#7!! but still not the number 1 in the automotive industry.

http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interac...tion/index.asp

I think I'm one of the 9% that would not return to the dealership.

 

I'm not suprised. Unless youre in your 30s with nice leather shoes and an Omega flashing from your write, they wont even bother with you.

when I was 18ish, my parents were going to buy me an IS300 b/c I had a car that I loved but broken down like none other. So I went around looking at dealerships and they treated me like dirt. They were like "wtf? this young asian kid wants to buy a Lexus? No way". I know they don't like to waste time on kids b/c they want joy rides, but the Lexus dealer was ridiculous. All I wanted was a brochure to show my parents and they told me to bring my parents with me if I am serious. They wouldn't even give me a brochure!

Then, I took my dad with me in his Lexus, and they treated me like God. After we mentioned we're Japanese and they took it to a whole new level. Good thing I had business cards from every guy I talked to before I took my dad. I told them in their face that they treated me like dirt and will NOT buy a car from them so they can get their commission.

but I ended up going to Tokyo for college and getting a different car .

Jasbmo>
looks like an awesome LS. do you have bigger pics?

PS: If you want Customer Satisfaction, you should see the dealerships in Japan.

 

I noticed USAA was the highest...and being a member that is not a surprise. They are excellent.

 

Unfortunately many upmarket car dealerships like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, Acura, Infiniti, Porsche, etc treat young people like that not just Lexus. They often will size you up from just looking at you out the window and if they don't feel you are going to pay their inflated price they will not bother trying to help you or kind of blow you off when you talk to them and not try to work you. It is ashame we have to purchase our cars from people like this. I know alot of people who before they go to a upmarket dealerships have to "dress up" and put on a image that they have alot of money and make sure they pull up in a fairly expensive car for the salesman to give them decent service.

 

That is too bad. I guess my shorts, T shirt and slippers wouldn't cut it at those types of dealers. That is actually how I was dressed when I bought my Lexus and Acura cars Then again, in Hawaii we all are dressed like that so I don't think the dealers hold that against you like mainland dealers might.

 

Damn, I am envious. There's nothing like going to purchase your car in slippers. I'd definitely get some weird looks if I did that where I am at.

 

the thing is, i went to a Porsche/Audi dealership too b/c my parents thought about getting a Audi A4 or a Saab 9-3 (mom loves Saabs...but got stuck with a RX300 LOL) as well. And they treated me pretty well. They were nice, talked to me about cars and showed me around the new A4 (the B5 JUST came out), and even let me sit in a 911 they had in their showroom.

Lexus...ooh no. I didnt dress any different either. I was rockin my birkenstocks and abercrombie with my blingin fossil watch and they treated horrible. No brochure, and had to beg for their business card.

in Japan its the same at European dealerships, but Japanese ones aren't bad. I even got to test drive an IS350 a year ago for like 30mins (and fell in love). BMW dealership won't even talk to me in Japan, but Mercedes isn't bad.

But Toyota dealerships in Japan are awesome. My grandfather has a Celsior and a MarkII, and he let me drive the MarkII around for a while a few years ago and I decided to look at Altezzas. I approached the dealership, a salesguy came running (literally, full out sprint) to my car, bowed, told him I was looking for a new car, he parked my car for me (and imagine me at this point all confused and trying not to get my car stolen), then the next moment some lady came to me, showed me to a chair, gave me a menu (with free drink...anything from milk, tea, coffee, coke), and told me to wait. 3mins later the sales guy comes to me, apologizes for the wait (dude, its only been 3mins.), and I told him I was looking for an Altezza. The moment I said Altezza, he orders someone for an Altezza catalog, and 10mins later, I'm test driving an Altezza. And I was amazed how educated they were with their products. The coolest part was, I saw this model scale Altezza, and I just frankly said "hey, thats a cool little toy", and it was like 8bucks retail. The guy said "well, since you came all the way to the dealership, I'll give it to you for free". i was amazed. and i still have this yellow toy altezza

 

Cadillac is number 3 on that list, lexus is 7th, so cadillac must be number 1 in the automotive world

 

Um, Lexus is 55% return and Cadillac is 51%, last time I checked 55 > 51.

 

This, at least to an extent, is changing. I deal with a lot of dealerships in the DC-MD-VA area ( the second-largest new-car market in the country ), for a number of reasons...shopping for myself, shopping with others, price quotes, my auto reviews, etc.....and the attitude of dealerships carrying upmarket, premium brands is noticeably better towards most people than in the past. BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche dealers, in the past, were notoriously snooty and aristocratic...a long-standing characteristic of the German auto industry in general...and some are still that way, but even them, to a lesser extent now. You don't have to go to these places in a buisness suit looking like Donald Trump. They are finally starting to figure out that their job is to show off and sell their CARS, not an image.

And, unlike the past, they know that young people today, for whatever reasons, often DO have money, or at least enough to actually buy one of their products. If the young kids today don't buy it themselves, often their parents buy it for them...as coco-bun pointed out above.

 

I'm surprised at Cadillac's spot on the list because usually, Cadillac dealerships are attached to Chevy dealers. I see Chevy Aveo's sitting only 40feet from the Cadillac's, lol.

 

When Lexus first came out, the average buyer was 35-65 years old.

With younger folks buying the IS and off lease GS's, I believe they have more of a propensity to voice dissatisfaction with service. I have seen this occur on several BMW forums. Much more complaints from younger folks. I think their complaints are valid, it is just that as you get older, you get tired of complaining which is why I believe Cadillac is higher on the list. Older people are more tolerant.

 

Possibly, but it could still be a case of the younger guy getting less respect at a luxury dealership. These dealers need to realize that there are a lot of younger people with money these days.

 

My experience, in shopping with many people, young and old, has been just the opposite. Young people, on the average, don't really know much about car-buying, often don't understand financing, and sometimes don't really know what they ae getting into (though of course there are exceptions), and are more likely to tolerate whatever the dealership tosses at them. ( when I shop with them, of couse, I try to make sure they get as fair a deal as possible).

Older people, especially seniors, on the other hand, are, in general, much more set in their ways, have experience buying a number of cars already under their belt, believe that things should be just so and are far more likely to b***h and complain if they either don't get their own way or they think, rightly or wrongly, that the dealership is trying to screw them.

Case in point: One of the two MOST difficult persons I have ever shopped with was my own late mother (God rest her soul). A saint in some areas, she was also a classic control freak. No matter where we went or who we dealt with, she was NEVER satisfied with a car deal. Being an ex-bookeeper and IRS-trained tax volunteer, she of course was excellent with figures and the fine print, but, still, she was always convinced that no matter what papers we signed, we could have done better somewhere else or at a different time.

 

Are you referring to the sales process or post sales service as well?