Anybody used Hughes Beaconsfield ?
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GrahamC230K
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They are the parent branch for Hughes of Alyesbury. My car originally came from Beaconsfield. I have used Hughes in Aylesbury for my MAS failure, then my ECU failure. They seem OK as far as Dealers go. My company has a fairly large MB fleet from them and the fleet managers say they are not so bad.
Andy Stanton
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They've recently rebuilt they're showroom and service area and it's a very glassy, bright and shiney affair at the end of Beaconsfield (new town) high street. Customers cars are stored in a reserved bay at the back or in small multi storey car park on site (their own secure site and car park I hasten to add) and is shared with Mazda, Jeep and Smart who they also own and have showrooms/service areas on the same campus (it's a big place!).
The ground floor of the multi story acts as a holding area for new cars waiting to be prepped. I found that fantastic as I could actually see the colour combos in the flesh rather than guess from the brochure pics. They had a couple of sexy SLs and an E55 saloon in there too which was nice. Anyway I digress..
Although I haven't used them in any sense that involves parting money I have used them for test drives and helping choose my colours/trim etc. They were all very helpful and polite as you'd expect from the sales staff.
The Service reception is at the back of the showroom and is under a large interior mezzanine floor area and is also very new and spacious. They've even got a B&O widescreen TV to watch while you're waiting or you can play with the various cars in the showroom while drinking your coffee!
As they're reasonably close to me I intend to use them for all work on my car and from what I've seen and experienced to date I have no concerns at all about the prospect.
Whether they live up to all the glitz is another matter of course and I'd be gutted if they turned out to be as contempuous as Greenoaks in Slough.
Let me know how you get on with them!
Andy.
The ground floor of the multi story acts as a holding area for new cars waiting to be prepped. I found that fantastic as I could actually see the colour combos in the flesh rather than guess from the brochure pics. They had a couple of sexy SLs and an E55 saloon in there too which was nice. Anyway I digress..
Although I haven't used them in any sense that involves parting money I have used them for test drives and helping choose my colours/trim etc. They were all very helpful and polite as you'd expect from the sales staff.
The Service reception is at the back of the showroom and is under a large interior mezzanine floor area and is also very new and spacious. They've even got a B&O widescreen TV to watch while you're waiting or you can play with the various cars in the showroom while drinking your coffee!
As they're reasonably close to me I intend to use them for all work on my car and from what I've seen and experienced to date I have no concerns at all about the prospect.
Whether they live up to all the glitz is another matter of course and I'd be gutted if they turned out to be as contempuous as Greenoaks in Slough.
Let me know how you get on with them!
Andy.
MainMan said:
A complete bunch of t*ssers (Beaconsfield lot - well the sales team anyway…. – they don’t know their a$$ from their elbow….). Went few weeks ago to enquire about a new S Class for my father with my wife and also at the same time enquired about the CLK500 Cab (which we have on order with another dealer but just wanted to ensure we were getting a good deal and take one out for a short test drive whilst there).
Spoke to them via telephone prior to our visit and they agreed to loan a S Class for a weekend – after seeing how young me and my wife look they suddenly changed their attitude and refused to loan the car and were very rude (and did not appear to want our business) – despite even offering to leave them a £1000 deposit for the order subject to the w/end test drive… - being disgusted with their attitude I told them where to go…. To get my own back my Dad went into the showroom and was loaned the car for the weekend immediately without any problems and was treated like Royalty – upon returning the car I went with my Dad and got the last laugh and told their Sales Manger what I thought of them and how much we love the car and enjoyed driving it but shall go through another Dealer due to the way they treated me and my wife…. Oh well guess they’ll think twice abot how they they people in future as they blew a £75G order…
I`ll never go anywhere near them – just as well they are not my local Dealer…. My Dad’s just moved into the area and shall never use them…
P.S. Watch out for that car wash they have there - I hope that they do not wash customer cars in there....!!!
Flash
Andy Stanton
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Well then Mainman, you've got two totally opposing views to take on board and you're probably more confused now than when you started!
Ever wished you'd never started something?
Ever wished you'd never started something?
Just make sure your Dad gets a bloody good discount on the S class. London dealers (I think they have high sales targets and they are owned by MB) are very keen to beat prices of any other dealer. When I have wondered MB Colindale, MB Brentford and MB City, I have overheard the sales people saying 'we will beat any deal'.
