Here’s a glaringly obvious statement: People aren’t getting cut out of the new car buying process anytime soon. Regardless of whether you buy from a manufacturer that does direct sales in a state that allows them or buy from a franchise dealership, you’ll probably encounter at least one salesperson, and the experience they provide can be a make-or-break for what you buy. Today on Autopian Asks, we want to know what sort of knowledge you expect to be met with when buying a new car.
If I walked into a showroom to buy a new car, I’d expect a salesperson to have decent product knowledge including which trim level offers which features and which color combinations are permitted, but that’s all stuff that’s easy to glean from an automaker’s website. I reckon it’s more critical that salespeople are knowledgable about the business and ordering side of things. Current subvented rates, special programs, lead times, if a dealer trade is possible, what options are on constraint (meaning not easily available on configured orders), OEM extended warranty options, that sort of stuff.
Let’s use Volvo as an example. Outside of current finance and lease rates, Volvo has special programs for employees of some partner companies, first responders, teachers, members of the military, members of the American Bar Association, American Medical Association, and American Dental Association, as well as people who’ve participated or volunteered in select Volvo-sponsored New York Road Runners events. Assuming a customer’s a New York-based doctor who’s run in a Volvo-sponsored event, there could be serious cash on the hood of a new Volvo that a salesperson not knowledgable about these programs might not know about.
Another example is Porsche’s one-year extended service contract that it sells on top of the existing certified pre-owned warranty. With the same coverage as the two-year unlimited-mileage CPO warranty, it can be a prudent move for someone looking to put serious mileage on a gently used Porsche, but benefits and costs must be properly explained, along with the inspection process to determine eligibility.
Put simply, in the information age, customers know more than ever before about the vehicles they’re buying, but they’re less likely to know about the intricacies of a deal. So that’s what I want to see, though my bar’s not particularly high these days. What about technical things about a car, an understanding of the car in a greater context of the industry, historical context? What level of knowledge do you expect to be met with when you walk into a showroom?
Top graphic credit: Deposit Photos, Entertainment Earth
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The wagon market is so limited in the US my last couple purchases are basically just looking for a good spec and good price on a A4 or A6 allroad or a V60 or V90 so I don’t need them to know too much about the vehicles but want them to know how to efficiently put the deal together and not bullshit me with things I know are incorrect about their car.
For my last purchase we drove the full length of Long Island and were trading in two cars (one paid off and one with a loan) on a CPO A6 Allroad. The salesperson was great on the phone and by email and when we got there he not only knew about the car he was selling us but had also done a little research on the Honda Clarity PHEV we were trading in and with a short test drive we were in and out of the dealer in just over an hour.
On the other hand I called ahead to make an appointment at the local Volvo dealer which had both a V60 and V90 and when we got there the V60 was not cleaned and it took the salesperson over 10 minutes to even find the keys. He wasn’t actually sure what lot the V90 was at and it turns out it was parked backed halfway into a shrub at the back of their service/ overflow lot behind two other vehicles he didn’t have keys to move.
So I guess bare minimum I expect them to know where the keys and the car I am shopping for are located – beyond that don’t give me misinformation on a car I have clearly researched and make sure the whole team knows their role in getting me out the door with a different set of keys than I came in with.
Right! I forgot about the “finding the car on the lot” issue I had. When the Fiesta ST was discontinued, I was busy with a young family, and missed the announcement. Tried to test-drive a used one at the local Ford dealer. They had moved to an online format, and none of the salesmen even had desks. It took them forever to find the car, then said it was blocked-in, and would I like to test a regular Fiesta?
Needless to say, I refused the test drive, and only sat in it to realize what a cramped interior it was. So I guess I learned something.
I will say they respected that I told them it was our first stop and we were cross-shopping those two Volvos and the Audis and didn’t try to lock me in on something or sell me an XC90 instead but I just can’t get over how unprepared they were to sell me a car.
If I drop in with no knowledge of the vehicles, I expect them to know what customers their vehicles are best suited to and to recommend me the right one for whatever theoretical “I need a car for” I posit. If I have done hours of research, I expect that I might know a few more details on a particular model than the salesperson does, but for them to still have a wider breadth of knowledge of their lineup. More importantly, because car buying in the States is still byzantine, I expect them to know everything about the purchase process, moreso than specific model details that change year-to-year anyway.
I actually think they should know about the stuff they sell. My dad used to train GM sales people until he retired. He would go to cities across western Canada and would have a few GM as well as competitor vehicles follow him on a car hauler.
Then he would conduct typically 3 day long working sessions with sales people to get them up to snuff on what features each of the vehicles had and things they should concentrate on when selling them to customers.
I expect a sales person to know their role in their organization. So likely they will know where to point someone if they don’t know something, but they should know how to move a sale along is a more important aspect. Also to not play the manager ping pong game. Just give the price you can and say yes or no.
Honestly with how many different small things change on the cars they should know the standards good and bad of their brand models and guide me to my price range or to my wanted features.
But I haven’t bought a car from a dealer in 10 years and not sure if I am any time soon anyways.
I expect almost no knowledge as usually I’m there to talk about some old car they have in their lot from a brand they don’t sell.
I have had salemen try to badmouth the used car I’m buying, or even my trade!
The only salesperson I ever met that was quite acknowledgeable was with Polestar, they knew their things, they even setup the app on my phone and did the phone key fob setup that is difficult, too many steps and things to coordinate with keys, the phone and the car.
I don’t expect nothing from Chevy dealers specially with EVs, when I got the Equinox EV the sales guy mentioned that was the quickest sale he ever had. I got there, told him which one I wanted, here are my supplier code + costco code + lease loyalty information + bolt euv registration + GM credit card. Give me the price and all good, sign and drive lol
Had one sales guy try to explain how the s2000 was turbocharged… It was used, and not at a Honda dealership to be fair but they were still selling new at the time and that’s what he lead with, unprompted. I’d generally hope for better than that, but not by much.
I expect nothing and usually get that. We had an Audi salesman tell us that you push the traction control button (which defaults to on, thereby telling us to turn it off) when you need extra traction like driving in the rain. That is usually our experience.
A local Lexus dealer has product specialists that are very knowledgeable on the products. On the test drive they can go over every single feature of the car and answer any questions. They can explain the option packages down to the tiniest detail. They do not deal with pricing, financing or deals. Once you have found the car you want, you talk to the finance guys who will break down every possible deal that Lexus or that dealership has going at the moment.
I expect them to talk to me and not my husband! Fletcher Jones Mercedes Benz of Newport Beach, I’m calling you out on it.
I also don’t expect hard sell tactics.
I generally find that I know more about the car than most salespeople. What I’d like to know is exactly how each car is equipped. Some options are bundled in curious ways that can make car configurators a little frustrating to use. I bought factory CPO for my most recent car, as did my husband. We saved a little depreciation, and we got a little more extended warranty.
I am amazed that this country still disrespects women by default. And that so many men are blind to the behavior.
My mechanic is excellent about treating all of their customers with respect and intelligence. It’s a shame that I have to even mention this as exceptional.
I expect them to be familiar with the various options for the product they’re selling! Way back in 2003, I remember Dad coming back from a Jeep dealership and telling me the sales guy had insisted there was no such thing as a new hard top Wrangler, that all the hard tops he saw were aftermarket products.
I expect nothing at best, and for them to be actively wrong about things at worst.
I don’t expect much technical knowledge of the cars, I do expect them to know how to put a deal together. But I never need to be “sold” on anything, I have done my homework first and know what I want. Make it happen at a price I am comfortable with, or don’t, I have never NEEDED to buy a car – but they generally need to sell one if they want to eat.
I honestly don’t care if they know about the product beyond the basics. If I’m actually going into a dealership, it’s because I’ve been researching the exact vehicle I am looking at for at least 5 or 6 months, so I guarantee I already know everything about every tiny technical detail better than they do.
What I want is for them to be pleasant, not pushy, and allow me to check it out on my own and ask questions if I feel I need to. Likely about availability and lead times since they’re almost definitely not going to have the exact spec I want.
Beyond that, yeah… I want them to know everything about the financial side of things, because that’s what their job is. It’s to arrange paperwork. If I’m in a dealership, I already know the exact spec/options/etc that I want, and I’m just there to drive something similar and make sure I want the vehicle prior to placing an order.
I expect them to know the cars relatively well, and I expect them to know the deals.
Beyond that, I like them to treat me like I’m a human and not a target (and I walk in assuming they’re not vultures until proven otherwise).
They need to know their products inside and out. A salesperson who knows less about their own cars than I do is a problem.
I also want them to know the field almost as well as their own brand. What do their customers cross-shop? Why should the customers choose this brand vs the competition?
Salespeople for specialised items, including software / SaaS, are expected to know all that. Are car salespeople? It hasn’t been my experience, but it’s been a while since I bought a car that wasn’t a specific model I knew I wanted and wasn’t cross-shopping with anything else.
Sadly I don’t expect much, but I’d at least like it if they knew their current deals. When we recently walked into the Honda dealer and leased our Prologue, it was due to the deals listed on Honda’s site, after putting in our zip code.
The salesman was friendly enough and we got the deal, but we had to show it to him, then he had to go talk to his ‘manager’ to get us the deal. Like it’s literally posted on your site, I just want the deal that’s advertised, crazy.
I wasn’t expecting him to even know if the Prologue was electric or not but at least be familiar with the current deals. It’s like walking into a restaurant and asking the waiter what the specials are, if a kid making less than minimum wage can keep notes on that in their order pad, a guy making commission on $60k cars can at least do that.
I expect nothing. On occasion I am pleasantly surprised. And a time or two it has influenced a sale. But that’s just an added bonus.
that said, having lived in the same town for 20+ years, there are three sales people that I have actually purchased new cars from multiple times. Biggest advantage was very easy access to unlimited test drives.
I expect the salesperson to know how much the dealer actually paid for that sweet factory true coat.
If they also shed light on why the Finance guy requires me to visit his spider hole for an all cash sale, well that would be helpful too.
I expect them to be knowledgeable enough to make sure the paperwork has no errors regarding registration, titling, the associated fees. I have probably read everything regarding features I am looking for and reviews about the car already.
Other than that, I expect them to leave me alone and keep quiet if I ask to be left alone. If I walk into your dealership, I have already decided to buy something I saw online as long as the test drive goes well. During the test drive, I also expect you to let me drive it on a route of my choosing. If you must ride along, I expect silence while I test the sound system. I am very upfront in communicating this, because I am not playing games. I’m there for the purchase, not the process. I don’t even haggle. I want speed, not salesmanship. I have had salespersons say that they can’t accomodate my requests, and I say “ok” and leave. They usually then try to say that they ‘need to speak to their manageer’….but ***k that. We both know that they don’t. C-ya.
I never wait until I NEED a car to buy, so if you are a sales person reading this doing a hard sell or are otherwise annoying, a lot of us will just go somewhere else. I’ll be the easiest commission you’ll ever ever make…just be quiet unless I have a question. I’ll either have a cashier’s check for the price and pay the remainder with a credit card or wire the money because I’m ready to buy that day. Not finance…not haggle….buy. There will be no trade, as I always sell privately. A salesperson’s commission is not my concern. I care about how fast can I get out of there with keys and paperwork in hand.
If I could buy cars like other consumer goods (choose, self checkout, leave), I would.
Last week the wife got a new Civic Hybrid. Had to bite my tongue when the salesman assured me it had a transmission because it had shift paddles. You know, the ones that set the regen braking level because HONDA HYBRIDS DON’T HAVE TRANSMISSIONS. And that’s not new either! It’s been at least 5 years of that tech.
A CVT is still a transmission.
They don’t have a CVT either despite Honda’s marketing. The engine drives a generator that powers the electric traction motor/battery, and at highway speeds there is also a lockup clutch to drive the wheels directly.
I wondered why they drove so differently from other hybrids! Thanks for sharing that.
That’s wild.
First if you are going to buy anything you will interact with a salesperson. Frankly any really knowledgeable sales person will probably try to override you with their knowledge and screw you. I prefer a representative of the dealer who is knowledgeable on the different programs and financial options outside the brand. Imagine one store you go to that represents all cars and has access to all financial services. What do you want? What do you have down? What is your trade in? Here are the cars from all the available dealers that fit your needs and the financial programs we can provide you.
Not very. Even for the brands I like with dealership networks they still make some awful cars, yet as the salesman you can’t say such.
I wouldn’t recommend any Toyota Hybrid with a turbocharged direct injection engine and traditional automatic transmissions.
I don’t recommend ANY new Toyota with an Automatic Differential Disconnect due to how easy it is to grenade it under light load completely stock on a light trail turning your 4WD Truck into a 2WD Truck with extra parts and weight.
If for some reason I became a Car Salesman I’d spend most of my time helping the guys in the shop in exchange for info on which cars are having the most problems, so I could give informed answers to people looking to buy a car, for which I’d almost certainly be promptly fired for providing.
I don’t expect reps to know much about cars, and that’s not a bad thing. Non enthusiasts couldn’t care less and enthusiasts know what they want. A good rep knows people and will guide them through the business process.
I want them to not lie to my face and make up stupid claims on top of being argumentive and problematic. I expect them to be as dumb as a bag of doorknobs. I’ve found if you can find a fleet sales guy at a bigger fleet dealer it’s your best bet. I once had a guy who was going by the name “max power” tell me that power folding mirrors were against the law. The truck he was showing me had power folding mirrors.
I expect someone to be knowledgeable enough to say things like
“I’m not sure. Let me find out for you.”
Car sales aside, that seems to be an incredibly difficult phrase for anyone to mutter.
Beyond that, as long as they don’t try to BS me, I expect very little.
My last purchase was with a total new salesman. I had so much fun training him as he did the required see my manager as I told him what he would say. Then finally I made my final offer for a beater that would have been sent to auction prior to limited inventory. I said final offer $3k out the door. He came back $3k plus everything. I said thanks got up walked out the door was chased down and told he okay you’re getting a great deal you are lucky I have a pool tournament to go to. As the lying sales manager worked out the $3 k out the door I explained to the rookie salesman how it all worked.