I'm actively looking for a Focus/Astra for 'er indoors. Seen quite a few on AutoTrader and have e-mailed numerous dealer using the 'contact us' section on their websites. I used the e-maill option so I could give full details of my p/x and stress I was s erious buyer with cash waiting.
Not a single, solitary one has replied. They range from main dealers to independents. If they can't be bothered to make the effort to sell, what would they be like if there was a problem.
The financial crisis clearly can't be as bad as they say, as they must be awash with buyers.
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I think it is a failing endemic in many industries MLC. We run / own a small business supplying wholesale goods and services to high street retailers. We have an absolute rule that any E-mail or voicemail enquiry is responded to the same day and preferably within the hour. This applies whether it is a weekend, an evening, a public holiday or whatever.
Customers often express surprise and delight at this service. Perhaps not surprisingly, we often get their business as a result.
Can't understand why some businesses don't seem to make that connection but it is certainly common.
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If they do reply it will be within a couple of hours or not at all.
Some dealers are joining the internet revolution - you can request a service on given day with courtesy car and get a reply with details of available Times and prices within a hour (did this last week).
When looking for a Car, I e-mailed 6 dealers, all franchised, only 1 replied (same day) and was very helpful - guess where I bought my car from?
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Humphs and ST's replies are interesting. Client and supplying business.
It shows that old fashioned service isn't at all dead and buried, that a company/supplier values the customer enough to make the effort goes a long way in instilling confidence maybe.
I know how MLC feels, i'm exactly the same, if they arn't bothered to sell you a vehicle properly, i naturally assume they will be 100% even less interested in putting things right should they go wrong.
Hopefully the downturn will weed out the dross first.
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>Not a single, solitary one has replied.<
Doesn't surprise me. That has always been my experience with phone calls too. 'Call us, we won't call you' seems to be the usual motto. Especially after you have bought a car from them and you don't live nearby.
Edited by Andrew-T on 28/10/2008 at 11:12
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A lot of the attitude is dependant upon how the sales staff are incentivised!
If a salesman only earns proper money at point of sale (thereby not interested in after sales or tyre kickers) he will give you full attention only when he sniffs your money.
From experience, most people who tell you they are serious buyers with cash ready, aren't!
Poor management generally, which will result in such attitude at after sales and service time.
Old fashioned attitudes are usually dearer but better! Not every car thats cheaper is the better deal !
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In my experience, 9/10 actual sales result from a purchaser phoning the dealer - not the other way round.
Dealers figure that if you are interested in a car you will call them.
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They will want to see the p/x before anything else. Your best to just turn up at a couple of dealers with it.
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This is consistent with my experience of e-mailing several dozen MB dealers for a scarce part, using contact addresses off MB UK's website. Not one responded. That was when they werern't having to work for a living; perhaps things might change now, but I doubt it. Of course, it all flows from top management. In the business I ran, no phone was left for more than four rings; everyone knew it and everyone responded. Why? Simple: it could be a customer with a large order, and we all valued basic courtesy too.
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While the above is clearly true, right now all dealers need those extra sales.
They may have to work much harder for them of course, but who is the fool - the person who stays late to answer emails and calls people who have previously enquired, or the person who goes home at 5.30 because there are no customers?
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I visited a Honda Dealer and sat for 1 hour while they repaired my car, during that 1 hour the sales guys (3 of them) had 2 visits from people looking at a car and spend the rest of the time at the computer. Subsequent visits - saw the same sort of thing. So suspect they may not always stay late to e-mail people.
Many of us would prefer to get some expression of interest from a dealer from the comfort of our armchair rather than tour 4 or 5 windy cold forecourts miles apart to be told our part ex is worthless or that they "just sold" the car the other day.
The Dealer who did reply to my e-mail seems successful and cars do not stay on his forecourt for long, as he has a high turnover, he can undercut prices vs his rivals.
My local Ford dealer revamped their internet site recently to include prominent e-mail and online servicing bookings - so I guess things are changing.
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Send an email to my website (SNIP - please email HJ and ask permission before promoting your website in his forum - DD) and you will get an instant reply thanking you and telling you we will be in touch. You will then be contacted by phone or email (your choice) as soon as I see the message. Unfortunately email enquiries often need a bit of effort and time before a useful response can be made. What amazes me is the number of times I do some work for someone and they don't even have the courtesy to reply. "Not even a simple thanks for the info". I am left thinking maybe they did not get the response, which would make me seem unprofessional.
Just because we communicate electronically these days it does not mean we have to abandon common courtesy and manners.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/11/2008 at 13:50
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>Just because we communicate electronically these days it does not mean we have to abandon common courtesy and manners.<
But since Email is a one-way system it is no more reliable than sending a postcard, just quicker. You are never sure it arrived unless it is acknowledged. I suppose this allows the lazy operators to just ignore them without worrying. At least with a phone call you know there is someone at the other end. Unreturned calls are more annoying IMO.
Edited by Andrew-T on 04/11/2008 at 15:29
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"You are never sure it arrived unless it is acknowledged."
If it isn't delivered, it bounces back. Only if you have this facility switched off on your account at your ISP does this not work. Do correct me if I am wrong about this.
Phone calls? Two thirds of business phone calls fail to hit target. The apparent efficiency of the telephone is illusory.
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re "If it isn't delivered, it bounces back. Only if you have this facility switched off on your account at your ISP does this not work. Do correct me if I am wrong about this."
you are wrong about this
you have no guarantee an email got there unless you get an acknowlegement from a human
bounce back from ISP only traps some types of email transmission problem
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Thanks for that. I stand corrected.
I would also say that all the e-mails I have followed up for want of a response have proved to have been received, the absence of a response being predictably in the recipient's efficiency domain.
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If you go to Outlook Express's Tools>Options>Receipts tab and check the "Request a read receipt for all sent messages", you will be aware if an e-mail has been received and read.
An e-mail can be bounced back for various reasons, including a slight error in the recipient(s) e-mail address.
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I recently bought an approved used VW - by chance I emailed the dealer late on Aug 31st, so my email arrived on one of the worst days possible. I got his reply by 9.10am on Sept 1st and during the day we did email tennis and i'd paid my deposit.
So some dealers do email well.
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STUARTLI.....I have received, read, understood and acted upon your post.
Thanks for the tip.
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>Request a read receipt for all sent messages<
But this only prompts the recipient to acknowledge - it doesn't do it automatically? Recipients can choose not to - I usually do.
Edited by Andrew-T on 05/11/2008 at 18:37
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"But this only prompts the recipient to acknowledge - it doesn't do it automatically? Recipients can choose not to - I usually do. "
And some email packages can be set to ignore such requests anyway.
If they don't want the business then they won't reply anyway. Best to find these things out early. If a company can't reply to an email for a potential sales for several/many thousands of pounds, then how are they going to respond to a post-sales problem?
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"Request a read receipt for all sent messages", you will be aware if an e-mail has been received and read.
Sturatli - As others have said, does that not depend on the receipient to click on a pop-up to acknowledge receipt?
Edited by jbif on 06/11/2008 at 10:08
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Edited by L'escargot on 06/11/2008 at 07:36
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Does the above indicate agreement? It?s new to me.
Clk Sec
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>> . >> Does the above indicate agreement? It?s new to me. >> Clk Sec
;-) No, I think it means L'escargot censored his own message!
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STUARTLI.....Further to your suggestion re how to request acknowledgments to all e-mails.
I noted your point but would not want to do this with *all* my mail....and it is a bit of a pain to go through the motions of switching the facility on and then off for occasional use.
However, by chance, I have discovered a quicker way to achieve the desired end!
On the *New Message form itself* click Tools and in the drop-down box click 'Request Read Receipt'.
This action then applies simply to the *one* message.
I live and learn :o)
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