Here's a strange one...thoughts?

Boom_Bap

My mother is trying to buy a brand new car. She has a 2010 Corolla in excellent condition that she will be trading in as part of the deal.

She has on 2 occassions entered 2 different car dealerships, willing to make a purchase on the spot if the car and deal are right.

The first dealership she went to, she tracked down a salesman who was not busy, and said she was interested in such and such car (leaving vague details as dont want to mention the dealers) and would be trading in the 2010 Corolla. The guy without looking at the car said 9 grand and walked away, not even offering a test drive of the car she was interested in, and pretty much indicating that he didnt want to make a sale given that he walked away without answering any questions.

Given the rudeness of the salesman, she left and vowed not to return there.

So this salesman, as we are reminded, in these extremely difficult times, missed out on probably the easiest sale of his life for basically being an as*hole.

This actually put my mother off going for a new car, but for reasons I'm not going into here, she really wants one, and convinced her to try again.

So she went to a second main dealership, entered the showroom, asked reception for a sales person, was advised one would be right with her. She started to look at the cars in the showroom, got into a few, found out that she didnt like the one she origianlly wanted, found another car that she absolutely wanted and wanted to discuss with a sales person that should really have been helping her at this stage. So she hung around reception for about 15 minutes, thanked the receptionist and started to leave. The receptionist asked if a sales person had been dealing with her, she said no, receptionist said to wait for 2 more minutes and she would get one. Offer declined at this stage....there were 3 or 4 sales people scattered around their desks in plain view the whole time.
Again, my mother wanted to leave the dealership that day with a new car (well, the paperwork and whatnot done).

So in this age where the motor industry is whinging about sales etc., there are 2 well know dealerships that pretty much threw away a sale....for not bothering to try make a sale!

I cant get my head around it, and others I have told the yarn to can't get their heads around it.

The only conclusion that we've been able to come to is that the salesfolk might think that she will be a difficult customer due to her age and gender.

Is this the case, or is there some secret handshake or nod that is needed to buy a new car?
I've personally never had any issues getting the attention of a salesperson in a dealership....even in the same 2 from above.

Chippy01

Salesmen still don't get it, do they?
A woman is quite capable of negotiating the purchase of a vehicle without a man being present; but some of these guys are a century out of date. A few years long ago, my ex was looking for a new Yaris. She had an old Starlet to trade in, and asked me to come with her to the garage as it was winter, dark (late opening), cold, stormy, and she wanted me there as a second opinion, and although we had discussed the ins and outs of what she wanted, ect, she wanted to do the deal. It was going to be her car, after all.
The first couple of garages involved the salesman talking to me and not to her even though she did the test driving. We left, with no sale.
Getting late, we popped into the last one we could fit in. To say she was annoyed would be an understatement. Straight up to the salesguy - ''If you want to do a deal tonight, you talk to me - not him'' (pointing at me).
We eventually did do a deal, but that salesman really earned his commission that night.

Fast forward a few years to when she wanted to up a few years, she went back to the saleman who heeded her initial advice. He got his commission then too, but it wasn't so hard earned.

sebastianlieken

that odd... I would have thought that now more than ever (being december) that they'd be well keen to make a sale.

Supergurrier

This is a prime example of why the Irish motor trade is on its ass

Anan1

I'd say that's fairly representative of standards in the industry.

Boom_Bap

So the vibe i'm getting so far is that gender and age could be a factor in this?

Anan1

Boom_Bap wrote: »

So the vibe i'm getting so far is that gender and age could be a factor in this?

I wouldn't necessarily assume so - it's more than likely just apathy. The motor trade are a bit like taxi drivers - they think the world owes them a living.

Gary ITR

If its another Toyota I'd highly recommend Dec Hughes in Portlaoise (not too far from most of the country) nicer salesman you won't meet

MuppetCheck

Unfortunately it's rare to meet a salesman that works for your money these days in the motor trade. I can only think of one person I have met that does it. I bought mine from him, and he's probably going to have an order in Jan of a 40k car for my uncle despite being over 2 and a half hours away. All it took was an email to have a detailed breakdown of the costs, extras etc.

