Cracking stories from our Group Trips: a shout out to Toyota - legendary customer service:

Cracking stories from our Group Trips, is a series of journals about our time leading group trips all over Australia. You couldn't make this stuff up!

It's a place where adventure and discovery are constant companions.

All these stories have become folklore in our groups and get regularly trotted out over campfires some of which tend to get a tad embellished over time. The richest memories are often about relationships and the group dynamics rather than the destination.

The stories are not so much about an event but rather a time, an attitude, a way of life.

Why tell stories?:

Story telling is an essential human need that has been used, for ever, for entertainment, education and cultural preservation. Compelling story telling is the path to imagination and people are hungry for stories.

Memorable travel turns you into a story teller.

A shout out to Toyota - legendary customer service:

"It got to the point where I was jumpy when we got into the vehicle".

We would start to drive off with Rosemary reaching for the sun visor. If I was really quick, I could yell No, No, don’t do it, remember there’s no mirror any more.

Mostly, I was not that quick where Rosemary had flipped the sun visor down with one hand and was already brushing her hair with the other. At this point I just grit my teeth, braced myself, quietly said "oh bugger" and then copped the reaction that followed as she flipped the visor back up.

In June 1994, we were gobsmacked to find our brand new100 series, GXL Landcruiser, no longer had a vanity mirror in the passengers sun visor. Wouldn't that be the last place to cut costs, we thought?

I even tried those after market mirrors that you stick on with velcro but that didn’t work and just landed in my Rosemary's lap. Again I said "oh bugger" . After about 3 months, I just couldn't take it any more.

I am a Toyota devotee, currently on our 9th Landcruiser in a row since 1984 and we have only ever had positive experiences with Toyota. At the time, it was our 6th Landcruiser. In light of this great track record, and in desperation, I thought the best course of action was to write to Toyota to see if they had a solution.

So, I sent a fax (what we used before email) to the Managing Director of Toyota Australia who was based in Adelaide (we lived in Sydney at the time). The only suggestion I could offer was the idea of a recall on the 100 series to fit a vanity mirror to the passengers sun visor.

Within 90 minutes of sending the fax I got a phone call from my closest Toyota dealer who said "Toyota Australia has sent us your letter. If you get you car down here we will fit a new sun visor with a vanity mirror free of charge. What colour is your interior?"

Whoa! How is that for customer service? We promptly had the sun visor fitted and are now customers for life. Furthermore, we have been telling that story ever since.

David & Rosemary Allan – the faces behind:

May adventure & discovery be your constant companions.

Reflection:

For me, a trip is memorable when I am enriched by a deeper sense of connection to a place which triggers an emotional or spiritual response. This comes from feelings of Awe when I feel part of something bigger. Such as, seeing dramatic landscapes, being caught up in the history and sensing the passion of the human spirit.

A memorable experience will cause me to day dream about the next trip even more than the last trip.

Remember: Your adventure begins the moment you decide to go.