As a salesman myself some do us know favours.
Discussion
Hello all,I am not in the car sales business but the same rules applly whatever you sell.
Went in to a BMW showroom today in west london very near where I live.
The question I asked a salesman "Can you tell me which new models have the option of NON run flats please"
He replied "None of them, they are all just runflats"
Oh christ here we go i think.I can just steam in or pretend I'm out on the road selling, i put my salesmans hat on and use non confrontational language.I say
"I agree with you they all have runflats
and maybe I have this wrong you not me are the expert would you be kind enough to check on that as I probably have duff information"
"No they are all runflats" the salesman says once more.
Back I came
"Look I know for a fact apart from the 135i there are definitely other models is there someone else I can talk to."
He disappears does not ask me to sit somewhere Im standing like a lemon in no mans land.
He comes back and tells me that all ES models can be ordered with NON runflats,no apologies for duff info.
He asked me what I was after. I tell him "a 3ltr diesel 3 series" Now he has me sat opposite him but he can't get into the system ,not his fault.He reckoned I would be able to spec a 3series from them from overseas with NON runflats.I looked at the guy and thought I don't want to deal with you mate ,said I only wanted a quick answer which was true.I then left
Funny thing that guy did the dealership no favours. I went there to book a service decided to ask my question while there,but it put me off the whole idea and i will go back to where I allways go for my servicing North Oxford BMW.Its a real treck from W4 chiswick but but there is something about them that makes it a good experience.The administrator on the Alpina forum reccomended them and so would I.
If that salesman had had it in him to say "thats an interesting question,you know we have so many models with so many options I sometimes lose track I dont want to give you the wrong info ,please sit with me over there while I double check the answer ,by the way its cold out there do you fancy a coffee?"
Tell you I would make sure if I bought a BMW it would be him I bought it off.
Don't BMW have some sort of super dupa sales traning centre?Well having spoke to a few BMW salesman in different dealerships I would not give any of them a job.
Went in to a BMW showroom today in west london very near where I live.
The question I asked a salesman "Can you tell me which new models have the option of NON run flats please"
He replied "None of them, they are all just runflats"
Oh christ here we go i think.I can just steam in or pretend I'm out on the road selling, i put my salesmans hat on and use non confrontational language.I say
"I agree with you they all have runflats
and maybe I have this wrong you not me are the expert would you be kind enough to check on that as I probably have duff information"
"No they are all runflats" the salesman says once more.
Back I came
"Look I know for a fact apart from the 135i there are definitely other models is there someone else I can talk to."
He disappears does not ask me to sit somewhere Im standing like a lemon in no mans land.
He comes back and tells me that all ES models can be ordered with NON runflats,no apologies for duff info.
He asked me what I was after. I tell him "a 3ltr diesel 3 series" Now he has me sat opposite him but he can't get into the system ,not his fault.He reckoned I would be able to spec a 3series from them from overseas with NON runflats.I looked at the guy and thought I don't want to deal with you mate ,said I only wanted a quick answer which was true.I then left
Funny thing that guy did the dealership no favours. I went there to book a service decided to ask my question while there,but it put me off the whole idea and i will go back to where I allways go for my servicing North Oxford BMW.Its a real treck from W4 chiswick but but there is something about them that makes it a good experience.The administrator on the Alpina forum reccomended them and so would I.
If that salesman had had it in him to say "thats an interesting question,you know we have so many models with so many options I sometimes lose track I dont want to give you the wrong info ,please sit with me over there while I double check the answer ,by the way its cold out there do you fancy a coffee?"
Tell you I would make sure if I bought a BMW it would be him I bought it off.
Don't BMW have some sort of super dupa sales traning centre?Well having spoke to a few BMW salesman in different dealerships I would not give any of them a job.
Edited by B3pete on Thursday 14th January 15:06
Edited by B3pete on Thursday 14th January 20:36
trickywoo][Carcoatdamphands]He probably thought you were trying to pull his groat on a couple of mink and wasn't giraffe enough to smell the sweat around your b
ks[/carcoatdamphands said:
Trickywoo ,if only he had stuck his thumb in me blender tweaked me man nut with some sweet a-z's He might have gobbled a biggun from me and spat it right in his back pocket.ks[/carcoatdamphands said:Trickywoo behave yourself.
(have BMW ever made a V6?!)B3pete said:
Hello guys ,I have edited so hopefully you get the drift of my post.
Apologies for not making it clearer.Good luck, Pete
Hi Pete,Apologies for not making it clearer.Good luck, Pete
It seems a little better - thanks for that.
