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Post by ChrisM on May 18, 2017 20:37:37 GMT
So now that younger daughter has her new second-hand A1, the full fiasco story can be told.
I'd spotted a white and black A1 64-plate sportback at Audi Camberley at the strat of the month but the interior was dirty, so put it mildly. On enquiring the car was opened for me to look at; it had just been taken in p/x and had yet to be valetted. I was informed that this should be done the following week. Having told younger daughter about the car, which was not on the dealers, or Audi's used car websites, I went back for another look and booked a test-drive for her for 11am on Friday 12 May. The car still hadn't been cleaned on the previous Saturdya when I happened to call by the garage again. The sales person I was dealing with has his day off on Fridays so he arranged for one of his colleagues to deal with us. By the morning of the 12th, despite 3 assurances I had still not been contacted back to confirm that the car's interior had indeed been cleaned.
Last Friday younger daughter wasdelayed by traffic, driving down from Harrow (where she lives) to Camberley; she phoned me en route and I called the garage to see if the test drive could be delayed by 30 minutes; "no problem".
On arrival at the garage, the person allocated to deal with us could not find the car (in fact he originally did not realise that we had arrived to test-drive a specific used A1). After a couple of minutes he discovered that the car had been sold on-line a few hours earlier.... but nobody had bothered to call us to tell us, not even when I rang to delay the test-drive at about 10:40 did the person who took my car tell me either.
So younger daughter could have wasted a day off work, an hour-plus each ay and 30+ miles each way, and the garage sold a cra same day as they had a pre-booked test drive. We were both very nanoyed and upset; as a used car we appreciated that it could have been sold on the Monday bfeorehand, or even the day before, but for the garage not to ensure that on the day itself, the car was available is to me downright rude bordering on immoral. No proper apology or compensation was offered.
So we set off for Basingstoke, calling them on the way to check that the silver and black A1 was still available. The difference in service that we received at Basingstoke was remarkable. The car was made available for daughter to test-drive within minutes, I stayed in the showroom whilst she went out with the salesman and she returned with a huge grin on her face wishing to buy the car. The deal was done and that's how she came to collect it yesterday.
I e-mailed Camberley Audit to complain at their service and someone from Sales Management phoned me a short while later. It was hardly apologetic, they don't stop cars from being sold on the day of a pre-booked test drive as their system won't let them do that, and he did conceed that it was entirely possible that someone from a lot further off than my daughter could drive, say 3 to 4 hours to get to them, and find the car that they wanted had been sold whilst they were driving there.
Personally I find that disgraceful.
AT least our story has a happy ending.
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Post by racingteatray on May 18, 2017 21:15:31 GMT
The "it sold while I was en-route to view it" thing has happened to me before.
It's annoying. |
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Post by Big Blue on May 18, 2017 22:41:30 GMT
It was an Audi dealer in Surrey.
'nuff said.
They can treat their customers, prospective customers and former customers like shite and still more flock to the plate glass windows....
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Post by johnc on May 19, 2017 6:55:05 GMT
It was an Audi dealer in Surrey. 'nuff said. They can treat their customers, prospective customers and former customers like shite and still more flock to the plate glass windows.... I reckon they get trained in Glasgow first before being shipped down. |
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Post by Martin on May 19, 2017 7:09:01 GMT
It's the same in the South West, North West and Midlands....
I was once told I couldn't test drive an A4 unless I came with a letter from the lease company confirming they would source the car from that particular dealership. They would have done the servicing, so there was something in it for their business, just not the salesman.
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Post by PetrolEd on May 19, 2017 7:52:23 GMT
Shit service and understand the frustration of what's probably a bullshit storey from the dealer but lets say they're telling the truth, you can't blame them for selling a car. What do you expect them to do, not take someone else's money on the prospect that you might or might not buy it? First one with a deposit down secures the car. Doesn't matter if its a Dacia or a Ferrari dealer, the outcome will be the same.
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Post by humphreythepug on May 19, 2017 8:35:39 GMT
Your first point Chris regarding poor communication at Camberley and the sales guy there not knowing what was going on and the car not being cleaned is a valid one, I hear stuff like that all the time from customers and it frustrates the crap out of me as I do my best to make sure cars are ready, colleagues know what is going on etc if I'm not around and they are doing me a favour.
However a dealer selling a car on the morning on the day that you are coming to look at it, sorry that is fair game I'm afraid.
If a dealership "held" cars for people that were coming to see it then half of their stock would never be on sale and no matter that you are likely the kind of person who would let a dealer know that a problem had occured at home and you wouldn't be able to make the appointment, or had bought a car elsewhere the day before so wouldn't be coming to see the car, the vast majority of people don't do this, they just don't show up.
