Deafened at Carcraft
Back in September we bought a Renault Clio from Carcraft in Leeds.
We've been very pleased with it. Splendid vehicle.
As part of the deal the servicing was included and they wrote to us and said it was time for its six-month service.
So I rang and booked it for ten o'clock today. Would I like to wait while it was done? they asked, for it would only take about an hour.
As Carcraft is about ten miles away, I thought that would be the easiest option. Bit of a waste of part of a morning, but I could always take some work to do.
I didn't enjoy the journey much as it's all motorways and junctions, but I got there. No customers but a friendly man greeted me at the door and pointed me in the direction of the reception for people who were having their cars serviced.
The showroom is huge, and echoey. Radio Two was playing, very loudly and with a lot of distortion. By the time I had crossed the showroom I was tired of this.
When I arrived at the Service Reception there was no trace of my booking on their system. But the man at reception was very friendly - perhaps he detected just a trace of incipient psychopath in my "Oh dear, what's to be done then?" reaction to this news. He was sure that the manager could fit my car in - - he would ask.
I waited for about five minutes. Above the desk was a huge television playing one of those music video channels, very, very loudly.
He came back and said that if I didn't mind waiting an extra twenty minutes whilst they finished the job they were doing, it would be fine.
I had taken some paperwork from work with me to do and they showed me into the waiting room for customers who were having their cars serviced.
It was colder than the rest of the place - jolly chilly, in fact - but this I could have stood. But in the corner was another huge television blaring out some dreary programme about home improvement.
After about thirty seconds I was out of there. Too loud. Too cold. Out I went into the reception area. Total Eclipse of the Heart, at top volume. Now I happen to like that song. I just didn't want ANY MUSIC, okay? None of the reception staff was looking at it or listening to it - I suspect they have all learned to screen the whole lot out.
I hovered around in reception for a few minutes and couldn't stand the Death Killers video that was playing (or whatever it was. Too loud.)
So I wandered into the showroom and that was even worse. I've nothing against Radio Two. Really. Just against hearing it VERY VERY LOUDLY and echoing and distorted and continuously. Agadoo - - doo - - doo - - oh, no, sorry, that wasn't Radio Two, that was on Silverback's blog post today - very entertaining post, of course, but he doesn't explain how you stop singing that song once it's in your head. Agadon't don't don't do it again, Silverback, unless you publish the antidote: it's just wanton cruelty.
I wandered back to reception and explained that I wanted to do some work whilst waiting for my car, and enquired whether there was anywhere in the whole building that was quiet.
The man looked puzzled and took me to the canteen area of the showroom, because he thought it might be quieter. But since the speakers blasted out the sound everywhere, it so wasn't.
After a while I could simply stand it no more. I went outside.
THEY HAVE SPEAKERS ON THE OUTSIDE TOO.
Now then. Can I be the only person who would like a bit of peace and quiet whilst waiting for their car? Can I - in these days of laptops - be the only person who might actually want to do some work whilst waiting?
I've no idea why it's there in the first place - has some research somewhere proved that what customers really want is loud, distorted music? "I can't stand another thirty seconds of it. I was going to go for that 1996 Lada but now I think I'll go for that brand new BMW instead."
I shall be writing to Carcraft and explaining that, once this servicing deal is finished, I will just never, ever, set foot in the place again unless they do away with the music, because two hours in there was pure torment.
Here's my tip: don't go to Carcraft. Unless you're deaf. Otherwise, by the time you leave, you'll wish you were.
We've been very pleased with it. Splendid vehicle.
As part of the deal the servicing was included and they wrote to us and said it was time for its six-month service.
So I rang and booked it for ten o'clock today. Would I like to wait while it was done? they asked, for it would only take about an hour.
As Carcraft is about ten miles away, I thought that would be the easiest option. Bit of a waste of part of a morning, but I could always take some work to do.
I didn't enjoy the journey much as it's all motorways and junctions, but I got there. No customers but a friendly man greeted me at the door and pointed me in the direction of the reception for people who were having their cars serviced.
The showroom is huge, and echoey. Radio Two was playing, very loudly and with a lot of distortion. By the time I had crossed the showroom I was tired of this.
When I arrived at the Service Reception there was no trace of my booking on their system. But the man at reception was very friendly - perhaps he detected just a trace of incipient psychopath in my "Oh dear, what's to be done then?" reaction to this news. He was sure that the manager could fit my car in - - he would ask.
I waited for about five minutes. Above the desk was a huge television playing one of those music video channels, very, very loudly.
He came back and said that if I didn't mind waiting an extra twenty minutes whilst they finished the job they were doing, it would be fine.
I had taken some paperwork from work with me to do and they showed me into the waiting room for customers who were having their cars serviced.
It was colder than the rest of the place - jolly chilly, in fact - but this I could have stood. But in the corner was another huge television blaring out some dreary programme about home improvement.
After about thirty seconds I was out of there. Too loud. Too cold. Out I went into the reception area. Total Eclipse of the Heart, at top volume. Now I happen to like that song. I just didn't want ANY MUSIC, okay? None of the reception staff was looking at it or listening to it - I suspect they have all learned to screen the whole lot out.
I hovered around in reception for a few minutes and couldn't stand the Death Killers video that was playing (or whatever it was. Too loud.)
So I wandered into the showroom and that was even worse. I've nothing against Radio Two. Really. Just against hearing it VERY VERY LOUDLY and echoing and distorted and continuously. Agadoo - - doo - - doo - - oh, no, sorry, that wasn't Radio Two, that was on Silverback's blog post today - very entertaining post, of course, but he doesn't explain how you stop singing that song once it's in your head. Agadon't don't don't do it again, Silverback, unless you publish the antidote: it's just wanton cruelty.
I wandered back to reception and explained that I wanted to do some work whilst waiting for my car, and enquired whether there was anywhere in the whole building that was quiet.
The man looked puzzled and took me to the canteen area of the showroom, because he thought it might be quieter. But since the speakers blasted out the sound everywhere, it so wasn't.
After a while I could simply stand it no more. I went outside.
THEY HAVE SPEAKERS ON THE OUTSIDE TOO.
Now then. Can I be the only person who would like a bit of peace and quiet whilst waiting for their car? Can I - in these days of laptops - be the only person who might actually want to do some work whilst waiting?
I've no idea why it's there in the first place - has some research somewhere proved that what customers really want is loud, distorted music? "I can't stand another thirty seconds of it. I was going to go for that 1996 Lada but now I think I'll go for that brand new BMW instead."
I shall be writing to Carcraft and explaining that, once this servicing deal is finished, I will just never, ever, set foot in the place again unless they do away with the music, because two hours in there was pure torment.
Here's my tip: don't go to Carcraft. Unless you're deaf. Otherwise, by the time you leave, you'll wish you were.
posted by Daphne at 9:36 pm
4 Comments:
I am pretty sure that any business which plays music that can be heard by the public is legally required to have a PPL (public performance licence). I wonder if Carcraft has one.
I think you should have asked for a courtesy car so that you could have sat somewhere quiet whilst they serviced your car.
If they can't be bothered turning down or turning off the tv in the customer waiting room, then you should have done so yourself. If there were others 'enjoying' the tv, then I'm sure they'd not have protested if you politely asked if you could turn it down.
I see no problem doing this as after all that tv is there for your enjoyment and if it's not enjoyable, off it goes.
I hope the car got better service !
LOL, love how you tell these stories! Sounds awful and I too would have loathed it! Hate all that piped in music and horrid TV.
Brilliantly written Daphne!
I had the same feelings about unwanted background sound when I visited hospital as an outpatient recently. In the waiting area were two TVs on medium to high volume blaring out the moronic "Jeremy Kyle Show". NOT what you want to hear when you are pondering worrying health matters. And nobody was looking at these screens.
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