South West

Rybrook, Shrewsbury, 13^th August 2010, Day 22

Last night I had the pleasure of staying in one of the best B&B’s ever! There were many reasons why it was the best ever but here are two of my favourites.  Firstly there was a slice of home baked cake on my bedside table when I arrived, and secondly because everyone has breakfast together in the morning.  So this morning I dined with the B&B’s other two guests Ethel and Doreen (I know it sounds too perfect.) E & D are on a tour of various different cities and towns around the country trying to find out about their families in the seventeenth century which made for some fascinating chat over our yoghurt this morning. I never really have been much of a morning person. 

I’m skating around the real issue here - the elephant in the room.  The issue that’s just too sad to talk about and only just bearable to write about. Today is the last day of South West teams’ Countryman Sneak Preview Tour.  The last twenty five days have brought sweat, tears, a bit of blood from my scraped knee, laughs, smiles, jokes and fondness.  From Falmouth to Shrewsbury in a zigzag route totalling around two thousand miles with only one “Best of Power Ballads” CD I have learnt new things about myself and a lot of general stuff about Driver Steve.  Lessons that I will take away with me include; don’t go swimming in the sea in England ever; don’t eat mini scotch eggs and pasties every day for a month; Haribo is not a healthy food group; sherbet dib dab consumption makes it difficult to maintain a serious conversation; black cars get dirty really really easily; never try to out geek a MINI club member; too much coffee makes me weird; people who work for MINI are really nice; not only is it unsafe but also unsanitary to stick your head or any other body part in a chocolate fountain; cars have feelings too; people buy cars to match their phones. These are a select few.

This leaves me to reflect upon today – our last outing at Rybrook Shrewsbury.  I wanted to really go out with a bang today so I arrived especially early just to make sure that Steve knew who the king of the “earliest to the dealership competition” is.  I won.  Final Score 12 – 10.  

Rybrooks Shrewsbury dealership is huge which allowed us to use all of the set pieces.  The man manning the helm at Shrewsbury is Ian.  Ian’s enthusiasm is reflected in his teams’ enthusiasm.  As soon as we got the car in the showroom the whole team piled in and explored every last millimetre of the car before opening the doors to invited guests. It was probably the busiest event we’ve had which was a really nice way to end the tour. 

With a tummy filled with miniature varieties of spring rolls, chocolate muffins, sausage rolls and egg and cress sandwiches I hang up my Event Managerial leather studded driving gloves.  A big thank you goes out to all of the dealerships we have worked with for their hard work and receptiveness to the events.  Best of luck with the launch in September and hope to see you again very soon.

Ian & Steve.                   

Rybrook, Worcester, 12^th August 2010, Day 21

“The Penultimate Excursion”

Cue Violins

Our wandering traveller enters stage right..

Ha ha only joking.  Having fallen in love with Cheltenham’s regency terraces yesterday I was hoping for a bit more of the same today.  However it was not to be as Rybrook Worcester is tucked away in the back of an industrial estate quite far out of the town centre.  The dealership is huge though and despite its location doesn’t seem to be lacking in general footfall with a good stream of people visiting throughout the day.

Enquiries spanned from buggies to canines to wheelchairs - none of which proved a problem for the ultimate problem munching machine known as Countryman. 

Thanks to team Worcester at Rybrook.  Rybrook Shrewsbury tomorrow.  Watch this space.    

Cotswold, Cheltenham, 11^th August 2010, Day 20

I fell in love with Cheltenham today.  Being a northerner I can only compare it to the North’s capital of posh - Harrogate and I love Harrogate but Cheltenham is nicer, bigger and somewhat posher.  Sorry Harrogate.   

After an early morning run and the trip over from Gloucester I spent the morning in the laundrette.  Laundrettes are one of my favourite places.  I guess it’s because you’re still being productive even though you are sat there doing nothing.  And you have time to think… lots of thinking… about stuff.. stuff like the impending end to the Countryman Tour… No! Must block out the bad thoughts..

