Hope you guys had a better time than me on arriving for my half day experience. The RRS was not available (broken) so offered a Disco. Oh! well it was the 13 July. Disappointed but can understand the situation. However what annoyed me was the fact that only one attempt was made to contact me in the morning. I could not take the call but when I returned the call later that morning the 'receptionist' did not advise me ether. Perhaps it was out of her skill grade.
Very good welcome on arrival. Coffee, paperwork and a seat in the lounge but no mention of the lack of the requested RRS..Just before one o'clock my allotted instructor invited me outside for 'a word' - "I'll just have a bite of lunch" he said "then we'll get under way. The RRS is not available but we have the Disco - it has the same engine, gear box and suspension system" He seemed quite surprised when I refused and requested another date instead. Think he missed the point – I have a RRS so I wanted to drive a RRS.
Fortunately it did not effect his lunch.
Guess I'm wondering if I should go to a different venue.
Comments very welcome.

Sorry it didn't turn out as you expected. Personally, I've been to both the Ashford and Eastnor sites and found the staff to be excellent on both occasions so maybe worth giving them a try? 

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Or you could go to the normally excellent Dunkeld LRE - and opt for the full day course, it's much more fun and you cover far more offroad terrain out on the Atholl Estates land. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

I second Tim's comment, Dunkeld is excellent and a bit closer than Rockingham Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

Wonders never cease...........I would personally rebook elsewhere, I would also be tempted to send a letter of complaint to LR and the center manager, oh and pop round to give his wife something to hang her towel on




























In Misery's case a hand towel
In Jay's case a flannel

I don't make the rules up, just being factual...........VA took pictures  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

I took the pics yes! Because WW was engaged so to speak!  2005 Zambezi TDV6 - Gone but not forgotten
2009 Alaska TDV8 - Gone and much missed.



WINNER - 2009 �Idler Of The Year� Award
Runner Up - 2009 �Just Doing What It�s Designed To Do� Award


DO NOT CLICK HERE!

....with the blonde from the Police copter I hasten to add  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

will_wonka wrote:

....with the blonde from the Police copter I hasten to add

A blonde called Bruno! 2005 Zambezi TDV6 - Gone but not forgotten
2009 Alaska TDV8 - Gone and much missed.



WINNER - 2009 �Idler Of The Year� Award
Runner Up - 2009 �Just Doing What It�s Designed To Do� Award


DO NOT CLICK HERE!

Very Annoyed wrote:

[A blonde called Bruno!

and now in full as extracted from VA's autobiog.

"...........and once parked, a Blonde, whom I now know as Bruno, approached me from behind and continued to comment on my muddy white......................" L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

Thanks all I think i will move north as per your suggestion Tim.
Should have said Alicatt - working down south at the moment - hence Rockingham
Let you know their response tomorrow when they are suposed to call.

I must admit to being surprised to read the comment from Hugh about Rockingham, I have used them several times for business and pleasure and have always found them to be excelent in every way, the terrain and instruction is some of the best i have been on and thier customer care is second to none, i would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone.

I have just returned from the centre and while there i took the opportunity to show them the comment made on this forum as i thought they deserved to see this, the instructor who Hugh dealt with, was amazed and it seems that the full story has been diluted to make them look bad?

I was shown proof that Hugh was called on Friday of last week, to be informed that the vehicle might not be available, a message was left but Hugh did not return the call until Monday at 10.00am? The Centre were told the RRS was due to be returned to them from the dealer at 10.30am, so no problem when Hugh called, however the RRS was not returned until 5ish.which meant no vehicle but hardly the centres fault? I think the comment made at a dig at a stand in receptionist is out of order myself and i thought very derogatory?

As Hugh states, the instructor did offer another vehicle (a D3) which in dynamics etc is the same as the RRS and i am sure Hugh would have learnt a lot, especially as he would have been given another voucher to return??...bonus i would say!, but i was told by the 3 people in the centre that lunchtime that Hugh said it was not a problem and he would come back................which i think is why everyone at the centre was amazed when i showed the thread written?

Hugh arrived at 12.30, was made welcome as he said and while he had coffee the instructor rightly so had his lunch as the session was not due to start until 1.00pm........i agree that perhaps he should have been told when he booked in, that the RRs was not available, but i guess they were hoping it would turn up?

The first time i went to Rockingham my instructor was Ed, what a brilliant instructor and ambassador for Land Rover, when i took my wife back we had Luke (Eds brother) we found him to be polite, knowledgable and a very good instructor, and in fact we request when we go back. After speaking to him today he was deeply shocked i could see he was upset by the comments made. He went to call Hugh just to see why he had written what he had, i stood by him and Luke was polite etc to Hugh.............who proceeded to hang up?

On our return at lunchtime today after taking my son out in the TD4 Freelander, which i must say is quite an amasing vehicle!! The centre manager had spoken to Hugh to try and get to the bottom of the matter..........like most business owners the manager i believe was trying to find out the exact story and why there were some discrepancies? I hope it was all sorted.....I was told the outcome but will not print it here for now?

I certainly do not want to get into an argument with anyone but i think it only fair that if people want to comment on experiences, then satisfied customers should be able to reply. ?

If i had not been there and saw the reaction from the secretary, the 2 instructors who were out that day, and been shown call records, i would not have written this reply, but i wanted to reply about my own experiences as a customer with which i believe to be an excellent centre, certainly one of the best out of the 3 centres i have visited,

The plot thickens..........



james

Hugh Haddow wrote:

Comments very welcome.

Have been to rockingham several times and it has always been first class very friendly and proffesional with lots knowledge i would recommend the rockingham experince to anyone am going again soon i hope fantastic terrain

Was there at Rockingham this weekend and all I can say is Ed, Vince and Ray were awesome

And anyway at 5mph how can you tell the difference between a Sport and a D3 - apart from the fact in a sport you'll bang yer head under the low roof and have nowhere to put your packed lunch- FFS  Steve N | 21MY Defender (on order) | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)

Last edited by SN on Wed Jul 15 2009 10:41pm. Edited 1 time in total