Broken TDI owners shopping for new cars are annoying, but what can I do?
I'm a Volkswagen TDI owner with a buyback scheduled for Dec 8th. During the settlement process, it didn't make sense to start test driving new cars until I had VW's official offer, and a date set to sell back my current car. For that reason, I've held off contacting dealerships about scheduling test drives until today.
One dealership made an appointment with me about an hour after I called. When I arrived, I met the girl I had spoken with on the phone. She said she just received a call from a different customer who was actually planning to buy today, and that I would have to come back later. She was friendly, and apologized. No one else would be able to help me, she said, because they were short staffed.
The next dealership I called was also nice, but more blunt. A salesman told me they didn't have anyone to test drive with me today, and as long as I wasn't prepared to buy anyway, suggested I call back after the holiday weekend.
I'm not sure how to help myself here. I'm really trying to be as unobtrusive as possible; Planning for a weekday, calling ahead, being honest about my timeline, etc., yet I still feel like I'm getting blown off. Lying to the salesperson about my situation seems wrong. Is there a better shopping strategy that will help me be taken seriously as a buyer?
Posted Nov 23, 2016, 3:08 AM UTC
This week is a bit of a busy week. And don't do what one guy said and "just lie". If you are working with a salesman at a local dealership and not just an order taker you will be able to arrange a ride from the VW dealership to wherever you are buying your next car. Assuming you are shopping local anyways.
I also advise waiting until at least Monday. If you are able though come on on a Tuesday. At every dealership in our chain Tuesdays are deeeeeeaaaaaaddddd
I was counting on today (Tuesday) being dead, but like you said, I may have just chosen a bad week to start this. I appreciate the advice to try again next week. I've held off this long, I can be patient a little while longer.
I haven't eaten lunch before 4pm in the last two days so yeah it's been busier than usual. Just be patient and try next week.
So unless he is "buying today" then he shouldn't be able to test drive when it is convenient for him? It's not his job to make sure you eat. He should do whatever he needs to make sure he is making an informed decision and not one that is rushed immediately after his 10 minute test drive. Just lie...they will still be happy to sell you the car at a later date.
Man its people like you that make it hard to go to work in the motor trade. Of course it's not a customer's job to make sure we get a chance to eat lunch, and of course we are supposed to what we can to make your car buying experience as convenient and easy as possible.
But like anyone else in retail this one of our biggest weeks of the year, we are trying to make a living to feed our families, and buy gifts for the holidays and everything everyone else is trying to do this time of year. When you've been pulling 12 hour days and busting your ass to try and be successful it really stings to skip lunch and spend hours with a customer who lies and tells you "I'm looking to buy now if the deal is right"
As someone who goes to great lengths to he honest and upfront with customers it's always disheartening to come across customers that feel justified in lying to us, over what amounts to very little benefit to you, but in some cases very real detriment to us.
If you have no intention of buying anything before the end of the month, why would you lie and tell sales people you are? The pricing will likely fluctuate, at least slightly, at the start of December, and inventory may as well. The time a salesperson spends with a customer that has no intention to buy anything until after this super busy week may take away their time from someone that wants or needs to make a decision more quickly.
I'm not sure you're aware, but in our industry one sale can be the difference between prosperity and poverty. If you miss your goals by one car it can cost you thousands of dollars. Taking you from a respectable middle class income to minimum wage for 60 hour work weeks.
Please just be honest with your salesperson, and I guarantee that it will pay dividends when you're actually ready to buy.
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If you go out to eat when do you get the best service? In the middle of the dinner rush our when they are slow?
You get terrible service when they are slow. Best time for good service is when a business is moderately busy but not slammed.
Edit because I'm an idiot.
Why do you even come here and spout bullshit if you obviously have no insight into the life of a salesperson?
Just because you make the choice to visit and potentially reward shitty dealerships doesn't mean you get to abuse salespeople and dealerships that try to make the atmosphere transparent and honest.
Transparent and honest by reneging on an agreed upon test drive? The customer doesn't need to care or have insight about the life of a salesperson. Why would they? It's not like you have any insight into the life of any of your customers before they come in. You are just looking to make things convenient for you. Why shouldn't the customer do the same for themselves?
do you like to work for free? I always wondered why tipping salespeople wasn't a thing. If a salesperson spends hours with you informing you on the brand, pulling out different cars for you to test drive and explaining the benefits of each, then goes over pricing and payments, and you decide not to do anything or never had any intention to buy, the salesman basically worked all that time for free. You'll tip a bartender for pouring you a beer, so why not tip a guy a few bucks for taking time out of his/her day so you can "get a feel for a car".