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Smart Shopper Test Drives & Dealership Promotions
144 messages, Last post on Mar 10, 2006 at 9:02 AM
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on this one, being a serial looker myself. Note that I browse a lot, but only drive if there is a chance that it wil lend up on my short list, or I'm helping someone else shop. I also go at off times (like a Tuesday at 11:00), and I'm often the only customer in the place. There are a few dealers where I know some people, and they just toss a tag in and let me go, so it really doesn't take them any time. I have also gone in just to look out of curiosity, and ended up buying the car (either that visit or later), even though I wasn't really planning to at the time. The problem , to me, is that the manufacturers and dealers have a different agenda than the salesperson (and remember who does the advertising). The $ folks want as much showroom traffic as possible, but the salespeople prefer to have only a few people wander in, and only the true "buying it now ones", since in a perfect world every up leaves in a new car. I think it might have been Macabee that had a saying about turing lookers into buyers was the mark of a real salesman, otherwise they are nothing but order takers. |
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<Devil's Advocate Position> Why is it of any concern at all to a customer how the sales person is compensated? As a customer (whether I'm buying a car, furniture or an ice cream cone) I figure it's not my business, and I could not possible care less. It is not in my interest - nor even on my radar - whether or not a sales person is able to economize the time spent per customer. If a sales person's compensation fails to adequately cover the time spent with potential future customers, that is an issue between the sales person and his management, and does not involve the customer in any way. </Devil's Advocate Position> I really don't feel quite that strident about it, but I'm guessing it is a fair summary of how about 90% of customers feel about it. I agree that joy-riders posing as customers are a nuisance that needs to be weeded out, but someone who is truly interested in the car for whatever reason deserves an opportunity to drive it whether he is buying today or not. I think sales people have to constantly resist the natural tendency to become quite jaded about their product. To them a car is the merest commodity, one inventory item of many, and of very little interest other than WRT a sale. To customers it is an expression of themselves, a place where they will spend a great deal of time, and a major financial transaction. Few people buy more cars in their lifetime than a sales person sells in a good week.
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Replying to: alfox (Sep 28, 2004 4:15 am) |
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Replying to: alfox (Sep 28, 2004 4:15 am) I think you hit the nail right on the head. |
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wasting a half hour of a straight commissioned salesperson's time Not if I send them referrals later. And like I said, it already has happened. The Subaru salesperson I usually go see is actually on salary, not commission. He's happy to show me whatever car, and I've sent him about 2-3 referrals. I prefer hosted events like the Love Mercedes Tour and the BMW Ultimate Driving event but those aren't always available. Volvo has Fire & Ice, GM has their tour, Jeep also, Mazda had that autocross competition. I go to as many as I can. Example: Chevy hosted one for the Malibu, so I said "what the hay". Surprise, the 3500 pushrod engine really impressed me, now I wouldn't turn friends away from choosing that engine, whereas I might have before, and still do for the coarse 3.4l V6. But manufacturers do want showroom traffic, that's why they offer all the freebies. Volvo gave us $100 gift cards to Dean & Deluca to bribe us into a showroom. I'd go for free anyway, but if they are going to bribe me I'll take it! Actually, my wife spends the money, I do the test drive. Hey, wait a sec... :o) Honda seems to be the exception. I don't recall any freebies or test drive events, have they ever done that? -juice |
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isell: out of curiosity, don't they send you to dealer training events, where you can sample the cars? I'm not sure what your position is at the dealer, but Subaru does that for their sales staff. Think of it as an extension of that event, only you invite potential customers instead of dealership employees. I doubt Mercedes and BMW would do it if it didn't create some sales for them. -juice |
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These are called "Ride and Drives". Went last month for the new Odyssey. You are the exception for sure if you are sending referral business. That's a good thing. A few years ago, Honda for some reason decided to offer a set of Walkie Talkies for people who test drove cars. I can't recall us making even one sale out of that one. I hope they don't do something like this again! Craig |
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Oh, you mean FRS (family radio service) handsets? Now see, you just gave me a great example. LOL There is no way, no how, I can get my wife to test drive a minivan, unless there is a draw. A free pair of FRS handsets would draw her in. Kia got her into a Sedona with a Shrek video offer (they ran out of coupons but we drove it anyway), so it worked for them. The lumpy seats ruled it out, but it really wasn't all that bad. Mazda had an offer to test the MPV, I forget but it must've been a $50 Visa Gift Card, something like that, and she just felt too much like a soccer mom. The tranny was indecisive and she just couldn't get excited about it. Without those offers I don't think she would have bothered to look. She has been in a few Odys but never driven one. That might be the van that finally hooks her, but again, Honda's gotta draw her into the showroom some how. Not that they are hurting for sales, but the point remains. FWIW we do go to car shows and that helps narrow it down a bit. We're not just out there driving every possible car for no reason. -juice |
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that's where I got my Shrek video. And like you, I never would have considered the Sedona, but was much more impressed than I expected to be. Not enough to buy one, but I could see some people pulling the trigger after the test drive. Anyway, from the comments from the pros whenever this topic came up, it sounds like most of them just sign the form and send you on your way with a brochure and business card. Also, I think in the fine print (at least with the mazda program), it says you can drive any model, regardless of which one the solicitation features. Referals are again at the manufacturer level. If Juice for instance was impressed by the Sedona and told some people to check it out, they quite possibly went to a different dealer (closer to home or work), maybe a different salesman if at the same dealer. So, Kia sells a car (they're happy), even though the salesman who talked to Juice might not have gotten the sale (or maybe did, and didn't even know it). |
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Yeah, the 3.5l engine has good torque, better than the power/weight ratio would imply. The new one is due soon and should be much improved, too. You're right about that last part, it's very hard to refer someone to one specific dealer for a purchase, because they want to be able to shop around for their best deal. At least they (the salesperson) have a shot, put it that way. I send them through the doors. If I had to do any more than that, I'd want his full salary! -juice |
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