Cotswold Cheltenham is probably the smallest space we have had to work with yet.  When we arrived in the morning Mark (Manager) and team had already cleared the showroom for us so we found the most convenient area to insert our chunky bundle of conveniently sized character packed cheeky MINI Countryman into.  For the first time on our leg of the tour the manager had decided to go for a reveal ceremony which was very exciting for Steve and I.  Guests filled the showroom, canapés were munched, bucks fizz was quaffed, the tension mounted.  Biscuits were squashed against the floor by dainty little hands; orange juice was spilt over pretty little dresses and t-shirts; a game of chase broke amongst the less patient ranks, the tension became unbearable.  It got a bit too much for Steve who had to go and sit in the van.  Just at the point when I thought I couldn’t take it any more….. Mark pulled the black cloth off the MINI.  The noise from the crowd was like the noise from piercing something very big and round and filled with gas at very high pressure.  Not a balloon but something with a thicker, more rubbery membrane - not a Pfffffffft sound, but more of an Ahhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooohhhhaaaaahhhh.  What a great way to start the night!  I breathe a sigh of relief whilst I write this as writing it just brought it all flooding back. 

The momentum was started and continued as a steady stream of people flowed through the showroom throughout the night.  People ooh’d and ah’d, and mmm’d and hmm’d, and nodded and shook, and looked close and appreciated from afar.  There was a lot of index finger to chin, tilted head artistic appreciation tonight – which I liked.

Thanks go to all the teams at the different Cotswold dealerships for three great events which will hopefully help lead to UK wide crossover market domination very soon.     

Cotswold, Gloucester, 10th August 2010, Day 19 It’s a lovely drive from Hereford to Gloucester. I’d recommend it to a friend. The layout of the Gloucester branch of Cotswold Mini was even more challenging than Hereford’s big “L”. It’s quite small and both of the partitioned car areas had been designed for the smaller cars and as such weren’t quite big enough for our bigger beefier addition. We worked around it though and came up with a good solution which was a bit more compact than usual but just as effective. Cotswold G put on a good spread of food including a really nice goat’s cheese and spinach bruschetta. The local MINI club also descended armed with JCW questions that would test even the most guru-esque MINI-men. However Richard and his team retaliated with hard facts and that was the end of the battle. Today has been another successful visit on our Countryman tour. Big thanks to Cotswold Gloucester.

Cotswold, Hereford, 9^th August 2010, Day 18

Day 18!  How did that happen?  It’s with great sadness that I embark upon week four of the Countryman tour.  It’s been difficult trying to manage my own emotional response to the end of our tour which is now well and truly peeping over the horizon. As I write this a slideshow of happy moments that Driver Steve and I have shared plays through my mind like a movie about two very happy people having lots and lots of happy fun.  Being the consummate professional that I am I have hidden my inner turmoil deep inside and resolved to make the best of the little time we have left together.  The show must go on!

Cotswold’s Hereford BMW and MINI dealership is the shape of a great big “L” with MINI taking the corner of the “L” as its home.   It made for a very interesting and challenging build and a very unique layout, but the final set looked really good.  There was a steady flow of customers throughout the evening which was due to Steve (not Driver Steve – Manager Steve) and team’s fantastic diary management.

I may have overdosed slightly on Haribo and Lemonade but my inner kid just wouldn’t let me stop eating.  Tummy-ache and sugar-rush aside it was a great day in Hereford.  Thanks to Steve and crew!

Green Bower, Haverfordwest, 7^th August 2010, Day 17

We had a really great day at Green Bower today.  Driver Steve and I got the event set up nice and early so we had time to nip into Narberth together for a pre-match cream tea (not very welsh I know.) It was nice. 

Back at the dealership we got off to a busy start at around 4pm. The Countryman had many visitors throughout the day and as usual got the fond approval she has come to expect.  Dealership manager Warren Clarke is a really passionate MINI advocate and his passion really reflects in every aspect of the service Green Bower offers.  It’s the only dealership we have been to yet that offers roof options varying from Bart Simpson to Betty Boop.

The event was accompanied by a seriously amazing playlist selected by Warren on his Jukebox.  Toe-tap-tastic.

Thanks to Warren and the team.  Hope to meet you all again in the future.  

