Quick, Quick, Slow 23rd Jan2025

First job for today was to rush to Oxford for the collection of Vauxhall Mokka DY17GMO and get back quickly for job two.

2017 Vauxhall Mokka

This was to be collected from Volvo cars Oxford. This was a rush as the job came in yesterday and I had already accepted a job to collect a Ford Kuga from Arbury Seat Solihull from the same customer in Aylesbury. Who, by now have become a very good customer. So to fit the quick job in the morning to Oxford was manageable, only if I could get a lift quickly to Aylesbury railway station. Robert at the dealer obliged and I was at the station quickly in time for the next train to Solihull. This journey involves a few short changes from Aylesbury to Princes Risborough, Where, at Aylesbury station I saw Charlie Chaplin lookalike

A modern Charlie

From Princess Risborough, I then hop onto the opposite platform for the train to Oxford, getting off at Haddenham & Thame Parkway. Then waiting a short time for the Birmingham Moor Street train. Getting off at Solihull. An Uber to Arbury Seat got me there quickly. Thanks Mohammed 😊.

Unfortunately the normal main dealer sales staff attitude kicked in. I was told I'd have to wait for the correct salesman to get the car. YES, the correct salesman! However he, was of course, busy failing to sell to a couple at his desk. The manager sitting in his office, obviously very busy and stressed by not hitting his target or budget for that month. Having been in his position for many, many years. I do get his reluctance to stop looking blindly at whatever accounts package the poor guy couldn't understand to make sense of. Something I never quite got my head round was why, do sales managers, who's job used to be to motivate their team and create a positive vibe in the showroom that customers actually can and do, feed off.

No, nowadays the poor manager has reports, accounts meetings, budget reviews, Sales funnels, phone call stats & quality, training requirements. Manufacturers standards meetings. The list is endless. Why we have had to become accountants is beyond me. Why accountants run these places now is stupid, dangerous and wrong. But common now in all industries My first boss in this business had it right. Saying very often to a dealership or group accountant. "Fuck off and count the beans. We sell the beams. You just count them..

Anyway an hour passed and I finally got the Ford Kuga to drive home.

A Tired Ford Kuga

By now though, the school traffic had kicked in and it took me an hour longer to get home. Two and a half hours from Solihull. Out to the M42. Then join the very slow moving traffic due to the HS2 work in Birmingham. That will slow this part of the M42 for the next millennium. Eventually crawling towards the M40 southbound. Now in the dark towards home.