Dealer attitudes

Author
Discussion

Saabyfox

Original Poster:

2,231 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
Have been in sales myself( although not cars ), and i know you have to qualify leads, most goods dont get a test drive etc, but most goods are not as different and individual as cars.
But as an opening response to my statement " i have never driven one of these before and would like to try one before buying" to be told " lets get the deposit sorted out now then"- its more than arrogant. I told him AGAIN, i can buy this outright, but not before i drive one and he lost interest. Get it in your head numbskull, i am not going to part with the best part of £15k without driving the car. If your other customers do so regularily, well more fool them.
I was smartly dressed, turned up in another Executive type car, and asked to drive a diesel. If i was going to want a chav test drive, surely i would have picked a 330ci or something- not a 2.5tds ?? I wasnt wearing jeans, a baseball cap, and had 300grams of ironmongery in my face. I couldnt have represented a buyer any more surely ?

An update to this story- this afternoon- said dealer called back and offered me a Part ex value to current car ( i didnt really ask for one as its probably going to the wife) - get this its £1600 less than book value, and unsurprisingly, £1600 less than the trade in offered by the saab garage. I have told him that i bought a car yesterday at a garage that gave me some respect as a customer. "thanks goodbye" was his reply. Somehow do not think he has learned his lesson
Saab 1 - BMW 0.

MJK 24

5,648 posts

237 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
Saabyfox said:
Have been in sales myself( although not cars ), and i know you have to qualify leads, most goods dont get a test drive etc, but most goods are not as different and individual as cars.
But as an opening response to my statement " i have never driven one of these before and would like to try one before buying" to be told " lets get the deposit sorted out now then"- its more than arrogant. I told him AGAIN, i can buy this outright, but not before i drive one and he lost interest. Get it in your head numbskull, i am not going to part with the best part of £15k without driving the car. If your other customers do so regularily, well more fool them.
I was smartly dressed, turned up in another Executive type car, and asked to drive a diesel. If i was going to want a chav test drive, surely i would have picked a 330ci or something- not a 2.5tds ?? I wasnt wearing jeans, a baseball cap, and had 300grams of ironmongery in my face. I couldnt have represented a buyer any more surely ?

An update to this story- this afternoon- said dealer called back and offered me a Part ex value to current car ( i didnt really ask for one as its probably going to the wife) - get this its £1600 less than book value, and unsurprisingly, £1600 less than the trade in offered by the saab garage. I have told him that i bought a car yesterday at a garage that gave me some respect as a customer. "thanks goodbye" was his reply. Somehow do not think he has learned his lesson
Saab 1 - BMW 0.


Do you not have an urge to go back down there, grab him by the lapels and shove him backwards into his 116i demo company wheels and give him a bit of a hiding. Such huge arrogance would drive me f**king livid should I be the f**ing customer.

Who the hell does that guy think he is? Bloody hell I'm mad and I'm not the one looking to buy.

Problem is, he can probably shift BMW's of all shapes and sizes all day long with zero effort on his behalf. The b@stard needs to be send to a struggling manufacturer like Fiat or Nissan to see what real selling is all about.

And breathe!

Saabyfox

Original Poster:

2,231 posts

220 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
MJK24, yes i do partly feel like that. But i do intend to drive back to the dealership in my new car and rub his nose in it.

Paul Dishman

4,717 posts

238 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
I usually ring a dealer up beforehand and make an appointment, introducing myself and my company which seems to get me a better reception than just appearing on spec. Haven't tried this approach with the local BMW dealer though so no guarantees there.

One of our friends is the manager of a franchise and he says that although you do get people turning up scruffy and wanting a demo he can spot the ones with money as they usually have an expensive watch and/or shoes to go with the jeans.


Edited by Paul Dishman on Sunday 20th August 20:08

russ

254 posts

285 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
same problem here - went into bmw dealership 10 years ago after ringing and making an appointment several days earlier ( was looking at £30k z3 for my sins ) got the complete brush off and told to go read the brochure as the salesman didnt have time for me !!
Of course it was a diferent story when i returned several months later and parked a spanking new tvr in there main doorway!!
Really bmw salesmen are a bunch of snobish to55er5
almost as bad as some aston salesmen but thats another story...

