Main dealers, tssss

[CAPP0]

I'm in the market for a new Mustang. I've test driven one, chosen a colour and spec, and know what I want.

A Ford main dealer in Leicester (I'm based in Kent) is advertising a new 5.0GT Auto for £32,999, significantly under the list price. The Autotrader ad offered a chat function, so I clicked on. This is how went:


Sarah Seal: Hello, How may I help you?
You: hi Sarah. I've seen your Autotrader advert for a 5.0GT Mustang at £32,999
You: I'm interested in a 5.0GT, manual, Magnetic grey with Saddle leather, plus custom pack
Sarah Seal: We do have a few available when would be suitable for yourself to come over to us and have a look and test drive?
You: I've test driven one already, so I know what it is that I want, as above
You: can you advise what you have in 5.0 manual, and prices please?
Sarah Seal: You would need to come over to the dealership to discuss this and go throught some paperwork.
You: OK thanks, not really an option as you are too far away for me to travel if it doesn't turn out to be worthwhile. Thanks.
You: it's a cash purchase, I just need a price!
Sarah Seal: If I can take some details from yourself I can get my colleague to be in touch and see what they can discuss over the phone
You: no, don't worry, if I can't get this simple info from here I'll leave it
Sarah Seal: Ok thank you for your enquiry.

I don't want to spend half an hour on the phone with a salesman dripping on about this deal and that, I just want a number! Why bother advertising if they won't answer a simple question like that.

Edited by CAPP0 on Wednesday 15th November 16:39

[rampageturke]

"Hello, I have seen a car I'd like for £32,999, can you give me a price on it?"

[Audemars]

They want to see you in person to close the deal there and then. Dealers do not like negotiating prices nor discussing prices on the phone and especially not online/email. Too many timewasters in their opinion.

Edited by Audemars on Wednesday 15th November 16:28

[Mexman]

I wonder how many quality enquiries like that, they get every day....

[Bristol spark]

Am i missing something here??

You know you want a mustang and spec.

You know the advertised price.

You don't want to drive down to the dealer and buy.

You don't want to speak to dealer on phone.


What do you actually want to know?.............

[James TiT]

Audemars said:

They want to see you in person to close the deal there and then. Dealers do not like negotiating prices nor discussing prices on the phone and especially not online/email. Too many timewasters in their opinion.

Edited by Audemars on Wednesday 15th November 16:28

They need to realise that there are now new ways of conducting business.

[TooMany2cvs]

CAPP0 said:

You: hi Sarah. I've seen your Autotrader advert for a 5.0GT Mustang at £32,999
...
You: it's a cash purchase, I just need a price!

<scratches head>

CAPP0 said:

You: I'm interested in a 5.0GT, manual, Magnetic grey with Saddle leather, plus custom pack
Sarah Seal: We do have a few available...

In that colour scheme and spec? Yeh, right. 'course you do.

It's a bot. Not a particularly clever one. Hell, it might even be a real live human bot, but it's certainly just trotting out pre-prepared replies. You'd have had the exact same response if you'd asked about a Fiesta without any detail.

[Monkeylegend]

CAPP0 said:

I'm in the market for a new Mustang. I've trust driven one, chosen a colour and spec, and know what I want.

A Ford main dealer in Leicester (I'm based in Kent) is advertising a new 5.0GT Auto for £32,999, significantly under the list price. The Autotrader ad offered a chat function, so I clicked on. This is how went:


Sarah Seal: Hello, How may I help you?
You: hi Sarah. I've seen your Autotrader advert for a 5.0GT Mustang at £32,999
You: I'm interested in a 5.0GT, manual, Magnetic grey with Saddle leather, plus custom pack
Sarah Seal: We do have a few available when would be suitable for yourself to come over to us and have a look and test drive?
You: I've test driven one already, so I know what it is that I want, as above
You: can you advise what you have in 5.0 manual, and prices please?
Sarah Seal: You would need to come over to the dealership to discuss this and go throught some paperwork.
You: OK thanks, not really an option as you are too far away for me to travel if it doesn't turn out to be worthwhile. Thanks.
You: it's a cash purchase, I just need a price!
Sarah Seal: If I can take some details from yourself I can get my colleague to be in touch and see what they can discuss over the phone
You: no, don't worry, if I can't get this simple info from here I'll leave it
Sarah Seal: Ok thank you for your enquiry.

I don't want to spend half an hour on the phone with a salesman dripping on about this deal and that, I just want a number! Why bother advertising if they won't answer a simple question like that.

Surely 30 mins on the phone is worth your time if you are serious about buying and it results in a deal?

You can sometimes make things far to difficult for yourself, seems like a no brainer to me to get the car you already know you want. If you don't want the add ons just say no.

[Scootersp]

Bristol spark said:

Am i missing something here??

You know you want a mustang and spec.

You know the advertised price.

You don't want to drive down to the dealer and buy.

You don't want to speak to dealer on phone.


What do you actually want to know?.............

They are advertising an AUTO he wants to know a price for a MANUAL

[Nickp82]

Bristol spark said:

Am i missing something here??

You know you want a mustang and spec.

You know the advertised price.

You don't want to drive down to the dealer and buy.

You don't want to speak to dealer on phone.


What do you actually want to know?.............

He wants to know if they have a Magnetic Mustang GT for £32999 (or however much less a manual is), tbf I kinda get the frustration - the blanket 'you must visit us before we give you any useful info' stance is a bit old fashioned. What's the point in having Instant Chat if you will only tell customers they have to come in for information?

[CAPP0]

rampageturke said:

"Hello, I have seen a car I'd like for £32,999, can you give me a price on it?"

Bristol spark said:

Am i missing something here??

You know you want a mustang and spec.

You know the advertised price.

You don't want to drive down to the dealer and buy.

You don't want to speak to dealer on phone.


What do you actually want to know?.............

Are you both main dealer salesmen?

It's very simple.

Their advert has a high-spec, high colour car shown but when you read the small print, it says the price shown is for a white automatic car with no options. It also says "we have several other cars available". So, please tell me, do you have what I want and how much do you want for it? Really jolly straightforward. Sod closing the deal now, I don't want you to "go and speak to your manager" while I sit and twiddle my thumbs, just give me your price and I'll tell you whether I'll pay it or not!

[Sad Ken]

rampageturke said:

"Hello, I have seen a car I'd like for £32,999, can you give me a price on it?"

Bristol spark said:

Am i missing something here??

You know you want a mustang and spec.

You know the advertised price.

You don't want to drive down to the dealer and buy.

You don't want to speak to dealer on phone.


What do you actually want to know?.............

He said the advertised car was an auto, he wanted to know if they had a manual, and what price that would be.

[Mexman]

James TiT said:

Audemars said:

They want to see you in person to close the deal there and then. Dealers do not like negotiating prices nor discussing prices on the phone and especially not online/email. Too many timewasters in their opinion.

Edited by Audemars on Wednesday 15th November 16:28

They need to realise that there are now new ways of conducting business.

Dealer. - "OK, sir, price is £32000"
"How would you like to pay?"
Customer- "Oh, i'm not ready to order yet"
I need to see the vehicle first/speak to wife/dog/sleep on it"
Dealer- "But you wanted a good price, I have given you a good price, what's stopping you from ordering?"
Customer- "Yeah but....
Dealer- Click...Brrrrrrr.

Edited by Mexman on Wednesday 15th November 16:41

[L0gan5]

CAPP0 said:

Are you both main dealer salesmen?

It's very simple.

Their advert has a high-spec, high colour car shown but when you read the small print, it says the price shown is for a white automatic car with no options. It also says "we have several other cars available". So, please tell me, do you have what I want and how much do you want for it? Really jolly straightforward. Sod closing the deal now, I don't want you to "go and speak to your manager" while I sit and twiddle my thumbs, just give me your price and I'll tell you whether I'll pay it or not!

I guess it was the receptionist on the chat app.

[CAPP0]

James TiT said:

They need to realise that there are now new ways of conducting business.

Thank you!

[JimmyConwayNW]

Why not call them, if its for you after having a chat about it on the phone then leave a refundable holding deposit and travel with the intention of taking it away on the day subject to it looking decent and driving correctly.

Live chat is a load of rubbish in these places as its all outsourced.

[Nickp82]

Could be wrong but judging by the advert text, they are not even advertising a V8 at the £32999, this price relates to their entry price for the range i.e the Ecoboost. Confusing

[Sad Ken]

Mexman said:

Dealer. - "OK, sir, price is £32000"
"How would you like to pay?"
Customer- "Oh, i'm not ready to order yet"
I need to see the vehicle first/speak to wife/dog/sleep on it"
Dealer- "But you wanted a good price, I have given you a good price, what's stopping you from ordering?"
Customer- "Yeah but....
Dealer- Click...Brrrrrrr.

Edited by Mexman on Wednesday 15th November 16:41

Lol good old pressure closing techniques, constantly hurrying the customer for a decision, and making them feel awkward when they don't give one on the spot.

[anonymous-user]

I can pretty much guarantee that you communicated with a bot - the VAST majority of on-line chat facilities today are exactly that - it's a very cheap and easy to offer comms channel for the dealer, and it is able to handle a large chunk of the typically very simple enquires that are made using that function.

More specific enquiries, such as yours, would typically be made via a quick telephone call - get the number from the same website, call them up, and say 'can I speak to someone in sales please'. Assuming someone is available to have that conversation, that method for eliciting information is far faster and more efficient than typing Qs to a chat-bot.

If you are that serious about buying something, I'm sure that will have occurred to you too?

[anonymous-user]

Sad Ken said:

Lol good old pressure closing techniques, constantly hurrying the customer for a decision, and making them feel awkward when they don't give one on the spot.

Yep, while the technology behind bots is fascinating, the logical algorithms that drive the responses often fail to consider what a more realistic and human response would look like. Bloody techies!