Of course you need sales people, as long as they are effective and help me buy the car I want for if not they are not sales people. Be it facilitation of test drives, guidance on options and shipping or sorting out the commercials, having a person to own that is to me important. Most people have not got a clue what good selling looks like, certainly those who have never done it but also many of those who 'think' they do. The difference between good and bad is massive and as I have said many times, if sales people added no value they would not be employed as companies don't simply tick box an employee list. As you go up the ladder the most highly paid people in most companies are the best sales people outside the C suite, sometimes including the C suite. Sadly, the motor trade is a relatively poor payer which is why the very best tends not to spend their life in the industry, or if they do soon take ownership of the dealership or open their own. Car dealers struggle to hire talent because of this, it's a real problem and acknowledged by friends of mine who are DP's.
I've had cause to visit a few car show rooms lately and sadly the majority of those visits have been a poor experience. In most situations I will want to drive the car I am looking to buy, my preference being to borrow one for at least an hour so I can drive it at my leisure on a mixture of different roads without distraction and sit in it and fiddle with stuff. I always make my intentions clear when I visit, so I am not wasting anyones time and to help them qualify me appropriately and in turn, serve me properly. We are currently looking at getting another car for load lugging and towing duties, hence the show room experiences and I am also looking at my options for this year in terms of upgrading my R8 to a 570S.
As you might expect the high end of the trade tends to be a much more effective experience, though not always. It would perhaps surprise you but I find it easy to secure a loan of a supercar for a few hours than I do for a family run about. People at the high end tend to have different expectancies and this is why most dealers understand this and act accordingly. This usually means your given space, provided with multiple opportunities to try before you buy and dealt with in the main professionally.
However the low end, some exceptions aside, tends to be a real mixed bag. My experience at SEAT Stoke was one such example this weekend. I was looking at the Anteca, nice car. I had popped in last week, with little time and was offered a car to try. So I popped back with my wife, the sales person was not their so I spoke to another guy who told me 'no we can't let you have a car to try without one of us with you, we don't do that'. At which point I said thanks and walked out to his open mouthed expression.
VW Tamworth only yesterday, my second experience of this dealership. Busy showroom, good sign, I asked reception if I might have some time with a sales person to discuss stuff. "All busy, would you like to wait". Of course I said, no problem, could you tell me how long they might be. "No you'll have to wait, we are busy, would you like someone to call you?". Yes, sure, but can you ask them to do that today tomorrow please as last time it took 4 days and by then I had bought a Polo GTi, hate you to miss out again....
To which I got...
"Why you telling me, that's not my problem, I just take the messages!"
Done, no business from me. As I walked out a salesman I knew, who I had bought from over the phone (the blue GTi we had) came rushing over to apologise.
I touch the surface, but this is the sort of thing that annoys me and to the OP's question. That is not selling, that is in fact sales avoidance.
BMW Tamworth.....exceptional. Private viewing of the new 5 series, coffee, chat, as much time as I need. THAT is how you do it.
