Customer stories - Meet Andy & Shirley Alexander: “We wouldn’t go anywhere else!”

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Andy and Shirley Alexander have been caravanning as a couple for 22 years and love the freedom it gives you. Andy grew up in a caravanning household and his dad worked in caravan manufacturing in the late 40s and early 50s so it's something he’s been around all his life. Some of his earliest childhood memories are of caravanning!

 

What’s your history with Winchester Caravan & Motorhomes?

We bought our first two caravans privately as my dad was a bit of a caravan expert so he knew what he was looking at. In 2000, we discovered the accessory shop at the now Winchester Caravans and haven’t looked back since! We started visiting the shop regularly, buying all sorts of accessories - the stock range is fantastic! 

We’ve just bought our fourth caravan from Winchester Caravans - a Bailey Grande Brindisi, which we picked up in August. It’s the first brand new one we’ve bought, the last three were a year or so old. We’ve both retired recently so we thought we’d treat ourselves! 

Once we discovered Winchester Caravans we immediately felt at home there, everyone makes you feel so welcome and comfortable and both the James’ are lovely! The way they deal with warranties is great and we trust them completely.

 

Do you use the workshop and accessory shop?

We’ve used the workshop many times and have always had an extremely positive experience when doing so. We’re often in the accessory shop - since getting our new van in August we’ve been in there regularly kitting it out. There are so many items to choose from, even if you don’t need anything you’ll always find something in there that you want!

The service is great too; Mark and Lewis are so helpful. If we’re after something that they don’t have, they will go out of their way to source it for us and order it specially, which is fantastic service. We recently bought our new awning from there and this too was a really easy and smooth experience; they took our old one from us in part exchange and ordered the new one in without any fuss. They kept in touch throughout the process, keeping us in the loop regarding the order status so that we knew when to expect it.

 

Is there a particular customer experience that sticks out in your mind?

Although it’s been 22 years since we first came to Winchester Caravans, I still remember the customer service - right from day one - wasn’t just good, it was excellent! It really stuck in my mind because we were made to feel as if we'd known them for years. Every member of staff is so friendly and helpful, there isn’t a single person there that you wouldn’t be happy to liaise with. 

When we collected our new caravan recently, the handover service was flawless. Shirley wanted some accessories fitted in the new caravan so they ensured that they were installed ready to go for when we collected it with no fitting charge. We picked up the new van on the Saturday and went off on a trip the following Tuesday so it was great that all the extras had been fitted already to save me a job. 

We also like the fact that they deal with all the warranty paperwork as part of the service, so if there’s ever anything that needs addressing, they’ll take it all on, contact the manufacturer, get the work done and hand it back all done, making the whole process hassle-free for the customer.

There was also a time that we’d set off on a trip and one of the roof panels had come open and we were unable to close it. We called Winchester Caravans and as we weren’t far from the dealership, they invited us straight in and they patched it up there and then so we could continue on our trip without an issue. Whilst we were away they ordered a new part and booked the van in for the repair, all sorted under the warranty - what amazing service!

 

What do you like about caravanning?

The freedom it gives you, the places you can go to, the sights you see, the people you meet, all of it! We meet people all over the place, it’s a very sociable way to holiday. We’ve made caravanning friends all over the country and we keep in touch, send Christmas cards and meet up every year, we’re like a big family!

We caravan on our own and with friends and we enjoy both. We’ve got some favourite places that we return to - Red Cliff Farm in Wareham, Polmanter in Cornwall, Cartref in Shrewsbury and a place called Castlerigg in the Lake District just outside Keswick. Every September we go to a caravan site called Highlands End in Dorset and meet up with lots of families that we know from the caravanning circuit. As the years go on the friendships grow and we all have a great time. 

 

What are your plans for 2023?

After a busy year doing lots of travelling, we’ve decided to take it easy next year and have booked a six-month seasonal pitch at Wareham in Dorset. So we’ll just head down there every few weeks and the caravan will be set up ready for us to enjoy. There’s a slipway on the campsite and we have friends who have boats so we’re hoping to enjoy that side of things a little more next year which will make a nice change. We’ve also booked our usual fortnight at Highlands End for next September to meet up with our friends so that’ll be another highlight for 2023.

 

What’s so great about Winchester Caravans & Motorhomes?

The excellent customer service that we’ve received for the past 22 years. It really is an exceptional all-round service - everyone is so helpful and they always give you the high level of service that you’d hope for but often don’t receive elsewhere. They treat everyone fairly and they just can’t do enough for you. 

We’ve been to other dealerships but it’s just not the same anywhere else. Other dealerships are businesses first and foremost, whereas Winchester Caravans is all about providing a service. Although they’re selling products, they prioritise your needs above all else. We simply wouldn’t go anywhere else! 

 

Find out more about Winchester Caravans & Motorhomes, our friendly team and explore the ranges on offer! Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about any of our products or services or if you just fancy a chat!

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