Arn't dealers wonderful!

[kibby]

Been recently round some dealers to see what is available as a Yeti alternative.

Visited Kia, Toyota, Citroen, Skoda (current dealer), VW, Honda, Nissan, Ford among others

and come to the following conclusion.

 

They don't know much more than (or less than) what's in the brochure.

Sales Executives ..I don't think!

What training do they go through as most have to be chased to show you the car as they are

too busy to be bothered to approach you to do a sales job.

Product knowledge is often laughable.

Order taking must be going well.

 

When you are spending £20k or thereabouts we should expect better.

 

Typical experiences: :

 

Petrol automatic available....not sure?

Can fit a spare tyre as option...will have to check, looks in boot and looks confused,

(a bit of a hole not sure if it will take a tyre ..my impression of what he is thinking)

What sort of auto...What do you mean?

Any one available to demonstrate car....I'll go and find out?

Only been here 3 weeks (17 year old?) and no one else available if you need any information!

No brochure available...we'll send you one....Never did!

 

Very sad state of affairs. Skoda UK and other Dealers should invest in mystery shoppers

...they could really learn something to their advantage.

 

Didn't come up with a better alternative to a Yeti and lots of bigger alternatives had too restricted

headroom for a 6 footer (Sportage / Cashcow).

 

Downside Skoda dealer not much better than rest in selling/knowledge skills...blaming Skoda UK.

Edited 16 January, 2014 by kibby

[LadyVienna]

Yep I experienced some of the same. Generally I knew more about the car (from here and elsewhere on tinterweb) than the dealers....... shameful really!

[jonathane1976]

I phoned the Skoda dealer last week expressing an interest in ordering a Yeti with pretty much every addition coming in at nearly £30K.

 

Still waiting on a call back. 

[tomas79]

This is very much a wide spread problem here in the UK. It includes most other retailers. The service we get nowadays is poor if any. I reckon it has a lot to do with large business and line of responsibility. The bottom line is that as a customer, one is pretty much screwed. The only chance out of it are small family run businesses where it actually matters to the guy whether you are happy or not.

[RS939]

I agree there are a lot of dealers regardless of the make really don't care or seem to be bothered in learning the product line and knowledge that goes with it.

 

If someone said to you "sorry Sir I am not sure let me get an answer for you" and not just try and bluff the answer. you would think fair enough I expect the reply to my question I mean they can always phone Skoda Head office for the confirmation...  I mean its not hard to seek out the information we seem to be able to find it out why can't they?

 

The salesman I have used for the past 4 times now is very good and knows the brand and what it sells inside out and tries to fit the customer to the car, so much so I have managed to pass on 4 other customers his way with 4 very happy people.

 

In my personal experience I have found Ford dealers are the least helpful and, Skoda are certainly not perfect by a long shot but when you do find the good ones then you tend to recommend them and pass on the repeat business.

 

We have dealers on here for example Lee at preston motors, If he can take time to communicate and get involved in this type of Forum community then you can be pretty sure he is well aware of what the customer expects when we walks through the door. - Unless its BossFox and it could be anything in a bright color 

[BossFox]

We have dealers on here for example Lee at preston motors, If he can take time to communicate and get involved in this type of Forum community then you can be pretty sure he is well aware of what the customer expects when we walks through the door. - Unless its BossFox and it could be anything in a bright color 

 

I was just going to say, this is why I use Lee at Preston Motors.

 

Problem is, in general selling cars is an unqualitfied job.

So it's experienced based.  And a lot of people in the job just don't have the interest to study what they sell.

It's a 9 to 5 job so why care?

 

Where as I've seen Lee on here of an evening as he actually takes an interest.

 

 

Dealers sometimes don't help though.

Went to our local large Ford dealer with a view to getting Dad's 5th Galaxy and they didn't have a single 7 seater in the showroom, even though they make 3 different ones.

If Skoda did a 7 seater I'd have him in one like a shot!

[CFB]

Try going into an Audi dealer for information and a test drive.

A friend used to work for Amersham Audi and they were apparently appalling.

The sales staff would swear and curse every time a customer came into the showroom and would hide out the back.

The contact was usually left to the guy who couldn't get out quick enough, so you can imagine the lack of interest towards the poor customer even if he was looking to spend £50k plus!

[Brijo]

....The sales staff would ... hide out the back....

Salary too high, commission too low? 

[LeeHarrison]

Thanks for the comments chaps. I remember a similar thread coming up a year or so ago and posted back about my/mates dealings with 2 separate Audi dealers, one was terrible the other, well got the sale of an R8 so not a bog standard A1.

 

From personal experience there will be lots of different factors that contribute to a good salesman and/or dealership.

 

I've grown up round cars, Dad used to be a mechanic and race old MK1 Escorts, then both of us had Go Karts for many years so I am very much a petrol head, coupled with a few tweaked cars over my time.

 

You can look at car sales in 2 ways really, a job, pays money and well, that's it or a job that pays money but also gives you a buzz when you've had a good bit of negotiation and got a sale - not many jobs will give that feeling.

