Dealership Sales Reps Take Note: (Horror Story, kumbaga)

**niky** · September 21st, 2004 11:35 AM

This is a horror story, of sorts, for any budding car salesperson:

I recently went to a dealership to accompany my relative who wanted to buy a new car. He was all abuzz about this vehicle, and I had helped him do the initial market research and pricing. He was so excited about getting it, that from the moment he solidified his decision, he took just one working day to secure the financing and get an appointment at the dealership.

When I got to the dealership to meet him, he was already signing papers with his mother (he needed her name and papers to get the credit rating, but he was paying for the car), he was pretty happy. Medyo high pa nga on expectations.

Half an hour later, he was pissed as ****. He asked the salesperson: "Do you see this check!?! Do you want me to give it to you or not?". He made comments about going to ***** to buy a ***** instead. "First job mo ito, ano?!?" he asked the salesperson. Finally, the manager stepped in and managed to calm him down. But he still went out the door in a VERY foul mood.

And the cause of the problem? Xerox.

The sales rep needed a xerox copy of the official documents of the mother (which they had brought from the house already), and the office was locked. He requested THE CUSTOMER to get a photocopy (at 6pm? and where?) of the documents... and this is where the problem started.

My relative is a businessperson and a perfectionist, and this really rankled on him. What didn't help was that the manager and security guard were still there, and they likely both had keys to the office. After asking them (which he didn't), the salesperson should have volunteered to go out and photocopy the documents himself, or asked if they could finish tomorrow. His inexperience showed, and it had cost him his commission.

Almost.

My relative still wants the vehicle, and he and the agent both apologized to each other afterwards.

Hopefully, the agent now knows that "making the sale" means going far far FAR out of your way to get the customer and to make them happy, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, KEEP THEM HAPPY, because even the simplest thing can cost you that ONE BIG SALE.

Peace out, peeps. :D

**1D4LV** · September 21st, 2004 11:45 AM

its not just in car sales niks. its in everything. customer services goes with marketing, so as they say.

its in life insurance, non-life insurance, preneed, medical, credit cards, bank products even in cell phone sales.

**bardigones** · September 21st, 2004 11:56 AM

going the extra mile -- ika nga.

**niky** · September 22nd, 2004 01:29 AM

Well, at least the story has a happy ending. The car is coming tomorrow. The customer is happy. And the salesperson is likely getting drunk with relief that he didn't lose the sale.

**edzzz** · September 22nd, 2004 12:26 PM

sana din a sales person really knows what he's talking about. Countless times i've encountered one way or the other, a sales person only knows the skin of a product, not the innards(if you know what i mean).

**boybi** · September 22nd, 2004 01:31 PM

dapat sa ibang dealer nalang sya bumili para matauhan yung salesperson na yun.

**glntVR** · September 22nd, 2004 01:34 PM

i also had a same encounter with edzzz. i went to this showroom and the sales rep was saying that this particular car had variable valve timing which the car doesn't really have.

**n2knee** · June 10th, 2006 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by glntVR

i also had a same encounter with edzzz. i went to this showroom and the sales rep was saying that this particular car had variable valve timing which the car doesn't really have.

usually MOST car sales people don't even know their cars. they try to feed you bunch of bs just to make a quick sale. sadly most car shoppers are not prepared when they go in the show room and salemen can sense that. or car shoppers get too excited about the prospect of owning a new car (that new car smell can really cut some air going into the brain

). i don't deal with regular car salespeople on the dealer's lot. i usually email or phone the internet fleet manager. the price is usually lower than if you were dealing with a salesman at the car lot.

**carlocaraddict** · June 10th, 2006 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by glntVR

i also had a same encounter with edzzz. i went to this showroom and the sales rep was saying that this particular car had variable valve timing which the car doesn't really have.

I could still remember when the Aveo, Optra and the Zafira was launched in Glorietta sometime July 2003. Sorry, for being kinda harsh but I tried to be a "no-knowledge" or "mang-mang" about cars that time. I asked a Chevy sales rep on where the Chevrolet Zafira was manufactured, he answered me "sir sa USA po inaassemble yung Zafira". natawa nalang ako. Hehhehehehe, alam ko sa Thailand inaassemble ang Chevy badged Zafira and hindi nilabas sa states ang Zafira heheheh. Regarding the Optra, some Chevy sales rep claim didnt know it was based on the Daewoo Lacetti (Korean) and all they knew na US made ang Optra. I had a chance to chat with James Deakin before and he encountered a car sales rep insisted that this compact sedan had a 2.0 engine where in fact it only has a displacement of 1595cc.

Actually, we couldnt "sometimes" blame them. Most of the sales rep are not really into cars or car enthusiasts. Possible din na kulang sila sa training or whatsoever. What we can do is to be patient or pag pasyensahan nalang natin sila. hehehehhe.

**niky** · September 22nd, 2004 01:35 PM

Actually, minor faux pas (slip-up, katangahan, whatever) ang ginawa ng salesperson... it most likely WOULD have made my relative go to another dealer, if he had not over-reacted. He felt bad about that, so he gave the person another chance.