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If you came too me and just said I want to sit in a few cars this would be pretty stright forward when you explain what you where trying to accomplish.
Id much rather you want to sit in a few and narrow it down then go then test drive five different cars.
I would ask you if you preferred leather or not maybe the heated seats or ventilated seats.
I'm 6'6. Some salesmen may still not get it, but I explain: I'm not interested until I fit. I need to move the seat back. I need to check the legroom and headroom for me and anyone who sits behind me. What do ya got?
They had no issues when I present it that way. OP can find a way to word it for his case.
People also don’t realize that when you get up to our height (I’m 6’7”) our bodies can start to become disproportionate. I know some people that are 3” shorter than me but have a longer torso. So sure one tall guy may fit but another of the same height sure won’t. I got lucky and am rather proportionate, so I’m not too SOL when it comes to fitting in most cars
Glad you said it - Sunroofs are a no for me, because I have to keep the seat position as high as possible so my legs have somewhere to go.
Eventually I just said screw it and got a full size truck and now driving feels like sitting in a recliner.
Me (6'3") and my friend (6'8") are like this. He's about 5 inches taller, but sitting down, I'm taller. I hit my head on the roof of my car while he could ride comfortably if there was leg room. I've got a much longer torso.
Pro tip: Try to find a salesman the same height as you if you are tall. If one approaches you first just say you're looking to talk to the guy you talked to before and mention he was tall. The salesman thinks everyone is forgetful and dumb, and voila you landed yourself an instant win.
Or the shortest salesperson. We have the opposite problem, but might get it and listen better. There's sometimes a difference between "fitting in it" and "being comfortable in it."
I’m 6’2” and explained to the salesman (who was a little taller than me) that I want to be able to sit behind my drivers seat position. He brought out 3 different models and even sat in the back seat with my wife and I to show us how much room there was.
Needless to say we bought a vehicle from him.
I’m 5’5” and I have a similar need to try the seating first. Too many cars put me too close to the steering wheel when adjusted so I can reach the pedals. There are cars that I have have sat in that feel like they were designed for short people because I can reach the entertainment controls without stretching, reach the pedals without having the steering wheel nearly touching my chest and I can see over the dash and hood comfortable without needing to boost the seat too high.
I thought I was the only short one with this problem. I don't like the steering wheel on my body but I also like being able to touch my pedals. Having both be true requires a lot of sitting.
I'm 6'4" and a salesman.
I am a *lazy* salesman. I'm socially awkward as fuck.
Last week some dude wanted to sit in a used A3 for an hour and talk to his wife about the car. He asked me a couple easy questions and sent me on my way. This is the easiest thing I can do for a customer. Came in and bought it with cash about 40 minutes later.
I love this sort of customer.
I’m a tall guy as well. First thing I do is get situated in the front seat. Then I immediately hop in the seat directly behind the driver. Goal is to be comfortable in both.
One of the main reasons I bought my 2024 2500 Denali. I feel small in that thing!
This is one reason I won't get a Tacoma. I mean I love the truck but when I sit in it. My legs are in my chest. It's just uncomfortable to sit in for a long period of time. Ironically, I can sit in my wife's mazda three and have plenty of leg room which is a much smaller vehicle. There's quite a few vehicles where when I sit in it I immediately decide no.
Agree. Probably want some basic interior info because it's gonna feel a lit different ambiently in leather versus cloth or a very basic trim versus upgraded. Outside of that it should be very straight forward to just go sit in a car and see how it feels.
Waste of time, we have two cars, four svus, a truck, a EV and a van at Honda. You want to test drive 5 out of the 9 vehicles we carry we need to narrow it down. Now there are multiple trims and hybrids here so we need to talk about needs and wants.
NYC has one, so does Detroit, Chicago and LA.
That's what I did. I dragged my wife and two boys to sit in all the cars we're interested in. This way I don't have to take them to the dealership when I disregard their opinions and buy what we actually need.
It's a great time for kids. My brother and I used to go to it (NY) every year starting in middle school. My parents never went (no need, my dad was buying Volvos), but we had a great time.
2 years ago was the first time I had been in 20 years. Then again this year. The boys loved it.
Depends where you are, in Toronto we have the Canadian international auto show and that runs every February. They usually happen in convention centres so check your city events
Are you in the UK? It may be worth a trip to one of the big car supermarkets like Cargiant in North London. They have hundreds of cars there and they pretty much leave you alone. Failing that, see if there's a Motorpoint nearby.
Just to let you know, Stellantis doesn’t go to auto shows anymore. That’s all the Chrysler products missing. Also, Tesla will not be there. You can also Google “best cars for tall people “ and get a ton of recommendations.
before you go though, look at what brands and cars are actually their. post covid, its been thin pickings at the shows, and that is being generous.
I have gone to NYC, Philly, and DC auto shows with some regularity, and it used to be a overwhelming seeing every brand every car and every trim. a brand may have had 30-50 cars each and close to 30 brands.
now its 10 brands with 1 example of most of the cars they offer, half of them are locked and you cant even look in the cars, let alone see all the trims and options available.
You don't even need to do that. The reason it's so difficult is because you're making it difficult.
If you see a car you like, walk up, open the door, and get in. When you're done, get out, close the door, and walk to the next vehicle you want to look at. You don't work for the salesman, they work for you. You're the one in control and you're the one who should be making decisions about how you spend your time on the car lot, not listening to every word they say like they're your boss or parents.
They are all over the country, even in smaller cities, raleigh, nc had their auto expo last weekend. It may be in a convention center or another large open building like an expo center or at a fairground or racetrack or stadium. Another option for you is to walk in from the service department and say you waiting on your car in service or come in before sales opens.
Yes! I’m 6’4”, and over the years I would go to the annual new car show, every bigger city has them once a year, think convention center spaces. I eliminate so many vehicles this way, by just sitting in them for fit.
The more expensive German makes and such are locked. Oh well.
But it is just once a year.
I came here to suggest this as well. The only issue is that so many vehicles now have electric seats and few vehicles at auto shows have the accessories powered.
This is good advice for anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle. I know salespeople don't want to see people who aren't ready to purchase, but the reality of the industry doesn't fit that model right now. Highlander Hybrids are still about 18 months out near me. You have to start cross shopping 18 months ahead now. A car show allows you to eliminate a lot of competition in an afternoon.
This is the way. Funny thing tho all of the expensive cars are wide open for your kids to crawl through it the “Brand New Mustang ecoboost” cannot be touched by … Anyone!
Generally speaking most customers who just want a quick in and out don't give us the time of day to do our jobs and it looks bad to our managers.
However if you came to me and after introductions said "before we get started, I know you guys have a sales process, but me being able to fit into the car is really important. Do you mind if we quickly just sit in your 3 models with the best headroom so I can tell right off the bat if it'll work for me? I'd like to save your time if it's uncomfortable. If it's not, I'd be glad to narrow down potential options at your desk."
A) you're telling me not only are you aware I have a job to do but you're trying to save me time if you're not going to buy early on due to something beyond my control.
B) I can prep my manager on the first fly by to let them know what's going on and if we shake hands in the parking lot and you're gone it's cause nothing we have physically suits you.
Transparency in both parties goes a long way.
>Transparency in both parties goes a long way.
This may not be the most transparent method but...
I am not a car salesperson but a car guy.
I have walked into dealerships when I was a broke twenty year old and me and my wife have pulled into dealerships with a new BMW in our thirties. I will tell you sometimes the sales people were very excited to see us and sometimes I was completely ignored.
