Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 18:51
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - oldroverboy.

Having just Changed cars and having bought the same make but different model elswhere as I did not feel that my local dealership was interested in giving me a good deal,

What are the Forum points of view?

last august my car was not serviced correctly, but we went to enquire about a car and the salesman took no notice of what we wanted and tried to sell us something else. Went and got what I wanted elsewhere.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 02/02/2016 at 18:52

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 19:04
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - gordonbennet

So basically they don't want to sell you the car you want, then they don't service the car you didn't want properly, what exactly are they good for, making coffee, polishing showroom tiles to a mirror finish...sooner they go out of business the better and to aid them on their way i'd be sure never to darken their doorstep again as long as i was upright.

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 19:31
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - Avant

As ever, very well put by GB. This topic comes up often and with good reason: customers are naturally amazed by salesmen who (given that most are on a low salary and depend on commission) just don't seem interested. (It is salesmen - the few saleswomen I've met have all been very good).

I know that some 'customers' appear to be time-wasters, but that's part of the job. I personally like to have a look up to a year before I intend to change cars, to see what's available. A good reception will encourage me to come back in due course.

In fairness, being in the process od making a shortlist at the moment, I haven't so far found the lack of oomph experienced by ORB. All so far have been keen to sell: the best dealerships (a) let you out on your own for a test drive, and (b) have a sales manager who comes and goes through the figures with the customer instead of sitting in an office.

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 19:37
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - scot22

Agree with previous posts.

Recently had the pleasure of seeing a Volvo dealership who were stretching it to the limit if the came down £500 reducing the same car by £2000.

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 20:45
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - RT

I know that some 'customers' appear to be time-wasters, but that's part of the job. I personally like to have a look up to a year before I intend to change cars, to see what's available. A good reception will encourage me to come back in due course.

That's the thing, it takes me even longer to buy a new car but I find it difficult to get over to sales people that I'm "just looking" as they seem to pester me - but then when I'm ready to buy and go back there's never a sales person available - they're there, at their desks, but not interested.

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Tue 2 Feb 2016 22:42
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - drd63

Why not just buy online. Cars are a commodity, in the main we know the model and spec we want before ever going near a showroom. Just see who's going to sell at the best price, it's not even that you'll get an extended warranty buying from a showroom.

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Wed 3 Feb 2016 00:29
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - Avant

That's true for some people, DRD, but most if not all 'regulars' on here are car enthusiasts, and we like to look around and have test drives. I enjoy the process - one feels a little 'flat' once the order has been placed! The eventual purchase may of course be online.

And let's not forget that some of us are lucky enough to be able to buy new: probably the majority buy used, whether through necessity or by choice. In this case you have to see and try the actual car.

Edited by Avant on 03/02/2016 at 00:30

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Wed 3 Feb 2016 10:23
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - skidpan

When I bought the Leon before I went via the broker route I tried 2 local dealerships.

The first was a multi franchise and as well as Seats another of the cars we were interested in was the Volvo V40 which was also on site. Had a look at one in the showroom and liked it and asked for a test drive in a petrol turbo. Saleman told me they did not sell petrols since no one wanted them. Pointed out that Volvo made them and due to my annual milage I did not want a diesel but he was insistant they did not sell petrols. So we walked 25 yards to the Seat showroom and they could not be bothered because it was lunchtime.

Next day we went to the next closest Seat dealer. Got a great reception, a good test drive for both of us in exactly the car we wanted to buy and then it went down hill. The deal offered was full retail with only trade for my BMW in PX. Salesman kept pretending to speak to his manager but returned with exactly the same deal. He asked what I wanted to pay, told him and after speaking to his manager offered exactly the same deal as before, walked out at that point, wasting mine and his time.

When I got home I sent an e-mail enquiry to Carfile, their price was £2000 lower but I expected the PX to be even lower.

Following day the second dealer returned my call asking if I was ready to do a deal. Told him I would happily buy the car I drove if they matched the broker price, said he would call the next day when his manager returned, never heard from him.

Monday morning Carfile rang, took some extra details and said they would pass them to their dealer. 15 minutes later they rang, £2000 off list as shown on the web site and £700 more in PX for the BMW. Car we wanted in stock, delivery later that week, gave them my credit card details, saved myself £2700.

Collected car as arranged but it later turned out the garage were a load of muppets and had cocked up the paperwork. Seat customer services sorted it after garage refused to speak to me any more, they gave me a written apology and a voucher for £200 to spend at any Seat dealership on anything, will use it for the later.

When the first service was due despite our missgivings we took it to the first dealer we visited, 2 days later pool of oil on drive, they had not tightened sump plug. AA sorted it and after some arguement the garage eventually agreed to replace the engine shield which was still dripping oil. Never going there again.

2nd service was done at the second dealer we visited, no issues, will go there again later this year.

But despite the fact the Leon is a great car I doubt if I will buy another Seat as my next car. There are other brands available that I have had better dealer experiences with.

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Wed 3 Feb 2016 11:24
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - Chrishunt

My wife and I went to a particularly shiny local dealership last summer to test drive a car I was interested in. A word that best describes the delearship is efficient. The first salesman we saw was interested, helpful and courteous and we were given the keys to the model we wanted to test and off we went (a good start).

