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

[OddCat]

mascord05 said:

Dan W. said:

As a customer how do you take being told to go and buy the car elsewhere ?


Just had a customer in with a car wow quote and said if we can make it he will buy from us, had a look at it and even with all the discounts and hitting target and everything else it would lose £600 to actually do the deal for us.

So in a polite way said mr Customer I would go and snap their arm off and do the deal its losing money and we are not prepared to do that, good luck with the purchase if it doesn't work out feel free to come back to us..

You would have thought we had just slapped him round the face with a leather glove, he was so insulted we wouldn't lose money to sell a car he was going to write a letter to the Suzuki to complain we wont do a deal losing deal just so he doesn't have to travel 160 miles to collect this car.

Anyone sales side or customers had similar experience ?

I did and it's one thats really stuck with me, When the M4 first came out back in 2014, A guy was price comparing me with the outgoing C63 which he had a really great deal offered to him on. I was about 2hrs into this enquiry by this point after test driving, covering most options in detail, i had said early on we wont compete with the C63, as its outgoing model Vs brand new model, When at negotiation i said I cant get close to the C63 to which he replied, ' I thought that was just Sales talk' I said the C63 is silly value for money I'd go and buy it If he likes the car, he stood up shouting Don't tell me what car to buy and told the receptionist i was a st salesman on the way out. To this day still dont understand what happened there

In any role dealing with the public you are going to end up dealing with some people who are mentalists !

Hopefully the majority of people are normal, reasonable and courteous.

Pity the mentalists can't be made to wear some kind of hat to make them more easily identifiable !!

[Mercury00]

Dan W. said:

delivery of one should be about 2-3 weeks.


where the new cars are delivered, then its just a matter of waiting for the delivery companies arranging getting it to the dealer.

Thanks a lot

[Butter Face]

HTP99 said:

Mercury00 said:

I'm not suggesting you're telling fibs, but how do you think the other dealer has managed it?

I've just ordered a new Suzuki actually - I took the price in from Drive The Deal and told them to do their best. I got the car for £13,784 as opposed to DTD's £13,652, but I got 3/4 a tank of fuel and mats thrown in, so not far off at all once those are taken into account.

They are relying on hitting their targets, if they do then they will receive back end bonus money; they will likely be trading on that.

This. We don't do it. I've had a few occassions where I've said we just won't do the deal and been looked at like I've got 2 heads

[oldnbold]

HTP99 said:

Mercury00 said:

I'm not suggesting you're telling fibs, but how do you think the other dealer has managed it?

I've just ordered a new Suzuki actually - I took the price in from Drive The Deal and told them to do their best. I got the car for £13,784 as opposed to DTD's £13,652, but I got 3/4 a tank of fuel and mats thrown in, so not far off at all once those are taken into account.

They are relying on hitting their targets, if they do then they will receive back end bonus money; they will likely be trading on that.

A pal who I used to work with at Mazda is now at a fairly large Vauxhall dealership, I popped in for a coffee and chat the other day and he was showing me that just about every deal the dealership did on new was losing money, he showed me one deal that had lost nearly £4k.

The business depends almost entirely on their back end bonus which with Vx is fairly large, and a decent profit on used.

[Dan W.]

oldnbold said:

HTP99 said:

Mercury00 said:

I'm not suggesting you're telling fibs, but how do you think the other dealer has managed it?

I've just ordered a new Suzuki actually - I took the price in from Drive The Deal and told them to do their best. I got the car for £13,784 as opposed to DTD's £13,652, but I got 3/4 a tank of fuel and mats thrown in, so not far off at all once those are taken into account.

They are relying on hitting their targets, if they do then they will receive back end bonus money; they will likely be trading on that.

A pal who I used to work with at Mazda is now at a fairly large Vauxhall dealership, I popped in for a coffee and chat the other day and he was showing me that just about every deal the dealership did on new was losing money, he showed me one deal that had lost nearly £4k.

The business depends almost entirely on their back end bonus which with Vx is fairly large, and a decent profit on used.

I can believe that, we have Vauxhall opposite us and my mate there tells me some of the losses they take its staggering.

I guess that's why they needed to get bailed out by PSA. not like they are any better at retaining profit.

[Sheepshanks]

Dan W. said:

....even spoke to our area manager for Suzuki who confirmed they would be losing money so we are at a loss. and to make things worse its a car which is a factory order.

Manufactures lie to their distributors.

[Red 4]

mascord05 said:

I did and it's one thats really stuck with me, When the M4 first came out back in 2014, A guy was price comparing me with the outgoing C63 which he had a really great deal offered to him on. I was about 2hrs into this enquiry by this point after test driving, covering most options in detail, i had said early on we wont compete with the C63, as its outgoing model Vs brand new model, When at negotiation i said I cant get close to the C63 to which he replied, ' I thought that was just Sales talk' I said the C63 is silly value for money I'd go and buy it If he likes the car, he stood up shouting Don't tell me what car to buy and told the receptionist i was a st salesman on the way out. To this day still dont understand what happened there

Simple - he was spoiled as a child.

You didn't do what he wanted.

He had a tantrum and spat his dummy out.

He probably thought he was "bonding" with you during the 2 hours you spent dealing with him and, eventually, you'd cave in, sell a car at a massive loss and get the sack, just for him.

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 3rd March 14:31

[Sheepshanks]

Red 4 said:

Simple - he was spoiled as a child.

You didn't do what he wanted.

He had a tantrum spat his dummy out.

He probably thought he was "bonding" with you during the 2 hours you spent dealing with him and, eventually, you'd cave in, sell a car at a massive loss and get the sack, just for him.

Lots of things in retail have 30-50% gross margins so many people will assume cars are the same. Indeed that's reinforced by some cars being available (like the C63 was in this case) with considerable discounts.

[Red 4]

Sheepshanks said:

Lots of things in retail have 30-50% gross margins so many people will assume cars are the same. Indeed that's reinforced by some cars being available (like the C63 was in this case) with considerable discounts.

I managed over 30% off list once.(it wasn't a Ford or even a Vauxhall).

Run - out models are where it's at !

For anyone who's bored - guess the car;

2.0 N/A 240 BHP for starters ..... new in 2009.

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 3rd March 14:42

[Dan W.]

Red 4 said:

Sheepshanks said:

Lots of things in retail have 30-50% gross margins so many people will assume cars are the same. Indeed that's reinforced by some cars being available (like the C63 was in this case) with considerable discounts.

I managed over 30% off list once.(it wasn't a Ford or even a Vauxhall).

Run - out models are where it's at !

For anyone who's bored - guess the car;

2.0 N/A 240 BHP for starters ..... new in 2009.



Seat leon cupra ?

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 3rd March 14:42

[em177]

Red 4 said:

I managed over 30% off list once.(it wasn't a Ford or even a Vauxhall).

Run - out models are where it's at !

For anyone who's bored - guess the car;

2.0 N/A 240 BHP for starters ..... new in 2009.

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 3rd March 14:42

Last of the line S2000?

[Red 4]

em177 said:

Last of the line S2000?

Too easy that, wasn't it.

Shame it turned out to be a lemon. Honda bought it back (explodey engines on the last of the batch).

On the plus side it was cheap motoring for a year.

[Wooda80]

OddCat said:

In any role dealing with the public you are going to end up dealing with some people who are mentalists !

Hopefully the majority of people are normal, reasonable and courteous.

Pity the mentalists can't be made to wear some kind of hat to make them more easily identifiable !!

They do! They are all issued with a copy of Parkers Guide which they are told to carry prominently so that they can be identified.

[Red 4]

What is the biggest discount you sales guys have given on a new car ?

I'm excluding used due to the massive variables in quality on the used market ... but if you've sold a good'un massively under its value, feel free to include it ...

[AmitG]

Red 4 said:

What is the biggest discount you sales guys have given on a new car ?

I'm excluding used due to the massive variables in quality on the used market ... but if you've sold a good'un massively under its value, feel free to include it ...

I was recently offered 33% off list for a brand new Citroen DS5. I'm sure others can do better!

[Red 4]

AmitG said:

I was recently offered 33% off list for a brand new Citroen DS5. I'm sure others can do better!

It's not a Citroen, it's a DS ! Those marketing/ sales dudes must try harder

33% seems fair. I have no idea why Ford or Vauxhall (I don't know that much about DS) even bother publishing/ making up list prices though.

[steve-5snwi]

Dan W. said:

As a customer how do you take being told to go and buy the car elsewhere ?


Just had a customer in with a car wow quote and said if we can make it he will buy from us, had a look at it and even with all the discounts and hitting target and everything else it would lose £600 to actually do the deal for us.

So in a polite way said mr Customer I would go and snap their arm off and do the deal its losing money and we are not prepared to do that, good luck with the purchase if it doesn't work out feel free to come back to us..

You would have thought we had just slapped him round the face with a leather glove, he was so insulted we wouldn't lose money to sell a car he was going to write a letter to the Suzuki to complain we wont do a deal losing deal just so he doesn't have to travel 160 miles to collect this car.

Anyone sales side or customers had similar experience ?

I think it's just a car thing, people very rarely ask for discount elsewhere, you wouldn't walk into John Lewis, pick a £1000 tv and offer them £600 but if you went to buy a used car you would expect money off, well people will.

Out of interest, what's the new swift like, I'm tempted by the older 1.2 auto and although the new one is out of budget is it a much better car ? Although I still think it will be a fiesta we end up with.

[Dan W.]

steve-5snwi said:

Dan W. said:

As a customer how do you take being told to go and buy the car elsewhere ?


Just had a customer in with a car wow quote and said if we can make it he will buy from us, had a look at it and even with all the discounts and hitting target and everything else it would lose £600 to actually do the deal for us.

So in a polite way said mr Customer I would go and snap their arm off and do the deal its losing money and we are not prepared to do that, good luck with the purchase if it doesn't work out feel free to come back to us..

You would have thought we had just slapped him round the face with a leather glove, he was so insulted we wouldn't lose money to sell a car he was going to write a letter to the Suzuki to complain we wont do a deal losing deal just so he doesn't have to travel 160 miles to collect this car.

Anyone sales side or customers had similar experience ?

I think it's just a car thing, people very rarely ask for discount elsewhere, you wouldn't walk into John Lewis, pick a £1000 tv and offer them £600 but if you went to buy a used car you would expect money off, well people will.

Out of interest, what's the new swift like, I'm tempted by the older 1.2 auto and although the new one is out of budget is it a much better car ? Although I still think it will be a fiesta we end up with.

Drives quite well to be honest, slightly lower down and lighter so its very nippy, nice 1.0 turbo engine so yes much better in my view. I Came from a ford garage before so the fiesta is a good car also, feels more solid with its build quality but I found them boring as hell

[steve-5snwi]

It's only going to cover 5 miles a day, originally we were going to consider a smart forfour but have one as a hire car and it's not nice, so it's fiesta or 1.2 swift, it gives us more money to put to a mustang ....

[Dan W.]

steve-5snwi said:

It's only going to cover 5 miles a day, originally we were going to consider a smart forfour but have one as a hire car and it's not nice, so it's fiesta or 1.2 swift, it gives us more money to put to a mustang ....

Nice, both decent so good luck