Car salesmen that don't sell...?

[TREMAiNE]

Ares said:

smithyithy said:

RVVUNM said:

If everyone took off their Jonny big trousers attitude and talked to the salesman instead off expecting him to mind read then you may get what you want. OP, why didn't you just say you may be interested in changing your car for the M3?

To be fair, I don't think it's even a case of him wanting the M3 or not, but that he asked a pretty simple, reasonable question and was shrugged off.

Whether he's interested in the car or not, it doesn't exactly shout professionalism to respond to a potential customer that way.

Nail/Head/Hit

I don't understand how people on this thread are missing this point.

Regardless of whether someone in your showroom actually has then intention of buying a car, as a salesman you have to try. You make the effort and at least be professional in what you're doing, not shrugging off simple questions.

Ares, I vaguely remember when you first ordered your 6 Series, didn't you walk into the showroom looking to buy a Mini for your wife? Ended up buying the 6 Series as well as the Mini (and effectively getting the Mini for free with discounts on the 6 IIRC)?

Seeing as your car was being serviced at that dealership, the sales guys should really have been prepared for you to be there and been ready to try to get you to upgrade, given that its been nearly 2 years. Its basic sales stuff. In addition to cold calling and taking inbound calls, I'm always sieving through my old customer records and inquiring to see if any are ready to upgrade their current setup - its not cars I sell, but its the same basic principle of selling and providing a service.

[CS Garth]

Roger Irrelevant said:

funkyrobot said:

I went to look at a Skoda at a main dealer a few weeks ago.

The coffee machine was broken. Broken I tell you. I was so disappointed that I walked out. If I can't get a coffee, why am I even bothering?

Well I went to a Ford dealer to look at a Fiesta that I was definitely going to buy and the salesman neither flung himself at my feet the second I walked through the door or offered me a night of carnal pleasure with his wife in an effort to sell me the car. Even though I had never met this person before and would likely have very little to do with him ever again, the fact that he paid me insufficient attention meant that I decided that I would go without the car I really wanted and was otherwise definitely going to buy in order to teach him a ruddy good lesson. I just went back down the street, got in my brand new gold-plated Veyron with mink seats and did a load of doughnuts in front of the dealership while waving a bundle of burning £50 notes out of the window. The salesman fell to his knees, looked up to the heavens (sort of like at the end of the Shawshank Redemption, except it wasn't raining), then committed hara-kiri there and then.

Perfectly sums it up Rog old boy - I have no idea why people expect to be treated like royalty when purchasing a car as the recent thread in the same vein showed.

If you show the salesmen some intention and respect I'd suggest it will be, in the main, returned. It feels like many people are getting a mirror of themselves in the salesman's attitude.

[daemon]

Hitch78 said:

Ali_T said:

I've had the same attitude every time I've been in a BMW dealership. I've been in numerous time stop look at nearly new M cars and still haven't bought one because they never bother trying to sell them.

Something of a pyrrhic victory to not be driving the car that you want because the salesman didn't work hard enough isn't it?!

+1

If i had the finances to make the jump from an Alfa hatchback to a demo M4 as Ali T is suggesting he has, i wouldnt let a salesman be a show stopper for me

[daemon]

CS Garth said:

If you show the salesmen some intention and respect I'd suggest it will be, in the main, returned. It feels like many people are getting a mirror of themselves in the salesman's attitude.

+1

I always ring ahead and make an appointment, and then when we arrive give the salesman an overview of where we are in the buying process and what would make us buy today.

[Tuvra]

blade7 said:

Tuvra said:

I have a similar tale of being underestimated by a car dealer. 12 years ago, 17 year old me and 3 mates (on our college lunch break) went to visit a "Prestige" car dealer locally to view a 350Z I knew he had in stock.
I ended up buying a Cerbera from Henley Heritage instead

17 at college and you bought a Cerbera....

Well no, I had turned 18 by the time I bought the Cerbera.....I chopped it for the T350c before I was 19 then

Lets not derail though...

[Ares]

james_gt3rs said:

Ares said:

james_gt3rs said:

Maybe they knew you didn't want to buy so didn't waste their time?

How did they know? Truth being, if he'd made me an offer that was good enough, I may have gone for it. M3 looking like what I fancy moving to next.

OK when you've bought the M3 come back and post and I'll admit I'm wrong...

Here's the deposit receipt from the same scenario last year if that helps in the meantime.

[funkyrobot]

CS Garth said:

Roger Irrelevant said:

funkyrobot said:

I went to look at a Skoda at a main dealer a few weeks ago.

