benson01 Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Amusing story from my trade in today of Polo GTI for the Type R Civic. I was at the dealers going through the ‘handover process’ (and how long does that take – just give me the keys you muppet!!). Anyway, while the spotty youth in charge of handover was going through the paperwork and trying to sell me Gap insurance; which I found out is nothing to do with beige clothing from a trendy fashion shop, I commented that they had had my Polo up for sale on Autotrader before they had got the car from me. Young man replied that he could have sold it a few times over already, but found it a cheek that VW called it a GTI. Why I asked? He replied “Well it’s not that fast is it!” He informed me that he was a VW nut (so why you working for a Honda dealer Joe……), and that he had a Mk1 Golf GTI and Corrado G60. I told him the MPH and 0-60 stats, and put him straight that it was considerably faster than his Golf. He replied somewhat surprised “Is it really!” Nice to know that you’re in knowledgeable hands isn’t it. Civic is awesome, but miss the German build quality. Bye bye Polo… Cheers all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activa Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 From the G60's I've driven you could told him the same about the Golf & Corrado!! Wishing you fun in your Civic(as if you haven't had that just bringing it home!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 The thing thats annoys me about 99% of sales people in dealerships is exactly what Benson describes - lack of knowledge on the competition. BMW issue a huge book for each model that shows the competition fors and againsts - and the sales people are tested on it. Well, for what its worth - they'll all fail on a retest!!! I asked a number of questions about my wifes 320d compared to the Audi 1.9 and 2.5TDi and the sales people didn't have a clue. Mind you, the Audi dealers were worse - they weren't in the slightest bit interested in our business. The salesman at Wallsend Audi (next to the Bentley dealership) gave my wife a brochure when she asked for one and said "there ya go love, I'm busy at the minute with someone else but I'm around tomorrow...". Bye bye you stupid boy... But, we thought we'd go and see if they had someone better in customer care to deal with... Next day...in we go. 10-20 minutes looking around and general chat, and none of it very welcoming. Can we drive a 1.9Tdi and a 2.5Tdi please? Reply: Hmm, could be a problem, why do you want to drive one now? Well because we've got nothing better to do you morons, what do you think? (Not what we said, but you get the idea). So, 1.9Tdi brought around to drive from front of dealership....I get in the back, the wife in the drivers seat, the salesman in the passenger seat....and what does he say? "Can't be long, I have an appointment in 5 minutes" I was just about to say it when my wife said. "Really, well then I can't be bothered to waste my time here then." Stopped the car, there and then, handed him the keys, walked back to my car with me trailing behind her... I was bloody proud of her! Couldn't have done it better myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activa Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Trouble is,product knowledge in itself doesn't sell cars nowadays.The best price,the right coluor,the better rate finance deal,the set of mats thrown in etc,etc. is what people are interested in.And then along come enthusiasts like us lot and throw a spanner in the works. I wonder how many of these salesmen,when they have five minutes spare,look through the tech.specs of the cars they're selling to find out exactly WHAT they are selling! It will only be the odd enthusiast working at a dealership that'll bother-I'm sure they'd much rather be serving Mrs.Smith who wants "a small car,with a small engine,good economy and cheap insurance",makes life so much easier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The my wife said "Really, well then I can't be bothered to waste my time here then." Stopped the car, there and then, handed him the keys... [/ QUOTE ] Wow, serious respect! If you'd hadn't married her I certainly would have. Why could the dealer not let you go out alone? Guess as you were shopping for the '320d' you turned up in the M3 Ian C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Yes, I had the M3 Coupe but we know for certain they didn't see it - because the car park is so small i had to shove it in amongst their used cars bays and he double-took as we drove off. She has vowed never to go to another Audi dealer, which is silly, but goes to show what impact such shoddy service has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 But it shouldn't make the slightest difference what car, or clothes for that matter, you turn up in. Surely they are going to make more sales if they take as many people as possible seriously, by the law of averages alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Thats another good point. I dress like a bloody tramp on weekends, because I wear suits all week long. So the weekend is relax and sloppy time. It definately has an effect though. I don't shave on a Sunday either, so I probably look like a poor drug dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 One of my uncles did a stint in the UK as, IIRC, the European head of Rio Tinto... He was in suits all week, and they gave him a maxed out Volvo 960 while he was there (this is 20+ years ago). He went shopping for a few weeks for a car for my aunt, and ended up having to go on weekends in his casual gear, and hide the company car from view when shopping. Why? Because in a suit or if they saw the car, the sales wonks would usually be all over him like flies on roadkill - and would continue to "guess" what he was after, and not let him tell them what he was after. The few that actually behaved themselves would always push for an "upsell" or refuse to haggle... In mufti - the opposite was true, as per M3Me's experience. From memory, he bought a car privately for my aunt - and both he and the seller were happy with the deal. It's good to see in 20+ years, car sales service in the UK has not changed one jot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shao_khan Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 I saw a ad for a WHite Type R the other day - looked very cool with the red trim - true Type R livery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollox Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 I've been