SEAT IMG - Sales Department..... oh dear!

[Goot]

Oh dear! Recommended a friend and his partner to go to SEAT IMG looking for a new car. They were after an automatic, mainly for his partner. Automatic so that my friend could also drive it (due to a disability).

I was very surprised to hear the experience they've had on TWO visits to the Sales Department at IMG. Think they were told they needed to speak to someone who was on holiday the first visit, come back on xxxx

So they went back on xxxx and person was still on holiday. Now, at this point they were speaking to someone else. The name mentioned was Dave (not sure if this was dlever?).

Anyway, they were not happy with the experience and lack of professionalism from IMG as a whole, and they felt they were being fobbed off and IMG weren't bothered

To be honest, I think you've lost at sale.
I've asked them to possibly give it another go and if they get fobbed off again to start asking to see someone at Management level.

Whether they go back again I don't know?

Servicing / Parts - SEAT IMG have come a long way.

Sales - has this improved at all? Sounds like the same kind of attitude I had when I was looking to purchase my Leon (3yrs ago) and ended up going elsewhere.

I just hope this is a one off?

Goot.

 

[LEON_FR]

Lot of dealers like that mate i got told "no way a 21 year old can afford this mate, so come back when you a bit older". So i went to LC Charles then to SEAT Stoke to show em my new car!!
His face priceless!!!!!!!!!

 

[Redcupra20vt]

things like this really hack me off they way i get treated at dealerships.

We went to a ford dealer to look at a focus ST, the salesman couldnt be arsed and i got the impression he thought i wasnt serious. well mate you have just lost a sale.

I am now looking at the astra VXR, lets hope i can get a test drive in one of those without the salesmen being nobs.

On the other hand, when i bought the ibiza iwas 21 and the salesman at westerham gave me the keys, let me go out for an hour or so no probs. why cant all dealers take me seriously?

Paul

 

[Scotty_b]

I had the same problem when i bought the R. Went into cheshunt and they gave me the "Right you want to buy the R then" I now take it back ever so often for them to see and work on! The boss was very very pissed off the salesman let me walk away with my cash still in my pocket and gives the salesman an evil every time i see them!

 

[Goot]

Why is it dealerships just can't get it right? One department seems to get it right and then let down heavily by others. You'd think Sales would be spot on!

My own experience was a certain salesman at IMG 3yrs ago. Went in said I was interested in the Leon. Like to drive a 110bhp TDI. No problem sir, we'll get on in for you next week. Turn up, look at the car - its the 90bhp model! Oh, we couldn't get one - the 90 is the same as the 110, little performance difference! Walked away, told him he hadnt a clue what he was talking about - typical salesman!

Month later, after test driving a 110tdi at Lookers Manchester who were excellent for pre-sales (hint IMG HINT!!!), had the unfortunate pleasure of the same sales guy. Right, I'm ready to buy, what can you offer me discount wise? Nothing. OK, I can import the car for £3.5k below list price, surely you can offer me something. NO, you will never get the car at that price. You're lying! He was proved wrong - muppet!

He was in there last time I was looking around cars and politely told him I wanted to speak to someone who knew what they are talking about.

I have no problem complaining up to Management level in a crowded sales environment as the Servicing department are fully aware - and I mean straight past the servicing manager and straight to the big man himself.
The servicing side have dramatically improved since then and a credit to IMG.
Whether my actions were part of that I don't know.....

Dave, I would be interested to know (and happy for this to be private off list - PM if required) if you could find out what happened recently with my friends visit. I've gladly promoted IMG in recent months, but the sales team don't seem to understand customer needs at all - in 3yrs it seems nothings changed? In fact my friends visit was so badly handled by IMG Sales, that it's effected his other choice of car: Mazda! Double blow that one - ouch!

Might be worth mentioning this to your Management team, to make sure this isn't a regular occurance. If it does go to MrG, I'm happy for you to mention me (he knows me as Goot). I'd hate to see all that hard work the family have put in to create a fantastic business only to be let down by certain sales staff.

After all, if you don't get the sales... well we know the outcome all to well.
SEAT IMG is a credit to SEAT but please sort out the sales side of things - the most customer facing people in the business!

Goot

 

[Paul TDI]

I did a similar thing with Lookers when they were in Trafford Park. before they moved and sorted themselves out. Pre sales they were brilliant, test drove the cupra tdi no problem.

