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Improving the Car Sales Experience
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If I ask you "Have you got any idea what your car's worth, have you got a price from anyone else, what have you got?" what do you think? I legitimately need that kind of information, but are you comfortable giving it?
Like others I'd think it's your job to tell me based on the condition/mileage/age etc of my individual car. I may have an approximate value already, or a figure that I want for it but to me a question like that reads like "how much can I take you for?"
When I ask you "are you looking to place an order today?", how many of you really are? Does it take 2 or 3 interactions before you make up your mind, or do you walk in with chequebook in hand?
For most people buying a new(er) car is a big (expensive) decision. Per your post above you may not see this as much as you're selling Audis, but for me I'll probably need more than the one or two visits - those other visits may be to other dealers though.
How important is a test-drive (depending on the car, obviously)? How important is it that you get a test-drive immediately, or do you mind being re-appointed?
Given that my last 3 cars have been automatic, and Ireland's historic dislike of these, I wouldn't be too put out if you didn't have the exact version I wanted to hand, but in a bigger dealer I'd expect something similar to be available.
If I don't have the car to test-drive, what do you do? Do you head to my competitor's garage and test-drive there or do you give me a chance to organise the drive?
Depends on the timeframe and how much time I have as well. I may go test it elsewhere but it won't impact where I buy it from.
]How long will you wait in a showroom before you'll get pissed off?
If I walk in and things are busy I'm happy to browse/have a read of the brochures. After a few minutes I'd expect to be at least acknowledged and given an idea of how long I'll be waiting.
If on the other hand the place is quiet and the salesmen are chatting amongst themselves I'd expect to be approached fairly quickly.
How many dealers do you normally go to before you make your decision?
Are they all the same make or do you go to several competing makes?
As above I'll probably go to several dealers but I'll already have a particular brand/model in mind before I come in.
How much shopping have you done before you get to the dealership?
I'll have checked prices and spec online, looked for the "known issues" on forums, guaged owner feedback etc
If you come in looking for a brochure or price list, should I just give you them or should I presume that you're here to buy and I should actually start SELLING?
As others, just give me the details. Feel free of course to introduce yourself, give me your card, inform me of any genuine deals you may have on what I'm interested in but leave the sales pitch until I start asking pointed questions.
How much research do you do on the internet? What are your gripes/praise for the amount and type of information available on the internet? What would you like to see on dealer/manufacturer websites that isnt' there currently?
As above, I do a lot of preliminary research online. Most of it is pretty good.
How many of you go to a dealer to get a trade-in price with no intention of buying a car from that dealer?
Done it once or twice. Per my original point, it's a big decision for most people. I did however bring my 02 Passat in for a quick assessment to a main VW dealer a while back only to be told "oh we don't deal with something that old ourselves but I'll ring a garage we deal with and get back to you" - which never happened.
Do you want the bottom line price immediately or is it important to haggle?
Bottom line. Of course I'll never get it, but I'll have a figure I want to pay in mind and a margin to play with around that. I'd rather cut out the wasted haggling time.
Are things like children's play areas, cappuchino machines and couches important to you? If you were designing your perfect showroom, what would you put in it?
No real interest to me. Somewhere comfortable to sit down if I'll be waiting is good but that's about it.
At the moment, how well do you think your dealer/salesperson knows you - hobbies, family etc.?
Well the guy I bought my current Passat from knows me pretty well, but that's because I've been back to him too many times with problems
How well do you want them to know you? Do you want a "relationship" or do you just want the car?
A bit of banter and honesty goes a long way. If I feel like I got a good deal from you and the experience generally was good I'll come back to you next time or refer others. But at the end of the day, I'm there to buy a car, not make a new best friend.
EDIT: After-sales experience is also key. If I do run into any issues, how you deal with those will be a BIG factor in whether I come back to you next time or recommend you to others.
Follow-up question: If you walk into a showroom and all the salespeople are busy with someone, would you take it upon yourself to take a seat/grab a magazine and wait to be looked after, or would some form of "greeter" be of any comfort to you - someone to say you'll be looked after next and who can get you brochures etc.?
As above, I don't mind waiting, but to be acknowledged and given an idea of my place in the queue is a must.
Follow-up question: you bought your car from x garage. Do you go to x first before shopping around, or do you shop the other dealers first so you have ammo/information when you get to x? Is there any inclination there to deal with the same person as last time?
See my point above
Follow up question: If I have a bottom line price in my head (and I mean ROCK BOTTOM), how much leeway should I build in? Would beating me down by €500 make you feel like you made a good deal, or do you want €1,000.
Bear in mind the product that I sell and the cost of it when you're answering...