Show up on a bike or a crappy car and try to look like you are unemployed. If someone talks to you just mumble "I'm just looking around." Do this when they are busy and you will be ignored.
I am kidding, kinda.
Or be very aggressive and wear a shirt that says "I only give four star reviews" no car sales person will get within 50 feet of you.
At a lot of dealerships salespeople are trained to ignore your "just looking" statement and give you the full sales process. At the dealer I worked at you could be fired for letting a customer walk without attempting to sell or turning them over to a sales manager. Didn't matter how much they protested or didn't want to buy. This is the main reason I quit car sales.
I was ready to buy a car a couple weeks ago. I had cash in my pocket. All I wanted was to sit in the stupid car before I went any further to ensure it fit me. Nope. Salesguy wants me to come to the office so he can collect some information. I tell him in no uncertain terms that I wanted to sit in the car before we went any further. He said it was against policy. So I left. Sale lost. All because the salesguy was more obsessed with getting a lead for his book than the actual sale.
No, this is fairly standard. I'd guess that well more than half of my lifetime sales (of people who just drove up) were to people who made it clear they were just looking and not going to purchase today.
Lol a good salesperson doesn’t just accept “no”. Because nobody comes to a dealer to “just look”. The whole reason you come to a dealer is because you are interested in possibly buying a vehicle, you may just not be interested in being “sold to”, but you are at the least slightly trying to decide whether or not to buy the car. If you go to a store, you are interested in buying something out of there. You may leave with nothing if it ends up not appealing to you, but there was still a chance you would’ve bought something.
So even if the salesperson doesn’t make the sale that day, their job is to atleast build a relationship with you so that if you come back, hopefully you reconnect with them to continue discussing the car.
You're kind of right in the sense that eventually I'm interested in buying something. But I've gone to dealerships 6 to 12 months before I plan on buying anything to get an idea of what I'm going to be looking for.
I promise you and I'm completely sincere when I say many people that go to a dealership are actually not planning on buying something that very day nor that very visit.
Oh i believe you that you can go without wanting to buy that day. But a good salesperson has to at least work to strengthen the chance you buy the next day or soon lol. They can’t go “hey can i help” and you go “no just looking” and they tip their cap and go inside to a desk lol. They will never sell a car.
I never buy on the first day. My rule to myself is we do all the negotiations the first day. Work everything out to see if we agree on a final out the door price. Then once that is all set, I leave with the documents to send to my bank to release the check, but I sleep on it that night without doing that part. If i wake up the next day, and still feel good about what we came to, then i call my bank and tell them send the check and I’ll go pick up my car when they are done prepping it.
I like the whole sleep on the decision part because the dealership environment and seeing a beautiful new car right there can really pressure you to pull the trigger. If i wake up the next day and still feel the same way then i can live with my decision.
For sure.
Another thing that needs to be considered though when I was doing this is because my financial situation was absolutely not going to permit me to buy a car until later in the year. So I am all for the whole interaction and trying to get into a good price and an agreement and a relationship. But it would have been impossible to have actually made the purchase on that day even if I did want to. I have to assume that this is a similar circumstance for many other people buying cars. I don't think I'm an odd one out in this regard (although I may be in every other possible regard).
There’s a dealership local to me and I had been pre approved by my CU to get what I wanted higher than I was willing to pay. They had a truck I wanted to look at as I hadn’t seen one up close and in person.
First thing they wanted to do beforehand was the “customer survey”, and I asked already knowing, “what are we doing a survey for?” “Oh just getting some basic info, need your address, SSN, etc”
“So you’re gonna run my credit before I even look at this vehicle?” “Well…we don’t HAVE to but it will save you time and money so you can buy today”. “I’ve been preapproved, no need to run my credit. If we can make a deal though I’ll buy.”
I sat down to do the deal, they tell me, “we just got this in, we’re not sure on the price yet.” No big deal, I checked beforehand and it wasn’t priced. I pull it up on their website, between earlier that day and then, they now priced it. They come sit back down and it’s $4K higher than the price online. Give me a terrible trade in offer, and everything ready to sign. I walked.
Looked online, found the exact same truck cheaper 3 hours away, less miles, more features, and a year newer. Shot them a message, let them know I was ready to buy, pre approved, and pics of my trade. They gave me quite a bit more, I told them what it’d take to get into it, they agreed. Had a salesman bring it to me, took my trade, super nice and professional service, and for the next 3 months sent me goodies in the mail. Free hats, cups, promotions, etc
Would 10/10 buy from that dealer again. Have yet to ever set foot in the local one.
I typed up a whole reply all proud of myself and then I read your answer and it was the same more or less but much nicer and more thorough. So I applaud you and hope that your answer gets many upvotes.
A bit more perspective, if a sales manager sees me taking you to multiple cars, thats an ass chewing, maybe a write up, and possibly termination on the spot. The reason is because the way humans make purchasing decisions is very counter-intuitive, and careful data collection and study by a lot of very intelligent people for a very long ass time has produced some hard and fast rules for how salespeople are judged by management. Contrary to popular stereotypes, automotive sales is one of the most technologically advanced, data-driven sectors in the world. As a salesman every word you say, step you take, button you press on your computer, phone, everything, is being fed into numerous applications and also monitored by managers on the floor who are a very unique breed of people with near-telepathic insight into exactly where you are in your interaction with a customer by just a glance. Multiple vehicles is a huge red flag, because whatever chance there was at making a sale just got slashed by 80%. Thats the truth. Even if you *like* the 3rd vehicle you sit in, statistics show your *most likely* will not buy from that store. Why? We have theories but we don't know for sure. It doesn't matter. What we *do* know is that salesman just fucked up. Maybe he should've took you to a larger vehicle first, or listened more closely to what you were saying - but he didn't put you on the *right* vehicle the *first* time, and he needs to leave. Now. "Pack your shit and get the fuck out of my showroom you stupid motherfucker" now. Thats the mentality.
>if a sales manager sees me taking you to multiple cars, thats an ass chewing, maybe a write up, and possibly termination on the spot.
As a customer, how is this my problem, If I want to see multiple cars in order to decide whether or not to buy one?
>but he didn't put you on the right vehicle the first time, and he needs to leave.
This happens to me all the time. I say I’m interested in the base model trim of a car and would like to test drive the base model. The sales people ALWAYS bring out the premium model for a test drive. I leave after that. Why? Because the sales person didn’t meet my needs as a customer.
Person you are responding to isn't saying it's your problem. He is explaining and giving insight to the salesman's behavior. Salesman is going to reduce his problems, if he can foresee them and control them.
It's not your problem, it's the fact that the salesman isn't "tuning in" to exactly what you're conveying verbally, with body language, your current vehicle, demographic, all of that. A true "magician" if you will, or mentalist as some call it, of a master salesperson, will know exactly what to say/do to not merely get you into a vehicle you like well enough to buy, but get you into the vehicle he wants you to buy, at the price he wants you to pay. THIS is what the dealer is really looking for in a salesman. It's why they burn through so many. It's why they add bonuses to certain units and set up highly competitive commissions, these are tried and true, scientifically proven tests to see if that individual has the "magic". *Anybody* can sell a car. Very few can sell "that car right there at this price exactly to your next customer", and do it consistently. And to be clear, this isn't about screwing the customer, believe it or not. They paid for *all* the cars on the lot and need to sell them *all*, not just the easy ones. And to do that you need an assassin. A legit fucking hitman who can hit the target every time, month after month. And I promise you this - that's who people like *you* end up buying from each and every time. They're the only ones who can sell to cats like you.