The dealer of the same franchise half a mile from his house have still not furnished him with this information despite 3 visits, multiple calls and a few emails. It's a straight up cash sale and everything.

The Diddakoi

Boom_Bap wrote: »

So the vibe i'm getting so far is that gender and age could be a factor in this?

Don't think it's an age issue, last 2 times I have been in to look at a car the Salesman has talked over my head to my husband and pretty much ignored me completely.
Ironic really, as I grew up in the Motor Trade, spent my whole life around (and under) cars....and my husbands first question when thinking about a car is "what colour is it ?"

Drummerboy08

Anan1 wrote: »

I wouldn't necessarily assume so - it's more than likely just apathy. The motor trade are a bit like taxi drivers - they think the world owes them a living.

Big brush, tar every where.

Anan1

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

Big brush, tar every where.

Yup!

Seriously though, my apologies to the other 2%.

Boom_Bap

I've actually bought a car at one of the places, this was 5 years ago, and the guy bend over backwards to make the sale.
Thinking about it, any time i've stepped into a showroom I've been dealt with quite quicky, even sometimes while the salesperson has nipped off to do or check something, I'd have another trying to vulture in on me.

corktina

my missus had that too when the salesman talked to me only even though we made it clear it was herself buying...or not buying as a result!

We found a Salesman who respected HER as his customer and that's who she bought off

Many car salesmen are real dinosaurs and I was as annoyed by it as she was

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I've actually bought a car at one of the places, this was 5 years ago, and the guy bend over backwards to make the sale.
Thinking about it, any time i've stepped into a showroom I've been dealt with quite quicky, even sometimes while the salesperson has nipped off to do or check something, I'd have another trying to vulture in on me.

You must look like you've got a few bob

Boom_Bap

deccurley wrote: »

You must look like you've got a few bob

It's probably because of the monocle and alligator boots.

dantastic

Not unique to the motor trade.
In very recent memory I was emailing 2 local companies to purchase products (Pretty big ticket items now). 2 separate occasions, different type of product etc. Both times it went down the exact same way though.

First emailed asking about more info and a price for a certain spec. Quickly got a reply making all the right noises.
Emailed back saying - yes, send me an invoice.

... crickets ...

emailed again - I would like to purchase this product .... please!

I never heard anything back. I was trying to give them my money but they just .... I don't know?!

I have since heard of very similar stories from other people as well, different companies but the same thing pretty much. I would buy local if they'd sell it to me!

Taylor365

Wow.

I'm in the wrong business.

I'd make a killing as a salesman just sitting in a showroom saying yes over and over....apparently.

H3llR4iser

Boom_Bap wrote: »

...

The only conclusion that we've been able to come to is that the salesfolk might think that she will be a difficult customer due to her age and gender.

...

This is actually quite possible; On the other hand, trying to consider other possibilities, is she kind of vague about what she's looking for? They might take her for a tire-kicker, a plague that has hordes of representatives around

Boom_Bap

H3llR4iser wrote: »

This is actually quite possible; On the other hand, trying to consider other possibilities, is she kind of vague about what she's looking for? They might take her for a tire-kicker, a plague that has hordes of representatives around

In the first place she was fairly certain what she wanted, but didn't get the time of day from the salesperson.

She went the second place, with the same car in mind, had a poke in it herself, sat down etc, and wasnt comfortable. Tried another car, and wanted it immediately.

So she wasnt given the chace to be vague!

bear1

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I've actually bought a car at one of the places, this was 5 years ago, and the guy bend over backwards to make the sale.
Thinking about it, any time i've stepped into a showroom I've been dealt with quite quicky, even sometimes while the salesperson has nipped off to do or check something, I'd have another trying to vulture in on me.