Leslie H Trainer, Swansea, 6th August 2010, Day 16 Swansea! Everybody should have a special place in their heart for Swansea. It’s going to sound like I’m making this up now but I’m not I promise. The last time I was in Swansea I met Jason Donovan in a bar. I swear I’m not lying. My cousin was a student there and I was visiting. It was half way through a pretty crazy weekend and we happened across him in a Jazz café near the town centre. He didn’t buy us any drinks like Coolio did, in fact I think I remember buying him a drink but we did end up getting some free tickets for an impromptu gig he was playing in a local nightclub later the same evening (it was in his more turbulent years.) I can’t tell you what happened during his gig because it doesn’t make polite conversation, but what I can say is that it remains one of the most vivid memories I have from my whole life. It was hilarious. Poor Jason. When we arrived at Leslie H Trainer the dealership looked like it was in the middle of a sixty minute makeover. It was a hive of activity combining builders, plain clothed dealers, music, up turned furniture and two very confused Countryman tour staff (me and steve.) It turns out the dealership was slap bang in the middle of a refurb. However all was not lost. Stuart (dealership manager) had kept one half of the dealership refurb free. With the Countryman and set installed the showroom looked great. If you didn’t know then you wouldn’t realise that it was mid facelift. Special mention goes to Stuart and some of the BMW staff who helped out on the night as they had one team member off sick and another on holiday and they really pulled everything together giving everyone who came to the event a first class experience.

Sytner, Cardiff, 5th August 2010, Day 15

I woke up this morning excited about the day ahead.  I really enjoyed last nights show at Sytner Newport and was therefore eagerly anticipating tonight’s re-match at Sytner Cardiff.  I was also conscious that I hadn’t managed to get even one Wales joke in yesterday so tonight was going to be my night.  Another also – I also really felt that I had let myself down yesterday by not sampling Sandy’s buffet.  She didn’t say anything but I knew she was disappointed with me.

The event got off to a busy start.  I think twelve people arrived at the same time right at the beginning of the night so the sales staff and I had to hit the ground running.  I managed to sneak a couple of canapés in half way through the event so it’s with authority now that I confirm the greatness of the buffet.

Thank you to Sandy and Mark and the rest of the Sytner teams for a couple of really great events over the last two days.  To Swansea!    

Sytner, Newport, 4rd August 2010, Day 14

I could barely get into the MINI this morning after all the chocolate I ate yesterday.  Then twenty minutes into the drive to Wales I received a phone call from Carly at Dick Lovett explaining that she had inadvertently stolen my only spec sheets for the Countryman.  Then to top it off… twenty minutes later I suddenly realised that I had done a Dave and left my all important laptop at a friend’s house (don’t worry office people it was totally safe at all times.)  I guess you could say that I was having one of those mornings.  Having said that prior to all aforementioned troubles I was enjoying a lovely home-cooked eggs Florentine (made by the equally lovely Tamara who is a great friend of mine in Bristol) accompanied by jugs of fresh orange juice and coffee so there wasn’t too much that could faze me after such a perfect introduction to a Wednesday morning.  Plus I am a tiny bit of an uber-planner when it comes to work so all deviations only ate into about an hour of my two hour pre-planned safety buffer. Nice.  But in slightly less fun news – Steve beat me to the dealership…  I make that 5-9 to me.

Sytners Newport is big dealership. Not the biggest, but still big.  When I walked through the doors I was met by a not quite as big but still really big welcoming smile belonging to Amy.  Steve and I got the opportunity to sit down and catch up over a coffee whilst the Countryman was in the salon around the back of the dealership enjoying a bit of preening and a chamois massage before the big event.

All customers had been asked not to arrive until after six pm and most of them obeyed.  Sandy the marketing manager had organised a great spread of food and wine which I’m sad to say I didn’t partake in as I had eaten a packed lunch only an hour beforehand (thanks again Tamara.) Tomorrow I will starve in preparation for what I hope will be a similar offering in Sytners Cardiff.

The event was a resounding success with customers new and old coming to see the Countryman.  As usual the car didn’t fail to impress.  With a bag full of test drive bookings and many happy MINI enthusiasts thirst for MINI related information quenched - I can sit back happy in the knowledge that we’ve had another good day.

