Dirty deeds done dirt cheap? Not here mate! (Other Motoring Issues)

Member Name: angusreid

Product:	Other Motoring Issues
Date:	18/01/02 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Honesty gets you a lot less hassle tha trying to have someone over.

Disadvantages: There are unscurpulous garages, make sure yours isnt one of them!

There are so many ops on garages and car dealerships and how they rip people off etc, but I haven’t read one where you get the other side of the argument.

So here goes.

As you may have guessed, I am in the car trade.
I do in fact own my own car dealership or showroom, call it what you like.

First, let me give you a run down of my credentials in the Motor Industry, so that you can see whether my claims are just and fairly subjective.

I left work in April 1997, as I wanted to be a salesman.
This was largely due to two book’s I read called “TNT the power within you!” and “Soft Sell: winning without intimidation”

Now I have always been a person with a strong, if sometimes overpowering, aura, and I believed in finding a job by walking through the door and asking for one, rather than going through interviews.

I found a job the very same day, as a double-glazing salesman for a company I am glad to say, don’t exist anymore.

I was sacked after 2 weeks for refusing to sign up an unemployed couple for double-glazing with their house as collateral.

I knew they couldn’t afford the payments, but they got carried away with the sales pitch and thought of their house looking lovely.

The sales manager told me that I would never make a salesman, as I wasn’t tough enough!

I walked out of that office with my head held high, and promised myself I would be a great salesman, just to prove him wrong!

The next day I walked into a Fiat garage, and they had no vacancies.
The next garage I walked into was a high profile used car operation with a tendency to lure people in with finance deals.

The manager said I could start on Saturday.

I sold three cars on my first day, and two on the Sunday.

They took me on permanently on the Monday.

I joined half way through the month, but was only two cars shor
t of being the top salesman for April.

After 6 months of working with this company, we had a huge fall out over pay.

In my best month, I sold 54 cars and took home less than a thousand pound.

(My first month, April I sold 18 cars and took home £2000)

I am not a drama man when it comes to leaving, so Friday night, when everyone had gone home, I put my keys through the letterbox and went home.

The following Monday I walked into the largest Car Dealership in the area and asked for a job.
I was taken on two days later as a used car salesman.

Three months later, I was promoted to Finance Manager, due to my accountancy background, from the navy and my ability to up-sell warranties and other add on products.

After winning national awards as Fords top Payment Protection seller and a golden microphone for best sales presentation, I was again promoted to Sales manager.

The highlight of this was in April 2000, Auto Trade Magazine nominated me as a contender for Used Car Retail Dealer of the Year.
I went to the Hilton Hotel in London, and beat Porsche, BMW, and 6 other dealers to walk away with the title.

Two things grabbed me then.

The words of the Double Glazing Sales Manager, and the belief that Sherry, my wife had in me and her support when I walked out of two jobs to pursuit my dream.

Later that year, I was made redundant, when they centralised the operations of the dealership to Nottingham.
Living in Poole, Dorset, I had no inclinations to move.

After a short spell with Dale Carnegie Training and Westover Nissan, I decided I couldn’t trust another company, and had to strike out with my own business.

I spoke to a good friend who was then a sales manager at Bournemouth Ford, and we decided to open our own place.

And here I am!

Right, I can only say that in the years I have worked in this industry, I have been disgusted by t
he way Dealerships have treated customers, and customers have treated dealerships.

Here are some examples of customer issues I have dealt with and see if you can see where I am coming from.

A young man had bought a 6-year-old car from the Ford dealership I worked at, and had driven the car for 11 months, 2 weeks.
The engine seized up through gunk building up and blocking some technical thingummies!

The warranty company refuse to pay as they said the car hadn’t been properly serviced.
He brought his mother in to argue the case (he was 27) and they flew of the handle at me straight away.

Now I had not been informed of any of this, so I had to sit them down, take the abuse for a few minutes and then sort the issue out.

After two hours of dealing with the warranty company, they reluctantly agreed that the servicing was fine, and they agreed to pay £1000.
The new engine, fitted was £1500.

I spoke to the customer and said that they would get £1000 towards the cost.
They refused it and said they wanted the whole engine paid for.

I could see their point, however the warranty book did say £1000 maximum claim, and they had had the car for almost a year.

No budging or even sensible conversation.

I spoke to the workshop and they agreed to discount the labour and make the total cost £1200.

I went back to them and said that I would split the difference and we both paid £100 each.

No, no way would they budge or pay a penny.

By now they were annoying other customers and shouting etc in the showroom.
I had two choices.

I phoned trading standards and asked their advice.
They told me that I was well within my rights to tell them to pay the £500 as they were given a warranty, which covers the part damaged.

So I should then go and tell them that if they wanted me to repair their car, they paid for it.
Or I could give in to them a
nd pay the lot.

I went back to the workshop and haggled with them, and eventually got them to do the job for the £1100.

I told the customer, who then left the dealership, but not before asking for a courtesy car, which I provided.

Three days later, when they had the engine out, a technician noticed the clutch was worn, and would probably last another 6 months to a year.

He said while the engine was out, he could put one in at no labour charge, just the £56 part cost.

I thought that was pretty good going and phoned the customer to let him know.

Ouch! He thought that I should supply him the clutch free of charge and refused to return the courtesy car unless I did!

That was the last straw.

I told them to fit the engine and old clutch, sent the customer a legal letter saying his car was ready for collection, if he didn’t pick it up by Friday, there would be a £50 a day storage fee, plus a £40 a day fee for the courtesy car.

I cancelled the insurance on the courtesy car and informed him that if he drove the car or even parked it in a public place he was breaking the law.

He can for his car later that day.

Now that is one scenario where you can’t do enough for someone.

Another customer came to pick up a brand new Ford Escort CL and while he was filling in the paperwork, a valeter drove it through a shutter with the hatch open, bending the roof out of shape and wrecking the car to the cost of £5000.

The customer couldn’t believe it!

I showed him the car so that he knew I wasn’t lying to him, and he was nearly in tears.

As this was our fault, I showed him an Escort LX, with air con, a feature his CL did not have, and said he could have that instead at no extra cost.

He was over the moon.

I had the car ready in 4 hours and he walked away shaking my hand and singing my praises!

Even now, with
my own dealership, I will do anything to make sure I do not knowingly sting a customer.

A lot of the cars I sell are Part Exchange Bargains, which come with no warranty.

I tell the customer, drive the car for a week, if you don’t like it, bring it back and I will refund you your money, IN FULL!

That isn’t a sales ploy, but a genuine gesture from myself to maintain a high level of customer service, something I strive for in life.

I have had an old chap come back three times with a F plate Nissan, the horn went one time, and I fixed it at no cost to him.

That is how most dealerships I know work, they will gladly help you if you are honest and don’t shout and ball at them.

What other industry can you think of where the seller has to take so much crap from people?

I still despise the look of contempt that customers have when they talk to me (not all, but some are so ignorant!)

The Arthur Daley’s still exist, and common sense tells you which ones they are.

Look for a reputable garage, or better still, ask people where they bought their car from and how good/bad the buying experience was.

Ask a garage about its after sales service, and if they wont let you return the car in 1 week for a genuine reason, then don’t buy it from them.

But remember this!

A car showroom/dealership is there to make money, not lose it.

If you want a cheap car, buy privately and have literally no comeback or guarantee.

Go to the auctions and pray you have good advice or knowledge.

Or buy a car from a dealer with guarantees, warranty and good faith.

Just go easy, we like to be spoken to with a civil tongue.

I have heard horror stories about garages, and most of them can be resolved by talking to the garage or Trading Standards.

Don’t threaten the garage with trading standards though, unless they wont hel
p you.

If someone does that to me, I say fine, go to Trading Standards.

When they phone me up, I say that I am quite happy to resolve the situation, but I wont talk to the customer until they stop threatening me!

Trading Standards laugh with me and tell the customer to try and resolve the issue before involving them.

Simple isn’t it.

Respect is a mirror, give it out and it reflects back at you.

Enjoy your car.

Angus Reid

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