Ratio of good to bad customers?

[Mikey360 68]

What's everyones average? Is it all doom and gloom and the world of car sales is full of screamers? Or is it more a case of you only remember the bad ones?

Edited March 9, 2018 by Mikey360

[Dan W 57]

I Would say the majority of customers I deal with tend to be quite pleasant, but one thing I have noticed recently is how stupid they are becoming or how they don't actually pay attention to adverts or the car they are looking at.

So many calls recently saying I have seen your car on your website is it a diesel ? whats the mileage ? and various questions which are all in the advert.

perfect example, customer rings up today nice and polite ,seen your advert is it a diesel.......no mr customer its a petrol as stated in the advert oh well that's a no for me then thanks ! and puts phone down

 

[andymc1973 199]

snowflakes

[Autolink100 34]

59 minutes ago, Dan W said:

I Would say the majority of customers I deal with tend to be quite pleasant, but one thing I have noticed recently is how stupid they are becoming or how they don't actually pay attention to adverts or the car they are looking at.

So many calls recently saying I have seen your car on your website is it a diesel ? whats the mileage ? and various questions which are all in the advert.

perfect example, customer rings up today nice and polite ,seen your advert is it a diesel.......no mr customer its a petrol as stated in the advert oh well that's a no for me then thanks ! and puts phone down

 

Likewise, I find most people pleasant enough. You do come across some truly horrible people but thankfully they are in the minority. The one thing that bugs me the most about people is how unrealistic they are when looking at an older car. Simply not prepared to accept normal wear and tear, champagne taste and all that

[Dan W 57]

16 minutes ago, Autolink100 said:

Likewise, I find most people pleasant enough. You do come across some truly horrible people but thankfully they are in the minority. The one thing that bugs me the most about people is how unrealistic they are when looking at an older car. Simply not prepared to accept normal wear and tear, champagne taste and all that

Yes and when you are honest about it they get upset lol, we had an 08 plate xsara Picasso lovely low miles and service history, customer looking round it with a microscope.... its had paintwork that deffo its a dodgy buy if I go for it.... mr customer I would be amazed if it hadn't had paintwork majority of used cars will do at some stage of their life.. would you prefer to have bought it with the damage on the vehicle....

he shuffled off mumbling about bloody con men.

[justina3 518]

I would say most are decent people its just the odd one thats a fruit case that sticks in your mind as you suggest, i do notice a lot of people now checking previous mot history and not having the brain cells to digest the info thats the latest headache i seem to be up against

 

[It's me 615]

THE MAKE AND MODEL OF A CAR OFTEN EXPLAINS WHY YOU GET THE NUTTERS THE MOANERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WANT SPLIT MINT FOR PENNIES

ALWAYS BUY WITH AN EYE OF THE CUSTOMER AND SLEEP EASY

 

toodle pips

[Autolink100 34]

The MOT history is now a major ballache. We get around it to a degree by using display plates, 

 

[grant8064 219]

60/40 pre sale and 85/15 post sale.

...it's a numbers game!

 

We try and wheedle out the iffy ones early on (I think MD world calls that 'qualifying'). Had one on a part ex banger today. £695 auto...genuinely a PROPER one owner car because otherwise it would be going to the scrap man. Wanted to conduct a £200 RAC inspection and get a further mechanic to inspect it after....clearly that's someone you move on.

Oddly enough we find the bad credit customers to be no worse than any others proportionally.

I think most of the public are a bit like me. If I buy something I want it to work and not be grief, which is fair enough. Sometimes the product goes wrong...it happens. 

Occasionally they're unreasonable despite seeming like a saint on handover. Nothing much you can do but most people are pretty OK overall. 

[BHM 994]

 

On 09/03/2018 at 7:56 PM, Mikey360 said:

What's everyones average? Is it all doom and gloom and the world of car sales is full of screamers? Or is it more a case of you only remember the bad ones?

By “CUSTOMERS” do you mean customers in the truest sense (meaning they’ve bought) or punters (anyone who makes contact)?

In the first case I’d say over 95% are fine cos I weed out the shit (the 5% are usually the parasites buying a ‘long termer’ that I’ve cut the balls off the price to move on - and those people are usually greedy to the core & rotten with it).

However if you’re referring to punters, and as such the general public, I honestly feel over 60-70% are f***ing idiots and/or chancers and/or dishonest and/or unrealistic with their expectations.

 

4 hours ago, s and b said:

THE MAKE AND MODEL OF A CAR OFTEN EXPLAINS WHY YOU GET THE NUTTERS THE MOANERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO WANT SPLIT MINT FOR PENNIES

ALWAYS BUY WITH AN EYE OF THE CUSTOMER AND SLEEP EASY

 

toodle pips

Very true, although you can’t get away from the idiots entirely. I’d hate to think I had a forecourt full of small cars, sports cars & Audis - I’d end up assaulting the customers.

[trade vet 704]

12 hours ago, BHM said:

 

By “CUSTOMERS” do you mean customers in the truest sense (meaning they’ve bought) or punters (anyone who makes contact)?

In the first case I’d say over 95% are fine cos I weed out the shit (the 5% are usually the parasites buying a ‘long termer’ that I’ve cut the balls off the price to move on - and those people are usually greedy to the core & rotten with it).

However if you’re referring to punters, and as such the general public, I honestly feel over 60-70% are f***ing idiots and/or chancers and/or dishonest and/or unrealistic with their expectations.

 

Very true, although you can’t get away from the idiots entirely. I’d hate to think I had a forecourt full of small cars, sports cars & Audis - I’d end up assaulting the customers.

Surely it’s all about what you are good at and makes money.I know people who only do small hatchbacks for full money.Likewise there is a local guy and most of his stock are small convertibles under £8k.Someone else who only does A4/A6 Avants.The best one I know only sells ex Police dog vans,he has a big warehouse full of them.If you take a look at those who do wheelchair accessible stuff,you are talking serious profit margins.

[Mikey360 68]

I guess it's all down to what 'audience' you aim for aswell. A 1k banger will attract a 1k banger punter. 

Are Audi buyers that bad then?? Seen alot of smart A4s at auction recently that have been very tempting 

[MattR 177]

How do you define Good and Bad? Theyve all got potential to be either. If theyre not realistic with you such as flagging scratches, previous paint etc on an 8 year old car, then theyre not a good customer. But by the time theyve been to 3 or 4 other places and realised all used cars have had some work in the past (normally) and theyre fine when they see it, becoming a good customer for that garage. If youre cars are nice enough, they will all find a customer thats nice enough sooner rather than later. And just smile and wave at the others. 

[NOACROSS 414]

From a punter's point of view- there are good and bad garages too remember.  I think that often, this nit-picking is their way of sounding you out, and also, some really haven't got a clue what to say or are nervous etc. so come out with random nonsense.

Today's messer can be tomorrow's buyer (or next year's buyer).

Just smile politely and move on is best I find if they're clearly not managing their expectations. As has been said: you do't 'have' to sell them the car as much as they don't 'have' to buy & it's always worth qualifying them to see if it's worth your while.   I've found that if they're a pain before buying, then that's nothing to what they'll be like once they're in it!  

Most reading this will know that you'll work much harder to satisfy a buyer at the lower end of the price spectrum than at the mid-range (as it's likely to be all their money).

We find that the Audi and VW buyers as well as small car buyers are often v. hard work too; so I adjust our stock profile accordingly where possible.

P.S.

3 hours ago, trade vet said:

If you take a look at those who do wheelchair accessible stuff,you are talking serious profit margins.

We've tried a few WAV cars and yes, nice profit but have always taken eons to sell.

[BHM 994]

+1 noacross, that’s about the best summary I’ve read. I also agree exactly with what you’ve written regarding WAVs, although having any car for a couple of months nowadays isn’t necessarily the disaster it used to be - I think it’s a sign of the times.

[NOACROSS 414]

11 minutes ago, BHM said:

although having any car for a couple of months nowadays isn’t necessarily the disaster it used to be - I think it’s a sign of the times.

Ha - agreed. I've just said goodbye (finally) to a Merc I've had for a year. (I remember my old man in the 80's used to call a car 'a bottler' if he'd had it over a week!)

[trade vet 704]

3 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

From a punter's point of view- there are good and bad garages too remember.  I think that often, this nit-picking is their way of sounding you out, and also, some really haven't got a clue what to say or are nervous etc. so come out with random nonsense.

Today's messer can be tomorrow's buyer (or next year's buyer).

Just smile politely and move on is best I find if they're clearly not managing their expectations. As has been said: you do't 'have' to sell them the car as much as they don't 'have' to buy & it's always worth qualifying them to see if it's worth your while.   I've found that if they're a pain before buying, then that's nothing to what they'll be like once they're in it!  

Most reading this will know that you'll work much harder to satisfy a buyer at the lower end of the price spectrum than at the mid-range (as it's likely to be all their money).

We find that the Audi and VW buyers as well as small car buyers are often v. hard work too; so I adjust our stock profile accordingly where possible.

P.S.

We've tried a few WAV cars and yes, nice profit but have always taken eons to sell.

I imagine WAV punters prefer to use specialist dealers.I have never sold them but I marvel at the net profits even smallish WAV pitches make.£200k is not unusual and those who do their own conversions do far more.There is one in our area,they are not that big,they net £1m.I wonder what their ratio of good to bad punters is !

[Mojo121 229]

16 minutes ago, trade vet said:

I imagine WAV punters prefer to use specialist dealers.I have never sold them but I marvel at the net profits even smallish WAV pitches make.£200k is not unusual and those who do their own conversions do far more.There is one in our area,they are not that big,they net £1m.I wonder what their ratio of good to bad punters is !

