27th June 25. Why? Friday again.

Why do I do it. Learn to say no !!

Friday is always a busy afternoon on the roads and I always try and avoid doing too much. So, why, did I today agree to do two jobs and collect a third car for delivery tomorrow. Which is a Saturday? It's not that I can't say no. It's because I don't like to let my customer down. As I said yesterday. There's no loyalty in this business so saying no, simply means they will find someone else. And it's a horrible but simple fact that, someone else might offer to be cheaper, better, and I know and have confidence in what I offer. People are fickle.

Today started by going early to the Leighton Buzzard prep centre to collect yet another Peugeot 3008 for delivery to a customer in Woking Surrey.

The address given seemed easy enough. Looking at Google maps. But it was in a secluded area down an unadopted road crossing a very small bridge and into an area with a few houses kind of dotted around a wooded open area

Woking Countryside

I found the address after calling the customer. And it was a strange collection of a few houses in the open area without any boundaries around each house. You can see from the map below how isolated this group of houses were. Considering you are around 35 minutes by train from London. It's looks like an ideal location to live. Lovely.

The customer came out and accepted the car, signed for it and my appraisal was sent. It was a short walk to Brookwood Station. And I got a train from there to Aylesbury.

To collect the second car from a different dealership to be delivered toa retail customer in Gerrards Cross

I was collecting a car that I had , only a few weeks ago, collected from a customer as a part exchange in Kelso, Scotland.

A Mercedes GLA which, I remember, was a beautiful condition car with amazingly low mileage. So I wasn't surprised it sold so quickly. I collected the car and did my appraisal. Knowing the car was perfect when I collected it. And it's a white car in bright sunshine. I must have missed a small mark on the bumper.

The customer lived in what looks like a very expensive road in Gerrards Cross. I drove into the drive. And was greeted at the door by just the kind of customer I don't like. The entitled non working partner of an obviously well off person. I choose my words carefully.

But my late wife had a great saying.

"What you get for nothing has no value"

These people are the example of that.

She immediately saw, this small mark on the bumper, how, I have no idea?

Now this mark , on a four year old car which, while only covered 7000 miles. Would have been normal for any other person. And thankfully someone had actually tried to touch it in with a paint stick at the dealership. So that gave me proof I didn't cause it.

She seemed ok with it and accepted the car, signed for it. And I made my way to Gerrards Cross station. A 20 minutes walk away.

Going back to Aylesbury meant a train to Princess Risborough and then Aylesbury.

I got back around 16.00 and walked straight to the dealership to collect the car for delivery tomorrow.

This was a Hyundai Kona EV. And yes I should have known better. As I knew the salesman. But nothing was ready and he was off today.

With nobody willing to help him. I don't blame them.

The car wasn't ready. 14 miles range, meant I had to take it straight to a charging point at Morrisons supermarket and walk home. I've already walked around 4 miles today. So a little annoying.

Worse than that. It was an ex Motability car and not taxed, therefore a trip to the post office was required. No cheque was ready for it to pay for the road tax. And the customer had already paid the dealership.

This gets better.

I said I would pay for it and tax it in the morning before I left.

More on that tomorrow!!

I drove it to Morrisons. Put it on charge and walked that mile and a half home.

All the walking today in baking hot sunshine so not so bad a life. Is it?

2023 Hyundai Kona EV