Boycott Sytner?

I read this and wondered which franchise it was (Thought it might have been Reading or Newbury Audi) I wont be using Reading Audi anytime soon thats for sure.

There is having a laugh and taking the p!ss, but this was a whole different level of bullying, and for the lad to then kill himself is just tragic. Such a waste :sadlike:
 
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So sad. Unbelievable that some people still behave like this in the workplace.
 
audi upgrades
Utterly frightening. The verdict is confusing - however I guess it's up to consumers to make their decision on which garage gets our business.
I wouldn't use them.
 
Prosecute the lot of the ******.
 
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Utterly shocking, Reading Audi are my nearest dealer and I'd had a bad experience there before with a service on my previous Audi. So I was leaning towards using Newbury as my preferred dealer for getting service and warranty done on my S3, this article has sealed the deal.

Thanks for sharing OP.
 
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Shocking really... worse that no one stood up for the little lad.
 
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That is absolutely disgusting :sorrow: I work in a car factory where banter and taking the p!ss is a daily occurrence plantwide, but if you did anything as harsh as what they did you would be instantly sacked. As Mark_86 said, why the hell did nobody stick up for the poor lad?

Such a waste of a young life, hope the people involved are proud of themselves!
 
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I think that coroner is an idiot.

Clearly the things that they did to him are crimes and setting someone on fire would bring a prison sentence.

If I were involved I would appeal the coroners decision and sue that dealership.


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Would avoid that dealer like the plague..I hope all involved were sacked at least
 
I used Reading Audi recently too. They have moved to a whole new premises now, brand new equipment and machinery. Given that this took place in 2016, you'd *hope* that they've replaced a lot of the staff too. But the thing is with these franchises - they face no repercussion from the brand! It's a stupid system in my opinion.
 
Disgusting bullies. I really, really can't stand bullies of any kind.
Make my blood boil.

Anyone local......go elsewhere and get this story spread.
I am going to post the link elsewhere now.

I hope the perpetrator gets his just cummupance.

Ps message to Sytners. Glad to see you have changed your deplorable working practices.
Just a bit late....as one of your employees killed himself.
Sleep well.
 
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They are to blame this is disgusting behaviour in the workplace.
 
It's my dealer too and where I bought my car. Had a few run ins with the chief technician who is a tool and treats customers like scum. I'd reported the dealer a few years ago before buying my car. I didn't spend much on cars then but could afford any any car any car in their showroom, but I drove a ford fiesta that was 17 years old, a 12 year old peugeot 307 xsi and wife had a 11 year old a class. Went there 3 times and ignored every time whilst they served people who came after us but came in nicer cars. Joke.

Another employee died 3 or so years ago too by drowning in the river thames so it seems they haven't learnt.

What disgusts me is that no action has been taken against these bullies and even more staggering is no police action, people have been convicted for stealing 10.00 of meat yet these scumbags get away with it. I was considering placing an order for an rs3 at at this dealer but they can get stuffed.
 
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Poor kid had other issues so it wasn't 100% fault of rrading audi employees, but if soneone in a decent company did one of those things it would be instant dismal

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Agreed, the poor kid did have other issues, so you can't 100% link his death to the behaviour of the staff there.

However, even if he *hadn't* tragically taken his own life, I would still avoid this place because it sounds like they run an absolutely appalling workshop with zero professionalism. They sound like cowboys.

It couldn't be any more different from the 'Serviced by Audi' branding that Audi put out!
 
People have been "banged up" for less bad treatment to old and vulnerable people in car homes.
 
If that was my son i would be banged up now, eye for a eye.
 
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Even without the subsequent death of young George Cheese, this episode is a shameful example of what happens when the leadership team fail to set and maintain standards. The "banter" and extreme practises employed at Reading Audi are unacceptable, and haven't been acceptable in respectable industry for decades. I fail to see how Sytner audi has any option but to summarily dismiss every individual implicated in these practices, including the management team that must also be held to account. They after all have at a bare minimum turned a blind eye to it, if not encouraged it or perhaps at an earlier stage in their own careers, even set the foundation stones that permitted this culture of bullying to become the norm at Reading Audi.