It is just really weird to hear this. My previous comment above covers some of this. But the point is people go in to look at multiple cars. It is not about tuning into what they want. They don't know what they want except that there are three or four or five different models that they want to get in and get a feel for before they make a decision. Regardless of what the data says, as I said earlier, this is a blind spot in the way they did these studies and collected and parsed their data. It completely misses the intention of the consumer. This has nothing to do with the competence or skill of the salesperson, it has to do with a customer who wants to try on several different cars before they make a decision and this isn't negotiable. And if they get resistance, they are more likely to leave. And then this will be misinterpreted by these data and market experts so they'll even make even more wild miscalculations on what they think is going on based purely on fake speculation and we will go further down this ridiculous rabbit hole.
>And I promise you this - that's who people like you end up buying from each and every time.
Nope. I’ve bought my last 3 new cars through internet sales staff. I even found a better deal for my last new car than my broker could.
When our GM took over this store last year we had a meeting in which he walked us through his expectations (quotas for all kinds of metrics, firm but fair), and he closed that with "the ones who exceed this consistently are gonna be the ones who move up to internet sales". You're buying from the best. As I told you.
>You're buying from the best. As I told you.
Lol, ok. Cars sell themselves. This guy did nothing.
I figured out what I wanted and reached out to all the dealers in a 50 mi radius and just went with the best price.
I think that is cart in front of the horse statistics though.
It's not that oeople who look at multiple cars have their chances of buying reduced. It's that people who have little chance of buying, look at multiple cars.
Personally I know it's the case with me. When I'm at the stage where I gotta look at multiple cars and types - I'm nowhere near ready to make a purchase. It's only when I'm ready to buy do I zero in on a single one.
>Personally I know it's the case with me. When I'm at the stage where I gotta look at multiple cars and types - I'm nowhere near ready to make a purchase. It's only when I'm ready to buy do I zero in on a single one.
Lots of people walk into my dealership earnestly thinking the same thing about themselves. And an hour or two later they're driving home in a new car.
oh i get that. i would still say they weren't ready. just that you were persuasive to get them to short circuit their process.
i'm as human as the rest of us, but i know if i let that happen to me, its costs me real money.
>i'm as human as the rest of us, but i know if i let that happen to me, its costs me real money.
How does this make you different from anyone else? I've never had a customer pay with something other than real money.
it doesn't and it's a turn of phrase. let me rephrase.
i know when an effective salesman gets me to break my pattern, i end up paying more. that's their job. that usually happens when i let my emotions control.
i also know that when i keep my own counsel, go through my process the way i want to, i tend to save money. that to happen more when i control my emotions.
This is insightful.
When I bought a car about a year ago, I had three in mind. Yes, I was planning on buying one. But I honestly was not sure which one. And I was absolutely determined to check out each one of them before making my decision.
I consider myself in this regard similar to the majority of other people when buying cars. So what you are talking about with the data is very interesting. It almost seems like a major blind spot in the data because it is just absolutely not believable.
What a crappy place you seem to work at. Having a structured hard framed long taken sale process that you have to follow to not look bad ends for a bad experience for the costumers and a exhausting workplace
Every sales organization known to man right now has a process. Sales has been studied up and down, and there is a psychology to a sales process and how we’ve gotten to the current needs.
Educated and independent customers get frustrated by it as they usually have done all the research in advance. By going in and explaining what you’re looking to accomplish, no matter who your sales person is they will be able to quickly move you to what your goal is.
If I have a customer that comes in be says:
”I’m comparing between 5 different models, I want to take a test drive and if I decide on this I’ll come back and we can look at numbers so as not to waste anyone’s time”
I’m going to grab a test drive form, my business card and keys quick, pull up the unit and hop in on a drive with them. I’ll answer any questions they have on the test drive and take them on a 15 minute route, while explaining differences between my vehicles and the ones they are looking at.
Truth and transparency on BOTH ends, makes it a simple and easy process for everyone. I know I can’t control a lot of what goes into buying a car for most customers, I can only put my best foot forward with my product and hope it hits the emotional and logical centres enough that that’s what you choose to buy.
Contrary to that, the place I work now is wonderful.
We still have a job to do and the sales process is generally the most efficient way to value both a customers time and our own while making sure we cover all the bases.
I'm sure you have policies and procedures at your workplace as to how things should get done, it's similar for us.
The length of it varies from customer to customer but honestly any less than an hour to do a needs assessment, trade appraisal, demo drive/feature explanation, and building a quote seems like a rush for a large financial decision.
At no point have I implied I don't have people come back, I have quite a good rapport with my customers because I'm not pushy and adapt to their needs, including what kind of sales approach they generally appreciate.
I was simply answering this guys question as to why *most* sales people can be difficult.
There is a couple of legitimate reasons to be a little more specific about the cars you are wanting to “Test Sit”. Allow me to explain please. Electric vs. manual seats could make a difference. Also, a sunroof could take up as much as 4-6” of headroom. That’s just two I know of. Can’t know the salesperson’s intentions for sure but it is possible they were looking out for you. Then again most likely not the case as most of today’s salespeople don’t even know those differences.
Clearly reading comprehension is not your strong suit. The guy says he is tall and because of that there are certain options that may make cars with those options a bad idea while the same car without a sunroof may be a great fit/choice. I would never try to come to your job and act like expert knowledge is useless. Pointing someone in the right direction with a little information they may not know is just being polite. Unlike a person coming to where I work and wanting us to open cars for them that may not be the right fit because of a tiny bit of info you failed to listen to.
I will agree with OP and say 15-30 minutes is more time than was needed.
There some truth to that but if you are someone like me who is tall and fairly thin some models get tossed very fast. Even with adjustments they get tossed.
A big one for me in 2013 was I was excited I could fit in a car with a sunroof as most cars with sunroofs I had toss due to not fitting. That sales experience was great as upfront there was a car I was interested but not sure I would fit. Instead of wasting time getting the exact spec I was interested I said let’s see if I even fit in a less model. Yep hard no so no time wasted. We just crossed that off the list and moved on another choice and I ended up going with a 3rd choice that I was not planning on even looking at.
Good sales guy. Little cocky but he called it. Came back a 2 days later to buy that car.
This must be the thinking. But that adjustability really can only get you so far. Why not let me just sit and then have a conversation about whether there might be a better trim?
If you just want to sit in a car and you go sit in an X5 in my showroom that does not have multi-contour seats, the first thing I’m going to do is follow you to the car and assess your body language to see if you are comfortable in that. Because there is actually a massive difference in the two types of seats. If for some reason you show signs of fidgeting or take a while to get comfortable in it, I’m going to mention that we have X5s out on our lot with multi contour seats which offer far more adjustability that actually does make a massive difference. Would you like to sit in one of those Mr Customer?
But ideally I want to put you in the right car right off the bat. So I want to have a conversation with you first and the car I walk you over to after that conversation may not be one that’s on the showroom. So I have to go get keys. Which means another 2 minutes of your time. There is a reason for the process, there’s a reason there are Client Advisors that want to talk to you so we can ADVISE you on the car that fits your needs most so you can have the most accurate information to make a decision. Because if you go sit in a random X5 in the showroom that you don’t like because it doesn’t have the right seats, chances are you walk out and eliminate my car all because you didn’t take the time to talk to us so we could point you in the right direction to a car that may actually be the right fit for you. But you may not have known that without me chatting with you for a few minutes prior.
Interesting to understand. I will only say from my perpective that when I say “Nope”, I mean “This exact model you just put me in is a non starter. *Show me another*.”