Sorry for the essay but I’ve been sat here in a particularly grim branch of a well known chain pub enjoying their free wifi whilst I wait for the food that I ordered over three quarters of an hour ago.  I’d pack up the computer and have a chat with someone real if the hard house sexy R&B poppy power mix they’re blasting out wasn’t so loud.  Ha ha I’m such an old man.  Waaaaaaiter!      

       

 

Dick Lovett, Bristol, 3rd August 2010, Day 13

Today was Dick Lovett Bristol’s turn in our carnival of MINI fun.  It has now become normal for me to arrive at dealerships earlier than Driver Steve and today was no exception.   I’m not sure he realised how competitive I am at first and now I think he’s given up.  There were also a few customers eagerly awaiting the Countryman as early as two hours before the advertised event.   

MINI Sales Manager Carly Britton enthusiastically headed the Bristol team.  We also saw Mr Chocolate Fountain himself from Dick Lovett Swindon fame returning to add another inch to mine and Steve’s waistlines. 

The event was busy and the teams’ enthusiasm and passion for the brand really came across in the way they dealt with every customer.  This resulted in a record number of test drive bookings for our area so far. 

I’d like to thank everyone at Dick Lovett Bristol for a really great event and for being so helpful.  Special mention also goes to the half time Pizza run which was a great call.  I’m not with him right now but I’m sure Steve would like to send his own personal thanks for the two mixed boxes of pizza he got to take away with him which I’m sure he will be breakfasting on tomorrow. 

Thanks Again!

Wellsway, Bath, 2nd August 2010, Day 12

Despite being bruised and battered from a paintball session yesterday team Wellsway put on a fantastic show today.  The show opened with a large crowd of guests who were fed and watered with a good selection of cheese and biscuits and wine.  The Bath crowd were a very civilised bunch and the Countryman seemed to fulfil some very demanding requirements. 

Bristol tomorrow!  Can’t wait. 

 

Dick Lovett, Swindon, 31st July 2010, Day 11

I learnt an interesting fact from a MINI enthusiast today.  Swindon was once called Swine Town.  That’s a hard cold fact.  With not a pig in sight we descended upon Dick Lovett MINI which is neatly sandwiched between Dick Lovett Ferrari and Dick Lovett Bentley.  I seem to be saying this everyday but this was definitely the biggest dealership we have visited yet.

Today was the longest preview we have done and guests and staff alike were fuelled by an enormous chocolate fountain with a huge array of edible bits and pieces for dipping into it.

Lovett MINI Swindon is one of the countries biggest dealerships in terms of volume in used car sales.  This meant that sales staff were juggling their normal Saturday sales enquiries with the preview.  It was a tricky challenge but team Lovett MINI Swindon managed admirably. There was a steady flow of customers into the showroom all day meaning that it was definitely our busiest event to date.  Thanks go to everyone at Lovetts Swindon for all their hard work and enthusiasm.    

Bring on week 3! 

Wood, Salisbury, 30^th July 2010, Day 10

Today has been a beautiful day in the South West.  Not only because the sun has been shining throughout but also because for the first time I beat driver Steve to the dealership.  I’m feeling very very pleased with myself right now!

The second Wood dealership on our tour pulled a weighty opening crowd.  The car disappeared for a moment amongst a Hor d’oeuvres munching champagne quaffing sea of potential owners as they stroked and gasped in collective admiration – definitely the highest levels of “ooooing” and “aaaaahing” to date.  The six pre-ordered cars remained pre-ordered at the end of the event so the Countryman didn’t disappoint.  Food was provided by the same caterers as Wood Bournemouth which meant that the Canapés were top notch (see below) – and there was not a single miniature pasty in sight.  

Photos below include canapés, Charlie the lab and Bones.

Thanks team Wood!    