Audi's press releases on the matter haven't committed a great deal to it either. In fact I'd say they were breathing a sigh of relief that this troubled youngster had a few other issues going on besides being subjected to ritual bullying and humiliation. That might reduce their exposure in legal terms, but the tone of audi-uk's message doesn't in my opinion adaquately convey their complete and utter failure to prevent this sort of thing happening, and to properly care for those they employ. Morally, this response is utterly bankrupt and devoid of commitment. Of course sytner absolutely condemn any behaviour which is detrimental to the well being of employees, the point is, they still let it happen...
IMG 1518


As a time served engineer myself, I thought that this sort of thing had been banished to history along with whitworth spanners and mercury arc rectifiers. It belongs to another age that pre-dates even my own entry to industry, which is longer ago than I care to admit. I am disgusted and horrified that this sort of thing could ever be perpetrated in the modern era. We struggle like crazy to attract new young engineers to what has become in the uk a declining industry, so to bully, harass and humiliate those that choose this career is irresponsible in the extreme.

Boycotting the Sytner group is an easy decision. My empathy for a fellow engineer will not allow me ever use them again in any capacity until such time as they have demonstrated true and lasting change in the way they treat employees in general, and apprentice engineers in particular.
 
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Boycotting is all well and good said here, but how many hundreds of people completely unaware of these events will still be popping into Reading Audi next week?
 
I heard about this story and was truly shocked by the events that took place and the result it led to with a loss of a young life. I'm also shocked that Audi UK are not doing more to make sure the dealer is held responsible. The statement (shown above) was also very poor and just a general copy and paste type paragraph. Very sad and poorly dealt with! R.I.P
 
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I've shared this on Detailing World
 
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I shared on Tyresmoke.net and asked that people spread the story.
 
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Tom Morgan said:
Audi UK are unlikely to take the franchise off them - hoping that this story disappears from social media.

Still - systematic bullying of this poor lad involved locking him in a car bonnet, and setting fire to his clothes. Unbelievable

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...lled-himself-audi-garage-not-to-blame-coroner
Click to expand...
This might explain why Sytner no longer feature the name of the actual Audi dealership on number plates but simply say Sytner Audi, it's seems when most large organisations experience bad publicity (and by the way this is unforgivable) then they resort to re-branding ( or in plain English changing the name) to disassociate from the previous name. It's bad enough what Reading Audi did, but I can't understand why the coroner is banging on about the changes they've made, the fact that they had to make changes demonstrates the previous culture and practises were seriously lacking. I've bought several Audis from Sytner (not Reading) and the service has been excellent as has the attitude of the sales and service staff, you can't tarn everyone with the same brush
 
The coroner had ALL of the facts and is experienced in making important decisions like this.... unlike any of you.
Should you really be judging and recommending action on something just by what you've read in the ALWAYS truthful media and social network?

N.B. I have no connection to Reading Audi but I am able to think for myself.
 
I completely have no problem at all with the coroner's decision. I have a problem with Audi UK's response. Like I said *irrespective* of whether the young lad died or not, that kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable in the workplace and about as unrepresentative of the Audi brand as you can get.
 
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I've had my S3 for a few weeks now and was expecting to use this place for servicing etc as it's two streets down from me. I'll be using a local independent garage I know of now, not Audi.
 
Gugne said:
The coroner had ALL of the facts and is experienced in making important decisions like this.... unlike any of you.
Should you really be judging and recommending action on something just by what you've read in the ALWAYS truthful media and social network?

N.B. I have no connection to Reading Audi but I am able to think for myself.
Click to expand...

