Car buying: What are salesmen useful for?

[northo]

A very unscientific survey, but I'd appreciate as much feedback as possible. We were discussing this in the office earlier in the week, and all had differing views on where we needed a salesman to get involved in the sales process and how important the human element of the sales process is now the Internet plays such an important part in it.

Looking forward to seeing what PH thinks.

[Dave Hedgehog]

getting a cup of coffee

[Monty Zoomer]

Stealing my money.

[Willeh85]

You forgot to include, 'Some are none of the above'

[browna]

In every aspect of life salesmen are redundent to me, I'd rather a tesco self service till in every single buying experience. Apart from my local oldschool hardware shop where the old fella actually takes time to give usefull advice on your DIY job. I just don't trust the "info" most sales people give. And stop trying to upsell at every opportunity, even at the tills! I've already made my choise! Lol.

[northo]

Willeh85 said:

You forgot to include, 'Some are none of the above'

Good point - added!

[thinfourth2]

Options you forgot

Giving me a good giggle as a look at the very shiny suit and utter ste he comes out with

Reminding me why i don't want a new car

Reminding me how glad i'm not a car salesman




All of the above said when we bought the wifes panda the salesman at Aberdeen Fiat couldn't of been better (the old guy in a sea of shiny suited tts)

[va1o]

Taking my order

I can do the rest myself.

[blearyeyedboy]

thinfourth2 said:

All of the above said when we bought the wifes panda the salesman at Aberdeen Fiat couldn't of been better (the old guy in a sea of shiny suited tts)

Well said. It's easy to forget that there are decent ones out there.

[miniman]

My experience when buying my Mini was pretty terrible. Initially no one at the dealership would talk to me at all as I was a business customer. All I wanted was to ask a few questions about options - when they eventually agreed to talk to me the guy just gave me a brochure and told me to look at it.

At the end of the day, the delivery driver did an excellent handover.

IMHO if manufacturers can sort out the terrible usability of their online configurators the traditional salesman would become less and less relevant.

[Shadow R1]

Useful for nothing.
Im sure there may be a good one in the whole country but ive yet to find one, perhaps they would be better if we all had guns, like the yanks, not as described = 12 bore.

The above will be why i keep cars so long.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Fetching me the keys.

[anonymous-user]

depends on the car and depends on the buyer

all of the above, none of the above and something else could all apply imo

[Deva Link]

To be fair, it's not really the salesmens' fault. The companies they work for aren't interesting in the cars themselves as there's not much money in them. What they want to sell is finance, GAP, paint protection etc etc.

So ask a salesman some spec detail of the car and he won't have a clue. Ask him about GAP and he'd wax lyrical for 30mins.

[Puddenchucker]

Whilst not forgetting that they are all there to sell vehicles and make money (both for themselves and/or employer):
Some are very good, with excellent product knowledge.
Others are useless and couldn't care less if they were selling fridges instead of cars.
And a handful are downright dodgy.

[anonymous-user]

Taking my current car in part exchange so I don't need to bother with the hassle of trying to sell it privately to someone for their oceanographer uncle who's currently in Nigeria but can send me the payment in rupees via paypal.

[Save Ferris]

Puddenchucker said:

Some are very good, with excellent product knowledge.
Others are useless and couldn't care less if they were selling fridges instead of cars.

This is pretty accurate.

oh, and Yes, I'm a car salesman

[LouD86]

Save Ferris said:

Puddenchucker said:

Some are very good, with excellent product knowledge.
Others are useless and couldn't care less if they were selling fridges instead of cars.

This is pretty accurate.

oh, and Yes, I'm a car salesman

Snap, agreed wholely. Its very dependant on the sales person you encounter. I believe where I work (With Ferris above) we all have a quite extensive product knowledge, some of the lads have even more knowledge on the older cars.

We are all a little anorakish, and like to read up, and find out things about our products. Its key to providing a customer with good support.

I know a Pistonheads typical member will know everything about finance, hp/pcp, gap, vehicle options etc, but your a minority compared to a lot of people out there who have no idea what they need when they walk through the door, and its our job to get something that suits their needs, for the budget that suits them, whilst not seeming pushy!! Not the easiest thing in the world!

[g3org3y]

Organising finance
Selling you paint protection/alloy wheel insurance etc

[northo]

miniman said:

My experience when buying my Mini was pretty terrible. Initially no one at the dealership would talk to me at all as I was a business customer. All I wanted was to ask a few questions about options - when they eventually agreed to talk to me the guy just gave me a brochure and told me to look at it.

At the end of the day, the delivery driver did an excellent handover.

IMHO if manufacturers can sort out the terrible usability of their online configurators the traditional salesman would become less and less relevant.

In actual fact, a surprisingly high percentage of buyers get their information from dealer rather than manufacturer websites, where configurators can be better.