When it came to sales time, (was dealing with the old sales manager too) he wouldn't budge on price (wanted £50 off the brand new list price on a 6 month old 6k demo car), and tried to rip me off on trade in values too. I took a quote in on a brand new car from another dealership, which was some £800 cheaper than their price of a "2nd hand" car. He eventually beat the price of a new one, but only by £50, which didn't interest me one bit.

I walked out, he lost a sale. I came back a few days later in my shiney brand new Cupra TDI, parked it right outside his office and made a point of asking him directly where his parts department was, because I wanted to buy some bits for my new car.

 

[Trumpetman21]

Img.

My brother was interested in buying a Cupra TDI similar to mine but he's been to IMG with his missus twice now and they just are not interested in selling him a car - I thought he may have been doing something wrong but upon reading this thread it seems it's a regular occurence....

SEAT - nice cars, shame about the dealers!!!!

 

[Copra]

Its stuid this age thing. I was 22 when i purchased my mazda rx8 and i went to two dealers. they were both very helpfull and professional. Seat have given me the cold shoulder before though, infact the place in oxford wouldnt even let me test drive thier ibiza cupra tdi when i was looking for a new car. So i made a complaint to seat and got them in a bit of trouble. Wont be going back there!

 

[Blue Monday]

Had a similar experiance, spoke to IMG re a test drive of a Ibiza FR TDI and they told me the best they can do is let me drive up and down the road in an unregistered one. So went to Lookers stockport who were more than happy to let me loose in their Brand New demo FR TDI with only 6 miles on the clock and so i hapily added another 25 to it and then asked them to match SEAT direct on price, that was not a problem result just over £1000 off list! Another lost sale for IMG. Am a bit worried about lookers servicing reputaion though, as they were poor when it was MG Rover and it sound like there still no better!!!

 

[si-mate]

Had a similar experiance, spoke to IMG re a test drive of a Ibiza FR TDI and they told me the best they can do is let me drive up and down the road in an unregistered one. So went to Lookers stockport who were more than happy to let me loose in their Brand New demo FR TDI with only 6 miles on the clock and so i hapily added another 25 to it and then asked them to match SEAT direct on price, that was not a problem result just over £1000 off list! Another lost sale for IMG. Am a bit worried about lookers servicing reputaion though, as they were poor when it was MG Rover and it sound like there still no better!!!

Don't know whats worse, they can't be bothered to give you a proper test drive or let you out in someones brand new car.

 

[Blue Monday]

Don't know whats worse, they can't be bothered to give you a proper test drive or let you out in someones brand new car.

I thought that too! I would say its worse that they'd let me have a short drive in someones new car!

 

[rubble2]

I called in to IMG witha view to buying a Leon TDI Reference sport, fair enough the salesman gave me the keys to his 2.0TDI and let me have an unaccompanied test drive, but when it came to cutting a deal he wouldn't shift at all on discount. He was offering a reasonable price on my trade in (52 reg Bora 130 TDI sport), but hinted that he might have to reduce his offer by £200 because of a 20p size ding in the bonnet. Upshot is he was happy to let me walk away without trying to come to any compromise on price. Drove over to Arnold Clark in Liverpool, and was offered a pre registered Reference sport for nearly 2k off the list price, slightly lower trade in on my vehicle but no hint of the 'damage' affecting the price. Bought the car from them, saved some cash.

 

[papdog]

Probably going to open a can of worms with this but here we go anyway.....

I am one of the so called "muppets" who is a salesman for a Seat dealer. Some of the dealers are absolutely terrible, won't let you test drive on age issues and so on. That is something we never do, but then we don't do unaccompanied demo's as our insurance won't let us unless the customer insures it on their own policy.

Fair play, a large majority of the customers who come in are looking to buy and car and that is fine, you are always taught to never pre-judge people who come in the door. Problem is, human nature says this is very difficult to do, and we do get "test pilots", who have no intention of buying a car, or haven't got the funds required and know this when they walk in the door.

From my side of things, if I am taking a "test pilot" out, then they could be stopping me selling a car to someone who does want to buy a car, and as I'm sure you are all aware we are paid on comission, so it can lose me money.

Not trying to argue the points made above, as there are some dealers who don't seem to want to sell cars. Can't understand it myself, no cars sold = no pay!

As far as the driving in an unregistered car, not all of the cars on site are someones new car. The car could have been a stock vehicle which we all have to keep and order on a monthly basis.

Hope this sheds some light!