Okay this is a vent please bare with me

Very valid and understandable points. The times I have taken cars out for a test drive solo I did not have a prior relationship with the dealership at all, and even more surprising they didn't even get an ID. While I think the later part is a bit strange and highly risky, it's unfortunate that there's those punks out there that take advantage of the system and ruin it for the rest of us.

Audiguy, I know you used to work at a BMW dealership, and I'm curious..if you knew a customer had good character and wanted to drive a higher end BMW, but you knew they wouldn't be able to afford it at all and maybe wasn't even interested just wanted to drive it, would you let them?

 

Can't you plug the car into the computer and find out really what happened?
I thought all new cars had that computer that tells how the car has been driven

 

Sometimes I did, but not alone. Some people are just enthusiasts who might not be able to afford their passion. I developed a lot of relationships with a lot of people who could not afford one now but might be able to in a couple of years. I had one young man who told me when he graduated from high school that when he finished college he would be back to buy a Bimmer. He would come in almost weekly to get his weekly fix of admiring the cars. If we had a new model in and I needed to get to know it better I would take him out if I had time and both of us would drive the car. I would spend about 15 minutes on the drive with him. This satisfied his desire to keep his goal in sight and kept me fresh on the product. I even took him out in the McLaren F1 and let him drive it back about a mile. That cemented it. When he graduated college and got a signing bonus from the company he began work for the first thing he did was come in and order a new 330. His was one of the last deliveries I made at BMW before leaving and going to FoD.

If I was going to take a car out to familiarize myself with it, why waste the time and go alone? Use that time to keep someones interest peaked and keep the dream alive. This also gets around the argument that salespeople hate seeing "tire kickers" come in. Yes, if they have good character I would work out a time to work them in and schedule it.......Unfortunately I could not do that with Ferrari but that is a different story. I did however spend time discussing Ferrari with people who came in and shunned no one. They might not get to drive one but they could sit in the seat if they were careful. You know how important keeping the seats from getting scratched or wear marks is. Especially if it is consigned....

If a salesperson is smart, you begin building your customer base by speaking with every person who you meet. I do not know how many cars I sold over the years because I spent some time with their "fourteen year old car freak". I had forgotten but that is how I met my friend with the McLaren F1. His daughter came to the BMW dealership in Odessa, Texas with some friends before she got her drivers license. Her friend was picking up her new car (high school graduation). This girl looked at a 325i Convertible we had on the floor and said that is what she wanted when she got her license. I gave her a brochure and took her for a five minute drive around the block while the parents of her friend were doing the paperwork. Six months later she was back with her mom and dad and ordered her 325i convertible. Over the years I helped them acquire 12 more BMW's, everything from 325's, to 735iL, 740iL, 750iL, to 850Ci, 540i, M5 and more in between. You never know when a few minutes spent with someone will pay off handsomely. You notice I said "acquire" and not that I sold them 12 more BMW's. Once you establish a relationship with a person, that relationship has to be nurtured and you assist them in acquiring what they want, not trying to sell them something.......

Her dad is still a good friend (he let me have his McLaren for three days, how good a friend is that?) and we keep in touch. He even looked me up when he was looking to purchase an Enzo after I had left FoD.

 

On that note, anyone see the new Porsche commercial where the kid comes in on the bicycle, thoroughly checks out the Porsche, gets the sales guys card and says he will see him in twenty years?

 

Glad to hear something like that still exists!

 

Sometimes, it just gets me to thinking that I would like to be back in auto sales again. After doing it for 23 years it is hard to get it out of your blood. Maybe a small pre-owned lot specializing in a certain type of vehicle, you know, like muscle cars or something such...............

 

Haven't seen that commerical but it's somewhat ironic, as I had something similar happen in a Ferrari dealership in Greensboro, NC about 15 years ago. I was in college and my girlfriend and I had stopped by, basically to drool. The sales guy offered to take a $50 deposit to hold a Ferrari for me until after I graduated and could afford it. I suppose it was a "had to be there" kind of moment, but I still think it was pretty funny.