After spotting a post from Ian Reynolds the principal at Lexus Edinburgh on here, I dropped him an email saying that they have the exact car in stock that I want, but I’m very dubious about traveling all that way (480 Mile round trip) after a bad experience at Lexus Teeside. Ian replied within minutes saying that he would get Simon to call me to discuss it.

Simon came across as honest, very unusual for a used car sales man! And he didn’t talk utter ****, after spending 3 years selling big ticket value IT solutions, I know exactly where the conversation is going, and why. We had a quick chat on the phone and asked if he could take some pictures of the car and send them to me so I could at least get a ‘feel’ for the car. Sure enough 12Mb of very hires images arrive in my mail box, the car looks very clean. Simon has also put some details on the email about work that has been carried out on the car, very upfront and honest. He described the car as Showroom condition, (Heard that one a few times before)

After a couple of days of looking for something closer, and finding nothing. I bite the bullet, close the deal with Simon on my trade in value, make sure that the cars has Matts and a Full tank of fuel and stick a £500 pound deposit on it over the phone. (Big deep breaths, and not an easy nights sleep)

Yesterday Simon called to confirm that everything was OK and I could set off on what turned out to be a very long day. The dealer ship was easy to find, and I have never been to Edinburgh, it’s just off the ring roads and very straight forward to get to. The car was parked outside the main entrance. Lexus Edinburgh is a ‘designer’ showroom, complete with Bang & Olfsen TV’s, Leather seats and fancy Coffee machine, a World and I mean World apart from Lexus Teeside. The car looks very clean, brand new alloys, smart touch ups on any stone chips, etc. Ian even comes down to say “Hello”, and asks if I’ll be modding it . Now this is what I expect when I buy into a prestige marque.

Within an hour the deal is done the payment taken and I set off home in my new IS200, I get to know the car rather well on the way home as the A1 is blocked and spend an hour and a half moving a mile or two, and then a further 5 miles looking at the poor buggers on the now closed North bound side as I whiz by.

So today, I nip to Halfords and buy some new Autglym shampoo and wash the 250 miles of muck off, and chamois the car down, and guess what, the car is in Showroom condition and is absolutely mint. It looks fantastic and so far I can not fault Lexus Edinburgh at all!

Happy Chappy
Chris

Nice to read a happy story!! Congrats on your new purchase and thumbs up to Lexus Edinburgh for making you leave with a smile

Fantastic to hear you had a plesant experience at a Lexus dealership. A massive 'big up' to Lexus Edinburgh for their great service.

Thank you for your kind words Chris and I am glad you had the initial confidence in us to make that leap of faith from such a long way down the country.

We did no more than we try and do for every customer that comes in contact with us, I just wish they [i]all [/i]bought a car!

I do hope you enjoy your new car.

Will I be seeing you when it needs a service?

Ian

Don't know if I ever told my original Lexus Edinburgh story but now seems a good time to do so!

I (or really my wife) was in the market for a 4x4 and we saw a Toyota Harrier at a local 2nd hand dealer. I was naturally curious but a bit sceptical at buying an import with Jap writing all over the dash but nevertheless keen on the price, £18,000.

After a bit of net research I found the link with Lexus RX300 and popped into Lexus Edinburgh to ask for their advice. I really was expecting the "well its your money but I wouldn’t" and the "well don't expect us to service it" type lines you would get with buying an import but, no, I got complete honesty, I was told what would work and what would not re. sat nav, radio tuner, fog lights etc.

At least 30 mins of 'free' advice with out any sales pitch at all.

After humming and hawing for a couple of days and after a test drive of the Harrier we both went back to the dealership to have a look at the 'real' version and book a test drive of the RX300. No problem, we got the car for 24hrs and went to have fun, the parting words at the dealership were " don't bother putting any petrol in it, it has plenty". We got back the next day handed the keys back and were promptly given 6 crystal glasses. The offer was on for all test drives!

At the same time the Lexus open days were on and we got an invite to have a play with all the models. We used the RX off road, had a burn in the SC etc etc etc. It was this that made our mind up, we felt pampered, isn't it amazing how a bacon roll and a play can make you part with your cash.

Simon Lane was there at the open day, he made a call to see if our preferred colour and spec choice was available and bingo - SALE.

You could say the car sold it's self but the reality was the service did. The sales team had such confidence in the product that they only needed to create the circumstances to allow a sale, test drive, customer confidence, great service.

So after looking at a £18,000 car we suddenly were buying a £36,000 one. Some often say there is a big difference between Sales and Service but I believe they are one and the same. The dealer got a sale, we got good service.

