The Car Salesman's Thread
Discussion
jbailey93 said:
How is it decided what company cars you guys get? Is it unrealistic to think if you went and worked for say Mercedes you would get a c class? And how does it work at other less premium brands or multi brand pitches
Sometimes random and sometimes who did well. At the mo, we are all running around in A5 cabs. Very nice they are too but only because they were ordered for stock for Summer. Summer didn't really happen, so rather than go fully paid, onto demo plan they go. Cabs in the winter and coupes on the summer for us. However, we do get some very interesting trades, so as long as you don't take the piss, whatever is downstairs is fair game for a weekend smoke. The GOLDEN RULE is don't be an obvious car tart. Take what you get sometimes and don't moan. Never moan. It's a 'relatively' free car. I'm a hardcore convertible bloke though, so I love it. Unless it's absolutely pissing down, roof off, heated seats roasting and heaters blasting my feet off. Nothing quite like a cold Autumn night with everything toasty and a cool wind buzzing your head! I can't wait for snow!Usually a combination of merit, length of service/seniority and even need.
Management tend to get to factory spec their own demos, they then then spec the demo pool and quite often let the rest work it out among themselves according to desire and necessity accordingly.
Due to people living different distances from the dealership, there'll usually be swaps to even out the mileages across the pool.
It's one occasional downside of moving, you'll have worked your way up the tree at your old place and get bumped back to square one somewhere new.
Don't get hung up on what demo you'll get, odds are you'll be in something else soon enough and it's good to live with the whole range of what you sell as it'll aid your product knowledge and presentation skills.
If there's a particular car you'd like to run and it's appropriate to your position, there's nothing to be lost by asking - once you've established yourself.
Never ask what demo you'll get before you have the job. You'll be given a car to go home in on your first day or told to come in and collect it a few days earlier.
Management tend to get to factory spec their own demos, they then then spec the demo pool and quite often let the rest work it out among themselves according to desire and necessity accordingly.
Due to people living different distances from the dealership, there'll usually be swaps to even out the mileages across the pool.
It's one occasional downside of moving, you'll have worked your way up the tree at your old place and get bumped back to square one somewhere new.
Don't get hung up on what demo you'll get, odds are you'll be in something else soon enough and it's good to live with the whole range of what you sell as it'll aid your product knowledge and presentation skills.
If there's a particular car you'd like to run and it's appropriate to your position, there's nothing to be lost by asking - once you've established yourself.
Never ask what demo you'll get before you have the job. You'll be given a car to go home in on your first day or told to come in and collect it a few days earlier.
TVR1 said:
The GOLDEN RULE is don't be an obvious car tart. Take what you get sometimes and don't moan. Never moan. It's a 'relatively' free car.
This is so true. It's a mistake I've made before and learnt from. If I get a bag of s
t I just shut up now.Always grab anything 'different' that gets traded in though.
whoami said:
Best time for a convertible.
TVR1 said:
Sometimes random and sometimes who did well. At the mo, we are all running around in A5 cabs. Very nice they are too but only because they were ordered for stock for Summer. Summer didn't really happen, so rather than go fully paid, onto demo plan they go. Cabs in the winter and coupes on the summer for us. However, we do get some very interesting trades, so as long as you don't take the piss, whatever is downstairs is fair game for a weekend smoke. The GOLDEN RULE is don't be an obvious car tart. Take what you get sometimes and don't moan. Never moan. It's a 'relatively' free car. I'm a hardcore convertible bloke though, so I love it. Unless it's absolutely pissing down, roof off, heated seats roasting and heaters blasting my feet off. Nothing quite like a cold Autumn night with everything toasty and a cool wind buzzing your head! I can't wait for snow!
Absolutely right, at Mercedes some of the lads were whittering on about what type of wood dash they got on their C class, I laughed that I didn't care as it was a free Mercedes. For being reasonable the SM said that I could have an A class, much to my colleagues delight till I was told to register up an A200 Turbo, the quickest car on the sales exec demo fleet at the time.My first "company car" was a powder blue Mk3 Escort 1.1L.
But then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
But then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
Zwolf said:
My first "company car" was a powder blue Mk3 Escort 1.1L.
But then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
Most memorable but not the most powerful for me. A Citroën 2cv at 18. Now I could do some sBut then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
t with that mutha! Roof rolled back, 7 friends up. Happy days.Zwolf said:
My first "company car" was a powder blue Mk3 Escort 1.1L.
But then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
Do you remember The Chequered Flag on Chiswick? But then I had yet to pass my test when I started there. 3 weeks of cycling 6 miles each way in November ensured I passed (that and it would have been P45 time).
That lasted 3 weeks before it expired due to natural causes. Overheating and blowing a headgasket after an hour at speed down to Guildford for a night out.
Next up was a Rover 214Si that ended up very broken.
Once the inevitable smash-up had been got out of the way, I then got put in proper demos, from a 200vi to a 623GSi and most things between. MGF, 620Ti and 820 Vitesse were out of bounds, but that was fine as it was the 825 Sterling Coupe I loved smoking most.
I've lost count of what I've run in between, but everything BMW made from 1999-2002 and likewise Volvo from 2004-2011 for starters. Now enjoying the Ford range.
80quattro said:
I work for a 'used' only now. We have an ever changing fleet of cars we use, stuff we have taken in part exchange, stuff that the business owns that isn't for sale stock etc I'll be rocking around tomorrow in the car on the front cover of the new Total 911 magazine!
'Rocking' is very Antipodean. You must 'Smoke' in the Motherland!
TVR1 said:
'whats the best car you have had to drive?' TVR? M3?5? Cls63? Saggy? RS200? R8? V10? Cab or Coupe? Ford GT? Holden SS Monaro? Etc etc.....
A frequent question from customers.
One that is always answered with;
'the one with fuel'
That's the best car I have driven!
^This, road tax was an advantage but not a requirement and if you go back far enough a working stereo was a real hit. I spent the first year driving Ex motability 3 door Astra Merit's. I could have any colour provided it was Flame Red, Atlantis Blue or Glacier White. A frequent question from customers.
One that is always answered with;
'the one with fuel'
That's the best car I have driven!
Upon the commission of some wrong doing I was sentenced to 1 week in an FSO Polonez. Didn't do that again...
Latterly I kept a 300C or Grand Cherokee for daily use, a Wrangler for the winter months and, as mentioned, anything interesting that I stumbled upon. Convincing the Director to pay for my bike and running costs was the moment of genius amongst them all though.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff