The situation with regard to such salesman has never been any different for as long as I can remember.
I have a friend who wanted to buy two (nearly new) Ford Mondeos and was promised a phone call with a combined price and PX allowances for his own vehicles within a couple of hours (the model he required was at another dealership in the chain).
Some years later he's still waiting for the phone call.....
So four sales were lost to the dealership in the form of two outgoing nearly new cars and two excellent Mondeos that would have been taken in part exchange.
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And yet when my Dad went to order a new 3 series 2 weeks ago, the salesman couldnt have been more helpful. Gave us a 6 month old 318d SE for 24 hours and a load of colour tiles to choose from. Also gave nearrly £4000 discount, plus decent part-ex without really trying. Needless to say in 4 weeks a Barbera red one is being delivered for him.
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Yes,got a megger deal for a pre reg 318i Msport tourer.Where other dealers(Mazda,Toyota etc) could not be bothered the BMW dealer made it impossible for me not to sign up and pay a deposit.I end up going back to BMW because their dealers always seem to try harder to get your business.
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I end up going back to BMW because their dealers always seem to try harder to get your >> business.
I've called, emailed and personally visited my local BMW dealer several times over the years but I've never yet spoken to a salesperson. I should be driving a 5 Series but BMW don't even know I exist.
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It seems to me it is pot luck with these dealers ,like any job some salesmen are ok.Follow up calls talk to customers have knowledge about the cars they sell,not many salesman do.Problaby most of them don't want to do the job or are not suited for what they do.
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When I go to a car dealer, or any other sort of dealer - I know exactly what I want + how much my px is worth, so a salesman is just a necessary evil to be endured.
If a Skoda dealer didn't have a demonstrator car of the model I was interested in, I would tell him to phone around other dealers to find one with sed car.
Mayhap your recent poor experience is due to the 'cash 4 clunkers' effect.
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A lot depends on the dealership's management here.
I visit dealer's to deliver new cars, some of them are too busy having their stautory 'meetings', when potential customer's wander in for a browse there's often no one to talk to and they wander off again.
Other's (better) are always busy on the phone talking to customers, these seem to be the ones taking the most varied cars in....scrappage has given a shot in the arm to those who don't always try harder IMO.
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I had a similar experience when looking for a new Focus estate when trying to make the decision to go for petrol or diesel. I enquired as to whether they had anything in with a 1.6 diesel engine in just to run it round the block and see how it performed. The answer was no. Now you are not telling me at a very large dealership that was the case.
Went for the petrol in the end being familiar with that engine but it did leave me thinking that they were not over enthusiastic.
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Not one call back from any of them - what gives?
You surprise me. In my limited experience you will be very lucky to get a call-back from any dealer unless they are really desperate. They may just be saving their phone bill, but I suspect they just wait for you to call again. If you don't, you weren't really interested, which proves they did the right thing ...
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Trouble with that mindset AT is if they can't be bothered to put the most minimal effort into selling you a vehicle and extracting your money what is the response likely to be should said vehicle go wrong.
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I suspect they may not bother to take down your number when you give it them, tho to be charitable, they could have lost the scrap of paper ...
But if the car goes wrong, fortunately it won't be Sales that has to deal with it.
Edited by Andrew-T on 08/11/2009 at 15:21
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But if the car goes wrong fortunately it won't be Sales that has to deal with it.
Even more fortunately i wouldn't have bought a car from a garage that does business like that either:-)
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Even more fortunately I wouldn't have bought a car from a garage that does business like that either
After finding my way round the used-car market for 10-15 years I was sure enough of my judgment to decide which car I would buy, without my choice being influenced much by the salesman sitting opposite. I was buying the CAR not the dealer, so provided he was reasonably civil, and the deal was fair, I wasn't too bothered - especally if I had travelled some distance to do the deal. In that case I would not be going back (unless something failed under warranty) so the attitude of their Sales or Service departments didn't matter much. Most dealers know as little as the buyers about the history of the cars they sell anyway.
