Quote:
Originally Posted by TuxedoCartman
So like Ash was asking: what has the dealership model done that's GOOD for the consumer?
|
The best justification I’ve heard from dealers is for those situations when a buyer needs a new vehicle but doesn’t really know what would best suit his/her needs. Not everybody is an enthusiast like us, researching new models and packages and options.
Now, whether most salesmen will truly act in the customer’s best interest, as opposed to pushing whatever vehicles his manager is trying to unload that week and maximizing his bonus, well, that’s not a debate I want to get into. We’ve all heard the stories one way or the other.
But for a salesman to really provide that kind of service, they would have to cover multiple brands and can say, no, for you sir, the Chrysler minivan would be better than the Nissan because of X and Y. So for starters, you need a “dealership” which can sell multiple brands, imports as well as domestic.
In addition, this implies that the salesman must be very well informed, not just about all the models that Toyota or Scion makes, but the whole market. That’s the knowledge that the customer is paying for.
When salesmen protest that they can’t possibly keep up with all the details on every model in the showroom (and that’s for just for a single brand) to me that’s when they are surrendering the only real value that customers are expecting them to provide.