WHITE BISHOP CLOSED DOWN 5PM 5/3/09

pppspecial · 05-03-2009 09:37PM #1

im in shock but 100% confirmed. not a car in there showroom. big dent for opel.

Mena · 05-03-2009 09:39PM

Ouch, didn't see that one coming (though probably should have)

Drummerboy08 · 05-03-2009 10:02PM

Yeah - i seen the transporters outside this afternoon. I only commented on how little stock they had sitting around.

Big dealer to go.

MichealD · 05-03-2009 10:14PM

A pile of Kia and Citroens from White Bishop have been auctioned in Merlin this week. A sign of the times.

Mycroft H · 05-03-2009 10:40PM

Wow thats a shock. Da bought a seat bout 5 years ago there.

There dropping like bricks now. White bishop, chapmans, who will be next?

Now i've heard from one of the aul fellows friends that <removed> mightnt last too long. He has the ... garage in ... and one in .... too.
Last time i passed he had a mountain of stock in the back. A sign of the times.

Stevie Dakota · 05-03-2009 10:41PM

That's a real pity, I bought 2 SEATs from them in 1999 when they where small, and their service was excellent.

pppspecial · 05-03-2009 11:21PM

I worked in white bishop for many years and they where the best there was as far as customer service was concerned. One of the good guys in this industry to fold.
No doubt Pat will be back when this all rides through.

dmca77 · 06-03-2009 12:31AM

Very big dealer to go. The goverment need to get there ass into gear and sort this problem out!!!!!!
Motor trade is gone a very bad sign... VRT!!!!!!!!! AND TAX!!!!!!
only country in the european union

pburns · 06-03-2009 12:37AM

landyman wrote: »

Now i've heard from one of the aul fellows friends that <removed> mightnt last too long. He has the beamer garage in rathangan and one in edenderry too.
Last time i passed he had a mountain of stock in the back. A sign of the times.

Jeez, was in there during the year looking at a 3-series. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought there would be even a hint over their survival within less than a year. Scary stuff, really brings it home.

They are guilty of being OTT with their set-up though. I had visited the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking a few months previously and aspects of <removed>'s weren't too far behind!

I bought a s/h car off them a few years ago and they were extremely accomodating when a problem arose - good service.

-Chris- · 06-03-2009 12:40AM

That's a real pity, My thoughts are with the staff - it's not a good time to be looking for a new job.

Guy:Incognito · 06-03-2009 01:32AM

dmca77 wrote: »

only country in the european union

Apart from the other ones you mean (some are higher too btw)

multifranchise · 06-03-2009 02:49PM

To mention a name like <removed> in this context is irresponsible.it could cause its creditors to take wrong actions.Bad news travels fast enough without unfounded comments.

Cookie_Monster · 06-03-2009 02:56PM

Thnakfully it's not all bad news. An Opel garage opened in the old Renault centre on Rochestown Ave. in Deansgrange not so long ago. Hopefully they'll hang on, it'd be a shame to open so recently and go again. I'd hate to see that building vacant again.

-Chris- · 06-03-2009 03:21PM

That's one of the Joe Duffy's dealerships. They seem to have plenty of backing for an aggressive expansion at the moment.

robtri · 06-03-2009 03:49PM

jesus, thats terrible,
a good bunch there, a lot of customers had only good things to say about them....
they will be missed in the trade..

-Chris- · 06-03-2009 04:21PM

Around two months ago I was dealing with a customer who was shopping with me, White Bishop and another dealer.
I couldn't get the figures to work out for her, so I didn't sell her a car.

I was following up with her afterwards and she told me that she had bought from the third dealership. She preferred White Bishop, had bought from them before, liked their service and their pricing was working out but she had heard rumours that they were having trouble and so wasn't comfortable to give them a deposit.

Whether she heard correctly and made a wise choice, or whether enough people heard the rumours about (and therefore didn't do business with) White Bishop - killing their trade and sealing their fate, we'll never know.