But when salesmen promise to return calls and don't, it just shows offhand behaviour; and when it happens many times it seems clear that is usually the intention.
Edited by Andrew-T on 09/11/2009 at 12:37
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I suspect they just wait for you to call again. If you don't, you weren't really interested, which proves they did the right thing ...
IMHO I think that is the difference between a salesman and an order taker. There is an element of the salesman having to convince the customer. They shouldn't be too pushy, but it is likely worth following up a bit to see why the customer didn't call back.
I see this with the sales team in my company, some are very organised and tenacious with following up and others think that all they have to do is give the sales patter when the customer is there and then take the order. Anecdotally, the first group seem to do better and the others seem to disappear after a few months.
I think there are a lot of *bad* sales people out their, it is something that anybody can get into with little or any formal training, and the good ones are just simply the ones who are still doing it after a few years.
I could likely have been convinced about the Passat or the Avensis, but the Mondeo guy kept my interest. Even with the Mondeo I might have left it a while and perhaps ended uop going to another local dealer, sometimes people need a bit of a push.
Just my opinion...I have never workd a day in sales! :)
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Might be an idea to wait until the cash for clunkers scheme has ended and car dealers roll out the red carpet again!
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in one perro
in one
i think
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I've been buying cars for over 30 years and it isn't, I can confirm, anything at all to do with 'cash for clunkers'.
Five years or so back, I went to see a main Nissan dealer from which I'd bought one car for personal use and two more for business. On that occasion, I was helping an inexperienced friend choose a car and we all but walked in there with cash in our hands, begging to be sold something.
This wasn't a case of wrongly qualifying the customer, nor making a wrong judgement about her - they knew me and knew I bought cars - it was down to simple laziness and amateurishness. Naturally, the dealer lost the sale, which went to went to a Toyota franchise.
I see that Nissan dealer has now closed.
But it was ever thus. Twenty years before, three Alfa dealers had looked at me as if I was something the cat had dragged in, before a fourth deigned to take my money. Six years ago, a Honda dealer got a sale out of me because he tried, where others plainly couldn't have cared less (in fairness, with the exception of a Ford dealer, who also gave it a good shot).
My experience is that the car trade is just pretty poor at its job. Never having worked in it, I'd hesitate to suggest why. But that's certainly how it seems to me.
Whatever the reason, it's nothing new.
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>>>My experience is that the car trade is just pretty poor at its job. Never having worked in it, I'd hesitate to suggest why. But that's certainly how it seems to me<<<
Interesting comments Mr. Badger, I've only purchased 2 new cars in 38 years but have had positive results both times.
Now, I buy almost new low mileage one owner cars from an independent who specializes in such, in fact I've purchased 3 cars from them in the last 6 years and (hehe) its a pleasure to hand my money over to them!
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again mr perro on the button
mr badger probably dug his own hole at the dealership?
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And how would you suggest I did that?
By actually trying to buy some cars, maybe?
Yes, that'd be it. Express an interest, arrange for sales people to call you back, wait by phone... watch tumbleweed.
My fault, clearly.
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oh i wish i could do smilies sometimes
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oh i wish i could do smilies sometimes
Nothing stopping you adding one (or more) of these ;o)
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I've only purchased 2 new cars in 38 years but have had positive results
I suppose I bought my first car in 1964, from a private seller. Since then I have never bought brand-new - just one or two ex-demo's or rental cars - from franchises, independents, Fords of Winsford, a smaller car supermarket, and privately. I can hardly remember getting a call-back from any of them except the private sellers, unless it was to discuss some detail after a sale had been agreed. It just doesn't seem to be part of the culture.
I don't expect it any more, having left my phone number so often without getting any result.
