Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.

[Sheepshanks]

cadmunkey said:

Yet every single time I go in for a service they ask why I never gave them a chance to sell me a car

After 30 years of generally using franchise dealers and having up to four newish cars in the family - so that's quite a lot of visits to a variety of dealerships - I'd faint if I was asked that while visiting a dealer for service work.

I'd come to the conclusion that there must be some kind of industry rule that sales people have to ignore service customers.

[4941cc]

Sheepshanks said:

I'd come to the conclusion that there must be some kind of industry rule that sales people have to ignore service customers.

The reverse of that also applies, service receptionists don't tend to make any effort when they see an unattended customer walking around cars in the showroom, even when they're right next to their desks and the sales staff are either all tied up already, or all out having a smoke, moving the pitch around etc.

It is daft, that invisible line between Sales and Aftersales in dealerships. There is of course no such thing as a "sales customer" or "service customer", they are all customers of the business and sometimes they need their car serviced and may buy from you next time around and people who buy will eventually need to maintain their vehicles.

Yet it persists.

[HTP99]

Here's one from yesterday, I wasn't in but I was told about it.

One of our customers made an appointment to discuss a change of car; he needed to up-size due to the recent arrival of another child, we know him, he had a car from us 3 years ago.

Figures were put together, however we couldn't obtain a settlement figure on his current car, upon inputting his reg number to the settlement system it was coming up as no agreement, this was odd as we supplied the car to him and he confirmed that he hadn't cleared the finance.

We called our area finance guy, he looked into it and it transpires that they have been trying to get hold of this guy, he hadn't paid for 4 months, the agreement had been cancelled and a re-possession order had been put in place.

The guy was spoken to, he said yep he hadn't paid for 4 months as things were tight but claimed he did pay this month (not sure how if the agreement had been cancelled), apparently he was really nonplussed about it all and just asked if he could take on a new agreement, we said no, he asked what happens now, we just gave him the phone number and said that his car was being re-possessed; there's the door.

[4941cc]

HTP99 said:

Here's one from yesterday...

Silly chap. Had he gone to any other dealer however, the car would have been HPI clear, he could have PX'd it against a new one, using all it's value against the new car (even though he didn't own it), provided his credit score was still workable, taken on the new car, driven off.

Dealer sells the car on through the trade or retail, things eventually catch up and some poor sod gets their new car repossessed and the dealer is out by the value of the car and any compensation due to that subsequent customer.

[Sheepshanks]

4941cc said:

HTP99 said:

Here's one from yesterday...

Silly chap. Had he gone to any other dealer however, the car would have been HPI clear, he could have PX'd it against a new one, using all it's value against the new car (even though he didn't own it), provided his credit score was still workable, taken on the new car, driven off.

Dealer sells the car on through the trade or retail, things eventually catch up and some poor sod gets their new car repossessed and the dealer is out by the value of the car and any compensation due to that subsequent customer.

Would it really come up as clear? That's completely bonkers if correct.

It shouldn't be repossessed if sold on by a dealer - it remains the dealers problem.

[4941cc]

Sheepshanks said:

Would it really come up as clear? That's completely bonkers if correct.

It shouldn't be repossessed if sold on by a dealer - it remains the dealers problem.

It should still show on HPI, but it's not a perfect system, that's why there's a £10k indemnity with each check.

Not so, the interest passes along with the car itself, just as with private sales.

[Sheepshanks]

4941cc said:

Not so, the interest passes along with the car itself, just as with private sales.

Are you in the trade? It shouldn't be repossessed but even it was the dealer would have to refund the buyer as it wasn't theirs to sell.

[4941cc]

Sheepshanks said:

4941cc said:

Not so, the interest passes along with the car itself, just as with private sales.

Are you in the trade? It shouldn't be repossessed but even it was the dealer would have to refund the buyer as it wasn't theirs to sell.

Yes. If the dealer bought it in good faith, having done their due diligence and thus not aware of any financial interest in the vehicle for any reason, then sold it, the finance company would repossess it (once more than a third from whomever they found to have it at that point in time (I've known it happen) - and yes the dealer does reimburse the customer and takes the loss on the chin, or if possible, pursues the person they bought it from and pockets the HPI indemnity money as their error lead to the dealer being put in that position.

It's an exceptionally rare situation - singular in my experience in 18 years - and that's a LOT of transactions, let alone the potential deals that never happened for various reasons.

[bitchstewie]

It still staggers me how many dealerships seem to be full of staff who completely ignore you

[Butter Face]

bhstewie said:

It still staggers me how many dealerships seem to be full of staff who completely ignore you

Everyone? Everyone in an entire dealership ignores you.

You walk in, and nobody looks at you? Nobody says hello?

How many staff? Are they with customers?

I have never seen a customer purposely ignored in any car dealership I have been in, ever.

