MB Salesmen/women

[jeremytaylor]

I too am amazed at how dealers treat some customers - I can only assume that they get so many time-wasters that they treat everyone as a time-waster.

Thanks for the heads-up on Caterham. Now I know where to get my next Merc from. I got the last one from Kingston and the sales-woman was a bit dog-rough - she looked like she had played with quite a few wheel nuts in her time, if you know what I mean.

We bought a BMW a few years ago from Temple Fortune and the sales guy was a complete dork - sounds like they've still got him there flogging Mercs now.

 

[MrT]

When I bought my car, the first and only MB dealer that I visited got the sale - they chased it TBF, couldn't do enough for me to organise test drives, negotiate on price, etc. This was one of MB's own showrooms.

My wife bought a Vauxhall earlier in the same year and we visited four different dealers before we found someone willing to do a deal. The others were so disinterested.

 

[Dryce]

I too am amazed at how dealers treat some customers - I can only assume that they get so many time-wasters that they treat everyone as a time-waster.

Customers are fickle and disloyal.

When you look at the guys in the showrooms it's worth remembering that it is us - the public - who destroy what ever enthusiasm and genuine twinkle they might have started out with and cause them to mutate into the creatures that we see.

Meanwhile their employers augment this sorry process them further with comissions incentive schemes and targets.

That said I have enjoyed purchasing a vehicle on only two occasions. And on both occasions it was MB (glasgow and Hamilton). Sadly the sales staff we dealt with have since moved on.

 

[Dryce]

The others were so disinterested.

It is definitely peculiar. I've only experienced extreme sales disinterest in car showrooms. You're the only customer in sight. The salesman doesn't appear to be busy. And they won't even engage. It's not a new or recent phenomenon either though I think it has got more common.

 

[crockers]

What is the margin on a new car? How much do these guys earn? Do we need them? Will they be cut out of the process and people buy direct via the 'net?

Just have online test drives arranged...go to a test drive centre.....then go home and decide..

Can't see it myself but who knows what the future holds.

 

[Dryce]

What is the margin on a new car? How much do these guys earn? Do we need them? Will they be cut out of the process and people buy direct via the 'net?

The problem is defining margin.

Car prices tend to be negotiated. There may be a partex involved. There is likely to be finance. And then there may be add-ons.

A good salesperson will push up the spec or model, not give in on price, push down the partex, take margin on the finance, then sell GAP insurance, paint sealant, and scotchguard.

So margin on the car on those deals -- huge after it's all added up.

Not so much fun for them when the buyer comes in looking for best discount on a base model, gets their finance elsewhere, and takes no extras.

Margin on that deal ... possibly minimal.

 

[NewMB]

Thought I join in as well.

When I were looking to replace the E55 and the wife's A class for an ML and a new A class, I did receive great service in the local showroom and had test drives etc but when it came to discuss figures with the local business manager, the service fell through the roof.

Never in my life have I been treated so badly. Gives me figures for a factory order to my spec, I accept, then it turns out that those figures were indicative only and if I wanted "my" spec, the price would go up with £300 a month!

I told him to stuff himself as I don't think this is the way you treat any customer, especially not if they want to order 2 cars!

Went to Volvo who couldn't do enough for me, got two orders and I am a very happy man for it.

Had great pleasure in telling both the sales person and the business manager that they lost out.

However, the local MB service department have been great with giving me a C280 (2009 model) on several occasions.

As for other garages, Volvo has always been happy to comply with any requests.

VW same where a testdrive was always ok and unaccompanied. Never had to wait long for a salesperson.
BMW were great. Within perhaps 2 mins or arrival to showroom, they showed up.
Ford sales people were never interested.
Vauxhall the same.
Lexus showed some interest, but took 15 mins.

 

[J400uk]

I suppose the thing to remember is the service depends on the people working at that particular garage, rather than the manufacturer itself.

 

[Rory]

I suppose the thing to remember is the service depends on the people working at that particular garage, rather than the manufacturer itself.

There's a corporate culture that they should follow though. Perhaps they are, that's why they're so bad!

Dealers/manufacturers must surely use mystery shoppers - imagine the kind of report many of would write following our own dealership experiences!
When my daughter had a Saturday job in retail everyone in the store was absolutely terrified of the monthly mystery shopper report. A couple of bad ones and the manager was looking for another job.

 

[Mr E]

What is the margin on a new car? How much do these guys earn? Do we need them? Will they be cut out of the process and people buy direct via the 'net?

Just have online test drives arranged...go to a test drive centre.....then go home and decide..

Can't see it myself but who knows what the future holds.

We actually tried this for an OEM who had an on-line process - anyone who showed interest on-line had a personalised brochure sent out (car in the appropriate colour, pictures of the right base spec, pesonalised finance examples, etc). We also ran a couple of test drive centres in areas where the on-line service was popular.

TBH we thought it was OK, but the client decided not to proceed. My feeling was that they didn't want to go down the route of a direct sales organisation, especially as MB were getting such a lot of flak over what they were doing at the time.

 

[MrT]

There's a corporate culture that they should follow though. Perhaps they are, that's why they're so bad!

Dealers/manufacturers must surely use mystery shoppers - imagine the kind of report many of would write following our own dealership experiences!
When my daughter had a Saturday job in retail everyone in the store was absolutely terrified of the monthly mystery shopper report. A couple of bad ones and the manager was looking for another job.

I used to freelance mystery shop. Did a few car dealerships but the criteria for the report was mainly based on price negotiation rather than CS.

 

[boltman]

Well ive just bought a clk from tony purslow basingstoke and couldnt have been happier i travelled 80 0dd miles from poole tells you alot about my local merc dealer

 

[219]

I don't buy new cars , but MB Poole ( formerly Jackson's ) have one of the best and most helpful parts departments in the UK , supplying parts for older cars that many other dealers cannot even be bothered looking up . Mervyn Wright there is a mine of information and one of the most knowledgeable parts people in the UK .

Maybe you just had a bad experience .

 

[st4]

I found the sales staff in MB Glasgow attentive and eagre to to business. I accidentally went into the new cars sales bit and enquired about used cars, after a salesman approached me asking if I needed any help.

He walked me over to the used car section, explaining the E class range to me, introduced me to a salesman who was only to happy to show me his stock, get PX figures and arrange a test drive.My only fault with MB Glasgow was it took them 6 months to organise a service book, when they said it would take 3 weeks but they showed me the FMBSH on their computers. They were able to negociate on the price, and interest rate of the finance and sales wise were excellent. I recieved a follow up call to ask how I liked the car etc.

 

[219]

Likewise the parts department in MB Glasgow are excellent , couldn't be more helpful and have no problem looking up parts for older cars .

 

[st4]

I've yet to experience the obtaining of new parts. I'm going to try Hart Motors in Clydebank for a service, as there is no additional value gained now from service it at a dealer.

 

[boltman]

Pontoneer the only way jacksons will make money is on spares the rest is diobolical a friend of mine went there last week to trade his bmw and they couldnt even be bothered to talk to him they have got a terrible reputation in these parts

 

[robertjrt]

It was quite nostalgic reading all these posts. Back in 1971, yes, 35 years ago! I started my first job in the Motor Trade selling Austin/Jaguar new cars and assorted used cars, a lot of them are now classics!

We had a BMW that we could not sell, now, form an orderly queue.

I know in those days the car market was very buoyant, but, there was a lot of competition to sell the same product. There were a thousand dealers, one on every corner.

I used to go to work in the winter in my sheepskin coat and hat, no heated showrooms then, every used car was to be started and run and stick price label put back on the windscreen and check the price that day.

The end for me came when the accountants at BL decided to close down a large chunk the dealer network, by then the Corporate beast had left its lair.

I could go on for hours, but, I shall not except to say when you had a "screamer" you were able to go into the workshop and sort the problem out there and then. For instance we had re-builds, engines, gearboxes etc
sat in the stores.

 

[bpsorrel]

Ahh, sigh... I remember those days! An early sales job of mine was the local Skoda dealer, BEFORE VW, when the Estelle was their latest model! A good lesson in how to sell an unwanted product by using politeness, friendliness and bribery..haha, no, just be as nice as possible and sell on your personality - something modern sales staff don't seem to understand!

 

[buccal]

I found the sales staff in MB Glasgow attentive and eagre to to business. I accidentally went into the new cars sales bit and enquired about used cars, after a salesman approached me asking if I needed any help.

Non MB, but when i bought my MX5 new in 2001 the mazda guys in aberdeen were doing me a favour buy selling me a car. Got sick of the attitude so i called the same franchise dealer in Glasgow. Some decent patter later and the deal was done over the phone.

Drove down to collect it and was treated like a customer.

Was an interesting experience when i put it into the aberdeen guys for a service