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My last newish purchase was 4.5 yrs ago for my wife's car when we bought a demostrator from a provincial dealer. The salesman was near perfect, very good at his job IMO, i'd told him right at the start that any kind of hard sell would have me walk out the door, as i'd been to a couple of London (or outskirts) dealers, inc the one i'd bought my car 3 years earlier (same marque), and the sheer unprofessionialism dismayed me (wholly unrealistsic trade in price on the old car, to the extent they were trying to rip me off; not interested in getting me the specific car i'd stated we wanted, i.e. looking at other garages within that marque; not making a great deal of effort, I formed the distinct impression they were working to a script.. or it certainly felt like it).
Sadly, 3 yrs later when we seriously considered upgrading it, that salesman had moved on. The provincial dealer had been taken over by a large well known chain. The salesman I spoke with was unprofessional enough to tell me the previous chap had left, because he didn't fit in...my guess was the good old fashioned rural personal service, tailored to the individual provided by the first chap didn't fit with the corporate 'one was is the only way' system of the new set up...I didn't like or gel with what I was hearing, had no confidence that I was important enough for him to 'get it right', so guess what, no purchase. We kept the old car and still have it now (although personal circs have changed somewhat, so I haven't made much of an effort to swap it for a while). I'm willing to bet, that if the first salesman had still been there, he'd have SOLD ME a car...I was halfway there anyway.
I can 100% guarantee that if a salesman cannot tailor things to my needs, then they can shove their product where the sun doesn't shine*...there's no way on this earth, that i'm spending that amount of money to be treated as a second class citizen.
* I only wish a few more people would do likewise, them maybe we might get some decent service in this country
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I only wish a few more people would do likewise them maybe we might get some decent service in this country
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As we agreed earlier, They should want our money more than we want their car, tv, washing machine, or whatever. If they dont, plenty of other sellers and their company can go broke and they can find another job.
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When I first 'walked into' the backroom about 2.5 years ago, my question was regarding a Nissan main dealer who had added a fuel system cleaner to my car whilst it was being serviced without first consulting me.
Then I had the car MOT'd at an indie who failed it on headlight aim whereas the car had always been serviced by the main dealer and checking of the headlight aim is part of the service schedule ... anyway - back then my handle was Dog but I changed it to perro as I was obviously barking up the wrong tree, so - what all this boring detail is about is ... I was advised by backroomers back then to write to the Dealer Principle and that did indeed have the desired effect (and some!) so it might be an idea for y'all to do the same if you're less than satisfied with the 'service' you receive in future.
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Lack of training is the main fault. Successful selling is extremely difficult and psychologically daunting (I have tried it). It can't just be picked up on the job. Many try and this is why they come and go quickly. There used to be some kind of City & Guilds sales course especially for cars and I bought a car from one impressive graduate. There probably still are general sales training courses for the seriously interested.
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I'm amazed at some of the dealers around here. When I was part-ex'ing my car a few months ago they offered £100-150 less than the part ex value. They didn't budge so I went elsewhere.
Ironically in both dealers the cars I was looking at are still there, nearly 4 months on. Surely for the sake of 100 quid they would have been better off doing a deal!
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Car salesmen merely seem to be an intermediary by basically setting up a potential deal with a customer.
I've never been with anyone buying a new or used car at a dealership yet who, after he/she and the salesperson have set up an apparent cast iron deal, the salesperson hasn't failed to "check it out first with my sales manager."
It also applies to requests for added bonuses such as replacement tyres, road tax, minor repairs or a full tank of petrol - the sales manager always seems to have to be consulted at each stage before any agreement is reached.
The most annoying aspect of any car deal, of course, is that you never, ever know if you could have haggled for an even better outcome in your favour...:-(
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"check it out first with my sales manager."
The last time a car salesman did this with me, I asked him if he had been watching "Fargo". He had not, but this brilliant Cohen Brothers film features a saleman doing just this but he and his manager do not discuss the deal at all and merely watch a baseball match on TV for a few minutes. The salesman returns saying to the punter something like "Well, you're in luck. I really never expected he would give way!"
My own salesman did not seem to appreciate my explanation.
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What surprises me when the subject of salesstaff/dealers comes up is the number of people who say (something like) -
I walked into the showroom with the cash ready to buy a Ford Mondeo (or whatever) but because the salesman wasn't nice enough to me I went down the road and bought a Toyota/Nissan/whatever.
