Ms.T is ready to lease a new car, she's interested in either another Mercedes ( AMG C63 Coupe this time), Audi Q7 or a Porsche Cayenne. She emailed the local dealers of the 3 brands to arrange to have a drive of each today, now her work email doesn't advise her sex it's just from Professor F.A. P..... , the Merc dealer knows her as that's where her last car came from. I rode up this morning and then at lunchtime we headed out to the dealers, both in her car but with me still in motorcycling leathers, Fiona just in jeans, tee shirt and leather jacket. We arrived at the Audi dealership and the salesman came over to see us and the first words were "I don't think you can afford anything here" even before he knew who we were. He became very red faced very quickly and when the sales manager came over he got the sort of talking to that Fiona usually reserves for junior doctors and stroppy wardsmen. Strike Audi from the shopping list . Over the road to the Porsche dealer. Yes there's a car ready to test drive but the salesman keeps talking to me thinking I'm Professor P..... , I put him right very quickly. Then he hands me the keys and says "You'll be able to take the wife for a spin" He, too, got the rough edge of Fiona's tongue and as she pointed out it's her car and it will be a cold day in hell when I get to drive it. Not impressed with the salesman but the car is nice. Then onto the Mercedes dealer, none of the problems with the salesman, none of the talking down to Fiona and the only discussion was whether we were organising our own lease or did we want to go through their finance division? And were we trading the AMG A Class in, no we're not we're refinancing the residual and it's going to replace the old Saab that Lucy has. When will some of these guys realise that it's not always the male that makes the decision.
Do they ever want to sell cars? Are they thick? My wife and I walked into a VW dealer a few years ago and were completely ignored for ten minutes, at which point we walked out again and bought a car elsewhere...
I want to walk round for ten minutes without being approached by a sales person , never happens so I drive a £300 car, never misses a beat and I don't mind using the bumpers as parking sensors
We've had the same problems - Jenny test drive an Alfa Romeo a few years back - absolutely hated it and didn't mince her words with the salesman. A few days later he phoned me to see what we'd decided. I used to drop off at a TVR dealer on my motorbike a few years back and I got ignored every time. Probably saved me buying a load of trouble though. Don't get me started on Audi ......
We had a strange one at our local Mercedes dealers, we went in and was looking around a C class estate, salesman comes over as we are talking about the dog fitting in the boot and he, correctly, assumes that my wife is buying the car and all is good with the missus. As soon as she says she wants the c63 estate the salesman instantly starts talking to me and pretty much ignores her. We left not long afterwards with her fuming and the salesman looking very embarrassed.
Had two S3s in a row, great car but shocking customer service. Test drive a merc, cla shooting brake. Loved it. Waited for a quote. Nada. Phoned to chase. Nada. Byeeeeee Needed a car quick as was busy at work and three years was up in the other one. Went to vw. Guy was so helpful, had a quote and photos and even a video next day. Bought it. Simples.
Our last new car we bought was. VW beetle cab. We went in the garage for a casual look and came out with a new car. The garage before that was a Peugeot we had to fight hand and fist to test drive a car, the salesman did think we could afford it. After we test drive it we said the finances wasn't there atvtge moment but would be in a few weeks. Cue VW garage. A few weeks later the Peugeot garage phones saying about our conversation and money. He wasn't impressed when I told at him the the next garage we bought a new car and we may have thought about his car if he wasn't such a knob.
