SiR_YO

who is this?

Buddah

Having worked for your sister dealership for 2 years, I agree with Sirberner. Each department is looking out for themselves. With your sister dealership, I too felt the 'push' to sell. And I understand the salesperson's position...each is given a quota. You've gotta meet the quota so, you're gonna push the sale. You're gonna talk to your department heads and get the best deal without sacrificing your commission for the customer and get as many accessories you can for the customer to help convince him/her to buy. In doing so, that's sorta pushing a sale in a sense. Especially, (I've only seen one person at my dealership do it), if you offer a even better deal if you buy right now...without shopping around and going home to think about it - that's retarded. I've heard it from sales peoples mouths coming to my counter telling me, as soon as this guy buys this car, I'm done with him...I just want him outta here...he wants everything for free. I think that's not the right attitude.

And another thing, I don't know if this works the same at your dealership but, each salesperson is put on a list. As each customer comes in, they go to the next person on the list and so on. If you are dealing with a customer who may or may not have bought a car from you about a problem they are having, the salespeople I've seen just pass them on to another person or ask them to talk to the receptionist to figure out who they need. Because if you're busy dealing with them, you get skipped in the line and the next potential customer goes to the next person on the list. That's wrong. That's not customer service at all. That's called passing the buck.

just my 2 cents.

p.s. YES, TRUST NO ONE !!! lol.

Shazza

i got my civic at Markham Honda and I'll never go there again to buy a car (besides for the fact that Ed works at a Honda).

the sales guy wasn't all that knowledgeable and didn't explain any of the features of the civic (i bought it b/c i already knew i wanted it). he didn't even explain anything about the car. he definitely wouldn't have made the sale if i didn't already know i wanted it. all we did was work out numbers. but what really got me disappointed in the whole experience was the sales manager...like everyone said...they're all nice and friendly when you're buying the car, but afterwards, they're dicks...complete dicks...they don't even recognize you once the keys are in your hands.

the service ppl were always nice to me...gave me free stuff here and there without me having to ask for it. but i agree that the service at dealerships takes WAAAAAAY too frickin long.

SiR_YO

at the end of the day the management can only do so much as well... the salesguys (at least at our dealership) have ZERO authority as far as discounts and what not... that being said, we can obviously try and fight for the "best price" for each customer, but that's the problem... what's "best price"? how can you even define that... and some dealerships again will have more of an incentive to get rid of a certain car, and possibly even LOSE money on the car just to get rid of it... but it still comes to Supply and Demand, and all the dealers still pay the same amount for each car.....

DumbasSi

The actual price of the car I could care less about. Ive never tried to bargain down or get the car for a lower price. I like extra stuff like free tint, oil changes or discounts on service or parts. They can easily control those things. A better price on my trade in or a lower interest rate peaks my interest more then a few hundred off the msrp.

cibs

For me Ed, guarantees don't mean much anymore in the world of car sales... I've heard all the guarantees under the sun it would seem, and time after time they haven't delivered...

things like #1 in the province doesn't mean anything to me, because what does that really mean? and who did the research? It's very easy to twist the truth using stats and rankings..

Just simple things like getting a loaner car if you need it and have it be 'equal' to the car you have... if you have a midsize car, get a midsize loaner... places i've been to in the US give out RDXs as loaners, or TSXs as loaners - what better way to get someone hyped about a new car than to have them 'test drive' it for a day. Here they give you the crappiest car they can spare for the day... the best I've ever gotten here was a CSX for my TSX... at the Honda dealership a few times I got older model DOMESTIC or other brand vehicles... like Nissans... WTF is that?

Same thing goes for waiting areas, and availability of coffee, tea, juice etc... a day old pot of coffee sitting in the waiting area does nothing for me. IMO service at a dealership already costs $$$$$$- why not give people a few more reasons to take their car there and part with their money more willingly?

And yeah throwing in things like all-season mats, tint, etc... a better lease rate or whatever and even as simple as chatting up the customer when they're in for service always make a nice impression. One sales guy at Acura 2000 comes up to talk to me everytime I'm in for service cuz he likes how my TSX is lowered, we shoot the **** about everything, and even though I didn't buy the car from him, he never tries to push anything just talks. I feel like I have a 'relationship' with him lol... i think that's the key. The guy that sold my car lives fairly close to me, if I need to get my car serviced he'll let me borrow his car for the day and he brings my car back from the dealership after work and I can go over in the evening and we swap back.

