Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.
Discussion
Sheepshanks said:
SaabOrient said:
There was also a policy of not revealing the bottom line figure of a finance deal to a customer. So, if the total payable was say £15k, we were encouraged not to highlight that, and simply repeat the monthly figure over and over.
Nothing's changed there - that was exactly what happened on the last two new cars, a Honda and a VW, I've bought. PaulD86 said:
How often does it happen that a salesman would say "if I can do X then do we have a deal", genuinely not knowing if he can? Happened to me buying my Cayman and seemed odd. My (perhaps incorrect) assumption was always that if a salesman said "if I can" he actually meant he could and was trying to get the hook. The salesman did call me back 3 or 4 days after I walked away from the deal he'd countered with, apparently on the sales managers day off, and offered the exact deal I'd asked for. I picked the car up 3 days later.
Depends on the dealer. We are a small rural place and most of my staff have a reasonable autonomy. They all know roughly what line they can take on discounts and over allowances and come to me if they have struck out at that level. I have one guy who is superb at his job but has a tendency to go balls out from the off leaving little room to haggle after the event.PaulD86 said:
Also do any dealers actively target different demographics of buyer with different sales staff? As an example, I walked away from a local dealer after the salesman wound me up with lines such as "my names Charlie, not charity" during discussions on price (we were a few hundred out on a 14k deal so not a huge gap). Two other people I know also walked away from the same salesman, but whenever I was in that dealer he always seemed to be getting on well with older customers.
Great thread btw. Very insightful.
We don't, it's too small a place to be that ordered. Very old to very young (age difference sales exec to cust) tend to struggle slightly as the buying process is utterly different. Also Mrs McGinty at 86 doesn't give a fGreat thread btw. Very insightful.
k if it has Carplay or not. SaabOrient said:
Thanks Mexman (and all contributors) - great thread.
There was also a policy of not revealing the bottom line figure of a finance deal to a customer. So, if the total payable was say £15k, we were encouraged not to highlight that, and simply repeat the monthly figure over and over.
You can't (shouldn't be able to) do that now due to the pre disclosure requirements of the contract. You also wouldn't want to with interest rates at the level they are at.There was also a policy of not revealing the bottom line figure of a finance deal to a customer. So, if the total payable was say £15k, we were encouraged not to highlight that, and simply repeat the monthly figure over and over.
It's hard to explain to some of our younger staff that APR's for car loans used to regularly be in the mid to high 20%'s, even for clean/prime buyers. New car APR's now are so low (or zero) as to be not worth bothering about.
Do the "alright CHIEF/bigman/boss" etc guys do more business than the guys that are generally not trying to be my best friend? You know the type, the guys that have the tightest suit with the largest watch they could find and they pretend to be every customers best friend.
Last car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
Last car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
93DW said:
On more than occasion we have refused to sell a car to someone based on how they act. The last one was a bloke who'd come to look at an 08 C30 done 120k for £1995, he picked the car to pieces complaining about bodywork and bolster wear then he claimed the full service history wasn't full because he services his cars every 5k, without fail and anyone that allows 10k before services was an idiot. at this point I was really hoping he didnt buy it so i didnt have to deal with him. Then he says he's not had a car properly for 18 months as he keeps rejecting them for not meeting his expectations & standards. At that point I put all the paperwork for the car away and told him it was no longer for sale.
I wonder what his PH username is?Jonno02 said:
Do the "alright CHIEF/bigman/boss" etc guys do more business than the guys that are generally not trying to be my best friend? You know the type, the guys that have the tightest suit with the largest watch they could find and they pretend to be every customers best friend.
Last car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
None of us are like that, it is so cringy.Last car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
I remember the phone company Phones 4U, all of their sales guys were like that, they would hassle you in the street when walking past, I made a point of never buying from them for that very reason.
Here's one - a few years back I worked with a young woman (about 21) who went in with her rich daddy to buy an Audi. Daddy was paying for it, yet the salesman still asked her for her number and asked her out. After a couple of dates they 'made love', after which he quickly dumped her and she went ape having presumably thought he was generally interested in her.
