With new car sales showing up to minus 44% in some parts of the world there are going to be hundreds of car salespersons out of a job in any case.
Already in the States Hummer and Jeep dealers in particular are closing down in droves, ditto the likes of Sidlow here in the UK.

The entire forecourt of the Honda dealer from whom I bought my S2000 is chock-a-block with Civics and Jazz cars - you cannot see a square inch of concrete.
Listening behind the confident fine words of the service manager it was obvious that the few customers visiting the premises are there to have their cars serviced, as was I.
I spent an hour in the showroom availing myself of free coffee whilst doing some work and making phone calls. During that time not one prospective car purchaser was to be seen. What a difference from 2 years ago when I was negotiating the purchase of my S2000.

Too many shps, too many car dealers too many everything including humans, and thus we are soon to pay the price - not. Serves us right too.

 

Thing is, VAG make such a myriad of pointless model variants, do you really expect them to know?

A good salesman will pick up when a customer knows better than he & let you get on with it.

Ford dealers were like VAG ones a few years back; it's the received wisdom buy, so they've become complacent.

I think you'll find Lotus or Subaru (or even Honda) dealers a bit more enthusiastic.

 

really put the stereotype to bed there didn't you.

 

Hi Burnie, also have a look at Skoda as they do DSG diesels, we're very happy with ours.

 

I think we are hunting for the right civic now!

Moggy you need a big spoon...

 

Soz, but get piss$d off with people stereotyping I worked with some useless sales men and women but in every job you get that. I bought a TV the other week went into one shop and the guy hadn't a clue what the difference between a plasma and an lcd was but I didn't go shouting my mouth off that all TV sales people are the same!
Anyway, merry christmas

 

i stand by the stereotype. there are bound to be exceptions but i've visited a few dealers in my previous job and their product knowledge was simply wofeul. it's not hard when you're a franchise dealer ffs.

there are bound to be exceptions, maybe the two posters up here? who knows. i've never met an exception yet

 

Would you feel the same if you went into a Sony shop to buy a Sony TV and they didn't know their product?

I can understand that a currys/dixons/etc won't know lots about all their products as there are so many. likewise a used car dealer with every other car something different but a Main Dealer, they should know their products.

 

I think that a lot of the sales guys/gals that were doing a good job have left the trade when i left i was selling more cars than ever but was earning less money! When i started in the trade you could earn as much as you wanted, but now you are targeted as Nottm 2 quite rightly says on GAP, finance, Super Guard, on every car you have to sell

 

Me and the missus were out looking at a car for her at the weekend, traipsing round a series of different dealerships. My, what a difference between them!

The local Honda one knows us anyway, so they were extremely helpful as usual. So was the Vauxhall dealer and the Seat dealer. Ford just didn't want to know unless it was for a brand new car - it amazes me the way some sales people do not LISTEN to what you are saying - but the worst by a country mile was Fiat.

Given the current climate, who would have thought it possible that we would be the only people in the dealership, plain and obvious, yet the sales guy sits in the office and doesn't even come out to say hello. Amazing. One potential sale disappeared there and then.