Dealer Apathy

[Coolcats]

You would struggle, you certainly have no legal right.

If you do find a dealer you will find that your at the back of the queue after their own customers have been looked after.

Now this is the issue, and what many companies do not understand about customer relations, I do not want the Salesman or the company to be my mate, but there is a transaction going on and I like others expect to be heard, listened and responded to Vanbitz is one company that does this.

I get better service when I spend £2.50 (or thereabouts) on a Coffee than I do in a Bank (and they had thousands from me when I had a Mortgage).

So what have I discovered, many but not all salespeople are probably tired of their job, many do not have the knowledge of the products they sell and many do not have the technical sales support they need to do their job. The behaviour of some sales people are less than professional by that I mean responsiveness to customers queries or the 'Showboating' we witnessed at one dealer.between sales staff.

Pricing for work such as Habitation/Dampness checks and other work can be outrageous the costs seem to range from £200 to £500 pounds.

There are a few individuals we came across that do give a dam about the customer, Vanbitz is one, the junior sales where we purchased our van cared except we were dealing with the sales manager! and of course the female salesperson at Lowdhams in Nottingham and it appears Simon Howard is one of the good guys.

Customer service is what keeps people coming back to you, should a dealer look at the sale as a one off £50K (or whatever) then repeat business on service over say 10 years that's say another £10-20K in potential service repairs and after sales, let alone part exchange and a new vehicle.

I buy from Sainsburys in part because its the nearest supermarket, the parking is free, normally has what I want the Staff are helpful and polite, I spend say £300 a month x 12 £3,600 X 10 years that's £36,000. The Supermarket doesn't view me (or you) as a £300 per month customer but someone who will spend £180,000 over a lifetime (50 years). So that's why they look after you and Motorhome dealers could do with taking note of that !

 

[Coolcats]

Our company provides a service to Franchised motor car dealers, so I can’t speak with any authority about Motorhome dealers, but I suspect they have similar problems. I entered the trade in the nineties when quality sales staff could earn £50-80 k per annum and some business managers were into six figures. Those days are long gone, mostly because it’s bloody hard to turn a profit, the industry average is only around 2%, This may surprise some but think about it, who doesn’t check out the prices of whatever model they are interested in on the internet and then have a haggle before purchasing.
Different groups have different strategies to reduce costs, many groups have dispensed with either assistant sales managers or business managers or perhaps made the administration/accounts teams redundant and replaced them with a centralised office’s or even sub contracted the accounts out to India.
The sales staff’s packages have been pruned to the point where often the job now only attracts young people who are happy with a low basic and a company car and the promise of commission. (if they hit a target) Many experienced people have left the motor trade because they can do better elsewhere, so there are fewer people in these big sheds and those that are there lack motivation because of unrealistic targets.
IMHO the directors of some of these companies believe they are serving the shareholders well buy reducing costs and replacing sales staff with order takers, but I remain unconvinced, the strength and success of any company depends entirely on the quality it’s staff.

What an individual gets paid has little to do with the service you receive, as I say £2.50 for a coffee and I get better service than the Bank I have paid thousands to over the years, I think the cost cutting on bonuses and low pay has more to do with how the company looks at a customer as an object to make thier Margins from, plus the CEO and top team who want all the cream, a few pay cuts and get them on to the shop floor would bring some realisation to the 'High flying" so called Management.

 

[Sapper520]

Went against advice on here and purchased our van almost 3 hours away from us. Not happy with local dealers, for various reasons, so went with someone I was happy to deal with.......just happens we had to travel to achieve this.

 

[Conal]

Bought mine six months old from Brownhills; approached the sales team at the NEC but couldn't afford the one we wanted. Dave suggested we keep an eye on their website as second hand ones come up everyday. A few days later we were sitting at his desk discussing price. I think we got a good deal on the Motorhome and the extras that Dave suggested I went for. We paid cash via bank and never felt like they didn't like it.
Since then Dave has kept in touch but not pushy and we have had no problems with a little warranty work.