Related but I've always wondered what caravan pitches do. Went to a caravan auction at BCA once and started looking at the market, but too much to learn and not really the interest. The margins seemed very healthy and we heard a dealer joking about making £6k across a px van they took in a week ago, looking on eBay they do seem to be up for sale for a while though.

[grant8064 219]

2 hours ago, Mojo121 said:

Related but I've always wondered what caravan pitches do. Went to a caravan auction at BCA once and started looking at the market, but too much to learn and not really the interest. The margins seemed very healthy and we heard a dealer joking about making £6k across a px van they took in a week ago, looking on eBay they do seem to be up for sale for a while though.

We took over a forecourt that was previously motorhomes, our second forecourt used to be a caravans site. Both went belly up. I've no great insight but chatting to one guy he reminded me that when people look for a Focus so long as condition is fine it'll mostly be exterior colour and mileage that sways the decision once they've found a spec level they like. With motorhomes, for him, it was a discussion about the benefits of a beech interior against another with cherry or mahogany, size and layout of the shower room, upholstery pattern etc...then you also had to have one with the right engine, mileage and history...basically the amount of variables were endless which if you stock it right was OK but one dodgy interior colour or layout and it could stick forever. 

Margins seem huge but it's a game you really really have to know your market. We only tried it once and did well but I couldn't do it day in day out. One local said his sales side pays the bills but nothing more but the repairs/renovation side is where the money is. 

[justlooking 48]

On 16/03/2018 at 3:44 PM, Autolink100 said:

Likewise, I find most people pleasant enough. You do come across some truly horrible people but thankfully they are in the minority. The one thing that bugs me the most about people is how unrealistic they are when looking at an older car. Simply not prepared to accept normal wear and tear, champagne taste and all that

Anything to try and knock some money off, I tell them I sell honest working cars, I don’t restore them.

I had to call out a customer earlier today, acting in the same way, they told me there is a whine from the gearbox (he’d only fired it from cold and heard supposed noise) so I asked him if that would stop him from buying it, and he said no it wouldn’t, followed by, will I discount the car accordingly?

these chancers most of the time will pull your car to bits just to use it as a bargaining tool.

i used to fold but I know my cars are spot on so happy to wave them along if needs be

[BHM 994]

12 hours ago, justlooking said:

these chancers most of the time will pull your car to bits just to use it as a bargaining tool.

Too true! If a punter starts pulling the car to bits it doesn’t take me long to say “It’s a secondhand car so if you’re here to crab it to death just leave it” and my favourite “Increase your budget or lower your expectations”. After I’ve given them a 30 second lecture they either stop their bullshit or they start whinging & whining again which results in me terminating the viewing.

I stopped taking too much flannel from punters a long time ago. I refuse to listen to pisspoor negotiations centring on non-existent faults and alleged defects on secondhand cars. I find it annoying when a chancer is telling me my car is defective (when it clearly isn’t) just to attempt to get a discount - “Leave it, it’s clearly not for you”, remove the key from the ignition, shut the door and they get the message.

 

[Ek cars 17]

Had a silly German lady in scrutinising a s80 D5 Volvo, she never even apologised for ze conduct of her country during ze war.  Even Mr C would have struggled punting her a mint t5 for a grand.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Ek cars

[EPV 631]

8 hours ago, BHM said:

Too true! If a punter starts pulling the car to bits it doesn’t take me long to say “It’s a secondhand car so if you’re here to crab it to death just leave it” and my favourite “Increase your budget or lower your expectations”. After I’ve given them a 30 second lecture they either stop their bullshit or they start whinging & whining again which results in me terminating the viewing.

I stopped taking too much flannel from punters a long time ago. I refuse to listen to pisspoor negotiations centring on non-existent faults and alleged defects on secondhand cars. I find it annoying when a chancer is telling me my car is defective (when it clearly isn’t) just to attempt to get a discount - “Leave it, it’s clearly not for you”, remove the key from the ignition, shut the door and they get the message.

 

I’m yet to experience that joy as I insist all my potential customers watch the videos I make. I did have a cracker yesterday though. I’ve got a shed up for sale, a part ex. I’ve advertised it brutally honestly, photos, videos, description of fault etc. It’s £700. 

I had a bloke ring yesterday, asking if there was anything wrong with the car. I asked if he had read the advert in full. His reply? “No I haven’t, it’s too long”

I told him politely to sling his hook and go and bother someone else. Well, not politely. It boggles the mind how some people get through the day. 

[It's me 615]

cribbers aint worth dealing with unless its reasonable like the parcel shelf needs replacing or there's a mudflap missing and can you sort it

once they start talking noises that aren't there its best to answer the phone that isnt ringing pull the keys out and trouser them and disappear from view,they usually get the message,easy one is to tell them the phone call is a previous customer who saw this car and is on their way to purchase and for you not to sell it

[BHM 994]

Why lie? Tell them straight & chase them off the premises