waiting for someone to show me some real interest and get me booked into a MKV GTi test drive for over a month now. Who knows if I want one? I never know when I'm buying a car. One thing's for sure, I'm never buying one at this rate. I'm tempted to drop in on a saturday, but like M3Me I like to dress down (suit syndrome) and I can't be bothered with all the likely judging. I've had this so much in the past that I just can't be bothered. Only notable exception was buying the S3, even though I strolled into the dealership in shorts at 21 and the fact that there were simply no S3s in that region whatsoever. Mine was the 2nd they'd ever sold and they even got a customer with an S3 to come over so I could drive his car and put up with incessant questioning from me. Salesman is now dealer principal and a good friend. There are good salesmen out there, you just have to be really lucky. To the average working person, 1-2 hours is a long and valuable time where they could be doing a number of things. Just like when I go into a dealership for service, there's always something better I could be doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I've been waiting for someone to show me some real interest and get me booked into a MKV GTi test drive for over a month now. Who knows if I want one? [/ QUOTE ] Remind me to write my review Mollox. I said to Ari that I'd get to drive one - and I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pincher Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] a poor drug dealer. [/ QUOTE ] No such thing. (Apparently) Just ask Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollox Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Write your review! I can talk, I still have a word doc with my review of the 'new' A3 2.0 FSI from back in Dec '03. Think it was one of the first in the UK but i didn't post it. I think it would upset a few A3 owners now though as I didn't like it much But it was quite a funny review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BURTON Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Most people going into the dealer know what they want anyway.. They just want to get a good deal for there money and thats it... The G60 Corrado is slow.. heavy girl compared to the G60 Golf!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activa Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The G60 Corrado is slow.. heavy girl compared to the G60 Golf!! [/ QUOTE ] Agreed! Many people opted for the 16v 'cos of not much difference in performance.Guess the benefit was you could modify the supercharger and boy did you need to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BURTON Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 And boy did she hawl after that fettling!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activa Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] And boy did she hawl after that fettling!! [/ QUOTE ] Plenty torque too! And whatever happened to the G40 Polo? (probably should've posted this one elsewhere) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Stopped the car, there and then, handed him the keys, walked back to my car with me trailing behind her... I was bloody proud of her! Couldn't have done it better myself! [/ QUOTE ] Well done Mrs M3Me! That's the best way to treat them. I apologise if there are dealers on here, but to be honest, if it wasn't the fact I wanted an A4, I'd have gone elsewhere. Having said that though, my age and dress sence (I.E not in a suit), means that I don't appear that i can afford an Audi/BMW etc... They only treat us this way as they know we've not got much choice on the matter if we want one of their cars. When Audi UK called me a month after having my car and asked me how my experience of Audi was, I told them. Car is great, Dealers were crap. Not interested and up their own arses. His reply: Oh, right - sorry to hear that. Big fecking apology then. I've just spent £25,000 and that's what you get as an apology? Next time I'm buying online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I said to Ari that I'd get to drive one - and I have. [/ QUOTE ] I'm probably on my own here, but I really liked driving the new GTi. Huge improvement over the last, and better handling than the Type R. But HOW MUCH?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 I think we would all make great car salesmen/women. As we know our cars! We would be a bit biased to our favourite marques, but we could certainly teach these bods a thing or 2. They say that clothes maketh the man - reading this thread, then not on a weekend! The salesmen should realise that not everyone gets up and puts on a business suit on a weekend?!! common sense really. AND not all bods in business suits have cash/can get finance to buy a good car in anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BURTON Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 I think thats the other problem.. If you don't look the part your never going to get a deal.. Same in many places... I know someone who went to Lind Ipswich, in his work gear.. His a builder... They didn't serve him.. so he went to Colchester instead.. done a deal with them and bought a CSL!! Now he has it serviced at Ipswich!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 Cars are like any product, if you are a salesperson that has a passion for the product that you are selling then you are far more likely to sell it to the customer than when you aren't. 'Most' car sales people just done try to learn the market that they are in or the rival products. The good ones a few and far between but there are some about. If they were selling in another industry where people don't arrive on their door step for them to sell the product to, they would not be getting any sales commissions anytime soon me thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlT Posted January 26, 2005 Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 I was a car sales exec for 4 years - now work in marketing (at the same place) The other sales guys used to take the p*** as I was (still am) a bit of an anorak when it comes to cars. However, I always sold more cars than anyone else ! There are some awful sales people out there, the worse comment I got when I was looking for a RS6 was from an Audi sales person. Who gave me the figures and then said ..... "When you win the lottery, perhaps you could come back !" So I went elsewhere and spent my £60k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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