Tale of 3 dealers

[bladerunner]

Riding back from Reading (Coopers has now closed - thanks guys) to Cardiff, I stopped off in North Oxford BMW with a shopping list close to £800. Finding that they couldn't be bothered to serve me I continued home.

I phoned nice Peter in his final days in Cardiff Rydales. He didn't have the goods but did phone Bath Road motorcycles, Bristol who were kind enough to phone me back. I detoured to Bristol and was met by a lovely bunch of highly motavated and knowledgeble chaps. After a pleasant hour kicking tyres and chatting I happily gave them my business.


MESSAGE to BMW North Oxford.

I was you only customer, there were four of you.
PUT YOUR F*CKING COFFEE DOWN, STOP CHATTING TO EACH OTHER AND TREAT ME AS IF YOU WANT MY BUSINESS!!!!! I was there 10 minutes trying to gain your attention before you could be arsed to aknowledge my presence!!!!

 

[The White Rabbit]

You were lucky. Bath Rd seem to have been very overstretched last few times I have phoned / called in. Which I assume is due to Ryedales closure. Not knocking Bath Rd, always a fan but times seem to have changed a bit.

 

[Four Candles]

I was you only customer, there were four of you.
PUT YOUR F*CKING COFFEE DOWN, STOP CHATTING TO EACH OTHER AND TREAT ME AS IF YOU WANT MY BUSINESS!!!!! I was there 10 minutes trying to gain your attention before you could be arsed to aknowledge my presence!!!!

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

 

[Bob Jeffries]

I've never had any dealings with Bath Rd BMW, in fact didn't know they existed until bladerunner told me he'd got his neck brace from them.

I sent them an email yesterday asking about the BMW neck brace and within an hour had a call back with the info (awaiting delivery of stock, expected end of June/early July).

I was more than a little shocked, for all the times I had contacted Rydales I had never had a call returned, even when asking about buying a new GS, it always took an email to Peter to get any response, and in fairness he was good.

I'll be looking in at Bath Rd over the weekend.

 

[MMC]

MESSAGE to BMW North Oxford.

I was you only customer, there were four of you.
PUT YOUR F*CKING COFFEE DOWN, STOP CHATTING TO EACH OTHER AND TREAT ME AS IF YOU WANT MY BUSINESS!!!!! I was there 10 minutes trying to gain your attention before you could be arsed to aknowledge my presence!!!!

Blimey! That really surprises me.

Every time I've been into NOG everyone's been absolutely excellent and often gone way beyond the call of duty. Nothing's ever too much trouble (OK, I know they're humouring me ) but it's unusual not to get offered a cuppa while I'm there from the coffee bar.

Think you hit a bad day. I'd deffo give 'em another go.

 

[Deleted account 231211001]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

I must disagree with you here friend,

Join in with the chat? I'm a customer, not their mate. I don't want them to read my mind, just acknowledge the fact that I am there to give them my hard earned, and help me to choose products with the aid of their specialist knowledge, not be their buddy.
A sales organisation only exists to serve its clientele. Not the other way round. As has been proved in the original post, being ignored by staff is a surefire way to lose business.
Another example: Gert Heinricke in Manchester about 2 years ago. I walk in with my wife. Shop is empty except for the staff playing Playstation. Playstation is much more interesting than customers. I never go back.
I go to small independant dealer and spend £700 on kit for my wife.
He welcomes us in, chats first, does not judge us (not the usual BM hater!) but advises, lets us make the decision and then liberates my cash

 

[jimbo]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

That's spirit, customers should think themselves lucky to be allowed into a nice clean shop. Surely they don't expect paid salesmen to interupt a good cup of coffee.

 

[SilverBobGS]

Reminds me of the time that I went into Bristol Street Motors in Cheltenham to buy a new XR4 4x4 estate. After 1/2 hour wandering round the dealers actually trying to find a member of staff, one eventually deemed it nessessary to appear to get rid of the customer. After promising to send the paperwork regarding finance to my home I was dissmissed. Guess what, it never came. So Nissan got my buissness.
Salesmen are just that, the exist to serve the customer and companys that train their staff right have return custom. The choice out there is now even better for us the customer, I allways walk when I dont get good service.
I think you must have had a bad day at North Oxford, they are normally very good.

 

[graham h]

Mercedes

Reminds me of the time that I went into Bristol Street Motors in Cheltenham to buy a new XR4 4x4 estate. After 1/2 hour wandering round the dealers actually trying to find a member of staff, one eventually deemed it nessessary to appear to get rid of the customer. After promising to send the paperwork regarding finance to my home I was dissmissed. Guess what, it never came. So Nissan got my buissness.
Salesmen are just that, the exist to serve the customer and companys that train their staff right have return custom. The choice out there is now even better for us the customer, I allways walk when I dont get good service.
I think you must have had a bad day at North Oxford, they are normally very good.

You think thats bad a customer frend of mine went in to the main Mercedes Dealer in Bristol sat in a £109,000! motor with a veiw to purchase and not one sales person could be bothered toask if he needed any help so he voted with his feet and purchased a Bently

PS Try BVMO-MOTO Stroud ALWAYS! polite and helpful and the odd free coffee

 

[Shep]

Not in the bike business myself, but over the past 30 years in a shop dealing with customers, I've tried varied approach techniques, the best for me, by far, is to ask the potential customer if they need any help as soon as they enter the shop, but this dosn't work for everybody and a few, maybe 1 in 10, totally switch off if approached like this.

I prefer to get the intro over and done with and some idea of their needs ASAP this way it saves me time, but maybe NOG have found the opposite over the years

I've found NOG very good over the few times i've used them, and would be very surprised if they had deliberatley ignored you had you approached them.

Shep

 

[Steptoe]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

Try running your own business using that logic. Or do you run your business along those lines ?

My feelings are anyone who walks through the door, should be approached, and asked if they need help, and put at ease and feel free to walk around and browse etc, and if they have, or need any questions answered or to talk, to come and see me.

Salesmen following people around asking questions or pitching is a no no , and ignoring or waiting for the customer to make the first approach comes across as being a touch arrogant/aloof.

This doesn't apply to any PM's i may receive !!!! .

 

[BAKERMAN]

Just to one Sir, anything for lunch, this Burn`t cob will eat like a nut, nice with some mature Cheddar and some pickled onion !

Works for me

 

[Monsieur]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

Bike dealers, newsagent, pub, greengrocers....
Doesn't matter where I go if I don't get the service I want then I go elsewhere. I won't spend any of my hard-earned money if a salesperson can't be bothered to be attentive, respectful and informative

 

[bladerunner]

The point of my rant was the big difference between the 3 dealers.

OK, Peter knows me, but I was impressed that he took the trouble to phone Bath Road - there was no sale in it for him.

Doubly impressed that Bath Road then phoned me and that's why they got the business.

Don't think I was being priggish - speak to anyone me! I had a lovely chat with the boys in Bristol - to such an extent I was worried I'd get caught out with parking outside.

It was just that I was outnumbered 4:1 in Oxford and there was no other customer. I have worked in shops and can tell if they are busy or not. But they did see me and continued talking amongst themselves. Is the onus really on me to make the first move?? If they are like that for a simple purchase, how would they be if you had problems? I may have caught them on a bad day, but it certainly wasn't because they were overworked.

Similar to merc/bentley above; a friend went into BMW with cash to buy a 3 series some years back. After 10 minutes he thought f*ckit and went round the corner and bought a VW GTI !

 

[JDH]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

Of course they're not mind readers, but just like any other sales person the idea is they acknowledge the customer and ask how they can help. Nothing priggish about expecting a modicum of courtesy when you are going in to spend some of your hard-earned. I would have walked out as well, certain in the knowledge that their is a dealer elsewhere with a basic understanding of what constitutes customer service. Something that seems to have escaped your attention.

 

[The Bede]

... Personally I hate being shadowed by salesmen as frequently I just want a quiet browse. I tend to avoid going back to places "once bitten".

... But the smart salesman should suss that out pretty quickly. A quick "give us a shout if you've got any questions," or perhaps "are you looking for something in particular or are you just having a nosey?" from the sales staff acknowledges the customer, buys them a bit of time if they're dawdlers and gives the merchandise a chance to stark tweaking the ol' credit card. A few genial questions or comments, once the "mark" (erm I mean potential valued customer) has settled in, may just lubricate the progress of customer cash to company coffers. But totally failing to make contact will make even the most hardened sales-pitch-o-phobe wonder if it was worth calling in.

... If I do need something specific I never hesitate to let the salesperson know, then go off on my meandering.

... Surprised at NOG, though I'm sure there may have been a reason for what you observed. I've always had great service there and never hesitate to recommend them.

 

[Alan1963]

I went into my local BMW dealer to buy a spark plug and was caught short while there. They happily wiped my arse for me which was nice as I couldn't be bothered to do it myself!

If you want something TELL THEM what you want, I've never met a salesman yet with decent mind-reading skills! If there's 4 of them, join in with the chat, they're bikers just like the rest of us and would be quite happy for you to join in, don't be such a prig.
Four Candles

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I thought the purpose of sales people was to engage with prospects and customers, establish if they needed help, and/or what their needs were and to try to meet those needs. FFS it's not down to the customers. Vote with your feet - I do - several shops / dealers have lost plenty of my cash in the past for this attitude and funnily enough I always seem to find someone in another place that really wants my cash.