CarlT

3,423 posts

248 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
At a local Audi dealer when I was looking for a used RS6, we were discussing finance figures / deposits etc. When I asked what the deposit would be to get the payments to £500 per month - the salesman said it would be £20,000 and then followed it up with ..."you best come back when you win the lottery..." punch
It was only afterwards when I realised what he had actually said :cnunt:

So, I went to the dealer 20 miles away and bought a brand new one thumbup

housemaster

2,076 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
I have posted in many different forums on many different occasions about poor sales staff in car dealers (and virtualy any other retail outlet you care to mention!), it really is something I find an utter and total discrace and something for which there is NO excuse. A few months back I posted this at BM3W, which I feel is appropriate to this thread too.

Like most people on this forum, I have been buying and selling cars for my wife and I for many years and still the level of arrogance, incompetence and lack of customer understanding never ceases to take my breath away. From walking into a BMW dealership some 15 years ago to enquire about buying a new company 318 and being looked at like I had trod into something, to going into a Porsche dealers a few months back and asking for a 911 brochure and being looked at like some child collecting pamphlets, nothing seems to have changed much.

BMW dealers seem to endow the majority of their sales people with a level of arrogance beaten only by Mercedes dealers. Whether its banter with colleagues when your trying to speak with them, ignorance of their products or just general lack of courtesy they seem constantly able to annoy many of us wishing to spend large amounts of our own money. I am not asking for ass kissing or silver service, though both are nice on occasion, I am asking for a level of listening ability and comprehension of me as a prospective or current customer, which seems to be totally lacking in many of the dealers I walk into.

From being told to “wait! I am busy” by a Subaru dealers in Sutton Coldfield, to being ignored by a BMW dealer in Nottingham as I was in scruffs and they were all to busy admiring the nice Black M3 in the parking space out front (mine!) it never seems to change. The Subaru dealer lost a sale of a P1 that day, it was there on a revolving stand and I would have bought it that day, brand new. It was for the wife and a toy for me at the weekends and in the end we went 300 yards up the road and bought her an Audi instead, same day, within the hour, I hope he sold the £10K Micra! A salesman in the Nottingham dealers finally came over to sell me a second hand car and when I said it was a new one for the wife we were interested in he said, and I quote, “oh, you want a new one, sorry, WE thought you were looking for a second hand car!”. Who is we, judging a book by its cover me thinks. Tracky bottoms and unshaven must mean second hand.

I could go on and on about MANY other examples of the salespersons lack of any ability within a car buying environment, but I suggest so could we all. There are some good people out there, but they are without question the exception not the rule. To the majority of car salespeople out there I say this. I don’t want to be your friend, I am not interested in what you like or want and I don’t like to be ignored or in the same way bombarded by you when I walk into your showroom. I will never be discourtious to you and respect you have a job to do but you should garner me with the same level of courtesy and a level of respoect on the basis I am talking to you and am therefore a prospective customer. I may not be buying today, but I would like your courtesy, your attention and would love that you actually ask me questions about what I want and how you can be of assistance. Above all else LISTEN to me and react to what you hear, not what you think you heard, and NEVER make the assumption you know more than your customers, it’s the cardinal sin of sales, as is judging a book by its cover. We don’t all wear the same uniform but we all drive M3’s for a reason, we can afford to. In return, I will tell you clearly what I want, when I want it and how I plan to buy it. I will ask advice when I need it and take well thought out guidance when appropriate. I will tell you the deal I want and and you in turn will tell me if you can meet my expectations and if you can do that we will do business. If we can’t its never my loss, but let me walk away with a shake of the hand and wishing me all the best, no matter how much it hurts. You can never win them all but next time you will get another chance if you provided a good service first time around.

It is so disappointing to generally see this level of service from sales organisations. All they have to do is get out of their seat, walk over, and be useful but so many seem incapable of this act, which is both criminal and sad.