Flash said:
C240Sport97 said:
Cheers mate - been really busy lately with work and stuff and we have not finalised a deal yet - I will def bear in mind what you have advised...
Flash
Sometime ago I was reading through some old posts on here and there is one from another forum meber who had his W210 sallon resprayed in Hughes Body Shop and he wa n ot happy with the end result - they resprayed it twice for him but after that said something along the line that they were not going to respray it again - it had something to do with the quality of the texture/feel of the paint from what I can recall....
guydewdney
MB Enthusiast
whats wrong with purslows of bracknell / basingstoke? or wherever - lots of + points from several members?
Andy Stanton
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Flash,
How old do you look anyway? I suspect most dealers would be a bit weird about letting out an S class to a very young looking couple. Doesn't mitigate their poor attitude though. I'd love to have seen the sales managers face when he heard that one! You were'nt wearing ripped jeans with a series of pussey facial peircings were you?
Fuzzer,
I had a similar experience with Greenoak as Flash did with Hughes. They just weren't interested in helping me. Even the dopey receptionist looked down her bespectacled nose at me as I'd interupted her gossip session with her colleage. All I wanted was a brochure that wasn't on show.
Just goes to show that there's naff all consistentcy at any of these garages. At least with Ford or Vauxhall you knew what to expect, be it good or bad.
Sigh, the 'joys' of MB ownership and mines not even arrived yet!
How old do you look anyway? I suspect most dealers would be a bit weird about letting out an S class to a very young looking couple. Doesn't mitigate their poor attitude though. I'd love to have seen the sales managers face when he heard that one! You were'nt wearing ripped jeans with a series of pussey facial peircings were you?
Fuzzer,
I had a similar experience with Greenoak as Flash did with Hughes. They just weren't interested in helping me. Even the dopey receptionist looked down her bespectacled nose at me as I'd interupted her gossip session with her colleage. All I wanted was a brochure that wasn't on show.
Just goes to show that there's naff all consistentcy at any of these garages. At least with Ford or Vauxhall you knew what to expect, be it good or bad.
Sigh, the 'joys' of MB ownership and mines not even arrived yet!
Andy Stanton said:Flash,
How old do you look anyway? I suspect most dealers would be a bit weird about letting out an S class to a very young looking couple. Doesn't mitigate their poor attitude though. I'd love to have seen the sales managers face when he heard that one! You were'nt wearing ripped jeans with a series of pussey facial peircings were you?
Andy,
Lol -I'm 24 and my wife's 22 and we both look like we're in our early 20s. I was dressed in smart casual clothes with shoes and wifey always ensures she looks the part
- Apart from wifey's ears none of us have any other piercing (apart from her belly button) which was at the time out of view
Flash
Satch
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Sadly, the default setting is to quite poor standards of customer care from most car dealerships or UK motor trade participants. Think it stems from the days when in the UK cars were considered something special by consumers rather than a commodity.
There are many exceptions of course and once you have found them life becomes more pleasant, but I never start off expecting to be treated well just because there is a big silver star outside.
MB dealer staff are not clones and many not MB enthusiasts either: just a job. There will be good and bad within the same dealership.
Problems really start when the management do not seem to care much either. One so called salesman I came across last year when fishing around for deals seemed rather bitter about having to sell something he could never afford and was simply rude. When asked about discounts he tapped my own and my wife's watch and said that if "you could afford those" (20 Hong Kong $ for the two, actually) then we did not need any discount.
Made so many other snide and plain odd personal comments to my wife & myself that I thought he might have forgotten to take his medication or had been let out for the day. He also did not know much about MB cars, so cut him off and asked to speak to the Manager. The bad tie victim that eventually heaved itself out of a chair to talk to me was more polite and made apologetic noises about "new staff", but clearly not troubled that one of his minions was an idiot.
Now, one guess where these paragons of the motor trade worked......
There are many exceptions of course and once you have found them life becomes more pleasant, but I never start off expecting to be treated well just because there is a big silver star outside.
MB dealer staff are not clones and many not MB enthusiasts either: just a job. There will be good and bad within the same dealership.
Problems really start when the management do not seem to care much either. One so called salesman I came across last year when fishing around for deals seemed rather bitter about having to sell something he could never afford and was simply rude. When asked about discounts he tapped my own and my wife's watch and said that if "you could afford those" (20 Hong Kong $ for the two, actually) then we did not need any discount.
