Went to Arnold Clark, first and last time!

[mark2410]

yeah ive heard good things about Strathmore too but ive not really spoke to them much, i did once ask them on facebook if they could give me any reason to come to them for repairs and servicing over the independent i normaly use. They never bothered to respond to me once they found my inquiry wasnt about buying car from them.

[Turbodave]

Originally Posted by mark2410

yeah ive heard good things about Strathmore too but ive not really spoke to them much, i did once ask them on facebook if they could give me any reason to come to them for repairs and servicing over the independent i normaly use. They never bothered to respond to me once they found my inquiry wasnt about buying car from them.

I don't think I'd have responded to that sort of question on social media either. Ultimately where you spend your money is your choice and there are pros and cons to both dealerships and independents, that's up to you to decide what you're happiest with and not for them to try and convince you why you should use them over a competitor. I would also assume that they are very busy and thus responding on social media isn't a high priority for the service team.

[Dibble]

Originally Posted by Turbodave

I worked with Arnold Clark for a few years and between various brands, Volvo included and whilst the company itself can be a bit militant... it's really down to the individual be it the service manager, the receptionist, the tech. The techs I had were superb - a master tech of 30yrs+ experience and at least another four guys all pushing 20yrs+ experience with Volvo. Even the newer guys were great as they were working with guys who knew the product inside out.

Unfortunately if you get your "general" technician with minimal brand specific experience or one that's a bit fed up in the role matched with a service desk who want their pound of flesh... it can be a rather grim experience. Ultimately I left as their "get the cash today, bugger tomorrow" ethos didn't sit well with me. Cars would be health checked and the issues costed and then it was pretty much expected to upsell everything on the list and if you didn't, it was the Spanish inquisition. I refused to tell customers they "needed" discs and pads when theirs were 60% worn and instead, advised that yes they probably won't last till next service but they certainly didn't need doing today. That didn't sit well with the powers of be and I left and ultimately left the trade.

As an aside, Strathmore in Perth are very well regarded by many within the Volvo circle and certainly the times I've used them, they've been superb. They're still family owned (I believe) and seem to have retained their old school, treat the customer well and secure a long term relationship ethos. My last visit was for a software update and they did the pre-requisite health check and picked up a few things, 4C shocks included but nothing was urgent and nothing was forced upon me. I t was more like friendly advice with no pressure.

An excellent dealer IMO

I have always found Strathmore to be good but 18 months ago I went to Clellands at Galashiels and bought my XC60. Strathmore didn't have what I was looking for. Excellent service at Clellands and a delight to deal with.