Volkswagen - Need to learn basic sales technique

[BobbyBoy]

I contacted my local Volkswagen dealer (Motorline in Tunbridge Wells) in the week to book a test drive in a new Golf (for the Mrs) with a view to making an immediate purchase - Having taken my details (phone number and email address) salesman 'K' said he'd call me back within 10 minutes with a time for the test drive - days later, still waiting

Being a VERY determined customer and easily not put off, I contacted another Volkswagen dealer (Caffyns in Haywards Heath) and spoke to salesman 'M', who promised to call or email the following day with a date and time for a test drive. Yet again no no contact

With the current economic climate, I thought they might be more interested in taking my money.

How hard can it be to buy a new Volkswagen?

Bobby

 

[ukperson1]

If they cannot even be bothered to get more business imagine what customer service will be like!!?!

 

[BobbyBoy]

That's what bothers me :|

 

[smo]

VW customer service is the pitts. Even head office dont give a dam, their franchise dealers do what they want, they lie, they close warranty claims leaving vehicles dangerously half-repaired, they close ranks and deny all knowledge fabricating paperwork to cover their backsides....need I go on!!!!

 

[Blood Lust]

I contacted my local Volkswagen dealer (Motorline in Tunbridge Wells) in the week to book a test drive in a new Golf (for the Mrs) with a view to making an immediate purchase - Having taken my details (phone number and email address) salesman 'K' said he'd call me back within 10 minutes with a time for the test drive - days later, still waiting

Being a VERY determined customer and easily not put off, I contacted another Volkswagen dealer (Caffyns in Haywards Heath) and spoke to salesman 'M', who promised to call or email the following day with a date and time for a test drive. Yet again no no contact

With the current economic climate, I thought they might be more interested in taking my money.

How hard can it be to buy a new Volkswagen?

Bobby

You're asking a company to spend money on you in the form of petrol when they dont know if you will buy.

It isnt going to happen unless you turn up at the garage and pressure them into it.

 

[chrisbarnes86]

I've not had any problems with the VW dealers (vans and cars) I have dealt with although prefer to do things face to face in person rather than on the phone.

 

[criminaldefence]

plenty of businesses have awful customer service.
Usually the ones with call centres in Asia unfortunately.

 

[avantime]

You're asking a company to spend money on you in the form of petrol when they dont know if you will buy.

It isnt going to happen unless you turn up at the garage and pressure them into it.

That goes for any test drive. The OP just wanted to scedule a test drive. Dealerships can't sell cars unless people test drive.......

 

[Vaheed Akhtar]

Car showroom salesmen will always prioritise visiting customers over telephone enquiries. Rightly so too. Get yourself down to the show room and show them you're serious and you watch how they kiss your butt cheeks for their commission.

As for their customer services, they're actually one of the better manufacturers around. Try dealing with BMW - flipping nightmare.

 

[crphillips]

I've had brand new VWs for years and not had a problem. The garages are only franchises so VW can't be held totally responsible. Just keep ringing around VW garages until you find one that's keen to take your money.

I've found their customer service very good and we have several vehicles.

Do you really need a test drive though? I've never needed a test drive as usually if I'm planning on spending 20-30k on a vehicle ive usually driven one well before I get to calling the garage.

 

[Rasta Pickles]

You're asking a company to spend money on you in the form of petrol when they dont know if you will buy.

It isnt going to happen unless you turn up at the garage and pressure them into it.

Well, you say that but about five years ago I had to drop my company car (Ford) off for a service at the dealership in Avonmeads.

Duly got a phone call later that day saying the car was ready but that I'd need to go into the main showroom to pick up the keys and documentation because the service department were closing early.

Ok, no problem. So I turn up (in a sharp suit) and wander into the very shiny showroom full of expensive Fords. It was a full eight minutes before I encountered a staff member.

I have no idea where they all were, all the desks were unmanned.

Now they didnt know that I wasn't there to make a sales enquiry or even to hand over a suitcase full of £20 notes for a car.

Makes you wonder how "bad" this ongoing credit cunch really is!

 

[BobbyBoy]

I'd expect to get this level of service from someone working on minimum wage in a fast food joint - but not from so called 'sales professionals' working for a blue chip company, selling high value items

It has been said by some of this forum that you should support 'bricks and mortar' businesses as they give better service than online retailers, but I can see why people are flocking to spend their money online.

Bobby

 

[Blood Lust]

I'd expect to get this level of service from someone working on minimum wage in a fast food joint - but not from so called 'sales professionals' working for a blue chip company, selling high value items

It has been said by some of this forum that you should support 'bricks and mortar' businesses as they give better service than online retailers, but I can see why people are flocking to spend their money online.

Bobby

A salesman isnt a customer services agent.

He should try speaking to a customer services manager. He should close the deal over the phone not leave it open ended or pay a visit in person to agree the testdrive.

 

[BobbyBoy]

A salesman isnt a customer services agent.

Selling starts and ends with good customer service - taking time to find out what your customers needs, showing them how your product/service meets that need and then fulfilling that need.

It continues after the sale too, when you check that the customer is delighted with their purchase and happy to recommend you to their friends.

If selling isnt about customer service - then what is it about?

Bobby

 

[Blood Lust]

Selling starts and ends with good customer service - taking time to find out what your customers needs, showing them how your product/service meets that need and then fulfilling that need.

It continues after the sale too, when you check that the customer is delighted with their purchase and happy to recommend you to their friends.

If selling isnt about customer service - then what is it about?

Bobby

Different types of business place different levels of value on customer services.

A supermarket values long term customers who buy goods often so they place their focus on customer services.

A car showroom at best only sells a car to a person every ten years so they arent concerned with long term relationships. Therefore they arent customer orientated they are sales orientated.

The title of the person you speak to gives it away. A salesman is not a customer services agent and wont provide that kind of support. They are employed simply to sell.

 

[BobbyBoy]

Different types of business place different levels of value on customer services.

A supermarket values long term customers who buy goods often so they place their focus on customer services.

A car showroom at best only sells a car to a person every ten years so they arent concerned with long term relationships. Therefore they arent customer orientated they are sales orientated.

The title of the person you speak to gives it away. A salesman is not a customer services agent and wont provide that kind of support. They are employed simply to sell.

Surely selling a car involves calling your customer (as promised) to confirm a product demo. I've already told them that I want to buy a car from them, I told them the model, the engine size - even the colour, they didnt have to work that one out, they just had to show me the product and let the Mrs take it for a quick spin.

Otherwise the car salesman is no more than the person who fills out the order form at the end of the sales transaction.

Thats not selling - thats sales administration

Bobby

 

[Blood Lust]

Surely selling a car involves calling your customer (as promised) to confirm a product demo. I've already told them that I want to buy a car from them, I told them the model, the engine size - even the colour, they didnt have to work that one out, they just had to show me the product and let the Mrs take it for a quick spin.

Otherwise the car salesman is no more than the person who fills out the order form at the end of the sales transaction.

Thats not selling - thats sales administration

Bobby

I understand your frustration.

Skip the salesman and go for a manager you'll get more joy.

 

[tel_]

if you unhappy with the way you sales enquiry is handled, don't buy a VW

 

[brooky25]

Try Audi garages, they seem a lot more helpful than vw. I do own a vw golf myself but from past experience audi help you a lot more. I even go to audi with the golf nowadays as a lot of service items are the same as A3

 

[patientlady]

Hi BobbyboyI have to agree with you. Some years ago I called into and asked our local VW dealership to locate a New Campaign model VW Golf. This was the all white convertible, late 80's. An immediate sale, stated clearly. The salesman never called me back. A week later I called the dealership to see if they had been successful. They would look into it. Never heard another word...
I purchased a used BMW 325i instead and have never been back to the VW dealership

 

[MH1]

Well, you say that but about five years ago I had to drop my company car (Ford) off for a service at the dealership in Avonmeads.