Made so many other snide and plain odd personal comments to my wife & myself that I thought he might have forgotten to take his medication or had been let out for the day. He also did not know much about MB cars, so cut him off and asked to speak to the Manager. The bad tie victim that eventually heaved itself out of a chair to talk to me was more polite and made apologetic noises about "new staff", but clearly not troubled that one of his minions was an idiot.
Now, one guess where these paragons of the motor trade worked......
Andy Stanton
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Now, one guess where these paragons of the motor trade worked......
McDonalds??? I always try and get a discount when ordering a couple of value meals but I've yet to get one. They drive a really hard bargain in there.
I've not come across the watch and afordability method though. Must be the new pressure sales tactic to screw your mind.
McDonalds??? I always try and get a discount when ordering a couple of value meals but I've yet to get one. They drive a really hard bargain in there.
I've not come across the watch and afordability method though. Must be the new pressure sales tactic to screw your mind.
Flyer
MB Enthusiast
Andy Stanton said:
Most (all?) MB dealers have B&O TVs now. They have a deal with the local B&O dealer to supply the TV in exchange for books/leaflets with their details on and people are referred back to the B&O dealer if their interest is piqued. Quality cars = quality TVs. Sound business idea. (As told to me by my friendly B&O dealer
)Road Range in Chester also had a tie-in with a designer clothes store (Tessuti I think), with mannequins, etc. I think that's going too far though
sym
MB Enthusiast
Flyer said:Most (all?) MB dealers have B&O TVs now. They have a deal with the local B&O dealer to supply the TV in exchange for books/leaflets with their details on and people are referred back to the B&O dealer if their interest is piqued. Quality cars = quality TVs. Sound business idea. (As told to me by my friendly B&O dealer
My "local" dealer must be the poor relation then . . . they have a battered 14" 'Matsui' - about 15 years old, with a dodgy picture !!
S.
Maff
MB Enthusiast
I had my CL500 serviced by Hughes of Beaconsfield and they were fine. Loaned me a A160 for the day too, which is more than Greenoaks could offer (if I waited 8 weeks for the loaner that is).
Best part is they were about £85 cheaper than Greenoaks of Slough, Maidenhead, Bracknell and Reading (same pricing across their dealers).
Best part is they were about £85 cheaper than Greenoaks of Slough, Maidenhead, Bracknell and Reading (same pricing across their dealers).
I had a bit of a run-in with them. My SEC came with full service history from them. Got all receipts from new, and they are really exensive compared to the independent I use. Anyway, car previously had private plate, and MOT cert had that number on it, so post office would not tax it. Phoned Hughes, who said just bring down all the paper work & we will issue replacement cert. Drove down from Birmingham (going that way anyhow, but they didn't know that). When I got there, arrogant little bloke on the desk totally unhelpful, and said I would have to pay to get the car re-MOTed, which I could have done at my local anyway. Stormed off and wrote letter of complaint, and was amazed when I got unreserved appology and cheque for the price of MOT test, which I had paid for at my local.
I've known 4 people who use them, with mixed reports. The two with a single car from the cheaper end of the range considered the service over priced, and staff attitude lacking - no complaints about the actual quality of the work though. The other two were absolutely delighted with the service, but both had several cars, from the upper end of the price range. I suspect that is no coincidence.
I've known 4 people who use them, with mixed reports. The two with a single car from the cheaper end of the range considered the service over priced, and staff attitude lacking - no complaints about the actual quality of the work though. The other two were absolutely delighted with the service, but both had several cars, from the upper end of the price range. I suspect that is no coincidence.
Flyer
MB Enthusiast
sym said:
Nah - the MD's nicked the B&O for his office and drags it back when the store principal visits.
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On the subject of sales people there is a chap at MB Docklands (Canary Wharf) called Ian who is very helful, knowledgeable and friendly. When ever I have visited the showroom just to browse he always makes time for a chat and a coffee. I have not yet purchased a car from him but will do next time I buy another MB.
The best thing is that he has realised that a few minutes spent today will lead to sales in the future. Better than the general attitude of if you not parting with cash now then **** off.
p.s. I also look young for my age.
The best thing is that he has realised that a few minutes spent today will lead to sales in the future. Better than the general attitude of if you not parting with cash now then **** off.
p.s. I also look young for my age.
