Wolfie Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'm trying to buy a car and am getting no help at all from sales people, who are presumably paid to sell cars to people just like me. I'm even making it really easy for them: 1. Visited a dealership on Sunday, gave them my requirements and asked them to find me a car. "Salesman" promised that he'd check group stock and get back to me first thing Monday. Nothing. 2. Saw a nice car online from another dealership but it's 90-odd miles away from me, so I emailed to ask a few questions (so as hopefully to avoid a wasted trip). Nothing. Emailed & called yesterday morning to chase. Nothing. I'd really like to tell both of them to shove it but I need a car. It just makes me mad to have to give my money to people who don't make any effort at all - assuming they ever to get back to me of course. I suppose it's highlighted it further because I've just returned from the USA, where the customer really is king - at least in my experience. I know we joke about the "have a nice day" thing but it's all part of a much nicer buying experience. Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal is a Ram Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Protip: avoid main dealers. Couldn't give two stuffs about the 'customer experience', but the money at the end of the deal. Seems to be the pattern with any profession where staff work on commission. Go to your local garage if you can. Customer service on the whole seems to be on the decline in the UK. I hate automated machines, I hate speaking to outsourced call centres, and I hate trying to speak to 'technical support' who know nothing but to turn it off and back on again. Especially when I work in IT myself, and that is the first thing I know to try, and anyone has tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyinLiverpool Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Other car dealers are available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsilks Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 England generally is one of the worst countries for customer service. The USA have a good service industry as does Japan but in England, folks seem to be of the opinion it's beneath them to offer a good customer service. You walk into a restaurant here and you are greeted with a bow. They have one or two staff to bow when you even enter the car park. A shop would have 6~7 staff whereby a typical English shop would have one spotty staff member in the corner who is too busy sending texts to their friends than giving the customer good service. Living outside of the UK really does make you realise just how much better other countries treat their customers. And then the British government wonder why some tiny American states have an economy larger than the entire country of England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardifframs Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Another joke company ,with abysmal customer service You know who you are Talk Talk !!! After 6-8 different calls with same problem,instead of we are really sorry,it's " would you like to upgrade to fibre optic broadband"? Every time!!! No,no,no,my mother would just like the normal broadband service,that she has been Paying for,for 3 years to work,you muppet! They then informed me,that we would have to pay for an engineers visit,cheeky *****! When I informed "john" that said modem was about to be placed in the road,and my car run over it,the engineers visit was now to be a "free" visit Bless you "john" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyinLiverpool Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'm trying to buy a car and am getting no help at all from sales people, who are presumably paid to sell cars to people just like me. I'm even making it really easy for them: 1. Visited a dealership on Sunday, gave them my requirements and asked them to find me a car. "Salesman" promised that he'd check group stock and get back to me first thing Monday. Nothing. 2. Saw a nice car online from another dealership but it's 90-odd miles away from me, so I emailed to ask a few questions (so as hopefully to avoid a wasted trip). Nothing. Emailed & called yesterday morning to chase. Nothing. I'd really like to tell both of them to shove it but I need a car. It just makes me mad to have to give my money to people who don't make any effort at all - assuming they ever to get back to me of course. I suppose it's highlighted it further because I've just returned from the USA, where the customer really is king - at least in my experience. I know we joke about the "have a nice day" thing but it's all part of a much nicer buying experience. Rant over. If you are still going to buy a car from them, how is anything going to change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cisse Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Car dealers everywhere are what they are. I've received excellent service in England where ever I've been. Although I don't need or want anyone bowing me when I enter the store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 The other problem in this country you have too many customers who expect everything on a plate for them.... Don't get me wrong there is times when customers are in the right to complain... But there's times when there's taking the p I s s. I've worked at two major fast food outlets and various service stations up and down the motorways and some of the c r a p I and many others had to deal with is disgusting. People never acknowledge good customer service over here, just the bad ones. It's like calling a call centre. Only 1% of the companies customers will phone up during the day. And maybe 0.10% is a complaint. Mistakes happen, what I tended to find though, and I don't mean this to be rude or patronising.... Customers who are salt of the earth or come from less well off areas or bought up not as well off are a lot better to deal with than some people are far more affluent.... Remember I was working in now defunct BK in Uttoxeter.... Had a reporter from the Daily Mail in. He knew full well that it was 'service station' prices. We were not a busy place so tended to cook everything from scratch. So I told him to sit down and I would bring his food to him. Five minutes later bought the food over and he started ranting at how much he was paying. Bearing in mind there was others in the restaurant. He then proceeded to say he was a journalist and he would contact the CEO of Granada (now Moto) personally as he knew him and tell him how filthy and poor our restaurant was. Which was rubbish as it was always pristine. He said that he had eaten at BK all over the world overlooking fantastic views etc. Once he threatened what he was going to do I asked him to leave. Agreed may not be most glamorous place in the world to work... But we had pride in our jobs. This guy was looking down at me just because I worked at BK. and whenever I worked in the customer service industry theajorty of complainants were like him, looking down on staff who they thought could intimidate. So I take what what said about spotty teenagers texting with a pinch of salt... Because many people who are affluent are just as bad, if not worse than people behind a counter who are trying to earn a living. Apologies to digress.