OK so I needed to get some screen wash as Janas' tear ducts were getting dry, I was also getting some for my work colleague who had a Fabia estate so 4L in all, she also only uses the VAG stuff. I also wanted to get some anti freeze to top up just in case.

Note, I was wearing non ripped jeans and dressed smart casual and did not have a tie on but did have a smart shirt with a collar.

Stop One: The Skoda Dealer

I popped into my local (for work) Skoda dealer, as usual very friendly and helpful as always and procured the correct purple VAG antifreeze as appropriate for young Jana after providing the dealer with her registration number. This would be the stuff she was weened on as a cub. Screen wash, well they didn't have any of the VAG stuff that I have used for the last 3 years, you know that nice smelling stuff thats good for -70 degrees C neat but did offer a an alternative that I decided to pass on. Money exchanged, a kind thank you and I left to find the next VAG dealer in the area.

Stop Two: The Audi Dealer

One or two Audi drones dressed in a manner that would not be out of place in audition for the next Men in Black film were seemingly policing the car park by inadvertently guiding some cars to park away from the showroom entrance. I may be wrong on this and may be pure coincidence that someone walked to and stood in the free spaces near the building and then onto the next free space until we were out of view of the show room. Never mind I thought, they must be waiting for a new delivery or something.

On entering the spotless building that looked so clean that you could have performed major surgery in with a zero risk of infection via the main entrance (no separate quick service parts door here) another set of MIB suited drones that were casually walking round the show cars removing the odd imaginary finger print with a well ironed shiny handkerchief dispersed in a manner that would fit the the hospital car park scene in the film 'The Game'.... Apart from the 2 poor girls at the customer service desk, one of which with incredible hearing clocked me and picked up the phone and started talking, a tad odd as I didn't hear the phone ring (my ears are not what they used to be), the other who clocked me a tad later looked around then very politely and in the best Queens English asked if she could help. I asked for the parts and service area as I wanted that good old screen wash, she directed me to a seating area away from the cars to wait and said a service engineer would be with me shortly. Instead of sitting in the area directed I sat on the comfy showroom sofa close by where I could watch a large screen TV showing people discussing investments. A short time later a young man asked what I wanted, 'VAG screen wash' I said. In a split second the lad was gone! Less than a minute later he appeared again quoting a price of £4.50 or there about (a fair bit more than the price I'd got from Mr VW on the phone) and when quizzed on a possible discount for 4L of the stuff he dematerialized in a flash. Just as I was taking in the next suggested investment opportunity from the chap on the telly (who oddly looked like one of the show room drones but a tad older and slightly orange) the young service bod re-appeared and said no discount. After mentioning the quoted price from Mr Vee Dub the lad said that was the price and that was that. I left the building feeling that some sort of tension among the staff was dissipating as I left as the sales drones re appeared to remove more imaginary finger prints.

Stop Three: The VW Dealer

After finding a parking spot I ventured into the main entrance and inquired about the location of the parts dept. Upon guidance from the VW bod I found the spares door in the annex to the showroom. 4L bottles of VAG screen wash ordered and 4L arrived. I also got 10% discount which made the cost per liter bottle £3.75, Job done. This was identical to the good service I experienced from my local Seat dealer, no messing around and a discount for four 4L bottles. Jana is now happy to have her eye drops replenished.

Conclusion:

Skoda are down to earth and if they don't have what you want they will offer an alternative. VW like Seat were direct and helpful with out an attitude. I know where I'll be spending my money in the future. As for Audi, I'll dig out my MIB suit next time.

It's funny that some dealers are incredibly sterile, and not actually able to be human when buying the simplest things!

Although I've popped into a Mercedes dealer a few times and they've always been very open and helpful. I guess there is a standard of the way they have to present themselves too, similar to how you feel out of place walking into a upmarket store in just joggers or casual clothes!

Just because they have been trained to not crack a joke, or anything!

A very personal (& no doubt truthful) experience. However having owned a few Skoda's & Audi's, my experience has been a mixed bag and certainly not badge dependant.

Have used both Audi & Skoda dealerships local to me & found them equally poor, more so the Skoda dealer.

I use to travel to Lincoln to get the Skoda serviced, 120 mile round trip just to avoid the local Skoda dealer.

Whilst there I bought my latest Audi & found them equally attentive and polite. Both might I had seemed to be encased in the surgical buildings you talk of. A current trend

Popped into my local Jaguar dealer, the man on the service desk was drinking out of a mug that said HOT WATER (with no space) on it in big black letters, except when a hot liquid was put into it the letters HO ER changed to the same colour as the mug. I did laugh.

I don't think that the folks at Audi have ever got over the Skoda badge appearing on parts of their cars and the spares packaging.

