11:02 am, January 7, 2014
FLOODWATERS have threatened to engulf a Skoda dealership in Oxfordshire, as the UK continues to suffer a prolonged spell of strong winds and heavy rain.
But at least the team at Jewsons Skoda Oxford, in Abingdon Road, were well prepared for the storms – the dealership is prone to flooding most winters.
Marketing manager Philip Deacon said: ‘The floods are getting higher as you can see from the images and it’s very common in this area of Oxford.
‘The council has taken the necessary precautions and closed the Abingdon Road and we’ve had to close the showroom until the floods begin to recede.’
While the Jewsons Skoda site is out of action while the rain continues to fall, the business is still very much up and running, with staff answering inquiries off site.
‘We’re always ready and prepared for the worst,’ said Deacon. ‘The showroom might be closed, but we have redirected calls and have staff off site answering enquiries on the telephone and via email, so we’re not losing any business.’
With more torrential rain forecast over the coming days, it’s unclear as to when Jewsons Skoda will be back in full operation. Until then, much of their stock has been removed and taken to a nearby compound.
‘I’m sure the flood levels won’t get any worse, but we have to take precautions,’ Deacon added. ‘There is absolutely no threat to our stock as our vehicles have been moved safely to a nearby compound. We just need to keep answering the phones while we wait for the road to reopen.’