There we have it, two RX300s later, a RX400H on order and most likely a SC430 once the kids are a bit older and we are Lexus Edinburgh advocates. I know even if we have a problem with the car it will not be an issue, the service will be there.

Lastly Lexus Edinburgh did something which BMW, Merc, Jeep did not do, talked to my wife! She was the one buying the car so why sell it to me! Yes I am a real petrol head but it still amazes me in 2004 how many crap salesMEN sell to the male. My wife runs her own company and specialises in Customer Service Training among other things so guess what BMW, she can make an informed choice, and is not a ‘wee wifey’ taking the kids to school!

Well done Simon and Ian!

John

Just wondered what your bad experience at teesside was? Bought my first ever new car there and the handover was disappointing to say the least - basically their it is at the end of the car park, goodbye.

Had loads of problems with the car (IS300) that teesside never sorted - it is my local dealer but i begrudge giving them the money for servicing and definitely won't be getting my next car there.

Jon

Just hope you don't have to go back for any body repairs under warranty.
I had a hell of a fight to get a repair done on my car. It ended up going back to their bodyshop FOUR times before they got it right.

I had everything from body filler fingerprints over the car to it being sprayed in the wrong colour!!!!!

Lexus GB had to get involved and even then Mr Reynolds claimed that if I had bought the car from them and not Leicester (who I cannot fault) it would have been perfect in the first place!

PM me if anyone wants details or contacts at Lexus GB.

Cheers.

[quote name='d3fy' date='Feb 17 2004, 07:48 PM']After spotting a post from Ian Reynolds the principal at Lexus Edinburgh on here, I dropped him an email saying that they have the exact car in stock that I want, but I’m very dubious about traveling all that way (480 Mile round trip) after a bad experience at Lexus Teeside. Ian replied within minutes saying that he would get Simon to call me to discuss it.

Simon came across as honest, very unusual for a used car sales man! And he didn’t talk utter ****, after spending 3 years selling big ticket value IT solutions, I know exactly where the conversation is going, and why. We had a quick chat on the phone and asked if he could take some pictures of the car and send them to me so I could at least get a ‘feel’ for the car. Sure enough 12Mb of very hires images arrive in my mail box, the car looks very clean. Simon has also put some details on the email about work that has been carried out on the car, very upfront and honest. He described the car as Showroom condition, (Heard that one a few times before)

After a couple of days of looking for something closer, and finding nothing. I bite the bullet, close the deal with Simon on my trade in value, make sure that the cars has Matts and a Full tank of fuel and stick a £500 pound deposit on it over the phone. (Big deep breaths, and not an easy nights sleep)

Yesterday Simon called to confirm that everything was OK and I could set off on what turned out to be a very long day. The dealer ship was easy to find, and I have never been to Edinburgh, it’s just off the ring roads and very straight forward to get to. The car was parked outside the main entrance. Lexus Edinburgh is a ‘designer’ showroom, complete with Bang & Olfsen TV’s, Leather seats and fancy Coffee machine, a World and I mean World apart from Lexus Teeside. The car looks very clean, brand new alloys, smart touch ups on any stone chips, etc. Ian even comes down to say “Hello”, and asks if I’ll be modding it . Now this is what I expect when I buy into a prestige marque.

Within an hour the deal is done the payment taken and I set off home in my new IS200, I get to know the car rather well on the way home as the A1 is blocked and spend an hour and a half moving a mile or two, and then a further 5 miles looking at the poor buggers on the now closed North bound side as I whiz by.

So today, I nip to Halfords and buy some new Autglym shampoo and wash the 250 miles of muck off, and chamois the car down, and guess what, the car is in Showroom condition and is absolutely mint. It looks fantastic and so far I can not fault Lexus Edinburgh at all!

Happy Chappy
Chris[/quote]
It is good to see that some people get the goods and services that the lexus rep is built on... Its a shame that all dealerships cannot match the service that lex Edingburgh provide......keep it up Lex Ed

Talking of Lexus Edinburgh by the way... They are my local dealership, and I too have had great dealings with Ian.

A fantastic dealership!

So much so... that we now have the Scottish LOC meetings @ Lexus Edinburgh.

We're even getting a tour of the place at the next meet.

*Next Meeting is 6 Mar 04*

Can't wait

hey Jock. can i come to this meet on the 6 mar 04????? They are my locals aswell.

Yes, ofcourse you can mate

Read the details in the Club Meetings section of the forum