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'd feel uncomfortable walking into a restaurant and staff bowing before me, just a nice smile, hello, here's our menu would do me just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanRam Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Their are some ********* over here in terms of customer service as well,but I do agree that overall customer service in the States is very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxram Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Ive had to call EE five times in the last week. Four of those five id say I was more than happy with the customer service. Twice I got through with no wait at all, well dealt with (Even though I was probably being one of those customers they hate) and my dealiings with DPD this week has been very good (when EE used my old adress). As for buying a car, have you tried carfile? company from before my time but my dad told me about them when I was looking. Local from Ashbourne I believe. http://www.carfile.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normanton End Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'm trying to buy a car and am getting no help at all from sales people, who are presumably paid to sell cars to people just like me. I'm even making it really easy for them: 1. Visited a dealership on Sunday, gave them my requirements and asked them to find me a car. "Salesman" promised that he'd check group stock and get back to me first thing Monday. Nothing. 2. Saw a nice car online from another dealership but it's 90-odd miles away from me, so I emailed to ask a few questions (so as hopefully to avoid a wasted trip). Nothing. Emailed & called yesterday morning to chase. Nothing. I'd really like to tell both of them to shove it but I need a car. It just makes me mad to have to give my money to people who don't make any effort at all - assuming they ever to get back to me of course. I suppose it's highlighted it further because I've just returned from the USA, where the customer really is king - at least in my experience. I know we joke about the "have a nice day" thing but it's all part of a much nicer buying experience. Rant over. Are you the Worzel Gummidge look alike who asked to test drive a Porsche Turbo S ? What you have to realize is that most customers are timewasters. They come in, look around, mess up stock, button hole your staff and then go off and buy it on the net. It is a numbers game. You concentrate on people who look as if they are going to buy something. Someone who looks like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards is almost certainly a timewaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 If you are still going to buy a car from them, how is anything going to change? True. Unfortunately I'm after a relatively unusual car (nearly new) and so don't have a lot of choice but to go to a dealer and those few who have one in stock. If I was after a 3 year old Mondeo, I'd have a much greater choice of who to give my business to. I'm going to have to deal with these people and that's why it annoys me so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mafiabob Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 True. Unfortunately I'm after a relatively unusual car (nearly new) and so don't have a lot of choice but to go to a dealer and those few who have one in stock. If I was after a 3 year old Mondeo, I'd have a much greater choice of who to give my business to. I'm going to have to deal with these people and that's why it annoys me so much. Ex Demo car? My Dad usually buys them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Ram Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I'd feel uncomfortable walking into a restaurant and staff bowing before me, just a nice smile, hello, here's our menu would do me just fine They arnt bowing you fool, they are thinking, there is that Daveo **** keep yer head down or the fooker will bore us to death with tales of the rouge software issues. Just an observation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Make sure they don't factor GAP insurance, scratch insurance and the like into the price. It's cheaper elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 To those who think our country is crap compared to others, keep away! We dunna want thee back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyBilly Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 And then the British government wonder why some tiny American states have an economy larger than the entire country of England. Trying to rack my brain, what States would they be then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanRam Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Trying to rack my brain, what States would they be then? http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/08/25/britain-is-poorer-than-any-us-state-yes-even-mississippi/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SillyBilly Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Customer service in the States is sometimes too good for me but I do think that might be my cynical British outlook mistaking friendliness for insincerity. I am the type to prefer to be left alone in shops and not to be bothered too much in a restaurant. It takes me a few days to adjust to America i.e. not recoiling in a shock when a stranger asks "how are you" or attempts conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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