Salesman goes into the back for ages to talk to his manager

[Butter Face]

CS Garth said:

Sounds like Butter Face is one of the more upstanding members of his profession, we'll done sir. Now can you do something about the other 90%....

If only.

I cringe sometimes when I see how people 'sell'.

[unrepentant]

I work for a Mercedes-Benz dealer in the US and we no longer use that system. J D Power surveys have shown that customers hate all the back and forth and also hate being handed over to F&I managers so we don't do that either. I moved from JLR to MB mainly because of this process.

When you buy a car from me I do everything including all the negotiation and all the F&I. We don't have business managers and we don't go to the sales manager to get a deal approved. We have all the numbers and run our own deals. I know exactly what I can sell every car for and I can advise you best on finance v lease and show you every scenario in a no pressure setting and let you decide. We have fantastic Customer Experience scores and very happy customers. We also have very happy sales people who make a lot of money and sell a lot of cars.

Now that won't work at the local Chevy or Nissan store where the average sales person lasts 6 months but if you have a strong experienced sales team and you sell a luxury product it works and I'm sure it's the future, over here at any rate.

[HTP99]

unrepentant said:

I work for a Mercedes-Benz dealer in the US and we no longer use that system. J D Power surveys have shown that customers hate all the back and forth and also hate being handed over to F&I managers so we don't do that either. I moved from JLR to MB mainly because of this process.

When you buy a car from me I do everything including all the negotiation and all the F&I. We don't have business managers and we don't go to the sales manager to get a deal approved. We have all the numbers and run our own deals. I know exactly what I can sell every car for and I can advise you best on finance v lease and show you every scenario in a no pressure setting and let you decide. We have fantastic Customer Experience scores and very happy customers. We also have very happy sales people who make a lot of money and sell a lot of cars.

Now that won't work at the local Chevy or Nissan store where the average sales person lasts 6 months but if you have a strong experienced sales team and you sell a luxury product it works and I'm sure it's the future, over here at any rate.

Exactly how I am allowed to operate, I am trusted to structure deals and finance, how I see fit, I can advise on different ways of buying and I have access to all offers and margins, it makes life so much easier for both myself and the customer and it makes the whole buying process so much easier for both the customer and me.

I've been selling cars for about 15 years, I've always been trusted to structure my own deals and I still don't understand how the concept of a "business manager" works; I've gained sales from rival dealerships where people have walked out due to frustration of hanging around waiting for finance figures or salesman who "haven't a clue".

Many dealerships make the whole buying process so difficult for themselves; it does make you wonder how they sell cars in the first place.

[Wacky Racer]

vikingaero said:

Butter Face said:

Only makes you look like a muppet.

We (car sales people) have to have deals approved by managers, part exchanges valued, finance rates checked etc. Sometimes it takes a bit longer than others, never leave a customer more than 5 minutes alone though.

But conversely it is a very common sales tactic to have the salesman trot back and forth pretending to authorise a deal JUST FOR YOU because he's your mate...

This. Oldest trick in the book.

Probably gone in the office to look at some porn on the manager's computer, whilst saying "Let those mugs sweat a bit".....

[cheddar]

We had a Peugeot salesman call his manager on his phone then go and speak to him in person, he left his phone upside down on the table, still connected to his manager so that they could eaves drop on our conversation while he was away, I saw it happen so I told my partner that we were at maximum budget and if they didn't accept our offer that we should look elsewhere, the salesman returned and accepted our offer, naughty stuff by him but effective for us.

[Brave Fart]

I've just been through the process of buying a brand new car and I must say I'm not impressed with the process. You have dealerships who just ignore you even when they aren't busy, you have salesmen who just don't know the product very well ("yes, this one has dynamic chassis control"......no it doesn't), you arrange a test drive and they forget you're coming.....but most of all this crazy adverserial nonsense of you battling to get the best deal.

Honestly, it feels like a very outdated business model, where the onus is on the customer to avoid getting shafted. There must be a better way, after all you'd think that spending big money on a car would be fun, yes?

It's no wonder people use online brokers where the price is fixed.

[Pints]

I don't need a salesman to help me buy bread, shoes or a camera (opening a locked cabinet doesn't equal being a salesman), and I could really have done without the ahole that worked at the estate agent when I bought my house.

Similarly, I can buy a car without having someone try to convince me to buy a car. Give me a price and I'll give you my money. If I don't like the price I hear, I'm buying elsewhere. And no, you don't get to try for a better price with your manager. You've already had that chance.

[Revisitph]

Ah, but did you see his manager? - perhaps she was gorgeous and he couldn't stay away from her.

[Downward]

Working in Purchasing you never see sales people scurry away to managers to seal deals and we are buying equipment worth much more than cars.

Surely they are given a bottom price they need to achieve on the sale and anything above they get a nice % in commission.

Add on finance etc and they get more commission. I'd imagine they are on a decent salary and thus can be trusted in all sales matters ?

[buyer&seller]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Excellent, an expert, please enlighten us all.

[Artey]

Butter Face said:

vikingaero said:

Butter Face said:

Only makes you look like a muppet.

We (car sales people) have to have deals approved by managers, part exchanges valued, finance rates checked etc. Sometimes it takes a bit longer than others, never leave a customer more than 5 minutes alone though.

But conversely it is a very common sales tactic to have the salesman trot back and forth pretending to authorise a deal JUST FOR YOU because he's your mate...

