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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Straight-shooting, no BS, timely, both feet planted, confidence inspiring. In my experience they do exist at Ferrari authorized dealerships if you look. Jes
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!
http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=%2F#/watch?v=FBPXUurumDU I would expect something like this. My experience has been more like the saleswomans attitude earlier in the movie.
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.
..they should have the ability to convey their knowledge and their willingness to believe in the product that they 're presenting.
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.
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.
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
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.
Perfect, you just listed my two complaints with my salesperson. The inability to communicate consistently and in a timely manner is his worst offense.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.