coldel Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I email off to about 4 or 5 this morning about some cars I might be interested in - none respond. I call one up, he says oh yeah got your email yeah its here come look blah blah blah. Now, are we not in recession, are car dealers doing so well they can ignore potential customers? What bugs me the most is that he said he prefers using the phone etc etc, then I said, why do you put the option to email if you are never going to respond to it? The sound of silence was deafening. /endrant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I experienced this recently. I emailed a few dealerships and visited a few.... I actually had to ask them questions and do the chasing in order to find out about cars they had in stock and cars they could get a hold of....... BLOODY CRAZY. However the dealership I bought my car from Alex Noble ..... were fantastic and could not do enough for me in order to get the sale..... which is the way it should be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 When i went to look at the first z i was interested in i was actually there in person on the car lot and the guy still would'nt come out from behind his desk, sent some poor kid out, went in and asked if i'd come to the right place to buy a car, he was such an ignorant t**t, just walked away, and your talking 9 grand!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I've had mixed experiences... The last dealer I dealt with was for my Navara. Called for another car which was sold. He said he'd ring round as they had nothing that was what fitted my bill. An hour later he calls and reels off a few cars. The deal was done and deposit paid there and then. Some dealers have people that sell cars and others have salesmen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadZ Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 The dealer wouldnt pay any attention to me when I was looking at a Z. He probably thought I was to young and just dreaming (a young looking 20 year old). Quickly changed his tune when he saw the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Same as Stew, I had mixed feedback. First dealer I went to see couldnt care less, so they got nothing from me, other than a joyride in their demo. Second dealer was much better, agreed that I couldnt take calls at work so would email me. Always emailed me back within an hour or so and they then got all my servicing on the 350z and also made the sale on my 370z, so for a few emails, they have made quite a lot of money. Generally they just seem disinterested. I think they are so used to selling Micras to old biddies that just rock up and pay ticket price that they arnent interested in spending a bit of effort to sell a Zed worth about the same (second hand 350z vs brand new Micra), where a buyer clearly knows more than them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 I am trying to make it easy for them, just after a Focus around £2k-£3k just want to buy one, just go and buy it, but not trekking across town for an hour to look at a pile of crap. They really are morons for ignoring people - just plain dumb I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesmin Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 The thing is nowadays a sales person can be selling double glazing one month and then next thing he /she is selling cars and probably has not the same interest in cars that we would have. Used to be car sales people grew up in the motor business but things have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Ive had mixed experiences with dealers, some bend over backwards and try every trick in the book to get you to buy a car. Others just show complete dis-interest in you and would rather you walk away. Ive been to 4 Nissan dealers so far and have to say 2 of them showed no interest in me at all. In one I spent a good 15 minutes or more looking around a brand new car in their showroom before finally a member of staff came over to me - and it wasnt because they were busy. The other 2 were very good although at one of them the sales guy was a bit overpowering trying to close the sale. The worst I experienced was actually when I was looking for my Yamaha R1. I had just sold a Ducati and had about 9 grand in cash in my pocket. I found a nice sounding R1 at a dealer, so phoned up to say id be there later to look at it. When I walked into the dealers they showed no interest at all. They didnt have the bike prepared, it wouldnt start, they hadnt even cleaned it, they wouldnt let me try it out (i suggested i leave the full value of the bike as a deposit), they didnt even want to talk about the price of the bike. In the end I showed him my big wadge of cash and said "look mate, its a shame because you have just missed out on a sale" and I walked. I had barely driven off the forecourt and the guys manager was on the phone begging me back, promising me the world. Needless to say I went and bought one from somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 From a differant point of view. Yes, to everything mentioned above. The industry as a whole is getting worse, due to all the things you have all mentioned, have mentioned and will continue to mention on this forum. The internet isn’t helping either, the dealers are now competing nationally rather than a 10 mile radius, as such the profit margins are reduced, and the first thing out of the window to hit the budgets is training & quality recruitment! The difficulty is we are now getting into a vicious circle where the customers are coming in looking for a fight before they have got out of the car! I have done this daft job for nearly 20 years, and when I started the job wasn’t run right , but the plans where to put it right to be fair by the manufactures, and steadily from about 1993, the stage was set and things where taken more seriously. Training improved, and a sense of this is a proper thing to get into, was begun. But since about 2006 things have been in decline generally. This positions are now seen as jobs rather than careers, and the companies treat their staff appallingly. Some of