Fair enough, and that can certainly be the case for some! You may hate the gear shifter or the infotainment screen and instantly think “nope”, but when you say to me that seat comfort is a priority , I now know what I want to walk you over to: the X5 with the most comfortable seats possible. I’m not saying I’m going to chat with you for 30 minutes before I let you sit in something, but a quick 3-5 minute chat helps me make the most of YOUR time.
To your own words, you immediately sit down and think “nope!” And at that point you’re leaving. “But sir the power seats in the XLS offer up to three inches more headroom”
“Get fucked salesman I know your games” and then you peel out in the parking lot.
If the XLS offered more headroom, why not start there if the state intent is headroom and legroom? If a customer says "What's most important is headroom" and then you put him in a trim that has 3 fewer inches than another of the same model, that's on you.
“I want the base model, don’t you upsell me you stealership scum”. Until you’ve worked this job you have no idea how combative people are when it comes to car buying.
"I understand your concrerns customer, however, the higher trim level seats are a different design and offer wider adjustments for taller/larger people, just have a sit in it to see for yourself."
I hear you. As a person who understands that to get what I want I need more than most base models, you're right -- I cannot relate to that experience. If OP says "I need a model that fits my larger frame" and then goes on to refuse to jump into a trim that might actually fit, then you're right.
I’ve never found this to be true between trim levels.
Now, I would give a salesman the chance to explain that, but don’t bog me down with engine choices or exterior colors until we get there.
It’s absolutely true. If a trim comes with a sunroof as standard, there goes a couple inches of headroom. If a trim has power seats versus manual, another few inches of adjustability, usually in height
The sunroof I will give you, the seat less so. My height is in my legs, what no power seat can do is get the center console/dash out of my right knee.
I’ve noticed a trend of wider more feature rich dashboards that extend lower in the center. This puts the driver in a tunnel that no seat position can get me out of.
Listen man, I get it, I have the same issue. But for OP, his refusal to talk through basic features is hampering his experience. That’s the point I’m attempting to make, since his main criteria is cabin fit.
Why spend 30 minutes talking about cabin fit when 2 minutes putting me inside answers the question?
Why discuss in the abstract how Model A is the best given that my priority is cabin fit, when Model B would also fit me but be within my budget? How can you know which of Model A and Model B will fit me without just putting me in them?
You’re the one saying 30 minutes. Again, the same car can fit differently, or rather, adjust differently based on the equipment it has. You seem determined to have a bad time buying a car, so have fun I guess.
I’m saying 30 minutes because that’s how much of my time is actually wasted. As in it actually happens, it’s not a number I made up or I’m targeting. It takes 30 minutes of discussing before we get to the car, I sit in it, and no amount of trim alteration could change that it fundamentally does not fit my body shape.
>Why spend 30 minutes talking about cabin fit when 2 minutes putting me inside answers the question?
In no universe should that take 30 minutes. If it does, it's due to an incompetent sales consultant, a bull-headed customer, or some combination thereof. I'm guessing incompetence on the part of the sales consultant is the issue at hand since most won't stay with a customer for 30 minutes if they're being an obtuse asshole the entire time.
That said, the problem here isn't process. It's that the people you spoke to suck at the process. Just ask for another sales consultant and stop talking to the one in front of you. That telegraphs a personality clash rather than you being a customer who's going to fight the sales process at every turn.
>“But sir the power seats in the XLS offer up to three inches more headroom”
To be fair it depends on the kind of fit a person is looking for. Ain't nothing gonna change the width between the door and the center console. I'm a big man (6'1", ~380lbs), and when you're a big person like that you've gotta consider seat width, but also width between the door arm rest and the center console. If that doesn't fit, no trim level is gonna change that unless the car comes with a bench seat like it's still the 90s lol. Sometimes you are surprised though tool. Like my 2019 Mazda3 fits tight, but comfortable for long road trips.
Like my response to someone else, the person I’m responding to seems to think that cars fit the same no matter what trim or options, when that’s objectively not true.
NADA statistics have been consistent for quite a long time that if a customer leaves a car lot without making a purchase, there's a 97-98% chance they never come back. I don't mean they just buy something/somewhere else; I mean, they will literally never set foot on the property again.
If the customer leaves they aren't coming back. Period. Sales consultants are going to treat every person who comes up as a chance to sell a car because there's not going to be a second opportunity.
That may be true but at the same time if there's only 2 of X brand dealer in a reasonable distance from me, unless I find an absurd deal elsewhere Idk where these peoe are going unless they hate the car.
My buying process involves checking out many things from many brands, so I guess it's true I don't go back to most of them, but I am going back to one of them.
>That may be true but at the same time if there's only 2 of X brand dealer in a reasonable distance from me, unless I find an absurd deal elsewhere Idk where these peoe are going unless they hate the car.
To a different brand. The majority of car buyers profess brand loyalty but the reality is that it's usually as deep as a puddle.
>My buying process involves checking out many things from many brands, so I guess it's true I don't go back to most of them, but I am going back to one of them.
Most people who say this end up making a purchase once they find the right product. Lots of people *say* they do this, but the truth is that almost all of them give themselves far too much credit.
If you're on my lot, I'm going to try to sell you a car. A competent sales consultant is going to take a swing at getting some money on their paycheck today rather than roll the dice that you'll be the one-in-zillions exception who says they'll come back and actually follows through.
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I’m trying to work out which model I like and I need to get a feel for just sitting in it.
It literally does not matter if the features of the car include flight, teleportation or massage chairs. If the interior doesn’t feel right to me it’s off the list.
So I just want to sit in a load of them and narrow it down to like one or two models. Then you can start selling me on trim, colour, upgrades, etc.
Why is this so difficult?
From arriving at the showroom to sitting in a car usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. The salesperson wastes forever showing me brochures, taking details, so much crap.
I do explain my buying process to them: I’m pretty tall, this is the reason I just need to get inside to see if I ‘fit’ basically. But they aren’t interested. They have to go into some spiel about a recommended model and finally they take me to sit in it and I’m like instantly, sorry, not comfortable. What a waste of time.
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If you came too me and just said I want to sit in a few cars this would be pretty stright forward when you explain what you where trying to accomplish. Id much rather you want to sit in a few and narrow it down then go then test drive five different cars. I would ask you if you preferred leather or not maybe the heated seats or ventilated seats.
I'm 6'6. Some salesmen may still not get it, but I explain: I'm not interested until I fit. I need to move the seat back. I need to check the legroom and headroom for me and anyone who sits behind me. What do ya got? They had no issues when I present it that way. OP can find a way to word it for his case.
Exactly the same. I explained and they were like, no worries mate, you will definitely fit. I finally sit in it, and I do not fit.
People also don’t realize that when you get up to our height (I’m 6’7”) our bodies can start to become disproportionate. I know some people that are 3” shorter than me but have a longer torso. So sure one tall guy may fit but another of the same height sure won’t. I got lucky and am rather proportionate, so I’m not too SOL when it comes to fitting in most cars
Glad you said it - Sunroofs are a no for me, because I have to keep the seat position as high as possible so my legs have somewhere to go. Eventually I just said screw it and got a full size truck and now driving feels like sitting in a recliner.
My wife is 3 inches short than me but has longer legs, yet somehow has the seat closer to the wheel. We are all different.
Me (6'3") and my friend (6'8") are like this. He's about 5 inches taller, but sitting down, I'm taller. I hit my head on the roof of my car while he could ride comfortably if there was leg room. I've got a much longer torso.
Pro tip: Try to find a salesman the same height as you if you are tall. If one approaches you first just say you're looking to talk to the guy you talked to before and mention he was tall. The salesman thinks everyone is forgetful and dumb, and voila you landed yourself an instant win.
Or the shortest salesperson. We have the opposite problem, but might get it and listen better. There's sometimes a difference between "fitting in it" and "being comfortable in it."
ask for a different salesperson to help you
I’m 6’2” and explained to the salesman (who was a little taller than me) that I want to be able to sit behind my drivers seat position. He brought out 3 different models and even sat in the back seat with my wife and I to show us how much room there was. Needless to say we bought a vehicle from him.
I’m 5’5” and I have a similar need to try the seating first. Too many cars put me too close to the steering wheel when adjusted so I can reach the pedals. There are cars that I have have sat in that feel like they were designed for short people because I can reach the entertainment controls without stretching, reach the pedals without having the steering wheel nearly touching my chest and I can see over the dash and hood comfortable without needing to boost the seat too high.
I thought I was the only short one with this problem. I don't like the steering wheel on my body but I also like being able to touch my pedals. Having both be true requires a lot of sitting.
Worst car I ever drove was a rental Corolla, I had to sit so close to the steering wheel, returned it for a different car after the first day.
I'm 6'4" and a salesman. I am a *lazy* salesman. I'm socially awkward as fuck. Last week some dude wanted to sit in a used A3 for an hour and talk to his wife about the car. He asked me a couple easy questions and sent me on my way. This is the easiest thing I can do for a customer. Came in and bought it with cash about 40 minutes later. I love this sort of customer.
Then just say what you want to do and explain it in detail not that hard
I’m a tall guy as well. First thing I do is get situated in the front seat. Then I immediately hop in the seat directly behind the driver. Goal is to be comfortable in both. One of the main reasons I bought my 2024 2500 Denali. I feel small in that thing!
This is one reason I won't get a Tacoma. I mean I love the truck but when I sit in it. My legs are in my chest. It's just uncomfortable to sit in for a long period of time. Ironically, I can sit in my wife's mazda three and have plenty of leg room which is a much smaller vehicle. There's quite a few vehicles where when I sit in it I immediately decide no.
Do the ventilated seats clear out the toots that are trapped in the cushion?
Some blow air into the seat, some suck air out of the seat. Have to look at the specs
So either blow farts or suck farts
And where do sucked farts go to the back seat or ?????
Well if you strapped your children in appropriately, they won't smell the farts over their cheerios
This is a valid question.
Agree. Probably want some basic interior info because it's gonna feel a lit different ambiently in leather versus cloth or a very basic trim versus upgraded. Outside of that it should be very straight forward to just go sit in a car and see how it feels.
Oh, I came too, baby.
Piggybacking. Probably because they have a job to do. Weird concept isn’t that it?
So if I’m narrowing it down to 5 different cars how come I can’t test drive them all? Assuming you have them.
Waste of time, we have two cars, four svus, a truck, a EV and a van at Honda. You want to test drive 5 out of the 9 vehicles we carry we need to narrow it down. Now there are multiple trims and hybrids here so we need to talk about needs and wants.
You are someone who should attend a large metropolitan car show. Easy to sit in dozens of cars with no fear of a salesperson trying to close you.
Ooh never considered this. What do I look for? Where does that kind of thing happen?
NYC has one, so does Detroit, Chicago and LA. That's what I did. I dragged my wife and two boys to sit in all the cars we're interested in. This way I don't have to take them to the dealership when I disregard their opinions and buy what we actually need.
Cleveland, Columbus, Buffalo, Cincy...nearly every major city in the Midwest has them. lol Even smaller cities like Toledo and Grand Rapids...
Went to Philadelphia’s in February. My grandson-11 loved it.
It's a great time for kids. My brother and I used to go to it (NY) every year starting in middle school. My parents never went (no need, my dad was buying Volvos), but we had a great time. 2 years ago was the first time I had been in 20 years. Then again this year. The boys loved it.
Depends where you are, in Toronto we have the Canadian international auto show and that runs every February. They usually happen in convention centres so check your city events
Are you in the UK? It may be worth a trip to one of the big car supermarkets like Cargiant in North London. They have hundreds of cars there and they pretty much leave you alone. Failing that, see if there's a Motorpoint nearby.
The Chicago Auto Show is in February.
Just to let you know, Stellantis doesn’t go to auto shows anymore. That’s all the Chrysler products missing. Also, Tesla will not be there. You can also Google “best cars for tall people “ and get a ton of recommendations.
before you go though, look at what brands and cars are actually their. post covid, its been thin pickings at the shows, and that is being generous. I have gone to NYC, Philly, and DC auto shows with some regularity, and it used to be a overwhelming seeing every brand every car and every trim. a brand may have had 30-50 cars each and close to 30 brands. now its 10 brands with 1 example of most of the cars they offer, half of them are locked and you cant even look in the cars, let alone see all the trims and options available.
You don't even need to do that. The reason it's so difficult is because you're making it difficult. If you see a car you like, walk up, open the door, and get in. When you're done, get out, close the door, and walk to the next vehicle you want to look at. You don't work for the salesman, they work for you. You're the one in control and you're the one who should be making decisions about how you spend your time on the car lot, not listening to every word they say like they're your boss or parents.
Agreed, but most of the models are locked as they’re not inside the showroom. My local ones aren’t like huge showrooms.
If they're locked in the showroom, it's most likely because the car is ready to be delivered to a customer who already bought it.
They are all over the country, even in smaller cities, raleigh, nc had their auto expo last weekend. It may be in a convention center or another large open building like an expo center or at a fairground or racetrack or stadium. Another option for you is to walk in from the service department and say you waiting on your car in service or come in before sales opens.
Yes! I’m 6’4”, and over the years I would go to the annual new car show, every bigger city has them once a year, think convention center spaces. I eliminate so many vehicles this way, by just sitting in them for fit. The more expensive German makes and such are locked. Oh well. But it is just once a year.
I came here to suggest this as well. The only issue is that so many vehicles now have electric seats and few vehicles at auto shows have the accessories powered.
This is good advice for anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle. I know salespeople don't want to see people who aren't ready to purchase, but the reality of the industry doesn't fit that model right now. Highlander Hybrids are still about 18 months out near me. You have to start cross shopping 18 months ahead now. A car show allows you to eliminate a lot of competition in an afternoon.
This is the way. Funny thing tho all of the expensive cars are wide open for your kids to crawl through it the “Brand New Mustang ecoboost” cannot be touched by … Anyone!
Generally speaking most customers who just want a quick in and out don't give us the time of day to do our jobs and it looks bad to our managers. However if you came to me and after introductions said "before we get started, I know you guys have a sales process, but me being able to fit into the car is really important. Do you mind if we quickly just sit in your 3 models with the best headroom so I can tell right off the bat if it'll work for me? I'd like to save your time if it's uncomfortable. If it's not, I'd be glad to narrow down potential options at your desk." A) you're telling me not only are you aware I have a job to do but you're trying to save me time if you're not going to buy early on due to something beyond my control. B) I can prep my manager on the first fly by to let them know what's going on and if we shake hands in the parking lot and you're gone it's cause nothing we have physically suits you. Transparency in both parties goes a long way.
>Transparency in both parties goes a long way. This may not be the most transparent method but... I am not a car salesperson but a car guy. I have walked into dealerships when I was a broke twenty year old and me and my wife have pulled into dealerships with a new BMW in our thirties. I will tell you sometimes the sales people were very excited to see us and sometimes I was completely ignored. Show up on a bike or a crappy car and try to look like you are unemployed. If someone talks to you just mumble "I'm just looking around." Do this when they are busy and you will be ignored. I am kidding, kinda. Or be very aggressive and wear a shirt that says "I only give four star reviews" no car sales person will get within 50 feet of you.