At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
Jonno02 said:
Do the "alright CHIEF/bigman/boss" etc guys do more business than the guys that are generally not trying to be my best friend? You know the type, the guys that have the tightest suit with the largest watch they could find and they pretend to be every customers best friend.
Last car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
I dealt with a guy at Portsmouth Audi like that. Such hard work and very cringeworthy. By contrast at Southampton I ended up buying from a chap who was just really pleasant, no bullsLast car purchase I had a few of these. Milling around their forecourt and a few of them tried it; shouting from 50 yards away "HOW'S IT GOING CHIEF?" whilst walking as fast as they could over to me. "Yeah, she's a lovely machine eh pal?" Before being told I'm just having a look after they'd finished every sentence and statement with some synonym for friend.
I did end up finding something I liked, but avoided the 3 loud salesmen that had already approached me and instead caught the attention of a quiet, much younger member of staff. He was pleasant and knew his stuff. He even flat out told me about the stupid alloy insurance etc and managed to cut something off the screen price. In the end, I paid for the scam supaguard as he'd saved me far more off the screen price than what the 'paint protection' cost; and it would give him a little slice of commission. The car was already extremely keenly priced.
I would have still bought the car, but would have been gritting my teeth at the totally forced OTT friendliness. This isn't a car salesman thing, the guy at DFS that sold me my couch was exactly the same. But just wondered if the strategy worked more than just being normal.
t, treated me like an intelligent adult, he was promoted shortly after. Needless to say I didn’t go back to Portsmouth and bought the next car from Southampton as well. I think I made the young salesmans day turning up in a hoodie and jeans without an appointment and then placing an order the same day. Last I heard he’d moved on to Porsche so clearly just being a decent human being paid off for him too.I think if someone called me chief I’d leave.
It must work for them I guess.
djc206 said:
I dealt with a guy at Portsmouth Audi like that. Such hard work and very cringeworthy. By contrast at Southampton I ended up buying from a chap who was just really pleasant, no bullst, treated me like an intelligent adult, he was promoted shortly after. Needless to say I didn’t go back to Portsmouth and bought the next car from Southampton as well. I think I made the young salesmans day turning up in a hoodie and jeans without an appointment and then placing an order the same day. Last I heard he’d moved on to Porsche so clearly just being a decent human being paid off for him too.
I think if someone called me chief I’d leave.
It must work for them I guess.
I had a bloke who called me 'guv guv guv' every time. Not just 'guv', not 'guvnor' but 'guv guv guv' every time.t, treated me like an intelligent adult, he was promoted shortly after. Needless to say I didn’t go back to Portsmouth and bought the next car from Southampton as well. I think I made the young salesmans day turning up in a hoodie and jeans without an appointment and then placing an order the same day. Last I heard he’d moved on to Porsche so clearly just being a decent human being paid off for him too.I think if someone called me chief I’d leave.
It must work for them I guess.
HumanDoing said:
I had a bloke who called me 'guv guv guv' every time. Not just 'guv', not 'guvnor' but 'guv guv guv' every time.
That's really strange. I've never heard it 3 times! There's a bloke I go to once a week or so for work, who finishes EVERY sentence with "Innit, yeah".
Sometimes not even every sentence, thinking about it. Any gap in what he's saying, he throws it in there.
HumanDoing said:
djc206 said:
I dealt with a guy at Portsmouth Audi like that. Such hard work and very cringeworthy. By contrast at Southampton I ended up buying from a chap who was just really pleasant, no bullst, treated me like an intelligent adult, he was promoted shortly after. Needless to say I didn’t go back to Portsmouth and bought the next car from Southampton as well. I think I made the young salesmans day turning up in a hoodie and jeans without an appointment and then placing an order the same day. Last I heard he’d moved on to Porsche so clearly just being a decent human being paid off for him too.
I think if someone called me chief I’d leave.
It must work for them I guess.
I had a bloke who called me 'guv guv guv' every time. Not just 'guv', not 'guvnor' but 'guv guv guv' every time.t, treated me like an intelligent adult, he was promoted shortly after. Needless to say I didn’t go back to Portsmouth and bought the next car from Southampton as well. I think I made the young salesmans day turning up in a hoodie and jeans without an appointment and then placing an order the same day. Last I heard he’d moved on to Porsche so clearly just being a decent human being paid off for him too.I think if someone called me chief I’d leave.
It must work for them I guess.
HumanDoing said:
Here's one - a few years back I worked with a young woman (about 21) who went in with her rich daddy to buy an Audi. Daddy was paying for it, yet the salesman still asked her for her number and asked her out. After a couple of dates they 'made love', after which he quickly dumped her and she went ape having presumably thought he was generally interested in her.
At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
Complain about what? it's not illegal, guy sounds like a douche but it's not like she's at school and he was her teacher...At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
techguyone said:
HumanDoing said:
Here's one - a few years back I worked with a young woman (about 21) who went in with her rich daddy to buy an Audi. Daddy was paying for it, yet the salesman still asked her for her number and asked her out. After a couple of dates they 'made love', after which he quickly dumped her and she went ape having presumably thought he was generally interested in her.
At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
Complain about what? it's not illegal, guy sounds like a douche but it's not like she's at school and he was her teacher...At the time I said hang on, the guy got your number even though the deal was between the dealership and daddy, isn't that a pretty outrageous abuse of personal data and general etiquette - I mean if a doctor asked out a patient's daughter, presumably he'd be hauled over the coals? Nobody else seemed to think it was a problem.
So what is your dealership's policy on this sort of thing, if you did the above would your boss be like 'yayyyyy well done son you got jiggy well done' or 'you leave me with no choice but to immediately contact HR about the way you've abused your position because we could be in excrement here if she makes a complaint'.
TheLordJohn said:
She wasn't forced to supply him with her number, not forced into bed with him.
I'm not saying it is a crime or sexual harassment or anything.If you asked the customer for a contact phone number, that's fine, obviously. But asking the customers daughter for her number would be a breach of privacy. All companies are obliged to abide by the data protection act, much of which is about protecting the data you already have, but a core aspect of it is also not taking more data than you are required to carry out your job.
obviously casual conversation you can pick up on all sorts of things, but I do think in this case it would be a breach of the act. I'm not a legal expert though and it's not like this is going to be investigated.
2 of my colleagues are in relationships with ex-customers.
Both of them met whilst they were in buying cars.
I don’t know who asked who for numbers etc but sometimes it just happens, Story doesn’t cover if he took it for contact and then just messaged her randomly or if he asked her out etc.
Both of them met whilst they were in buying cars.
I don’t know who asked who for numbers etc but sometimes it just happens, Story doesn’t cover if he took it for contact and then just messaged her randomly or if he asked her out etc.
treeroy said:
TheLordJohn said:
She wasn't forced to supply him with her number, not forced into bed with him.
I'm not saying it is a crime or sexual harassment or anything.If you asked the customer for a contact phone number, that's fine, obviously. But asking the customers daughter for her number would be a breach of privacy. All companies are obliged to abide by the data protection act, much of which is about protecting the data you already have, but a core aspect of it is also not taking more data than you are required to carry out your job.
obviously casual conversation you can pick up on all sorts of things, but I do think in this case it would be a breach of the act. I'm not a legal expert though and it's not like this is going to be investigated.
HumanDoing said:
young woman (about 21) (...) rich daddy (...) Daddy was paying for it, (...)
the salesman still asked her for her number and asked her out. After a couple of dates they 'made love', after which he quickly dumped her and she went ape having presumably thought he was generally interested in her.
You could tell that salesman was a bit dim. He managed to score a fit bird with rich daddy, she wanted to do everything for him and he dumped her? I'd have freaking married her in a heartbeat being in his place (being on minimum wage plus commission that is).the salesman still asked her for her number and asked her out. After a couple of dates they 'made love', after which he quickly dumped her and she went ape having presumably thought he was generally interested in her.
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