The new news 24 thread

[Rust Collector]

4 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Nothing pro-active either along the lines of “while you’re here can we get you into a new car, upgrade to an Alfa or anything”.

The sales manager would always say speak to the customers in the service waiting room, and it was a task you'd actively avoid as almost nobody in for service wants to buy a car but will want to talk to pass the time and then you're trapped - you're better off hiding in the tea room and sprinting out when you see a giffer turn up in a Rover 75 they've owned from new, much better return on your time invested.

Poor show that they didn't have a coffee machine though, that's the best part of working in a main dealer.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

The sales manager would always say speak to the customers in the service waiting room, and it was a task you'd actively avoid as almost nobody in for service wants to buy a car but will want to talk to pass the time and then you're trapped - you're better off hiding in the tea room and sprinting out when you see a giffer turn up in a Rover 75 they've owned from new, much better return on your time invested.

Poor show that they didn't have a coffee machine though, that's the best part of working in a main dealer.

I don’t mind that they didn’t, I wasn’t in the mood, happened last time I was in the merc dealer in ascot. I’m just amazed surprised that there were probably 100 fiat 500s and three tipos outside and no one thought to sell me one. I couldn’t see jeep or Alfa, but they may have been somewhere else as I’ve not been to the place before.

 

 

edit, actually, they’re a block down the road!

[reb]

I remember taking my Golf to a main dealer to be rinsed for a second key.

I was nosing about a brand new GTI, I made a critical error in that I said "I have no money" so they left me alone and I didn't get a shot of any of the shiny new cars.

[richardmorris]

11 minutes ago, reb said:

I remember taking my Golf to a main dealer to be rinsed for a second key.

I was nosing about a brand new GTI, I made a critical error in that I said "I have no money" so they left me alone and I didn't get a shot of any of the shiny new cars.

Mercedes ascot were very good when I used them with the 25yr old coupe. Friendly and happy to help get parts although thinking about it, no one in sales spoke to me then either. How do they sell cars if they don’t approach customers in the actual sales room looking at their products? Are they supposed to be proactive go-getting sales specialists? It’s the exact opposite of my mentality so I don’t understand really.

[stuboy]

nothing too exciting just spent 3 days on a course with a Rospa trainer, training to be a level 2 driving assessor for work,  having too read and write as an adult !! paperwork all done and to be sent off,  now have too wait weeks too find out if i passed.

[High Jetter]

Fingers X, too many oo's though. Didn't know Rospa was still going, passed my cycle proficiency test a while back 52 years ago

[RoverFolkUs]

5 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

you're better off hiding in the tea room and sprinting out when you see a giffer turn up in a Rover 75 they've owned from new

You've just described me in the workplace. 🤣

[Snake Charmer]

Purchased my second Mercedes last night, road trip this evening with @bobdisk to rescue said purchase.

Unavoidably hit a small deer with my car adding to the Audi incident damage. Stopped to check Waze directions in a muddy lay-by that happened to contain a burger van, Bob burgered, I had the roadkill mystery meat kebab.

Collected the car which has a completely dead dash from Portsmouth  the dash is darker than a dark thing on a dark night. The Command radio CD satnav unit works so I had sounds. Whatever tells the car it is dark needs comforting by the dashboard as the radio display was Texas summer brightness on the A3 so no sounds. The car also has an SBC fault absolute result as the SBC charged up as I unlocked the car so I had full brakes and cruise control most of the way back until the M25 then it was first and second with limited braking.

Bob with my Tanzanite blue E320cdi.........

 

 Bob with my other Tanzanite blue E320cdi.......

[RoverFolkUs]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Mercedes ascot were very good when I used them with the 25yr old coupe. Friendly and happy to help get parts although thinking about it, no one in sales spoke to me then either. How do they sell cars if they don’t approach customers in the actual sales room looking at their products? Are they supposed to be proactive go-getting sales specialists? It’s the exact opposite of my mentality so I don’t understand really.

I think a lot of people wandering around main dealer showrooms are just window shopping, hence sales staff often don't bother approaching them. I do agree it doesn't seem very proactive but I think that's just how it is. Quite often I've been in main dealers for parts and I've had a nosy around for the sake of it, obviously never intending to buy anything. 

Part of the reason I believe is that they could approach someone who isn't serious and waste a considerable amount of time with them and then miss out on a serious customer that happens to walk in 5 minutes later and ends up making a purchase. 

If they concentrate on appointment bookings then at least they may have more confidence in the buyer's intentions and that some fruition may come of it 

[Mrcento]

Think it depends on the marque/brand/specific dealership and its possible clientele.

Walk into an Audi or Merc dealer, they don't tend to be all over you. They might ask (eventually) if they can be any help, but will usually leave you alone and say 'Well if there's anything i can do, let me know'. Low pressure sales.

Walk into an Arnold Clarks selling Fiats and the salesman will be on you in a matter of second trying to 'match' you to a car. Fuck off,

There's an AC down the road from me and i used to occasionally pop in for a look (i was considering buying something at one point) and i could barely get my foot in the lot before somebody was pestering me and wanting to talk finance packages. Which was mega off putting.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, Mrcento said:

Think it depends on the marque/brand/specific dealership and its possible clientele.

Walk into an Audi or Merc dealer, they don't tend to be all over you. They might ask (eventually) if they can be any help, but will usually leave you alone and say 'Well if there's anything i can do, let me know'. Low pressure sales.

Walk into an Arnold Clarks selling Fiats and the salesman will be on you in a matter of second trying to 'match' you to a car. Fuck off,

There's an AC down the road from me and i used to occasionally pop in for a look (i was considering buying something at one point) and i could barely get my foot in the lot before somebody was pestering me and wanting to talk finance packages. Which was mega off putting.

The selling of cars just seems to be a necessary evil to enable them to sell finance packages these days. Last time I bought a car , I told them I had the money , didn’t need finance but they still took about 20 minutes trying to sell it. Then even after we’d established I was paying in full, they tried selling me Gap insurance.

Maybe things will change with interest rates rising and businesses will welcome having cash in the bank.

[bobdisk]

Nice drive back from Portsmouth, first time with a car like @Snake Charmers Merc. Confirmed I like the bigger car rather than little diddlers.

[lesapandre]

Seen round me this morning - they were making a big film here yesterday - prop.

[SRi05]

10 hours ago, Mrcento said:

Think it depends on the marque/brand/specific dealership and its possible clientele.

Walk into an Audi or Merc dealer, they don't tend to be all over you. They might ask (eventually) if they can be any help, but will usually leave you alone and say 'Well if there's anything i can do, let me know'. Low pressure sales.

Walk into an Arnold Clarks selling Fiats and the salesman will be on you in a matter of second trying to 'match' you to a car. Fuck off,

There's an AC down the road from me and i used to occasionally pop in for a look (i was considering buying something at one point) and i could barely get my foot in the lot before somebody was pestering me and wanting to talk finance packages. Which was mega off putting.

The last time I bought a modern car,  I went round a few Arnold Clarks after they'd closed for the night so I wouldn't get hounded by salesmen 😂 I can't stand it.

Seen one we liked then came back the next day. As you say walk into one and they're over you like a rash 

[richardmorris]

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Mercedes CLK GTR, in case you wondered!

[Metal Guru]

5 hours ago, SRi05 said:

The last time I bought a modern car,  I went round a few Arnold Clarks after they'd closed for the night so I wouldn't get hounded by salesmen 😂 I can't stand it.

Seen one we liked then came back the next day. As you say walk into one and they're over you like a rash 

Trouble is my wife falls for all the bull shit and then instead of saying “yeh, we’re think about it, depends on the price / trade in etc”, she immediately says “yes, I love it! That’s the one I want . “ No chance of any deal after that, you’re paying sticker price.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Mercedes CLK GTR, in case you wondered!

Getting it off the loader was fun to watch. It's got the chin spoiler of Jimmy Hill and they had to build up the ramps with bits of wood and mats to stop it grounding.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Mercedes CLK GTR, in case you wondered!

Pretty sure I used to have a 1:18 model of one of those in a black and silver racing livery.

[Lankytim]

Woo! The Laguna went and passed! 

[hairnet]

On 26/10/2023 at 10:08, richardmorris said:

I'm in Slough. This electric 500 abart is £40,000!

two words for that and one is 'that'

[lesapandre]

Spotted S. London. Chevrolet Suburban - peak Suburban - this thing is huge.

[Rust Collector]

Reduced the 2007 Clio to a grand for the general public today. No offers.

Father and son team viewing now.

I’ve been given the third degree over its history, now ‘we need 5 minutes to lift the carpet mats and have a look around’

Will I get the offer I’ve explicitly said I don’t want?

[Rust Collector]

‘It has some condensation under the oil cap, we think it has OMGHGF m9, it’s not for us’.

They were polite at least.

[lesapandre]

"condensation" 

Yup... condensation...they described it!

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Spotted S. London. Chevrolet Suburban - peak Suburban - this thing is huge.

I like them but prefer the look and simplicity of the previous model as below.

This 6.2 diesel is for sale here and have looked at it a lot

[lesapandre]

I've had one of the earlier ones - they are very crude and prone to rust. The later one is really a better made vehicle and not much more complex.

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

I've had one of the earlier ones - they are very crude and prone to rust. The later one is really a better made vehicle and not much more complex.

I'm no expert on these but didn't the diesel engine become much more complicated and fragile on the newer ones? And the old 6.2 was mechanical?

[lesapandre]

The diesel is a Detroit V8 diesel - not the dieselised GM V8 petrol - which was awful. But really you'd be better off with an early Landcruiser or Patrol which are much much better.

[Schaefft]

There's nothing complicated in a Suburban all the way to the late 2000s until they introduced cylinder deactivation.