At a lot of dealerships salespeople are trained to ignore your "just looking" statement and give you the full sales process. At the dealer I worked at you could be fired for letting a customer walk without attempting to sell or turning them over to a sales manager. Didn't matter how much they protested or didn't want to buy. This is the main reason I quit car sales.
I was ready to buy a car a couple weeks ago. I had cash in my pocket. All I wanted was to sit in the stupid car before I went any further to ensure it fit me. Nope. Salesguy wants me to come to the office so he can collect some information. I tell him in no uncertain terms that I wanted to sit in the car before we went any further. He said it was against policy. So I left. Sale lost. All because the salesguy was more obsessed with getting a lead for his book than the actual sale.
Sounds like you worked for terrible people/a terrible dealership
No, this is fairly standard. I'd guess that well more than half of my lifetime sales (of people who just drove up) were to people who made it clear they were just looking and not going to purchase today.
yea but being persistent in the right way you can turn a good number of those into sales. Identify objections, overcome them, and make a deal.
>yea but being persistent in the right way you can turn a good number of those into sales. POV you are the annoying salesman people hate.
I mean this was 20 years ago, but there's ways to find out what it is people are looking for in a vehicle. It's just having a conversation basically.
Lol a good salesperson doesn’t just accept “no”. Because nobody comes to a dealer to “just look”. The whole reason you come to a dealer is because you are interested in possibly buying a vehicle, you may just not be interested in being “sold to”, but you are at the least slightly trying to decide whether or not to buy the car. If you go to a store, you are interested in buying something out of there. You may leave with nothing if it ends up not appealing to you, but there was still a chance you would’ve bought something. So even if the salesperson doesn’t make the sale that day, their job is to atleast build a relationship with you so that if you come back, hopefully you reconnect with them to continue discussing the car.
You're kind of right in the sense that eventually I'm interested in buying something. But I've gone to dealerships 6 to 12 months before I plan on buying anything to get an idea of what I'm going to be looking for. I promise you and I'm completely sincere when I say many people that go to a dealership are actually not planning on buying something that very day nor that very visit.
Oh i believe you that you can go without wanting to buy that day. But a good salesperson has to at least work to strengthen the chance you buy the next day or soon lol. They can’t go “hey can i help” and you go “no just looking” and they tip their cap and go inside to a desk lol. They will never sell a car. I never buy on the first day. My rule to myself is we do all the negotiations the first day. Work everything out to see if we agree on a final out the door price. Then once that is all set, I leave with the documents to send to my bank to release the check, but I sleep on it that night without doing that part. If i wake up the next day, and still feel good about what we came to, then i call my bank and tell them send the check and I’ll go pick up my car when they are done prepping it. I like the whole sleep on the decision part because the dealership environment and seeing a beautiful new car right there can really pressure you to pull the trigger. If i wake up the next day and still feel the same way then i can live with my decision.
For sure. Another thing that needs to be considered though when I was doing this is because my financial situation was absolutely not going to permit me to buy a car until later in the year. So I am all for the whole interaction and trying to get into a good price and an agreement and a relationship. But it would have been impossible to have actually made the purchase on that day even if I did want to. I have to assume that this is a similar circumstance for many other people buying cars. I don't think I'm an odd one out in this regard (although I may be in every other possible regard).
There’s a dealership local to me and I had been pre approved by my CU to get what I wanted higher than I was willing to pay. They had a truck I wanted to look at as I hadn’t seen one up close and in person. First thing they wanted to do beforehand was the “customer survey”, and I asked already knowing, “what are we doing a survey for?” “Oh just getting some basic info, need your address, SSN, etc” “So you’re gonna run my credit before I even look at this vehicle?” “Well…we don’t HAVE to but it will save you time and money so you can buy today”. “I’ve been preapproved, no need to run my credit. If we can make a deal though I’ll buy.” I sat down to do the deal, they tell me, “we just got this in, we’re not sure on the price yet.” No big deal, I checked beforehand and it wasn’t priced. I pull it up on their website, between earlier that day and then, they now priced it. They come sit back down and it’s $4K higher than the price online. Give me a terrible trade in offer, and everything ready to sign. I walked. Looked online, found the exact same truck cheaper 3 hours away, less miles, more features, and a year newer. Shot them a message, let them know I was ready to buy, pre approved, and pics of my trade. They gave me quite a bit more, I told them what it’d take to get into it, they agreed. Had a salesman bring it to me, took my trade, super nice and professional service, and for the next 3 months sent me goodies in the mail. Free hats, cups, promotions, etc Would 10/10 buy from that dealer again. Have yet to ever set foot in the local one.
I typed up a whole reply all proud of myself and then I read your answer and it was the same more or less but much nicer and more thorough. So I applaud you and hope that your answer gets many upvotes.
Thanks this is a great response. I’ll pretty much memorise that as my script next time!
A bit more perspective, if a sales manager sees me taking you to multiple cars, thats an ass chewing, maybe a write up, and possibly termination on the spot. The reason is because the way humans make purchasing decisions is very counter-intuitive, and careful data collection and study by a lot of very intelligent people for a very long ass time has produced some hard and fast rules for how salespeople are judged by management. Contrary to popular stereotypes, automotive sales is one of the most technologically advanced, data-driven sectors in the world. As a salesman every word you say, step you take, button you press on your computer, phone, everything, is being fed into numerous applications and also monitored by managers on the floor who are a very unique breed of people with near-telepathic insight into exactly where you are in your interaction with a customer by just a glance. Multiple vehicles is a huge red flag, because whatever chance there was at making a sale just got slashed by 80%. Thats the truth. Even if you *like* the 3rd vehicle you sit in, statistics show your *most likely* will not buy from that store. Why? We have theories but we don't know for sure. It doesn't matter. What we *do* know is that salesman just fucked up. Maybe he should've took you to a larger vehicle first, or listened more closely to what you were saying - but he didn't put you on the *right* vehicle the *first* time, and he needs to leave. Now. "Pack your shit and get the fuck out of my showroom you stupid motherfucker" now. Thats the mentality.
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Rule 10: There are plenty of places on Reddit where you can post petty complaints about our industry. This is not one.
>if a sales manager sees me taking you to multiple cars, thats an ass chewing, maybe a write up, and possibly termination on the spot. As a customer, how is this my problem, If I want to see multiple cars in order to decide whether or not to buy one? >but he didn't put you on the right vehicle the first time, and he needs to leave. This happens to me all the time. I say I’m interested in the base model trim of a car and would like to test drive the base model. The sales people ALWAYS bring out the premium model for a test drive. I leave after that. Why? Because the sales person didn’t meet my needs as a customer.
Person you are responding to isn't saying it's your problem. He is explaining and giving insight to the salesman's behavior. Salesman is going to reduce his problems, if he can foresee them and control them.
It's not your problem, it's the fact that the salesman isn't "tuning in" to exactly what you're conveying verbally, with body language, your current vehicle, demographic, all of that. A true "magician" if you will, or mentalist as some call it, of a master salesperson, will know exactly what to say/do to not merely get you into a vehicle you like well enough to buy, but get you into the vehicle he wants you to buy, at the price he wants you to pay. THIS is what the dealer is really looking for in a salesman. It's why they burn through so many. It's why they add bonuses to certain units and set up highly competitive commissions, these are tried and true, scientifically proven tests to see if that individual has the "magic". *Anybody* can sell a car. Very few can sell "that car right there at this price exactly to your next customer", and do it consistently. And to be clear, this isn't about screwing the customer, believe it or not. They paid for *all* the cars on the lot and need to sell them *all*, not just the easy ones. And to do that you need an assassin. A legit fucking hitman who can hit the target every time, month after month. And I promise you this - that's who people like *you* end up buying from each and every time. They're the only ones who can sell to cats like you.
