Are dealers that busy and don't want more business? (1 Viewer)

[colyboy]

Recently I e-mailed 8 major retail motorhome dealers, though out the country. Asking them if they had a motorhome to meet my requirements which I listed in the e-mail. Only two have answered the email!!! What's wrong with the rest of them?

colyboy

 

[Puddleduck]

They think if you are serious you would look at their websites and then go to them.

Car dealers are the same...... we called in at a main dealer in Edinburgh who told us the car we wanted didn't exist. I told him there was one in Manchester and as we were going to see our son we'd look at that one..... he then pressed a few buttons on his keypad and found one a lot nearer..... but it was us that had to make him actually do the work. Perhaps he didn't need the commission.

 

[Bazzermc]

We searched for over 6 months for the right motorhome, visited numerous dealers, providing each with our contact details and the features we wanted.
We scanned the dealer web sites and if a suitable MH was there we went and looked at it, but couldn't find what was right for us for our budget.
We were looking for a fixed bed, shower cubicle and full oven at a height that could be used, so nothing too special.
Not a single dealer responded.
We found the perfect MH for us through a private sale, Autotrail Cheyenne 696 2009 with 12K miles on the clock.
I have never understood why the dealers never bothered to get back to us, they all stated they would.......

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[Chris]

Perhaps some salesmen need a nudge?

We have a policy of answering email enquiries the same day ( if we are open)

Sadly in today's market that is sometimes not fast enough

 

[GAVLAD]

Some dealers just can't be arsed!
They don't deserve any business.
We went to a show and spoke with numerous dealers. You could tell straight away those that were interested and those that weren't.
And it doesn't stop at the buying stage.

I could have sworn that the dealer we bought ours from didn't want to sell it to us.
He basically talked us out of it when I told him that I was comparing and had narrowed it down to his or a privately advertised sale.
We left the dealers empty handed and due to the motorhome ticking all of the boxes, we ended up buying it from the dealer a few months later.
After sales has been non existent. They never reply to emails and the person I need to speak with is always unavailable and very rarely calls back when I phone.
I've given up on them.
At the end of the day, their so called full 3yr warranty (which wasn't full until I paid out an extra grand) requires annual service & Hab check - which won't be getting done at that dealers, so they're missing out on my business. Plus, I don't think I'd buy from them again.
Having said all of that, there are some very good dealers who offer exceptional customer service and it's just good fortune that those dealers have the stock which ticks your boxes.
Good luck with your search & purchase!

 

[DavidG58]

copy your email on here, we will either find you what you want or see why the dealers didn't reply

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[Ethle the wondervan]

Perhaps they don't have what you want in the thirty to forty quid price range, the bstrds!

 

[Movinon]

I reckon it's a frog kissing exercise for the dealer. A morale killer at best. If you're not a frog you may well find the process frustrating. I have every sympathy for the dealers of the world except when I'm sober.

 

[Lenny HB]

Par for the course with UK dealers thats one reason I would never buy from them, try emailing a few German dealers I bet you will get aresponce within the hour.

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[irnbru]

I phoned 3 different dealers looking for a quote to get the timing belt done. A week on and only one called me back and that was for a quote of £515

 

[Padraigpost]

Couple of years ago went to Highbridge caravans in Somerset and looked at a New Hymer B534, liked it and asked the "could not be bothered salesman" the word salesman is an exaggeration, for a p/x price on my existing van, he did not even ask what it was let alone look at it, he simply said " we do not do that bit yet" in a very snooty manner.
I left the dealers and drove to Marquis Plymouth and spent £60,000 there instead of Highbridge and would never go back to Highbridge again.
Don

 

[sallylillian]

Par for the course with UK dealers thats one reason I would never buy from them, try emailing a few German dealers I bet you will get aresponce within the hour.

My experience exactly, the Germans work on the principle of selling 5 MH's at Euro 5k profit each, whereas many UK dealers work on selling one and making 25k. They just wait for the right generous purchaser, lets say! The Germans get 5 happy customers who will buy services etc and come back again and again.

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[Bacchus]

Some of these dealers are worse than yact-brokers, and that's going some.

We were toying with the idea of getting something slightly newer and in particular with automatic transmission as GF Bacchus is useless with a clutch.

Phoned a dealer in the midlands regarding a Hymer S510 that looked promising, and the best I could get out of him was "it's a nice van".

It wasn't, btw, one locker wouldn't open, one wouldn't close, the thing STANK of cigarettes, but I think that was a cunning plan to cover the smell of the damp which badly stained the corners over the drop down bed!

Walked around for an hour anyway, having driven for nearly two, and nobody even said hello.

 

[Shrimp]

We have walked round MH dealers in the past looking at the vans, even asking for some to be opened so we could see inside and still the salesmen haven't bothered to ask if we want help. They dont seem to want open up vans and if you ask questions they either don't know or bluff. Car dealers are no better!

 

[Judge Mental]

Email often get ignored..want to be taken seriously call them..

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[Movinon]

I've often thought that the ethnic English don't really want to be seen doing such mundane jobs as flogging cars or motorhomes. Being a salesman is rather "trade" when they're all aspiring to be "gentlemen".

 

[Padraigpost]

I thought in my case he did not like my Lancashire accent, but I did take my clogs off and left my meat pie outside I even stuffed my ferret down my trousers so what his problem was I don't know.
Don

 

[Robert Clark]

I think it's all about intent to purchase - from the dealers point of view, if you can't be bothered to go take a look, why should they make the effort either.
They'd rather talk to a punter on the forecourt whose made the effort to visit them
When I bought Mrs C her last car, most dealers would not even give a price over the phone, as we hadn't been in the showroom or taken s test drive
Good luck with your purchase

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[1_man_and_his_dob(lo)]

I do wonder why these companies put email addresses on their contact pages if they can't be bothered to reply. The manufacturer of my van are useless at responding, and the motorhome parts suppliers are pretty poor in my experience.

I get the impression sometimes that the person checking email is also responsible for social media at the company and spend all their time making sure they're getting likes on Facebook and you-scratch-my-back-and-I'll-scratch-yours sucking-up reviews on Twitter.

So unfortunately, as much as I don't like shaming people in public, I've had to kind of do it to get a reply, i.e.

Email question.....no reply in 72 hours
Email question again.....no reply in 72 hours
Post query on Twitter, along with fact that I got no reply to my emails.....reply in 1 hour

 

[BobtheBass]

Couple of years ago went to Highbridge caravans in Somerset and looked at a New Hymer B534, liked it and asked the "could not be bothered salesman" the word salesman is an exaggeration, for a p/x price on my existing van, he did not even ask what it was let alone look at it, he simply said " we do not do that bit yet" in a very snooty manner.
I left the dealers and drove to Marquis Plymouth and spent £60,000 there instead of Highbridge and would never go back to Highbridge again.
Don

Odd isn't it. We have bought two vans from Highbridge and couldn't fault the salesmen in any way. Attentive, pleasant, helpful and excellent after sales. Just depends on who you get I suppose. We did get poo service from Marquis once when we were attended to by what appeared to be a YTS trainee who was introduced to us as "the numpty"!

 

[colyboy]

HANG ON! Not everybody has a dealer on their doorstep. When I emailed the companies I said I lived in East Devon and would travel any where if they had one I was looking for. Two that did reply were Marqius Plymouth and Hayes.

colyboy

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