I'm not saying that doesn't happen, but a lot of the time it isn't just acting. We want to sell a car as much as you want to buy it, we do actually try and get much out of our sales managers as possible (because a cheaper car = more incentive for the buyer to actually buy it)

If I came back to my desk and the person had walked I would just think he's a pillock and get on with my day....

Here's a fking revolutionary idea, if the reason really is genuine how about you warn your customer that it might take a while and thank in advance for their patience before you leave to see your manager. Common sense no?

[oldnbold]

Pints said:

I don't need a salesman to help me buy bread, shoes or a camera (opening a locked cabinet doesn't equal being a salesman), and I could really have done without the ahole that worked at the estate agent when I bought my house.

Similarly, I can buy a car without having someone try to convince me to buy a car. Give me a price and I'll give you my money. If I don't like the price I hear, I'm buying elsewhere. And no, you don't get to try for a better price with your manager. You've already had that chance.

Well thats the problem, just like bread, shoes and the camara there is a price on a car and it's advertised all over the internet so it's easy for you to just select the cheapest one from the adds and go and pay your money and drive the car away. Easy.

Except its not like that because you turn up at a dealer already knowing the price but you want to pay less. So the negotiations start. There are people who just turn up pay the advertised price and leave, just like buying bread.

[unrepentant]

Wacky Racer said:

This. Oldest trick in the book.

Probably gone in the office to look at some porn on the manager's computer, whilst saying "Let those mugs sweat a bit".....

You're too cynical Wacky.

When I used to send my sales reps in to sell you trainers I told them to call me at least 3 times to beg so you were convinced you were getting the best deal.

[red_slr]

Generally they check their targets and see if anyone else has any other customers on it. See how far they can go etc.

The longest negotiation I have ever done was just over 3 weeks.

They were hoping someone else would buy it but given it was December it never happened and I got a good deal.

[Kudos]

Butter Face said:

I'm not saying that doesn't happen, but a lot of the time it isn't just acting. We want to sell a car as much as you want to buy it, we do actually try and get much out of our sales managers as possible (because a cheaper car = more incentive for the buyer to actually buy it)

If I came back to my desk and the person had walked I would just think he's a pillock and get on with my day....

No you wouldn't. You'd go looking for them or call them as they are the closest buyers for that car and you'll get commission.

[Wacky Racer]

unrepentant said:

Wacky Racer said:

This. Oldest trick in the book.

Probably gone in the office to look at some porn on the manager's computer, whilst saying "Let those mugs sweat a bit".....

You're too cynical Wacky.

When I used to send my sales reps in to sell you trainers I told them to call me at least 3 times to beg so you were convinced you were getting the best deal.

Of course I wasn't referring to you rep, as we all know on here you and your dealership are 100% professional and above board, you wouldn't dream of stooping to such sneeky underhand tactics...









Would you?

[DonkeyApple]

Surely the bloke is only going into the back for a half hour wk/smoke because you're in the middle of a haggle and this is his way of trying to sweat a deal out?

Given that the average hourly income in the UK is £16/hour then this suggests that a half hour wait during working hours costs around £8. If the wait means you get a better saving less your half hour hourly rate then it's worth playing the game isn't it?

[Engineer1]

oldnbold said:

Pints said:

I don't need a salesman to help me buy bread, shoes or a camera (opening a locked cabinet doesn't equal being a salesman), and I could really have done without the ahole that worked at the estate agent when I bought my house.

Similarly, I can buy a car without having someone try to convince me to buy a car. Give me a price and I'll give you my money. If I don't like the price I hear, I'm buying elsewhere. And no, you don't get to try for a better price with your manager. You've already had that chance.

Well thats the problem, just like bread, shoes and the camara there is a price on a car and it's advertised all over the internet so it's easy for you to just select the cheapest one from the adds and go and pay your money and drive the car away. Easy.

Except its not like that because you turn up at a dealer already knowing the price but you want to pay less. So the negotiations start. There are people who just turn up pay the advertised price and leave, just like buying bread.

The issue for car sales start with trade in £500 more on trade in may make a purchaser happier than £600 off list. Then finance what feel can the buyer get approval on?

[unrepentant]

Wacky Racer said:

unrepentant said:

Wacky Racer said:

This. Oldest trick in the book.

Probably gone in the office to look at some porn on the manager's computer, whilst saying "Let those mugs sweat a bit".....

You're too cynical Wacky.

When I used to send my sales reps in to sell you trainers I told them to call me at least 3 times to beg so you were convinced you were getting the best deal.

Of course I wasn't referring to you rep, as we all know on here you and your dealership are 100% professional and above board, you wouldn't dream of stooping to such sneeky underhand tactics...









Would you?

Moi?





Did you manage to shift that parcel of left footed trainers I sold you?

[Baryonyx]

It depends. At smaller dealers, I'd think it was all bks. At a larger a larger franchised dealer, it could sales rubbish or genuine procedure. When I bought at a Handful main dealer recently, the salesman had to get authorisation on the sale price and in he finance rate, in both occasions he took two minutes of and returned confirming that our numbers were workable.

Overall, I was very impressed with the dealership and the model of having one salesman who looks after the transaction from test drive to delivery and aftercare was great. It was also pleasant to do business without having to listen to a load of sales bks. I went to a Vauxhall main dealer for my wife's car a couple of years ago and they made a right song and dance of selling the car. We knew what we wanted so we managed to avoid dwelling on the sales rubbish for too long though.