Hiya,

Your not the only one. A few years ago I got a promotion to technical manager, with this came the company car allowance. So off I sauntered to nearest Audi dealer with wife and kiddy. We were going to get an Audi A4 estate, I'd made it!!!! I wanted everyone to know, with my exclusive Audi :-) We walked in, salesman barely looked up from his desk I enquired about an A4? Salesman looked briefly up from his crossword, I think I heard a muttering....By this time I was getting a little agitated. So I asked firmly for the price list and option list. He looked up again and actually moved!!! Picked up the items and slung them on the desk. OK red mist, I turned around apologized to my wife and kiddy for what I was about to say....A few expletives later and a throwing of my business card at saideth ******, with a statement about the car allowance amount. His manager by this time had approached, because of the commotion. He tried to apologize, and mentioned that they had a lot of time wasters lately. However I was far from amicable, because I wanted to know why he classed me as one? He then looked at my son, yes he was a tad bit grubby since he had only just finished football practice. At this moment err still being my usual calm and controlled self, I picked up the brochure and price list and stated you can shove these where the sun doesn't shine!!! Promptly I ripped them in half, then threw them at them. Turned calmly away and drove to the Skoda dealer. Never gone into an Audi dealer again and I'm on my third Skoda. The moral if there is one is, yes we can afford an Audi, but some of us don't want one!!! Hyundai dealer did something similar recently it was enough for me to see the error of my ways, and purchase my second Yeti.

Br

JeZ

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

A very personal (& no doubt truthful) experience. However having owned a few Skoda's & Audi's, my experience has been a mixed bag and certainly not badge dependant.

Have used both Audi & Skoda dealerships local to me & found them equally poor, more so the Skoda dealer.

I use to travel to Lincoln to get the Skoda serviced, 120 mile round trip just to avoid the local Skoda dealer.

Whilst there I bought my latest Audi & found them equally attentive and polite. Both might I had seemed to be encased in the surgical buildings you talk of. A current trend

Yup, I too have encountered totally different experiences at many dealers of different brands over the years but the contrast in customer interaction and pricing of the same VAG items from one brand dealer to another within a 3 mile distance within the same day is a tad unusual to say the least. At least Seat, Skoda and VW seem to be aligned in the prices it's just odd that it's more expensive in an Audi dealer (if you are dressed casual that is) not that I'm insinuating anything anti Audi here of course. If Audi made a version of the Yeti I'd still buy the Skoda in a heartbeat.

If Audi made a version of the Yeti I'd still buy the Skoda in a heartbeat.

If skoda made a version of an S4 I'd buy that too

Don't think it's you at all. Probably like some of their drivers- 'aspiring'to be something they are not - perhaps they want to be a porsche dealer!

Gotta say, the Porsche dealers I've been to are pretty easy places to be in - even in ripped jeans - no judgement calls at all. The Audi dealers I went into recently (and to a slightly lesser extent VW) were not good; aloof, not interested and lacking in any passion for the product. The Skoda guys were brilliant, despite being French! Result first Yeti on its way :-)

An old friend went into the local BMW dealers to buy a new 5 series....in his bus drivers uniform. They completely ignored him and refused to take his enquiry seriously.

Personally I would have never darkened their door again....but he returned in 'civies' and purchased.

Experience in France,different environment, always found very obliging helpful service - think UK as a whole need to send staff on training courses in France maybe then things would change, ie no assumption of social level etc my now sadly deceased wife always used to say 'its them as as their ars*es hanging out their trousers as have the money' - she was born sth london and knew a bit 'bout life!

Oh yes, the Stafford Audi dealership when I asked about audio options available, so that I could see what modifications I could use on the Yeti.

The answer from the salesman was 'There are no options, only what is specified on the car', really, no optional extras on an Audi ?

Very interesting reading.

A (sort of) personal experience. A mate was looking at a new (6 month old) R8, found one localish to us and thought we'd go and have a look. The guys got some serious dough but rather than taking his 911, we opted for the Nissan truck thing that he uses on his land, yep, a bit rough around the edges but still looks half decent.

Anyway, we pulled up at the Audi dealership and could see a couple of 'parking wombles' frantically pulling their hair out as the didn't want the sight of it anywhere near the showroom, same as the OP. Finally got parked and waltzed straight over to Mr Salesman, who clearly had just had colonic irrigation or a broom stuck up his 4rse.

Being a bit brash, my mate says "that R8, let me take it for a spin and as long as I like it, I'll buy it"!

"Erm, no sir, you will need to book a test drive"

"Why, it's sitting there waiting for me"?

"Erm, urgh, well, it's, err, it's our policy"!

During this conversation I was quite happy to stroll around the showroom, flicking through used Audis elsewhere, whilst trying to avoid being ushered out of the door.

