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

[Theguy5]

Gulf7 said:

As a customer though, when you phone to chase it up you're always told by the dealership that they'll leave a message for the person you dealt with, but guess what, they never call back. People don't buy from a main dealer to end up reliant on an individual after purchasing a car.

Happened to me on the last car I bought, was used from a jct garage about 80 miles away, the chrome trim thing on the rear door was bent and no amount of calling would result in a call back to fix it. Just sucked it up and sorted it myself in the end.

[anonymous-user]

sparks_190e said:

Fast Bug said:

ChevronB19 said:

Any number plate cock ups? The one and only new car I bought was delivered with the wrong plate (one letter out compared to V5). I didn’t realise for a couple of days, and they were very apologetic. I guess I was technically uninsured for that period, but it was just a mistake.

Its happened in places I've worked twice in 20 + years and god knows how many thousands of vehicles. It's a rare occurrence thankfully

A dealer I worked at managed to send out a car with two different number plates. Want noticed for a few days.

I drove a car like that for 3 years. Only noticed when I was pulled by plod because my number didn't match the car.

Luckily it was the days when the police were human so let me go and told me to fix it and gave me a producer

[Roman Moroni]

Buster73 said:

sparks_190e said:

A dealer I worked at managed to send out a car with two different number plates. Want noticed for a few days.

Bought a new XR3 back in 1982 from a Ford Garage in Durham , had the right plates on but they’d managed to register the damn thing as a 1600cc Granada according to plod who stopped me , when I rang the garage up to get them to sort it , they left me with the impression it wasn’t the first time it happened.

I bought a new 16v Clio, picked it up from and drove around in it for a few days. Only then the girl I was seeing at the time (a serving Police Officer) pointed out that the dealership had put the wrong registration plate on the car. As Eric Morecombe, nearly, once said "they'd had all the right numbers, but not necessarily in the right order!" I dropped the car in and the plates were changed without fuss.

Stupid thing is, I'd chosen the plate and hadn't even noticed it was wrong

[Fast Bug]

revvingit said:

One for the salesmen?

If someone offered you a bike for P/X would you take it or would you just tell them to sell it privately cos it wasn't worth the hassle?

I took an MV Augusta in part exchange once, beautiful bike. As long as I've got something underwritten I'd take anything

[Theguy5]

Fast Bug said:

I took an MV Augusta in part exchange once, beautiful bike. As long as I've got something underwritten I'd take anything

What about if ‘man on bike’ offered you his pedal bike? One of them crazy ones that sell for £5k?

[Butter Face]

Theguy5 said:

Fast Bug said:

I took an MV Augusta in part exchange once, beautiful bike. As long as I've got something underwritten I'd take anything

What about if ‘man on bike’ offered you his pedal bike? One of them crazy ones that sell for £5k?

Get an underwrite, then do a deal, no worries.

My boss took a boat in PX once.

[Gulf7]

BrabusMog said:

That's when you need to get your hair cut in a certain way and ask to speak to the manager.

Indeed, but having to demand to speak to the manager does rather undo all the hard work of making buying the car a pleasant experience in the first place. Sure they got the sale, but it seems a bit short sighted if they want customers to come back for their next car too.

[Fast Bug]

Butter Face said:

Theguy5 said:

Fast Bug said:

I took an MV Augusta in part exchange once, beautiful bike. As long as I've got something underwritten I'd take anything

What about if ‘man on bike’ offered you his pedal bike? One of them crazy ones that sell for £5k?

Get an underwrite, then do a deal, no worries.

My boss took a boat in PX once.

What Butters says. It's not difficult to do, granted it may take a little longer to get a bid on though. I've always found I've done quite well with unusual requests, be it part exchanges or bespoke lcv conversions. Mainly as most other sales people can't be arsed and dismiss the customer as a waste of time

[Theguy5]

What’s an ‘underwrite’? Just a reliable valuation?

[Mexman]

Theguy5 said:

What’s an ‘underwrite’? Just a reliable valuation?

Its a binding bid from an outside trader or other dealer, that if the deal proceeds, then the bidder owns that vehicle at the agreed price.

[Buster73]

Mexman said:

Its a binding bid from an outside trader or other dealer, that if the deal proceeds, then the bidder owns that vehicle at the agreed price.

The integrity of both the trade seller and underwriter are impeccable then ?

[HTP99]

Buster73 said:

Mexman said:

Its a binding bid from an outside trader or other dealer, that if the deal proceeds, then the bidder owns that vehicle at the agreed price.

The integrity of both the trade seller and underwriter are impeccable then ?

Mis-describe and you'll either get chipped or the trader may refuse to buy it, or if the trader just decides he no longer wants the accurately described car when it comes in, then you'll put no more business his way.

