VW/Audi dealer - Better up your game!

gilbert_and_sullivan

worried_jim wrote: »

I used to work for a Lord and he was a scruffy git despite the obscene wealth and he was blanked in an Audi dealership so he went next door into Volvo and the chap said "Good morning" to which my boss replied "I'll take two of those estates".

Funny you should say that, i know a chap who into properties big time, but you'd never know it, he was told in the BMW dealership to come back when he could afford one.

Had the gobby idiot the intelligence to look out the window at his unpretentious car they'd have realised his number plate, which is one of the most desirable for his profession, was worth about the same as a brand new 7 series, he could probably have bought the dealership on his debit card.

Sharp suited on the outside sales boy not very sharp on the inside.
He didn't go back either.

tberry6686

WellKnownSid wrote: »

The Tesla isn't boring, though, and some way ahead of traditional manufacturers.
The only reason why we don't yet have viable, low-cost, ultra-high performance electric vehicles from every manufacturer is because it just doesn't suit their revenue model.
How much did the Tesla cost to develop from scratch - $3bn? That's less than a week's turnover at VW.

I will guarantee that if VW had developed the Tesla cars the development costs would have been massively higher. One thing I have learned in my job is that the bigger the company the more everything costs.

One example I have is a company decided to stop development work on a mature project as each little improvement would cost a minimum of £20m and would be uneconomical. They sold the project to a much smaller company who made the improvements for £2m each and made a packet in the process.

It is the bureaucracy that eats the money in development and the bigger the company the more pen pushers they have.

WellKnownSid

In my experience - there is also a culture in Germany that values headcount above innovation.

To that end, one wonders how the buying experience will change when Apple introduce the iCar / Apple Car / whatever in a few short years.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

what I have seen is that Inner city dealerships tend to have a poor retail sales attitude because theyr'e in a prime location centered around allot of company car and fleet buyers as their "main source of income" so sole retail customers come second to the big city company car and fleet sales customers, then motability customers, then the "off the street" retail buyer as they can afford to lose retail customers as apposed to business to business custom.


switch to the outer boundary or little but well established well known small town dealer who's main sales income is motability and the odd company car, they don't tend to ignore the off the street retail customer and try to keep appointments as best they can as all sales help performance sales rates.

WellKnownSid

Let's not forget, if the public are buying motor vehicles - then it may be hard to miss your September target by August 31st.

October may be different - but in my experience, sales teams in any industry won't even start thinking about hitting their monthly target until about the 23rd.

49% of fleet managers were quoted as saying they'd "review VWG as suppliers" - but that might not happen until after the fixes are all finally in place. If it did there would be carnage at the dealerships and they might even start being nice to retail customers.

photome

motorguy wrote: »

Very poor. Very poor indeed.

Personally i'd have sat ten mins, then been over to them.

Also, now, personally, i'd be writing to the Dealer Principal and also contacting Audi UK asking is this the level of service you should be expecting from one of their dealers.

Genuinely - customer service these days is totally appalling

Agreed

I had a letter from the Hyundai garage I had been having my hyundai serviced at reminding me my service was due.

I called them to arrange the service, receptionist told me they were busy she took my number and why I was calling and said they would get back to me....they didnt....I went elsewhere

dannyrst

WellKnownSid wrote: »

The Tesla isn't boring, though, and some way ahead of traditional manufacturers.
The only reason why we don't yet have viable, low-cost, ultra-high performance electric vehicles from every manufacturer is because it just doesn't suit their revenue model.
How much did the Tesla cost to develop from scratch - $3bn? That's less than a week's turnover at VW.

Until the government put more money and time and effort into building quick charge points with companies like Tesla, none of the big car players will focus on electric cars. Hybrids will continue, but not fully electric cars. The government are making too much money from taxing petrol and diesel to be interested in spending money on quick charge points.

What is the point in spending $3bn developing a car that you can only travel 130 miles in before you have to turn around and come home?

You need the infrastructure in place around the country before the car companies will play with electricity for real.

WellKnownSid

dannyrst wrote: »

Until the government put more money and time and effort into building quick charge points with companies like Tesla, none of the big car players will focus on electric cars.

Agreed. I've seen several reports stating that out local council should NOT be funding charge points because they are massively under-utilised - but there's the chicken and egg. If you can't physically get there i.e. they're dotted around so remotely that none are within range of any other charge points, then how are they going to be used!!

My school run is 7,500 miles a year - right in the sweet spot for a Zoe or Leaf - but as yet I can't drive one home. Nearest dealer is 160 miles away. Nearest charging point is over 60 miles away

dannyrst wrote: »

Hybrids will continue, but not fully electric cars. The government are making too much money from taxing petrol and diesel to be interested in spending money on quick charge points.

What is the point in spending $3bn developing a car that you can only travel 130 miles in before you have to turn around and come home?

Manufacturers are making too much money servicing internal combustion engines more like. That's where hybrids score - they're actually MORE complex and are more likely to be going back to the main dealer when there is a problem because so few independents have the equipment and knowledge to work on them safely / without causing major damage.

Which comes back to the madness of main dealers. They insult you when you want to buy a car. They insult you (and overcharge you) when you want to service / repair it. Result - you won't step foot inside a main dealer beyond the first MoT.

The solution from the manufacturers? Invest only in car technologies that force you to go back to the main dealer.

csgohan4

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Funny you should say that, i know a chap who into properties big time, but you'd never know it, he was told in the BMW dealership to come back when he could afford one.

Had the gobby idiot the intelligence to look out the window at his unpretentious car they'd have realised his number plate, which is one of the most desirable for his profession, was worth about the same as a brand new 7 series, he could probably have bought the dealership on his debit card.

Sharp suited on the outside sales boy not very sharp on the inside.
He didn't go back either.

If I were him, I would buy a Rolls Royce or Aston Martin and ask the same guy how many BMW's do you think I can buy with those cars.

movilogo

You can still watch House of Cars in BBC iPlayer.

Car salesmen are more nervous than you are! Even though they tend to show that they are in control actually it is the customer who are in control.