I have a question.

[CoolBlueSS]

We here at our dealership are trying to come up with ideas to make a new/used car purchase experience better. If you were/are buying a new vehicle, what would be your expectations of the delivery proccess? For example, would you want to be shown the features of your new car? Would you want a tour of the dealership? Where's the parts/sevrvice departments, ect. I know most of us are car people, so we probably know more about what we're buying than the sales people do, but give me some ideas.

 

Thanks.

Edited February 6, 2007 by CoolBlueSS (see edit history)

[loanrangerss]

We here at our dealership are trying to come up with ideas to make a new/used car purchase experience better. If you were/are buying a new vehicle, what would be your expectations of the delivery proccess? For example, would you want to be shown the features of your new car? Would you want a tour of the dealership? Where's the parts/sevrvice departments, ect. I know most of us are car people, so we probably know more about what we're buying than the sales people do, but give me some ideas.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Well I have worked in sales for a wile and I find it to be a timely process to buy a new ride so while the customers are waiting around for papers to be processed for delivery of the new beauty they could be taken on a garn tour of the facility show them everything to show than when its time to sign the papers let them and then do your delivery tell them the rest of your sales pitch cause you know the have friends.

 

just an idea

 

Chris-

[Black2003SS]

Honest up front pricing and sales. Get the sales people to stop playing the "let me get my manager to push you" stuff or "We'll work on the trade in offer if you commit crap. I'm in sales and its old 1960's tactics. Honestly, if the sales force gets things right up front and the client leaves the dealership feeling they didnt get taken or pushed into something they didnt want or need, they will return time and again, and refer everyone they know. The relationship starts right up front when the client walks through the door. Listen, listen, listen. This is a huge mistake dealerships make. Listen to the goals of the client and find out if you can meet them. If you can, meet them, the client will be happy in the long run. I know that sometimes their demands can be unreasonable, btu try to meet them if you can. After that, honest up front service. Dont just hand them the keys. Have the sales staf ask if the client would like to take a few moments to review the features of the car again and let the client know they can call with any questions any time. Knowing you have support behind you is amazing. Also, get rid of automated answering services. A secretary/phone liason costs no more than a fancy automated system and actually, in the long run, saves clients. I wont do business with a company that has automated phone service.

[Black2003SS]

Oh...waiting rooms annoy me. 90% of the dealerships I have been in have crappy waiting rooms. Hav enice plush clean bright waiting room so that if someone has to be stuck there, there isnt a 300lb old man sitting on chair from 1975 that is rusting out and watching tv on a 13" tv with rabbit ears. Seriously...waiting rooms are awesome. Also, suggest a playroom for the kids, bright clean with large toys like balls, building blocks etc. We had rooms with kids themes to do signings so the kids could play in the corner. As far as service for service visits, try to make it so the customer can go back and see the vehicle being worked on at some point, even with supervision. Clients want to know whats going on. Theres nothign worse than telling someone that it will take 3 horus to repair and 3 hours later they walk outside and see their car still sitting in the parking lot to not have even been taken in yet. I refuse to go to dealers who are like that, I dont care what the excuse is. Be honest, dont lie about timeframe to earn business.

[Vortec MAX]

Honest up front pricing and sales. Get the sales people to stop playing the "let me get my manager to push you" stuff or "We'll work on the trade in offer if you commit crap.

Amen. I have walked away from a deal so many times over this.

 

Here's one of my stories:

 

I had done my homework and research and knew I wanted to get my wife a Honda Civic for a car to drive back and forth to work in. I already knew what I wanted. The sales team would not give me a stright up price on the damn car. After several hours, I fanally got a number on a piece of paper (and not a great deal). Then they wanted to look at my old car as a trade. I initially told them I did not want to trade (because they screw you), but they kept saying how sweet my old car looked and thought they could "do me right" on it. So I let them look at it. They came back with another piece of paper that had a reasonable amount listed as my trade in value. I was thinking "not bad." As I looked the at the paper I realized they had raised the price of the Honda 2,000 bucks on the sheet. When I asked about it, they said "oh, well when you have a trade, we can't come down as far on the price of the new car." I walked out. I wen't to the Nissan dealer and looked at Maximas. They were more than I wanted to pay, but the salesman knocked 10% off sticker with his first price, so I bought it.

 

I think this story says it all. The second salesman treated me like an equal. I am not stupid and don't like to be treated like I am.

 

Another thing they always do is tell me how much per month the vehicle will cost, avoiding telling me what the bottom line is. I always walk away from salespeople like this too.

 

Just my .02

 

Mike

Edited February 6, 2007 by Vortec MAX (see edit history)

[shakesvho]

KING OF CARS

[CoolBlueSS]

I should have prefaced this with the fact that I'm NOT a salesman. I'm a partsman.

These are some good ideas.What we are trying to do is help our sales department, and our dealer as a whole, build relationships with our customers to promote repeat business. Most of us in the back end have worked for dealers for years, and go outside the normal purchase chain. I just figured if we get some input from people in the real world that don't work in this business would be a plus. Keep em' comin'.

[chpspecial]

I just walked into a chevy dealer on sunday, pulled in in my truck, and I still couln't get any respect from the sales people. So I just walked out. I was interested in a Vette also. The first thing I was asked was to go in and run my credit and see what kind of deal I could get, this was before I could even sit in the car. WTF. Plus...

We here at our dealership are trying to come up with ideas to make a new/used car purchase experience better. If you were/are buying a new vehicle, what would be your expectations of the delivery proccess? For example, would you want to be shown the features of your new car? Would you want a tour of the dealership? Where's the parts/sevrvice departments, ect. I know most of us are car people, so we probably know more about what we're buying than the sales people do, but give me some ideas.

 

 

This are things that dealers are required to do. Everytime that I have bought a car, I get a questionare asking if the dealer did any of these things and sure enough they never do them.

[turnitsa]

We here at our dealership are trying to come up with ideas to make a new/used car purchase experience better. If you were/are buying a new vehicle, what would be your expectations of the delivery proccess? For example, would you want to be shown the features of your new car? Would you want a tour of the dealership? Where's the parts/sevrvice departments, ect. I know most of us are car people, so we probably know more about what we're buying than the sales people do, but give me some ideas.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

Like u said when i went to get my ss i knew alot more about it than the sales person.. it was a turnoff. esp when he told me that the gm cai and gm catback exhaust {if i bought it} would add 70hp. i think if ur going to sell a certain kind of car/truck u should do your homework on them and learn all aspects of that car/truck... so i switched dealers now and i like this one http://www.bobweaverchevrolet.com/ they have a nice waiting room, free soda machine, free pop corn machine, big display case full of nascar stuff, shirts,hats, SS shirts!, they also have a computer for you to use with all the after market products gm offers right on the home page and they have a couple of couches to watch their big screen tv. the dealership also does things for the city. ie,little league baseball team, the hold a car show and a car cruise during the car cruise they have a band also in the summer they have a crab fest.. the only reason i didnt go to this dealer is when i finally had the money and wanted to trade my 05 silverado in on an ss, they sold the red one they had the day before. so i ended up with a black one, i cant complain {black is the fastest }

Edited February 6, 2007 by turnitsa (see edit history)

[misterp]

with Black2003SS.

 

I agree most with the sentiment that any dealership's goal should be to put REPEAT business first; any decision made should be first evaluated with "how exactly will this change affect our repeat business".

 

The kids' play room is a great idea.

 

I got a serious rant on this - IMO it is not the sale experience so much as the service department and parts department experiences later that have soured me from wanting to do business with a dealer again; to hell with that I'll just go private internet sale next time.

 

I have a dim view of the local GM dealer here because I have taken my SS in for service 5 times and every time I received the truck back in *worse* condition than when I left it and did not realize until I was already home -

1) took truck in for PS pump warranty work and received back with hand-sized smear of power steering fluid on front bumper, another large smear on middle of driver's door;

2) took truck in for BCM warranty work and received back with heavy grease-stain boot prints on floor mat;

3) took truck in for tire balance, the dealer sent tires off to another shop to be balanced that failed to do so;

4) took truck in for A/C warranty work and received back without the plastic radiator shroud cover - WTF???

5) took truck in for warranty work and received back with body damage to right-rear cladding (needs repainting)

 

Plus not to mention being *totally* blown off about the noisy front diff.