BibBubba I am in agreement with your sentiments too, I fully appreciate you have a job to do and numbers to hit. I suspect from your comments you are not fitting in the "Vast Majority" catagory of poor sales people. Like you I have been a sales person and head of sales organisations for nearly 20 years, I know the job we do is somewhat frustrating and sometimes customers are total and utter idiots. Having said that there is NO excuse for providing bad service no matter how much of a pain in the ass your customer is. I have a simple view...

The customer may not always be right but they are king and without them you do not have a career, job or profession. Treat them with courtesy and respect at all times even if you really want to break their nose!

Phil Dicky

7,162 posts

264 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
When I was looking to buy an X5 I went to the local dealership and managed to start speaking to a salesman. Would you believe that half way through the converstion he walked off as another customer walked in !!!! My wife dragged me outside I was ready to swing for him. Never in my life have I been so badly treated, this was 3 years ago and I get angry now thinking about it.

housemaster

2,076 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
Paul Dishman said:
One of our friends is the manager of a franchise and he says that although you do get people turning up scruffy and wanting a demo he can spot the ones with money as they usually have an expensive watch and/or shoes to go with the jeans.

I often go out in scruffs at the weekend (combats, t-shit, cheap trainers, no watch) so its not always sensible to make the call based on first impressions no matter what your buddy may wish to conclude. The man in the Scooby garage I mentioned above missed out on that one and lost a 35K sale, bet he saw me as a scruffy bloke in a 106 GTI. I know its hard not to form an impression on appearances, but the good sales person will look through that. I know loads of poeple with expensive watches and shoes who live on the bread line. I wear loads of Marks & Spencer and drive a GT3, go figure. I am about to spend 4k on a run around (so perhaps my M&S gear will make me fit the demographic??), which I suspect is going to be interesting......quite looking forward to it actually spin

Edited by housemaster on Sunday 20th August 22:06

littlegreenfairy

10,134 posts

222 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
The worst experience I ever had was at a Seat dealership. I had taken the OH with me to look at a Leon (for me) but I never actually got to get a good look at it. The sales man wouldn't talk to me, directed all questions through my OH, offered him a test drive and the keys to a second hand one (I was there to buy new..) and I didn't get a look in. I was so livid and refused to buy anything from them as they made me feel like a second class citizen.

pjskel

10,842 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
Aero_saab said:
Yeah I was looking at Lexus, all started off so well on a sunday, treated nicely, asked to see car with different options etc.. all done..
Then left details so a test drive could be booked..... and still waiting for a call, now what do you do, should I be chasing them? I think not, should I be taking custom to someone who actually does as they say.. you got it in one!


Do you believe car salespersons are automatons?
Do you not allow anyone to forget anything?
Maybe they lost the bit of paper with your details on it?
Shouldn't you make a call to enquire if they forgot, casually slipping in how disappointed you are no-one got back to you?
Maybe then you'll see if THAT Lexus dealership is the one to get your business or another not far away?


pjskel

10,842 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
3200gt said:
You think all this is bad, try wandering into a poncy pony dealers in anything but your sunday bests. You could be the only non employee in the building and still no one would talk to you.
So I bought Maserati!


What is it with some of you people?
Do you really and honestly just stand about in the middle of the showroom scratching your arse?
Have you never thought to go to one of the blokes or girls on reception and ask to speak with a salesperson?

Jesus bloody H Christ!.......What a bunch of namby pamby airy fairy whinge-bags you are!

If you're SOOOOOO narked at having been ignored, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?
If you're SOOOOOO narked, that they're not going to see a penny of your money, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?

deva link

26,934 posts

246 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
littlegreenfairy said:
The worst experience I ever had was at a Seat dealership. I had taken the OH with me to look at a Leon (for me) but I never actually got to get a good look at it. The sales man wouldn't talk to me, directed all questions through my OH, offered him a test drive and the keys to a second hand one (I was there to buy new..) and I didn't get a look in. I was so livid and refused to buy anything from them as they made me feel like a second class citizen.

You could have kept yourself busy and got the boys some coffee.

Actually SEAT ususally come out pretty well, and my daughter bought an Ibiza from our (not so) local dealer and they were very good at dealing with her, rather than me.

housemaster

2,076 posts

228 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
pjskel said:
If you're SOOOOOO narked at having been ignored, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?
If you're SOOOOOO narked, that they're not going to see a penny of your money, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?

I can't speak for others but rest assured if I have an issue with anyone they will be the first to hear about it! Bad service is bad service and it seems prevalent throughout this country of ours I am afraid to say. You may disagree, and you may have perfect service everywhere you go of course and if that's the case I say good for you!

Having given one Audi garage a meeting and a follow up ‘chase’ call to arrange a test drive of an RS4, which never happened, I felt my time was wasted on them and spent 60K elsewhere. Some people may loose bits of paper many are just incompetent and after so much incompetence one becomes tired of discussing why people should want to accept your business!


Edited by housemaster on Sunday 20th August 23:40

Mrs Trackside

9,299 posts

234 months

Sunday 20th August 2006
quotequote all
pjskel said:
3200gt said:
You think all this is bad, try wandering into a poncy pony dealers in anything but your sunday bests. You could be the only non employee in the building and still no one would talk to you.
So I bought Maserati!


What is it with some of you people?
Do you really and honestly just stand about in the middle of the showroom scratching your arse?
Have you never thought to go to one of the blokes or girls on reception and ask to speak with a salesperson?

Jesus bloody H Christ!.......What a bunch of namby pamby airy fairy whinge-bags you are!

If you're SOOOOOO narked at having been ignored, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?
If you're SOOOOOO narked, that they're not going to see a penny of your money, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?



Jesus!! rolleyes I hope you're NOT a salesman.

We asked at reception to speak to a salesman in a BMW garage and were told he was busy. In those words!!! No alternatives, or "would you mind waiting?" Just plain rude if you ask me.

Edited by Mrs Trackside on Sunday 20th August 23:40

vixpy1

42,625 posts

265 months

Monday 21st August 2006
quotequote all
I've always found BMW dealers to be the worst, its almost like you have to convince them that you are worth thier time. Most helpfull dealers i've found are suprisingly Porsche, however I found the chaps at London TVR the best of the lot.

pjskel

10,842 posts

228 months

Monday 21st August 2006
quotequote all
Mrs Trackside said:
pjskel said:
3200gt said:
You think all this is bad, try wandering into a poncy pony dealers in anything but your sunday bests. You could be the only non employee in the building and still no one would talk to you.
So I bought Maserati!


What is it with some of you people?
Do you really and honestly just stand about in the middle of the showroom scratching your arse?
Have you never thought to go to one of the blokes or girls on reception and ask to speak with a salesperson?

Jesus bloody H Christ!.......What a bunch of namby pamby airy fairy whinge-bags you are!

If you're SOOOOOO narked at having been ignored, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?
If you're SOOOOOO narked, that they're not going to see a penny of your money, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?



Jesus!! rolleyes I hope you're NOT a salesman.

We asked at reception to speak to a salesman in a BMW garage and were told he was busy. In those words!!! No alternatives, or "would you mind waiting?" Just plain rude if you ask me.


Maybe we have a better class of dealerships over here, but I find it incredulous that people whinge about being ignored or left to look at the floor.
God help you when you go shopping in Tescos - do you stand in the middle of the isle waiting for a staff member to ask if you're okay, or do you grab the nearest one and ask for what you're looking for?

In your case above, then it wasn't the salesperson who needed slapped, but the ignoramus of a receptionist. That's completely different to what's being talked about here.

Any time I've visited a dealer, I've never had a problem with being ignored, or kept waiting a wee while, whilst they finished off doing what they needed to before giving me their full attention.
Then again, I've never been backward about being forward.
If I have had a poor experience, then it hasn't been SOOOO bad as to be worth remembering - I've forgotten it.

