kwakdonut
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
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- 2,744
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- Highworth, Wiltshire
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- Frod Mundano TDCi, Kawasaki z650
It does beggar belief, doesn't it?
MB Salesmen/women
- Thread starter bpsorrel
- Start date
-
- Tags
- salesmen or women
Simon_M
MB Enthusiast
I have bought many new cars over the years, and must say that the two most recent purchases - two new Mercedes had been probably the most pleasurable.
I have bought two from two different dealers. I went back to the original dealer (Dartford), but the nice chap was off sick. Spoke to someone else who was friendly enough but a little arrogant, I didn't like the price and walked. Trying a different dealer outside the group (Tonbridge) I dealt with another very friendly and efficient chap. A few minor problems along the way were resolved, although the car was delivered with a malfunctioning COMAND unit. I also had to pick him up on a few things he 'forgot' like the first aid kit, wind deflector (was specc'd with the car) and mats. This exercise proved to me that salesman will push vehicles within their group rather than the best vehicle available for you. Dartford showed a list of available cars, but the perfect spec was sat at Tonbridge, which we would not have been aware of unless we went there.
But I do agree most salesman are idiots, and far too arrogant for their own good. The worst I have experienced are Audi dealers (at 3 different venues) who I would not urinate on if they were on fire, they just cannot be ar$ed. But I think that is due to the success of the brand which will hopefully implode soon.
We have also found on several occaisions that all conversation is directed towards me, even when my wife is paying and regsitering the car in her name. She is quite cool about it but it annoys her. I also recall one funny time when the 'finance guy' was trying to bamboozle me with figures and she took the calculator off him and told him his figures were wrong - she is an accountant LOL.
But you do have to chose your salesman wisely, I always avoid gelled hair, bit fat ties, pink shirts and general n0bbish behaviour.
S
PS I have witnessed a salesman at Lakeside treat a customer wanting an SL65 as complete dirt as if he was wasting his time - I would have slapped him.
I have bought two from two different dealers. I went back to the original dealer (Dartford), but the nice chap was off sick. Spoke to someone else who was friendly enough but a little arrogant, I didn't like the price and walked. Trying a different dealer outside the group (Tonbridge) I dealt with another very friendly and efficient chap. A few minor problems along the way were resolved, although the car was delivered with a malfunctioning COMAND unit. I also had to pick him up on a few things he 'forgot' like the first aid kit, wind deflector (was specc'd with the car) and mats. This exercise proved to me that salesman will push vehicles within their group rather than the best vehicle available for you. Dartford showed a list of available cars, but the perfect spec was sat at Tonbridge, which we would not have been aware of unless we went there.
But I do agree most salesman are idiots, and far too arrogant for their own good. The worst I have experienced are Audi dealers (at 3 different venues) who I would not urinate on if they were on fire, they just cannot be ar$ed. But I think that is due to the success of the brand which will hopefully implode soon.
We have also found on several occaisions that all conversation is directed towards me, even when my wife is paying and regsitering the car in her name. She is quite cool about it but it annoys her. I also recall one funny time when the 'finance guy' was trying to bamboozle me with figures and she took the calculator off him and told him his figures were wrong - she is an accountant LOL.
But you do have to chose your salesman wisely, I always avoid gelled hair, bit fat ties, pink shirts and general n0bbish behaviour.
S
PS I have witnessed a salesman at Lakeside treat a customer wanting an SL65 as complete dirt as if he was wasting his time - I would have slapped him.
J400uk
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
- Messages
- 136
I think the service has improved, and MB did very well in JDPower this year, comming 3rd overall, which is the highest for a non-jap manufacturer.
On a more positive note, the most beautiful sales lady i have met, and possible beautiful lady full stop is a sales girl at Mercedes Benz Caterham. Serina.... OMG.. i bought my last 2 cars from her, simply on ... well her!
The car came second lol
Anyone fancy a run to Caterham this weekend?
Very sound advice indeed.........now find me an estate agent that also conforms and I'll buy you a pint!
Simon_M
MB Enthusiast
Some things just don't exist!!!
The father in law received the same tale of the bonus for completing the customer satisfaction form at Mercedes of Lincoln.
I recently bought my second hand SL and have had no follow up from the dealer despite the saleman saying he would call in a few weeks.
What always got me about the MB salesmen and women was their high and mighty ( snooty) attitude, when most of them would never be able to afford a Merc in their lifetime. Snobs the most of them.
And some do not know much about the cars! ie where is it built, "why Germany they all are". I think not try South Africa.
I value honesty, a pity that car dealers do not.
S88
I recently bought my second hand SL and have had no follow up from the dealer despite the saleman saying he would call in a few weeks.
What always got me about the MB salesmen and women was their high and mighty ( snooty) attitude, when most of them would never be able to afford a Merc in their lifetime. Snobs the most of them.
And some do not know much about the cars! ie where is it built, "why Germany they all are". I think not try South Africa.
I value honesty, a pity that car dealers do not.
S88
This is now an illegal practice, I believe. Personally I'd ring the Sales manager and let him know...
My dealer (MB Brighton) is very good - my cars are leased and come direct from Mercedes Corporate, yet the local dealer signs me up for all the promotional jollies and rings me to see if i would like the latest whatever for the day / weekend. They are not even MB-owned, yet arranged additional test drives for Mrs E when we were looking at the estate.
MB Gatwick was bad - same group, but no-one wanted to speak so I left. MB Redhill were OK but haven't been in for a while. But I do remember, when looking for my first C about 10 years ago that the Sales Manager came down and kept my (then) 4-year old occupied so that Mrs E and i could have a sensible conversation with the Sales guy.
