Invisible in the dealers!
Discussion
I am going to be buying a car instead of having a company car, I went to a skoda dealership today, spent a good 10 minutes in the showroom after wandering around all the new and used cars outside and was completely ignored! Not even a hello can I help, no eye contact, nothing. I dont like being hassled in the dealers but this was way too far the other way.
A bit narked by this I left and went to another dealership in the next town over (part of the same dealer group) and it f
king well happened again! excpet this time the spotty oik in the showroom ignored me in favour of spending the time on the phone to old customers to see if they wanted to buy a new car instead of talking to the customer in front of them.
Thats skoda off the list of potential purchases then.
A bit narked by this I left and went to another dealership in the next town over (part of the same dealer group) and it f
king well happened again! excpet this time the spotty oik in the showroom ignored me in favour of spending the time on the phone to old customers to see if they wanted to buy a new car instead of talking to the customer in front of them.Thats skoda off the list of potential purchases then.
eybic said:
It's a tricky one, some groups will let customers walk around until they ask for help and others will have you pounce as soon as you're within 500 yards of the forecourt.
I'd probably have asked someone for some help in your position.
Surely it's not hard to simply get this 'right' though? I'd probably have asked someone for some help in your position.
Customer walks in: give them a minute or two, then walk over and say "Good morning/afternoon sir/madam, can I help at all?"
Nobody is going to find that pushy.
If they say "No thanks, I'm just having a look around" then you say "No problem sir/madam, I'm just over here if you need any help."
I can't see in what circumstances it would be better for a salesman to wait to be approached, unless the dealership is heaving with other, more credible, customers.
boz1 said:
Customer walks in: give them a minute or two, then walk over and say "Good morning/afternoon sir/madam, can I help at all?"
They'll tell you they are "just looking".100% of the time.
Even if they have the cash in an envelope in their pocket and the logbook for their PX ready to go.
Always the same, "just looking".
You have to remember it's September, the busiest time of the year, it's no excuse.
I have 28 cars going out this month, only had a couple of days off.
Some people think that once the order has been taken it's easy from there, it's not.
You have to order the car
Sort out the finance
Sort out delivery from the factory.
Get the car into stock
Get it PDI'ed
Get it valeted
Sort the finance out again.
ITC
Invoice
Delivery to customer.
Again, it's no excuse, the salesman still has to look for business for next quarter.
I have 28 cars going out this month, only had a couple of days off.
Some people think that once the order has been taken it's easy from there, it's not.
You have to order the car
Sort out the finance
Sort out delivery from the factory.
Get the car into stock
Get it PDI'ed
Get it valeted
Sort the finance out again.
ITC
Invoice
Delivery to customer.
Again, it's no excuse, the salesman still has to look for business for next quarter.
hedgefinder said:
You need to go to Arnold Clark ... you virtually get walked around the showroom by hand with no end of suggestions a million miles away from the type of vehicle you originally intended looking for.. 
- this is the most accurate description of Uncle Arnie's places I've ever read (I'm from Stirlingshire originally, where he's taking over anything that sells cars within a 30 mile radius)I get this all the time... 'cos (I'm told) I look like a homeless bloke. Even when I ask for help salespeople often ignore me. One time it happened I asked if they'd be interested in a trade in for my car. They eventually offered me £54,000.00 Get a grip guys - we don't all wear Armani! 
Salesman probably thought you couldn't afford a Skoda so didn't want to waste yours or his time.
Or maybe they take the low pressure sales approach and wait for the potential customer to approach them if they are interested.
My philosophy in life is simple, if you don't ask you don't get.
Or maybe they take the low pressure sales approach and wait for the potential customer to approach them if they are interested.
My philosophy in life is simple, if you don't ask you don't get.
Car salesman have it too easy. On sales to Joe public your target audience comes to you (different I know with retail but then those salesman are more professional) & you have an open shop and yet the amount of salesman I see sitting on their a*** or chatting up the receptionist instead of attending to clients is incredible. Any business owner who has ever attending an exhibition as an exhibitor will tell you that 9 times out of 10 if someone steps on your stand their interested in what you do. If someone walks through your door he is interested in what you do. Yes you may get the "I'm just looking" comment but then this separates the real salesman from the order takers. The amount of times when you ask to see a salesman (in a showroom totally devoid of clients - BMW and Porsche are infamous for this) only to be asked "has sir made an appointment?" I've only ever come across 2 decent car salesman in over 20 years of buying cars, 9 times out of 10 I've bought the car instead of being sold a car...
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