To what extent do you qualify customers before letting them test drive?

[j4ck100 12]

Spoken to a few trader mates and there seems to be 2 lines of thinking

 

1) chuck them the keys asap so they fall in love with it 

 

2) don't take them out in it until you're sure they are going to buy it

 

Currently I operate somewhere in the middle but if they ask to drive quickly i'm usually too nice and just let them go and then regret it when they are like oh got to have a think then never see them again.

 

So how do you guys do it ?

[Phil H 124]

I try to avoid test drives as much as possible as it's a right old pain in the hoop locking up with all of the security measures that I've got so I tell the customers that once they've placed an order the van will be mot'd for 12 months, valeted etc. then when they come to pick it up we do all of the paperwork, take payment and then I inform them that if it doesn't drive to their satisfaction bring it back within the hour for a full refund. Seems to work for me it gives me time to make sure it's right and gives the customers time to tell all the friends that they've bought a new van and picking it up on such and such a day. Never had anyone ask for the deposit back when doing it this way. 

[Steve92 80]

We go for the cars there, have a look.... Want to go for a test drive .... 90% buy the car.  I try and think what I would want if buying a car, so as an example at the minute we are looking at 2 cars, one for the wife one possibly for me.

for the wife we are just sitting in the driving seat and shortlisting, then it's a case of pricing them up then test drives. For me I'm toying with the idea of a freelander or a Subaru Forester, again I'll want a test drive, without one I wouldn't buy it. I also want at least 20 minutes behind the wheel  

[Jamie Edmonds 28]

As a buyer I find the attitudes of different dealerships really interesting when it comes to test drives.  I've ordered new cars without driving them but personally I'd never buy a used car without a decent drive to check it out properly.

 

Buying my last car I'd made an appointment to look at it and within 10 minutes of arriving the dealer had put the trade plates on given me the keys and sent us out for a drive.  After five minutes we had already decided to buy the car and without the test drive I can imagine I'd have allowed rational things like fuel consumption, boot space and the sheer cost of buying it to help persuade me to change my mind.

 

I have a (probably incorrect) perception that if a dealer makes it difficult for me to test drive a car then it has something to hide and I should look elsewhere.  The times when I have been able to test drive the car properly I've bought it more often than not, unless there was something catastrophic about the car (the £600 Almera which dropped down to three cylinders when going up hill, the Citroen C2 VTR which had the atrocious semi-auto gearbox, the VW Bora which had no clutch so couldn't get off the forecourt ramp...) so I really do believe that test drives sell cars.

 

What I do understand though, is if you're a one-man-band and have to lock everything up to go on a test drive then it's a massive pain, however I still want to drive the car before I buy it so that's where the qualification needs to come in.

[umesh 336]

just make it easy for the customer ...

sometimes putting barriers up just stops the sale , ...... 

have to judge each one on its merits but i believe 90% who test drive buy .. the 10% ..well its all part of the job! can't win them all ..!

[Rory RSC 596]

I do my best to qualify. 

I try to establish whether the customer is looking to buy today. Have they viewed other cars, can they make the decision today etc etc.

Sometimes when it is just a general browser who wants to test drive I suggest they come back and make an appointment. Very rarely will they ever return. 

Like Umesh say's you have to play the game and sometimes they vanish never to be seen again but I tend to get them buying as my cars drive as they should. This is helped in no small part because all of my cars are ready to drive away straight away as we MOT + service as soon as cars come into stock. 

Does annoy me when the customer says they will buy today, no others to look, completely ready to leave deposit if the car drives right, then returns from the test drive and says the car drives brilliantly but I just want to go away and think about it. 

We win more than we lose though. 

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

Give them the keys and leave them to it!!!!

I try and get them relaxed in the environment so they don't feel rushed or stood over. They may have others to look at but by turning them away they aren't going to come back. Be friendly and think long term. 

[It's me 612]

my insurance stipulates clean licence over 25 and accompanied

im sure ive said this before but will repeat it

an ex trader over the  road from me flipped a punter the keys and off he toddled returned 20 minutes later flipped the keys back cheers mate, will think about it,

in the fullness of time a nip appeared and trader had to swallow it as he know not who the driver weret

ive kicked a customer out of the car in my time for bad driving,i don't go to work to be murdered by a moron who thinks driving on my insurance my petrol and my baby gives him a licence to kill

finally what checks do you do to confirm driver indeed does have a licence ?

me i rarely give test drives but if i do its usually me driving or if they seem sensible and have appropiate documents i might let them have a go

and remember trade plates fully covering in trade cars

 

one final thing from october 1st no sales without a drive with customer at my side so as mentioned on this good site customers cant come back moaning if i showed them the little bit of whine in first gear and they wants all their monies back in the 1st month and im being used as free car hire

[Max Branning 149]

I dont mind letting 99% of the customers test drive even the time wasters its part of the game.

My problem is with smelly customers that own dogs and insist on getting in the cars with dog hairs all over them leaving them in the car and an odour that will not go away when they decide not to buy it.

[j4ck100 12]

I dont mind letting 99% of the customers test drive even the time wasters its part of the game.

My problem is with smelly customers that own dogs and insist on getting in the cars with dog hairs all over them leaving them in the car and an odour that will not go away when they decide not to buy it.

had two old people test drive a merc and i have no idea what it was but there was an old person smell in there for ages kind of like a care home smell

half a can of oust did the trick

Edited September 18, 2015 by j4ck100

[Steve92 80]

I had to clean a 118d yesterday that smelt of wee