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

[Wooda80]

jamoor said:

I hope they haven't cottoned onto this just now.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/psa-gr...

I'm sure the industry will look completely different in 10-20 years, just as it now looks different to how it did 10-20 years ago.

The motor trade has often had to evolve quicker than most to take account of new technology, legislation and buying behaviour - that's part of what makes it an interesting place to work.

Good on you for recognising that

[jamoor]

Wooda80 said:

I'm sure the industry will look completely different in 10-20 years, just as it now looks different to how it did 10-20 years ago.

The motor trade has often had to evolve quicker than most to take account of new technology, legislation and buying behaviour - that's part of what makes it an interesting place to work.

Good on you for recognising that

I think it looks the same as it did 20 years ago.

Manufacturers sell cars to dealers to sell them onto end users.

the dealers make the same profit margins on service and repair today as they did 20 years ago.

It's just the internet has made the new car selling and used car sales (to a lesser degree) alot more competitive.

[4941cc]

jamoor said:

I think it looks the same as it did 20 years ago.

Manufacturers sell cars to dealers to sell them onto end users.

the dealers make the same profit margins on service and repair today as they did 20 years ago.

It's just the internet has made the new car selling and used car sales (to a lesser degree) alot more competitive.

Having spent the last twenty years in it, it's pretty well the same day to day, same old stories and tricks in effect by sellers and buyers alike.

Pay is worse though, in cash terms, let alone inflation-adjusted "real terms". Unit targets considerably higher too, although marginal profitability barely different. Therefore stress levels much less tolerable. Or maybe at 20 I could wear them easier than I can at 40...

[anonymous-user]

jamoor said:

I hope they haven't cottoned onto this just now.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/psa-gr...

I found the quote about the cheapness of the service plans interesting. My mum and dad have a 1.2 petrol 208 and the dealer I worked for quoted them £735 for the first three services. (That was including 15% off retail!) Which were two oil and filter changes only (first and third) and an oil, filter, and brake fluid change (third). Preposterous.

[Little Pete]

JimmyConwayNW said:

Little Pete said:

I take it he didn’t buy it.

He did one of the lucky 5 people all getting a great deal on Saturday from us , without the insurance or the tank of fuel.

Hes been on the phone kicking off this morning that he rang the DVLA and they have said the cars not registered to him yet. No st you bought it Saturday.

Top man for still getting the sale, love it!

[Sheepshanks]

jamoor said:

I hope they haven't cottoned onto this just now.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/psa-gr...

Tesla service schedules are hilarious - they've just added random things to try and bump up the value. But then they say if you don't get it serviced it doesn't affect the warranty.

[Blakewater]

How did people here get into selling cars. What sort of jobs do people go into car sales from and what sort of things to employers look for?

[Lawrence-gzed9]

Does the new BMW 1 series come with screw holes for number plates already drilled or does the dealer do it ?

[mylesmcd]

Lawrence-gzed9 said:

Does the new BMW 1 series come with screw holes for number plates already drilled or does the dealer do it ?

Dealer does it. But they have an obligation to make sure the plate is fitted and secured properly for the road. It is also the prep mechanic that screws the plate bracket in, and he doesn't care about your requests not to make a hole in the bumper.

[Lawrence-gzed9]

Cheers Myles.

[mylesmcd]

Lawrence-gzed9 said:

Cheers Myles.

lol, the only time it worked for me was when I was beside the prep tech screaming no no no dont do it......

Might take a cheeky 20 to the salesman!

[GTiWILL]

Blakewater said:

How did people here get into selling cars. What sort of jobs do people go into car sales from and what sort of things to employers look for?

I was working as a Sales Assistant whilst studying for my A levels. I didn’t fancy uni as my plan was to go in the Police and work my way up. After being knocked back from my first application, I decided to apply at a few car dealerships and do car sales as a stop gap. I’ve always been a petrol head and I thought, why not!

That was 12 years ago. They say once you start in the motor trade it’s very difficult to get out

[HTP99]

Blakewater said:

How did people here get into selling cars. What sort of jobs do people go into car sales from and what sort of things to employers look for?

Studied Graphic Design at college, when I finished I didn't fancy going to Uni as a) it wasn't really for me and b) I was a father by then, I started to work full time at my student job; Sainsbury's, whilst applying for relevant Graphic Design or similar, positions.

Had no luck with Graphic based jobs and just ended up full time for a couple of years at JS getting comfortable and then was shat on by a manager which gave me the much needed kick up the arse to get out.

FIL worked at a Motor Factors, I got a job there with the promise of management training which didn't happen so left and then spent the next few years working for Suzuki cars and then VW; both in parts.