This is a pretty good illustration of why it's important not to participate in the rumours. It's a feedback loop - the more people that believe a dealer's in trouble, the more likely the dealer will end up in trouble!

robtri · 06-03-2009 04:39PM

AudiChris wrote: »

This is a pretty good illustration of why it's important not to participate in the rumours. It's a feedback loop - the more people that believe a dealer's in trouble, the more likely the dealer will end up in trouble!

Absolutely agree, rumours don't help and shouldn't be tolerated here....

fletch · 06-03-2009 04:40PM

Don't suppose their service department is still open? Have my OH's car booked in for work on wed.

peasant · 06-03-2009 04:40PM

robtri wrote: »

Absolutely agree, rumours don't help and shouldn't be tolerated here....

see the announcement at the top of the forum

fletch · 06-03-2009 04:45PM

Phone is ringing out so doesn't look likely

seataltea · 06-03-2009 04:50PM

This is not a rumour people. White Bishop have actually closed the doors. You can ring all you want but you wont get an answer.
Its a sad state the motor trade is in at the minute and the clowns, sorry, people running the country dont seem to care.
All i can say is i wonder how much longer i'll have a job in the motor trade for??????????????

Guy:Incognito · 06-03-2009 04:55PM

seataltea wrote: »

This is not a rumour people. White Bishop have actually closed the doors.

No one said it was a rumour.It was confirmed as closed yesterday.

I had heard about 10 days ago that it was going though.

Owen · 06-03-2009 06:10PM

seataltea wrote: »

All i can say is i wonder how much longer i'll have a job in the motor trade for??????????????

Welcome to my world. I feel like a turkey at Christmas. The uncertainty is frightening, and it makes it impossible to plan anything major like holidays, or purchases for the house. Really frightening time. Even if you're doing a good job in the trade at the moment, whether you're at the top, or the bottom of the food chain you're at risk.

And of course having morons on here doing the whole fire and pitchfork routines, and wishing us the very worst of health isn't helping things either.

Bluefoam · 06-03-2009 06:32PM

AudiChris wrote: »

This is a pretty good illustration of why it's important not to participate in the rumours. It's a feedback loop - the more people that believe a dealer's in trouble, the more likely the dealer will end up in trouble!

Good point, it was rumours that sent them bankrupt, not the fact that they invested too heavily in showrooms & couldn't manage their finances - someone started a rumour which resulted in the collapse of the company!!!

Sorry to be so sarcastic, I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who loses their job, but its not the customers fault that companies are going out of business :rolleyes:

BlackWizard · 06-03-2009 06:54PM

ned78 wrote: »

Welcome to my world. I feel like a turkey at Christmas. The uncertainty is frightening, and it makes it impossible to plan anything major like holidays, or purchases for the house. Really frightening time. Even if you're doing a good job in the trade at the moment, whether you're at the top, or the bottom of the food chain you're at risk.

And of course having morons on here doing the whole fire and pitchfork routines, and wishing us the very worst of health isn't helping things either.

You brought this upon yourselves by trying to make profits!!

yeah it's a horrible time for everyone. I think Im going insane because of it. The papers always have depressing news in it.

Most of the companies that I know of through friends and family are only coming up with cost saving measures at the moment. So the worst for many has yet to come

BlackWizard · 06-03-2009 06:55PM

Bluefoam wrote: »

Good point, it was rumours that sent them bankrupt, not the fact that they invested too heavily in showrooms & couldn't manage their finances - someone started a rumour which resulted in the collapse of the company!!!

Yeah yeah yeah. But rumours don't help so stfu.

seasam · 06-03-2009 07:35PM

Bluefoam wrote: »

Good point, it was rumours that sent them bankrupt, not the fact that they invested too heavily in showrooms & couldn't manage their finances - someone started a rumour which resulted in the collapse of the company!!!

