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Questions About Test Driving
I'm curious. When you test drive a car, does the
salesman go along? I remember when I purchased my
first car (8 yrs ago), the salesman took some info,
gave me the keys and sent me on my way. I've been
on several recently, and the salesman has always
accompanied me.
I'd really like to try the car out without a
salesman presence. I don't need a sales
presentation while I'm driving. I'd also like to
spend more than the five minutes or so that they
usually spend.
salesman go along? I remember when I purchased my
first car (8 yrs ago), the salesman took some info,
gave me the keys and sent me on my way. I've been
on several recently, and the salesman has always
accompanied me.
I'd really like to try the car out without a
salesman presence. I don't need a sales
presentation while I'm driving. I'd also like to
spend more than the five minutes or so that they
usually spend.
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Comments
I think salespeople can be very helpful and cooperative when they know they have an interested party. If you're just a tire-kicker, they are going to annoy you right out of that car, and I can't say as I blame them if you're going to diddle all the day long. My method has always been to go from short test ride to longer ride to vehicle check out to price haggling, often all in the same day. These steps all keep the salesperson interested in you.
good luck,
Joe t.
There is a slight problem that I feel will effect
my ability to negotiate a good price. The dealership does not have any of the new models
on the lot yet.
They expect 2 Firebrid's to arrive in about six weeks. This puts me a bad position as far as the supply and demand factor.
I am wanting to order a new one, if I like the test drive. Since I am going to possibly order a Firebird as opposed to buying an existing one from the lot, does this place me in a better bargaining position?
Any suggestions on this one? Thank you.
-how did you decide you wanted one, before a test drive? (jeez, I don't even buy pants without testing them out first
-you may get a better deal ordering one - they have no inventory cost, it just rolls off the truck and into your garage.
I always take my clients on a "loop" that includes freewys and surface streets. If they want to go farther, no problem.
Also, please, don't ask to drive a car that you have no intension of buying !! This happens often, and as a result, most salesmen really don't like to go on test drives. It's no fun to waste hours driving three different cars when the customer "Will be in the market next year" Or, worse yet " I went bankrupt last year, does that matter?"
Otherwise, I'm always delighted to take a client out. I keep quiet, answer questions and let the Hondas sell themselves.
Secondly, any competent salesman who is confident in the product would not hesitate to take folks on test drives, even if they're not "ready to buy today." Why not pass out a business card, build a relationship, and possibly have a sale in a few months? On another note, I for one think it's valuable to be able to compare cars, i.e. if I'm looking at a top-o'-the-line Civic, I may want to test out an Accord, to see if it's worth the extra cash. Are you telling me you wouldn't accomodate such a request?
Sigh... I guess all Honda salespeople are alike.
You sure mis read my post! Most of my sales are to "be backs". These are to people that have spent time with me in the past and were impressed enough to come back and see me.
If somebody wants to drive five different cars, no problem. I just hope that you are serious.
I have to wonder if you have ever worked on straight commission. If you have, I wonder how you would like to waste time going on test drives with people who are killing time before a movie starts, or are whose credit is so bad that they are one step away from disaster?
This happens, and it's no fun! For the most part, however, test drives are an enjoyable way for me to get to know my customers and establish rapport with them. Hope you can understand.
You're right, you have all the answers!
I'm sure I can really learn from a guy like you!
you can always convince the dealership to
post a sign like:
UNLESS YOU HAVE STERLING CREDIT YOU
ARE NOT WELCOME
A TEST DRIVE CONSTITUTES AN AGREEMENT
TO BUY UNDER MY TERMS
tonyg
Shame on the dealer who treated you that way. You are right. As far as test drives go, I do take the good with the bad, and I really don't mind at all the opportunity to take a customer on a test drive. How else can the car do a good job of selling itself?
I'll shut up now, because I know that unless you have been in the business, it's hard to understand. As far as posting signs - Give me a break! I am quite good at converting a causal shopper into a happy, satisfied customer. I cannot, however, repair a horrible credit record or
sell a 20,000 car to an 18 year old who has no cash, credit, or even a job.
I cheerfully take the bad along with the good. I enjoy what I do, and am quite successful. I guess I did a bad job of explaining.
I don't think it is a matter of poor explaining. I doubt there is a good way to explain it. It's probably something that one in the business is better off not discussing, because it comes out like, "if you're not going to buy from me now, leave me alone".
Anyone who is successful in leasing or selling anything has likely mastered the screening process. If done properly, it benefits all parties involved. A good sales person can save someone a lot of time if that person is looking at a $20,000 car, but isn't going to be able to qualify for a $10,000 loan. Also, if it's obvious that a person is looking now, but won't be in the market for a few months, a good sales person can start the "goodwill" process with minimal time expended. If the customer decides to buy down the road, there is a good chance that they will return to the place where they had the most pleasant previous experience. Judging from your previous posts, it sounds like this is the way you operate.
