PITA customers

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, It's me said:

Carry on as you are ,every customer is a learning curve

Aren’t they just!!! 

[Rory RSC 596]

14 hours ago, smltd said:

I really appreciate all the advice received, thanks again guys!

A bit more advice, as you are new get as many people out viewing etc.  Almost like a game. Have your own pre conceived idea of how its gonna go ie buyer  / tyre kicker but don't reveal just be nice. Its a customer service business after all. 

 

But learn, watch the behaviours, see what the difference is with a buyer ie when people come and spend 30 seconds looking round the car and then the first question they ask is can I drive it I find that is 99% of the time a waster, yet a true buyer tends to look round the car ask a few questions, chat and the test drive isn't that high on the agenda.

 

Learn, spend a year or 2 dealing with as many people as you can and then you soon learn how to qualify and how to deal with different types.

 

Just my advice, particularly if you are knew to it.   I can qualify well now but couldn't have 6 or 12 months into the job and treated every lead and every person as if they could or would buy.

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, Rory RSC said:

Just my advice, particularly if you are knew to it.   I can qualify well now but couldn't have 6 or 12 months into the job and treated every lead and every person as if they could or would buy.

And I bet you remember that sinking feeling because in your mind you’d hyped-up every viewing to be a sale. 

[Rory RSC 596]

22 minutes ago, BHM said:

And I bet you remember that sinking feeling because in your mind you’d hyped-up every viewing to be a sale. 

The worst sinking feeling was when you think you have a customer in the bag they have said the right things etc and its just the test drive to go.

Test drive them, they love the car  and its great.  Pull back to site and in my head its in the office and its paid / deposit time.  

 

The reality is you pull back to office they say thanks have a few more to look at and practically leg it away   Used to be raging for an hour or 2 after that happened now it can happen once in a while I just laugh and think they got me.

[It's me 615]

5 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

The worst sinking feeling was when you think you have a customer in the bag they have said the right things etc and its just the test drive to go.

Test drive them, they love the car  and its great.  Pull back to site and in my head its in the office and its paid / deposit time.  

 

The reality is you pull back to office they say thanks have a few more to look at and practically leg it away   Used to be raging for an hour or 2 after that happened now it can happen once in a while I just laugh and think they got me.

I like to use cctv to do the groundwork on customers walking on,their body language often tells you if they are buyers or tryers,its not foolproof but just another tool to help weed le out the ask the wife brigade

[Casper 272]

Ask the wife brigade like that 

[MattR 177]

16 hours ago, twerp said:

Do you turn down test drives? and how do you go about it?

I will do, and its not a matter of turning down test drives, its whether youve offered it or not. Most customers are appointed, so you can ask some questions before you even get them on site. I had one last week, he was booked in, had a quick look around and then asked for the test drive. I asked if he was happy with the condition of it and the price. He said he expected a discount. All my prices are fixed, I told him so, he was with his other half so they had a proper look round it then and a chat between themselves for 20 minutes. Then asked for a drive again because they thought it was ok for the money. Drive done, they paid for it and drove away.

You have to control them. Its your Insurance risk, your fuel, your re clean cost. Make sure all the ducks are in a row before the test drive, and it makes life easier. Some will always slip through. And be blunt about the purpose of the test drive; its not for you to find out how a focus (or whatever) drives, that was the manufacturers job x number of years ago. The purpose of this drive is for you to satisfy yourself theres no noises or problems. Thats my take on it anyway.  

[Rory RSC 596]

18 hours ago, twerp said:

Do you turn down test drives? and how do you go about it?

If someone says they have more to look at. Go and look at them then come back when you want to deal.

 

IF someone says they won't be buying today wants to go and think, come back when you have had a think. 

 I sell 40/50 cars a month unseen and delivered so for the vast majority of my customers the test drive really isn't an issue, for most real buyers its not that big a deal. Nearly all modern cars drive well. IF you had to have an RS3 or an A45 / X5 or GLE / Ranger  or Navara for a couple of years none of them are exactly awful and just unbearable to drive.

[David Horgan 564]

On 2/4/2022 at 10:05 AM, smltd said:

Based on the replies received and reading other topics on this forum, I've decided going forward to send each potential customer the terms and conditions of my business when they enquire about a car. I might come across a bit harsh but this will hopefully weed out the time wasters and keep my business safe from people trying to impose their own rules or make my life hell after a sale. If someone is seriously interested in buying and have a bit of common sense, they'll appreciate my terms & conditions are fair.

In summary: we don't offer distance sales, we don't accept credit cards, cash transactions are subject to 1.5% admin fee, the appointment is arranged on the condition they intend to buy and not just to have a look, 10% deposit to reserve the car, copy of driving licence and a driving licence check code, test drive is 10-15 minutes on 30 to 40 mph roads to test the car is mechanically sound and not to test the car's performance, any pre-purchase inspections require a deposit to cover the inspection and transport costs.

Have I missed anything?

I sell performance cars too , plus cheapies as well and most cars in between if I'm honest . Trick is to be like a chameleon and change to suit each customer. Smile like and assassin when they leave . 

Those T&C's would have put the 4 car buyers I've had this morning well and truly OFF coming i reckon , S3 , Golf R , Golf GTD , SEAT Cupra R all sold , 

Each and every customer this morning was a completely different personality , age , and in different financial situations , different questions and different priorities , eg one was obsessed with tyres , paint condition for the other , toys inside the car on another's list , test drives and methods of payments , , me sending that list of which i would term as negatives would in my mind put them off even coming . 

Now i have decades of people skills so its easy for me to talk , BUT , adapt and learn . manage each and every situation the same but in different orders , listen and learn when to strike like viper , seal the deal is the way to sell . Takes time , but its fun learning 

Don't for gods sakes send that list out to customers , We are supposed to create positive vibes not a list of don'ts . You would be amazed how many customers tell me horror stories about other traders treating them wrong , deposits for test drives , not there when they arrive , spoken down to , pushy vibes , making negative talk on customers appearance is popular negative .

People skills as Rory says don't come over night , cant be taught either but and I stand corrected if I'm wrong wont start with a list like that . 

Remember the customer buys ONE car every 2 to 6 yrs , they dont know our job and never will , Like the guy this morning Tattoos all over him 21 yrs old , no clue what he was asking . first question has he asked has it been painted do i know , he needed to be guided through the whole process. He thanked me for making it easy for him and took his Golf R home with a smile from ear to ear 

 

reading your list I'll tell you now he would be gone with the wind , 

 

Did ask if you'd missed anything 

 

[BHM 994]

6 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

making negative talk on customers appearance is popular negative .

A excellent post but do dealers really slag off punters clothing? 

[umesh 336]

5 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

I sell performance cars too , plus cheapies as well and most cars in between if I'm honest . Trick is to be like a chameleon and change to suit each customer. Smile like and assassin when they leave . 

Those T&C's would have put the 4 car buyers I've had this morning well and truly OFF coming i reckon , S3 , Golf R , Golf GTD , SEAT Cupra R all sold , 

Each and every customer this morning was a completely different personality , age , and in different financial situations , different questions and different priorities , eg one was obsessed with tyres , paint condition for the other , toys inside the car on another's list , test drives and methods of payments , , me sending that list of which i would term as negatives would in my mind put them off even coming . 

Now i have decades of people skills so its easy for me to talk , BUT , adapt and learn . manage each and every situation the same but in different orders , listen and learn when to strike like viper , seal the deal is the way to sell . Takes time , but its fun learning 

Don't for gods sakes send that list out to customers , We are supposed to create positive vibes not a list of don'ts . You would be amazed how many customers tell me horror stories about other traders treating them wrong , deposits for test drives , not there when they arrive , spoken down to , pushy vibes , making negative talk on customers appearance is popular negative .

People skills as Rory says don't come over night , cant be taught either but and I stand corrected if I'm wrong wont start with a list like that . 

Remember the customer buys ONE car every 2 to 6 yrs , they dont know our job and never will , Like the guy this morning Tattoos all over him 21 yrs old , no clue what he was asking . first question has he asked has it been painted do i know , he needed to be guided through the whole process. He thanked me for making it easy for him and took his Golf R home with a smile from ear to ear 

 

reading your list I'll tell you now he would be gone with the wind , 

 

Did ask if you'd missed anything 

 

Like @Rory RSC and @David Horgan they've covered it well.!  We all learn and adapt .. I try not to put too many barriers up but the odd one or two who we think are 100% buyers at the start don't buy! but in reality I belive in giving them all respect and treat them like how I would like to be treated. 

Have I missed anything  

Happy selling 

[David Horgan 564]

3 hours ago, BHM said:

A excellent post but do dealers really slag off punters clothing? 

Not so much the clothing but the most feared is facial tattoos , got a body builder customer , face , neck and arms is a full tribal tattoo , hes been asked to leave as hes not the sort of customer they want , Hes absolutely minted in money . I was the person who treated him as Umesh has stated , "How i would like to be treated " he now only comes to us for cars and service . 

I did have two gay guys once dressed head to foot in PINK shorts , pink trainers , Pink shirts , Camp as a row of pink tents they were , My face said it all lol they were fun though , we laughed like mad as they spoke very gay and very posh lol Good sports mind , Smart car they bought as well in bright yellow , It clashed with the pink clothes , Laughed with them not at them so all fun and very two way laughter . 

 Body builder is Nicest bloke you could meet he is , just likes body art . takes all sorts ,  Least he wasn't in Pink .

3 hours ago, umesh said:

but in reality I belive in giving them all respect and treat them like how I would like to be treated.

First lesson I was taught Umesh , By my dad at 15 yrs old I was , "Never look down at any one he said " " Always treat people as you would wish to be treated " , That was good advice . 

I've earned a good few ££££££ using that advice over the years and Thousands & Thousands  of deals . 

Now £50,000 car or £1,000 px they all get the same . 

Edited February 7, 2022 by David Horgan

[TRADE SURVIVOR 33]

 " Always treat people as you would wish to be treated " Spot on Umesh and David business should be a pleasure for all parties involved. We  never judge a book by its cover. Always remember back in the 60's when I was a lad working for pocket money compounding and t cutting, waxing Ford Prefects guy came into my Dad's showroom scruffy as anything the salesmen ignored him. I'm saying "hello" having a bit of a chat, upshot was he wanted to buy a Zephyr convertible we had in stock. Passed him over to my old man deal done paid cash on the spot. Slightly off subject from our mans original post but thought I would share. Wish I had the Zephyr in stock now    

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by TRADE SURVIVOR
added text

[David Horgan 564]

10 hours ago, TRADE SURVIVOR said:

Slightly off subject from our mans original post but thought I would share. Wish I had the Zephyr in stock now 

Old guy near me has a  Zephyr , I see it on the road on dry days , mainly spring and summer but it does come out in winter too . Immaculate thing too . 

[It's me 615]

Offered a customer his money back today and he was worried how he would get to work, I offered him an old sit up and beg bike we have somewhere on site

It floored him actually because he thought we were going to fob him off but I reckon I can sell it for more if I refund

Strange times

 

[David Horgan 564]

36 minutes ago, It's me said:

It floored him actually because he thought we were going to fob him off but I reckon I can sell it for more if I refund

 See him riding to work on a bike lol  thinking mmmmmm got that wrong 

[SC Derby 259]

On 2/7/2022 at 10:48 PM, TRADE SURVIVOR said:

 " Always treat people as you would wish to be treated " Spot on Umesh and David business should be a pleasure for all parties involved. We  never judge a book by its cover. Always remember back in the 60's when I was a lad working for pocket money compounding and t cutting, waxing Ford Prefects guy came into my Dad's showroom scruffy as anything the salesmen ignored him. I'm saying "hello" having a bit of a chat, upshot was he wanted to buy a Zephyr convertible we had in stock. Passed him over to my old man deal done paid cash on the spot. Slightly off subject from our mans original post but thought I would share. Wish I had the Zephyr in stock now    

 

hope you got some tidy commission

[petrol head 46]

On the subject of clothing, I took over a prestige dealership more than 20 years ago and my first complaint was from a customer with the most expensive car in the range (£100K+). 
 

He was a big hitter in the city and upon receiving his complaint letter, I called him. Explained I had just taken over and I would resolve his complaint. He then explained to me he had bought the car from the dealership I had taken over as he had dressed in his best gardening clothes and ours was the only dealership that didn’t ignore him.  
 

A couple of years earlier, I was in dealership on a Sunday, unusual in itself, and this old banger pulled up on the forecourt. 3 sales people in duty, 2 fled when they saw the car, with the exception of my gay sales guy, top lad he was. He welcomed them to the business and asked how he could assist them, they informed they won the lottery last night and proceeded to buy a very expensive car. The faces on the other sales guys I can still picture

[MrC 142]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:24 PM, David Horgan said:

 

Porsche buyers are horrible people , self entitled idiots thinking they are something they aren't is my description . 

 

Steady on now, we are not all horrible. That said there are some utter bell ends, usually at the anorak end of the spectrum.  Fucking good cars 911's cant deny that. 

[Casper 272]

54 minutes ago, MrC said:

Steady on now, we are not all horrible. That said there are some utter bell ends, usually at the anorak end of the spectrum.  Fucking good cars 911's cant deny that. 

There’s always one good egg MrC

[Rory RSC 596]

13 hours ago, MrC said:

Steady on now, we are not all horrible. That said there are some utter bell ends, usually at the anorak end of the spectrum.  Fucking good cars 911's cant deny that. 

992 Turbo S best car I have ever driven.

[MrC 142]

4 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

992 Turbo S best car I have ever driven.

That's the dream, I'd love one, till then I'll slum it in my C4S

Edited February 11, 2022 by MrC

[David Horgan 564]

On 2/10/2022 at 11:31 PM, MrC said:

Steady on now, we are not all horrible. That said there are some utter bell ends, usually at the anorak end of the spectrum.  Fucking good cars 911's cant deny that. 

The 911 is a nice car i must admit , So I amend 99.9 % are utter bell ends 

Its usually the Pratts with Porsche Badges and  hats , Porsche Gloves , Even had one with Porsche glasses . That comes from the last porky customer , talk the talk my god every word was abbreviated to letters and numbers , I had to ask him to speak in whole words lol . What he hadn't had was not worth talking about "boring "  Then ! like to spread the cost of this little weekend toy , Any charnce of a deal on the monthly , he only got declined didn't he , not just prime either lol one girl said he will be lucky if we lent him a pen lol . 

His face wow  

Porsche buyer mmmm very entertaining people in a number of ways . 

Not as bad as MX5 Buyers though , now there's a set of bell ends ,in another world they are . No wonder they all wave at each other 

[MAP 5]

5 hours ago, David Horgan said:

The 911 is a nice car i must admit , So I amend 99.9 % are utter bell ends 

Its usually the Pratts with Porsche Badges and  hats , Porsche Gloves , Even had one with Porsche glasses . That comes from the last porky customer , talk the talk my god every word was abbreviated to letters and numbers , I had to ask him to speak in whole words lol . What he hadn't had was not worth talking about "boring "  Then ! like to spread the cost of this little weekend toy , Any charnce of a deal on the monthly , he only got declined didn't he , not just prime either lol one girl said he will be lucky if we lent him a pen lol . 

His face wow  

Porsche buyer mmmm very entertaining people in a number of ways . 

Not as bad as MX5 Buyers though , now there's a set of bell ends ,in another world they are . No wonder they all wave at each other 

[petrol head 46]

This must be the champion of PITA customers, what does he expect from a 10+ year old Range Rover: