Lack of interest/callback from car sales

everlast75

I'm interested in the Focus ST and work in North County Dublin, so I popped in to Ford garage at Airside on Monday 9th.

There were no salesmen available - "no problem" I thought, I walked out thinking I would ring them later on. I rang them at 4:50 pm that eve and there was no answer.

I rang again on 10th and left a message. Call wasn't returned.

I called again on the 17th and left a message. An hour later the call was returned. I was advised that they didn't have the model i was looking for in stock, nor did they offer to organise a test drive. The details of my trade in were taken. I haven't heard from them since.

I rang a Ford garage in Coolmine today at 9:30. He confirmed he didn't have the model in stock either but took my name and number and said he would ring me back in an hour with details of where I might take a test drive. No word yet.

I rang another garage in Clondalkin at 11am - left name and number as all sales were occupied. No call returned.

This isn't just specific to Ford by the way. I have a 15 Golf and 2 months ago emailed an Airside VW to enquire about a 171 model. I followed it up a month later and no one got back to me.

From speaking to a VW garage last year, it appears that there is tremendous pressure on sales to close deals and get their numbers up. This appears at odds with my dealings with over 4 garages so far.

I'm just wondering if posters here are experiencing similar to me.

Toyotafanboi

I'd say if the dealer hasn't got a model in stock they won't be too pushed on pursuing you now that the good times are coming back and it's handy to keep selling what's on the forecourt.

That and contacting them at 10 minutes to closing time and via email are probably not the best means/ times of communication. Your best bet is to suck it up and keep turning up to dealers in person and waiting to speak face to face to a salesman.

bazz26

I'm not making excuses for bad service but January is possibly the worst month to go into a car showroom unless you are there to pick up a car you placed an order for prior to then. You have loads of people coming in looking to buy as well as loads of people coming in to collect their new cars.

Similarly I was in Curry's a few weeks ago looking to buy a tv and the place was mental too, every time you wanted to talk to someone there were a queue of people in front of you doing the same. TVs and other stuff were literally flying out the door and the staff just couldn't cope at times with the demand from people looking for assistance.

Truckermal

bazz26 wrote: »

I'm not making excuses for bad service but January is possibly the worst month to go into a car showroom unless you are there to pick up a car you placed an order for prior to then. You have loads of people coming in looking to buy as well as loads of people coming in to collect their new cars.

Similarly I was in Curry's a few weeks ago looking to buy a tv and the place was mental too, every time you wanted to talk to someone there were a queue of people in front of you doing the same. TVs and other stuff were literally flying out the door and the staff just couldn't cope at times with the demand from people looking for assistance.

I was in Mahon Point last Sunday getting a few bits before I went on holidays and the place was mobbed! I spent an hour trying to get in and out alone so the good times are definitely back... I purchased a new car in 2015 and similarly had to beg salesmen for prices...

pa990

The BOOM is back baby.

There are so many ppl walking in the doors of showrooms wanting to buy cars, they don't need to chase customers.

All they have to do is shift the bog standard models they have in stock to anyone that walks in and is willing to sign the PCP paperwork.

Danbo!

Had similar experiences with two vw garages in mid-2015.

First one, went for a test drive but lunch must have been coming up as we got about 200m from the place and the rep said you can loop around this roundabout here to get back to the showroom handy enough. I said I'd keep going to get a feel for it and all I got was a loud sigh in return.

Got the first guy to do up the quote and went to another dealer with it. Sales guy I was paired with said "If you had have come in in 20 minutes time it would have been a lot better and I would have been ready" while fumbling for a pen. Not another single soul in the place either. Picking up the car a few weeks later we got a similar comment, followed by a run through of all the car's features, most of which he got wrong, before badgering me about giving him a good review when VW contact me about the sale. I did not.

Neither a massive deal or a reason to run out the door, but when you're there about to drop €30k with these lads, comments like that and their disinterest seem a bit out of place.

everlast75

Seems you can't win then.

If there are hard times, you get a lousy offer on your trade in as they need the cash.

If there are boom times, then you can't get the ****ers to ring you back.

R.O.R

As Bazz said, it's a terrible time to be contacting anyone in sales in the Motor Trade. They are all absolutely flat out for the past few weeks with arranging to get cars where they should be, so they can get them cleaned/PDI'd and off to the customer, so they get the money in.

I try my very best to not call dealers in January. Most are coming back to me via e-mail either late in the evening or early in the morning. If you do try to ring someone and leave a message, you can more or less guarantee you'll be playing phone "tag" all day, or possibly for a couple of days as I've been flat out since the start of Jan too.

Should start to calm down in the next week or so. Best to actually call in and talk to someone, or if that doesn't suit, try calling around 10.00am on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.

Maybe try Smiths in Drogheda too - I've seen an RS knocking around Drogheda which might be something to do with them. I had good dealings with Karl Cunningham there a couple of years ago when I couldn't get a particular vehicle from my normal supplier. I wouldn't point you to either of my normal Ford suppliers at the moment, as it's difficult for me to get any info out them this time of year.

everlast75

*update

I rang Ford in Phibsborough. They said they didn't have the model and suggested I ring Ford's head office, Cork.

I rang Cork and they said there was one in a garage. Guess where? Phibsborough!

I ring Phibsborough and tell him what happened. He says that there are 4 garages under their name and gives me the name of guess where?

The Ford garage in Swords!!

Unf**kingbelievable!

So I ring Swords garage and despite what the guy told me last week, they DO have the model there available for test drive.

Anyhoo - test drive booked for Monday.

What a palava!