Presumably these folk have done their research and decided they wanted a particular car - and yet they seemingly do an about turn just because of a bad showroom experience.
If I wanted a Golf diesel - foer example - and I couldn't get the test drive/deal/attention/call back etc I wanted I'd seek out another VW dealer or deal with a broker. I certainly wouldn't abandon my first choice and buy something I'd (presumably) previously discounted just because one individual (who you will probably never speak to again) behaved better than another.
You're spending a huge sum - surely better to get what you want and navigate your way through any "difficulties".
Jacks
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Thing is now many cars are very similar in terms of quality/competence on the road etc, and a lot of buyers DON'T have a specific make and model in mind. Indeed advice on here is often to keep an open mind and use the dealership experience etc as one of the deciding factors in any purchase. As others have said, if the sales team behave indifferently, what is the pre-sale preparation and aftersales service going to be like?
Being in sales myself, the attitudes and general incompetence I've suffered in (mainly main dealer) dealerships is staggering. And yes I have walked away from a deal because of the staff attitude/lack of training whatever. If I were to treat my customers as I've been treated in the past I would have been out of a job long ago! The problem really seems to be that so called 'car salesmen' these days are rarely anything of the sort. They often are just order takers with little/no product knowledge, people skills or authority/ability to negotiate. Rant over!! And apologies to those genuine,knowledgable salesmen/women who CAN make a large purchase more of a pleasure than a pain!
Edited by Everest Pete on 09/11/2009 at 16:05
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On being told "I will have to check with the sales manager" has anyone said "OK, I will come with you"? And if so, what was the result?
Edited by Old Navy on 09/11/2009 at 16:10
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If the sales team behave indifferently, what is the pre-sale preparation and aftersales service going to be like?
I don't think the Sales team has anything to do with those who do the 'prep'. I suppose the general ethic of the dealership may be a guide, but the most important thing may be to ensure that your special requirements are properly recorded on the order form, and are carried out before you collect.
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>>check it out first with my sales manager.
I had this when I was helping my daughter to buy a new MX5.
I suspect the salesman went for a fag and told my daughter so, but she was so impressed that he'd came back with a lower price I couldn't stop her from agreeing there and then (it was a reasonable price). She'd been prepared to pay the full retail!
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I went to test drive a Citreon C5 and having done all my homework went in to see the salesman.The Glasses guide quoted my car as being worth £6100 trade in.He offered me £5000 and made out he was doing me a favour.(I can appreciate i won't get £6100 but i would expect £5600 ish)
I then got to the price of their car which is £21500 list.
According to a popular car magazine the most i should pay for this car is £19800.He wouldn't budge at all on the price and after my trade valuation was getting miffed.
I have the money in the bank ready to buy and so i expect book price for my car and the discount that said magazine is obtainable.
He said that if thats the case then he'd rather i bought it from somewhere else!.
At no time was i rude to him and kept reminding him that the discounts were obtainable and i only wanted book price for my car(or near to)
In the end i got up and walked out.
To not offer discount to a cash buyer in these hard times is unbeliveable.
There is no way i would pay list and get a poor trade-in value.
What do you guys think?
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What do you guys think?
He is no more obliged to sell than you are to buy - he may think it is worth waiting a week or two for someone less informed than yourself to turn up. And values vary between different parts of the UK. A car salesman SHOULD have a better feel for his local market than the punters. He is just taking a risk that another customer will give a better deal.
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He is just taking a risk that another customer will give a better deal.
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>>>>>>> or a customer will sign the dotted line for the 9.2apr and said salesman gets a nice little bonus kick
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Well thanks everyone for your input.
These replies have put my mind at rest, to find out that i am not the only one to be messed around makes me feel a whole lot better.
And while on about the trade in price then no two garages have quoted me the same i was offered £4600 as the lowest and the best was £6250 now thats some difference in price for the same car,
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