Tag Archive for 'motorhome rental'

Motor home hire and rental prize-giving day arrives with Mandy’s fingers firmly crossed

Published on February 12, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

If Mandy had been religious, she would have prayed for good weather but, in the event, the weather on Ruarc’s motor home hire and rental prize-giving day was about as good as it possibly could have been for late November in the South of England.

As Mandy walked over to the motorhome sales office, she mentally ran through all the things that needed to be checked relating to the motor home prize-giving day. The sun was peeping from behind the tall trees and the rooks were cackling and swooping above.

By 11 o’clock when the gates opened, sunshine was pouring down and Ruarc’s motorhome sales was beginning to look almost festive. In the centre of the circle of motor homes had been placed a marquee where visitors could congregate and talk about their experiences and dreams of motorhoming. Outside the marquee there was a raised stage where the prize-giving would take place.

By midday Ruarc’s motorhome sales was humming with people chattering, laughing and enjoying the day. Even Ruarc lent a hand talking to the customers and Mandy saw him leading off a pair of sisters who were interested in a motorhome rental for a holiday in Italy she heard them planning.

Gladys was enjoying seeing all the people she’d been talking to for weeks on the telephone and was even exchanging kisses with some of them. It was almost as if Ruarc’s motorhome sales had suddenly grown an extended family. However, Mandy knew that each new member of the family was a prospective customer and the good relationships that were being developed that day would be needed to see the motorhome sales business through the next months and possibly years.

2 o’clock came, all too quickly, and the stage was set to announce the winners of the free motorhome holiday. This was a moment they had been working towards for weeks. Mandy’s fingers were firmly crossed that it would go well. How would all the people who had hoped to win a two weeks’ holiday feel when they found it had gone to somebody else? Perhaps there would be a riot. Perhaps they would no longer feel so friendly.

Ruarc, took to the stage and spoke into the microphone, in his rich Irish brogue, instantly charming many.

“Hello, hello. 1 2 3 … Can you hear me?”

The gathered crowd roared “Yes!” Many still had wine glasses in their hands and a contented glow in their cheeks.

“I have to make an announcement before I pass you over to the distinguished counsellor who has not only worked so hard judging your excellent entries but has also agreed to make the presentation of the prize.”

An announcement? Fear clutched at Mandy’s heart. She had no knowledge of any announcement. Ruarc was just supposed to welcome the guests and hand over to the local councillor. What on earth was he playing at?

“I, as proprietor of this humble motorhome sales business have been so impressed by the quality of the entries for this competition that I have decided to offer not one but three free holiday prizes and a few minutes ago, I asked our distinguished judge to select two more winners from the list of entrants.”

Loud applause greeted this announcement and someone even started off three cheers. Relief flooded through Mandy.

“I will now pass you over to our distinguished friend from the Council,” said Ruarc. He winked at Mandy, as he came off the stage. The wink said that he was still in charge and would  run the show as he wished. He was obviously enjoying her discomfort and his little surprise. Mandy suddenly felt she had been warned.

The councillor stepped onto the stage. He was a short round, balding friendly looking man. Mandy could see how many people would feel at ease voting for him. His best quality was that he was inoffensive.

“I must first thank Ruarc’s motorhome sales for the opportunity of coming here and presenting these prizes. Of course it was a very difficult task to choose the winning entries from so many. However, generously expanding the winners from one to three certainly made the choice a little bit easier.”

The names of the winners were called out and they all trooped onto the stage to collect their certificates detailing their prize except one of the winners who was disabled. Instead, his carer collected his certificate and took it down to where he sat in his wheelchair, looking pleased.

There was a lot of clapping and even some cheers. Then it was all over and people started drifting away.

“I hardly dare to ask,” said Mandy quietly to Gladys. “How many sales?”

“Two,” said Gladys.

“Oh!” said Mandy, disappointment washing over her.

“Zero,” said Gladys, with a triumphant smile on her face.

“Twenty! screamed Mandy with excitement. That’s fantastic. Now we really do have something to celebrate.

Katerina joined in the group hug and they were still jumping up and down with happiness when the first caravan appeared bearing Ruarc’s family.

Within minutes, one caravan had turned into a steady stream.

Mandy confronts Rita about the motor home sales promotion

Published on February 11, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

“Rita, making motor home rental sales is the whole point of running the motor home competition. It’s a motor home sales promotion. It might be a lot of fun and enjoyable for us and for the people entering the competition but at the end of the day it is aimed at getting more motorhome rental and motorhome hire sales.”

Mandy was facing Rita across the counter of the farm shop and Rita’s face was set in an uncooperative glare.

“Even the councillors from the Council are possibly an important future part of your motorhome business activities. So it’s not really just a party or a celebration from the motorhome business’s point of view.”

“Are you suggesting that I shouldn’t have invited my family. You are getting too hoity toity, gal – too hoity toity by far,” hissed Rita.

“I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t have invited your family,” said Mandy, inwardly seething at Rita’s stupidity. “all I’m trying to do is make sure the motorhome business runs efficiently on a very important day that may well determine its success throughout the next year – which is already bound to be a very difficult year because of the recession.”

“You are meddling in things that are not your affair,” snarled Rita, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

Mandy grasped at a final straw.

“Okay, what time have you told them to turn up? Perhaps they could come after all the selling has been done and we could have a party that was more for family and friends and, hopefully, to celebrate a great day’s business.”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. Our family knows when parties start and won’t be arriving until the evening. What party would ever start before the evening? Are you stupid, gal?”