Found one a couple of hundred miles away, exactly what he wants. Mate comes over absolutely fuming, so I tell him about the other. Anyway a quick call to the other sales chap who says it's still available, we say that we might come up, end of.

Sat in the car park thinking it over and thought, why not, let's go for a drive.

Long story short. We get to the other dealership, a quick poke around and the same start to the conversation (little did the bloke know that he had taken the call from me) so...

"That R8, I want to drive it"

"OK, license, blah blah blah"

Test drive done, deal done!! The salesman couldn't have been any better.

A few weeks later we had to visit the first showroom again for some bits and pieces, needless to say that Mr Broom up his backsides face was a picture when he saw the new motor outside.

My mate did pull him to one side and (excluding the expletives) just said that anyone walking in here is a potential customer and you did yourself up like a kipper.

My personal belief is that it's a ploy to control the sale. I also think in some cases, that unless you turn up in a Barbour jacket, you wear country casual slacks, and have brogues on, that they don't think you have the money. Personally I don't like this attitude, so I won't pay them any credence.

BR

JeZ

I've had a similar negative experience in a Ford showroom. Which is now our new Waitrose. What goes round, comes round.

I've had a similar negative experience in a Ford showroom. Which is now our new Waitrose. What goes round, comes round.

Hopefully Ford staff now employed shelf filling and still getting it wrong?

to be fair most car dealers are bad, my local skoda dealer is terrible.

back to OP.

Maybe all the Audi drivers have realised that Skoda sell the same stuff cheaper and are buying it from Skoda

Sales is a process, and the step after attracting the prospective customer through the door is called "qualifying" - do you qualify as a potential customer, have the budget or finance means, need to buy, etc. I would not at all be surprised if certain makes / franchises encouraged a sales attitude of targeting (qualifying for) the "Tim Nice But Dim" variety of customer!

I have a friend who used to be a salesman at the Rolls Royce, Bentley and Ferrari dealership in Knutsford. They used to have a simple attitude to customers "Sir, are you paying cash or card?" Didn't really matter how they were dressed. He said that sometimes the better dressed were the biggest timewasters.

My point exactly!

Years ago, looking to replace a Mk2 Golf with something a little larger bmw 320touring, visited the dealership in Cheltenham in jeans and tee shirt etc wife similarly clothed having just been on field trip to Nord/Pas de Calais with her students(I was driver ) Sales Executive had no time for us, promised to ring her at college, didn't happen however we then drove to Swindon, Richard(shortened form) Lovetts BMW/Porche/ Aston Martin dealership. A completely different attitude , coffee , buns etc very helpfull, we bought a 944 instead of the beamer - justification being, ideal family car, we had to leave the little b*ggers at home and the Golf carried on sterling work it had 350000 mls on it when sold on (after 12 years service)

My last but one good experience was DL's in Swindon - they make you feel relaxed about emptying your bank account - nice relaxed, but passionate bunch of people - the last good experience was Skoda at Pau, same passion, lighter budget :-)

I had some mixed experiences last year when I was looking around to see if I wanted anything else other than another Yeti.

Jaguar - great. Friendly, helpful, brilliant.

Mercedes - a bit of hassle getting the test drive booked but then very good.

Infiniti - a lovely experience, very relaxed.

Volvo - didn't have the model I wanted to try, said two other people had asked, no interest in getting one in

VW - refused me a test drive (in a Passat!) claiming they didn't have one - it was right there on the forecourt. Grudglingly arranged one at the nearest other VW dealer who had lost it, then found it, then said we could only do half a mile up and down the road.

Skoda - lovely, sent us off in an Octy VRS, a Superb and a Yeti for as long as we needed.

So it's not all bad, but I don't think I'll bother trying VW or Volvo again. My one experience with a Porsche dealer was very good too - they invited me for a 24 hour test drive in a 911 C4S and didn't seem at all upset when it turned out I had a Fabia, not the Boxter S they had in their records (no idea how that happened!).

I've found that different dealers from the same brand often have different policies about test drives etc. In this instance, I do have a slight sympathy with the dealers, because it must be difficult to tell the timewasters from the serious customers, but being rude to potential customers is just being stupid.

I still smile at the time a friend and I turned up at a Jaguar dealer in his 1930's beautifully restored classic... Consternation! We don't know how to pigeon-hole these people.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I'm pleased that for my recent experience I'm not loosing my marbles, well in this case anyway

The thing about the whole episode that gets me a tad is that I thought the drone activity in the car park may have just been an honest coincidence but the suites and ties looked very similar to the sales drones that made me think again. If anyone has seen the Matrix films they will understand what I mean.

Anyway if the price difference on screen wash I'd hate to go and get an inverted gully cleft vortex shaft return spring spiggot clamp from them (Skoda would probably call it an M10 cir clip as used on the Citigo )