That's ****ing service. Too bad he doesn't work out of the dealership much anymore (fleet sales/leasing)...

Nova_Dust

I believe it goes both ways, you need good customer and a good sales to make the chemistry work. Customer who bargins to the teeth to save a dollar and asks for every free items known to men; or a sales person who sees the work as a pay cheque every two weeks - well, that won't work at all.

If you are willing to spend the money, spend it without doubt. If you want to earn the money, earn it with respect.

Double B

http://www.stservicemovie.com/

Nuff said!

cibs

^^ nice vid Brian...

that's it right there... memories.. create an experience not merely a transaction

J-SKI

sales people are sales people and that's how they are taught to make money, push for the sale. That ish don't bother me though, i'm not a pushover. I let them know i'm in control and i usually have more papers/info then them when i go. They try but they are quickly put in their place. Confidence is key as they prey on the weak! I'll prolly end up selling them something before they sell me something!

Double B

Push the sales is one thing, but word of mouth is even better. Can't make sales if you don't have people or return customers. If you do a good job in selling something, and people are pleased with the service, chances are, they will pass the word around and they will return as a customer.

When I worked part time at future shop, the way it worked then for commisions was, if someone returned their product you sold, so does the commission. So just by your definition, if I sold a 1000 dollar camera when a 500 one would have been sufficient, and they returned it and didn't bother buying another one, or buy from someone else in the store, then to me, I haven't done my job and I lose out on my pay.

To me it is more than just selling the product, its about the overall experience that can continue even after you sell the product.

^^^ go watch the video above..........

J-SKI

WELL SAID...full service includes after sales service and without that there is no future service. i see both ends of the spectrum and i have done sales before too. I could prolly sell a broken shoe. with car dealers though, i don't have time for their crap and the majority seem to have it. there are so great salemens out their at dealerships and they ofcourse are the ones that are most successfull. they don't mind helping out after the sale!

Double B

I agree as well about the car dealership. My first instinct is to test a car and if I am not buying to let them know up front. I think we all get very defensive with car salesperson and its automatic. But imagine if a salesperson were to do something different and just catch you off guard, and make you think.......... ok, lets see where this is going. Don't you think that might make a difference in a customer when they are there? If you can stand out of the pack of car salespersons, and you give great customer service, I think you will be ahead of the game. That goes for all types of sales business

Cynikal.Mindset

stealerships suck...for the consumer and the employee and thats the bottom line...everybody is very disposable and everybody suffers in the end

Adair

Matthew makes a valid point.

szuberi

just found this thread....hmmmmmm...i can write so much here. all fresh experience

fingolfin

FTD

I hate stealerships...
they ACTUALLY think their prices are competitive. Example, I needed to get my shafts done for my civic, when to Richmond Hill honda. was told it will be (i think) $600 and I would have to leave my car.

They wouldn't give me a loaner for the day AND they wouldn't give me a lift home because their driver didn't come it.

I left and did it myself. Parts ran me $160 my mechanic said $100 labour for both sides.

FTD

gotti78

iTrader: (1)

I actually just bought my first brand new car, I did'nt wanna make a big purchase untill after I had a house and crap like that so now that I moved into my new house last Feb I was ready for a new car.
I ordered the new 08 Mercedes C350 in Sept and I was more then pleaseed with the amazing service of the Mercedes Maple dealership. The only thing I did'nt like is they were not willing to negotiate price at all not even 500.00 off becuase they knew there was gonna be alot of demand for this car. So even after i ordered the car, and I had about 5 months wait for the car to be delivered. At anytime they said I could have my deposit back becuase people were willing to take my space inline, I did'nt like that.

I went to Marenello BMW just to compare prices and look @ the new 335i and I was there 40 min and noone wanted to help me out because i drove there in my 95 civic.

So even though the prices on the BMW dropped alot and the wait times were less I am happy staying with MB.

Double B

There is another interesting point. Different class of dealerships in relation to the type of car you buy.

CivicGurl

That's a great video Brian. We were shown that one at a department meeting last year.