"How much for my P/X" via telephone or email

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

The question of a P/X value crops up many times, when the customer and the car is in front of you it's a simple process, you can see the car and value what you see.

 

But how do you deal with the question when its made via email or telephone? You can't see the car and its condition, its spec and which colour it is (they say blue but it could Monaco Blue, Montego Blue or Bluewater). We want to get the customer and car in front of us but also don't want to be used as a valuation service or give a price that we then have to try and knock £100's off when we see the car as it's not as described.

 

As much as I push, customers don't like saying how they value their car via email (sometime phone is easier). Do other dealers find the enquiry goes dead once they send an approx value via email? Do you class them as serious enquires or dreamers hiding behind an email?

 

I'm sure it's not just me who finds it frustrating, how do other approach these situations??

[jimreidvehicle 255]

Gavin

 

Always a difficult one, on telephone or e-mail. We try very hard not to give a price without seeing the car, but have found in the past that the best way to deal with this is......you can either offer a range of price from £x to £y OR explain that it is difficult to offer without seeing a car and that naturally most other dealers will either 'HIGH BALL' you by giving a high valuation only to knock your part ex price diown when you arrive at their dealership or 'UNDER VALUE' to be safe which means that you will not even visit their dealership, which means that you may miss out on the cleaner of the two cars for sale. Alos we often ask if we do offer them an acceptable price for part exchange over the phone are they in a position to buy the car you have for sale without seeing it or test driving it? The answer is envitably NO! 

[GreenGiant 287]

Always been the case though, even before t'interweb. We find that most walk-ins on Sundays are just going the long route around trying to find out a value for their old klunker. It wastes our time, their time and doesn't achieve anything usually, especially as We-Nick-any-Car.com have already told them its priceless.

Even with phone enquiries it is usually a spurious 'I'm interested in your car, but before we come over, can you give us an idea....etc'

It gets a bit demoralising sometimes knowing that you're dealing with Alma* (as we call 'em) but you have to go thru the motions of explaining that it ain't as cut & dried as they think and there is a variety of different valuations dependent upon Trade/Wholesale/Auction/Private/Retail and which would they like?

I've also found asking them a question in return highlights the difficulty: "I've got a 3 bedroomed house in Sometown, how much is that worth?" Once they realise the variables involved they either soften up and appreciate the difficulty or, more usually, think I'm trying to be awkward and try someone else.

Either way, it's probably a win/win for all of us.

 

*Alma

That's Alma Chismer

As in: Alma Chismer car worth?

[Tom 164]

I hate being asked this, I always tell customers to come in so I can see the car/history check and drive it! If they say I am coming along way then they need to anyway to see my car! If they dont like it then tough luck!

[Guest]

I know the whole point is to get the "buyers" in to test drive the car, fall in love with it then part with their cash.Surely the "from x to y" px value is the way forward. 

Most would understand, and if they really don't.....have you not saved your time if they were to do the same to you or your team on the forecourt?

As long as you aren't promising or confirming a price over the phone, it shouldn't be an issue. 

[CJ Underhill 34]

This question always buggs me, "how much is my car worth".. "how longs a bit of string" we all know how customers lie.. we know their understanding of "mint condition" is a million miles away from ours. Simple thing is tell them their car is worth between £50 and top book. Or quote them/get them to do a  We Buy Any Car valuation, and tell them you pay more

[umesh 336]

Similar view to Jim to be honest - has to be between range! I have an on gong deal at the moment Customer in the Highlands we've pretty much exhausted price for my car as straight deal - then he throws in his after telling me no PX!

I've given him a price range for his car against it now - BUT is that my best deal ! Told him that's pretty much it " as long as his description is right on his" and emphasised that if the car is better than the picture he's painted maybe couple of hundred pounds more , how ever if he's not described it correctly then it won't be worth that so he must be prepared to accept the consequences of a wasted journey !

I've been quite straight with him and told him I didn't want him to waste his time / fuel etc IF he was expecting a mega deal due to travelling all the way!

..will let you know by the weekend as he's reserved the car based on figures discussed! wish me luck

[umesh 336]

Just to let you guys know.. The customer from Highlands , Scotland some 341 miles arrived this morning here at 8.20am , sadly his PX wasn't as he'd described it! I explained that it wasn't what he has described so I've got revise the offer ...£500 less for his car! Deal done - VERY HAPPY Customer on their way back! home. Lovely , lovely couple ! so all happy

[GreenGiant 287]

... sadly his PX wasn't as he'd described it!....

 

Whoa! Never saw that one coming, did we?!

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

For a £500 hit it must of being very badly described !! But he must have know as he still did the deal and went away happy.

[SimonSpidersnet 4]

Best advice I could give would be to get your web provider to provide a detailed part exchange form for your website.

 

We provide a DVLA lookup first which pretty much ensures the correct customer car is found, then the form has a range of options for tick box graphics, text boxes, and even photo uploader so you can see exactly what the car is and condition. This works great for our guys, as we recommend that the photos are not just to show damage, but also any additional options and extra spec the car might have..... how many cars these days have a list of options as long as a piece of string? Mini? DS3? Adam? Any Merc, BMW, Audi? Makes sense eh....

The form says it's going to give the user a "value" when they click send, but really it pings emails to both parties saying the dealer will be in touch asap (dealer gets all vehicle info etc). So all you need to do is direct any telephone enquiries and emails to this form on your site and you'll weed out any timewasters, whilst also gaining some marketing info for your database! 

 

Here's an example of our form, feel free to try it out. http://www.dealersite.co.uk/vehicle-valuation

[Ian 15]

Some right blummin' advertising going on there!