Applied for a sales job in 2002 and that's what I'm still doing, starting with Renault, then moving to MINI (lasted 5 weeks as just hated it), back to Renault (made redundant after about 18m but never got on at that dealer), on to Vauxhall (hated it but needed a job; left after 3m) and then full circle back to where I originally started selling and am still here; we took over the Renault dealer who made me redundant after they went bust.

[Fast Bug]

Didnt fancy going to uni as I didnt know what I wanted to do in life. Ended up working in a Vauxhall parts department straight from 6th form for a few years. Looked around at my colleagues and decided I definitely didnt want to end up like them so left at 20 to be a trainee sales monkey at a Rover dealership. Left after a few years to join a specialist car sales/brokerage place which turned out to be a bit Mickey Mouse and went to a Porsche main dealer. After a few years there I decided I'd had enough of retail, working weekends and bank holidays and left to sell Fiat and LDV vans. Best move I ever made. Now sell MB vans to key fleets and work from home which helps massively when you've got 2 young kids at school.

[Butter Face]

Sold mobile phones for a bit just at the right time (early 2000’s) and did very well doing it, made a decent wedge and got quite good quite quickly.

Then I took a job working in a bank, thought it would be prestigious (they supplied suits free you know!) hated it, lasted 9 months.

I had always wanted to sell cars, I applied for a job at 18 at BMW, I didn’t own a suit so borrowed one off my grandad (it was brown and didn’t it me ) went along in my mums car (she’d deemed that my modified Honda Civic didn’t look the part, her Mitsubishi carisma was obviously more suitable!) I didn’t get that job.

Anyway, one day my mate who was a tech where I work text me to say there was a job going, I applied, got an interview, went along straight after work (in my very nice bank supplied suit) and got offered the job. Which I accepted.

I took a large cut in basic pay, I saw the job as a bit of a Jolly tbh (20, living at home etc) and only lasted just over a year before I got made redundant when the group closed one of the branches.

I walked straight into a managers job at a mobile phone shop, lovely basic pay, lots of stress but it was ok, just didn’t light my fire.

Then one day my old boss mentioned someone was leaving, I went in for an interview and got offered my old job back, now a bit older, smarter, married with a house I took it a lot more seriously and 9 or so years on I do very well and enjoy it (most days)!

[Blakewater]

Thanks,

A few years ago I applied for a couple of jobs in car sales. A used car position with Perry's Vauxhall where the guy said I was overqualified as I'd been to university. Another at Evans Halshaw Ford where there was a sort of open day where people could go along and be interviewed. I never got anywhere with either. The people at the Ford dealership I spoke to had been in sales previously.

Are smaller companies generally more flexible in the kinds of people they're willing to employ rather than looking for people with high pressure sales experience? What do you find many dealers look for when employing people?

[talksthetorque]

Do you guys ever have chuck in a plate transfer to seal the deal? Do you factor it in when you see their part ex?
Or is it just
‘And £80 for changing the plates over’

[HTP99]

talksthetorque said:

Do you guys ever have chuck in a plate transfer to seal the deal? Do you factor it in when you see their part ex?
Or is it just
‘And £80 for changing the plates over’

Try not to get involved with plate transfers at all apart from a plate onto a new car, I want the car gone asap opposed to hanging around waiting for new V5's to turn up and then doing the transfer, plus we'll need a credit card to pay the £80 online and getting the company card will be a faff especially with all the questions being asked as to why it's needed.

If a cherished transfer is asked about I just tell them what to do.

[JimmyConwayNW]

talksthetorque said:

Do you guys ever have chuck in a plate transfer to seal the deal? Do you factor it in when you see their part ex?
Or is it just
‘And £80 for changing the plates over’

Its one of those things I personally think well if you want a private plate on your car then you can pay for it.
If someone pays us the £80 I am quite happy to do it for them and make it as easy as possible. I have started to make a set of plates FOC for them with the personalised plates on so they can add once plate swap is free if the customer hasn't been a dick or pissed me off. Otherwise they are £30
At my place I have a lot of time for nice, genuine people and thankfully the vast majority are alright.

[silentbrown]

4941cc said:

Butter Face said:

You have to pay an extra £320 a year if you have a car or motorhome with a ‘list price’ (the published price before any discounts) of more than £40,000.

Not on any motorhomes I've sold in the last two years, they're either £260 (PLG rate) if under 3,500kg or £165 if over (PHGV).

I think it depends if the type approval certificate shows a CO2 figure, (which seems to now be compulsory).

You must occasionally get people ordering their £39,995 car with a £100 factory option?