 

Woods, Bournemouth, 29th July 2010, Day 9 Whoop - another beach morning!  My parking ticket in Dorchester was only valid until 8am this morning so I was behind the wheel by 0755 heading towards Bournemouth.  The last time I was in Bournemouth I met Coolio of “Gangsta’s Paradise” fame in a bar.  You can’t help but show a bit of love for a guy with such an epically comical hair style, and he reimbursed me for my showing of love by feeding me and my chum lots of beer and shots.  One thing led to another and the resulting party meant that I was a little bit worried that the Bournemouth Border Police might recognise me and refuse entry.  Luckily there is no such thing as the Bournemouth Border Police so my worries were naïve, and I hasten to add that I didn’t do anything worthy of police attention in the first place – it was just creative embellishment.  Anyway my entry into Bournemouth was uninhibited and I found myself on the beach by 0900 (photo below.)  I stayed until about 1100 thinking I would definitely pip Steve to the dealership only to rock up and find Steve sitting comfortably in the reception area with a half drunk latté and a roguishly smug grin on his face. He’s definitely in this competition to win it… Wood MINI is the biggest dealership I have been to yet. The team commanded by Seb couldn’t do enough to help. Their enthusiasm was mirrored in the sponge like thirst for information they displayed in the vehicle briefing I gave them before the guests arrived.  Guests were spoilt in my opinion (only joking lovely customers) with such culinary delights as asparagus wrapped in parma ham and smoked salmon on blinis. Every customer who came into the dealership was met by a salesman who knew them by their first name and given a thorough introduction to the car. The success of the hands on approach was reflected in both test drive figures and sales. The second photo below shows Woods' thank you card wall which is an indication of the relationships they have with their customers.  The third photo brings together excellent canopés, a deal closing moment at the desk and in the background you can just make out Chay taking a customer around the Countryman. We’re heading to Wood in Salisbury tomorrow and the bar has been set high. Let’s see what you can do Salisbury! Till then..

Westerly, Dorchester, 28th July 2010, Day 8 Today we visited Thomas Hardy’s homeland Dorchester. Driver Steve and I are having a running competition to see who can get to each new town earliest. I haven’t spoken to him about it yet because I don’t want him to think I know he knows about the competition but as we both arrived just over five hours early today I guess I know he knows that I know. The dealership opened the doors to its invited guest at around four o’clock. All of the sales staff at Westerly Dorchester sell both BMWs and MINIs but this didn’t effect the enthusiasm for the Countryman. Dealer Principal Phillip was on hand throughout the event along with Sales Manager Matt, and Salesmen Peter and Julian. The event was one of the quieter events we’ve had so far, but everyone who came booked a test drive or priced up a car so it was a success. Thank you Westerly. To Bournemouth…

Westerly, Yeovil, 27th July 2010, Day 7 Today our happy team of three (me, driver Steve and the Countryman) travelled to Yeovil – famous for its glove making and helicopter production. I was slightly disappointed as I saw neither of these during my visit. However - excitement was provided as I got to flex my creative thinking muscles when I was provided with the most challenging salesroom layout to date. I’m not joking – this kind of stuff genuinely entertains me.. I think I nailed the customer experience with a slightly wavy backdrop configuration maximising the use of space and the customer journey around the car. The flow of customers was slow and steady allowing salesman Alex and I to spend a really good amount of time with every customer going into as much detail as possible about every little quirk and feature that make the Countryman such a fantastically amazing addition to anyone’s driveway. I would say there were about 15 people who came through the doors, out of which all 15 wanted a test drive, but no one wanted to commit to a specific date at this early stage despite the incentive of the weekend getaway. Dealership Principal John Cooper (no typo) was present throughout the event and gave special thanks to our team once it had finished. As the day drew to a close I got to my digs for the night and went for a run around the Yeovillion countryside. It’s really beautiful. Now I feel primed for tomorrow’s event like Rocky before the big fight with Apollo Creed. Watch out Dorchester!

