Going into car sales- advice required.
Discussion
After a bit of advice. I'm currently a service advisor in a main dealer garage. I love my job, low stress levels (most of the time) and I get on with everyone here. There may be a vacancy in the sales department soon, my foot is well and truly through the door and I'm thinking about going for it. The only real reason being I can only earn about £21-£22k in my current role, whereas I could earn about £30k in sales once I get going. I don't have any sales experience really apart from upsell from my current role. I'd be a tad worried about my lack of experience, but the guys here seem to think it's not required, and that they think I'd be good at it. I'd appreciate any input/advice. Cheers.
I went the other way, starting off in sales and then after 7 years moving over to service. I would think long and hard about it. Remember you will end up working most weekends and bank holidays. You'll be outside in all weathers sorting out the used car line up, getting the cars out for the photographer, checking in the new car deliveries. Then there's the going on some frankly terrifying test drives with people who really shouldn't be driving and staying late for people who can't get there until after work. People coming and making all the right noises until you actually try to get some commitment out of them and then they say they're not ready to buy yet.
I don't know where in the country you are but the wages sound a little low for a service advisor and salesman. I'm in Epsom in Surrey and when I was a salesman for Ford the basic was £11k but was generally taking home around £40k a year. As a service advisor my basic was £26k but with bonus I was clearing £30k a year, however I was working 1 in 5 Saturdays, no Sundays and no bank holidays!
Ultimately only you can make the decision on what to do but I'd think long and hard about how much you value your own time! As you can probably tell I had well and truly had enough of it all!
I don't know where in the country you are but the wages sound a little low for a service advisor and salesman. I'm in Epsom in Surrey and when I was a salesman for Ford the basic was £11k but was generally taking home around £40k a year. As a service advisor my basic was £26k but with bonus I was clearing £30k a year, however I was working 1 in 5 Saturdays, no Sundays and no bank holidays!
Ultimately only you can make the decision on what to do but I'd think long and hard about how much you value your own time! As you can probably tell I had well and truly had enough of it all!
I wouldn't be a service advisor for all the tea in China 
Car sales is tough, high highs and super low lows. When you're smashing it and everjynjbh you touch turns to gold it's a great job, when it all turns to s
t it's the worst in the world
You're pretty used to talking to customers and it'll mostly be the same customers you'll be taking to, except you'll. own be meeting them as the high point of the car experience rather than the low (IMO) point where they have to spend money on nothing (as the customer sees servicing etc)
If you can do it and do it well you can earn more than £30k, but that depends on where you work and what they pay.
Good luck in what you decide!
Car sales is tough, high highs and super low lows. When you're smashing it and everjynjbh you touch turns to gold it's a great job, when it all turns to s
t it's the worst in the world You're pretty used to talking to customers and it'll mostly be the same customers you'll be taking to, except you'll. own be meeting them as the high point of the car experience rather than the low (IMO) point where they have to spend money on nothing (as the customer sees servicing etc)
If you can do it and do it well you can earn more than £30k, but that depends on where you work and what they pay.
Good luck in what you decide!
Thanks, I'm on the South Coast in Dorset. I can't find any service advisor jobs that pay more than about £23k. My basic is less than £20k but it works out to be £21-£22k after bonus. That's in a main dealer. A lot of people say they wouldn't want to be a service advisor, to be fair I really like it. If I could earn £30k from it I wouldn't be looking at sales!
Our sales guys don't do any of the checking in or photos. We have a logistics guy for that, and I've never seen any of them stay past closing time. We aren't open Sundays, the weekend rota is one in every three Saturday's (sales and service) and sales work 4 hours on a bank holiday (service is closed) but get a full day in lieu.
Our sales guys don't do any of the checking in or photos. We have a logistics guy for that, and I've never seen any of them stay past closing time. We aren't open Sundays, the weekend rota is one in every three Saturday's (sales and service) and sales work 4 hours on a bank holiday (service is closed) but get a full day in lieu.
Edited by sparks_E39 on Friday 18th August 20:34
Edited by sparks_E39 on Friday 18th August 20:34
I work for a specialist rather than a main agent (Having been there and done that) and it's far more enjoyable. Same highs and lows but I also do the stock sourcing and get to experience some rather nice cars, meet people that don't 'need' the car they are buying and enjoy looking at what they are looking at.
The realization is that if someone is buying a new Focus, they generally need that car and it's not always through choice, with the higher end prestige market it's much more enjoyable as it's generally a treat, something they don't need but want so the bitterness about buying a replacement car isn't htere. All depends where you see yourself in 3 years?
The realization is that if someone is buying a new Focus, they generally need that car and it's not always through choice, with the higher end prestige market it's much more enjoyable as it's generally a treat, something they don't need but want so the bitterness about buying a replacement car isn't htere. All depends where you see yourself in 3 years?
I'm about 14 months into sales for an independent prestige dealer, having had no real previous experience (although I have worked with high end before just not in sales)
You will :
Experience the emotional rollercoaster, some weeks I am on cloud 9 and others I want to hurl myself off a motorway bridge
Work 50-60 hours a week, including (depending on how dedicated you want to be) emails on an evening, texts, calls.
Work Saturdays and possibly Sundays
Become very cynical and you will view the general public in a different light (trust me on this one)
Ruin a lot of good shoes
Drink a lot of coffee
Become so well versed in sales patter you will recite it in your sleep
A lot of it will rest on whether you work for an independent or a main dealer. I have a lot of freedom and flexibility but on the other hand I take on a lot more responsibility than an equivalent sales person would at a main agent surrounded by a huge support network. (For example I deal directly with finance & aftersales)
It helps I sell a product I love to bits (Porsche) and every day is different and brings new challenges, cannot see me changing any time soon.
But it is hard work. Best of luck.
You will :
Experience the emotional rollercoaster, some weeks I am on cloud 9 and others I want to hurl myself off a motorway bridge
Work 50-60 hours a week, including (depending on how dedicated you want to be) emails on an evening, texts, calls.
Work Saturdays and possibly Sundays
Become very cynical and you will view the general public in a different light (trust me on this one)
Ruin a lot of good shoes
Drink a lot of coffee
Become so well versed in sales patter you will recite it in your sleep
A lot of it will rest on whether you work for an independent or a main dealer. I have a lot of freedom and flexibility but on the other hand I take on a lot more responsibility than an equivalent sales person would at a main agent surrounded by a huge support network. (For example I deal directly with finance & aftersales)
It helps I sell a product I love to bits (Porsche) and every day is different and brings new challenges, cannot see me changing any time soon.
But it is hard work. Best of luck.
What about talking to them regards a secondment into sales.
Might be worth it to all parties. Agree a time limit of, say, three months and then review.
You get to see if sales are for you with a return to previous position if not. They get to see if you're a numpty with punters and can kick you back to service advisor if you prove to be one!
Every one a winner! (Or not if they think you're crap
)
Might be worth it to all parties. Agree a time limit of, say, three months and then review.
You get to see if sales are for you with a return to previous position if not. They get to see if you're a numpty with punters and can kick you back to service advisor if you prove to be one!
Every one a winner! (Or not if they think you're crap
)Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff