Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te? - Alfa Romeo Forum
Alfa Romeo Forum > Misc Lounges > Community Discussions > Rant Room > Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
post #1 of 17 Old 28-07-07 Thread Starter
Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
Had the misfortune today to vists Pr(l)atts in Stoke to test drive a Spider. Why do Alfa dealers & salesmen think that they are such "tough" negotiators? "That's the price, take it or leave it" what a FYT attitude - they could not sell water in the Sahara. Also, for those of us who wonder why normal people don't buy Alfa's - sit in the showroom in a £28K brand new 159 and guess what? - The gear knob is loose & rattles. If you (platts) are such wonderful Alfa enthusiasts put yourselves in the place of the poor saps wondering into you over-priced, snotty, superior, 'sod you I don't need your business' showroom and wonder how long it will be before you too are closed down.
post #2 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Re: Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
I agree with you totally; if dealers (in particular) don't learn this, and learn it well, they'll fail. It's not always easy to avoid, but it is vital.
Groupthink. It's so annoying and it afflicts loads of (if not all, to some extent) businesses. Their own paradigm becomes more important than the people that feed them. How many times do you ring a company to be told, for example, that your records are in one place and the person dealing is in another or that "so and so facto means that you have to go out of your way to achieve this and that". Irrelevant - the customer should get service and attention at the point of contact.
Too many businesses think the customer is part of their internal transformation process. Fair enough, if you need to make a margin, or x,y or z database is tough to use, the customer might be able to help you out with that, but not as part of a conscious dialogue. Change your call routing, change your staff training, change your supply chain, change your cost base - anything but expect customers to get involved with your value chain (other than to pay ).
Last edited by BlueEvo2; 29-07-07 at 11:48.
post #3 of 17 Old 29-07-07
If they are not willing to discuss a discounted price I guess its a case where they have fulfilled their sales target or monthly quotas.
I think most car dealers (not only Alfa) are the same unhelpful lot at this time of year. You might get a better deal in October or November when the surge in sales for the latest registration is over. I've had the same experience in the past. Looking round other dealers might get a more responsive attitude but savings might be hard to find.
post #4 of 17 Old 29-07-07
It will have got worse when Alfa cut the amount of dealers too, the ones that are still there will be feeling pretty smug (as if a car salesman could have got any more smug) as they'll almost have a captive audience, they must know that if someone has come into the showroom they'll be under no pressure to undercut the next dealer down the road 'coz there probably is no other Alfa dealer down the road.
The flip side to the coin is that now the used values of recent Alfas are starting to firm up nicely, the dealer network won't want to start discounting new cars as this'll have a knock on effect on the used cars.
post #5 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Had a similar experience looking at a new 159 4 months ago. Won't name the dealer but I think it is the only one left in West Yorks now. They just weren't interested in selling for anything less than a 'silly' price. So bought a used one elsewhere instead. As ode says the benefit is in the residuals. All the trade guides tell me the car is still worth more or less what I paid for it!
post #6 of 17 Old 29-07-07
sit in the showroom in a £28K brand new 159 and guess what? - The gear knob is loose & rattles.
At least it gives you a taste of things to come - my £32k Spider lasted 3 days before it loosened itself and now rattles. Shame as the rest of the car is brilliant and there are deals to be had through the official network.
post #7 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Search on the net, find the cheapest version of the Alfa you want, print out the info, confirm that they can get the stock for you, and THEN go to the dealer.
The power of YOU telling THEM how much you are going to pay is great!
Obviously not good if you are trading in though.
post #8 of 17 Old 29-07-07
On the contrary, I had nothing but a superb customer service experience when I visited HR Owen in Parsons Green recently.
post #9 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Does ARUK have any relationship with FiatUK
or are they totally separate entities?
If they tied the brands together for sales/servicing
(e.g. my 3rd year warranty is actually a FiatFrance one.)
post #10 of 17 Old 01-08-07
The are owned by Fiat although since 29/6, Fiat is now called Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd not Fiat Auto UK Ltd.
post #11 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Hmmm, so why don't they sell/service from
combined dealers to give better coverage etc. ?
post #12 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Werent alfa looking to break for the normal alfa- fiat garages to see there cars sold alongside Masarati cars thus upping the desirability etc ? Read it some time ago.
Thought it was a cracking idea, that way the service and AFTER SALES service could only get better.
post #13 of 17 Old 02-08-07 Thread Starter
and probably Maserati servicing costs too. Thought the &#163;65 an hour they were screwing your for in Shrewsbury was bad enough!
post #14 of 17 Old 02-08-07
Had the misfortune today to vists Pr(l)atts in Stoke to test drive a Spider.
Yep they're not exactly flavour of the month/6 months with me either Nor are our 'fiends' in Knaresbrough
post #15 of 17 Old 02-08-07 Thread Starter
Who do we need to avoid in Knaresbrough?
post #16 of 17 Old 02-08-07
Search for em mate - my fingers are on my lips after this happened and they didn't help the situation that I find myself in...
https://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...ilure-eek.html
post #17 of 17 Old 07-08-07
Problem is that we like Alfas with all their faults, Just because of what it is, and the dealers know it, so they always have the upper hand.
My boss went in to a dealers to look at (at the time) a new 156, the salesmen were busy watching a football match on telly and pointed at the car and told him to have a look, but you can't test drive it 'cos we've taken bits off it to repair a customers car. He went to a BMW, can you blame him?
I think he's secretly envious of my car tho.
