Customers Becoming More Satisfied With 'sales Experience'.

[CanadaCraig]

Hi Guys!! :)

According to J.D. Power - customers are gradually becoming MORE satisfied with the 'sales experience'.

BUT.... there is still a long way to go.

Click on THIS to read the story.

Many years ago - I walked into a Toyota showroom to take a look at the [then] all-new Toyota Supra. [The last version they made] It was roped-off in the showroom like some ancient artifact. After circling the car for about 20 minutes or so - I was finally acknowledged by a salesman. It was immediately apparent that I was wasting HIS time. [You know the 'look' - I'm sure] I ignored his 'attitude' and asked if I could sit in the Supra to see if it had enough headroom. He told me that only 'serious buyers' were being permitted to sit in the Supra. I told him that I'm not about to become 'serious' about ANY car unless I know that I can actually SIT in it comfortably. [being 6'3" tall - I often don't 'fit'] Not good enough. I then asked for a brochure. NOPE!! They didn't have any. In a huff - I walked away. As I approached my NSX [which was just out of view of the showroom] I could hear someone running in my direction. It was that same salesman. He was running towards me while stapling his business card TO a Supra brochure. Imagine that. "I found a brochure, SIR!!" I just ignored him and drove off.

Someone once said, "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." I would add to that quote by saying, ".... by how he treats those who he ASSUMES can do nothing for him."

Do you have any stories about how YOU were turned off buying a car [or even just seriously thinking of buying a car] by the actions [or in-actions] of a salesman?!

Craig!! :)

[RX in NC]

I could fill a book with these types of stories, but in the interests of time I'll give you just one.

My usual style of dress these days, even when I'm out and about, is shorts and a t-shirt (usually clean, but maybe not if I've been playing with or training my dogs that day or out hiking in a local state park). Other than for weddings or funerals, I haven't had to put on a business suit since 1997. When I walk into a showroom to have a look at a vehicle that I may be interested in learning about, I'm essentially ignored because the salespeople immediately assume that I'm there to wash windows or perhaps haul away the recycling. Although I could write a $250,000 check on the spot to buy practically any vehicle my heart desires, they automatically assume that I'm a blue-collar guy who isn't worth the time of day.

I actually enjoy this situation, however, because it provides me with plenty of time to evaluate and learn about the vehicle without being pestered by some arrogant salesperson. There have been times when the vehicle I've been interested in has been locked up tight and I've had to approach someone to get the key and unlock it so I could get a closer look. As you said, they act like they're doing me a supreme favor instead of regarding me as a serious potential customer. I always make sure to tell them, "fella, you should treat every single person who walks in this showroom as if they will be the next person who signs your commission check because you have no way of knowing anything about them until you take the time to get to know them". Some change their attitudes immediately, and some do not. Those that don't, I simply walk away from and find someone else who chooses to treat me more professionally.

I'm glad you have your NSX because I dearly wanted one in the early 1990s when they first arrived from Japan. My wife drove a rare 5-speed Legend as her primary vehicle at that time and our Acura salesperson called me excitedly when his dealership received their first one, and I was there within two hours. But at 6'7", I couldn't get into that cockpit even with a shoehorn and family-size jar of Vaseline. That is still the most disappointed I've ever been due to not being able to have a car that I really wanted in my stable. I think about that experience, now more than 15 years ago, every time I see an NSX on the road (which is now a rarer and rarer event)....

[lenore]

November of 1998 I was at the local Mercedes dealer, and was shopping for a ML320, I could not get one single salesman to help. Funny, I drove up in a Mercedes but It was like I was invisable. Went down to Lexus and bought the RX300 I own now and the sales people were fantastic, no pressure, all help. The General manager ended up closing the deal that night after taking $7500 off the sticker price. Sacramento Lexus treated us very well. The next day my wife received a dozen long stem roses from the GM. That impressed her a great deal. Mercedes lost a customer forever.

[nc211]

I've got a beauty for you. RX, you'll know where I'm talking about. True story:

Where: Southern States Nissan of Raleigh

When: 3 years ago

Who: Me, and I think DMX twin brother "rap star"

What: Salesman "DMX" was standing outside smoking a cigerette when I pulled into the dealership in my fully loaded 2001 Maxima, heading to the parts department for a plastic seatbelt cap. Mr. DMX YELLS out across the lot as I get out of my car, and I quote word for word here "Hey Whitie, you ready to trade that POS for the bling machine Maxima?"

I got back in my car, and called Nissan Corporate. I told them I was not going to fix the missing cap "getting ready to turn the car back in from lease", and if they charged me for it, I would file a discrimination suit against the dealership, and make it public. They did not charge me. In fact, I received a phone call from the dealership with a formal appology, and a bunch of free oil changes...none of which were true because the service department didn't accept them.

You couldn't give me a car from that place! Southern States Nissan of Raleigh, on Wake Forest Road.

[SW03ES]

Like RX I have a ton of stories like that. Being in sales myself I am extremely sensitive to bad salespeople because truly they give all of us a bad name. Sales is a PEOPLE business, people who suck at it get it confused with a MONEY business. If you get to know the PEOPLE, the MONEY will come. You've got to stay interested in the people though, and like RX said its always apparent to the customer when a salesperson is in it for the money.

