Chalk and Cheese

[Richard-R]

Went out yesterday to buy a new car. My wife would have liked a new Mini, so of to the local BMW garage, rude staff, no price info for the Cooper S. They keep us waiting 25 minutes, Then they just grunted that delivery time was 6 months plus. Service with a smile....not. Over a long lunch i talked my better half into looking at a Toyota, so full after a good meal popped in the there garage. They could not have been nicer.The salesman noticed that i had a rental car key ring and said i could rent from them a Yaris for 10 euros a day whilst our main car is in Spain having some mod's done and before our Toyota arrives. Knocked some money off the list price and through in matts, locking nuts and a roof rack. Now my wife gets a Yaris TS and with the extra dosh left over from the cost of a Mini, i get a quad bike.

I have had the same treatment from BMW staff in the U.K. Is this part of there european training i wonder? And 6 months waiting time? Only 3 weeks for the Yaris TS. Will not be visiting a BMW dealing every again.

[Mpprh]

Hi

I worked for a while with motor trade mystery shopping.

It is all supply & demand :

If they can't get something you want, they sulk and blame the manufacturer.

If they've got too many of what you want - they'll treat you like a king !

Peter

[Redcap]

I have found BMW owners to be of the same mould! Arrogant and full of themselves, but that's my personal opinion.  Others may disagree!!  And yes, if I wanted one, I could go out and buy one, if I don't mind waiting, but I have better things to spend my money on!

Regards,

Bob  (now lets not get mad!!)

[Dog]

I just had similar treatment visiting most of the major franchises. I went into the Toyota dealer in Perigueux got a 7 seater Verso for the price of a 5 seater a 7% discount and the Carte Grise all with a 5 day delivery.

Plus got a bottle of expensive champagne when we picked it up. It kept the Mrs happy and she said I can have a Jensen CV8 when the building work is finished.

[Weedon]

[quote]I have found BMW owners to be of the same mould! Arrogant and full of themselves, but that's my personal opinion. Others may disagree!! And yes, if I wanted one, I could go out and buy one, if I don...[/quote]

I can only speak from my experience of one BMW dealer and that was not as a buyer of a vehicle but as a buyer of parts in my former life.

On the whole I found the car sales staff to be a toffe-nosed lot and thought they were gods gift to the motor trade.

Weedon(53)

[Steve Last]

We went to a Peugeot dealer in Maidenhead to enquire about a new 206 (I think it was) for my wife. Wanted a wagon but with automatic trans, which the SW doesn't have. A particular requirement was for occasional transport of some craft equipment (she teaches textile arts and quilting).  We had seen a review which said the 206 had excellent fold forward seat. Saw one on their ramp......  no-one paid any attention to us. Went inside and found a brochure..... which said it could accomodate a surf board in that config - ideal.

Salesmen chatting to themselves and ignored us. Eventually I went over and asked if anyone was selling cars here, and said I was interested in the 206.  One reluctantly went and got some keys and said we could look at the one outside, and went back to his chat.

Getting a bit p....d off by now, but went and looked. Couldn't see how seat unlatched so went back to get them to show us. When I said I wanted to see the seat forward salesman asked why so I explained and said it was in their brochure. "Salesman" flatly denied any such statement existed, so I got a copy and showed him. At this stage he reluctantly came outside to discuss it. He then asked whether my wife actually wanted to carry a surfboard - she said no, but occasionally she took some poles which were about the same size.   "Salesman's" response - "well you ought to buy a van then!"

We would probably have signed on the spot for the right car as we were in the mood, but as a direct result we vowed never to to have anything to do with that agency again, and I'm very pleased with the Skoda Fabia Estate automatic we bought that afternoon.

Might get talked into a P407SW next year though - but not from Maidehead!

Steve 

[Boghound]

All these replies about bad experiences with various dealerships always put a smile on my face. Perhaps it would be a breath of fresh air to hear some stories from the "other side".

Unless you have vast experience of earning a living from the "Great" British public in connection with the car trade. I really don't think you realise what a "pain in the rear" they are. The amount of commission a salesman gets at a main dealer is peanuts. Yes the saying does hold water about monkeys. Whilst the wage is no excuse for bad salesmen it goes a long way to explain it!

After having owned "prestige" dealerships and car-lots, I know all there is to know about "tyre-kickers" and "daydreamers". If you are really convinced that you want to purchase the vehicle and are ignored, insulted or annoyed. Just go to another dealer or make yourself known at the dealer you are in by being a bit more forthright.