« Lying B*stards...don't you love them | Poor Dealer Service Again..! »
3 Minutes Ago 17:15 by giampiero.marra
43 Minutes Ago 16:35 by Ste Hanley
Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te? - Alfa Romeo Forum
Alfa Romeo Forum > Misc Lounges > Community Discussions > Rant Room > Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
post #1 of 17 Old 28-07-07 Thread Starter
Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
Had the misfortune today to vists Pr(l)atts in Stoke to test drive a Spider. Why do Alfa dealers & salesmen think that they are such "tough" negotiators? "That's the price, take it or leave it" what a FYT attitude - they could not sell water in the Sahara. Also, for those of us who wonder why normal people don't buy Alfa's - sit in the showroom in a £28K brand new 159 and guess what? - The gear knob is loose & rattles. If you (platts) are such wonderful Alfa enthusiasts put yourselves in the place of the poor saps wondering into you over-priced, snotty, superior, 'sod you I don't need your business' showroom and wonder how long it will be before you too are closed down.
post #2 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Re: Why are Alfa dealers so Sh*te?
I agree with you totally; if dealers (in particular) don't learn this, and learn it well, they'll fail. It's not always easy to avoid, but it is vital.
Groupthink. It's so annoying and it afflicts loads of (if not all, to some extent) businesses. Their own paradigm becomes more important than the people that feed them. How many times do you ring a company to be told, for example, that your records are in one place and the person dealing is in another or that "so and so facto means that you have to go out of your way to achieve this and that". Irrelevant - the customer should get service and attention at the point of contact.
Too many businesses think the customer is part of their internal transformation process. Fair enough, if you need to make a margin, or x,y or z database is tough to use, the customer might be able to help you out with that, but not as part of a conscious dialogue. Change your call routing, change your staff training, change your supply chain, change your cost base - anything but expect customers to get involved with your value chain (other than to pay ).
Last edited by BlueEvo2; 29-07-07 at 11:48.
post #3 of 17 Old 29-07-07
If they are not willing to discuss a discounted price I guess its a case where they have fulfilled their sales target or monthly quotas.
I think most car dealers (not only Alfa) are the same unhelpful lot at this time of year. You might get a better deal in October or November when the surge in sales for the latest registration is over. I've had the same experience in the past. Looking round other dealers might get a more responsive attitude but savings might be hard to find.
post #4 of 17 Old 29-07-07
It will have got worse when Alfa cut the amount of dealers too, the ones that are still there will be feeling pretty smug (as if a car salesman could have got any more smug) as they'll almost have a captive audience, they must know that if someone has come into the showroom they'll be under no pressure to undercut the next dealer down the road 'coz there probably is no other Alfa dealer down the road.
The flip side to the coin is that now the used values of recent Alfas are starting to firm up nicely, the dealer network won't want to start discounting new cars as this'll have a knock on effect on the used cars.
post #5 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Had a si
milar experience looking at a new 159 4 months ago. Won't name the dealer but I think it is the only one left in West Yorks now. They just weren't interested in selling for anything less than a 'silly' price. So bought a used one elsewhere instead. As ode says the benefit is in the residuals. All the trade guides tell me the car is still worth more or less what I paid for it!
post #6 of 17 Old 29-07-07
sit in the showroom in a £28K brand new 159 and guess what? - The gear knob is loose & rattles.
At least it gives you a taste of things to come - my £32k Spider lasted 3 days before it loosened itself and now rattles. Shame as the rest of the car is brilliant and there are deals to be had through the official network.
post #7 of 17 Old 29-07-07
Search on the net, find the cheapest version of the Alfa you want, print out the info, confirm that they can get the stock for you, and THEN go to the dealer.
The power of YOU telling THEM how much you are going to pay is great!
Obviously not good if you are trading in though.
post #8 of 17 Old 29-07-07
On the contrary, I had nothing but a superb customer service experience when I visited HR Owen in Parsons Green recently.
post #9 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Does ARUK have any relationship with FiatUK
or are they totally separate entities?
If they tied the brands together for sales/servicing
(e.g. my 3rd year warranty is actually a FiatFrance one.)
post #10 of 17 Old 01-08-07
The are owned by Fiat although since 29/6, Fiat is now called Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd not Fiat Auto UK Ltd.
post #11 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Hmmm, so why don't they sell/service from
combined dealers to give better coverage etc. ?
post #12 of 17 Old 01-08-07
Werent alfa looking to break for the normal alfa- fiat garages to see there cars sold alongside Masarati cars thus upping the desirability etc ? Read it some time ago.
Thought it was a cracking idea, that way the service and AFTER SALES service could only get better.
post #13 of 17 Old 02-08-07 Thread Starter
and probably Maserati servicing costs too. Thought the &#163;65 an hour they were screwing your for in Shrewsbury was bad enough!
post #14 of 17 Old 02-08-07
Had the misfortune today to vists Pr(l)atts in Stoke to test drive a Spider.
Yep they're not exactly flavour of the month/6 months with me either Nor are our 'fiends' in Knaresbrough
post #15 of 17 Old 02-08-07 Thread Starter
Who do we need to avoid in Knaresbrough?
post #16 of 17 Old 02-08-07
Search for em mate - my fingers are on my lips after this happened and they didn't help the situation that I find myself in...
https://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-...ilure-eek.html
post #17 of 17 Old 07-08-07
Problem is that we like Alfas with all their faults, Just because of what it is, and the dealers know it, so they always have the upper hand.
My boss went in to a dealers to look at (at the time) a new 156, the salesmen were busy watching a football match on telly and pointed at the car and told him to have a look, but you can't test drive it 'cos we've taken bits off it to repair a customers car. He went to a BMW, can you blame him?
I think he's secretly envious of my car tho.
« Lying B*stards...don't you love them | Poor Dealer Service Again..! »
3 Minutes Ago 17:15 by giampiero.marra
43 Minutes Ago 16:35 by Ste Hanley