Poor Response on Parts Query

I wish to report the reluctance if not incompetence of two BMW branches in providing information. I am the proud owner of a Mini Roadster JCW that I keep parked in storage. The car's battery understandably went flat and I have decided to replace it. So I contacted both SMG Cape Town and Donford Stellenbosch asking what the specification of the battery is. Neither of the these dealers were able to give me a definitive answer. Does this mean that BMW does not give dealers the ability to query their software database for an exact answer? In this day and age surely you be able to determine for a customer?