What Do You Expect From Your Ferrari Sales Person? | FerrariChat

What Do You Expect From Your Ferrari Sales Person?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by M3-ADDICT, Dec 25, 2012.

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  1. M3-ADDICT

    M3-ADDICT Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2006
    986
    NOVA
    Hello & Greetings,

    I wanted to ask the gentleman and ladies of FC as former or current Ferrari/Lambo/Exotic vehicle buyers, what is your expectation of your sales person. What do you expect from him? What do you think he/she should have standard, and what would make you feel more comfortable with him/her?
     
  2. Ingenere

    Ingenere F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Dec 11, 2001
    6,336
    On the Limit
    Full Name:
    Dino
    The dealers need to treat their customers as valued clients...... and not like they are doing you a favor.

    As a general rule when you are selling an overpriced product that nobody really needs, the object should be to treat that customer like the gold that they are and cater to them.
     
  3. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 4, 2004
    39,594
    Texas
    Full Name:
    David
    I stopped dealing with them when they made it clear to me I was not on the "cool" list.
    Since then I have learned "cool" = Poseur.
    A cross I have to bare.
     
  4. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    1,495
    Knowledgable about the products they sell and how it compares to competition.

    Visited Ferrari and Lambo dealership last week and was disappointed how little the apparent seasoned sales person knew about the current marketplace, and especially Ferrari history. I think it boils down that the majority purchase high end sport cars for the marque, not long time car enthausuists.
     
  5. KJB355

    KJB355 Karting

    Apr 4, 2006
    151
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Kenneth Brom
    Forget the paper pushing sales dept and sales person. The most you need from them is a test drive, as I think researching on your own and the manufacturer websites provide greater insight. It's the service and parts departments that matter and really (should!) know the cars.
     
  6. Cliff Torus

    Cliff Torus Karting

    Oct 10, 2012
    134
    Fairfax County VA
    Full Name:
    Cliff Torus
    #6 Cliff Torus, Dec 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  7. M3-ADDICT

    M3-ADDICT Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2006
    986
    NOVA
    Thanks, I'm looking into fulfilling a position at a local Ferrari/Lambo dealership, and a real 1-1 insight like this will help me help you in future. Taking notes on all suggestions.
     
  8. ar4me

    ar4me F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Apr 4, 2010
    3,114
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    Jes
    Straight-shooting, no BS, timely, both feet planted, confidence inspiring. In my experience they do exist at Ferrari authorized dealerships if you look.
    Jes
     
  9. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 16, 2012
    3,543
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Chris
    Do not tell the buyer what YOU THINK they want to hear. You will be wrong many times, and that will make you lose credibility. If you don't know something, don't make something up, tell them "I'm not sure, but I will find out, and get back to you". There is nothing wrong with not having an answer to something. Most important, don't try and double cross them by throwing in other charges after you agree on a price. Let them know up front what the total cost is going to be. And DO NOT promise them something, and not deliver when the time comes. Make sure they get everything that you agreed on with them prior to the purchase.
    Don't be fake when you are nice to them, most people who buy cars like these can see right through that. If you are genuinely nice, it will show through. If you get a happy customer, they will become repeat customers, and you will also get many referrals from them. Always look for the future sale. Don't disregard a customer, just to make a quick sale. Do not judge a customer by appearance, treat everyone as a potential buyer...you never know who will step up with the cash.
    That's all I can come up with right now, but just use common sense, and treat everyone the way you would want to be treated. You don't have to kiss anyones butt, you just have to be fair and pleasant. Good luck!
     
  10. Huskerbill

    Huskerbill F1 Rookie

    Sep 6, 2004
    4,126
    Oconomowoc, WI
    Full Name:
    Bill
  11. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2005
    1,495
    I view any major sales dept to be the image for the business, of course much is commissioned based for them. But if unprofessional/knowledgeable, I have little confidence the rest of that business, including their service is much different. Clearly, the buyer needs to do research, just like buying a home, or any major product.
     
  12. FRRfan

    FRRfan Karting

    Sep 7, 2012
    51
    ..they should have the ability to convey their knowledge and their willingness to believe in the product that they 're presenting.
     
  13. TexasKid

    TexasKid Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Apr 13, 2011
    449
    That makes complete sense...then you have a showroom full of cars that have been driven hundreds of times by people who have no intention of buying. A true Ferrari enthusiast 9 times out of 10 does not need to test drive...they already know what to expect from research.
     
  14. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

    Oct 18, 2009
    8,178
    Worcester, England
    Full Name:
    Phill J
    I would have thought high on the list would be:

    To be treated with respect regardless of appearance or any personal perception!

    I'm not talking about any sucking up and fawning being required, merely that I'm not treated as though I'm an inconvenience to them or unwanted as a customer because I don't "fit the bill" as one of their customers.
     