You know what I'd do? Go back to both dealers alone and see how they act.
If you see they all of a sudden become pro-active then I would call them out on it. Argue that they couldn't give a toss when your mother was there and maybe get the manager on it... who knows you may get a nice discount

Odyssey 2005

Same happened to me 2 weeks ago. Went into a Honda dealer on a Sat morn,nobody there cars in the showroom everything was wide open and very unususlly the keys were in all the cars in the showroom. We stayed for a minimum of 20 mins,but nobody showed up.
Was looking for a new Accord with no trade in. Their loss. Even a note on the desk would suffice. If they have so little interest in selling you a car can you imagine how they would react if you have a problem!.

delthedriver

Apathy is a real problem, but not only in the Motor Business. Sales people became order takers during the boom. Selling skills need to be upgraded in order to sell big ticket items. There are plenty of people out there with money to spend, despite the recession!:)

Toyotafanboi

Supergurrier wrote: »

This is a prime example of why the Irish motor trade is on its ass

because a person with a corolla can just rock up at a dealership having done no previous background research and found a car they "absolutely want".

ofcork

Would they be busy now with 2014 orders etc.

Boom_Bap

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

because a person with a corolla can just rock up at a dealership having done no previous background research and found a car they "absolutely want".

There was some research done, and there was a determination to leave with a deal for a new car in place. Albeit when she did eventually sat in the car she wanted, she didn't like the cabin, sat in another car and immediately was comfortable in it and wanted a test drive.
Should she still not be facilitated by a member of the sales team?

Red Kev

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

because a person with a corolla can just rock up at a dealership having done no previous background research and found a car they "absolutely want".

Very possible she decided she wanted that car by being driven around in a friends car. That's how my uncle got his Golf Plus. My mother had one, he was driven in it a few times and got one instead of another Focus.

The "grey euro" is one of the most heavily targeted segments in German marketing, they recognise that these people have cash, and rarely buy stuff on credit. In other words, dream customers. They also tend to be set in their ways and tend to be "repeat offenders" when it comes to buying a product so long as they are happy with the service. i.e. they will always buy a Golf, or Barry's tea or Dairygold spread, and so long as they are not introduced directly to another product they will stick with it. It's a concept that the motoring industry here have failed to recognise.

To leave a person standing around in a car showroom for 15 minutes is a joke, especially in these times.

Bpmull

bear1 wrote: »

You know what I'd do? Go back to both dealers alone and see how they act.
If you see they all of a sudden become pro-active then I would call them out on it. Argue that they couldn't give a toss when your mother was there and maybe get the manager on it... who knows you may get a nice discount

I remember back in 05 when my parents were buying a new vectra and this particular garage my parents had bought 6 new cars van know the salesman owners well. My father always done the deals when it came to cars. But whatever happened my mother went in to do the deal they had more or less got a price they were happy with. But when my mother went in to the garage to do the deal finalise it whatever the salesman turned around and said to her 'ah sure send your husband in and I will do the deal with him' that was a big mistake cost the dealer 4 grand in the end. As she rang ever opel garage in Ireland and got one quote of 4k cheaper and of course the local dealer had to match it as he didn't want to loss the sale and future sales idiot. If he had just done the deal with her she wouldn't of ever rang another garage I think he learned from his mistake.

It's funny because when they went through a phase of buying hyundai a that salesman would nearly prefer to deal with woman. I don't know why so many of them still live in the Stone Age in regards to only wanting to deal with men.

Joe Doe

If you have an old Toyota I'd just keep it!

Sure after the first 200,000 miles it starts to get run-in and drives even more smoothly I find, it's not like its a proton or even a ford or anything junkish like that...

Lissavane

Boom_Bap wrote: »

This actually put my mother off going for a new car, but for reasons I'm not going into here, she really wants one, and convinced her to try again.

No offence intended but is it possible that the reasons you're not willing to go into here are the very reasons why the dealers don't want to deal with this lady? Has her reputation as a customer gone before her?

You don't say if she bought her current car new from a Toyota dealer. If she did, and if the car is intact, I'm asonished she'd have a problem.

Old diesel

H3llR4iser wrote: »

This is actually quite possible; On the other hand, trying to consider other possibilities, is she kind of vague about what she's looking for? They might take her for a tire-kicker, a plague that has hordes of representatives around

Well I get the impression that she could have extremely knowledgeable about cars - and I still don't think it would have made much difference.

Also a good salesperson should realise that a lot of customers aren't all that clued up on cars.

Id also say that a mature lady in say her 50s walking into a car showroom is unlikely to be a "tyrekicker" because your typical lady in her 50s or 60s is unlikely to find walking around car showrooms when they don't want to buy a car - something they want to do particularly.

OP - hope your mum gets sorted with her new car

delthedriver

Red Kev wrote: »

Very possible she decided she wanted that car by being driven around in a friends car. That's how my uncle got his Golf Plus. My mother had one, he was driven in it a few times and got one instead of another Focus.

The "grey euro" is one of the most heavily targeted segments in German marketing, they recognise that these people have cash, and rarely buy stuff on credit. In other words, dream customers. They also tend to be set in their ways and tend to be "repeat offenders" when it comes to buying a product so long as they are happy with the service. i.e. they will always buy a Golf, or Barry's tea or Dairygold spread, and so long as they are not introduced directly to another product they will stick with it. It's a concept that the motoring industry here have failed to recognise.

To leave a person standing around in a car showroom for 15 minutes is a joke, especially in these times.

Totally agree with your comments.

The 'grey euro' are the people in Ireland who have money to spend.
Garage men need to learn not to piss these people off. They are willing to buy big ticket items, they know what they are looking for in terms of price , quality and service. They will also vote with their feet,ie there are plenty of other garages out there. However if treated well , they become very loyal customers, repeat buying patterns, and introduce similar people who are willing to spend money.

Car sales people had it very easy during the boom, they need to get down off their high horses or face extinction.:D

fenris

I don't think it is gender related, just pure apathy or incompetence.

I changed my car recently and found that most dealerships either couldn't be arsed talking to a potential customer because their paperwork or chat with their buddies was more important.

I did find that the further I went outside south county dublin I went the better the engagement from the sales staff, as in they could actually be bothered to talk to me and actually get to the stage of seeing if they had anything of interest.

Found what I wanted at the right price being sold by someone who actually wanted to sell a car just down the N11 past Greystones, and in fairness they made it very easy to buy from them.

iano.p

2months ago me and the wife went looking for a new car it was a cash deal we went to 6 main dealers in carlow and only one sales man came out to us and said "you wouldnt be able to aford that" and wouldnt let us take it for a test drive so in the end i went to wexford and got a new passat there.

delthedriver

fenris wrote: »

I don't think it is gender related, just pure apathy or incompetence.

I changed my car recently and found that most dealerships either couldn't be arsed talking to a potential customer because their paperwork or chat with their buddies was more important.

I did find that the further I went outside south county dublin I went the better the engagement from the sales staff, as in they could actually be bothered to talk to me and actually get to the stage of seeing if they had anything of interest.

PS. Op. Enjoy your new car. Very nice people around Greystones and Wicklow!!

Found what I wanted at the right price being sold by someone who actually wanted to sell a car just down the N11 past Greystones, and in fairness they made it very easy to buy from them.

Yes I have noticed the busy pen pushers too! What paperwork??? If the are not selling cars what paperwork are they generating.?? Fantasy GolF? Racing Post? They are no longer Sales People.! Perhaps they are not hungry enough?
Sales people by nature dislike paperwork, indeed the best sales people should be out on the floor talking to the customers. It does not surprise me that so many dealerships have gone out of business.:(

delthedriver

iano.p wrote: »

2months ago me and the wife went looking for a new car it was a cash deal we went to 6 main dealers in carlow and only one sales man came out to us and said "you wouldnt be able to aford that" and wouldnt let us take it for a test drive so in the end i went to wexford and got a new passat there.

That is truly shocking behaviour in Carlow.

Well done on voting with your feet:)

Enjoy your new Passat. Nice Car:)

Bpmull

iano.p wrote: »

2months ago me and the wife went looking for a new car it was a cash deal we went to 6 main dealers in carlow and only one sales man came out to us and said "you wouldnt be able to aford that" and wouldnt let us take it for a test drive so in the end i went to wexford and got a new passat there.

It's unbelievable how salesmen feel they can judge whether you can afford a car or not by looking at you. It's so stupid when you think about it how many people are out there who are absolutely loaded and may look as if they don't have a penny and vice versa. It's impossible to judge how wealthy someone is by looking at someone or even what car there trading in. Its good that you found a garage that would treat you with a bit of respect hardly much to ask.

