Dealers always wanting to talk on the phone??
Discussion
I fancy a 992.1 Turbo S Cab or a Portofino and have been asking for some pretty standard info via online portals (Autotrader or dealer portal). I don’t particularly care for talking on the phone and I especially don’t like recorded messages with menus that default to you speaking to the receptionist anyway who then tries to get hold of the sales person who isn’t there so it begins all over again…
Why can’t they just respond with the info I’ve asked for?Why is it always a request for a call? Even the OPC sales guy I bought from last year kept calling instead of just answering my email. Is it a target to spend x amount of time on the phone?
For example, a car that seemed to tick all the boxes except maybe higher miles so I asked only what the disc wear was. Instead of responding with a couple of lines with the answer I got a large paragraph of guff thanking me profusely for enquiring about their ‘stunning’ car and a bunch of info I didn’t ask for and the offer to do me a video and have a conversation about ‘where I am on my journey’.
I get that there’s some training that says you should build rapport and filter out time wasters etc but surely answering the question first would be the best way to start engaging with a potential customer.
And whilst I’m having a rant, does anyone on the younger side of 80 actually like to be called Mr xxxxx? Just use my first name. Grrr
Nice to get that off my chest
Why can’t they just respond with the info I’ve asked for?Why is it always a request for a call? Even the OPC sales guy I bought from last year kept calling instead of just answering my email. Is it a target to spend x amount of time on the phone?
For example, a car that seemed to tick all the boxes except maybe higher miles so I asked only what the disc wear was. Instead of responding with a couple of lines with the answer I got a large paragraph of guff thanking me profusely for enquiring about their ‘stunning’ car and a bunch of info I didn’t ask for and the offer to do me a video and have a conversation about ‘where I am on my journey’.
I get that there’s some training that says you should build rapport and filter out time wasters etc but surely answering the question first would be the best way to start engaging with a potential customer.
And whilst I’m having a rant, does anyone on the younger side of 80 actually like to be called Mr xxxxx? Just use my first name. Grrr
Nice to get that off my chest
SpeckledJim said:
If you want the car but it needs new discs then you ll need to talk to them.
If you want the car and it s got brand new discs then you ll still need to talk to them.
Just talk to them. Chances are the salesman is also very lazy but if he s got the car you want then
I’d rather just rule it out based on it having heavier wear than I would like. If you want the car and it s got brand new discs then you ll still need to talk to them.
Just talk to them. Chances are the salesman is also very lazy but if he s got the car you want then
It’s very rare I’ve very seen a car that is exactly what I’m after. I can only afford one fun car at a time and I have a long list to get through. I’m after a Turbo S or Portofino right now but if a great 650s, Roma, GT3 or about a dozen other cars I’d go for that instead.
Sarnie said:
Like Estate Agents, they are simply trying to hook you into their sales process. Get you talking, find out if you have a PX, looking for finance, looking to buy now or in the future/never........."qualifying" they call it.
Yup. That’s exactly how it feels. I’d rather not buy a great car than deal with somebody that sticks to a process without reading the room as it were. DeuceDeuce said:
SpeckledJim said:
If you want the car but it needs new discs then you ll need to talk to them.
If you want the car and it s got brand new discs then you ll still need to talk to them.
Just talk to them. Chances are the salesman is also very lazy but if he s got the car you want then
I d rather just rule it out based on it having heavier wear than I would like. If you want the car and it s got brand new discs then you ll still need to talk to them.
Just talk to them. Chances are the salesman is also very lazy but if he s got the car you want then
It s very rare I ve very seen a car that is exactly what I m after. I can only afford one fun car at a time and I have a long list to get through. I m after a Turbo S or Portofino right now but if a great 650s, Roma, GT3 or about a dozen other cars I d go for that instead.
I sat in a car dealership in the summer. Having a recall done whilst I waited.
I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
People who work in sales are mostly bombastic gobs
tes who love the sound of their own voice. The phone is their domain. They can overwhelm you with their relentless patter and railroad you into things that you wouldn't agree to if you had time to carefully read something, process it and the craft a considered response, such as you might if you communicate via email. They don't like that. It's why I've bought just two cars in the last 26 years. I simply have no desire to engage with their bullst showmanship.
tes who love the sound of their own voice. The phone is their domain. They can overwhelm you with their relentless patter and railroad you into things that you wouldn't agree to if you had time to carefully read something, process it and the craft a considered response, such as you might if you communicate via email. They don't like that. It's why I've bought just two cars in the last 26 years. I simply have no desire to engage with their bullst showmanship.cliffords said:
I sat in a car dealership in the summer. Having a recall done whilst I waited.