It is amazing the poor 'people skills' they seem to display on occasion.
Edited by Neil.D on Thursday 14th January 23:19
I think they value the slick sales staff more than interest in the product, they'll have people that know just a smidgin more than the average guy on the street, and can answer the basic questions, as long as they can "close the deal"
I've had a BM Trade parts counter tell me i was wrong when trying to order something, and it's a little hard to knock the guy off his pedestal and correct him, especially if it's just a lowly spanner monkey in overalls.
On the other side, i've had a dealer parts counter invite me round the back into a tucked away office to identify the right part.
Some people are used to being the smartest, so why bother trying to be correct, whilst others are open and unashamed to admit they don't know every last detail off the top of their head.
I've had a BM Trade parts counter tell me i was wrong when trying to order something, and it's a little hard to knock the guy off his pedestal and correct him, especially if it's just a lowly spanner monkey in overalls.
On the other side, i've had a dealer parts counter invite me round the back into a tucked away office to identify the right part.
Some people are used to being the smartest, so why bother trying to be correct, whilst others are open and unashamed to admit they don't know every last detail off the top of their head.
Remember that we are car geeks lads....we know alot about cars (especially our own)....not everyone who works in the auto industry is the same.
I always have to hold my tongue when talking to the service girls at the BMW garage I use, they continually patronise me........yet know nothing themselves....
I always have to hold my tongue when talking to the service girls at the BMW garage I use, they continually patronise me........yet know nothing themselves....
BMW are a bit dumb full stop.
I went for a price on a bloody service and they had me stood around for 10mins, before getting a seat with some person who took my key and spent another 10mins talking at me and printing some big quote out.
If they had just said "about £180" I'd have been happy. I don't care about £20 each way
Then you wonder why it costs so much to get a service done there, all that cocking around!
Then you realise that you are really paying about £120 for the work/materials, and £60 for dicking around time.
Then you decide it's best to spend £150 paying for a better face to face service with the skilled people who do the work, with better quality materials!
I love the engineering and at least on the older cars, the ethos, but their whole dealership ethic is very retarded. Even if I were a millionaire that kind of service would piss me off.
I guess many buyers/owners need to be made to feel special and want to pay for that feeling, despite it being totally false and at their expense!
I went for a price on a bloody service and they had me stood around for 10mins, before getting a seat with some person who took my key and spent another 10mins talking at me and printing some big quote out.
If they had just said "about £180" I'd have been happy. I don't care about £20 each way
Then you wonder why it costs so much to get a service done there, all that cocking around!
Then you realise that you are really paying about £120 for the work/materials, and £60 for dicking around time.
Then you decide it's best to spend £150 paying for a better face to face service with the skilled people who do the work, with better quality materials!
I love the engineering and at least on the older cars, the ethos, but their whole dealership ethic is very retarded. Even if I were a millionaire that kind of service would piss me off.
I guess many buyers/owners need to be made to feel special and want to pay for that feeling, despite it being totally false and at their expense!
Edited by Mr Whippy on Friday 15th January 09:39
Not sure if its arrogance or just plain apathy with some salesmen at some dealers - I visited my local one in November, middle of a weekday afternoon, I was in a suit so looked 'respectable' - after wandering around for 15 mins, I came to the conclusion that no one was in the slightest bit interested in selling me anything at all.
Getting rather fed up with this I decided to see if I could attract any form of interest and proceeded to leave open the boot/hatchback of the cars in there (very childish I know). Out of the 14 cars in there - mission accomplished on 12 - the other 2 were locked. Still nothing, no one had ventured out from their little offices - so I gave up and was about to leave when FINALLY a lady came up to me and asked "Would I like a cup of coffee"... Thanks, but I would rather buy a car, but no one seems interested was my reply - "Oh, they are all very busy..."
I bought a car 2 days later - but from another dealership. Not interested in being made to 'Feel Special' just want proper service!
Captain SC
Getting rather fed up with this I decided to see if I could attract any form of interest and proceeded to leave open the boot/hatchback of the cars in there (very childish I know). Out of the 14 cars in there - mission accomplished on 12 - the other 2 were locked. Still nothing, no one had ventured out from their little offices - so I gave up and was about to leave when FINALLY a lady came up to me and asked "Would I like a cup of coffee"... Thanks, but I would rather buy a car, but no one seems interested was my reply - "Oh, they are all very busy..."
I bought a car 2 days later - but from another dealership. Not interested in being made to 'Feel Special' just want proper service!
Captain SC
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