I remember being in a BMW garage a few years ago with my parents looking at a BMW and they could afford the car and all but same situation salesman thought he was the sh!t because he was selling bmws I hate this arrogance wrecks my head when they think they can almost talk down to you. It lost him a sale needless to say. He also had the nerve to talk down our trade in which was a 2 year old car that was spotless according to every other dealer.

delthedriver

Bpmull wrote: »

It's unbelievable how salesmen feel they can judge whether you can afford a car or not by looking at you. It's so stupid when you think about it how many people are out there who are absolutely loaded and may look as if they don't have a penny and vice versa. It's impossible to judge how wealthy someone is by looking at someone or even what car there trading in. Its good that you found a garage that would treat you with a bit of respect hardly much to ask.

I remember being in a BMW garage a few years ago with my parents looking at a BMW and they could afford the car and all but same situation salesman thought he was the sh!t because he was selling bmws I hate this arrogance wrecks my head when they think they can almost talk down to you. It lost him a sale needless to say. He also had the nerve to talk down our trade in which was a 2 year old car that was spotless according to every other dealer.

Wow! They are arrogant little pups!

Your story reminds me of an incident where two partners in construction during the boom called into their local Mercedes Dealership on their way home from work one Friday afternoon.

They were approached by the Principal who asked them what they were doing. The two guys responded by saying they were interested in buying 2 top of the range cars for themselves and 2 SUV's for their wives.

The dealer responded by saying that they should make an appointment to see him and bring in the wives and children etc. He had also implied that they were not appropriately dressed to be in his showroom!

The guys twigged straight away and apologised for not making an appointment and for wearing their construction clothing, nonetheless made an appointment to meet the Principal next morning (Saturday) at 11 am.

Meanwhile the guys made contact with a Merc dealership in another county and got prices for 2 S Class & 2 ML Class!

Next morning , the two gents appeared suitably attired , together with their respective spouses and children. Gosh , what a difference in attitude, Dealer was all about them , test drives organised , children allowed travel on the test drives, sweets , coffee, hospitality......etc.

So around 12,30 pm The Dealer was anxious to close this rather lucrative deal before heading off to lunch and prompted discussion about delivery dates , colours , specs. and got down to the nitty gritty of the final price.

At this point the two guys pointed out to the Principal that they would not be doing business with him as they were proceeding with the deal they got from the Merc Dealer in the neighbouring county!!!!

Never judge the book by the cover:pac:

challengemaster

It would be interesting to see would a paper publish a story on it... considering SIMI keep spouting shíte about the motoring industry and getting plenty of publicity, it would be interesting to see how they react to something like this.

Lissavane

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boom_Bap View Post
but for reasons I'm not going into here, she really wants one, and convinced her to try again.
No offence intended but is it possible that the reasons you're not willing to go into here are the very reasons why the dealers don't want to deal with this lady? Has her reputation as a customer gone before her?

You don't say if she bought her current car new from a Toyota dealer. If she did, and if the car is intact, I'm asonished she'd have a problem.

OP has been strangely silent. I suspect there is more to this than op has disclosed.

delthedriver

challengemaster wrote: »

It would be interesting to see would a paper publish a story on it... considering SIMI keep spouting shíte about the motoring industry and getting plenty of publicity, it would be interesting to see how they react to something like this.

It would indeed. SIMI are a bit of a hollow drum! They love the noise they create. Sure they talk about numbers of jobs lost in the industry, falling sales etc. Boo hoo! Recent campaigns brought about splitting the reg no 131, 132 to spread demand, ease pressure on garages in January & February etc Rubbish!

New Car Sales are at their lowest in years. Recently they wanted the Government ie the taxpayer, to sponsor a grant/incentive for people trading in second hand cars.( Please feel free to complete the specific detail on this. )

Who do they think they are fooling?
If the SIMI were disbanded tomorrow it would not matter a dot to the consumer, buying a car from a SIMI garage is not a seal of approval!
SIMI are mere a lobbying body to represent their members at theGovernment Table.

Lissavane

Looks like Toyota dealers have their good reasons for not dealing with OP's relative. OP's lack of response confirms.

delthedriver

Lissavane wrote: »

Looks like the dealers have their reasons for not dealing with this customer. BoomBap is less tahn forthcoming with truth.