Duly got a phone call later that day saying the car was ready but that I'd need to go into the main showroom to pick up the keys and documentation because the service department were closing early.

Ok, no problem. So I turn up (in a sharp suit) and wander into the very shiny showroom full of expensive Fords. It was a full eight minutes before I encountered a staff member.

I have no idea where they all were, all the desks were unmanned.

Now they didnt know that I wasn't there to make a sales enquiry or even to hand over a suitcase full of £20 notes for a car.

Makes you wonder how "bad" this ongoing credit cunch really is!

People are the same no matter what the economic climate. During the good days I used to work opposite a Jaguar showroom, and during a really bad storm I pointed out a tramp looking guy carrying a tesco bag, drenched from the rain.

I bet my colleague he would enter the showroom to help dry out and get a cup of coffee, which he duly did. I also predicted they would ignore him and he would then come over to our showroom, which happened.

My colleague had first go with the guy, but as with the Jaguar staff he chose to see th tramp and refused to bother with him, so I spoke to him. He bought a £30k car within a few minutes, he had wanted a Jaguar but decided he wouldn't after being ignored, even had all the cash in a Tesco bag with him.

Eccentric millionaires ..... sooner or later they go shopping.

 

[Andy Alderson]

Different types of business place different levels of value on customer services.

A supermarket values long term customers who buy goods often so they place their focus on customer services.

A car showroom at best only sells a car to a person every ten years so they arent concerned with long term relationships. Therefore they arent customer orientated they are sales orientated.

The title of the person you speak to gives it away. A salesman is not a customer services agent and wont provide that kind of support. They are employed simply to sell.

Firstly, you're wrong about the how often someone buys a new car, the new car buyers out there will change much more frequently, more like every 3- 4 years. and other members of their household IE wife, husband etc are much more likely to buy the same brand. You've also got to remember that there's the real reason dealers sell new cars, the servicing and the parts. There's very little money in the metal, at anything up to £120 per hour to change an oil and filter the service side is where the money is .
The biggest problem is that the sales side of motor dealers have always been pretty awful at the sales side, sure most are good (enough) once you're in front of them. But once you've made the trek to the showroom for a test drive you've pretty much made a decision to buy it, it's just a question of whose price you're going to pay, yours or the salesmans, or somewhere in the middle,but that's the easy part unless the salesman really messes it up by being, rude, ill informed or uninterested.

The real work starts on the phone, it always has been. It's just so much more important now as more and more customers don't want to travel around from showroom to showroom in the hope that there is the right car for them to drive. Most if not all will do their research on the web then call around their local dealers to book a test drive, as this will be their first insight in to the service standards of the dealer, you would think that this would be where the training starts.
Unfortunately since credit crunch happened and new car registrations fell by around 40% a lot of dealers (not all) have cut their staff and training budgets, and what you're left with is a lot of sharp suited, poorly trained kids being paid peanuts, and you know what happens when you pay peanuts.....

 

[AshleyWhiteBusiness]

The only way for me is to let them see how serious you are in owning one. Also, I prefer to go to the showroom myself then being bombard by sales agents.

 

[outventor]

If it was my business the sales guy would be on his way home.

 

[MrCloser]

VW customer service is the pitts. Even head office dont give a dam, their franchise dealers do what they want, they lie, they close warranty claims leaving vehicles dangerously half-repaired, they close ranks and deny all knowledge fabricating paperwork to cover their backsides....need I go on!!!!

Stop it stop it you are reminding me of the awful mk1 Polos with their useless headlights and dangerous brakes...the one's that which? magazine recommended to their readers' back in the 80's.

For that resaon alone I'd never seriously consider a vw, although I know they can make great cars when they want to.

 

[BobbyBoy]

Sorry, haven't got time to chase round after salesman, if they want my money they can work for it .

Bought a new VW online (Inchcape VW in Swindon) - got great service from a dealer who wanted to do business and a fantastic price too.

Managed to arrange a trade in too - all online and by phone!!

Just love internet shopping - great service and prices :redface:

Bobby