 

I consider myself a patient guy, but I swore after that last episode that I will forever do my own maintenance on the truck because it's been demonstrated that the only person who gives a care about my truck is me. And that's a shame because the local dealer here has a Terra-Clean top-end cleaning system in their shop and I'd happily pay to have it done but I'll be god-damned if I'm ever going back to Mr. Goodwrench again. I added it all up, the local service department has cost me $165 to fix what they've damaged plus my time, and they sure as hell haven't cared to own-up to any of it, meaning that they've indirectly stolen from me. At first I blew it off as carelessness, but now I just see them as theives.

 

The parts dept - I've bought a lot of parts here and of course get raped at FULL suggested retail; I asked for tailgate hardware to attach my spoiler and the price was almost $30 for fasteners, the dealer parts department was no help to me in that case so I went next door to the hardware store and got what I needed to make do.

 

Sorry man nothing person I hope you know that - just pass along that in my eyes the service & parts department are KEY to gaining repeat business because they will see the customer many more times in the life of the vehicle than the salesman.

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 6, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[Barney]

Well I am a car guy and I hate being treated like I know nothing. That has tobe the worst thing ever. When I bought my SS they had 3 on the lot. One in each of the color. I knew what the truck was/had down to the torque settings. This new sales guy approaches me after (20 minutes of walking around) and trys to me all kinds of BS about the vehicle.....Dont do that. I apparently didnt look like much with my old beater truck for a trade but still I have 10 years of college and numerous degrees dont treat me like a moron.

[CoolBlueSS]

I hear what you're saying, P. That is one of many areas that is being worked over. Our service department needs help bigtime.

Barney, that's the one thing that irks me to no end. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Some filthy freakin' rich guy could walk on the lot to buy a car, and you probably wouldn't know it to look at him.

[PladdPezzPunk]

actually a tour of the facility would be real good at atracting future buisness. expecially in the repair aspect.

[misterp]

I hear what you're saying, P. That is one of many areas that is being worked over. Our service department needs help bigtime.

Barney, that's the one thing that irks me to no end. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Some filthy freakin' rich guy could walk on the lot to buy a car, and you probably wouldn't know it to look at him.

 

Thread hijack, but one I know you will appreciate - about books and their covers:

 

I was told this story when I starting at Dell by an Asst VP of small business sales: one day in 1990 a man arrived in Austin to meet with the head of Dell enterprise sales; this guy parked up-front in a high-dollar Benz, wore a $3000 suit, carried a leather briefcase, and with a bit of a celebrity aire walked into the building like he owned the place, he exuded the presence of a real power player and everyone just fell over themselves treated him so, giving all manner of courtesies and assitance even though they had no idea who this man was or why he was there. The business meeting went very well, the polished executive left and the incident was quickly forgotten. Then 3 weeks later a very unassuming elderly man walked in unannounced to "meet someone in sales", arriving in an old weary early-70's Ford pickup, sporting a very simple dress of blue jeans and a much-worn plaid flannel jacket. Fortunately for young Dell Computer they did not make any prejudgments and treated this second man just as famously as the first big-shot high-rolling executive rock star who had been eagerly received earlier. After the elderly man introduced himself, word quickly circulated in the building that the first man, the well groomed suit, was the CFO of WalMart, a man with millions of dollars of purchasing authority and who could break ground on a new retail store by writing a single check, with just one stroke of his pen he could instantly level the economy of a small community; the second man was Sam Walton. Moral - never judge a book by its cover.

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 6, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[desertss]

i agree with the up front pricing. when i bought my ss the dealer showed me the true numbers for the sale price, the value of my trade, and even showed me the call back from the credit union with the interest rate, no muss no fuss,

as for parts, maybe if you purchased your vehicle at that dealer, you have a permanant 15% discount card for any parts or service on that vehicle. and free maint for 3 yrs is a plus.

one dealer here in carson city gives free maint for 3 yrs and free wash for 3 yrs. and they treat the customer right, thats where i bought my mazda that i traded on the ss.

 

i am considering a pontiac solstice in yellow for my girlfriend, or a hhr in bronze.

i also just picked up a 51 buick roadmaster coupe with a small block olds for a project.