To be fair I am sure the OP will come back with an explanation.

It is after midnight !

I am sure we can all wait until tomorrow.

Good Night:)

bear1

Lissavane wrote: »

No offence intended but is it possible that the reasons you're not willing to go into here are the very reasons why the dealers don't want to deal with this lady? Has her reputation as a customer gone before her?

You don't say if she bought her current car new from a Toyota dealer. If she did, and if the car is intact, I'm asonished she'd have a problem.

Seeing as you have posted this twice, I believe the OP hasn't gone into it is because it isn't our business, it isn't necessary to the thread or has no bearing to the outcome, or maybe because it is a long story and no one will want to go through paragraphs of a story to realise at the bottom line the dealer didn't want her money.
Does it matter if the car was bought new from a Dealer? If so, why?
Why would the dealer give a flying **** what the motives for buying a new car is as, and this is me, I wouldn't care at all as long as the money came in and I had a happy customer.

Lissavane

Unlikely he/she will be back soon. They failed to reply to a question from me early this evening while they were still online.

mickdw

I seen plenty of that crap too. Mercedes for the most part. I think you have to be 55+ to be treated seriously in a Mercedes dealership.

delthedriver

mickdw wrote: »

I seen plenty of that crap too. Mercedes for the most part. I think you have to be 55+ to be treated seriously in a Mercedes dealership.

Funny you should mention that, I am still waiting on a price for a new Merc , no trade since late 1999!

Thankfully I went ahead and bought her car from another agent!!!!:)

Very strange:rolleyes:

Boom_Bap

Lissavane wrote: »

No offence intended but is it possible that the reasons you're not willing to go into here are the very reasons why the dealers don't want to deal with this lady? Has her reputation as a customer gone before her?

You don't say if she bought her current car new from a Toyota dealer. If she did, and if the car is intact, I'm asonished she'd have a problem.

No, the reasons are completely unrelated and would have no impact on buying a new car.
The current car was bought at a Toyota dealership, and the car is in excellent condition. The sales people in question have not even went as far as looking at the car yet, one just gave a very dodgy estimate out of his head.

Old diesel wrote: »

Well I get the impression that she could have extremely knowledgeable about cars - and I still don't think it would have made much difference.

Also a good salesperson should realise that a lot of customers aren't all that clued up on cars.

Id also say that a mature lady in say her 50s walking into a car showroom is unlikely to be a "tyrekicker" because your typical lady in her 50s or 60s is unlikely to find walking around car showrooms when they don't want to buy a car - something they want to do particularly.

OP - hope your mum gets sorted with her new car

Cheers, I'm sure she will, just couldn't beleive that she'd have a hard time in trying to purchase one!

challengemaster wrote: »

It would be interesting to see would a paper publish a story on it... considering SIMI keep spouting shíte about the motoring industry and getting plenty of publicity, it would be interesting to see how they react to something like this.

No interest in going to the press, I'm more interested on peoples opinions here if there are any reasons why a person in sales would not like to make a sale.

Lissavane wrote: »

Quote:
OP has been strangely silent. I suspect there is more to this than op has disclosed.

The is absolutely nothing more to this. I have a life away from a keyboard, a family, hobbies, interests, etc.

Lissavane wrote: »

Looks like Toyota dealers have their good reasons for not dealing with OP's relative. OP's lack of response confirms.

Lissavane wrote: »

Unlikely he/she will be back soon. They failed to reply to a question from me early this evening while they were still online.

Being online, and following a thread are 2 different things. Some people may leave their machine turned on, with boards open, hence appearing online.

L-M

Thread cleaned

_Kaiser_

In my experience it's a general thing you deal with outside Dublin particularly.

I lived in Cavan for years and found that to get anything done (tradesmen, estate agents, big ticket shopping etc) it really helped being a man as that's who they instinctively want to deal with.

Good ole sexism really.

delthedriver

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

In my experience it's a general thing you deal with outside Dublin particularly.

I lived in Cavan for years and found that to get anything done (tradesmen, estate agents, big ticket shopping etc) it really helped being a man as that's who they instinctively want to deal with.

Good ole sexism really.

Op, has your Mum had any success in getting a price indication over the last few days ?:)