Sorry to be so sarcastic, I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who loses their job, but its not the customers fault that companies are going out of business :rolleyes:

Audi Chris is right he wasn't saying it was the sole reason but it certainly didn't help. It was rumours that caused a run on the bank Bear Stearns last year and they went from being in business one week to bust the following week with the loss of 1,000's of jobs. If people hear such rumours about a garage they are less inclined to do business with them which dosen't help in the current economic climate

Hellrazer · 06-03-2009 07:51PM

seasam wrote: »

If people hear such rumours about a garage they are less inclined to do business with them which dosen't help in the current economic climate

+1
Im sick of taking phone calls from customers saying that they heard we were closed down.And these rumours seem to be that we`re closing down every Friday for the last 5 weeks.
The amount of rumours going around about us is scary and it has driven customers elsewhere.Each Monday I contact all my customers by email to let them know that were still going but by Wednesday the rumours are going around again.

The truth be known is that we are in great position to keep the place open.And honestly there is even talk of expansion in the next few weeks.

However these rumours are having an effect on our business and unless we keep on top of them it will cause problems.

We`ve a feeling that its some of our competitors spreading this about us but we`ve no proof that that is the case.
All I can say is keep these threads to confirmed closures before rumours do actually put the final nail in another garages coffin.

TomMc · 06-03-2009 08:12PM

It is easy to knock motor dealers in general for what happened in the past and kick them further now when they are down. But with the amount of unemployment, the credit crunch and the public not spending on anything but essential items, even a good dealer could go under very easily. We are seeing it every day of the week on the high street, in all of the various retail sectors, not to mention manufacturing jobs. It feeds its way into the service industry then as well.

And not all business failures are a sure sign of bad management, especially in the current economic climate. If the general public do not have the money to spend (en mass) or are afraid to do so, nor cannot be forced to do so, well then with very high overheads and seriously reduced revenues, no business in any field can afford to be complacent.

The last thing they need are rumours flying about as well.

milltown · 06-03-2009 09:57PM

The manufacturers and importers are largely culpable in some of these cases, and definitely in the case of White Bishop. WB had a nice little business on the Drimnagh road with a lot of repeat customers and were one of the top Seat dealers in the country. SEAT/OHM decided they should be selling a lot more cars and demanded that dealers brought their showrooms up to their new standard including x amount of indoor showroom space, y signage and z amount of yard space. This meant moving up the Long Mile road.

Around this time SEAT started to make all their cars look the same unfortunately and sales were less than spectacular. It was soon obvious that they were never going to shift enough SEATs to keep the new premises in the black. After failing to get Renault, they took on Opel, who wanted further changes to the showroom including the 2 storey greenhouse. The fact that that work kept the showroom closed for the order taking/ new registration period 18 months ago was probably the real beginning of the end.

Really sad to see them go. Some lovely lads in there. Hopefully Pat will bounce back. He's mad as a brush but a likable character.

Darragh29 · 06-03-2009 09:57PM

AudiChris wrote: »

Around two months ago I was dealing with a customer who was shopping with me, White Bishop and another dealer.
I couldn't get the figures to work out for her, so I didn't sell her a car.

I was following up with her afterwards and she told me that she had bought from the third dealership. She preferred White Bishop, had bought from them before, liked their service and their pricing was working out but she had heard rumours that they were having trouble and so wasn't comfortable to give them a deposit.

Whether she heard correctly and made a wise choice, or whether enough people heard the rumours about (and therefore didn't do business with) White Bishop - killing their trade and sealing their fate, we'll never know.

This is a pretty good illustration of why it's important not to participate in the rumours. It's a feedback loop - the more people that believe a dealer's in trouble, the more likely the dealer will end up in trouble!

I agree 100% Chris. What concerns me most is that despite the crisis of confidence in the industry, you don't see much happening in the franchised end of the industry by way of innovation. I said it before on this forum and I'm going to keep saying it. It isn't just our country that is suffering from a lack of leadership ability at the moment, there is a lack of leadership in our industry. Just like the wider economic crisis, the crisis in the motor industry has been brought about by too much handy money being available and people in leadership positions getting lazy and losing sight of and respect for who pays the bills, and by that I mean the customer.

WHITE BISHOP CLOSED DOWN 5PM 5/3/09

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