 

Yes, product knowledge is a major factor and by all means we will all **** up at some point, but it's better to either be open and say to the customer "let me see if I can find out" etc rather than trying to b*ll**** your way around it, probably 8 times out of 10 the customer will already know the answer but is testing you.

 

Training throughout the industry is constant, I've lost count of the amount of courses I've been on and this year will be no exception, it will all be down to the individual to take on board the information given or even whether to use it.

 

Over to the 17 year old who doesn't know anything, first job and probably been thrust in to the role with no one taking him/her under their wing. More than likely at one of these greenhouse 10 + salesman dealerships where they churn out salesman after salesman, month after month, their ruthless and will give you the boot at the drop of a hat. Some salesman aren't even salesman (if that makes sense), they are the first port of call, they will show the customer around the car, they may even do the test drive but after that it goes over to someone else then someone else until the sale is complete - so in a way no real incentive to 'sell' the car.

 

I and a lot of salesmen/managers do have a big desire to not only sell cars but keep up with the products and aim to give the best service possible, yes we will fall down every now and again but that's part of the fun, part of the buzz, part of being a salesman. Unfortunately throughout most of the sales industry (car, estate agents etc) we all do get tarred with the same brush, whether that is the majority or minority who give us that reputation god only knows but there are dealers and salesman out there that do 'try' and smile when someone walks through the door, says hello and has a bit of knowledge than the last place you walked in to.

 

As said I am not perfect, not by a long shot. Apparently I sound like Danny Dyer    and have been known to 'wheel and deal' like Del Trotter    but I like what I do, I like meeting new people day in day out, I like the 'thrill of the chase', the brand itself speaks volumes in terms of moving on from the old stigma and I even like Briskoda   

[Paul52]

My experience of the sales staff a the three Skoda dealers I went to when I was looking around was very positive - they genuinely did seem to know the product (and some of my questions were deliberately to see if the official information and advice matched or was close enough to information I'd picked up from this forum), and in all cases approached me pretty much when i entered the sales room to offer assistance, went away when I said I was "just looking, thank you" but happy to talk when I was ready. The advice I got was consistent, relevant and (with a few months of ownership under my belt) appropriate and correct. All very positive. This is in contrast to the two Toyota dealerships and the local Honda people who really couldn't be bothered, preferring to sit in the showroom and chat to each other - never got to speak to a sales person in about 10 minutes on each site and left without brochures, business cards or any interest in going back. Oddly the staff in the Kia/Ford franchise literally the other side of the road and all part of the same group were much more like the Skoda dealers.

 

Perhaps it is a leadership thing, franchises where managers get out among their staff and customers make sure that things get done properly, maintain standards and the customer goes away with a good opinion of how they were treated - they might not buy a car there but they might recommend to a friend of colleague looking for that make. On the other hand there are no doubt managers who feel they've done their time "on the shop floor", want to be left to "manage" and leave the salesmen to their own devices. So new member of staff gets "trained" into the bad customer service of his/her predecessors. 

 

I agree with tomas79 that its not just some car sales staff that suffer from this customer service blind spot. With the exception of the stalwarts of M&S, John Lewis, and like-minded companies, nearly everything I buy now, where I have a realistic choice, comes from companies with what seems to be a USA approach to customer service - helpful staff, robust no-quibble guarantees and returns polices that assume if you want to return something you have a genuine reason for doing so, not that your are doing it to be a pain in the ****.  

 

Now if only I could practice what I preach......

 

(This sort of overlaps with Lee's post above but I hadn't seen his when i started typing mine)

[CFB]

Nicely put Lee.

[Truthseeker]

+1 Lee. 

[gadgetman]

Most mega rich go round in slobs. Some get cold shoulder thinking they don't earn more than £25k so can't afford that nice supercar.

Even some famous people you'd have to have a good look at before realising who they are. Not shaved, no makeup or nice clothes you'd expect.

Wonder what happens to the sales people who give them the cold shoulder?

[freedie]

Yes I got treated with disdain by the people in the McLaren dealers in Knutsford.

Ah! I see what you mean...

[RS939]

When you find a good dealer stick with them a they will look after you as best they can, a good salesman doesn't sell one car he sells many over and over a customer for life or as near as dam it.

 

The only ford dealer that was any good ended up with no less than 25 sales from me and my brother, I did 5 recommendations in 1 month to family and friends.

 

Needless to say he is now in Spain enjoying himself  So if you treat the customer right then you have them for life.

Edited 16 January, 2014 by rs939

[jonceebee]

Prior to buying my Yeti I was considering a Lexus Hybrid, I arrived at the showroom one Saturday morning in my six year old Octavia, probably inappropriately dressed as I was un-suited and a shabby coat, typical weekend wear. No one approached me in the showroom and  after walking around for 30 minutes peering through windows as all cars were locked. I then summoned up a salesman who seemed to look me up and down and begrudgingly spoke to me.

