MB Milton Keynes - thumbs down today...

[jonnyboy]

Here we go again, tarring another profession with the same brush. For every bad experience I've had with salespeople, I have equally good ones. Bad salesmanship isn't the preserve of Mercedes or car dealers. Good and bad people exist in all walks of life carrying out all sorts of professions.

Regards,

Can you point me in the direction of the posting that said "all sales people are useless/arrogant/whatever" please? I must have missed it.

 

[mbenz76]

Unless at work I always wear jeans or casual trousers.

When we went to MB Sheffield to view before buying the E350 I was in jeans and a casual shirt. I expected to be viewed differently but they couldn't do enough to be honest, so they are not all the same.

Totally agree though that suit v casual does get very different responses in most places.

Remember going into a shop in London once (can't recall which - a small relatively posh one) and I was dressed a bit scruffy. Saleswoman was curt and almost rude when I arrived at the counter and went through the motions with a grim look on her face. When she told me the price I handed her my credit card (a fairly select one at the time) and her attitude changed immediately - she offered to wrap it, her tone of voice changed completely and she came round the counter to hand me the bag before wishing me good day! Amazing.

 

[bpsorrel]

Here we go again, tarring another profession with the same brush. For every bad experience I've had with salespeople, I have equally good ones. Bad salesmanship isn't the preserve of Mercedes or car dealers. Good and bad people exist in all walks of life carrying out all sorts of professions.

Regards,

If you read my initial post I went on to say the Mitsubishi sales guys were excellent. Also, the sales team at my local Saab dealer are superb as are their service team. No, not all sales people are tarred with the same brush, but a lot of Mercedes sales people do seem to have an arrogance that given their fairly lowly remuneration package, beggars belief.

 

[finisterre]

I thought the Sheffield lot were okay. The sales manager did beard me on the way out, trying to get me to up my offer, it is easy to see his point though. It must be annoying watching a sale walk away over just a couple of hundred quid.

edit, I forgot why I was posting,

- I was not even slightly tidy,
they did comment on the appropriateness of walking boots for test drives.

 

[Burger]

If you read my initial post I went on to say the Mitsubishi sales guys were excellent. Also, the sales team at my local Saab dealer are superb as are their service team. No, not all sales people are tarred with the same brush, but a lot of Mercedes sales people do seem to have an arrogance that given their fairly lowly remuneration package, beggars belief.

OK, my bad, sorry, I read through the thread fairly quickly and it just came across as a bash salespeople thread. It's a long time since I was on the sales floor by the way, but it struck me as starting to become another all HATO's have red horns, eat iron filings for breakfast, are miserable and only exist to spoil our fun thread Anyway, I apologise for jumping the gun.

Perhaps it's because of the fairly low remuneration packages that people are employed with little aptitude for the job? The sales staff at MB Swindon treated me courteously and professionally despite the fact I was wearing jeans and hoodie Their service staff are exemplary. Perhaps there is the key... everyone should deal with MB Swindon? Please say I sent you when you call in because I get £500 of goodies for every customer I recommend

 

[carnut]

The 3 stages of man...and salesmen ( & women) should note:

When you are young, all you can afford is jeans and you wear them all the time

When you start to make money, and have to wear a suit during the working day and jeans at the weekend

When you've made your money ( the first million is the hardest ), and you can afford to wear jeans all the time

Judge a book by the cover at your peril!

Ive been a Salesman ( & proud to say so), a Sales Manager, and an MD....any salesman who acted the way the OP said, wouldnt last long, and sadly you only have to go back to your local MB dealer to find that out!

 

[Maz]

If you read my initial post I went on to say the Mitsubishi sales guys were excellent. Also, the sales team at my local Saab dealer are superb as are their service team. No, not all sales people are tarred with the same brush, but a lot of Mercedes sales people do seem to have an arrogance that given their fairly lowly remuneration package, beggars belief.

I don't know about the fairly low renumeration package.

I've worked for an MB Dealer as a Salesman, and I was well remunerated or paid as the unpretentious like to call it.

Same group as MB MK, achievable targets and decent bonuses make for happy salesmen.

One of my ex colleagues used to go into a five figure wage for the months of March and September.

If you want the attention of a sales person it's always a good idea to phone and book an appointment, as I would never tie myself up with a walk in customer knowing that I have an appointment due - and I'd strive to have appointments everyday as you'd have a better chance of a sale.

I left MB in December 09 and now run my own firm - only because I'm greedy

 

[markjay]

The 3 stages of man...and salesmen ( & women) should note:

When you are young, all you can afford is jeans and you wear them all the time

When you start to make money, and have to wear a suit during the working day and jeans at the weekend

When you've made your money ( the first million is the hardest ), and you can afford to wear jeans all the time

Judge a book by the cover at your peril!

Ive been a Salesman ( & proud to say so), a Sales Manager, and an MD....any salesman who acted the way the OP said, wouldnt last long, and sadly you only have to go back to your local MB dealer to find that out!

A now-deceased father of a very good friend of mine used to say, that when he started his business he put on his best suit and went to see the bank manager about a loan.

When his business was doing well he used to stop at the branch on the way back from tennis and see the manager while wearing tennis shorts.

But when he really made it - the bank manager came to see him at his house...

 

[bpsorrel]

I don't know about the fairly low renumeration package.

