Feb 01, 2020 Warwick Robinson retail, car sales, reviews, RMI, NADA
As most manufacturers are now well aware, reaching your target market via social media is an extremely effective and direct way to get feet through the door. After responding to a number of adverts that were driven my way via facebook and google I expressed my interest and waited to be blown away by all the slick sales schpiel.
As motoring industry publisher I am fortunate enough to regularly get treated to the best that the manufacturers have to offer. They allow us to test their products and spread the word about all the benefits of owning the latest and greatest – and sometimes, hey the bug just bites. Believe it or not we are humans too, and that is how I ended up walking into a couple of car dealerships in early January. I wanted to experience, see and feel some of the models I had not been able to get my grubby hands on. Well in truth, I was actually very interested in a particular few models and wanted to find out more. So I walked in wanting to walk out with a quote and finance options. At the same time I thought it would be interesting to write about the consumer point of view – does all the marketing and PR add up to customer experience?
Only, there was no sales schpiel. No real experience to speak of, and most bizarrely no attempt to try and sell me a car. At all.
Have dealerships already reached their targets for the year by late January? Man it looks like its going to be a great year for them then!
Out of the three big German brands I went to only one actually sent me a quote. Mercedes just weren’t interested, VW, had no stock to show me and never called me back after taking my details at 2 different dealerships. Ok, the BMW showroom was impressive and the very charming sales lady tried her best to let me sit in one of the cars. But after explaining in detail what I was looking for, and being serviced in a very friendly and seemingly informed manner, I asked for the related numbers. I wanted to know the price. But apparently that's not an option, the best she could do was email me “once the system is up”. Er, ok.
So a few days later when the mail arrived, it was not actually a quote at all. It was an invitation to log in to the sales system, which involved having to take part in a tedious log in process. Once I eventually managed to do so, the system presented me with two cash price quotes on the two models we had discussed. Only, that is not what I asked for – I wanted to understand the model price versus what finance options are available. This so that I could make an educated decision and look at whether buying on finance or a guaranteed future value deal was the route to pursue.
After explaining, in writing, that the “system” offered me no option to investigate this, the sales lady emailed me back a few days later, asking if I had “come right”. No. I had not I pointed out – referring her to the email thread clearly detailing my frustration below (with screenshots). Again I was asked if I had come right, it seems if my question and explanation of the problem had simply not even been read.
So after explaining my frustration and bewilderment at her lack of desire to actually take my money, all by email, all I got back 14 days after visiting the dealership was a confirmation mail that my "orders had been cancelled”. No follow up, no phone call. Would it have hurt to just phone me to give me the information I needed the day after I visited the dealer?
Please don't stop letting me test your cars and come to launches, as it seems that is the only way I get to drive your cars. And that really makes me sad, I would have liked to drive one every day.
PS - reconcile this experience against this story!http://www.autoforum.co.za/View-News-Article.aspx?News=12111
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