Mandy almost fell over with relief. The motorhome sales area was open from 11 o’clock in the morning for visitors with the prize presentation at 2 o’clock. According to her plan, it would definitely be completely finished well before the evening.

“Thanks, Rita, “she sighed, gratefully.” I’m so glad that’s sorted out,” and made her escape.

Motorhome hire and rental – Mandy implements her plan.

Published on January 28, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Back in her office, Mandy set about putting her motorhome rental and motorhome hire plans into action. With her best smile on her face, in the hope her smile would be conveyed down the telephone line, she started ringing the telephone numbers on her list of recent visitors to the motorhome sales office.

Almost immediately, she had a success. A middle-aged couple she remembered well because they were so nice and polite had been thinking of buying a motor home so they could travel around Scotland but had been put off going ahead because of the dire economic news in the UK.

They were thrilled by the idea that they could try the motorhome experience for several weeks or even months without committing themselves to any large capital expenditure. The sale was practically made even before they had decided on any specific motorhome.

Ruarc, hearing the excitement in her voice, came into her office and lounged against the motorhome wall with his hands deep in his pockets.

When she suggested the couple come in at lunch time to sign the deal and select the motorhome they would like, he gave her the thumbs-up sign.

As she put down the telephone, Ruarc even looked slightly less belligerent than usual.

“Well done, gal,” he said. “You’re definitely on to something – keep it up.” Then he sauntered back to his office to get the paperwork ready.

A warm glow spread through Mandy’s body. She had succeeded in doing something successful. Although she didn’t respect or give a damn about what Ruarc thought normally, it had been a while since she had received praise from anybody and it felt good.

Tom Hutchinson rang later in the morning suggesting they should get together for a lunchtime walk. When she mentioned to Ruarc that she would be out of the motorhome sales office for a while at lunchtime, he hardly seemed bothered.

“I’ll look after the motorhome sales while you’re away,” he said, magnanimously.

“Where’s Gladys this morning,” queried Mandy.

“She’ll be in later, I expect, ” said Ruarc, non-committedly. “She rang this morning to say she had a touch of sickness.”

He looked rather uncomfortable and Mandy thought it wise not to question him further. Perhaps Ruarc thought Gladys’s illness might be something for which he could possibly be held to account and which might prove expensive.

Mandy went back to telephoning prospective rental clients. Occasionally she caught herself dreaming about a house in the country, children and security. With a secret smile, she realized that the man with his slippers by her fireside looked very much like Tom Hutchinson.

Motor-home sales staff meeting convened at the farmhouse

Published on January 27, 2009 in motor home and motorhome. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

The motor-home sales staff meeting was convened in the farmhouse kitchen with Mandy sitting on one side of the table and Ruarc, Ralph and Rita, who was Ruarc’s sister, sitting on the other.

Mandy had met Rita who spent most of her time in the farm shop tending to the steady but small stream of customers that dropped in, mostly collecting eggs laid by the chickens that clucked their contented way around the farmyard outside.

Rita’s face was almost as mean-looking as Ruarc’s. Ferret like, her dark features had something of a gypsy in them. When Mandy had collected eggs to eat from the farm shop, she hadn’t wasted her words. Her reply to Mandy’s enquiry asking the cost of the goods was simply, “Later.” Now Rita just sat there, silently, and, Mandy thought, rather venomously.

Ruarc started the meeting off.

“This meeting has been convened to consider the effing economic situation and the effing poor sales results of this motorhomes sales business recently … Since Mandy has been with us, mainly. So what have you got to say for yourself, gal?”

Mandy looked across at the three, their faces set and wondered whether it was a lynch party. She thought they were reckoning she would walk away from this table without a job and part of her wondered whether that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. As employers, they left almost everything to be desired. Perhaps it was better to be rid of them. Her problem was that at least it was a job, her accommodation came with the job and she didn’t think there was any chance of her finding another job elsewhere.

She decided the best form of defence was attack.

“Firstly, “she said, “I have sold five motor homes in the last three and a half weeks . I would have thought that the profits from those sales would be much greater than my meagre wages however high my bonuses.”

She saw Ruarc, mouth the word ‘bonus’ with contempt. Perhaps he was trying the word out for size. Mandy doubted whether it was a word normally in his vocabulary.

“However, I have two suggestions,” Mandy continued. Then she outlined her idea of improving the motorhome web site so it reflected more accurately new motorhome stock.

Ruarc’s main response was to moan that the motor home Web site didn’t need updating if she never sold anything.

Mandy’s suggestion to rent out motorhomes with a new motor home hire service drew more interest, though, especially from Rita who pointed out there may be cash income opportunities.

The mention of the word ‘cash’ brought knowing nods from Ruarc’s family. It was obvious they liked the word ‘cash’.

Mandy wondered whether there was a hidden safe somewhere at the farm where they stashed their wealth well away from the tax man.

It turned out that Rita was the Webmaster of the family and she agreed to update the Web site if Mandy would take the photographs of the new stock, if and when there was any. Rita also agreed to include motorhome rental details on the web site.

Ruarc, promised that he would include that the motor homes were now available for rent or hire in his newspaper advertising and the meeting was suddenly at an end.

As Mandy walked across the grass back to the motorhome sales office, she watched the rooks cackling and squabbling in the high trees above the farm, not a lot different to human beings, she reflected. The sun seemed to be shining more brightly and, amazingly, she still had a job and somewhere to live.

Perhaps, there was even still the possibility of romance.

She wondered when Tom Hutchinson would ring again.