Poor customer service from dealership.

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: bigmike
In my line of work, email is the priority communicative tool.


Not when I'm buying a $100K switch or router it isn't!! You better come to my office and tell me how company X builds a better mousetrap, AND TAKE ME TO LUNCH, otherwise you ain't got a chance :-D


You must be a consultant too!

However, I just completed a 45k order that was sent in via FAX. I'm all for lunch though!

 

[Benzadmiral]

I recall when I was looking at a used Buick LaCrosse in 2007, the dealer nearest to my work, one of the oldest in town, was all fine until it came time to talk money. Then the sales guy pretended he'd never heard of bumper trim pieces that were in the LaCrosse brochure and which I'd seen on cars driving around. He wanted me to pay for refinish or replacement of a scarred wooden trim piece from the interior. And worst of all, he told me he couldn't give me a price over the phone, in email, or by fax. "You have to come in. It's Louisiana law."

Bull, and I told him so. Their competitor gave me all the numbers I wanted on the phone. They made the sale of the Park Avenue, and created a satisfied customer who's gone back to them for service as well.

 

[01rangerxl]

Unfortunately most dealers take an almost adversarial approach when dealing with customers, and they tend to focus strictly on making a sale, not on building a long term relationship with their customers. I suppose that because cars are purchased infrequently, and many customers are intimidated by the whole decision making and buying process, dealers feel that they can use pushy tactics and play games. I really don't know what they think they are gaining by doing this. It seems like a better approach would be to make the buying process easier on customers so that they are more comfortable with their final decision. Treating customers with fairness, respect, and honesty will also likely lead to repeat sales and recommendations to friends, even if it is 3, 5, or 10 years down the road. I'm sure the short-sighted, game playing approach is a reason why a lot of dealers have gone out of business.

 

[bretfraz]

As a car salesman, let me throw in my 2 cents.


If you stated you only wanted to communicate via email, that request should have been honored. The problem most salespeople have with email is the amount of elapsed time a conversation takes. What takes 30 seconds over the phone can take days via email. Every salesperson wants to know the same thing, "Is this a serious buyer?" A quick phone call can answer that question.

Just because you have a computer, an internet connection, and a valid email account, they do not mean you are a potential customer. I have absolutely no idea who you are as a human being. Email may be convenient for some but it is terribly impersonal. A phone call is not perfect but it's better than text on a screen, which is all any of you are, even now. Goes for me, too.

Most email leads go nowhere. I take them seriously and follow up every one, but they can be huge time wasters. This month I have sold a couple of cars from email leads, but all were converted to phone interactions immediately. Also this month I've had leads for a $33,000 Infiniti G37S that was from a 15 yr old girl, and a "serious buyer" lead from a 19 yr old guy who wanted me to transfer a car for him, but had zero credit history, could not prove income, and wanted a loan for $20,000+ with $500 down. I am working an email customer now that has taken me 2 weeks just to get him into the store to see a couple cars. Yeah, it's part of the business, you don't have to tell me.

I get requests for vehicle history reports all the time. We offer free Autocheck reports on every car. The links are on our website. When someone asks for one, I just refer them back to the car they were looking at and tell them to click on the link. Apparently, the Cadillac dealer doesn't offer this. Honestly, if a CarFax was so important to you, just buy it, or do business with someone who will provide it upfront at no charge. I don't see a reason to get in a huff or go into a I-hate-car-salespeople rant. Just go to another dealer.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: bigmike
In my line of work, email is the priority communicative tool.


Not when I'm buying a $100K switch or router it isn't!! You better come to my office and tell me how company X builds a better mousetrap, AND TAKE ME TO LUNCH, otherwise you ain't got a chance :-D


You must be a consultant too!

However, I just completed a 45k order that was sent in via FAX. I'm all for lunch though!


This is awesome. I've got a lunch deal this week with an ISP actually

They are in the midst of a huge changeover from Cisco to Juniper. I'm a Cisco guy, and we've got a LOT of business with them. I have no issue with Juniper though. They make good equipment and this changeover should have ZERO impact on us.

 

[BearZDefect]

bretfraz,

I agree with your points.

My experience at Paul Miller Ford here in Lexington had nothing to do with email. Summer 2008 I was in the market, so I walked into their show floor. Nobody came up to me. I walked up to the only person in sight and asked for a sales person.

A few minutes later a young buck wanders over and asks if he can help. I tell him I'd like to check out a Focus with MT.

He shows me a demo car squeezed in a tight spot in their lot. After looking it over I ask to drive it, but ask him to pull it out of the lot since it is so close to their other vehicles.

After he pulls it out to the open parking he doesn't let me drive. Ok, I thought to myself, I'll try out the back seat while he drives it to his launch point.

He drives and drives. I ask when I get to drive, because I want to test DRIVE the car. He asks me to wait. Finally, he pulls over in a TV station parking lot on the edge of town.

So, now I get to drive it back to the dealer lot. Fine, but the kid wasted that 10 minutes for what? To show me he could drive a manual transmission?

Needless to say, although I liked the driving dynamics of the Focus I never bothered to return to Paul Miller Ford.


Contrast that with the next summer when I went with a friend of mine to buy a car at Crossroads Ford in Frankfort. Only problem there was the business lady who makes you sign the paperwork made us wait for two hours. Salespeople were very fine.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect


He drives and drives. I ask when I get to drive, because I want to test DRIVE the car. He asks me to wait. Finally, he pulls over in a TV station parking lot on the edge of town.

So, now I get to drive it back to the dealer lot. Fine, but the kid wasted that 10 minutes for what? To show me he could drive a manual transmission?


I have never heard of the salesperson doing the test drive. That doesn't even make sense!

 

[bubbatime]

I am going through this process now. Only one dealership out of 5 or 6 even gave me a price on the new car I was looking at. The rest all said, come on down, I'm sure that you will find something you like on the lot. Idiots...

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
The rest all said, come on down, I'm sure that you will find something you like on the lot. Idiots...


That probably works for a lot of people who just want "a car." Many people will shop around more for a washing machine than they will a car.

Honestly, the best dealer experience I have ever had was at a small used car lot. I was looking for my first truck. I went in and told the guy I wanted a Ranger with a manual transmission and less than 100K miles. They didn't have one, but the owner of the dealer actually wrote down what I was looking for and said at the next auction he would look for what I wanted. He also said "you will probably find the truck you want at another dealer today." He was right. Because he was honest and didn't try to play games, I actually called him and told him that I did find what I was looking for so that he wouldn't spend his time looking for a truck for me.