I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
I know exactly what you mean and have witnessed this myself. I also sold cars in a former life and would not have lasted five minutes had I behaved like current sales people.I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
Sarnie said:
Like Estate Agents, they are simply trying to hook you into their sales process. Get you talking, find out if you have a PX, looking for finance, looking to buy now or in the future/never........."qualifying" they call it.
This sadly is the answer, very few of them care about getting the customer what they need/wantninepoint2 said:
Sarnie said:
Like Estate Agents, they are simply trying to hook you into their sales process. Get you talking, find out if you have a PX, looking for finance, looking to buy now or in the future/never........."qualifying" they call it.
This sadly is the answer, very few of them care about getting the customer what they need/wantAs the post above mentioned, I can’t help thinking they don’t like have any written record.
All of this phone work goes against the recent phone phobia trend.
I've witnessed younger people in the workplace go out of their way to avoid calling someone and preferring to communicate by email or a messaging system instead.
If the gobste salesmen won't answer emails, they'll be losing a lot of Gen Z (and some Millennial) customers. Perhaps this is the real reason that younger people don't drive? they can't actually get anyone to sell them a car....
I've witnessed younger people in the workplace go out of their way to avoid calling someone and preferring to communicate by email or a messaging system instead.
If the gobs
te salesmen won't answer emails, they'll be losing a lot of Gen Z (and some Millennial) customers. Perhaps this is the real reason that younger people don't drive? they can't actually get anyone to sell them a car....cliffords said:
I sat in a car dealership in the summer. Having a recall done whilst I waited.
I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
I think they take the view that anyone walking around a showroom is a tyre kicker, I couldn’t believe the attitude of a salesman in a Volvo dealership a couple of years ago when I asked for some advice, barely concealed disdain. It was a strange experience, as though me showing interest in a product he was charged with trying to sell was an inconvenience to him, I hope he got sacked. I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
In the main I find that independent dealerships are far better to deal with.
Blue62 said:
cliffords said:
I sat in a car dealership in the summer. Having a recall done whilst I waited.
I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
I think they take the view that anyone walking around a showroom is a tyre kicker, I couldn t believe the attitude of a salesman in a Volvo dealership a couple of years ago when I asked for some advice, barely concealed disdain. It was a strange experience, as though me showing interest in a product he was charged with trying to sell was an inconvenience to him, I hope he got sacked. I watched the salespeople all on the phones, all ignoring the two or three people in the showroom looking at cars . None of them got up, all grinning on their phones.
A chap and his wife actually met eyes with me and said ,they don't want to sell cars here ,we are off , and they left .
I had a brief time in the industry,but so many years ago we had steam cars . It was not like it is now . Progress I am sure .
In the main I find that independent dealerships are far better to deal with.
Does anyone in a car dealership really SELL anything anymore or are they just there to administer transactions?
A couple of months ago I was one step away from ordering a new Ferrari. The smallest amount of coercing from a salesperson would have got me to put down a deposit at the time. There was no follow up from them and now I have gone cold on the idea entirely. They missed out on an easy sale on a model that by all accounts they are finding it hard to shift!
A couple of months ago I was one step away from ordering a new Ferrari. The smallest amount of coercing from a salesperson would have got me to put down a deposit at the time. There was no follow up from them and now I have gone cold on the idea entirely. They missed out on an easy sale on a model that by all accounts they are finding it hard to shift!
Weird this is still going on. I have never sold cars but I sold motorcycles at a Harley Davidson dealership in the early 90s and all the other sales boys (they were all early 20s) were like this. Relentless gibbering on the phone and no idea how to actually talk to people face to face or assess a customer by that interaction. I guess that's why I was second in the sales chart first month having started two weeks in and top for the next 4. I left in October after nobody called or entered the shop for 5 days straight. I sold his dream bike to a chap who would come in every Thursday afternoon on his way home from his half day "he's a waste of time, never going to buy" No, just not rich and a bit cautious. Never seen such a big smile as the day he rode off on his new bike! It's not rocket science, but I think these seemingly ridiculous processes let dealers recruit any muppet off the street and mould them into a sales automaton. It's a cycle as no new ideas ever get adopted.
If it's an in-demand car in a good spec, they'd rather pass on your email and sell it to someone who doesn't know what a brake disc is, never mind cares how thick it is.
The same question posed about a problem car in a crap colour approaching six months on the lot might receive more energetic attention.
The same question posed about a problem car in a crap colour approaching six months on the lot might receive more energetic attention.
ANOpax said:
Perhaps this is the real reason that younger people don't drive? they can't actually get anyone to sell them a car....
Same reason I've only bought two cars in 26 years. I have no desire to be bombarded with someone's verbal hurricane and I'm, mercifully, not aflicted by the need to have the newst and latest.Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff