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Brian Wiltshire is joint managing director of Mercedes Oxford dealership,

26th August 1999, Page 44
26th August 1999
Page 44
Page 44, 26th August 1999 — Brian Wiltshire is joint managing director of Mercedes Oxford dealership,
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Mudie-Bond. A fraught week is rescued by an invitation to a golf tournament.

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MONDAY

Not an easy start to the week in Oxford. At the monthly management meeting Richard Bond and I have to come to a decision on staff redundancies. Since April last year when MudieBond and Evenlode came together we have been running three accounts departments—at Tewkesbury, Kidderminster and Oxford. Now we need to centralise the entire function and install new systems. This will mean making about eight staff redundant— probably the most unpleasant management job of all.

TUESDAY

The results of a pilot survey concerning employee and management relationships land on my desk. It is not too bad on the whole, and many of the points raised are already being addressed. However, there is a clear message that management needs to get closer to shop-floor staff. I reflect that the workload involved during the past year in bringing two dealerships together and running three bases has resulted in a lot less time being available for essential staff contact and communication. A new curtainsider Atego is doe to be collected today but we find out that the wrong make of curtains has been fitted. The bodybuilder has been "sold" a different type of curtain and fitted them without referring to us. The colour does not match the customers' paint scheme and they are not what he specified. It is a new customer (of course) and the telephones start to met.

WEDNESDAY

A 06:00hrs start for a drive to Wentworth Park where MercedesBenz, which is introducing its Signature assurance scheme for second-hand trucks, is putting on a presentation for Mudie-Bond. Once again, no matter how early I start, I always hit heavy traffic somewhere—but after some tedious delays we get there on time. We discuss the presentation on the way back and conclude that we should adopt the scheme as soon as possible. Arrive back at Oxford at 19:30hrs, go into the office, check for messages, read the mail and by 20:30hrs I am at home with a whisky in my hand.

THURSDAY

The bodybuilder has pulled out the stops and has managed to get the correct specification curtains supplied and fitted. We deliver the vehicle two days late to a first-time customer who fortunately appreciates that the problem was outside our control and that we did at least keep him well informed once the problem had arisen. Drive the 70-something miles to Kidderminster for a meeting with truck sales manager Tony Bache. We discuss the Actros sales programme and new-vehicle sales packages for the rest of the year. Review customer satisfaction reply cards with aftersales department. Where problems have occurred we seem mostly to have addressed them but how on earth could we have delivered parts to the wrong address?

FRIDAY

Credit control meeting at Oxford, then drive to Kidderminster for similar meeting. We must be doing something right as we don't seem to have a real late-payers problem. This is an important area of our business which we take very seriously but it is interesting to note that as customer satisfaction increases, then late payment decreases. Drive back to Oxford and notice that mileage in first four weeks of new car totals 2,900. Which member of staff was it who said "all directors do is just sit in their office all day"? The post contains an invitation to an industry golf tournament and I recall Mudie-Bond's successful golf day which was organised with a local Mercedes-Benz car dealer. It was attended by more than 90 customers. I wonder if organisers get the best response rate when the invite arrives on a Friday?


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