Tyre Kickers

 

Right now I'm going to buy a car.  I've had my current one for six years, the longest I've gone without changing as a consequence of two things.  Firstly I felt it was inappropriate to get a new car in the recent climate but more significantly I'm no longer a petrol head, if in fact I ever was one.  I've come to realise there is no sport as mind numbing as F1 - I really would rather watch one man and his dog. Current car models do little for me, sure the latest Aston, Lamborghini or Ferrari will still turn my head but my days with exotics are over, I've had my fill, and most other cars on the road seem so similar and bland.  So whilst I know I'm going to buy a car I really have no idea which make and model I'll choose.

 

I've been weighing up the Jaguar but still struggle with the Arthur Daly association, the Mercedes range looks more geared for LA cruising than the autobahn, plus the depreciation rate on the last two I've owned cause me to feel I'm damned if they'll rip me off again. BMW's are no better, once they were so cool in my eye, so perfectly engineered, but now all I see is a huge backside and no offence to J Lo or others with a similar body shape, I've always preferred sleek and elegant. I've thought about the Lexus Hybrid every time I pay the congestion charge but actually I've become a fan of the tube and even if my choice of four wheels is electric I'll still take public transport, and talking of four wheels I've been wondering about a return to the Range Rover, not least given the condition of our roads, but not sure I really need one when 90% of my travelling is alone with just a briefcase. What I would really like is a vintage, my dream being a DB 5 or 6 - (many people don't like the 6 but I could be persuaded to buy it rather than the overhyped/priced 5) - but is this really sensible when I do need to drive long distances, sometimes following a long, tiring, albeit highly satisfying, day on my feet speaking and coaching?

 

So with absolutely no clear direction at all, it will be interesting to see the response I get from car dealers. "So, you don't have a price range, no preference for 2 or 4 door, engine size isn't really a factor nor is brand or type," - I could regard myself as a waste of time too, but the fact is I am in the market, and I will be buying a car.

 

I wonder how many businesses will lose my custom because they choose to ignore me or worse make me feel uncomfortable or stupid?  How often will a salesman lose out on a commission cheque for mistaking my indecision with an inability to proceed? But might there be one person out there though who will see me for the opportunity I am and truly help me with my search, guide me through the options with informed authority, assist me to narrow down my choices and finally, rather than selling, simply help me to buy?

 

I've heard many salespeople describe potential customers as "tyre kickers" and yet these people all live somewhere, all drive cars, all wear clothes, are all consumers - every tyre kicker becomes a customer someday - just not yours if you treat them as a tyre kicker to start with.

Comments

[Caroline West]

I've had 2 bad Mercedes experiences. My husband, our MD, has no interest in cars, I have - when the tax laws made it advantageous to buy second hand I would do exactly that for our company cars. So I had budget, age of vehicle, depreciation calc - I just didnt' have an exact model - were they interested - not remotely the guy just shrugged and told me to come back when I'd made up my mind on a model - talk about missing the point!!
Tax laws change - new vehicles this time - Mercedes showroom - £30k budget in pocket - any interest - not a sausage - rude arrogant salesman who obviously didn't think a woman could possibly buy a car - their loss I've spent nearly £100k with BMW in the last 3 years!

[Chris Kyriacou]

Peter, I normally agree with your comments, but in this instance I simply cannot. You are not in the market for a car, you are simply in your deliberating stage, where the best a dealer can do for you is give you some ideas. You may or may not digest these ideas and they may form part of your future decision to buy a certain model. Will the dealer be able to sell you something there and then, which is of course what he is paid to do, probably not. So in my opinion he is right to assume that you are a tyre kicker, because essentially that is what you are. However he can of course give the the best possible attention in hope that when you are ready and have decided to buy a model he sells, that you will come back to him. But remember, as you are undecided even as to the model you want there is a very good chance you will buy elsewhere if he doesn't stock your final choice, no matter how well he treats you.

The fact remains that only one dealer will get your custom and is likely to be because he has the model you finally decide to go for in stock and not because of his fantastic sales skills. Customer care is paramount and "wasters/tyre kickers" should be treated with courtesy and respect. But likewise buyers should do a little research before going shopping.

Seriously are you saying that estate agents should be happy with people coming into their stores and simply stating "I want to buy a house" with no idea of budget bedroom or location?

What is wrong with a buyer knowing what they want, making a decision to buy and then going to buy it. Maybe you could spend a bit more of your own time researching what you might really need, instead of berating the car dealer who probably has a list of people like you and is just trying to make ends meet now, not in the possible future.

[Peter Knight]

Hi Chris, thanks for your comment.

I am a buyer - I will own a new car within 4-6 weeks as my current arrangements expire, but I just don't know what I'll buy. I use myself as the example of someone who isn't giving off the ideal buying signals who might be ignored or disregarded as a consequence.

In estate agency, with a massive shortage of buyers, I'm amazed how many times I see people being poorly treated just because they aren't behaving exactly as the agent would wish. This indifference to many buyers is highlighted by Rightmove confirming that one in five phone calls to EA's goes unanswered! And, the single largest complaint from applicants is "I never heard from them again." These are legacy behaviours from the many years where buyers were abundant and the agent only had to concern themselves with winning more instructions.

My blog attempts (clearly not very well) to suggest that we should take a fresh look at our prospects many of whom are currently confused by conflicting information and consequently are not behaving as we might be used to/wish. An example of how this is being addressed - some of my clients are now having much closer links between their sales and lettings team - by appreciating that their job is to help people to move (rather than just to sell or let) they can now focus on all the options available rather than just the narrow ones previously considered.