Car dealers need to put in some effort?

[DirtyOilBurner]

Hello,

I know im going to be knocked down for saying this but i can only tell you what i've experienced lately.

I know there is some decent guys out there but so far the one's i've come across could'nt care less about selling cars.

At the start of this year i was looking for a new Audi A4 as some may remember and the response i was getting from the Audi garages was terrible even though they were about 10 grand dearer than Audi in the north, So in the finish up we ended up buying a far better spec'd car, with no waiting list, far better customer service and approx 12k euro cheaper inc vat + vrt. No Brainer?

Now we didnt want to be going north, we would rather keep the money in the country as our business is getting hit bad too, so in the past two weeks i decided to give them another go so started getting prices for a new Jeep and a small saloon car for January, Jeep going to be costing 60 - 70 k and saloon car approx 20k, cash sales, iv rang around the different garages approx 15 in the Dublin area, i got one call back and that was to say they could get me a jeep out of the uk. So i cant help but not feel sorry for them all closing down as they are putting in no effort, all it takes is a call back not even that, one of the receptionists actually hung up while i was waiting to be connected to sales, now dont get me wrong im far from an awkward customer i just wanted a price and availability.

So i ring the guy in Isaac Agnew's in the north where i got the Audi, he's in the audi devision but sure enough bent over backwards to accomodate me and got the prices for me from Isaac Agnews other dealerships, couldnt be more helpfull.

I also rang other dealerships in the north and all the same couldnt be more helpfull, phone or email back within 10 minutes, just in a different league!

So from my eyes it is very easy to see why everybody is buying there cars in the north and the southern dealers are getting hit so bad, i think the dealers in the south need to put in some effort?

Anybody have similar experiences? Or agree with me?

I apologise if i offend any car dealers that may be on here but this is my opinion based on my experience.

[Anan1]

Mine too, i'm afraid. Although there is the odd honourable exception, Castle Subaru in Bray being one. I rang them yesterday for a four wheel alignment and they remembered my voice even though I haven't been near the place in six months.

[bazzachazza]

In my personal experience 50% of the dealerships I have been too since 2002 just can't be bothered. Each time I went shopping for a car in 2002 for a Vectra in 2005 for a Volvo S40 and in 2008 for an A6 half the dealerships didn't even bother to get me a price and call me back when they said they would. In each of those years I actually did by the car I went in to them asking about I wasn't a time waster.

To hear that dealerships are still doing the same thing is frankly stupid. You can use any excuse you like dealers but you really need to be chasing those sales. Even if those calls don't end in a sale.

I agree with you completely OP.

[Bazzy]

Our company was looking at upgrading our 48 vans we have on lease. We went into a well known dealership which closed recently in tallaght area and asked about test driving one,

We werent dressed the best to be fair as we were just back off a site clean all the same just in work wear. Sales guy didnt like the look of us and "couldnt" find the keys to the model we were looking for.

Out the door we went further up the belgard road and leased all our van through nissan. Again sales guy couldnt do enough for us, Threw in parrot kits etc with all the vans FOC pleasure to deal with.

Some dealers have an awful attitude.

Only thing is to be fair with such a big purchase it probably doesnt seem that you will commit to deal over the phone and is probably better if there in person.

I know people have problems in person too

[bazzachazza]

Originally Posted by Anan1

Mine too, i'm afraid. Although there is the odd honourable exception, Castle Subaru in Bray being one. I rang them yesterday for a four wheel alignment and they remembered my voice even though I haven't been near the place in six months.

Spirit Volvo in Sandyford. I went back in after 2 YEARS and was asking about a D5 S40. The guy when writing my in the book for a call back knew my name he didn't ask and I hadn't told him. Now that was good service shame he doesn't work there anymore.

[johndaman66]

Would agree OP. The level of service you get from car dealers tends to be pretty poor in general and you would seriously wonder if these guys are actually trying to sell cars and vans. I was looking out for a small second hand starter car for my sister some time back and the very average response you would get whether over the phone or in person would be "yerrah we've nothing at the moment but we do be getting stuff in from time to time". A lot of the time they would not take a contact number. Granted the money we were talking about was 5k or under. Perhaps they're only interested in people who are spending bigger bucks but I'm quite sure a lot of cars are bought and sold for under 5k too on a daily basis also

[helimachoptor]

I'm in the market for a used car paying 3-4k cash but I've only had one place call me back out of 10-15 places, mental stuff.

My mam is going to buy a new car, maybe a Fiesta/Micra type car, again she's been to a few garages and will be paying in cash and not one hs called her back.

[Mr.Boots]

Agree with OP
The only three i have delat with that are any good are Autostation sandyford and a guy in EP Mooney (RIP) and Barkel Subaru in Dublin.(gone now)
The other 30 or so ive been in and out of over the years are rubish

[Absurdum]

I'm still waiting for Toyota to send me the new Prius brochure, 4 weeks after they said it would be sent

[Flat2dmat]

are those company cars you're buying or for personal use?
if not commercial...what do you work at cos I want a bit of that?!!!

[The Recliner]

I am in the market for a new car and have had dealings with 4 different car dealers recently for various new or second hand cars

None of them have called me back, I have had to actively chase them to arrange test drives, in a market like this is that not insane, surely they should be gnawing my arm off for the business

[Dyflin]

Originally Posted by bazzachazza

Spirit Volvo in Sandyford. I went back in after 2 YEARS and was asking about a D5 S40. The guy when writing my in the book for a call back knew my name he didn't ask and I hadn't told him. Now that was good service shame he doesn't work there anymore.

Funnily enough, I've had the opposite experience with Spirit. So it broke my heart to see Kopping close yesterday as they were excellent for my last service.

Noel Cullen cars (a one man outfit) provided great service when we bought two cars in relative quick succession from him a few years ago. Hopefully, people like this can survive the downturn

[time42play]

OH went looking at the A5 some time ago. Brochures to be posted out to him, and let him know when they'd have one he could test drive... never got post or call. He had also gone to look at BMWs and they were even worse.

[Marlow]

As well for buying cars and for servicing cars, some of the main dealers with "big showroom" are insane like that.

Most recent experience was, not in regards to buy, but repairs, I was trying to get a quote for my bimmer to be repaired in Quinn Colm in Athlone. They had the car for a week, gave me 4 dates for when i'd have a quote, didn't call me back once and were puzzled, when I collected the car after a week.

I used a local repairs guy instead and had the parts shipped from a main dealer in the north, next day courier, less than half the price as what another bmw serviceshop here in the republic had quoted me.

No point shopping for cars or servicing them in the republic with that attitude.

/M

[roosterman71]

Originally Posted by Marlow

As well for buying cars and for servicing cars, some of the main dealers with "big showroom" are insane like that.

Most recent experience was, not in regards to buy, but repairs, I was trying to get a quote for my bimmer to be repaired in Quinn Colm in Athlone. They had the car for a week, gave me 4 dates for when i'd have a quote, didn't call me back once and were puzzled, when I collected the car after a week.

I used a local repairs guy instead and had the parts shipped from a main dealer in the north, next day courier, less than half the price as what another bmw serviceshop here in the republic had quoted me.

No point shopping for cars or servicing them in the republic with that attitude.

/M

Colm Quinn is a disaster. He'd nearly charge ya for talking to him