Big thanks to Murrays in Edin again

[robin]

Lee, it was fixed by removing the broken old metal and welding in new sections. It actually didn't look that different to the original once complete and was a very tidy job, though I am sure it was a lot of work to achieve that.


Just adding my 2p to the thanks thread - called Craig to pay my bill for the clutch yesterday and I was still standing (and smiling) when I handed over my credit card number - was substantially less than I was expecting, a welcome surprise after the unexpected expenses on the Frolic

Cheers,
Robin

[tut]

Think that I forgot to post the pics, so will put them up.

tut

[hendeg]

I'm also extending my thanks to Craig and his team for helping me on my way to Frolic.

I went to pack the car on the morning we were leaving to find oil leaking from the accusump. A quick call to Craig and he said to swing by.

They had a look and it wasn't fixable. Luckily they were still working on Ali's old car and swapped out that one to get me on my way. PLUG: Ali's old Exige GT is now for sale at Murrays.

Turned out to be a problem valve so Craig ordered the part in while we were away and then swapped the accusumps back on my return journey.

I didn't have good experiences at Murrays in the pre-Craig era but the service has definitely improved massively.

Thanks again.

[S111Y TT]

As many know N1 was in at Murray's for "some" work. 5 years of sitting on her own had taken it's toll on her. Before that a few years of Dad punishing and hurting her in anyway possible whether it be road or track had also left scarring and wounds.

I'm too young to have witnessed Murray's before Craig took over. However I can safely say that the service received was unlike anything I have witnessed or heard even about in all my days. The car was in with them for 6 weeks give or take. In that time I believe they came close to taking everything off and rebuilding it all bottoms up. Dad and I were kept in the loop at all times as problems arose and were then solved. Anything and everything was done, not just that but it was done to the best of their ability.

The end product is a new Elise. Actually better than a new Elise. I don't think I can truly convey my excitement on this site. I just hope I am home for both the SIDC event and the AMP 3 event I am booked on for. I really want to play with my new baby and see what she is made of.

Thanks so very very much to Murray's and Craig. I will be using you for everything that I need done with the car. Craig keep up the good work. You did a fantastic job and your attitude really does make that company shine! Cannot stress enough how much I appreciate it and I hope all others give you the opportunity to make them as happy as you have done me!

[campbell]

Ian,

Might be time to write to the JM Group MD about this.

OTOH, he may be appalled to hear how much time one of his workshops has just devoted to a silly wee plastic car

You just need to take care of her now. No pressure then. Enjoy


Campbell

[Tommy Twist]

Don't know if this thread's still open to opinions of MMC..

Early days for me, as I've only had the Elise for a few months, but here goes:

Positives:

• Car was well-prepared prior to sale, both cosmetically and mechanically (as far as I have been able to tell).
• Craig is very responsive and seems eager to please (he almost gave me my Elise for free, so I can't really complain!). I hope that the goods can continue to be delivered when the inevitable bigger issues arise
• Service/parts staff are generally polite and helpful, including helping out with a lift to/from work when the car's been in.

Not-so-positives:

• The customer parking is poor by main dealer standards – never a free space in the 'Lotus section' any time I've turned up and the road surface is a mess (although I believe some of the worst potholes were filled recently). Neither am I too keen on the 'overflow' car park that's out of sight of the garage and showroom. This alone is enough to put me off taking the car there for certain jobs that I can have done elsewhere.
• Their location at the bottom of Sighthill Industrial Estate makes them difficult to reach without negotiating badly potholed road surfaces. Can only hope they might relocate at some point!
• Oily paw prints on the car's paintwork after each occasion that it's been in... not a big issue, but bugging if it's just been cleaned.

That's all for now

[tut]

Bring the non positives to Craig's attention if you have not already done so, he stresses that although he appreciates the positives, he wants to hear of the negatives as well.

It is a long time since one of my Elises has been in for attention, but I drove in and parked N3 alongside N1 outside the workshop, and Verian parked the Honda there as well. There is little that they can do about their location and size of plot, they probably wish it were bigger as well. The Council are responsible for the state of the roads which are pretty crap any where in the area. I drove in from one direction and out the other with no problems, the temp lights at the junction were a pain but hopefully that is because they are improving the road.

For me the main thing is that they are our only Lotus dealer in Scotland, Graeme built up a great reputation and is a friend to many of us whether we bought a car from him or not, and Craig has turned the service side from what was a joke into something to be proud of.

My son's post sums it up, he has been waiting to take over N1 for years when he was old enough, it passed it's MOT after standing for five years, but when it went into Craig for a service it ended up with a six page invoice, every problem sorted with no fuss and one of them was a major that he had not seen before. He has a special relationship with S_E, and long may it continue.

tut

[Tommy Twist]

Bring the non positives to Craig's attention if you have not already done so, he stresses that although he appreciates the positives, he wants to hear of the negatives as well.