[Butter Face]

Buster73 said:

Mexman said:

Its a binding bid from an outside trader or other dealer, that if the deal proceeds, then the bidder owns that vehicle at the agreed price.

The integrity of both the trade seller and underwriter are impeccable then ?

It’s based on trust and mutual understanding not to fk each other over.

You describe the vehicle as accurately as possible, they agree a price, they buy it when it comes in.

Sometimes you miss something, sometimes they let you down. Normally sorts itself out but in most cases it works very well. We have virtually all of our non retail PX cars underwritten long before they come into stock.

[Earthdweller]

revvingit said:

Something that happens in every industry where customers are involved pretty much. It's called your job. You represent the business you work for not yourself, if you want to only deal with your own customers open your own dealership.

Absolutely this

I don’t follow a salesman around dealerships

I buy a brand that I want

I go to a dealer that represents that brand and it’s values

The dealer staff are representing that brand and that dealer

They are not self employed and I don’t give a stuff about internal politics or capabilities

They are there to provide a professional service that reflects well on their employer and the brand they represent ... and that includes the aftersales service

[Gulf7]

Unfortunately the commission model doesn't seem to encourage that sort of service.

[revvingit]

Gulf7 said:

Unfortunately the commission model doesn't seem to encourage that sort of service.

Whilst it doesn't encourage that sort of service, they are paid a base salary for a reason - they work for that company and so does the other salesmen, and as a company you resolve all customers issues; whoever caused them. (I appreciate that commission means this base salary is st and they'd rather not be dealing with the balls up of a colleague denying sales opportunities but it is part of their job sadly. Most of us have to put up with fixing everybody elses balls up without any opportunity to make extra money on decent days (often on similarly ste base salaries); it's a small price toay for earning commission if every so often you have to fix a colleague's fk up),

Edited by revvingit on Monday 5th August 09:08

[POORCARDEALER]

Earthdweller said:

revvingit said:

Something that happens in every industry where customers are involved pretty much. It's called your job. You represent the business you work for not yourself, if you want to only deal with your own customers open your own dealership.

They are there to provide a professional service that reflects well on their employer and the brand they represent ... and that includes the aftersales service

Aftersales have zero interest in sales and vici versa.

That's the way it is.

[Earthdweller]

POORCARDEALER said:

Earthdweller said:

revvingit said:

Something that happens in every industry where customers are involved pretty much. It's called your job. You represent the business you work for not yourself, if you want to only deal with your own customers open your own dealership.

They are there to provide a professional service that reflects well on their employer and the brand they represent ... and that includes the aftersales service

Aftersales have zero interest in sales and vici versa.

That's the way it is.

I would struggle to think of any other business area where it is felt acceptable and normal to walk away from your client once you have sold them your product

Joined up thinking is required

I’m sure by manufacturers constantly scoring customer service and doing mystery shopping they think so too

A salesman is but a cog in the wheel

Most of the time the buyer goes away happy and may never be heard of again .. but if they do come back with a problem then the dealer should sort it effectively and professionally.

Often the only name a buyer will have is that of the salesman

How that salesman deals with the contact can have a massive impact

[Blakewater]

Are any particular models or special editions restricted to finance deals only? I've come across a bloke on Twitter claiming on a Vauxhall Griffin special edition advert that he wasn't actually allowed to buy one straight up for cash as it was restricted to finance only.

Is that going to be literally true or just an impression a salesman gave?

[Mexman]

Earthdweller said:

I would struggle to think of any other business area where it is felt acceptable and normal to walk away from your client once you have sold them your product

Joined up thinking is required

I’m sure by manufacturers constantly scoring customer service and doing mystery shopping they think so too

A salesman is but a cog in the wheel

Most of the time the buyer goes away happy and may never be heard of again .. but if they do come back with a problem then the dealer should sort it effectively and professionally.

Often the only name a buyer will have is that of the salesman

How that salesman deals with the contact can have a massive impact

You are not talking about the same scenario as HTP99s example.
A lazy or unorganised colleague who promises stuff, work to be done etc, and then does not, leaving a trail of devastation behind him, and then you get the 'scream' on his day off, can frankly sort his own st out upon his return.
I don't leave stuff promised not done, or promise jobs on MY sold cars and then not follow through..
If I did, I certainly would not expect my colleagues to unravel a ststorm that I had caused.
I have enough of my own sold units to chase through workshop, bodyshop, follow up, handover on top of trying to sell (god forbid!) to get involved with another salesman's shortcomings or failed promises.
A message would be taken and he will contact you to sort the problem or false promises out upon his return.
I'm a salesman, not a babysitter.

Edited by Mexman on Monday 5th August 19:03

Edited by Mexman on Monday 5th August 19:05