[bitchstewie]

Butter Face said:

Everyone? Everyone in an entire dealership ignores you.

You walk in, and nobody looks at you? Nobody says hello?

How many staff? Are they with customers?

I have never seen a customer purposely ignored in any car dealership I have been in, ever.

Literally not a word in three different dealers this afternoon, Birmingham and outskirts, all large marques.

All full of staff, some on the phone of course, but plenty literally standing talking amongst themselves.

[Butter Face]

bhstewie said:

Butter Face said:

Everyone? Everyone in an entire dealership ignores you.

You walk in, and nobody looks at you? Nobody says hello?

How many staff? Are they with customers?

I have never seen a customer purposely ignored in any car dealership I have been in, ever.

Literally not a word in three different dealers this afternoon, Birmingham and outskirts, all large marques.

All full of staff, some on the phone of course, but plenty literally standing talking amongst themselves.

Not a single word uttered? You walked in and walked around 3 dealers without even a hello?

No receptionist/greeter?

I sincerely struggle to believe it tbh, next time wear a hidden camera and submit the footage to the manufacturer and they’ll give you some cash for it as someone should be fired.

[Mexman]

Why do we all seem to "talk amongst ourselves" according to the PH collective?
Has never happened at any dealership I have ever worked at.
Yes, we communicate with each other and if it's dead quite might have a natter/pisstake/laugh, but that is not very often at all.
A sales manager simply would not tolerate sales staff just all standing around chatting.
Yes, we have to communicate with each other, sales manager, admin staff, valeters, accounts dept, but just idly standing around chatting/smoking fags and ignoring people, then errr..no, I don't think so, you must be misreading the situation.

[bitchstewie]

Butter Face said:

Not a single word uttered? You walked in and walked around 3 dealers without even a hello?

No receptionist/greeter?

I sincerely struggle to believe it tbh, next time wear a hidden camera and submit the footage to the manufacturer and they’ll give you some cash for it as someone should be fired.

I can't blame you for being doubtful but I can promise you honestly and genuinely that not a single word uttered in any of the three dealerships.

I was in them to make sure I'd not ruled something out without at least being able to say I'd had a quick look so I didn't actively try and get anyone's attention and I'm not going to pretend anyone missed out on selling a car as they haven't but it was damned odd.

[yajeed]

It's odd that people comment on this thread and yet dealers rarely believe them (Hi Mexman - Jag is arriving tomorrow, despite me being a time waster).

[94OD]

bhstewie said:

It still staggers me how many dealerships seem to be full of staff who completely ignore you

Sounds blissful.

[bitchstewie]

Mexman said:

Why do we all seem to "talk amongst ourselves" according to the PH collective?
Has never happened at any dealership I have ever worked at.
Yes, we communicate with each other and if it's dead quite might have a natter/pisstake/laugh, but that is not very often at all.
A sales manager simply would not tolerate sales staff just all standing around chatting.
Yes, we have to communicate with each other, sales manager, admin staff, valeters, accounts dept, but just idly standing around chatting/smoking fags and ignoring people, then errr..no, I don't think so, you must be misreading the situation.

I didn't say all.

That's what happened this afternoon at those dealerships.

I appreciate it's your trade so I can understand you being a little defensive or doubting, but I was there and trust me, not a sausage from anyone on this particular day in those particular dealerships.

I've had plenty of excellent service at dealerships too.

[Mexman]

yajeed said:

It's odd that people comment on this thread and yet dealers rarely believe them (Hi Mexman - Jag is arriving tomorrow, despite me being a time waster).

Congratulations on your new purchase, never called you a time waster, just have some possible reasons why the dealer in question had not been able to get back to you as quickly as you had liked.
I understand the dealer in question sold the Jag your were interested in originally anyway?
Perhaps, he knew he already had someone on the line for it?
Anyway, like I said, hope you enjoy your new purchase.

[Mexman]

bhstewie said:

I didn't say all.

That's what happened this afternoon at those dealerships.

I appreciate it's your trade so I can understand you being a little defensive or doubting, but I was there and trust me, not a sausage from anyone on this particular day in those particular dealerships.

I've had plenty of excellent service at dealerships too.

Certainly if that's the case it is inexcusable, and if you were to revisit one of these dealers, a quick word with the sales manager on duty would probably secure you a sale with a few sweeteners, along with a bking for his sales staff.

[bitchstewie]

Mexman said:

Certainly if that's the case it is inexcusable, and if you were to revisit one of these dealers, a quick word with the sales manager on duty would probably secure you a sale with a few sweeteners, along with a bking for his sales staff.

It'd be a bit of a song and dance about nothing as I was genuinely in each just to be able to say I'd looked at a particular model (ruled it out in my head but wanted to be able to say I'd physically looked at them to be sure).

One of the marques, went to a different dealer last Saturday and the experience was the total opposite and was excellent in every way imaginable.