 

After about ten minutes of him showing no interest, I asked for a quote for the model in question plus extras, apparently no vehicles available for a test drive. He said he would get a quote to me later that day via email then officially in writing, and a date for a possible test drive,needless to say neither arrived. It was totally different at the Skoda dealers and apart from being pushy on the AutoGlym system and GAP insurance, I could make no complaints about knowledge or attitude.

[Shanco]

Many years ago I went armed with a company cheque to buy two BMW 323 convertibles and one 323 saloon. It was just before Christmas and my wife and I turned up at the Swansea dealership in a 2CV. We went into the showroom, were looked up and down and ignored by the 'older' sales staff. However a young salesman came and asked if he could be of help. As the specifications, colour etc. had been decided upon by myself and colleagues it was just a matter of agreeing delivery for the New Year - discounts in those days were unheard of.

It was when it became apparent that I had the funds to purchase several cars that one of the 'established' salesmen tried to muscle in on the deal. My wife rebuffed him and explained that we were more than content to close the deal with the young helpful salesman. The disdain initially displayed by those salesmen cost them dearly but the younger guy must have had a cracking Christmas - we even had a card from him.

[Paul]

Jonceebee, was the dealer being pushy about the GAP insurance & the Autoglym D M Keith? We had a similar experience, I said no to the GAP & the Autoglym was thrown into the deal.

[CFB]

When you find a good dealer stick with them a they will look after you as best they can, a good salesman doesn't sell one car he sells many over and over a customer for life or as near as dam it.

 

The only ford dealer that was any good ended up with no less than 25 sales from me and my brother, I did 5 recommendations in 1 month to family and friends.

 

Needless to say he is now in Spain enjoying himself  So if you treat the customer right then you have them for life.

It's true, what you say.

I found a great, knowledgeable, friendly salesman in the local Skoda dealer 6 years ago.

Although he has moved on, his replacement is just as good.

Since then I have bought 5 cars from them and will be back for more in future.

[jonceebee]

Jonceebee, was the dealer being pushy about the GAP insurance & the Autoglym D M Keith? We had a similar experience, I said no to the GAP & the Autoglym was thrown into the deal.

Well it was Royce Roberts at the time, which is now Keith's so I suppose the same. I got the AutoGlym thrown in, but declined the GAP as my insurer NFU give you an automatic brand new car replacement within the first two years from registration

[kilted]

Have to say i think a lot is to do with the dealership management - I use West End up here and have always found their staff to be knowledgeable about the brand. Probably to do with the fact that the brothers in charge of the 3 premises have been Skoda dealers since way before Skoda became as popular. They still make an effort to know the punters (I was recognised by them when I went in to get the Yeti and Citigo despite it being nearly 2 years since I had been in previously).

 

Love dealing with people who know their stuff.

[JungleJames]

Have to say i think a lot is to do with the dealership management - I use West End up here and have always found their staff to be knowledgeable about the brand. Probably to do with the fact that the brothers in charge of the 3 premises have been Skoda dealers since way before Skoda became as popular. They still make an effort to know the punters (I was recognised by them when I went in to get the Yeti and Citigo despite it being nearly 2 years since I had been in previously).

 

Love dealing with people who know their stuff.

Is that West End Garage just down from Corstorphine?

[Totally Square]

Prior to buying my Yeti I was considering a Lexus Hybrid, I arrived at the showroom one Saturday morning in my six year old Octavia, probably inappropriately dressed as I was un-suited and a shabby coat, typical weekend wear. No one approached me in the showroom and  after walking around for 30 minutes peering through windows as all cars were locked. I then summoned up a salesman who seemed to look me up and down and begrudgingly spoke to me....

 

One of our national traits in GB is to be too bashful. In the US or Australia a quick shout at the lounging salesguys to get off their *****, a shout to ask if the dealer owner was in, and/or taking a photo of their inattention with a loud comment "looks like everyone here needs the sack!" ... might get you ordered out but would certainly get their attention!

 

I'm a fan of the "soft sale" and appreciate that the 2 Skoda dealers I have dealt with subscribe to that: attentive, offer assistance, but no hassle...

Edited 17 January, 2014 by Totally Square

[simplyred]

When I collected my "new" secondhand car very recently, I had to sign, and the manager countersign, that I had been offered the gap insurance and supaguard but had turned it down.

[Totally Square]

... nearly everything I buy now, where I have a realistic choice, comes from companies with what seems to be a USA approach to customer service - helpful staff, robust no-quibble guarantees and returns polices that assume if you want to return something you have a genuine reason for doing so...

To be fair I've seen similar dumb behaviour in US car showrooms too. The main difference is the Yanks tend to be unafraid of *******ing those guilty of bad service. In front of everyone. Loudly. Then asking to go up the "chain of command" until either they get someone who cares or they decide to take the complaints online or in print.

Then again... my wife complained about the service she had at her non-Skoda dealer a few months ago. Last month she had her car serviced there. Then a week or so later I found the sump to be near-empty of oil. Car never used oil before or since. Perhaps it evaporated?