The boys personal diary of the ordeals he suffered at Reading Audi were not available to the coroner when he made his judgement, as they had not been found in time for them to be submitted into the inquest evidence. So he did NOT have all of the facts.

Good to know your not connected to Reading Audi, and capable of thinking for yourself.

So are the rest of us.
 
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Gugne said:
The coroner had ALL of the facts and is experienced in making important decisions like this.... unlike any of you.
Should you really be judging and recommending action on something just by what you've read in the ALWAYS truthful media and social network?

N.B. I have no connection to Reading Audi but I am able to think for myself.
Click to expand...
I have no connection to Reading Audi or the coroner and guess what I too can think for myself!
 
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Gugne said:
The coroner had ALL of the facts and is experienced in making important decisions like this.... unlike any of you.
Should you really be judging and recommending action on something just by what you've read in the ALWAYS truthful media and social network?

N.B. I have no connection to Reading Audi but I am able to think for myself.
Click to expand...
Are you seriously trying to argue that locking a young boy into a cage, or pressure washing him, soaking his clothes in brake cleaner, setting fire to him, verbally and physically abusing him, humiliating him in front of other colleagues, locking him in the boot of a car, dumping him a mile from his workplace and making him walk back, or any of the other myriad of deplorable things he was subjected didn't have any impact on his mental well being and can't possibly have contributed to his decision to leave his home, walk into the woods and hang himself with a dog lead?
 
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Gugne said:
The coroner had ALL of the facts and is experienced in making important decisions like this.... unlike any of you.
Should you really be judging and recommending action on something just by what you've read in the ALWAYS truthful media and social network?

N.B. I have no connection to Reading Audi but I am able to think for myself.
Click to expand...

Two questions;

Do you think the story reported in the mainstream press (The Guardian in this instance) is false/fabricated/mis-stated?

If not, do you think what is being reported is acceptable behaviour?
 
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I havent read the story in full, but surely there is CCTV footage of these incidents? Every Audi workshop i go in to has cameras everywhere so i would have thought it would have come up.
 
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Ormesome said:
I havent read the story in full, but surely there is CCTV footage of these incidents? Every Audi workshop i go in to has cameras everywhere so i would have thought it would have come up.
Click to expand...

x2
 
Ormesome said:
I havent read the story in full, but surely there is CCTV footage of these incidents? Every Audi workshop i go in to has cameras everywhere so i would have thought it would have come up.
Click to expand...
Not this far down the line, unfortunately.
 
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Soulboy said:
Two questions;

Do you think the story reported in the mainstream press (The Guardian in this instance) is false/fabricated/mis-stated?

If not, do you think what is being reported is acceptable behaviour?
Click to expand...


Come on people, this is what I meant by thinking for oneself: There's only one thing you can truly believe in a newspaper and that's the price. Even the date should be checked.
I'd believe a coroner over ANY journalist in ANY size paper. They have the same level of credulity as a politician, solicitor or estate agent.
 
GSB said:
Are you seriously trying to argue that locking a young boy into a cage, or pressure washing him, soaking his clothes in brake cleaner, setting fire to him, verbally and physically abusing him, humiliating him in front of other colleagues, locking him in the boot of a car, dumping him a mile from his workplace and making him walk back, or any of the other myriad of deplorable things he was subjected didn't have any impact on his mental well being and can't possibly have contributed to his decision to leave his home, walk into the woods and hang himself with a dog lead?
Click to expand...


Selective quoting- you're just like the newspapers.
What about these facts?:
Bedford stressed the other factors at play, including that Cheese may have feared he was suffering from cancer. Police discovered searches for information about tumours on his iPad and he had had terrible coughs for several months. Cheese had also suffered from some degree of mental ill health since he was 14 or 15, the coroner said.

Bedford deliberately kept Cheese’s ex-girlfriend away from the inquest because he did not believe she was responsible in any way for his death, though the difficulties in their relationship might have contributed to it.
 
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