I have even confirmed appointments the night before and been told that yes they would be attending still and then they don't show.
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Post by Tim on May 19, 2017 10:40:57 GMT
I find the most shocking part of this story to be the time they reckoned it would take to have the car valeted.
My experience is that cars that come in are usually done within 24 hours - unless there was a couple of transporter loads.
At the very least they would be given a quick going over to make them reasonably presentable on the off chance that a 'walk-in' would want a look and test drive.
Its not as if you'd seriously restrict the number of valeters because they get paid a lot of money................
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Post by humphreythepug on May 19, 2017 10:51:07 GMT
I find the most shocking part of this story to be the time they reckoned it would take to have the car valeted. My experience is that cars that come in are usually done within 24 hours - unless there was a couple of transporter loads. At the very least they would be given a quick going over to make them reasonably presentable on the off chance that a 'walk-in' would want a look and test drive. Its not as if you'd seriously restrict the number of valeters because they get paid a lot of money................ All depends on how busy they are, used cars are transferred to us from our sister branch for us to prepare as they are too busy so can't get them done in a decent time frame, they are also badly organised over there too! |
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Post by Martin on May 19, 2017 10:54:21 GMT
Other than Chris, would anyone else make sure their car was clean and tidy before it was traded in? I confess to always doing it, all the cars I've traded in would have been fine to be out of sale immediately.
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Post by johnc on May 19, 2017 11:14:47 GMT
Other than Chris, would anyone else make sure their car was clean and tidy before it was traded in? I confess to always doing it, all the cars I've traded in would have been fine to be out of sale immediately. Yes, it's a matter of pride. |
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Post by Alex on May 19, 2017 11:31:58 GMT
Other than Chris, would anyone else make sure their car was clean and tidy before it was traded in? I confess to always doing it, all the cars I've traded in would have been fine to be out of sale immediately. We have to or the lease company charges us! But then that's a load of bullshit on their part. My Insignia had a slight ding on the swage line from some careless person opening their door into it, we were charged £200 for it (dents on swage lines are not fair wear and tear) yet once it went through the auction house and ended up at a dealer in Doncaster I noticed from their AT pics that it was clearly still there! Fortunately that didn't come out of my pocket but our fleet manager was fuming when I showed him. |
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Post by Roadsterstu on May 19, 2017 12:57:24 GMT
Knowing you were coming specifically for that car, the job having been allegedly handed to another sales guy, I'd have expected a phone call. I think that's basic courtesy.
The Volvo dealer in Northampton were miles better at customer service than my local place who simply don't ring back.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 19, 2017 14:08:38 GMT
I can understand them selling the car - a sales a sale afterall, but they should have the courtesy to let you know not to bother coming down.
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Post by PG on May 19, 2017 19:16:37 GMT
I can understand them selling the car - a sales a sale afterall, but they should have the courtesy to let you know not to bother coming down. This, exactly. It is the lack of courtesy rather than selling the car that shows a total lack of customer focus. |
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Post by grampa on May 21, 2017 14:30:19 GMT
Present company excepted of course, the average car salesman wouldn't last 5 minuets in business to business sales. This conversation should have gone along the lines of, "yes we can book a test drive, but please appreciate that it is a popular model and could be sold very promptly. If you're really serious about buying it, can I suggest a deposit to secure it. Of course if the car is not as described we can fully refund your deposit."
Then the car should have been ready and waiting, with someone briefed if the salesman was not going to be there.
But if the deposit had been declined, then there should have been a note against the car - either on a computer system, or even physically on the windscreen, to say that the test drive had been booked with the contact details to let them know if it was sold in the meantime.
Not rocket science and pretty basic stuff to any salesman/sales manager who has to work for their living - apart from anything else it would give you the chance to look after 2 (maybe even 3) people interested in buying the car and turning one sale into two.
ChrisM's experience doesn't surprise me with VW Audi though - when I bought the Scirocco, I was 200 miles from home until a found a salesman worthy of the job title - surprise surprise, when I got there the attitude of the whole garage was completely different, even the way I was greeted by the receptionist as I walked through the door - just the feeling of being expected made all the difference.
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Post by humphreythepug on May 21, 2017 18:35:10 GMT
If I have an appointment on a specific car and it subsequently sells then I will always call the customer to let them know, as do my colleagues.
The vast majority of the time when it is suggested a deposit is left to secure the car subject to condition etc, as it is a very popular model etc and it is likely to sell between now and the appointment in a few days time or "my colleague has someone very keen on it aswell" you are never believed anyway.
It is amazing how some people are treated by other marques or franchises though, particularly Audi, yet people carry on buying from them and it is very hard to get a job selling a "premium" brand, there are so many hoops to jump through and yet all you hear about is poor service.
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Post by grampa on May 21, 2017 18:39:52 GMT
If I have an appointment on a specific car and it subsequently sells then I will always call the customer to let them know, as do my colleagues. As it should be - also gives you a chance to open up a conversation and get them into the next one that comes along - you swap over to a customer who believes he has a salesman who's working to help him/her. The vast majority of the time when it is suggested a deposit is left to secure the car subject to condition etc, as it is a very popular model etc and it is likely to sell between now and the appointment in a few days time or "my colleague has someone very keen on it aswell" you are never believed anyway. But at least if you've been told and offered the opportunity, you then know you only have yourself to blame if it sells in the meantime. |
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Post by PG on May 25, 2017 12:22:38 GMT
An interesting example today of how businesses fail to make the customer feel special. Our Shogun had developed a horrible knocking noise from the near side rear drive shaft / wheel when you changed gear or went on and off the power. It passed the MOT like that, so I doubted it was suspension and feared drive shafts / differential issues. I took the car into our nearest Mitsubishi dealer this morning (30 miles away) for a diagnosis and said I'd wait while they did it. The receptionist was charming, tea and coffee given, I was kept updated and it was a fixed.
But at no time did any of the three sales guys in the showroom (and it was not a big showroom) show me any interest or courtesy. Now you'd think, wouldn't you, that a guy bringing an 8 year old Shogun in and sitting for two hours would be ripe for a chat about their deals on new ones? Or at least to establish some rapport for the future. Even just to say "good morning"!! After all, we did buy the car from the same dealer - but not that showroom as the one locally to us closed about 2 years after we bought it.
Incredible.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 25, 2017 12:32:28 GMT
An interesting example today of how businesses fail to make the customer feel special. Our Shogun had developed a horrible knocking noise from the near side rear drive shaft / wheel when you changed gear or went on and off the power. It passed the MOT like that, so I doubted it was suspension and feared drive shafts / differential issues. I took the car into our nearest Mitsubishi dealer this morning (30 miles away) for a diagnosis and said I'd wait while they did it. The receptionist was charming, tea and coffee given, I was kept updated and it was a fixed. But at no time did any of the three sales guys in the showroom (and it was not a big showroom) show me any interest or courtesy. Now you'd think, wouldn't you, that a guy bringing an 8 year old Shogun in and sitting for two hours would be ripe for a chat about their deals on new ones? Or at least to establish some rapport for the future. Even just to say "good morning"!! After all, we did buy the car from the same dealer - but not that showroom as the one locally to us closed about 2 years after we bought it. Incredible. Indeed. A quick email from the receptionist would have alerted the sales team to the fact and they could have offered you a test drive while you waited. |
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Post by Tim on May 25, 2017 12:57:56 GMT
That's terrible!
My old work had a Mitsubishi franchise and the MD would've strung the whole sales team up if they did that!
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Post by Ben on May 25, 2017 14:51:54 GMT
An interesting example today of how businesses fail to make the customer feel special. Our Shogun had developed a horrible knocking noise from the near side rear drive shaft / wheel when you changed gear or went on and off the power. It passed the MOT like that, so I doubted it was suspension and feared drive shafts / differential issues. I took the car into our nearest Mitsubishi dealer this morning (30 miles away) for a diagnosis and said I'd wait while they did it. The receptionist was charming, tea and coffee given, I was kept updated and it was a fixed. But at no time did any of the three sales guys in the showroom (and it was not a big showroom) show me any interest or courtesy. Now you'd think, wouldn't you, that a guy bringing an 8 year old Shogun in and sitting for two hours would be ripe for a chat about their deals on new ones? Or at least to establish some rapport for the future. Even just to say "good morning"!! After all, we did buy the car from the same dealer - but not that showroom as the one locally to us closed about 2 years after we bought it. Incredible. Some salespeople can have a snobbish attitude. Maybe they thought you couldn't afford anything else other than an ancient Shogun and so decided to leave you alone. Their loss. |
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Post by grampa on May 26, 2017 14:18:31 GMT
Back when I had my Xedos 6, I took it in for a service and arrived back early to pick it up (90 miles from home so I used to try and arrange some business calls whilst in the area) - the sales guy who sold me the car came up to me and said, "We've just got a 323 V6 demo in - fancy taking it for a spin?" - and this was when he knew I was at least 18 months from a change - he eventually sold me my Alfa GTV.
Also had the same when picking the Mini up for a service - the sales girl greeted me like she always did and I spotted something interesting on the forecourt - is that a JCW? (they had just come out) I asked, thinking I would just wander over and have a look.
"YEAH!" she replied, perhaps a little over enthusiastically, "want the keys?"
Some places, or rather the people who work at some places, know how to look after and keep a customer and some couldn't care less.
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