rominl

iTrader: (4)

nothing lexus related, and up front i want to say it's all about salespersons rather than brand. but it was just so different and i find it amazing.

my wife and i decided to look for suv since our baby is due next month (imagine my wife with the tummy). first stop, bmw. walked into the dealership, and this sales greeted us immediately, asked us what we want (x5), proceeded to explain details to me (very much appreciated), told and showed us all the models. kindly asked us when we are expecting, focused on telling us how baby seats will fit, space concern, commented we should get the running board, etc...

we asked for test drive, he didn't hesitate and got us the key, told us to take our time on the test drive. when we got back, i said if it's ok for us to drive an old one (no turbo) for comparison. he said no problem, spent the next 10 mins backing the car out (blocked by other cars), apologizing to us for the delay, same test drive, etc...

we were never pressured, and afterward he gave us his card telling us to give him a call any time with questions. we apologized saying that it must have been a lot of trouble for him to move the cars, he said not at all, "that's my job" with a smile.

2nd stop, mb dealership, to check out the ml. got out of car, no one greeted, walked into dealership, no one greeted. i had to physically ask for a sales, 5 mins passed, and we saw this sales in his 50s walking casually toward us from far away.

finally he "arrived" and said how he could help us. i said we are looking at the ml (pointing to my wife's tummy). then he started "questioning" us (more or less in that tone) what car we are driving (does that matter?), cars we have looked at, what we think of those cars, etc... and finally he started guiding us to the ml (my wife and i already peeked at each other)

saw the car, he got the number and went to get the key. we looked at the car under the sun for another 5 mins before he came back. didn't ask us any questions, nothing. so we started looking at all the space and comparing ourselves. i got on the driver seat trying to gauge the space, he walked over:

him: so what do you think
me: well this is first time we look at the ml, so we are comparing space
him: yeah, the 350 should be good. oh and this is 2010 too, so if you get this you can probably save a few bucks
me: oh ok cool
him: so how are you going to pay for this, lease or finance?
me: umm... we will probably just buy it out
him: what do you mean?
me: err... cash?
him: CASH??
me: yup (and i turned around and not look at him anymore to continue check out the car)

so after checking out the car, my wife said why not try to drive this? i turned around and before i could say anything, the sales said he had another customer waiting already (to pick up the car) so he had to go. i was like err... ok, can i have your card then?

"oh no, i don't have any card with me. but that's ok, whenever you ready, just come in and we will help you." at that point i was like wtf already and didn't really want to continue the conversation, so i said bye and that was it.

maybe we look young, but that doesn't mean we don't have money. we came in with a very legit (and noticeable) reason, i guess he just didn't think we were serious enough for his attention. and i am not trying to sound mean, but the ml is like what, 60k? what's the big deal of paying cash for this car?

i was lost. my wife said oh well, guess we aren't getting mb. i smiled and sai you know what, i actually don't even know the name of the salesman, he never even introduced himself...

i do want to know what the sales thought when he saw us getting back into the m3...

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

kudos to the bmw salesman

Probably the age thing and/or more like the arrogance.

Or what you could've done was go to a different salesperson or ask for fleet manager in front of his face

Is it fletcher jones? I find their salesmen/women snobby. That's why we left and went to House back then.

Stormwind

Dang terrible salesman. Which dealer is he from, Pensky? I would't give up on MB just because you got a lame salesman, chances are all the good ones are dealing with customers and you got a cheezy one because nobody wanted to talk to him.

So how was the space on the ML? The last time I checked one out was back in '05 before the update and I felt the backseat was too cramped for it's size mainly because of it's thick seat back(less room than E Class).

G Star

iTrader: (2)

Don't like MB much anyways, only the CL and SLR.

Does the ML have 3 row seating? Isn't it a class under the x5? Are you checking out any other brands? I don't like BMW at all but I honestly think the x6 looks cool.

Man that MB salesman was straight up clueless, how is he even working there? Did you go to Fletcher Jones?



Anyway, just be done with it and get the LX570

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

rominl = undercover pimp.



(C'mon Henry. Don't deny it. )

Stormwind

That's a lot of contradiction there.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

age would be my guess. but unless he thinks i knocked my wife up and we are both in college, i think we have a very legitimate reason to look for a suv?

i actually thought about going back to front desk and ask for GM coz' i want to file a complaint. but then i asked myself why i want to waste time with people like these.

nop, not fletcher jones. i have been there before and it wasn't much better, most of them judge first to see if you live in newport beach and if you have a cartier watch on your wrist.

but we went to house of import. to be fair, they had a korean sales that we enjoyed a lot, but the one this time, topped it all

don't think we are giving up on mb already, but we probably will try another dealership if any. although just by looking at the car and interior, i say x5 > ml

we both feel the ml is small, 2nd row is about the same as x5 but cargo space not as much. we also feel the car is not as "wide" as the x5, which is important when there is a freaking baby seat in the middle

nop, don't think ml has 3rd row, i probably don't even want to guess what 3rd row would be like anyway. hard to say whether it's under x5 or not. price wise those 2 are about the same, x5 does have 3rd row option but it's very tiny. x5 is much smaller than cars like gl. and between ml and gl i can't find anything else from mb

lol i guess a lot of us do have some bad taste with fletcher jones people huh

hahaa, i will be honest and say, at one time, i was indeed "hired" by manufacturer(s) to test out the service level of salesperson. i hope i didn't get anyone fired

but pimp? no way, i dug a big grave when we decided to have kid, hahha

hahaha, no contradiction, basically mb and bmw both no good, lexus is better

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

well, bad salesmen are everywhere then

since you already have an m3, your past salesman/dealer would be happy to have you back???

oh X5>>>>>>>>ML

Newchapter

iTrader: (2)

60k IS a lot of money... it's enough to where you would have known my name if I was a salesman... then again, maybe he thought you were full of it...

LexFather

Thanks for sharing Henry. Its amazing the differences between salesmen...I believe a lot of it starts with management and trickles from the top down. Arrogant GM's=arrogant salesmen.

I thought for sure you were getting a Crossturd or ZDX

mmarshall

I deal with new cars and salespeople all the time, Henry.....both for my own CL car reviews and, in general, while helping other people shop for their vehicles. Your experience at both the BMW and M-B shops seems to be more of just a luck-of-the-draw situation with each shop than what is necessarily typical of either BMW or M-B dealerships today. I know, in my own D.C. area, for instance, I often drive a good 15-20 miles to a far better BMW store (further out from D.C.) than the one just a couple of miles away from my place...the much better parking, more friendly, more inventory, stress-free atmosphere, more professional suroundings, and much better, less-congested roads for test-driving are more than worth the extra time and gas getting out there. Same for the Infiniti shop.

Both M-B and BMW shops, at one time, were known for their aristocratic snobbishness......and even more so for Porsche. Although there are still some of those old salespeople left, in general, dealerships of upmarket German brands have simply had to change the way they deal with customers because of the reality of today's competitive market The introduction of Japanese-competitors Lexus and Infiniti, for example, 20 years ago, put a lot of new pressure on them that had not existed before, and forced many of them to change. So, today, you will still find some of the old-style snobbishness at both dealers, but, more likely (and now more widespread), better customer-friendliness.

On a slightly different note, check out the Audi Q5 and Q7 before you sign on the dotted line for an X5 or ML. I just recently reviewed a Q5, and was VERY impressed (though it may be slightly smaller than what you and your wife are looking for). The Q7 is larger, but I haven't driven one since it was first introduced several years ago.

And good luck to the Mrs. and her pregnancy. I'm sure baby's arrival will be big CL news.

Dave600hL

This same thing happened to us when we were looking at a C63. My wife is not interested in cars and doesn't care for the places, so she was next door looking at a pet shop, cause she wanted a dog at that stage. So I parked at the pet store and walked over to the MB dealership.

I walked in and nobody greeted me, so I start looking at pamphlets and 15 mins pass by, so I went up to the front desk and asked if someone could help me out. I was asked to fill out a quetionair on what cars I own and what I wanted in the future, ect and there was a part as to if I wanted news from this MB dealership. Finnaly a sales guy comes and says, "we don't have a C63 to test drive and with cars like this it would have to be a blind purchase" . Did not really say much about the car and basically said they sell themselves, then proceeded to brush me off with the usual, if you need any help just let me know. I even has to ask if I could have the pamphlet. This was on a Sunday BTW.

Now this is where things get interesting. The sales guy turns up at my work on Wednesday with all the pamphlets of AMG's, offering me all these deals on cars and leasing. I can't have MB sales rep comming to work so I said if he wants to give me any info in the future personally, comes to me house (All this info was on the questionair I filled out). So he comes a further 3 times to my house and says he is going to get a C63 to test drive from another dealer. But by that time I had signed the papers for the IS-F.

I later found out that he asked around and found out what connection I had to my "place of work" when I filled out the questionair, it was from a company that I do business with's employee. He asked me if I ended up getting the Benz, even though I told no one I was buying a car.

Goes to show how the first time you are treated really influences how you make a decision.

Hennry, I totally understand where you are coming from. Just do what I do and drive back to the dealer that would not help you and kick a few tires and when they ask if they can help you, politely give them back the pamphlets and say that you won't be needing them as you got somethings else.(of corse they will ask what you got) I guarantee they will watch you get into your car and if they have any pride they will kick themselves for not taking you more seriously.

LexFather

2002GGPIS3

I am in car sales now and the benz salesman, did everything wrong.., briefly you present the car, and go for a test drive and it is not until afterward, pricing and how you are going to pay for it is even talked about.

IS-SV

Car salesmanship is such a hit and miss thing these days as in the past.

I've been dealing with them for decades, but often I arrive via side door with appointments/fleet sales and other connections. I've owned too many cars to count, but my best experience so far is with Lexus, since I deal with a seasoned internet sale manager and her sales partner/teammate (they truly cover for each other for 7 day coverage) at a truly stable dealership (which is highly unusual too).

I recently purchased my Ford SUV from a BMW dealership via a BMW salesperson, very good experience (it was one of the trades they kept), 98% of deal was negotiated over the phone and email, subject to final inspection of course.

The quality of the sales people varies from dealership to dealership, and is not brand specific.

I almost forgot to mention, CONGRATs on the new addition to the family!