Worst experience - Jaguar garages. Never yet been able to get a salesman to engage with me...
I also had fun with the local BMW dealership last year. Took 10 minutes to get someones attention, and then they just shoved a brochure at me. I took great delight in phoning the dealer principle - "See that E-class saloon just driving away? That is a sale, driving away after being ignored for 10 minutes in your showroom..."
Best - VW in Horsham. The Passat was the only other estate that could take my guitars lying flat on the floor. The guy was superb, even though I told him up front that it would be a lease deal and unlikely to go through his showroom.
This is very true.. i think still is!
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2005
- Messages
- 7,612
- Location
- Cheshire, UK
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- C270CDi Estate (late 2004 facelift model) - Bought 2005, Sold 2022.
Yet their "official Workshop" rating is 95%.
My local dealer has never done anything to delight me, and plently of things that are, at least, irritating, and theirs is 94%. These ratings are absurd - it's simply impossible to believe that people would rate any dealership service department that highly.
Skintia99
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2008
- Messages
- 85
- Location
- Greater Manchester
- Car
- Hunting for W210 / Saab 9-3 (Company car)
I think it depends on when you go, sometimes I could go to my local dealer and recieve pretty poor service, other times excellent service and often with the same staff, hopefully this recession might change their attitudes. JD power 3rd though???
have things improved that much?
have things improved that much?
over the past 10 years or so I have only been to BMW & Merc dealers.....I have found them all to be the same....largely ignored for quite some while before being attended to and then finding that I know more about their cars then they do (and being patronised with incorrect or inaccurate answers)
Normally I would walk out if not seen within a reasonable period, especially if there are salesmen just wandering about (I have been known to leave a trolley full of shopping at the checkouts at Tescos because they refused to open more tills) but when you have driven specifically to look at one car they have advertised, it is tricky to just walk out!
Normally I would walk out if not seen within a reasonable period, especially if there are salesmen just wandering about (I have been known to leave a trolley full of shopping at the checkouts at Tescos because they refused to open more tills) but when you have driven specifically to look at one car they have advertised, it is tricky to just walk out!
pipmk
Active Member
We ought to have a competion to find the worse main dealer, ( bit like trying to decide which dog turd smells worse)
Without doubt Stratstone Leeds would be my nomination from trying to buy a new car for cash to servicing,to warrenty work, to spares. I don't think there is one part of "The Mercedes Experience" they can't make a complete bog of. However you may know someone who can show them to be rank amateurs in the game.
Without doubt Stratstone Leeds would be my nomination from trying to buy a new car for cash to servicing,to warrenty work, to spares. I don't think there is one part of "The Mercedes Experience" they can't make a complete bog of. However you may know someone who can show them to be rank amateurs in the game.
OP
OP
bpsorrel
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
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- UK and Russia
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- '21 C300 Coupe, '20 SLC Final Edition, Peugeot 208 (hers!) and a new Ford Kuga in Russia
x332race just mentioned BMW dealers. Well, at BMW in Milton Keynes, I had MUCH better treatment! The guy there attended to me immediately, but was never "in my face". He was happy to let me spend as much time as I wanted perusing the car of choice and was helpful and polite. A lesson for all those arrogant halfwits employed at some MB dealers! As a follow up, I didn't buy the car from him, but for service and attitude I sure would have if I'd preferred the 5 series estate to the S211 I eventually bought.
I found that popping the bonnet on a new W204 and then removing the flat bonnet ornament attracted a scrum of salespeople very quickly! If only they sold the kind of things I like (y'know, supercharged, cost peanuts etc)!
crockers
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2007
- Messages
- 7,099
- Location
- North Wilts
- Car
- XC60 MY2014 SeLux Nav plus lot and lots of toys...
So a few Questions....
Why do car salesmen have two desks? One for each foot.....
Why don't car salesmen look out the windows in the morning? To give them something to do in the afternoon....
To be honest I haven't had any problems with Swindon - when I enquired about the W204 I had test drives / cars lent to me - no problems.
When they were **** Lovatts then it was even better - car in for a service - why not try this car Mr C and tell us what you think.....
Why do car salesmen have two desks? One for each foot.....
Why don't car salesmen look out the windows in the morning? To give them something to do in the afternoon....
To be honest I haven't had any problems with Swindon - when I enquired about the W204 I had test drives / cars lent to me - no problems.
When they were **** Lovatts then it was even better - car in for a service - why not try this car Mr C and tell us what you think.....
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2005
- Messages
- 7,612
- Location
- Cheshire, UK
- Car
- C270CDi Estate (late 2004 facelift model) - Bought 2005, Sold 2022.
Twice at my dealer I arranged specific courtesy cars (E320CDi and C220CDi) and both times they gave me an A Class and a shrug when I asked where the arranged car was. I had a 3 then 4 yr old C270CDi and ought to be a prime candidate for a new car but they're just too stupid (or couldn't care less) to make that connection.
I like reading these threads though - I thought it was just me that got treated badly by some dealerships. I've never actually managed to speak to a BMW salesman - to be fair, they do always seem to be busy writing up orders, but it proved impossible to even arrange an appointment at BMW in Chester.
OTOH I spent £550 on a watch for my wife the other day and was treated with utmost courtesy and respect in 3 different jewellers while we were looking and the one we bought from produced the manager (rather than hiding him a back room) to look me in the eye and convince me to buy from him.
I suspect things are just a little bit different these days ..