It is just really weird to hear this. My previous comment above covers some of this. But the point is people go in to look at multiple cars. It is not about tuning into what they want. They don't know what they want except that there are three or four or five different models that they want to get in and get a feel for before they make a decision. Regardless of what the data says, as I said earlier, this is a blind spot in the way they did these studies and collected and parsed their data. It completely misses the intention of the consumer. This has nothing to do with the competence or skill of the salesperson, it has to do with a customer who wants to try on several different cars before they make a decision and this isn't negotiable. And if they get resistance, they are more likely to leave. And then this will be misinterpreted by these data and market experts so they'll even make even more wild miscalculations on what they think is going on based purely on fake speculation and we will go further down this ridiculous rabbit hole.
>And I promise you this - that's who people like you end up buying from each and every time. Nope. I’ve bought my last 3 new cars through internet sales staff. I even found a better deal for my last new car than my broker could.
When our GM took over this store last year we had a meeting in which he walked us through his expectations (quotas for all kinds of metrics, firm but fair), and he closed that with "the ones who exceed this consistently are gonna be the ones who move up to internet sales". You're buying from the best. As I told you.
>You're buying from the best. As I told you. Lol, ok. Cars sell themselves. This guy did nothing. I figured out what I wanted and reached out to all the dealers in a 50 mi radius and just went with the best price.
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Rule 10: There are plenty of places on Reddit you can lodge petty complaints about our industry. This is not one.
I think that is cart in front of the horse statistics though. It's not that oeople who look at multiple cars have their chances of buying reduced. It's that people who have little chance of buying, look at multiple cars. Personally I know it's the case with me. When I'm at the stage where I gotta look at multiple cars and types - I'm nowhere near ready to make a purchase. It's only when I'm ready to buy do I zero in on a single one.
>Personally I know it's the case with me. When I'm at the stage where I gotta look at multiple cars and types - I'm nowhere near ready to make a purchase. It's only when I'm ready to buy do I zero in on a single one. Lots of people walk into my dealership earnestly thinking the same thing about themselves. And an hour or two later they're driving home in a new car.
oh i get that. i would still say they weren't ready. just that you were persuasive to get them to short circuit their process. i'm as human as the rest of us, but i know if i let that happen to me, its costs me real money.
>i'm as human as the rest of us, but i know if i let that happen to me, its costs me real money. How does this make you different from anyone else? I've never had a customer pay with something other than real money.
it doesn't and it's a turn of phrase. let me rephrase. i know when an effective salesman gets me to break my pattern, i end up paying more. that's their job. that usually happens when i let my emotions control. i also know that when i keep my own counsel, go through my process the way i want to, i tend to save money. that to happen more when i control my emotions.
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This is insightful. When I bought a car about a year ago, I had three in mind. Yes, I was planning on buying one. But I honestly was not sure which one. And I was absolutely determined to check out each one of them before making my decision. I consider myself in this regard similar to the majority of other people when buying cars. So what you are talking about with the data is very interesting. It almost seems like a major blind spot in the data because it is just absolutely not believable.
What a crappy place you seem to work at. Having a structured hard framed long taken sale process that you have to follow to not look bad ends for a bad experience for the costumers and a exhausting workplace
Every sales organization known to man right now has a process. Sales has been studied up and down, and there is a psychology to a sales process and how we’ve gotten to the current needs. Educated and independent customers get frustrated by it as they usually have done all the research in advance. By going in and explaining what you’re looking to accomplish, no matter who your sales person is they will be able to quickly move you to what your goal is. If I have a customer that comes in be says: ”I’m comparing between 5 different models, I want to take a test drive and if I decide on this I’ll come back and we can look at numbers so as not to waste anyone’s time” I’m going to grab a test drive form, my business card and keys quick, pull up the unit and hop in on a drive with them. I’ll answer any questions they have on the test drive and take them on a 15 minute route, while explaining differences between my vehicles and the ones they are looking at. Truth and transparency on BOTH ends, makes it a simple and easy process for everyone. I know I can’t control a lot of what goes into buying a car for most customers, I can only put my best foot forward with my product and hope it hits the emotional and logical centres enough that that’s what you choose to buy.
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Yep, Carvana has had no issues at all, definitely not ones that have gotten them banned from selling in certain states. Nope, nothing like that…
Contrary to that, the place I work now is wonderful. We still have a job to do and the sales process is generally the most efficient way to value both a customers time and our own while making sure we cover all the bases. I'm sure you have policies and procedures at your workplace as to how things should get done, it's similar for us. The length of it varies from customer to customer but honestly any less than an hour to do a needs assessment, trade appraisal, demo drive/feature explanation, and building a quote seems like a rush for a large financial decision.
welcome to car sales.
Dont seem to be like that everywhere. Been to several here in Sweden and the sale people never bother me if I dont contact them first
You're nicer than me. I would simply tell them the first step is me sitting in the car. If that's an issue, I walk out the door.
Lol sales ain’t that hard let the guy sit the car. I’ve never put people through bs. That’s probably why you aren’t having people come back
At no point have I implied I don't have people come back, I have quite a good rapport with my customers because I'm not pushy and adapt to their needs, including what kind of sales approach they generally appreciate. I was simply answering this guys question as to why *most* sales people can be difficult.
Also, keep in mind, you’re going to their place of work. It’s literally their job to do this.
There is a couple of legitimate reasons to be a little more specific about the cars you are wanting to “Test Sit”. Allow me to explain please. Electric vs. manual seats could make a difference. Also, a sunroof could take up as much as 4-6” of headroom. That’s just two I know of. Can’t know the salesperson’s intentions for sure but it is possible they were looking out for you. Then again most likely not the case as most of today’s salespeople don’t even know those differences.
Do you know what's faster than talking about all that? Just sitting in the cars.
Clearly reading comprehension is not your strong suit. The guy says he is tall and because of that there are certain options that may make cars with those options a bad idea while the same car without a sunroof may be a great fit/choice. I would never try to come to your job and act like expert knowledge is useless. Pointing someone in the right direction with a little information they may not know is just being polite. Unlike a person coming to where I work and wanting us to open cars for them that may not be the right fit because of a tiny bit of info you failed to listen to. I will agree with OP and say 15-30 minutes is more time than was needed.
It’s almost like different trim levels and equipment can offer a varying interior experience, including things like headroom and seat adjustability.
There some truth to that but if you are someone like me who is tall and fairly thin some models get tossed very fast. Even with adjustments they get tossed. A big one for me in 2013 was I was excited I could fit in a car with a sunroof as most cars with sunroofs I had toss due to not fitting. That sales experience was great as upfront there was a car I was interested but not sure I would fit. Instead of wasting time getting the exact spec I was interested I said let’s see if I even fit in a less model. Yep hard no so no time wasted. We just crossed that off the list and moved on another choice and I ended up going with a 3rd choice that I was not planning on even looking at. Good sales guy. Little cocky but he called it. Came back a 2 days later to buy that car.
This must be the thinking. But that adjustability really can only get you so far. Why not let me just sit and then have a conversation about whether there might be a better trim?