As above I'll have an idea of how much I'm prepared to pay with some leeway built in. Of course I realise you have to make some money too, but if I've come back to you twice/three times then I'm obviously interested in buying the car from you. Theatrics like "ok let me talk to the manager and see what I can do" etc don't impress me.
Really surprised at this. Could be a brand thing though.
I have this image in my head of my customers - they're successful middle-management or company directors, they're spending €35,000+ on a new car. They take nice holidays and stay in good hotels. They have nice clothes and are well respected in the companies they work for.
If they get a certain level of service from the Hilton/Radisson, would they not expect to get the same service and comfort from their motor-dealer?
Am I wrong? Is it just about the deal?
As I mentioned above, because of the car you're selling you may well be getting a lot of customers like this but I'd imagine that to most people (even the more well off ones), buying a new car is a fairly big thing. To that end they're going to be more interested in the deal than where the coffee machine is.
As for not returning phone calls, I'm guilty of this too. I don't know why.
I've moved from an office job where everything was within my control and I could prioritise easily to a customer facing job where it's much harder to control your time - I started typing an email with some leasing quotes to a customer around 10am yesterday, with interruptions (i.e. customers) etc. it was 3pm before I hit send.
There is no excuse for not returning calls or keeping promises though.
Absolutely. I work in IT myself and like you, it often takes several attempts to send a simple e-mail sometimes, but if you promise to do so or call someone back then do. Otherwise a customer will go elsewhere.0 -
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Join Date:Posts: 10662
Thanks, I'm finding it to be a VERY worthwhile exercise.
Thank you all for your help!
I don't think this is dealer (or even industry) specific. There's nothing I hate more than being sold something I don't want.
If you don't have what I want, feel free to offer alternatives, but demonstrate that you understood the requirements in the first place.
I don't think I'm guilty of this, I hope not...
Follow up question: The "proper way to sell a car" says to start off by sitting the customer down and getting their requirements (qualification) before showing them a car. That would stop this kind of thing from happening.
If you walk into a showroom and say "Can you show me the A4 you have parked outside?" and I reply "yes, of course. Come have a seat with me first while I get some information", does it feel natural/pressured/unnecessary? How would you prefer me to handle this situation - bear in mind that if I just bring you out straight away that I've taken no time to assess your requirements and if I sit you down straight away I've basically said "no, you can't see that car 'till you've jumped through these hoops"...
If I walk into the showroom and ask you to show me the A4 parked outside though, you would know my general requirements as it's a specific car (year/model/spec etc.). I don't like sitting down at desks in showrooms when I'm just looking TBH. I do like sitting down when I'm actually buying something big (except in PC World where they want to sell you even more stuff when you sit down i.e. insurance!!!).
Instead of asking to see a specific car (I didn't see any suitable cars on the forecourt), I asked the sales guy if he had any '02/'03 vintage A4s. Pretty specific. That's all he needs to know at that point. If the roles were reversed, I'd immediately have guessed "this guy wants a 4/5 year old A4, he's got approx €18k to €22k to spend give or take. He's specific about the year (means he's done some homework) so I doubt he'll want a new car for €42k". Further information can be got by having a chat while looking at the car (but not driving **). No need for sitting down at desks like an interview, and definitely no need to finance people to be around.
** Leads me to a real pet hate - car sales people talking continuously while you are driving a car, especially a 2nd hand one where you are trying to listen out for every sound and also getting used to a different clutch, steering, brake etc.. :mad:0 -
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I think a little acknowledgement that you've seen the person, and someone will be along shortly to help is important. Personally I think it's a great opportunity to poke around the showroom models (even the ones I'm not interested in) without someone prattling sales-talk in my ear the whole time.Follow-up question: If you walk into a showroom and all the salespeople are busy with someone, would you take it upon yourself to take a seat/grab a magazine and wait to be looked after, or would some form of "greeter" be of any comfort to you - someone to say you'll be looked after next and who can get you brochures etc.?
So I think there must be a happy medium between being completely ignored, and exploration time....
I go to other dealers first, so at least I know in my own head what the deal I'm being offered is like - provided of course, any queries, issues etc in-between have been satisfactorily dealt withFollow-up question: you bought your car from x garage. Do you go to x first before shopping around, or do you shop the other dealers first so you have ammo/information when you get to x? Is there any inclination there to deal with the same person as last time?
(and that I haven't discovered in the meantime that that dealer screwed me the last time
)
Question back to you, AudiChris :
I pull into your dealership with a car of the same marque BUT with livery (numberplate surrounds, sticker in back window, insurance disk holder or whatever) from another dealer for the same marque.
Does this effect how you will treat negotiate with me?
Will you push harder to do a deal to "steal" me away from your rival?
Or will you just assume that I'll go back to my own guy anyway?