On return from the test drive we were handed over to a senior salesman to discuss terms and a possible deal. Perhaps we weren't dressed in our Sunday best but frankly the salesman couldn't be bothered. He didn't take us, or our questions, seriously and when it came to it absolutely refused to budge on his first position. This was the only time I've ever walked out of a car showroom without shaking hands with a salesman.

Anyway, a week later I went to another main dealer some 20 or so miles away (same manufacture) and the experience was completely different. The upshot was they got the sale and I got a significantly better deal than was on the table at the local dealership. I will never again go anywhere near the local dealership and perhaps most importantly I encourage anyone I know who might do to go elsewhere.

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Tue 9 Feb 2016 11:37
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - grumpyscot

Our company bought some cars from a Volvo dealership. But oth myself and the Chief Accountant's Volvos were plagued by problems - as much as 8 pages of A4 in just 2 years. The garage quite often didn't have a courtesy car available - even when they didn;t finish the repair work by 6pm - and expected us to travel hone by bus - a mere 2 hour journey each way!

Ended up, we took Volvo off the list - and the dealership for other marques.

Recently went to a Honda dealership in Newcastle - absolutely brillliant. They noticed I fancied a car in one of their other dealerships in Sheffield, so brought the car up overnight for me. Did a great trade-in, so I ended up driving home in the new car. Got a full tank of petrol, free insurance, free servicing for 5 years - and a phone call that night when I got home to check I was happy - and a further two over the next month just to make sure.

No wonder I don't buy Volvo any more but drive Hondas!

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Tue 9 Feb 2016 11:50
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - RobJP

Now THAT is top-class customer service !

It astounds me that so many garages don't seem to give a stuff for customer service. It's as if they've never heard of the phrase 'customer loyalty', and the realisation that it cuts both ways.

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Tue 9 Feb 2016 22:26
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - drd63

And that's great if there is a Honda you like, I've had great service from Honda dealers in the past but I don't want to compromise on the car just to get good service on the rare occasion I need a service.

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Wed 10 Feb 2016 08:36
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - NARU

It can often be the little things.

When buying my landcruiser, I included a towbar in the negotiations. The salesman immediately threw in a matching number plate for the caravan. It wasn't so much the fact that there was no charge, as that he thought about (and solved) an issue that I hadn't even thought of.

I still have the landcruiser, but its now nine years old. My local toyota dealer wanted full price for a service, but a more enterprising dealer a little further away does cut-price services for cars over five years old. The service manager said its worth doing as it keeps the relationship with customers going.

Where I lived previously, the local toyota dealer offered a free mini-valet in December if you were prepared to spend 20 mins chatting with a salesman (very low pressure). It was a good way of keeping in touch with customers during a quiet month. I'm sure they selected people they thought they might be able to sell to but that was fine with me.

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Sat 13 Feb 2016 03:44
Dealerships How forgiving are we? - The impact of poor service on future sales - Warning

Nissan dealership - I rang them up to say I want to test drive a Quashqai. The salesman who I had the appointment was busy dealing with someone else. So he passed me off to a junior staff. He asked me 'which car are you considering?' explained that I was considering a Ford .... and Honda ..... He said I should go try out the other cars and then come back to try the Quashqai. I explained that the Quashqai was at the top of my list!. Then he looks on his computer and sees there are no Quashqai and then having spent an hour with him, tells me there are none available and I should make another appointment!. I got very angry at them wasting my time. I explained, I had car problems and getting here was a bit of a drama. I barged into the manager office and told them this is not acceptable. Especially, as I bring in my car for service to the. Their dealership keeps sending me mailshot invites everytime when a new Nissan is launched, but the day I want to test drive a car, they can't be helpful. They let me test drive an 'unpreped' car, but the back seats had crumbs of foods, crips, biscuits. You can't tell it has not been looked after. The drivers seat had white stains, which I rather not think about how they got there. I amazed me how peopel look after their cars. The dealership will valet it and make it look like new, but there is no evidence the dealership keeps the most pristine model. As they end up on their forecourt.

Vauxhall - rang them up want to test drive a Vauxhall Ampera. They never called me there. Rang 2-3 times. When I got there, they said they took a deposit. They told me I should make another appointment to test drive another Ampera (even though I had made an appointme to test drive Ampera). No one phoned me to say a deposit had been taken. He claimed it was 'just a minute ago' However, they let me test drive the sold car, however, it was full of chocolate wrappers. He told me the salesman was using the looked like one of their salesman car!. It was electric, so was free charging the car at work. He then said there was another Ampera at a higher mileage 48,000miles and £1,500 more expensive, then the one which was sold!. He would not negotiate on the price. I walked out. They did not called me back with any offers, even though he took down my details.

Honda - professional dealership. let me try a Civic. Interested in buying. But they are asking £9.5k for a 2012 model even though other car dealers are near the £7,500 to £8,500 mark. He said the best they can take off is £200. I can't justify paying £2,000 extra just for dealer prices. Even if it comes with 1 year warantee and has been serviced.

Toyota Dealer 1 - They did not have a demonstrator of a Toyota Verso. Took down my details. They have not called me back. Waste of time.

Toyota Dealer 2 - They had a used Toyota Verso. Very professional salesman. Rang me up a few times. Good long test drive. However, it seemed to me the car was clocked. I did not like the Toyota Verso. It was a shame! :-(

I rather buy from a dealership, but frankly

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