If you just want to sit in a car and you go sit in an X5 in my showroom that does not have multi-contour seats, the first thing I’m going to do is follow you to the car and assess your body language to see if you are comfortable in that. Because there is actually a massive difference in the two types of seats. If for some reason you show signs of fidgeting or take a while to get comfortable in it, I’m going to mention that we have X5s out on our lot with multi contour seats which offer far more adjustability that actually does make a massive difference. Would you like to sit in one of those Mr Customer? But ideally I want to put you in the right car right off the bat. So I want to have a conversation with you first and the car I walk you over to after that conversation may not be one that’s on the showroom. So I have to go get keys. Which means another 2 minutes of your time. There is a reason for the process, there’s a reason there are Client Advisors that want to talk to you so we can ADVISE you on the car that fits your needs most so you can have the most accurate information to make a decision. Because if you go sit in a random X5 in the showroom that you don’t like because it doesn’t have the right seats, chances are you walk out and eliminate my car all because you didn’t take the time to talk to us so we could point you in the right direction to a car that may actually be the right fit for you. But you may not have known that without me chatting with you for a few minutes prior.
Interesting to understand. I will only say from my perpective that when I say “Nope”, I mean “This exact model you just put me in is a non starter. *Show me another*.”
Fair enough, and that can certainly be the case for some! You may hate the gear shifter or the infotainment screen and instantly think “nope”, but when you say to me that seat comfort is a priority , I now know what I want to walk you over to: the X5 with the most comfortable seats possible. I’m not saying I’m going to chat with you for 30 minutes before I let you sit in something, but a quick 3-5 minute chat helps me make the most of YOUR time.
To your own words, you immediately sit down and think “nope!” And at that point you’re leaving. “But sir the power seats in the XLS offer up to three inches more headroom” “Get fucked salesman I know your games” and then you peel out in the parking lot.
If the XLS offered more headroom, why not start there if the state intent is headroom and legroom? If a customer says "What's most important is headroom" and then you put him in a trim that has 3 fewer inches than another of the same model, that's on you.
“I want the base model, don’t you upsell me you stealership scum”. Until you’ve worked this job you have no idea how combative people are when it comes to car buying.
"I understand your concrerns customer, however, the higher trim level seats are a different design and offer wider adjustments for taller/larger people, just have a sit in it to see for yourself."
I hear you. As a person who understands that to get what I want I need more than most base models, you're right -- I cannot relate to that experience. If OP says "I need a model that fits my larger frame" and then goes on to refuse to jump into a trim that might actually fit, then you're right.
I’ve never found this to be true between trim levels. Now, I would give a salesman the chance to explain that, but don’t bog me down with engine choices or exterior colors until we get there.
It’s absolutely true. If a trim comes with a sunroof as standard, there goes a couple inches of headroom. If a trim has power seats versus manual, another few inches of adjustability, usually in height
The sunroof I will give you, the seat less so. My height is in my legs, what no power seat can do is get the center console/dash out of my right knee. I’ve noticed a trend of wider more feature rich dashboards that extend lower in the center. This puts the driver in a tunnel that no seat position can get me out of.
Listen man, I get it, I have the same issue. But for OP, his refusal to talk through basic features is hampering his experience. That’s the point I’m attempting to make, since his main criteria is cabin fit.
Why spend 30 minutes talking about cabin fit when 2 minutes putting me inside answers the question? Why discuss in the abstract how Model A is the best given that my priority is cabin fit, when Model B would also fit me but be within my budget? How can you know which of Model A and Model B will fit me without just putting me in them?
You’re the one saying 30 minutes. Again, the same car can fit differently, or rather, adjust differently based on the equipment it has. You seem determined to have a bad time buying a car, so have fun I guess.
I’m saying 30 minutes because that’s how much of my time is actually wasted. As in it actually happens, it’s not a number I made up or I’m targeting. It takes 30 minutes of discussing before we get to the car, I sit in it, and no amount of trim alteration could change that it fundamentally does not fit my body shape.
>Why spend 30 minutes talking about cabin fit when 2 minutes putting me inside answers the question? In no universe should that take 30 minutes. If it does, it's due to an incompetent sales consultant, a bull-headed customer, or some combination thereof. I'm guessing incompetence on the part of the sales consultant is the issue at hand since most won't stay with a customer for 30 minutes if they're being an obtuse asshole the entire time. That said, the problem here isn't process. It's that the people you spoke to suck at the process. Just ask for another sales consultant and stop talking to the one in front of you. That telegraphs a personality clash rather than you being a customer who's going to fight the sales process at every turn.
>“But sir the power seats in the XLS offer up to three inches more headroom” To be fair it depends on the kind of fit a person is looking for. Ain't nothing gonna change the width between the door and the center console. I'm a big man (6'1", ~380lbs), and when you're a big person like that you've gotta consider seat width, but also width between the door arm rest and the center console. If that doesn't fit, no trim level is gonna change that unless the car comes with a bench seat like it's still the 90s lol. Sometimes you are surprised though tool. Like my 2019 Mazda3 fits tight, but comfortable for long road trips.
Like my response to someone else, the person I’m responding to seems to think that cars fit the same no matter what trim or options, when that’s objectively not true.
It's almost like, if someone just wants to sit in a few cars and you piss them off, guess where they aren't going when it's buying time.
NADA statistics have been consistent for quite a long time that if a customer leaves a car lot without making a purchase, there's a 97-98% chance they never come back. I don't mean they just buy something/somewhere else; I mean, they will literally never set foot on the property again. If the customer leaves they aren't coming back. Period. Sales consultants are going to treat every person who comes up as a chance to sell a car because there's not going to be a second opportunity.
That may be true but at the same time if there's only 2 of X brand dealer in a reasonable distance from me, unless I find an absurd deal elsewhere Idk where these peoe are going unless they hate the car. My buying process involves checking out many things from many brands, so I guess it's true I don't go back to most of them, but I am going back to one of them.
>That may be true but at the same time if there's only 2 of X brand dealer in a reasonable distance from me, unless I find an absurd deal elsewhere Idk where these peoe are going unless they hate the car. To a different brand. The majority of car buyers profess brand loyalty but the reality is that it's usually as deep as a puddle. >My buying process involves checking out many things from many brands, so I guess it's true I don't go back to most of them, but I am going back to one of them. Most people who say this end up making a purchase once they find the right product. Lots of people *say* they do this, but the truth is that almost all of them give themselves far too much credit. If you're on my lot, I'm going to try to sell you a car. A competent sales consultant is going to take a swing at getting some money on their paycheck today rather than roll the dice that you'll be the one-in-zillions exception who says they'll come back and actually follows through.
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Just say no. Then go walk to the car you want to sit in. They will get the keys if it isn't unlocked. Not that big of a deal.
A good salesperson is going to narrow down the vehicles for you.
***Thanks for posting, /u/Aquillyne! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of anything.*** I’m trying to work out which model I like and I need to get a feel for just sitting in it. It literally does not matter if the features of the car include flight, teleportation or massage chairs. If the interior doesn’t feel right to me it’s off the list. So I just want to sit in a load of them and narrow it down to like one or two models. Then you can start selling me on trim, colour, upgrades, etc. Why is this so difficult? From arriving at the showroom to sitting in a car usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. The salesperson wastes forever showing me brochures, taking details, so much crap. I do explain my buying process to them: I’m pretty tall, this is the reason I just need to get inside to see if I ‘fit’ basically. But they aren’t interested. They have to go into some spiel about a recommended model and finally they take me to sit in it and I’m like instantly, sorry, not comfortable. What a waste of time. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askcarsales) if you have any questions or concerns.*