Maybe it's just me

King herald

23,501 posts

217 months

Monday 21st August 2006
quotequote all
housemaster said:
I have posted in many different forums on many different occasions about poor sales staff in car dealers ............ignored by a BMW dealer in Nottingham as I was in scruffs and they were all to busy admiring the nice Black M3 ...................WE thought you were looking for a second hand car!”. Who is we, judging a book by its cover me thinks. Tracky bottoms and unshaven must mean second hand................................................... it’s the cardinal sin of sales, as is judging a book by its cover. We don’t all wear the same uniform but we all drive M3’s for a reason, we can afford to. In return, I will tell you clearly what I want, when I want it and how I plan to buy it..........................The customer may not always be right but they are king and without them you do not have a career, job or profession. Treat them with courtesy and respect at all times even if you really want to break their nose!


This is fascinating. Nearly every petrolhead on the forum seems to be able to spot a penniless chav lowlife at 500 yards, because they are unshaven and wearing 'tracky bottoms', but as soon as someone dressed like that chav walks into a dealership with a pocket full of cash he seems to expect to be treated like royalty.

Is this all about people who have money but like to dress down, then want to brag 'well, I'm rich, but just because I dressed scruffy the saleman thought I was poor, what a darned fool he was, ha, what, harumph'

Maybe you could wear a hoody next time you go to buy a new car, just to make yourself feel even more important?

If you want to be treated with instant respect then try dressing more suited to a person about to spend 30k than some home boy from the east end.

MJK 24

5,648 posts

237 months

Monday 21st August 2006
quotequote all
pjskel said:
Mrs Trackside said:
pjskel said:
3200gt said:
You think all this is bad, try wandering into a poncy pony dealers in anything but your sunday bests. You could be the only non employee in the building and still no one would talk to you.
So I bought Maserati!


What is it with some of you people?
Do you really and honestly just stand about in the middle of the showroom scratching your arse?
Have you never thought to go to one of the blokes or girls on reception and ask to speak with a salesperson?

Jesus bloody H Christ!.......What a bunch of namby pamby airy fairy whinge-bags you are!

If you're SOOOOOO narked at having been ignored, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?
If you're SOOOOOO narked, that they're not going to see a penny of your money, why not mention this when you speak to one of the staff?



Jesus!! rolleyes I hope you're NOT a salesman.

We asked at reception to speak to a salesman in a BMW garage and were told he was busy. In those words!!! No alternatives, or "would you mind waiting?" Just plain rude if you ask me.


Maybe we have a better class of dealerships over here, but I find it incredulous that people whinge about being ignored or left to look at the floor.
God help you when you go shopping in Tescos - do you stand in the middle of the isle waiting for a staff member to ask if you're okay, or do you grab the nearest one and ask for what you're looking for?


What on earth are you talking about? No matter if someone has £6,000 for a new Ford Ka or £60,000 for a new Merc SL they should be treated with courtesy in a professional manner. Something that clearly seems to be lacking looking at the experiences of many on this thread.

How this can be compared to going into Tesco for a 50p loaf of bread I've no idea.

POORCARDEALER

8,526 posts

242 months

Monday 21st August 2006
quotequote all


I used to be in the BMW network, for a number of years and my observations are.........you start off as a full of enthusiasm energetic soul who will talk to anybody........within a year, you choose your customers carefully, as you are now "battle hardened", your sixth sense tries to weed out timewasters, know alls, company car buyers through leasing companies who you cant supply, people carrying Parkers Guides, internet buyers who have no intention of buying from you, but are using you for a test drive, people carrying clipboards with checklists on them, man with crazxy p/ex that he owes double its value etc etc...by doing this the odd genuine decent buyer is going to slip through the net, but overall the salesman wins because he hasnt spent 9/10ths of his week dealing with people he cannot deal thus cannot earn any money from. And believe me the BMW brand attracts all the above like no other, I spent 8 years as a salesman and manager and saw it all........many people who sell cars now shouldnt be doing the job, it takes a strong individual to do it successfully, and very few make the grade in my view.

Ps I treat my cutomers like royalty, and many have become friends, but I do have a non tolerance policy to most of the above!