(bearing in mind I may have had bad experiences since buying the car)
It's all about the deal!!!!I have this image in my head of my customers - they're successful middle-management or company directors, they're spending €35,000+ on a new car. They take nice holidays and stay in good hotels. They have nice clothes and are well respected in the companies they work for.
If they get a certain level of service from the Hilton/Radisson, would they not expect to get the same service and comfort from their motor-dealer?
Am I wrong? Is it just about the deal?
If I'm comparing two dealers that are €500 apart, will I give business to the more expensive one cos they had nice coffee?0 -
You're at an upper end of the market, so don't be afraid to say (as was said to me at a BMW dealers) when looking at a trade-in : "we wouldn't retail anything that old/that make, so I won't be able to give you as much as an abc dealer". You're being honest and they'll know by looking at the forecourt that you're not bluffing
In the particular case I'd seen a 00 5 Series on their website, which was there to his bemusement when the salesman checked. He told me when I first enquired that "We don't retail anything more than 3 years old" which was bordering on riduculous, but there is a tolerable level of such cherrypicking.
AS regards haggling space. On something like an A5, I'd leave €6-€7k once all the extras like leather and such are added (including trade in margin). The same BMW dealer mentioned abover climbed down this much on a 325 Coupe with a hammered old Picnic as a trade in last year...on your standard A4, move less on price, but throw a few more goodies at them and be willing to move about €1500 on price.
If I was spending €7-€8k on a car I'd expect to get €500 off.
Will you be buying today??
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Do NOT ask this question. Are you in a hurry to buy? is much less confrontational
First of all ask what kind of car they're after,
-if it's secondhand say (if it's the case) that you have a number in stock, but if they don't suit, you'll call if you get another one in if they can wait.
-If they're after a new one, ask if they're interested in the demos or would they like to order from the factory, that way you get an idea of when your time will pay off.
Someone who's not buying til' 09 is still valuable as there may be very little market for new Audi's in 09 and if you can get the order now, it's a step towards next years target.
Have baby booster seats for people with kids coming along, ask for the kids opinion (apparently kids now control 45% of large household financial decisions via pesterpower), because if the parents see you paying attention to the kids, you're probably the type of guy they can identify with and want to do business with...and especially with people who have kids...be the 1% of the industry who can explain what ISOFIX is in plain English.
Be able to explain the difference between the engine power of the 2.0 TDI 120, 143, 170....again product knowledge, but know how to sell the 170 for the sake of us who'll be buying secondhand in a few years
I know of a particular VAG dealer where the sales treatment is that the kids are to be ignored and the wife is only here to pick the colour, so we don't need to talk to them....I passed a couple who experienced that when looking at a Polo on to a salesman in the garage I was working in who sold a Fiat Punto after I'd taken them for a test drive and had a good chat. They bought there and then and collected it 3 days later.
Bottom line. Money's important, but what makes the deal is the human touch.
Edit:
And no, the salesman never needs to drive the car in the course of an ordinary test drive0 -
Will you be buying today??
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Do NOT ask this question. Are you in a hurry to buy? is much less confrontational
Be able to explain the difference between the engine power of the 2.0 TDI 120, 143, 170....again product knowledge, but know how to sell the 170 for the sake of us who'll be buying secondhand in a few years
I'd agree with those points, they're important.Edit:
And no, the salesman never needs to drive the car in the course of an ordinary test drive
I agree with this too, I'm baffled at that statement. If I asked for a test drive (which I hate having to do, I should be offered one - makes me feel like a beggar if I have to ask), and the salesman started heading for the drivers seat, I'd nearly ask him what he was at.0 -
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waaay to "touchy-feely" for my liking, this kind of "salesmanship".
To me a car salesperson has to know their stuff, answer my (technical)questions with competence and to my satisfaction (and truthfully !) and otherwise cut the bull.
On the testdrive the salesperson is there only to ensure that I don't take off with the car and to answer any questions that I may have ...otherwise they're to keep shtumm.
At the end of it all, I want concise information about delivery times/options and the best price without theater or turkish bazaar shenanigans.
I'm there to buy a car, not a lifestyle experience.
Personally, if I buy a car (new or second hand), I make the "lifestyly" decisions when I make my shortlist ...some cars make the list, others won't.
Talking to the salesperson / doing the test drive then only decides which car on the shortlist wins on price and on how much I like it.
Fair 'nuff.
I'm trying to temper the stuff I'm being taught with the experiences and opinions of actual customers. All your comments are welcome and I'm learning a lot. I'm trying to respond with a salesperson's perspective to show why something is done, or why it has traditionally been done to see if it makes any sense.
I don't agree with everything I've read here and I don't want to answer every point - you don't learn when your talking - and I don't want to get defensive...
More please!!:D:D 0 -
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