6:36 pm, December 9, 2008
WHAT do you get if you fill Volvo’s flagship London dealer with a load of motoring journalists?
A run on the coffee machine, that’s what.
Innovatively, Volvo this week launched its new DRIVe range from the palatial premises of HR Owen Volvo West London.
Instead of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, journos found themselves giving the service manager palpitations instead, by filling up his car park with 58-plate test cars.
Then, to a man, all entering the wonderful showroom surroundings, and testing how up to the job coffee facilities really were in the upstairs waiting area.
Pretty good, let me tell you. After my initial kick-start of caffeine, I finally achieved focus and gazed around West London Volvo. What a place. Volvo brought us here to show off the brand’s premium credentials. With retailers like this, it’s not kidding.
It was warm – always a good start. It was welcoming. It had comfortable chairs, a big Plasma screen TV, and free WiFi. What more could anyone want?
After a quick product briefing – where Car Dealer old pal (and Volvo product manager) Chris Wailes took to the showroom floor, ‘taking me right back to my salesman days,’ – we were out.
But where were the cars?
Right in front of us, that’s where. For an extra-special treat, Volvo gave us the full customer new car experience. They drove ‘our new (test) cars’ right off the showroom floor, outdoors, for us to scoot away!
All that was missing was the bunch of flowers. It was a product launch with a difference, and the perfect way to show the national press just what a good job car dealers are doing at the moment.
Therefore, look out in this week’s reviews, for positive nationwide car dealer feedback…
RICHARD.