I've worked for an MB Dealer as a Salesman, and I was well remunerated or paid as the unpretentious like to call it.

Same group as MB MK, achievable targets and decent bonuses make for happy salesmen.

One of my ex colleagues used to go into a five figure wage for the months of March and September.

If you want the attention of a sales person it's always a good idea to phone and book an appointment, as I would never tie myself up with a walk in customer knowing that I have an appointment due - and I'd strive to have appointments everyday as you'd have a better chance of a sale.

I left MB in December 09 and now run my own firm - only because I'm greedy

I very rarely make appointments to view cars and in all other marque dealerships I've been greeted and attended to within minutes.
When calling in off spec, with salesmen doing nothing but chatting in a group, you'd expect to get acknowledged at the very least!

Sytner may pay reasonably - I know my client (one of Sytner's biggest rivals) don't pay comensurate with the arrogant attitude displayed by their MB salespeople. Besides, even 5 figure wages don't give workers the right to act superior to their customers, some of whom could buy and sell them many times over...

 

[bpsorrel]

I left MB in December 09 and now run my own firm - only because I'm greedy

Exactly the reason I left car sales in '99 and started my own business - Total greed! I wanted to earn real money! (and have a bit of freedom! )

 

[npuk]

On the plus side, their service and parts departments are good, well, compared to Watford anyway!

Have you used MB Bedford? Used them for my last service and I thought they were pretty good.

 

[bpsorrel]

No, not tried them....

 

[Meldrew2]

I very rarely make appointments to view cars and in all other marque dealerships I've been greeted and attended to within minutes.
.

I don't even make appointments (well - reservations) with Restaurants, unless it's New Year. Never had a problem - if one is full there'll be another down the street.

Then again, I've turned up without a reservation and been given a table, while overhearing other people being turned down on the phone. I guess it's too hard for the owner of the restaurant to turn the money away when it's standing in front of him!

 

[timk]

Remember going into a shop in London once (can't recall which - a small relatively posh one) and I was dressed a bit scruffy. Saleswoman was curt and almost rude when I arrived at the counter and went through the motions with a grim look on her face. When she told me the price I handed her my credit card (a fairly select one at the time) and her attitude changed immediately - she offered to wrap it, her tone of voice changed completely and she came round the counter to hand me the bag before wishing me good day! Amazing.

Amazing? A depressing reality to my mind, that people judge others on appearance and the kind of credit card they have. Sad really, but it's a superficial world..

 

[James Rothwell]

Some salespeople hate their job, they only get into car sales because it was the only thing they could get into at the time. I think particularly Ford/Vauxhall garages.

I was offered a job at an MB dealer inside M25 recently but turned it down before the pay is so unbelievable crap, no wonder the sales guys don't want to be there. If the money had been better I think I would have taken them up on the offer even though it was the most structured sales process in the world ever. Because I would have wanted to be there and enjoyed the products I think I'd get on alright.

For now I'll stick with my Skoda franchise and will start working for myself full-time rather than just part-time in the next 5 years.

 

[davidjpowell]

I remember a similar story from my dad, a good few years ago when he was looking to get our house valued. He was on a day off and was definitely not suited and booted. Not much attention, until they got our address which was in a very nice part of town (well as nice as Doncaster gets anyway).

People make these kind of judgements all the time. The best sales people look beyond. I rarely deal with the 'public' and my initial contact is nearly always on the phone so don't get the chance much. But I do believe in treating everyone well in any case. You never know who knows who, and what may come around.

 

[Wilsonuk]

I'm not sure they should be called 'sales people'. First, they don't sell you a car as such because you have walked in there with the intenion of buying and (the last 3 mercs I have bought) the guy on the shop floor has no authority to negotiate on price, as the 'business manager' does this bit. Might be better to call them 'demonstration assistants' - maybe this is why they are a bit lacking in motivation...

 

[James Rothwell]

I'm not sure they should be called 'sales people'. First, they don't sell you a car as such because you have walked in there with the intenion of buying and (the last 3 mercs I have bought) the guy on the shop floor has no authority to negotiate on price, as the 'business manager' does this bit. Might be better to call them 'demonstration assistants' - maybe this is why they are a bit lacking in motivation...

Another reason I don't really want to work for a controlled sales enviroment. Where I am now, I do everything. demo, finance, work out new car price, value your existing car, handover. I think people prefer dealing with one person for everything, I'm never sure why dealers love having business managers so much.

 

[Alps]

another thong about mb mk.... booked car in with said problem... drove 110 miles to drop it off, drove 110 miles back, even tho they knew the distance i got a call after coming back 10 minutes after i got home they phoned saying, car is fine there is no problem, please come collect it..... bunch of to**erz, they could have checked it with me there without wasting my time and fuel money, hence they got there car back with an empty tank. never would reccomend nor would go there ever again......

on the other hand colchester parts and service have been great , but sales have been s*it.....

 

[bpsorrel]

I know Colchester very well as they are one of my main client's MB dealers. I agree - service good, sales carp! And that's from someone who knows them well! And as for Ipswich (another in the group) I bought my first MB from them and thinking as a "employee" of sorts I'd get well treated...hahaha!! Guess again!! Car had loads of problems and they were reluctant to sort it out!! Amazing eh!