Dealership etiquette - approaching another salesman

[Strider]

I was test driving cars this weekend and I've narrowed it down to one car that I want to buy.

The person I dealt with at the dealership was assigned to me after I booked an appointment online. He was quite friendly and spent quite a bit of time out of his day to take me on the test drive and help me decide on options and price out a vehicle.

Unfortunately, I felt like he didn't really know the car or the options/packages (for instance, he told me that the sunroof comes standard on the upgraded engine model, but it turns out that it doesn't).

I also get the impression that I could get a better deal with a different salesperson.

At the same time, I feel bad if I went straight to someone else when I'm ready to pull the trigger and essentially wasted the first person's time.

Thoughts? Is there any appropriate etiquette in this situation?

[Masked Bandit]

Do you think you're going to find a car salesman that knows anything about cars? If you do let me know!

With that said this is how this guy feeds his family. If you already know what you need to know about the car I think you should proceed with the first guy. Besides, I don't think the sales guy actually has much authority to negotiate price. I think that's mostly up to the sales manager.

[Tik-Tok]

Not really.

Go to another salesperson, get better deal, feel bad for first salesperson but feel better about the better deal.

Either that or go to another dealership and go back and forth until you get the best deal you can. (assuming it's a new car)

[DGill]

If you already narrowed it down to the one car you want then it makes no sense switching salespeople based on their knowledge, it would be a dick move wasting the salespersons time to show you the car, take you for a test drive, price it out and then go to someone else to buy it. Just tell your salesperson that you feel that you can get a better deal somewhere else and that if he cant make it worth your while that you will go to someone else to buy it and see if you get a better deal that way :dunno: Hope this helps!

[Strider]

Originally posted by DGill
If you already narrowed it down to the one car you want then it makes no sense switching salespeople based on their knowledge

It's not so much deciding on a car, it's more being concerned about ordering the car and having it show up with the wrong trim or missing some options because he thought something was included...

[kvg]

Don't depend on someone else go online and check what options you want print it off and bring it in, this will leave out the guess work. Just negotiate harder with the original sales guy unless the guys a tool or you think he tried to mislead you, because at this point it really sounds like you want a better deal.:dunno:

Or go to another dealer.

[Sugarphreak]

..

[Type_S1]

OP...find another salesman. If the person selling you something does not know the product...tell him to eat shit and get better at his profession. I would go to another salesman that is atleast knowledgable on the product and could probably negotiate a better price. Even try going to another dealership and they might be better.

[kvg]

On a side note this is why salespeople at dealers get a bad name. People treat them like shit every day and they wonder why they don't get treated like gold. It must be one of the worst jobs, that being said some people are sketchy, but that could be said of any profession.

Just a thought, but yes he should just tell you if he doesn't know and go check.

[Pacman]

If you choose to be a professional salesperson , then you had better know your product and your competitors product inside and out.

If not, you run the risk of losing credibility and customers to a sales person that does.

I would walk on this guy, but let him know why before you do. Perhaps he will take it as an opportunity to learn, so it won't happen again.

You are dropping a significant amount of money for a new car. Buy it from someone who cares enough to educate you properly.

[93mr2gt]

either talk to the sales manager about your situation and request for a different sales person, or just talk to a different sales person. The original sales person will most likely get half of the deal anyway. Make sure you let the new sales person know though. They all are 100% commission based, so you dont wanna screw the first guy that bad, afterall, he did spent a lot of time with you.

[adamc]

Originally posted by Pacman
If you choose to be a professional salesperson , then you had better know your product and your competitors product inside and out.

If not, you run the risk of losing credibility and customers to a sales person that does.

I would walk on this guy, but let him know why before you do. Perhaps he will take it as an opportunity to learn, so it won't happen again.

You are dropping a significant amount of money for a new car. Buy it from someone who cares enough to educate you properly.


QFT

[max_boost]

It is a bit awkward situation. Is it possible to go to another dealer?

I was looking for a Tribeca and Centaur didn't have what I wanted available and they didn't bother sourcing other dealers so it was left like that. I got in contact with Subaru Calgary through a referral and their sales guy went up and down the list of available units, what color etc. and gave me the whole breakdown. You definitely want your sales guy to step up his game and nail down the deal.

[crx/gsr]

what brand of vehicle are you looking for?

[Rat Fink]

.

[bignerd]

Any "deal" has to be approved by the manager so likely another salesman can't get you a better price as it has to go through the same person.

[g-m]

if your only job is to sell cars and you don't know anything about the cars you're selling... you have to be pretty dumb. There are labor jobs all over calgary that require very little thinking. If I'm going to do all the legwork, research, comparisons, etc, then I should get the fucking commission.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by g-m
if your only job is to sell cars and you don't know anything about the cars you're selling... you have to be pretty dumb. There are labor jobs all over calgary that require very little thinking. If I'm going to do all the legwork, research, comparisons, etc, then I should get the fucking commission. :/ Welcome to consumer sales. The best salespeople are the ones that know how to sell, not what they're selling. I don't know if it works the same way at higher levels but retail and car sales are more about selling skills than product knowledge.

Everybody thinks that they represent most customers but if you spend a couple days doing research on the product you want, you've done more than most people.

[zipdoa]

Product knowledge is certainly an asset, as is enthusiasm for the product.

Some of the wealthiest salespeople I know don't know shit about the product, they just know how to sell. IMO, it's unprofessional to try and sell someone their 2nd biggest purchase in life without knowing what you're selling.

Either way, I think you should at least give the salesman a heads up, he'll find out one way or another that you bought from someone else.

[Masked Bandit]

Everyone can say that it's unprofessional for a car salesperson to know little about cars but it's been my experience, time & time again, that car salespeople know alarmingly little about cars. I've often wondered why that it is but it is a constant across all dealerships and all brands of cars.

And it's just as bad or even worse when it comes to a bigger purchase like a house. Most of the guys that sell new homes couldn't build a dog house nevermind something to live in.

The best salesman I ever worked with was a guy at Brasso Nissan that had been on the job for three weeks. Prior to that he spend 10 years working in the shop (journeyman mechanic). That guy knew his cars inside out & backwards. He was fantastic.

[bignerd]

They also move from dealership to dealership, sellings Honda's one week and Nissan the next.

[VWEvo]

Originally posted by Pacman
If you choose to be a professional salesperson , then you had better know your product and your competitors product inside and out.

If not, you run the risk of losing credibility and customers to a sales person that does.

I would walk on this guy, but let him know why before you do. Perhaps he will take it as an opportunity to learn, so it won't happen again.

You are dropping a significant amount of money for a new car. Buy it from someone who cares enough to educate you properly.

^^^
What he said