Two of my favorite stores come from shopping for cars with my dad (I buy cars on the Internet, I don't deal with salespeople until I've already chosen the car and negotiated the deal). The first time was back in 98 when he was shopping. He was almost ready to pull the trigger on a BMW 740. We were sitting in the salesman's office and they started talking about numbers. My dad let the salesman know exactly what his deal was, I don't remember what it was but it was reasonable. The salesman laughed and said something like "If you can't afford this car, we have cheaper ones". Well, at this point my dad was like 56 and this guy was like 30, and lets just say my dad has considerable financial warewithall. He walked out, very loudly on the showroom floor expressed his displeasure to the sales manager (several customers left lol) and thats how he wound up with his 98 LS400.

The second story also comes from shopping with my dad. This was in 2001 when he was looking to replace the LS. We went to a Benz dealer. While walking up to the door, a salesman stepped in front of us knocking us out of the way, went inside the dealer and let the door slam right in our faces. I don't think he's set foot in a Benz dealer since...

The third story comes from a Lexus salesman actually when I was shopping for my car. Carla and I go out to this dealer in VA (Pohanka Lexus) and we wind up with this salesman named Burton Ellis. Now, I'm a young guy. I am however a professional and people constantly mistake both of us for older than we are. This guy decided that he was going to bridge a generation gap that just didn't exist. We're sitting in the car and he (who sat in front making Carla sit in the back) is showing me features I already told him I knew about. He starts discussing the dual zone climate control in the context that "These women are always cold, now you don't have to suffer". He was just plain extremely obnoxious. We start talking about pricing and lease terms and I share with him the information I'd been getting from other dealers which was $700 over invoice and leases of around $515 a month. He basically tells me I'm looking at the wrong car and that a lease on the ES would be AT LEAST $700 a month. He called to followup and his message was that he "Enjoyed rapping with me and my fiance". Those of you who know me will realize how totally alien "rapping" is to my personality LOL. His signoff was "This has been Burton...Ellis...Lexus" He was just a total joke.

BTW, I got my ES for $500 over invoice and the lease payment before I bought it out was $510 a month lol

[RX in NC]

NC211,

I feel your pain. Have you noticed that it's always the Nissan showrooms where the atmosphere and employee base is more of a hip-hop club than it is a car dealership? For an even more ridiculous experience than you had at Southern States, drive over to Michael Jordan Nissan in Durham. But I'll go ahead and warn you now that unless you pull in there with your bass boomin', your gold chains rattlin', your baseball cap about four sizes too big and turned squarely around, your britches draggin', and your 26-inch rims spinnin', you just ain't gonna fit in, mutha******....

[SW03ES]

LMAO!

That made my day RX...

[denslexusgx470]

I've heard of many stories like this. Here's a couple of them......

This one involves the BROKER's SON of my dad's real estate company (which means, $$$ isn't a problem). He used to drive a 98 Isuzu Tropper and when he was going to get married, wanted to get a GX as a marraige gift for his wife. So he walks into the local Lexus dealership here in Fresno, at about Jan 03 (The GX first came out in Dec 02). Since the GXs that came in didn't ever sleep for more than 24 hours in the showrooms, he was looked down upon. He came in one day, in his Trooper, wearing casual clothes (T-*BLEEP* and shorts, sneakers) and asks to look at a GX. Sales person said no because they're all pre-sold and can't be touched. So he was *BLEEP*ed. He ended up buying one in Oregon, where they have a vacation home there and that's where the wedding took place. THAT right there, is a big mistake of the salesperson.

Another one is one regular Japanese guy. He walks into Fresno Lexus also and wants to test drive the LS430. Sales person (I'm guessin, i just heard this story from someone) said that it wasn't possible. So he went 100 miles south to buy not only 1, but 3 Lexus vehicles (not sure if they were all LS430s). So this Japanese guy comes to Fresno Lexus, driving one of them, and I think he did mention or someone mentioned to the salesperson that this Japanese guy bought 3 Lexus vehicles. Bad mistake.

I've heard of this one. A poor guy walks into a Mercedes dealership and asks to take a look at the most expensive Benz in the showroom. The "senior" salesguy didn't pay attention to him. The newbie approaches him, even though he THINKS the guy won't buy. Think again. The guy had about $100k cash that he won from the lottery and wanted to buy a Mercedes because it was his dream car. Imagine that, the newbie won a jackpot because the "senior" sales guy rejected the so called "poor guy that looks like he can't afford".

[RX in NC]

SW03ES,

Glad you enjoyed my little piece on Michael Jordan Nissan in Durham. Wish it was fiction, but it's not. Haven't been there in several years but you can rest assured that if I do decide to go over there again, I'll be wearin' my leopard-print trench coat and purple fedora with the ostrich feather just to make sure that everybody's down with me....

[nc211]

SW03ES,

Glad you enjoyed my little piece on Michael Jordan Nissan in Durham. Wish it was fiction, but it's not. Haven't been there in several years but you can rest assured that if I do decide to go over there again, I'll be wearin' my leopard-print trench coat and purple fedora with the ostrich feather just to make sure that everybody's down with me....

Fo' shizzell ma' nizzel, word! B)

[SW03ES]

SW03ES,

Glad you enjoyed my little piece on Michael Jordan Nissan in Durham. Wish it was fiction, but it's not. Haven't been there in several years but you can rest assured that if I do decide to go over there again, I'll be wearin' my leopard-print trench coat and purple fedora with the ostrich feather just to make sure that everybody's down with me....

I want a picture!

[Gryphon]

I can attest from living in southern California several years back that high-end sales people know that attire is not an indicator of financial ability to purchase an expensive car. There are a lot of wealth young beach bums running around.

Tom