us keep struggling on against the odds, but surprised by your statement, I am not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobie140 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Last year we went looking for a new car for the mrs and the salesman hounded us instantly asking what she could afford to pay a month and asked us to come inside to see what finance was avalible to her. He was swiftly told to ram it he didn't even ask what car she was intrested in or anything, safe to say we walked away from there. An other garage the woman followed us and wouldn't give us space to talk. everntually at one dealership we met the best salesman i've ever delt with and probibly the best i'll ever deal with. he wasn't pushy just helpful and poilite and gave us space and time. He found us a good deal and got our commision. just amasing on how diffrent they can be and that they can even put you off looking at their stock with the wrong attitude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 From a differant point of view.Yes, to everything mentioned above. The industry as a whole is getting worse, due to all the things you have all mentioned, have mentioned and will continue to mention on this forum. The internet isn’t helping either, the dealers are now competing nationally rather than a 10 mile radius, as such the profit margins are reduced, and the first thing out of the window to hit the budgets is training & quality recruitment! The difficulty is we are now getting into a vicious circle where the customers are coming in looking for a fight before they have got out of the car! I have done this daft job for nearly 20 years, and when I started the job wasn’t run right , but the plans where to put it right to be fair by the manufactures, and steadily from about 1993, the stage was set and things where taken more seriously. Training improved, and a sense of this is a proper thing to get into, was begun. But since about 2006 things have been in decline generally. This positions are now seen as jobs rather than careers, and the companies treat their staff appallingly. Some of us keep struggling on against the odds, but surprised by your statement, I am not. which is a shame for dealers like you who do care but as you have said things have changed, and not for the better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 I know there is lack of training, quality of recruitment etc etc but for petes sake, your livelihood is to sell something. If someone walks in, you have to sell something to them if you can. Yes some are pushy, and people walk away, some are just about spot on, but its these people that do nothing, dont look at you, dont talk to you, show no interest. I just dont get it, it really isnt that difficult to get the basics down. I work for a small research company, we have to sell research to clients looking to research something. I have never had any sales training or the like I did a stats and economics degree, im a nerd, ( ) but I use my common sense, be polite, answer the questions fully, offer the client something they want not something they dont want, be professional, all just basic common sense stuff. ...if profit margins are being squeezed so much, why are these dealers not bothering? I just dont understand people sometimes edit: not directed at our dealer friend above - just a general comment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lylesy Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Just bought my z 2 weeks ago. Dealer needed a print out 2 tell me the spec. I knew it y didn't he. Asked a few questions I had an idea about but wasn't sure he had no clue. Looked it up when I got home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zugara Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Worst one I ever had was at Snippersgate garage in Houton le spring http://www.snippersgate.co.uk/11530/index.htm Right bunch of "dell-boys", they wouldn't let me test drive a 350 Until I had paid them a non refundable deposit of 1/4 of the cars sale price..... Thus, basically making you buy the car even before you had test driven it. For their "flash" website, the actual dealership is an absolute hole, rundown building etc. I walked, needles to say.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I'll be honest, I wouldn't expect a dealer (apart from a Nissan dealer) to know about the Z. It's a fairly low volume niche market car. Why should they be able to rattle off the spec of a car they probably see one or two of every couple of years. It doesn't make you a bad salesperson not knowing the spec, it's about getting the right answers with no bull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lylesy Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 If u have 1 in stock ur trying 2 sell u should know a bit about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Just shows the different expectations of people when buying a car. I tend to know what I'm looking at so don't need the salespersons knowledge or lack there of. I do expect said salesperson to be able to get the answers to any questions I have in a timely manner though without BS and I also expect to be able to 'deal' too. At a main dealer the salesperson should have a good knowledge of their products though. When a sales garage is advertising a car on the net or whatever I expect the advert to be accurate though, there is no excuse for spending 5 minutes checking the details of the ad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumping350 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 IMO useless im no formula 1 mechanic but when i go in there with a basic question as a Nissan owner 'Cant help you without your reg number and yours is an import and we cant look that up' The guy last time said i might aswell not bother ringing them up for stuff because they cant help!!!! Even though i could potential be spending hundreds there baed on the car i own Dealers are only good for bringing cars into the country il buy from somewhere else after that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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