Why do MB Dealers treat you like sh*t ?

[dvb247]

I agree with Rashman, BMW are no better but that's another story, I did the rounds last year for a new car for my wife, called MB Stockport and Macclesfield, I was interested in a GL wagon 7 seater, they said, oh, don't have one in, can't test drive one, can't even look at one any time soon, oh, and if you want one it'll be months before we have one
Shame really as I still want one!
I went to Stocport Land Rover to look at an RR sport, they were faultess on every level, test drive, nice service, respectful.

Also not enjoying the MB dealer experience with my car due to the fact it is sympathetical modified, which usually means I get the comedy line "computer says no!!!"

 

[bh13coupe]

Dash

if you presented that Salesguy with that pic, he would claim you are an expert with photoshop

Our main dealer (MB Poole) is also a joke (unless you deal with Mervyn the Pre 89 107 SL guy). My Fleet boss at work walked in to look at discussing a 40 car refresh as our Audi contract was finish that year. He was left standing for 30 minutes with people sat at there desks doing sod all. He flipped out and spoke his mind and walked out. Wrote a letter to the owner of the dealership and he got an apology from the owner in writing. We now have a mixed fleet of VW and BMW and not a single merc. The funny thing is he turned up in an 2008 SL 500 facelift model which that dealer supplied to him!!! So if you turn up in £70k merc with nearly £1 million pounds to spend on C and E classes. You get treated like scum. Perhaps these idoit sales guys dont understand that Jeans and a T-Shirt (and a Patek Phillipe on the wrist) could suggest you are not a time waster

I am so glad my car is so old that a Main dealer is the last place I would go for parts and other business.

 

[C43AMG]

Yes i bought my W220 in 2002 via a broker in the UK. With a combination of a very good exchange rate ( I think it was 1.68 to the £ ) and and the optional extras, in some cases being nearly half the price that they where in the U.K i saved nearly £ 9,000 on the deal.

 

[goldenii68]

You would think a potential customer with a healthy amount of cash to spend would be treated like royalty bearing in mind the economic state of the country (and the potential commission on a sale) but hey ho, apathy from alleged dealerships knows no bounds, having said that, don't get a BM, the 3 point star is still the best even though some dealerships would lead you to believe otherwise.

 

[kbhogalW126]

the one near the shopping Mall in Sheffield

I used to deal with a Guy called John Strong at that dealership.

He was generally alright but the way I was treated by their service department made me vow to never set foot in there again.

Basically the service woman shouted at me in the dealership saying there was no fault with a car I had bought from them.

This was in front of all staff and customers present.

I made her get the technician and took HIM for a drive and he immediately heard and felt that there was in fact something wrong.

I dropped him offand left the Dealership.

On the way back home she called me to apologise.

I got the warranty work done but I woudl never buy from them again.

Another time my CLK broke down and I was advised to drive to them to get the car fixed (faulty injector).

When I got there the service department refused to touch the careven though THEY themselves has asked me to take the car round to them(I was in Leeds and drove to Sheffield).

I called mobilo who came, bought the part from MB Sheffield and fitted it to my car.

I parked right next to the handover area and made my feeling quite clear to the sales staff as they walked past with customers (respectfully of course! )

I was in the middle, at the time, of negotiating and order for a new W204 C320cdi.

That deal didnt happen and we bought the saab a short while later . . . .


KJ

 

[dvb247]

I used to buy all my BMW's from BMW Kera in Holland, they were great, had 4 cars from them, 1 every 6 months and sold on at break even money due to the pricing difference of cars in Europe

 

[Howard]

So if you turn up in £70k merc with nearly £1 million pounds to spend on C and E classes. You get treated like scum. Perhaps these idoit sales guys dont understand that Jeans and a T-Shirt (and a Patek Phillipe on the wrist) could suggest you are not a time waster

This is exactly right !!

Young people don't know what to look for nowadays , the subtle touches.

All they base their judgements on is 'footballer' or 'Arab' bling .... ie in the worst possible taste ...

( God , i sound like Kenny Everett ! )

 

[bh13coupe]

You would think a potential customer with a healthy amount of cash to spend would be treated like royalty bearing in mind the economic state of the country (and the potential commission on a sale) but hey ho, apathy from alleged dealerships knows no bounds, having said that, don't get a BM, the 3 point star is still the best even though some dealerships would lead you to believe otherwise.

In order to find out what a customer wants (and how much they have to spend) you have to speak to customers, not sit at your desk pretending to be busy.

Not sure what was taught at Merc Sales School. Ignore customers to make them keen? Great strategy

 

[Charles Morgan]

Young people don't know what to look for nowadays , the subtle touches.

All they base their judgements on is 'footballer' or 'Arab' bling .... ie in the worst possible taste ...

( God , i sound like Kenny Everett ! )

A very middle-aged Kenny Everett.

 

[dhard]

Once went mb dealer had a newish merc about 1 year old looking to upgrade , salesman saw me through the window as soon as walk through the door meet me like old mate hello sir cup coffee ECT , try to do deal could not get close on trade in price . About 4 months later having sold mine privete went back in my small white van , no one bothered look at me felt like I had to drag a salesman from his desk to get any service.

 

[goldenii68]

Or perhaps show arrogance and the cars will sell themselves

 

[SilverSaloon]

reminds me of the time when i went to spend £35k on the 7 Series. if found one i liked but the guy there refused to let me have a test drive as "i looked young" and was in the citroen picasso (leaving the £16k CLK at home) unless i left a deposit 1st. I argued a bit and gave up. went back in after getting back to the car as i was a bit peeved with the whole thing, wife & child with me this time and he changed his tune.

never bought the car in the end and got bought one privately.

my MB dealer isnt too good either.... never phones back when they take a message....

BMW dealer on the other hand couldnt be nicer. i took the 7 series into them for warranty work a week after buying it to get some niggles sorted. they did loads of stuff on it, all for £0 and treated me really well on every visit, and the way i repaid them; continued to use them for all future work when i had the car.

best way with the dealers who are useless is to take your business elsewhere and write a letter to them explaining your grievence and what and where you ended up spending the ££,£££'s that they could of had.

 

[HR17]

I had similar experience from an MB dealer when I bought my last car. I called in for a new brochure, up to date price list and a look over my new purchase. Two reps weren't interested, and the one I eventually collared gave me the paperwork with a patronising look and walked off to continue chatting to his mates.

I ordered the car I wanted from another dealer in the end. Could have been an easy sale for them. You can never tell who's walking in with a pocket full of cash.

 

[bh13coupe]

Once went mb dealer had a newish merc about 1 year old looking to upgrade , salesman saw me through the window as soon as walk through the door meet me like old mate hello sir cup coffee ECT , try to do deal could not get close on trade in price . About 4 months later having sold mine privete went back in my small white van , no one bothered look at me felt like I had to drag a salesman from his desk to get any service.

Seems to be a common school of thought with main dealers that people who spend double or 3 times the money of a ford or vauxhall must be idiots or stupid and not worth dealing with. My understanding is that people who have a lot of money to spend, have acquired that money by being quite good at what ever they do, thus probably the complete opposite to a stupid time wasting idiot.

Or am I missing the point here

 

[MOCAŠ]

I'm losing count of the number of times this topic has come up on this forum, and every time we see a host of comments from people who are incredulous that they turned up to spend oodles of pounds on this or that and didn't get past first base. A few observations...

The open-door policy operated by most UK car dealerships means that alongside the potential buyers, they can find themselves dealing with those who are looking for a joyride, are cadging brochures that they can offload to the unwary on eBay or just want to browse. How you are dealt with will have a lot to do with how you present yourself. I'm not talking about sartorial elegance or subtle displays of wealth, but about bearing and behviour.

My MB dealership, which I've praised several times on here, has a reception desk directly opposite the doors. If I turn up unannounced and approach the receptionist to explain that I am interested in buying a car, or obtaining a part, or booking a service, they will ensure that the appropriate person is alerted and, if that person is not immediately available, there's coffee and newspapers on hand if I choose to wait.

More often than not I will know in advance that I am going to visit the dealership, so I will ring ahead and make an appointment; that means they know who I am, why I am visiting and what I am interested in. It also gives the salesman a chance to do his homework. MB has a complex product range and it would be unreasonable to expect every person they employ to have an encyclopaedic knowledge about every aspect and option available for every model (though some undoubtedly will), but if they know someone is coming in to discuss the purchase of, say, an E Class, they can at least ensure they have all the relevant information to hand.

We don't just turn up and expect our cars to be serviced on the spot, so why should we assume that there will be a salesperson available as soon as we arrive. If they are dealing with another customer, are you suggesting they should abandon them as soon as a new one walks through the door? If they are at their desk, how do you know they are "doing nothing"? They could just as easily be preparing to deal with another customer who had the courtesy to make an appointment, or diligently performing follow-up actions for a customer who has just left.

On the other hand, if I walk in and just start looking around the cars, I will usually be left to my own devices, which is exactly what I would want. Occasionally someone will ask me if I need any help, but if I say I'm just looking, then I'm left to my own devices. I know some sales training techniques state that as soon as a "prospect" enters your domain, they have, even if only subconsciously, expressed an interest in your product and you must therefore ensure the visit results in a "conversion" (ie: a sale). I have no time for such techniques - if I want to buy something, I will initiate the negotions when I am ready to do so.

I'm a little bemused by the OP's post, to be honest. He has an established relationship with the dealership in question through his business, yet he has been treated so badly that he feels his only options are to purchase the car outside the UK or to buy a different make of car altogether. Seems irrational to say the least, and the type of language used in the post may give an insight into how the OP's own approach may have influenced the outcome. Companies will sometimes deliberately decline business with a known customer, overtly or otherwise, if they have reason to believe that it is not in their interests to conclude a deal.

As for the chap who posted that anyone who is approaching retirement and still doing a job that a 20-year-old could do is a "moron", all I can say is that you must have very limited experience of the employment market. The fact is that everyone has different abilities and aptitudes; if someone's strength is in sales/customer service, they may choose to remain in that field, and there is every reason to expect that a lifetime's experience of dealing with people will make them far better at it than their 20-year-old counterpart would be. Not everyone is cut out to be CEO material, but it doesn't mean they should be written off.

Bottom line is that it really shouldn't matter whether you're planning to spend £1m+ on a fleet purchase or £5000 on a used A Class. The salesman's approach towards you should be just the same, but so should yours to them. Mutual respect can go a long way.

 

[flango]

I'm a little bemused by the OP's post, to be honest. He has an established relationship with the dealership in question through his business, yet he has been treated so badly that he feels his only options are to purchase the car outside the UK or to buy a different make of car altogether. Seems irrational to say the least, and the type of language used in the post may give an insight into how the OP's own approach may have influenced the outcome. Companies will sometimes deliberately decline business with a known customer, overtly or otherwise, if they have reason to believe that it is not in their interests to conclude a deal.


Mutual respect can go a long way.

I would respectfully suggest you keep your opinions to yourself about my approach unless you know me The reason for the language is I was so p*ssed at the dealer I vented my anger on the forum. Those that know me will vouch that my style is nothing less than courteous and I treat others as I expect to be treated myself as you say mutual respect goes a long way.

I made an appointment to see them I didn't just walk in off the street yet they kept me 20 minutes before sending out the first nerd. I turned up in a £50k car dressed in trousers and shirt and spoke very politely as I always do to the girl on reception. If you think that is the wrong approach then I would love to hear what you think the correct one is????.

This is the second time I have been treat this way in the last 6 years.

I couldn't give a toss if Mercedes don't want my money there's plenty of dealers that do. As for the business I don't have any alternative but to by parts from them, all MB dealers in Yorkshire are owned by the same person, I wish I did as I really begrudge spending my money with someone that treats people this way.

As for buying the car out of the UK then why not I bet I don't get the same treatment in Munich next week

But I must say yet again for the second time the chances of me buying a new Mercedes are diminishing by the day, their sales service is the worst I have ever experienced of any manufacturer.

 

[billywhiz]

The OP's post here is one of a somewhat status expectance - of which I happen to agree with - i.e if you go to a Mercedes dealer then one would expect to have sufficient staff utilising the correct knowledge on specific questions - if a staff member was not too sure then a question would be passed upwards or sideways to obtain the appropriate answer.

None of this is at all from any 'snobbery' or mines better than yours but from a point of in terms of a service both in product and trained staff, then you expect Mercedes to be near the top.

Would go to Harrods and expect the same service as a ( example - Lidl shop ) I'm guessing you wouldn't - I'm guessing you are paying the extra for an expected service level - in this instance the OP did not get that service and if he wants to move away from Merc then thats the OP's choice.

Will this afffect Merc ? Not even a slight dent, they have probably even forgotten about it.

 

[Charles Morgan]

- because they can. If British customers were like German ones, we would pay less, would give direct, instant and disapproving feedback if being treated badly and we would therefore be served by people who care about what they are doing (not that this is a universal statement about all German businesses).

MB have a long long track record of poor service. However having bought/considered buying BMW, Audi, Mini, Honda, Land Rover, Porsche and Morgan, only the latter two (and the secondhand BMW guy in Park Lane) really seemed to care. The rest frankly were uninterested completely, although they all seemed to perk up at the time of the service questionnaire.

 

[st4]

Ian, if the MB is the car you want, I wouldn't let (Listers?) group put you off.

I bought a car from MB Hull. I called re the car and the salesman was somewhat horrified to meet the wee nipper buying the thing (on a switch card). His openning comment when I asked over the phone to give me £1k off the car and £500 more for the car, otherwise I could not afford it was "don't count on it". My reply "Thanks for your time, its not the car for me at that price, if you lower it let me know". 20mins later the price was dropped if I agreed to put £500 down.

The next day "the shed" was mine.

There after the deal went smoothly and follow up calls, delivery etc was arranged FOC.

My point is I would not let a sarky salesman put me off the car I really wanted. If you'd rather have a 535d as you prefer that, then that is the car you should buy, if you really want a MB (E class coupe?) then just order it from another dealer group.

 

[flango]

My point is I would not let a sarky salesman put me off the car I really wanted. If you'd rather have a 535d as you prefer that, then that is the car you should buy, if you really want a MB (E class coupe?) then just order it from another dealer group.

I don't even know if it is the car I want couldn't even get a test drive Never driven the New E saloon or Coupe but driven loads of BMW's so unfortunately nothing to compare against yet