Hello All
I am a car salesman and have worked in this industry for roughly a year. I have met the good, the bad and the ugly since starting!
I have read numerous topics about the bad experiences people have had in here with car sales people.
I feel its unfair that we should all be categorised by the actions of the few and want to set the record straight!
Whilst I recognise that there are many cowboys in this industry, I feel many people have misplaced views on a lot of us.
I work for a large, prestige brand and regularly get treatment from customers that I feel isnt justified. They often come in with this misconception that I am going to rip them off,steal their car and give no customer care after purchased.
I pride myself on what I do and work a lot of hours (usually 55-60 hours) - 6 days a week, often coming in on my day off to be certain my customers are completely satisfied.
Many areas of selling cars needs to be looked at, however the main one is when you want to 'do the deal'.
When it comes to the negotiation part, there are MANY MANY topics and guides which state that a salesman ALWAYS knows how much margin is within a car and 'makes the deal'- often using the manager as a get out. Let me assure you this isnt always the case. Sometimes the salesman has to literally haggle with the manager to get the price you want...as the manager gives them no idea of margins in each vehicle.
Also, your part exchange price is not just something which is thought up and pulled out of the sky. Most decent dealers take the time to properly assess your car and look it up in professional guide books such as Glass's and CAP.
My priority is to sell you a car. I work on a salary heavily reliant on commision...and that is not always based on profit - usually on volume. If you have issues with the deal its in my interest as much as yours to gain the business.
So please...dont take it out on the sales people! believe it or not the Industry has changed dramatically and it is very cut-throat in many dealerships for the staff. Some of us do want your business!
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Where do you sell cars and can I buy my next one from you please?
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Would you like to apply for a job with a Thames Valley car dealer. I buy a prestige brand of car and have had dire experiences with dealers in this area !
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Roly - its maybe to do with the high property prices in the area so many salesmen try their hardest in getting the profit! ;-)
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Roly - I seem to remember you have an Audi. Try Aston Green Audi (sometimes known as Slough Audi) next time: I have found them very good so far. They are on the Slough trading estate.
I sympathise with Car Salesman - he like the rest of us is onlt trying to do his job. I resent aggressive tactics much less than the salesman who doesn't seem to care whether I buy or not - and there are far more of those in electrical retailers than in car showrooms.
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In the old days car salesman would be left hanging in the gibbet at the cross roads........
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I know and have, in addition, negotiated with a large number of car salesmen during the course of selling vehicles either to me or friends and family over several decades.
I can recall only four instances where such salesmen let themselves and their employers down by using dubious tactics - that's no worse and, in fact, a lot better in many case than salespersons in other fields.
The worse was the time the elderly, but feisty mother of a friend bought a new Mini in the 1990s from a Liverpool showroom. Within a week she decided she didn't want to carry on driving and asked the company to take the car back, less a suitable sum for having used it.
She was surprised when the company offered her little more than half the original list price (which she had paid, not realising discounts could be negotiated).
After about a week of arguing over the offer my friend made contact and told me the story.
I immediately pointed out that Rover had a promotion at the time which promised a full refund if the vehicle, for any reason, was deemed not suitable (remember the advertisement with the Rover 800 that was too long for the garage?)
Armed with this information he returned to the showroom, stated he had been made aware of certain facts and why was his mother not informed?
After a brief argument the company, whose lack of integrity in its handling of an elderly buyer had been exposed, reluctantly took the Mini back and refunded its price in full.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Where do you sell cars and can I buy my next one from you please?
And what is wrong with one of my cars?????
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Fine! I'll buy you a pint at the Christmas meet and you negotiate a 20% discount for me if I buy a car off you.
Hows that?
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Oi! Who changed the subject from: were not all bad to: we're not all bad.
It was more accurate before ;-)
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>>Oi! Who changed the subject from: were not all bad to: we're not all bad.
I believe it was a car salesman - blue haddock!
There it's now been changed back again.
There are many car salesmen that can be trusted, to spot them I believe that their body language and their spoken language should be fully comprehended. In true buyers speak, we all want to pay the least amount and have the best service. Maybe some buyers are too optimistic about the deal they are trying to negociate. The lazy salesman needs to be pushed by his sales manager to be better motivated and how to follow through a potential customer and turn them into a buyer.
The area where most salesmen should be carefully watched is where a finance deal (other then 0%) is involved, as a small increase in monthly charges, or extension of term, can increase the APR quite substantially.
I am a salesman in another industry which is far more difficult to persuade a customer to buy some product compared to selling a car. My industry has far greater competition but with far less information for customers in terms of tests and reports, and the product is not as essential as a car. I believe if I sold cars I would do it far better and more honestly than most car salesmen.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Fair point...but being in the trade myself I think it is all swings and roundabouts...
a Franchise Dealership may well have a marque which has heavy advertising with loads of test reports etc.. behind it. But bare in mind, they also detail competition, the price to aim to pay, internet brokers, car supermarkets etc...which will naturally effect things.
Although the product you sell may not appear to be as easy a sale as a car, I really do think it depends on what make/model you are selling! Also, if your product isnt heavily advertised and you have developed interest from your own marketing, you are much more likely to sell that product at profit.
I think this guy has a point mind...car salesman do have a terrible reputation which in most cases is wrongly justified.
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Carmad,
Do you really mean that all car salesmen are "bare in mind"??!!
Phil
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>>Oi! Who changed the subject from: were not all bad to: we're not all bad. I believe it was a car salesman - blue haddock!
Why would i do such as thing? And how would i do such a thing considering i don't have the big EDIT button?
>>I believe if I sold cars I would do it far betterand more honestly than most car salesmen.
If you think you can do the job so well and make a good living from it why don't you step out of your comfort zone and give it a go?
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>>Why would i do such as thing? And how would i do such a thing >>considering i don't have the big EDIT button?
It is easy without an EDIT button - see the subject line!
>>If you think you can do the job so well and make a good >>living from it why don't you step out of your comfort zone >>and give it a go?
If you have a substantial amount of money I would gladly sell my business to you. Then I might go and sell cars, or alternatively retire!
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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"If you have a substantial amount of money I would gladly sell my business to you. Then I might go and sell cars, or alternatively retire!"
Sorry, just to clarify...if your business is worth soo much and your doing soo well...why do you drive a Fiat Marea? :)
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It is easy without an EDIT button - see the subject line!
What is it just lately with every word on here being taken so seriously?
I'm sure the original comment was purely tongue in cheek.
Now come on, behave, or I'll take away your "reply to this message" button from this thread and make you all stand in the naughty corner.
DD.
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Also, your part exchange price is not just something which is thought up and pulled out of the sky. Most decent dealers take the time to properly assess your car and look it up in professional guide books such as Glass's and CAP.
LOL, and then half the figure they find !
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A year ago my son changed his car for a Ford Focus - he wanted a particular unusual combination of a three-door Zetec with the TDCI engine.
It took several weeks to find one and it was on offer at a dealership 150 miles away. He arranged to go and see it and a provisional PX price was given during the phone call for his own vehicle.
On the day of inspection and road test he decided to buy the Focus and once agreement had been reached, the salesman completed the various forms and then informed him he had added quite a considerable additional sum for the PX vehicle because, in his words, "it was exactly as described".
You can't get much more fair than that, especially as my son was quite happy with the original PX figure.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Hello All I am a car salesman and have worked in this industry for roughly a year. I have met the good, the bad and the ugly since starting!
A year? You're just a babe-in-arms. I started in the 1970's (although that was alongside doing servicing and repairs as well). Plenty of time yet to learn all the dodgy tricks ;-)
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