Dealers what the heck is their issue

Well, we're in agreement because while I've never seen it, I wouldn't be surprised that it happens.

 

I've seen the phrase "treated poorly" thrown a lot in this thread. That can mean a lot of things. As somebody here already said, some people don't want to be approached and do not appreciate salesperson pressure. Some people expect to be approached every time.

I simply can't see either negative scenario happen at my dealership (as others I have visited) because right at the entrance - there is a receptionist who's main duty is greet and route all the customers that come in.

The receptions' role is to welcome everybody - those that want just to look and those that are interested in buying/have business. If somebody tells the receptionist they are there just to browse, should they get offended that she does not alert a salesperson to have them act as their personal curator as they window shop? Each time I've asked for a salesperson, she notified him and that was that.

If I walk into any high-end store, just to browse, I always make that intention known, and I don't expect the salesperson to be my personal concierge. Respect goes both ways; some folks often use retail stores as personal shopping 'test' floors, taking up salesperson's time and effort with no intention to purchase or already with the intention to purchase their product at Amazon after they've inspected their goods.

I don't see a Ferrari dealership as Peterson's auto museum, they are still after all a business, and I try to respect their time and not waste a salesperson's time if I don't have any intention of purchasing..they have kids to feed too.

The only time I would get offended is if I asked for assistance and still given the cold shoulder or insincere service *after* expressing a 'real' interest.

I can tell you if I were to walk in Silicon Valley Ferrari today and saw X car and said am interested in negotiating, I would get assistance right away.

The most egregious post I saw was somebody here claimed their wife walked into a Ferrari Dealership wanting to buy a car for her husband, and they refused because of her dress....that is shameful, I have to take the poster's word at face value. I agree that is supremely 'poor' service, but aside from that; response after response here that classifies poor service as the sales people not falling over each other with every single person that walks in...I like others here prefer to be left alone if I am just 'browsing.'

 

Super_Dave.

With complete respect and sincerity, what exactly happened that caused the repeated poor experiences?

Were they rude/arrogant toward you?

Honestly am curious since it seems the OP shared your same experience.

Thanks in advance.

 

I think we should seperate how you are treated when strolling in, from how the sales process works when you actauly are there to buy a car.

Frankly I dont care how they behave when I am browsing, like many I would prefer not to be bothered.

But their actual sales practices, ie once you are buying suck, and that goes all the way up to Ferrari parent.

Even to use a recent example. people who had ordered speciale and had paid deposit and were on the list for delivery where then told that their slots woudl be given to other buyers who ordered more options, or they could keep their slot by adding more pricey crap.

 

+1

 

Sean,

Thanks for chiming in here - makes your previous post make a whole lot more sense to me. I think there is a multitude of threads in regards to what you are talking about. With respect, I believe this thread has been about dealer treatment with a walk in.

So far, with the exception of the story about the Glassman's wife that wanted to buy a Ferrari and she was turned away because of her dress from multiple dealerships (don't know if Glassman was being sarcastic) It is quite egregious to go up to a salesperson expressing interest in purchasing a car and then being shown the door. I take Glassman's claim at face value however.

it seems the OPs complaint was the dealer didn't talk to him enough/ignored him, not that he received poor treatment during the purchase process.

Cheers

 

Only time I went to a dealer to look at a 360 I was considering was FOD. I was in my Ford Ranger, dressed for a weekend to go hiking in the MTS. Salesman could not have been nicer to me and my girlfriend, and initially didn't know I was already an Fcar owner. He answered a lot of questions, spent a good 15 minutes going over things in the car I didn't know about... Very good experience, even though I eventually bought elsewhere. (Derek at FOD btw...)

 

Going in and talking to dealers, always found them fine. Personaly who cares if they suck up to you or not. I bet most people from this forum who go to a dealer know more about the cars than the dealer does.

From what I hear car dealers look at shoes and watches because cloths particularily in the USA mean zip. Most people apprently dont have great shoes but wealthy mght be wearing todds or whatever, and/or if you have a 10K+ watch odds are you have some money earning potential. Now some of the wealthiest people I know wear digital, so its not a a hard rule.

But if you are wearing a gold Jaeger and in sandalls odds are they will offer you a test drive at most dealers.

In fact these days test driving a run of the mill ferrari is no big deal. Yeah I guess dealers have a 200/1 tire kicker to potential customer ratio. If you want to be treated well as a walk in, then look like someone who is not a bum. I never understood wealthy people wanting to look like bums and be treated like billionaires by people who dont know them, some type of odd game.

If you ever get to berkly square in the London go to Jack barkely the bently dealer. They chat to you breifly while blocking you towards the door, a polite english way of getting you to f-off. I guess there if you are not a well dressed middle eastern type of english, if say you are american they know you are not buying a new RHD Belter.

 

Thanks for your response.

hahaha - I completely agree with you, the 'deep' dealer engagement probably has a linear progression with the amount of $$$ you've dropped.

Sean, quick question though. Have you (not based on purchase process) just in terms of walking in browsing in a Ferrari dealership been treated rudely or with disrespect?

I know many people here are indignant they were ignored, but I've also been ignored at a regular car dealership before, didn't bother me at all, on the contrary - I appreciated not being bothered by a pushy salesman.

Now, I do remember one time, I asked for help at some car dealership and nobody showed up in 10 minutes (or even gave a courtesy explanation: "I'm sorry sir, but we are understaffed at the moment") - I left...that I understand and put in the 'poor' service category. Everytime I ask for help at Ferrari Silicon Valley, people bend over backwards for me, and I have a very modest Ferrari.

 

Ferrari of Central Florida is top notch in my book. I don't think it should matter whether you make an appointment or you're a walk-in. There should be some level of professional decorum to acknowledge you as a potential buyer. I didn't know I needed to make an appointment when I purchased my 458. I walked in one day, I was greeted by the receptionist and the sales manager. I wasn't pressured and was told if I needed any help or had questions to feel free to ask. As a potential customer, that made me feel great and really appreciate the customer focus of that business. I wasn't wearing anything particularly nice, no expensive watches and I drove there in my wife's Q5 which is the family car, read it's a mess between the kids and the dog. I told them what I was interested in, the cars I had seen and they found the vehicle I wanted and ultimately purchased. I had my 5 year old son with me on my first visit and they were kind enough to ask him if he wanted to sit in one of the F12's and take a picture. They treat everyone as a potential customer because you never know. I'm the type that I spend my money where I feel that I'm valued and receive value.when it's time to buy another car, I will be buying from them.

 

I was in Ferrari of Central Florida last summer. I had owned my 360 for about 3 months. I wanted to see a 458 up close. The salesman was nice and showed me a 458. He asked if I had a Ferrari and I told him I had a 360. He said I could trade it in on the 458. He then proceeded to tell me I wouldn't want to mess with the 360 buyers because they were unreasonable and they are the people that really can't afford a Ferrari. I just kind of laughed and walked out.

I know what he was trying to do but he kind of blew it. I called the wife and told her we need to sell the 360 because I can't afford a Ferrari.

 

I remember being at Ferrari of Silicon Valley shortly after they opened and hearing a salesperson saying the same thing about 308 owners. He was saying that they can't get the Maserati loaners because they are not real Ferrari owners.

I wouldn't let it bother you. If you write the check for the full amount of the car, and you don't skimp on maintenance and do all the preventative stuff, you can afford it to the max. Don't let anyone even suggest otherwise.

 

+1

The guy just made a dumb comment without thinking about who he was saying it to. Everyone's put their foot in their mouth from time to time, not doing so is an art most will never master.



Mark

 

As a lawyer, you're trained not to put your foot in your mouth. I suspect your definition of mastery at this is slightly different from those who haven't been to law school.

That said, the referenced salesman was clumsy even given benefit of the doubt.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

It didn't bother. I thought it was funny and incredibly stupid of him.

I can afford my 360. I guess I could technically afford the 458 but it would too much of my net worth invested in a car. I'm not someone who is ashamed to "only" be able to afford a 360. I consider myself blessed to drive the type of car I've dreamed about for 30 years.

 

Cant say I have been treated poorly as a non buyer/browser. But frankly most car dealers regardless of brand are FOS so personaly I dont want to talk to people in a dealership, just be left alone to look at the car.

My two really good walk in experiences were at a Mclaren dealer and a Chevy dealer. Mclaren because unlike really every other dealer of any brand I can think of they really knew and understood the product, thay were enthuaisasts. chevy because my expectations were low and the sales process so painless I bought a car after being able to pick from 50 on the lot and test drive to my hearts content.

I once bought a M3 from an independat dealer after being in the BMW owned shop which was so full of aholes they acted like they were doign me a favor just letting me look. I swore that even though I really wanted an M3 would never buy one, one town over was a family owned BMW dealer where the experience was excellent.

If you are talking Ferrari and Porche, it varies by dealer, I would say in terms of walkin's on average porche dealers are bigger dick heads, but in reality it boils down to who is working the floor when you walk in.

part of the issue with ferrari may be that ferrari dealers dont sell, they just sort of do a favor of delivering somethign the client really already really wants, so its easy for the dealer to forget who or what is a customer.

Lets face it most car buyers are idiots and dont know crap, how else do you explain the popularity of big wheels which ruin ride and handling. Same applies to most ferraris clients, i guess the dealers are a product of the client.

 

Good for you.

A long time a go a wise fchatter said, "true happiness is having exactly what you want for less than you can afford." Just because you can afford more, it doesn't mean you want more. Lots of people will never understand that.

 

I have walked into Ferrari dealerships throughout the country. I honestly never had a bad experience and usually had a great conversation with one of the salespeople.

 

That's a really good quote/proverb.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I live by this principle. More people ought to try it.

 

A very sane approach but with some folks what they want is "more". They tend to accomplish a lot but are never satisfied nor happy.

 

The Don Aronow sales pitch for fast boats. (Which he denied using).

 

So did HE own a Ferrari? (driving the dealerships' and other peoples cars all day doesn't count)

I'll do you guys one better.. I own a 360.. and I don't care if she breaks.

Because I can "afford" to fix her even if a variator decides to implode.

 

Truer words never spoken.

I am likely considered very conservative, financially (usually called "cheap" by friends...), other than a weak spot for sports cars (though even then, I only buy used used used). Even buying a home, in my eyes, requires having enough fully liquid capital (not shares, RSUs, 401k) to immediately pay down the mortgage at any time.

My luck is that my wife is on-board with the same sentiment.

 

When I see a 360 on the road I assume / figure the driver is an enthusiast. No assumption about net worth, ability to buy a newer model, etc.

I don't get the idea that new is always better. When I was a kid, I loved the 308 and still do. No reason for that to have changed just because they've since released "XX" models since.

Sure, the performance bar does ratchet higher, but to be a fan of Ferrari requires more than just looking for the numbers, or other marques will give you much more, for much less $$.

I encountered plenty of arrogance at Ferrari dealers (not that I've gone to many). It was the consistency of the attitude that put me off. Maybe just bad luck.

Porsche dealers, while others had different experiences, always seemed welcoming and inviting, and that is across many dealers that I've dealt with over the years. Again, may just be luck, but I do think the brand having commercials about kids looking at cars and later being owners, reflects that sentiment of it being an aspiration enthusiast brand.