as if you were being accused of poking around and wanting coffee. It's all to ridiculous for words. I shall not bother in future. And I shall refrain from being rude. Very sad!

Edit. And before you do anything read the damn thread.

Mike

 

[larrylamb]

I can understand a dealership having one dedicated Cali salesperson but they are entitled to holidays and days off etc. What I can't understand is why van salesman no.2 and no.3 etc in this case don't have a basic understanding of a VW camper van to explain/show potential customers when the Cali guy is not available. These vehicles sell themselves, the person walking through the door has already made the giant first step to a purchase, even if you know diddly squat about the Cali, be pleasant and courteous, let the people sit in a Cali, give them a brochure even the 693 page options list, extoll the virtues of the base Transporter vehicle and assure them the right person will be in touch asap.

 

[GrannyJen]

Where are these cries of support or defence of rudeness. Not in my post anyway or others I have seen. If a dealership is rude or unhelpful from the off then go somewhere else. What I'm saying is that I have no problem with outing poor dealers on here and would not hesitate to do so myself. A couple of posts discussing it without just saying "oh! That's terrible" is not a defence of them.

Where has rudeness come int it?

We are talking about an attitude.

Man walks into a dealer and says "hi mate, I want to spend £50k"

He does not get the response expected.

He raises a moan on here which leads people to rush to the dealers defence.

I'm saying "hold on folks, there is an issue here. VW commercial dealers do not seem willing to go to pains to sell a £50k camper van. In fact this same dealer treated me exactly the same way. "

What is wrong with that?

 

[T6 CFO]

Where has rudeness come int it?

We are talking about an attitude.

Man walks into a dealer and says "hi mate, I want to spend £50k"

He does not get the response expected.

He raises a moan on here which leads people to rush to the dealers defence.

I'm saying "hold on folks, there is an issue here. VW commercial dealers do not seem willing to go to pains to sell a £50k camper van. In fact this same dealer treated me exactly the same way. "

What is wrong with that?

Your remarks about cries of support for the dealers was the question I asked. You are the one who wanted a pop. Goodness knows why. I asked you where the support for the dealer was. There was support for other dealers and some discussion on the subject. I give in.

I shall say the same to you. Read the thread.

 

[motacyclist]

i think

i have a theory that vw salespeople don't won't to sell California's so they can use them at the weekends !!

They don't want to sell vans either. No returned calls or any interest whatsoever from the two nearest dealers to me. Their loss, Fords gain, 5 Transit Customs up to now. And me a VW fan!

 

[GrannyJen]

Your remarks about cries of support for the dealers was the question I asked. You are the one who wanted a pop. Goodness knows why. I asked you where the support for the dealer was. There was support for other dealers and some discussion on the subject. I give in.

I shall say the same to you. Read the thread.

I am quite capable of reading. Please do not give in.

 

[GrannyJen]

Your remarks about cries of support for the dealers was the question I asked. You are the one who wanted a pop. Goodness knows why. I asked you where the support for the dealer was. There was support for other dealers and some discussion on the subject. I give in.

I shall say the same to you. Read the thread.

I really do not want to get into a dispute over this:

However, three comments in this thread that you keep exhorting people to read:


-----------

Problem is that your not likely to be their only customer...unless their partying their likely busy with other customers who are in front of you.

think an " ello" from Van Centre is acceptable, one should perhaps expect more from say a Bentley garage!

Maybe you do need to make a specific appointment with the Cali man there.


------------------------

All I am saying is that if I was the dealer principle I would be incandescent that the opportunity to progress a sale was missed. I think these comments miss the point. Cali buyers receive a totally shoddy service of VW dealers who in the main treat us as second class citizens. There are countless threads on this subject.

 

[T6 CFO]

I can't see much point in continuing this. Bulletin boards are clearly not the place for reasoned discussion.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[larrylamb]

Let's not tar all dealers with the same brush, to date I have not had anything negative to report about my Cali dealer. Welcoming, informative,attentive etc. and I don't look like I have £50k to dish out on a new campervan.

 

[GrannyJen]

Let's not tar all dealers with the same brush, to date I have not had anything negative to report about my Cali dealer. Welcoming, informative,attentive etc. and I don't look like I have £50k to dish out on a new campervan.

I agree.

The one that sold me my vehicle came back to me within a day of me posting an enquiry and stayed with it all the way through. It was admittedly a dream sale "oh that's a nice Demo that you have, I'll take it" but I can't fault the feedback received during the mandatory three month retention that they had to keep to nor the handover.

 

[Borris]

Let's not tar all dealers with the same brush, to date I have not had anything negative to report about my Cali dealer. Welcoming, informative,attentive etc. and I don't look like I have £50k to dish out on a new campervan.

Laine Watts at SMG Tonbridge is brilliant. I have nothing but praise for the way he has dealt with us on the many occasions that we have been to SMG.
Also Simon at Hereford Garages. He was also extremely good and very helpful when we made an enquiry about buying a Cali.
Both dealers and salesmen provided exactly the reception and service you should expect to find from vehicle dealership. So unless you have discovered a good dealer I would recommend that you go to one or other of these two dealers.

Unfortunately that is where the praise runs out. The other four dealers that I approached before buying, were either completely disinterested in dealing with my enquiry or couldn't provide anyone who knew anything about the Cali.

 

[Freeley]

I think from all this we can say that if you're seriously interested in buying a California then you're best off travelling to a dealer with a good rep on here. There is valuable info in the dealer review section.
You could make a weekend of it and make a trip to Carrs Exeter for example.

Sent from my Galaxy S6

 

[phillme]

peace & love to everyone ... peace & love ... was only a little moan and maybe a little hope that the next people through their door get a little more love than i did x

 

[T64ME]

I can't leave the thread without mentioning Martin Bareham at SMG Tonbridge. Very knowledgeable, responsive and patient! would definitely recommend a trip to Tonbridge!

 

[GrannyJen]

and in fairness to SMG...

I was recently helping someone to get to know their van which was supplied new by SMG Cowfold and they could not praise higher the efforts of Chris Figg and the team, from initial order to excellent handover.

 

[GrannyJen]

So, it was time for Albert to have his winter wellies taken off and his summer sandals put on.

With a wheel swap due it was also time for a list to be made of squeaks, rattles, bits not working and bits needing replacing and ask someone to do their best to fix.

The vehicle was collected Monday lunchtime. As predicted the squeaks and rattles was the most difficult part. SMG kept the vehicle in for a couple of nights to try and sort. I must admit I was getting a little bit irritated by last night over a perceived lack of communication but there is history here, namely the time that my vehicle was off the road last year for protracted finding and curing of an electrical problem. I was a little concerned that it was disappearing into a black hole again.

I need not have worried. It was returned to me tonight. Everything on the list had been done including the intermittent, annoying rattle, the cause of which had remained undetected and unfixed for 18 months, until now.

The vehicle was returned clean, no greasy fingerprints or oily footprints anywhere, the swapped over wheels carefully placed in the back and wrapped to prevent dirtying the boot interior.

Job done, all sorted, collected from my drive and returned there, clean, tidy and looked after. Thank you Jason and the team.

 

[smgcowfold]

Glad your happy with everything we did


Thank you for the post


Kind regards Jason

 

[Steve64]

I have no doubt whatsoever having spoken to my dealer that they get many customers who breeze in want to spend 2 hours pocking all over the showroom Cali, drink coffee and then breeze out again with no intention of ever buying. Others who do the same are there to pick the dealers brains then go off and buy on the Internet. On other occasions I can well believe there is a legitimate customer and a rude dealer I just wanted to give some balance. I agree a few dedicated dealerships would be a good idea. There are poor rude dealers and poor rude customers. I think it is as much up to the customer to strike up a trusting relationship as the dealer.


Mike

Sorry but no. If you are a dealer then that is the cost of doing business, people come in take up your time and decide to buy elsewhere or at a later date. Every business that is involved in sales (all of them) has this problem/opportunity. The idea that someone who doesn't buy in two minutes is a menace is prevalent in vehicle sales. Nowhere else can you be willing to spend £50k+ and treated with such disdain. I am at the very beginning of my search for a Cali and remain optimistic but if a dealer cannot muster up enthusiasm when you are in the process of buying what will be the response when or if you have an issue.