I can't comment on this particular company or indeed Toyota and its dealers, but the problem is that sales staff are under a lot of pressure to get the deals or be shown the door themselves.
This will be especially true of national/big chain/name dealer groups.
There is no excuse for the apparant abruptness and rudeness, but sometimes, well, we all have our moments of frustration/stress etc, especially when dealing with other people (if that makes sense)
Sales staff tend also to get a relatively low basic salary, work long antisocial hours and rely on sales commission to make ends meet, as well as trying to hold onto the job in the first place.
A few months ago, my car was in for a service/MoT and I was loaned a car from the dealer. The car I borrowed was being used by a new member of the dealer's sales team and he had, either by accident or without thinking, left his "sales training folder" on the floor. The chap was obviously young and new.
Naturally my curiosity got the better of me, because for many years, I worked in retail (not cars) so I had a flick through the folder, which was full of the usual corporate "customer values" nonsense and how to deal with all sorts of objections to doing a deal on the day or whatever.
Nowhere was there any mention of the sales team being expected to really know about the fine details/specs of the product (car) but simply was being programmed to sell the car (and add ons) as swiftly and quickly as possible. (Which is why many of we types who read HJ etc really probably know a lot more about particular cars than the dealers/sales staff do)
Probably not surprising, but it did sadden me a bit that it was like this. It was very similar to things I would have been told and read in the 1980s in that sort of position.
I think that customers are more switched on/demanding of being treated with patience and respect more than ever nowadays, and really, too much of the hard sell/pschology side of doing a deal, will have a negative effect on sales.
Crikey, sorry, gone on a bit here!
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