  15. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
    701
    On the Mountain
    Full Name:
    Martin Tarvydas
    To me it is the after sales treatment. Most ( hopefully all ) high end car customers know what they want and don't really need pre-sales support. Perhaps simple suggestions of certain options but with forums like this you are better off doing your research online.

    The after sales treatment that I received from my dealership was so over the top but so simple. I call and say I have an issue with my seat. 30 minutes later a wonderful chap comes by to pick up my car from the office to take it to the dealership. 2 hours later he brings the car back to my office and explains the issue in detail. That's service, that makes you want to stay with them even if future purchases might be a little higher than market. Oh and the chap, just the owner of the Ferrari dealership for the last 20 years. That sh$t makes you feel special, but so simple
     
  16. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 11, 2008
    98,535
    Vegas baby

    This. No BS, its just business. Most of us are in business and like to deal with someone who thinks similarly.

    Ferrari and FNA are quirky to deal with. Being honest about that quirkiness goes a long way to raise confidence.

    My pet peeve is a lack of communication and follow through during the order process. It's not just a car -- it's a freakin' $300K car. Some sales guys seem to forget that.

    What drives me crazy is when I know more about the car than they do.
     
  17. rlips

    rlips Formula Junior

    Jul 29, 2011
    959
    New Jersey, USA
    Perfect, you just listed my two complaints with my salesperson. The inability to communicate consistently and in a timely manner is his worst offense.
     
  18. coralreefer

    coralreefer Karting

    Oct 1, 2012
    145
    I texted the guy who sold me my F430 inquiring about a 458. This was 3 weeks ago and still not heard from him. E-mailed the sales manager, he was in Italy and said he could not help me. Go figure. I have noticed the cars in the showroom move quick, and they probably don't really care that much about selling another one to me.
     
  19. montegoblue

    montegoblue Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 7, 2009
    531
    East TN
    Even though my interaction with Ferrari dealers in the past has been positive, in an ideal world I would like for them to be more like yacht salespeople. A salesman is a salesman, we all understand that. But, for the most part, yacht salespeople value their relationship with customers highly and always seem to be willing to go the "extra mile" -- all the folks that I have bought boats over the years are friends and they always try to keep up with me. Perhaps it's because boating tends to be much more social, but high-end car dealerships should strive to make IT social as well and interact with customers. Like someone said earlier nobody needs to spend 100s of thousands of $$$ on boats or cars, but that's why they should go the extra mile.
     
  20. ferrGTO

    ferrGTO Rookie

    Jan 2, 2013
    20
    clarity is the best place to start, too many car sales-people are shady! the sad or funny thing is that they are shady in other aspects of their life too. i am sure there are many examples that could be cited here.

    is transparentcy too much to ask for?
     
  21. ferrGTO

    ferrGTO Rookie

    Jan 2, 2013
    20
    so as a newbie to this chat site, I ask fellow members. are the sponsors screened? can all the sponsors be trusted as worthy places of business?
     
  22. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    19,808
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    The answer is not necessarily. The admin/owner attempts a pre-screening of new sponsors, and those who fail a preliminary smell test will be rejected. Those who pass will be judged on their actual performance over time. The admin/owner has a strict policy that customer complaints will not be censored (unless they fail to meet the standards of offensive language on the board). So search for past threads on customer experience with a particular sponsor and read up, then judge for yourself.
     
  23. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
    34,548
    Ontario, Canada
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Honesty and keeping your word; when say you will do something you better do it
     
  24. jpk

    jpk Formula Junior

    This. I am new to Ferraris but have found the car itself and the 'lifestyle' very similar to buying and owning a boat. Having the Ferrari is more like having another boat than another car. The purchase experience should really more like buying a boat too. If buying new, you are custom ordering a car tailored to your specification from available options. Just like ordering a hand made boat. And if you are buying used, you are buying a high maintenance, infrequently used item from a thin market, which means you really want to know about the items history and whether this particular one matches your desires. And ultimately, you are joining a community or a club once you buy, so you want to get introduced to it.

    When I bought my boat, my salesperson came out to my home and took me for a test drive in a demo model. He never tried to upsell me and frequently tried to sell the base config as being perfectly good once we were in the process of placing an order. He was patient with me while the wife and I went over options for hours in the showroom. He emailed me regularly on the build and sent me photos of it being assembled, including the boat water test.

    So no BS, no pushiness, and honest responses. And just treat everyone like a potential customer no matter their age, income, or how they dress. You never know which person might decide to come back later and buy, so be polite to everyone.
     
  25. M3-ADDICT

    M3-ADDICT Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2006
    986
    NOVA
    Thanks everyone, great suggestions and I try my best to use all of them.
     

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