The coffee machine was broken. Broken I tell you. I was so disappointed that I walked out. If I can't get a coffee, why am I even bothering?

Well I went to a Ford dealer to look at a Fiesta that I was definitely going to buy and the salesman neither flung himself at my feet the second I walked through the door or offered me a night of carnal pleasure with his wife in an effort to sell me the car. Even though I had never met this person before and would likely have very little to do with him ever again, the fact that he paid me insufficient attention meant that I decided that I would go without the car I really wanted and was otherwise definitely going to buy in order to teach him a ruddy good lesson. I just went back down the street, got in my brand new gold-plated Veyron with mink seats and did a load of doughnuts in front of the dealership while waving a bundle of burning £50 notes out of the window. The salesman fell to his knees, looked up to the heavens (sort of like at the end of the Shawshank Redemption, except it wasn't raining), then committed hara-kiri there and then.

Perfectly sums it up Rog old boy - I have no idea why people expect to be treated like royalty when purchasing a car as the recent thread in the same vein showed.

If you show the salesmen some intention and respect I'd suggest it will be, in the main, returned. It feels like many people are getting a mirror of themselves in the salesman's attitude.

I know this chap who is absolutely minted. Anyhow, he went looking for a new BMW last weekend, but had his best clothes in the wash. So he went into the dealership in his gardening gear with a Lidl carrier bag full of thousands of pounds in notes.

He walked in and the sales people ignored him. He waited for a bit whilst prodding a new M5 and opening and shutting the boot. Still, they ignored him. So, he trundled out of the showroom and into a Mercedes one over the road.

Just yesterday, he collected his new Merc and drove slowly past the BMW dealership. He eye balled them and pointed at his new car. He even threw in a few revs.

Crazy.

[Ares]

TREMAiNE said:

Ares said:

smithyithy said:

RVVUNM said:

If everyone took off their Jonny big trousers attitude and talked to the salesman instead off expecting him to mind read then you may get what you want. OP, why didn't you just say you may be interested in changing your car for the M3?

To be fair, I don't think it's even a case of him wanting the M3 or not, but that he asked a pretty simple, reasonable question and was shrugged off.

Whether he's interested in the car or not, it doesn't exactly shout professionalism to respond to a potential customer that way.

Nail/Head/Hit

I don't understand how people on this thread are missing this point.

Regardless of whether someone in your showroom actually has then intention of buying a car, as a salesman you have to try. You make the effort and at least be professional in what you're doing, not shrugging off simple questions.

Ares, I vaguely remember when you first ordered your 6 Series, didn't you walk into the showroom looking to buy a Mini for your wife? Ended up buying the 6 Series as well as the Mini (and effectively getting the Mini for free with discounts on the 6 IIRC)?

Seeing as your car was being serviced at that dealership, the sales guys should really have been prepared for you to be there and been ready to try to get you to upgrade, given that its been nearly 2 years. Its basic sales stuff. In addition to cold calling and taking inbound calls, I'm always sieving through my old customer records and inquiring to see if any are ready to upgrade their current setup - its not cars I sell, but its the same basic principle of selling and providing a service.

You'd think....!

[CS Garth]

I'd bet for every missed sale on a millionaire who walks into a show room having accidentally shat themselves and accidentally had F*ck off tattooed on their forehead, the quick size up saves a salesman hours of wasted time. How do you know he's not doing the paperwork for a previous sale?

Regardless if/when I find myself in the position of buying a car when dressed in a tracksuit having just travelled there in a push bike cos my Bentley is being fixed, I'll take the mental note not to stand there looking like a total moron but I will stride up the desk and say "excuse me, forgive my casual attire, I appreciate I am somewhat underdressed but I am seriously considering buying that car". If after that they still flip me off THEN I will flounce out (to buy a car next door, ram raid their premises, do donuts on the salesman's desk and then eat all of their complimentary sweets)

[BigLion]

Car buying is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, but most of you seem to really resent the whole experience.

Psychologically it seems to point that you need to feel superior to the salesman for whatever reason - to the point that the smallest thing will make you you buy a car elsewhere to what you actually wanted to spite the salesman who probably doesn't even know !!!

That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard !!!

I have never had issues and when I see the postings on here, I can join the dots as to why some people get short shrift from others.

From now on when I see that Tesco "Haggle" advert I'm going to be thinking of you guys !!!!

[RVVUNM]

BigLion said:

Car buying is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, but most of you seem to really resent the whole experience.

Psychologically it seems to point that you need to feel superior to the salesman for whatever reason - to the point that the smallest thing will make you you buy a car elsewhere to what you actually wanted to spite the salesman who probably doesn't even know !!!

That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard !!!

I have never had issues and when I see the postings on here, I can join the dots as to why some people get short shrift from others.

From now on when I see that Tesco "Haggle" advert I'm going to be thinking of you guys !!!!

Exactly. It's all about ego and probably why it happens at BMW a lot.

[funkyrobot]

BigLion said:

Car buying is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, but most of you seem to really resent the whole experience.

Psychologically it seems to point that you need to feel superior to the salesman for whatever reason - to the point that the smallest thing will make you you buy a car elsewhere to what you actually wanted to spite the salesman who probably doesn't even know !!!

That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard !!!

I have never had issues and when I see the postings on here, I can join the dots as to why some people get short shrift from others.

From now on when I see that Tesco "Haggle" advert I'm going to be thinking of you guys !!!!

If I had the money to buy a new car, I'm sure I would enjoy the experience.

Trouble is, I'd struggle to commit so much money to a vehicle. That's probably why it hasn't happened yet.

[BigLion]

I should copy and paste some polite emails between myself and a BMW garage where I gave positive feedback to a brilliant salesman - most people on this thread would probably hit the floor with a thud that on the other side of their rant/ego trip is actually quite a normal human being !!!

[TITWONK]

I got completely pissed off the other day, spent 45 mins cruising the isles of my local Sainsbury's. I had looked over all the expensive cuts of meat and also started browsing the champagne section.
I saw a couple of the purple jacketed sales people milling around but not one of them engaged me. absolute disgrace.
in the end I hot footed it to Tesco where I bought a lamb shank and a bottle of Cava.

just seems when people are buying a car and at the same time spending a large some of money they wouldn't usually spend, they want egos massaged and want the royalty treatment.

I am not rich, far from it, but if I was in the fortunate position to buy for eg. an M4 I would probably walk up to a desk and say ' Hi I would like to order a brand new car, could you please help me sot it out' although I have never tried it, I am 99% sure they would sell me one.

and no I'm not a car sales man, I do sell for a living though. I am not anyone's slave nor am I qualified in massaging your Ego. I do ok though and rarely loose a customer.
not sure what the above means just thinking out loud and wasting your reading time

[8potdave]

I wouldn't put it down to the dealership as a whole, you just met an uninterested salesman. I used to be a car salesman and 95% of the time I was as keen as mustard but if you caught me in the 5% where I had 3 cars going out, a grumbling customer waiting to call, not eaten anything all day and generally feeling flustered I'd let you slide. Some of the others genuinly couldn't be bothered a lot of the time. As long as they were on target they weren't interested in being busy and just wanted an easy life.

Furthermore, you have to remember the amount of people that look around M3's while their car is in for service must be astronomical. I bet if you walked in there on another day you would have a completely different experience.

[CS Garth]

Or put another way. Who wants the car buying experience to be like buying a sofa?

Personally I think if you walk into a showroom and haven't got the gumption to walk up to a salesman and engage in a conversation you are a bit of a plonker.

Presumably if no one offers to sell you a pension, buy a house or apply for a job you just sit at home staring in to space. I'm not exactly pro car salesman but some people seem to expect spending some money to entitle them to be as obnoxious as possible.

Personally I think there is something effortlessly cool about being loaded and not acting like an entitled ar$e

[walm]

CS Garth said:

Personally I think there is something effortlessly cool about being loaded and not acting like an entitled ar$e

Trust me, it requires considerable effort.
(Not me - loaded friends. They really have to fight the urge to be arses.)

[loafer123]

BigLion said:

I should copy and paste some polite emails between myself and a BMW garage where I gave positive feedback to a brilliant salesman - most people on this thread would probably hit the floor with a thud that on the other side of their rant/ego trip is actually quite a normal human being !!!

I don't think they would.

I wrote very good feedback for a salesman when I bought my Grand Cherokee last year.

Trying to get a test drive of an E-Class estate (which was the alternate choice, bizarrely!) was impossible via our local dealer - they weren't helpful, didn't return calls, so we gave up. Not the first time it's happened either.

[nbetts]

Personally, I'd just like to buy online.

I know what I want, I just want the best price.

Forget the Shiny, lovely showrooms I would rather have it delivered.

But that is just me.

[TrophyMax]

There is one magical way to avoid all of this life changing hurt people seem to experience, make an appointment.

Ps. It's disinterested, not uninterested.