The BMW mini is in short supply but if you are not prepared to wait for it, or any other car in short supply, offer to pay over the list in cash and see how the "edge" just melts away.

(I could describe the tricks my salesmen got upto but it would fill the forum)

Or do as my father did in the 60/70's. Just buy the garage and sack the salesmen. Easy really!  

[Teamedup]

Doesn't seem to matter whether it is an expensive dealer or not. We had one second hand and three new, no four new Fiats from our local garage. Always the same salesman served us and was very good until the last time.

His disinterest was complete. So we went elsewhere.

[Richard-R]

Seems to that the retail motor trade have learnt very little. if anything of other retailers, regarding customer service. Given that people buy Mini's as a second or third car, it's no pain just to walk out of the showroom. Every shop here in France that i have visited ,the staff could no have been more helpful (and i'm sure that they are on simular wages) ,even for the smallest/cheapest off things.

[Boghound]

RDKR and Teamup. I think you both are missing my point. I am defending the Motor Trade profession. I could fill a book as thick as "War & Peace" with antidotes from the other side.

Also, it never fails to amaze me, that no matter how the general public complain about car sales etc. The garages still manage to survive and sell cars.Therefore, someone must think they are doing a good job.

If you think buying a car in Europe is bad. Have a go in the States.Where incidently most of the selling techniques come from. You can spend all day trying to prise an over zealous salesman off your back and sometimes you only went in for a "touch-up" stick!

[Teamedup]

I'm not missing the point at all. The salesman, José, in fact had been dealing with us for 9 or so years. Everytime we had been in we had bought a car from him. The first one used a year old, the rest all new.

IE our track record was perfect. We don't like cars. We don't browse in car dealerships, all we want is a car that is reliable and not a gas guzzler. And when we go in we buy.

Now I realise that some people do go in and browse. We don't. And I'm not responsible for other people's perceived time wasting.

So I think José was missing the point and we haven't been back to that garage.

 

 

 

[Iceni]

Rdkr

The BMW staff are highly trained to identify unsuitable potential owners - and it works.

John

[Teamedup]

Ah thanks for the laugh Iceni.

Just judging by the gens who drive the things around here, then 'suitable' must meant that they must be on the look out for arrogant, aggressive, egotistical people, who believe that they own the road, ........and it works, they really are good at selling to such cliental. 

There must be the odd salesperson who is lousy though as one does get the odd rare Beamer driver who doesn't carve up other motorists and overtake on solid white lines on blind bends. 

[Richard-R]

[quote]Rdkr The BMW staff are highly trained to identify unsuitable potential owners - and it works. John[/quote]

You mean i shoild have turned up wearing lots of gold chains and rings..or worse still dress liked a middle manager in a polyester suit covered in dandruff?

opps, never gave it a thought that the would be a dress code.

[Stew]

"one does get the odd rare Beamer driver who doesn't carve up other motorists and overtake on solid white lines on blind bends." . . .

and park in the handicap spaces in car parks

Stew

(proud owner of a collapsed Cavalier, a Rover which leaks steering fluid and a petit cent-six)

[Delboy]

[quote]Rdkr The BMW staff are highly trained to identify unsuitable potential owners - and it works. John[/quote]

Reminds me of a joke.

Bloke advertises his beamer for sale.  Chap comes along and is very interested.  Vendor starts asking him questions about why he wants a beamer etc and many other things, and finally asks

"By the way, are you circumcised?"

Potential buyer replies

"Well, I can't see the relevance, but, yes I am".

Vendor says

"Sorry, can't sell you the beamer as you have to be a complete pr*ck to drive a BMW"

DB (Volvo driver)

 

 

[isabelmaidment]

[quote]RDKR and Teamup. I think you both are missing my point. I am defending the Motor Trade profession. I could fill a book as thick as "War & Peace" with antidotes from the other side. Also, it neve...[/quote]

It is not too bad if you know what the rules are. Some years ago my father was trying to buy a Ford Cortina Estate, fully loaded. Salesman tried to switch sell to Ford Corsair Estate (same running gear, heavier body, worse CD and 20% more expensive) . We ended up with a Cortina GT estate (not listed but would run with a 404) . I taught me that you start from what they want to sell not what you want to buy and alsways confince them they have made you spend more moneynthan you wanted to

The new Mini is a way for BMW to sell an expensive front wheel drove hatch back without corrupting their brand image.

[Boghound]

[quote]It is not too bad if you know what the rules are. Some years ago my father was trying to buy a Ford Cortina Estate, fully loaded. Salesman tried to switch sell to Ford Corsair Estate (same running gea...[/quote]

He should have bought the Ford Corsair Estate with the cd. At least he would have been ahead of his time by about 25 years!

Why does everyone have a go at BMW drivers? There are just as bad drivers in the "toy" Mercedes and every other make manufactured.

Rkdr seems to be happy to buy a BMW (whoops sorry) Mini Cooper S along with the rest of the them. When I'm sure an old Fiat 127 would do just as well but with no "street gred". Sorry. A Fiat 127 would have street gred now. It's all down to the circle one moves in.

[Val_2]

Well I can't praise our local Citroën dealer enough. We've bought one new and one (year-old) vehicles from them in the past four years and they bent over backwards to sort out the best finance deal for us. When niggly things went wrong,they took the vehicles in ahead of other clients and sorted them and out of working hours their employees that we have got to know from the salesman to the mechicanics always greet us and have a chat. I can understand if someone wants to buy an expensive car and can afford to do so but I live according to my means and cannot justify having an expensive vehicle just sitting most days on the drive. At the end of the day I think garage salesmen can tell serious buyers and time wasters by how confident you appear to be in their presence. This garage the poster of the thread visited obviously are not typical of other makes of car who in my opinion and experience with other dealers here I have dealt with also.

[Boghound]

[quote]Well I can't praise our local Citroën dealer enough. We've bought one new and one (year-old) vehicles from them in the past four years and they bent over backwards to sort out the best finance deal fo...[/quote]

Hey Val2. Citroën dealers must be special, as the local one looks after all my cars and they are not Citroën! As you and your "better-half" know. It's the attitude of the punter that counts not the "wad of money" they carry!  

[Val_2]

Boggy its the same in the building trade. You can always tell the genuine clients when you visit to give the first devis. Those that start saying money is no object they are going to have this special kitchen fitted and that special window installed and then complain about the price of necessary remedial work to make sure they have a sound roof and walls which to me is far more important. Quite often we havn't bothered to give an estimate to some of these people as you can see into the future and the grief they are going to give you. One bloke wanted us to travel 40miles to change a halogen light bulb,my husband told him no,it wasn't work we had carried out anyway.

[Boghound]

[quote]Boggy its the same in the building trade. You can always tell the genuine clients when you visit to give the first devis. Those that start saying money is no object they are going to have this special...[/quote]

Val2. Tell me about it!. If you give them an inch.They want the whole nine yards. Just keep smiling and look forward to next years sunnier days.

[JohnM]

Although stereotypes are not the be all and end all, I think the reputation of a car does attract a certain type of owner.

I used to know a guy who really thought he was the best driver in the "crowd" he bought an Audi and told us "I need a Car which is technologically up to the standard of my driving". He wasn't (probably still isn't) any better than a number of other people (****head)

Volvo's reputation was of sturdy, strong and safe inside. It attracted the sort of people who want to be safe. However, because many of those drivers felt safe, they drove a little less carefully than others. (Nb NOT ALL) (Off topic, but appartently cameramen are more vulnerable in war zones because they see the action through a lens and somehow feel that they are detached from the reality so they take more chances).

The BMW, it's the trendy "I have arrived" car, so will attract reps and middle management.

The Merc has a reputation for being a status symbol - the cheaper ones tend to attract a lot of people who feel the need tell the world that they really are somebody important (even when they are not).

Me? I drive a Clio, I bought it new in 96 and hope to get another couple of years out of it, I bought it because I hoped Nicole came as a standard fitting… what does that say about me??? Easily impressed and a cheapskate perhaps! :-)

Just a thought but perhaps BMW dealerships get more wheel kickers than any other because so many of the eventual drivers will be in company cars, they will go to the nearest dealership to suss it out, but the leasing company will buy it where it is cheapest?

 

[Dog]

[quote]RDKR and Teamup. I think you both are missing my point. I am defending the Motor Trade profession. I could fill a book as thick as "War & Peace" with antidotes from the other side. Also, it neve...[/quote]

In my past life before I retired I was involved with publishing. Perhaps I could persuade you to write the first part of your 'War & Peace in the Motor Trade'. Its gotta go places!

Strangely I know a few BMW car salesmen - though have never bought one. I could tell you some tales.

[Coral]

[quote]Ah thanks for the laugh Iceni. Just judging by the gens who drive the things around here, then 'suitable' must meant that they must be on the look out for arrogant, aggressive, egotistical people, w...[/quote]

BMW I understood it meant Big Mouth W-W-W-Wally