Westerly, Bridgewater, 26th July 2010, Day 6 I’m back! Having left the previous event in Greg’s capable and strong yet caring hands - I’m back. There was a moment this morning when I opened the trailer doors ready to unload the Countryman and I could tell something was wrong. She had a look of disappointed betrayal all over her angular but beautiful grill and I think I saw a tear welling in her headlights. She was disappointed with me for not being there on Saturday. What can I say? A full chamois rub and a few reassuring words later and all issues were resolved. Westerly Bridgewater run a small but jolly team headed by Simon with sales superstars Mark and Adam working the shop floor. Adam is so good that he even sold a Countryman to his wife much to the detriment of his own bank balance. Customers were provided with a selection of pasties, scotch eggs, Pringles, Haribo and sausage rolls – I’m told this specific combination of nutrients has been scientifically proven to put customers in the deal-making mindset. It seemed to work as there were further sales and nearly every customer who came to the sneak preview booked a test drive. What does Dr Gillian McKeith know anyway? I am now heading to my hotel with one hand resting on my buffet belly to meditate and prepare for tomorrows event. Bring on Yeovil!

Westerly, Exeter, 24th July 2010 Day 5 All change on day 5 of the South West tour as I handed the baton of event managerial power and responsibility to Greg. We had a chat later in the day and I’m told the event was very well received. So thanks to Greg and thanks to Westerly Exeter for a great event and I look forward to getting back into the tour next week. Till then..

Westerly, Barnstaple, 22^nd July 2010, Day 4

Another great day for the Countryman!  Customers were so keen to get a look at the car that we were forced to open the event early.  This meant that I had to do a running brief with the Westerly sales staff as I showed the first customers around the car.  I can’t believe how little negative feedback we have had about the Countryman at this stage of the tour.  Allowing for peoples personal taste means that you always expect someone to find something bad about a product, but as of yet not one person has had a bad word to say about it.  There was a lady in Falmouth who thought she was coming to see a standard Mini with four doors and four wheel drive, but aside from the misinformed not a single bad word.  A true testament to the Countryman.    

 

Ocean, Torbay, 21st July 2010, Day 3 Day 3. I woke up this morning with the sun shining through my hotel window and I knew it was going to be a good day. An hour and a half and a few power ballads later I found myself on Torbay Beach (picture below) wearing only my swim shorts and a nervous “should I shouldn’t I” smile on my face as I contemplated taking a dip. I did and if you ever find yourself making a similar decision I would recommend against it. Having embraced the ocean once already I was ready to take on the final Ocean dealership on my tour. As we arrived at the dealership a young couple were eagerly awaiting the Countryman as they’d already put down their deposit hours beforehand without even seeing the real car. A brave decision but I’m happy to report that they didn’t ask for it back. All of the guys at the dealership were also really keen to see the car and a couple of the BMW staff changed brands for the evening as they were so excited to tell customers about MINI’s new baby. As the evening drew to a close I shared a small box of complimentary Smarties with the groups Marketing Manager Kathy as we exchanged our fond memories of the previous Ocean dealership events in a teary eyed farewell tête á tête. Thank you Ocean!

Ocean, Plymouth, 20th July 2010, Day 2 The appalling weather this morning made for some pretty exciting driving conditions on the two hour drive from Falmouth to Plymouth. We soldiered on though and thankfully all made it in one piece. At Ocean Plymouth we were met by an incredibly enthusiastic team headed by Jason. Fuelled with pasties, scotch eggs, sherbet dib dabs and Pimms excited customers got their first glimpse of the Countryman. After much knob twiddling, fabric stroking, handbrake pulling and sun roof opening I’m pleased to report that we had our first two orders for the car. Thanks go to Jason, Kath, Stuart, Toni, Dave and Brad who really are an excellent team with a lot of passion for the brand. Thanks also go to the anorak clad MINI club members (it was raining) for sharing their encyclopaedic knowledge of the brand with me. Big love MINI club! The first pic below shows the aforementioned MINI club members and the second pic is a mid sales action shot of Dave working the magic that only he can work.

Ocean, Falmouth, 19th July 2010, Day 1 Day 1 started as a beautiful sunny day in Falmouth and we were tempted to re-locate the event to the beach. With the onset of a light drizzle later in the afternoon we decided against testing the Countrymans’ soft off-road capabilities and set up the sneak preview in the Ocean dealership. With the help of MINI-men Craig and James from Ocean the first event proved a great success and everyone who attended was keen to get behind the wheel of the new car.