Unfortunately, there are way too many people in your line of work that don't operate that way and it makes it a lot tougher on the good sales people. I'm guessing that most of us who visit this site have had unpleasant experiences at auto dealers in the past. We're here to try to level the playing field. The sales person is the bad guy. You didn't have a chance with this crowd on the customer-screening issue, even if you are one of the good "bad guys". By the way, I think it's great that you're visiting this site. If I was a car sales person, I would be in every chat area I could find on the web to get a better feel for what the consumers were talking about. With all the information now available to car buyers, it's going to continue to get tougher for sales people to make great deals. Hopefully, that will weed out some of the really "bad guys".
Thanks, you did a great job of explaining things.
I know that I'm lucky to work for a first class, family owned dealership. I am a corporate excapee and have been doing this for three years. I can sure tell by the many posts that bad experiences abound in this business. In my former life, I purchased many cars and I guess I was lucky in most of my dealings. If I felt uncomfortable or disliked the salesperson, I walked out.
Thanks for your perspective, Brutus!
1. Honesty - It's always important to be upfront and honest in your dealings with customers. You will gain tremendous respect from it.
2. People Skills - Always treat people with the same respect that you would like to receive. It's never in anyone's interest to be treated otherwise.
3. Product Knowledge - The more you know, the more convincing you will be.
Proper training and good attitude on the part of the sales staff should reverse the negative opinions many people have when buying new cars.
In defense of isellhondas, potential buyers should also respect the salesperson's time.
If the person has no intention of buying the vehicle other than to take a joy ride, then
that person is at the wrong place, Hertz or Avis would probably be more appropriate.
-Accordian
Here in central New Jersey I have had great experiences. I have taken cars out by myself and with a salesman. Yes they all asked politely if I would like to buy today, and asked my opinion of the car. When I said I wasn't ready they simply thanked me and gave me a business card. Two of the three dealers followed up in three days time with a thank you note in the mail and another copy of their cards hoping to do business in the future. I will seriously consider them when I am ready to buy.
They'll all be taking aspirin and going to bed early...
I have been in the market for a minivan for a few
months and have been waiting until I sell a vehicle. I have pretty much decided on the Sienna and the local Toyota dealer has been pretty gracious in letting me play with the few Siennas he has on the lot. I do have intent to buy, but not right away. But I do feel a duty to wait until days when he is slow and not take a vehicle out during a time when immediate buyers are likely. We have built a pretty good relationship and he has earned the right of being walked out on first (just kidding). If the salesman is good, I think he can size up immediate and future buyers from joyriders. I think I could do that with little or no training. Generally, I like to show them I know the vehicle almost as well as they do to establish my seriousness to buy. Generally, I think you should get all the test drives out of the way and decide on what you want on the vehicle, then take the one you plan on buying for a short spin to identify any sample defects right then. That is my position and I'm sticking to it! I think it works well for both parties.
Scott
eye on, but how do I do it without any obligations?
Should I just leave after doing test-drive or
what?
-Andrey
Some people waste salespeople's time by test driving cars they have no intension of buying.
Just make sure you pick cars that you would buy if they drive well for you and they fit in your budget.
Let the salesperson know what your time frame is and you really shouln't have any problems unless you hit one of the high pressure places.
Good Luck!
just ignore them after you get what you want.
They're used to that treatment.
I would just be honest with the salesperson. Tell him/her that you're trying to decide between different vehicles and that you want to test drive them all to help you decide. If you decide on the one he/she is selling, you will definitely call him/her back.
If the salesperson has a problem with that, try another dealer!!
Pam
How long should a test drive be? Most test drives I've been on are only 5 to 10 minutes long -- not enough time to decide on a vehicle that you're planning to keep for many years!
isellhondas, what say you about this? Should the test drive approximate what the customer will *actually* be doing with the vehicle? If they have a long commute, should they take the car on the expressway? Or a quick circle around the neighborhood where the dealer is located?
Not many salesman I've encountered are into long test drives.
I have a "loop" that I take my customers on. It is part freeway, part rural and part residential.
This is enough for most people but, once in awhile I'll get someone who wants to turn circles, go over speed bumps or other things.
The people I'll never understand are the people who insist on slamming on the brakes HARD, several times ??
There are some other wierd things a few people want to do also.
I won't permit excessive speed or abuse of the car. My life's at stake here!
I am in market looking for a minivan. So far, I have test driven Nissan Quest "over night" for 50 miles(the dealer volunteered it) and Fourty miles on a Chrysler T&C.
This is the car for my wife and she contantly drives on winding roads on the way to office. The salesmen seem not concern about how many miles we put on it. They are more interested if I am really in love with the car. Just drive the car to whatever conditions you might have in the future if you are serious.
I don't like to waste any salesman's time if I am not for real buying. Some of the cars' interior and styling would turn you off even before test drive. That should help to make a long list short.
Harry
sounds like you've run across some good salesmen (trusting, too!)
isellhondas -
my wife is a strange one. When we test drive a car, she insists on doing a U-turn on a residential street to get a feel for the turning radius. Why that's important to her, I don't know.
That's not strange. Running over road bottons at 50MPH, now, that's strange!
You will be sorry if you deal with this dealership
I agree with the others, this looks like a shady sales practice. Test drives are the RIGHT of the consumer. I also would withdraw the deposit and look for another dealer.