Just Bowling Along

15th June 2009

You may already be aware that due to reaching very high standards set by Volvo Cars UK, Ray Chapman Motors were once again very close to winning the Dealer of the Year Award in 2008. To win this coveted title, certain criteria have to be met by a dealership and the standards set by Volvo are incredibly high.

Although  our company did not take first place, we came a very creditable 2^nd runner up. For this achievement, Volvo Cars UK have granted a monetary award, which Ray Chapman uses to ensure the staff are well and truly rewarded. The following  gives an insight as to how this award was used.

Considering it was Tuesday and the next day was a working one for most, the event was very well attended. In fact it would have been a lot better attended except that Volvo had taken a lot of staff down to Daventry for even more training. “Hard luck”, say the rest of us who turned up at the Bowling Alley on Clifton Moor in York after work. Once inside the alley, jollity and mayhem broke out as a natural competitive spirit took over and Emma, who valiantly organised everything, tussled with lists and last minute team changes. The mood was ebullient as all made their way to designated alleys. As the author of this piece is a, somewhat retarded bowler, I will pay scant detail to the scores. I can say that all seven teams were equally matched and proved that the company as a whole work well together in more than just the dealerships. I heard the expression, “it’s not the winning that matters, it’s the taking part”, quite a few times as yet another ball rolled majestically down the gutter encouraging the score board to throw up a tell tale cartoon character berating the bowler for bad play. There was much cheering and back slapping as various team members bowled “strikes” and “spares” and even more commiserations for those who knocked down just one pin after a great deal of huffing and puffing.

Game over, now on with the serious side of the evening; FOOD!. The Bowling Alley is nicely situated around the corner from that  famous Italian American Restaurant. I can’t help thinking what the waiters were wondering as a convoy of Volvos rolled into the car park spitting out excited workers all VERY hungry and even thirstier. For the next two hours, games were re-played, scores queried and argued over while we were fed and watered to our hearts content. I noted the team spirit continued throughout the evening as fellow workers helped each other to finish what was on their plates!

I am reliably informed that everyone had a wonderful time and are looking forward to the next time. And so it remains for me to say that we have our customers to thank for their continued support and by return we will all continue to give the best possible service we can as individuals and as a team. This year we aim to make top place again, having achieved it before we KNOW we can do it again.