My mission; Range Rover Evoque dealership inspection

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Range Rover UK telling me that I’d been specifically selected to visit a Range Rover dealership who had been ‘hand picked’ for me (I was expecting Cambridge but got Peterborough) I’m not sure what the criteria was for that but nonetheless I (and a friend) were up for it.

My mission, which I chose to accept, was to infiltrate the dealership and ask them some specific questions about the Range Rover Evoque as well as inspect the sites facilities and pretty much grill staff there with the view to establishing if  the Range Rover Evoque would fit into this dealership.

The brief was to introduce ourselves upon arrival but instead we thought we’d be adventurous and mix things up a little. We wanted to find out how long it’d be before somebody walked over to us and ask if they could help. Sure enough, it took the lovely sales representative only seconds to accost  us, which we thought was pretty good. It took a few minutes more for us to make the introductions and be seated with a cup of coffee.

The general feeling was that not much has been cascaded to the dealers yet. They are all pretty much in the dark when it comes to this beautiful new car. No marketing material. No posters. No nothing!  Although, it has to be said that the sales representative did everything she could to answer my questions which, to be fair, were coming thick and fast (I wanted to see just how well she coped with questions for which she didn’t have the answers) and she did quite well.

I then took a wander around the place. The facilities were fairly good, nice and clean. If I had one big criticism it would be that what little marketing material (for other cars not the Evoque) was available was hidden right at the back of the building, behind the showroom cars. I had to ask the receptionist where they were! Not good.  Oh, and the mini fridge was empty!    (Don’t have one if you’re not going to stock it, it makes you look cheap, when you’re a major dealer in an expensive brand you really don’t want to give that impression).

Overall, it was a fairly positive day at the office and I even have a report to prove it. Who knows, thanks to my contribution we might be seeing the Range Rover Evoque in Peterborough sometime soon!  Presently,  my would-be new car is expected to make an appearance in showrooms in September 2011.