Now Ye're Talking - to a Car Salesman

demanufactured wrote: »

Will you do me a good deal on a mondeo estate

I don’t want the use this thread to sell cars I want to use it to answer some of the common questions people have about the job but I can certainly give advice

the sheriff is HERE wrote: »

hi carsalesman
what is the best marquee you've sold?
how can i get a few euros off the price of a car?
most cars you've sold in a day?
what's a typical day from start to finish for a car salesman?
any perks of the job?

1, I have not sold any super cars but a number of the prestigious brands
2, best advice would be honest and most sales people will work with you to try get a deal everyone is happy with. Contrary to the stereo type sales people are not out to rob you.
3, 6 cars in a day
4, There really is not a typical day and that’s what I like most about it, every day is different and you never know what you are going to be doing or who you will meet
5, perks of the job for me doing something I enjoy, driving nice cars and ability to make good money

corkgsxr wrote: »

If you told the truth about a car would you suddenly explode

No, I think this is why this thread will be good to help eliminate this type of stereotypes

Tzardine wrote: »

How much commission does a sales person make on the typical deal ? Do you get extra if they use in house finance ?

Most car sales are targeted as a % of the profit earned so every deal could be different. Yes the dealership receives a commission for selling finance on behalf of the finance company which in turn the sales person gets a % of

Sabre0001 wrote: »

What's the worst (and/or most memorable) test drive you've ever experienced?

Ever see anyone purchase a shiny new car only to ding it as soon as they're driving it off the lot?

What are must-ask questions for car buyers, do you think?

1, I think the worst tend to be people wanting to show off and pretend they are testing the speed and handling of a car when there is no need to

2, yes I saw a customer once driving out of the dealership take the turn too tight a scratch the side of their new car off a bollard out the front

3, I think confirming what you are getting is the most important, there is so much info on the internet not all of which is true so it can be easy to think you are getting something you are not

cute geoge wrote: »

How much of a discount could i expect on a good s/h hand car if i was buying straight i.e. i bought a year old octavia with 16km for advertised price of 20k off main dealer ,sales man would not budge when the o/h was smitten by car .If i had walked out would he probably have ran out the door after me to accept €500 lower!!!

Depends on the car and also how it is priced relative to its condition and the competition. Some dealers will prepare to the highest standards and give nor more than €500 off. On average I would say €1,000 off

Psychobabble wrote: »

Do dealers prefer cash sales for 2nd hand cars or finance arrangements?
Is having a trade-n an advantage or disadvantage for a buyer?
Cheers.

Depends on the dealer in question, some smaller dealers will prefer cash deals as it will help with their cash flow. Some larger dealers will prefer finance because they receive commission for it.

Again depends on trade in, if a dealer can make money ie is a very sought after car it can be advantage for a buyer

GavRedKing wrote: »

VRT is clearly a sore subject for anyone looking for a car in this country.

Do you think that because of it, people are more inclined to shop outside of the state, either up north or across the water for a car that they can make a decent saving on when compared to the Irish equivalent?

Yes if you look at the amount of VRT and VAT contained in the price of some cars it makes it cheaper to look else where which is not good for anyone

Eric Cartman wrote: »

why are many salespeople so unhelpful when you want to order a car with some options on it. While looking for a new car two years ago, I visited 6 dealers for three different brands, fully prepared to drop close to 80k on a new 4x4 , every single time I asked for a build to be priced up for me and an official quote done, fully loaded with all the options , I was either told they were not interested, options list unavailable or 'ill give you a call next week'

There is no simple answer to this, unfortunately there are sales people who only want the easy sales and don’t want to put the effort in required for things like this

Alun wrote: »

I have two questions ...

1) Why is it that I usually know more about the car I'm looking for in terms of spec, options, performance etc. than the salesman does, after spending only a few hours researching it on the internet? I realise it can get pretty complex, but it is your job to know your own product after all.

2) This might be an Irish thing, as most other new cars I've bought in Germany and Netherlands, but why is it considered such a crazy thing to want to order a car with exactly the options I want rather than be pressured into buying one that they've already imported and have sitting in a disused airfield somewhere?

1, It can be hard to keep up with all of the changes as technology is constantly changing and some times manufacturers don’t even tell you so we have to research like you to find out. Yes you are right it is our job to know this

2, Two things really here, 1, it is easier to sell from what is in “stock”. 2, as sales people work on commission they want the sale now rather than waiting for the order and sale to go through

Not saying either of these reasons are excuses but probably why you encounter it. It’s not the way i work

Tell me how wrote: »

Who gains most from PCP finance plans?

Do you think it's exorbitant, the amount cars depreciate?

If done properly the buyer, seller and dealership

Yes the more expensive the car the more it depreciates, as a business idea it’s not a good idea to buy an expensive car yet a lot of us do

Widdensushi wrote: »

What do you think of PCP and what incentives are you getting to sell it?

Personally I am a fan of PCP and if buying a car myself I would buy it using PCP. It makes buying a new car more affordable for some people.

It also depends how long you are going to keep your car, if you are someone who keeps it for example 1 years then PCP may not be suitable

The majority of people change their car once they have bought a new one more frequently.

With PCP if you can afford to pay more per month then do and put in less of a deposit up front. Also make sure the final value / payment is not too high. PCP fails where you end up owing more than its worth at the end, this will also discourage people from doing it.

Yes a dealership does receive commission for organising the PCP finance but not as much as you would for organising regular hire purchase finance

bucketybuck wrote: »

Have you ever apologised to the lads in service that regularly have to deal with the fallout caused by salesmen making bull**** claims at the time of sale?

Personally I have never had to however I have seen it happen. Two things tend to happen first is yes the sales person over promised at the start and also some customers will try and claim they were offered and given certain things as part of the deal

Max Prophet wrote: »

Whata your basic salary and your sales bonus ?

I don't want give exact figures, on a good year though you could 3.5 - 4 times your basic salary in commission

Harika wrote: »

Cars depreciate, where is the sweet spot when you get most bang for your money nowadays?
Like 2013 I was told that a five year old car would be best as depreciation already took most of the value but not much repair work will be expected.

It depends on the brand but I would say 3 years personally as the dealership will want your trade in to sell again and make money from. Once a car hits 5 years some dealerships will not sell the car on themselves and simply sell on to a third party dealer

redbel05 wrote: »

Probably showing how little I know about car sales... Have you ever had a customer come in and get you to order in "the works"/ the most expensive customised model and then not be contactable afterwards or decide to buy elsewhere?

Is it very competitive in your dealership as to which salesman gets the most sales? Is there much of a turnover of salesman there due to people not being able to cut it?

What's the longest that you've gone without selling a car?

1, It someone is looking to order a very specific car generally we will look for a minimum 10% deposit up front to cover ourselves. It has not happened to me thank god but I have heard of cars being ordered and then the customer deciding they don't want it or want something else

2, Yes all sales I believe are very competitive but my dealership would be very competitive for two reason first to sell more than everyone else and the more you sell then the more you earn. It depends on the dealership but surprisingly some of the bigger dealers have a very high turn over

3, Probably 5 weeks without selling something which really is a long time as it plays on your mind every day. You can come across as desperate because it is playing on your mind so much

carsfan2 wrote: »

What would you say are the lowest depreciating car models and what are the worst on the market?
Is there a ”sweet spot” of age to buy and sell at ?i.e. buy at 3 years old sell at 5?

The lowest depreciating cars tend to me the most popular models and any new model. If something is scarce or new to the market it will tend to hold its value very well over the next 3 - 4 years.
If you look at some of the favourites such as the VW Golf and Nissan Qashqai they hold their value very well
Yes if buying second hand buying a 3 year old car and changing after 2 years can work out very well if you get the right car

the sheriff is HERE wrote: »

What are your favourite everyday cars?
Have you ever refused to sell a car?

I supposed everyone's version of an every day car is different but I drove the Peugeot 5008 recently and was very impressed with it both the level of extras it came with and the drive of its petrol engine

No I have never refused to sell a car but I have tried to discourage someone from buying a car if I didn't feel it was right for them or was suspicious about them

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Have you ever sold a car that you knew had a reputation for having problems and felt you should warn the customer but didn't, or should the customer do their own homework to look into the car they are buying.

Personally I would prefer to be up front and honest about a car and give people my opinion on it so if I felt they were going to have problems with a car. For example if someone was doing extremely small mileage I would advise them about the build up of carbon in a diesel and tell them to be wary if buying one.

I would always recommend a customer doing their own research because as a sales man there is only so much of their wants and needs I can gain an understanding of

Gunnar Tight Clipboard wrote: »

Do you think pcp finance should be more regulated than it currently is?

I don't think more regulation is needed but I think more information needs to be given both to the people selling it and to the people buying it

ba_barabus wrote: »

I drive a 131 Avensis I bought last year. I purchased it with 75k kms from a reputable main dealer and by July I'll be well on the road to doubling this. I've had it serviced every 15k at the main dealer and had no issues.

Given the mileage I'm doing should I upgrade again in order to get a decent trade in value or would the value lie in holding it.

It's bland as hell but comfortable, dependable and has a big boot. I don't want anything from VAG as they've always been unreliable and expensive to repair which somewhat limits my choice.

I would definitely price up trading it in and see what it is going to cost you so you can weigh up the options. However the 100,000 kms mark in this country can be a big stumbling block in this country as everyone wants a "low" mileage car so the only way it will sell if it is much cheaper than anything else which in turn will affect your trade in price