Oh, I already have - I'm not shy that way

There is little that they can do about their location and size of plot

They can move?

Here in Falkirk/Stirling area, over the past ten years or so many (possibly most) of the main dealers have relocated to brand-new or refurbed out-of-town premises – they don't go to all that trouble and expense for nothing

My son's post sums it up

Sums up yours and your son's opinion, and I've given mine FWIW.

[tut]

No prob with your opinion, that is what democracy is about. However as a relative newcomer you may not be aware of past history. The Lotus side of MMC was very close to closing down recently, but managed to hang on through the sales crisis and reorganisation. They are part of the rest of the Group there, Rolls, Bently, and Aston Martin, as prestigious as you can get, so they are in no position to up sticks and go it alone.

What we have is what we have got and it is a hell of a lot better than it used to be, so I suppose we are happy with that as opposed to worrying about parking spaces.

tut

[campbell]

I think a lot of investment has to go into the Rolls and Aston franchises and may not easily be recouped by an impromptu move.

One of the upsides of poor roads around Murray = Elise road testing for clonks and rattles is a doddle! And they are close to CLCM for all the geo work too

All the same, Tommy, your points are tangible and the JM Group has a number of sites IIRC so who knows, we may yet see Murray Lotus in some other random business park one day!

[Tommy Twist]

Tut...

Yes. I'm a relative newcomer and I am aware through reading this and other threads that the situation at MMC has improved dramatically. That is great.

However I am not a newcomer to car ownership or servicing and I maintain that there is room for further improvement at Murray's, hence the critique. If parking facilities aren't an issue for you then fine - I would assume that if they had been an issue for you then you'd have mentioned it by now anyway, and I'm sure that others can deduce the same.

This thread IMHO will most valuable if forum members - new and old - feel they can air their views – positive or negative – without fear of being shot down or dismissed on account of their length of tenure with the forum. As a 'newbie' I have an opinion that isn't prejudiced by past circumstances at MMC, and that in itself should be taken on its own merit. "YMMV" as they say, and sometimes it's best to leave it at that, eh?

[Tommy Twist]

I think a lot of investment has to go into the Rolls and Aston franchises and may not easily be recouped by an impromptu move.

One of the upsides of poor roads around Murray = Elise road testing for clonks and rattles is a doddle! And they are close to CLCM for all the geo work too

All the same, Tommy, your points are tangible and the JM Group has a number of sites IIRC so who knows, we may yet see Murray Lotus in some other random business park one day!

Thanks Campbell.

In all honesty I don't expect them to up sticks any time soon, but I genuinely am not completely happy with their current facilities so I reckoned I might as well say so, and this thread seemed to be the place in SE to say it... And hey, if anything. the very fact that they also flog Rollers and Astons makes an increasingly compelling argument for them to move to more upmarket surroundings! In all seriousness, they could at the very least re-surface the car park and set aside a couple of decent spaces for folks arriving early doors in their Lotuses

Incidentally, a work colleague of mine took his BMW to Murray Volvo once for servicing and has since mentioned how he was unhappy with the parking facilities. So I'm not completely alone on this one!

Anyway – I ought to make it clear that, overall, my experience with MMC has been positive so far!

[campbell]

Actually Tommy it's quite valuable for someone to cast a fresh viewpoint over things...you know how people become used to things and "tune them out" eventually. Bit like the missus reminding you to put stuff straight in the dishwasher and that, eh...

Now if you want a tricky access road then you should check out SLS' original premises

However that truly is a thread drift so I'll stop right now. "Note, other Lotus servicing facilities are available"


Campbell

[Tommy Twist]

Now if you want a tricky access road then you should check out SLS' original premises

I could believe that! Yes, there are worse out there than MMC in that respect – I used to own a Subaru and actually stopped using Ian Grieve's in Falkirk for servicing on account of the 'lunar surface' that they had the cheek to call an access road.

"Note, other Lotus servicing facilities are available"

OK, I might PM you about that some time

[tut]

Point taken Tommy, but bottom line is that Murrays is what we have got, and there is a limit in what they can achieve in the current climate.

There are independents that you can go to, and we do, and there is no way that I am belittling you as a newcomer, check my posts and you will see that I am one of the first to welcome them, but several of us have been dealing with them for twelve years now and have seen the transitions, and are very happy with the end result that we have now.

As Elise owners we have probably not had the experience in Scotland of choosing which Lotus dealer we go to as they have in England, nor your own with other makes of cars and their dealerships as comparisons, maybe we accept their foibles and overlook that some aspects are not perfect, as it is the result that comes out of the workshop that counts.

tut