Terrible sales associate experience

patatty · #1 07-13-2012, 11:42 AM

I was wondering if this is par for the course when it comes to Ferrari sales agents. I have already placed an order and paid a significant deposit, so I am not a casual window shopper. The agent that I ended up dealing with is extremely non-responsive. Never returns a phone call. I have to call three and four times and each time leave a message, and I might get a return call. Promises to track down certain things and says they will call, but never does. Every time I call I get the run around: "they are doing a delivery"; "they are in a meeting"; "they are not in yet", etc. This is absolutely the worst buying experience I have ever had. Has anyone had this experience? What are my options? Can I ask to be switched to a different agent? The few times I have dealt with the manager at this dealer, they haven't been stellar either, so I don't know if anyone else will be any better. Should I contact FNA?

**Kaivball** · #2 07-13-2012, 11:49 AM

Did the experience get worse after you made the deposit or was it always bad?

If it was always bad, did you communicate your displeasure?

And yet you still chose to make the deposit?

Kai

greyboxer · #3 07-13-2012, 11:49 AM

Sounds normal for most new car dealers to be honest

patatty · #4 07-13-2012, 12:06 PM

Bad before deposit and bad after deposit. When I do manage to get through, the person is very nice and helpful. Just this whole follow up and responsiveness thing. Maybe its way over rated.

Noblesse Oblige · #5 07-13-2012, 12:09 PM

No, it is not normal in my experience. They are trained better than that. Most dealers' sales people are responsive.

patatty · #6 07-13-2012, 12:15 PM

I did communicate my displeasure right after paying the deposit, and was promised things would be better. Wasn't sure about the etiquette or sensitivity if I requested to deal with a different person. After all, behind the scenes they all work together, and I am the outsider.

In a perverse way, I feel that this is akin to a drug dealer/dealee situation. The dealer has a somewhat unique and hard to find item, the dealee is the one paying the money (and hence should be treated as Numero Uno Customer), but the relationship ends up being somewhat reversed, with the dealer doing pretty much what they want. Where else is the dealee going to go?

**Kaivball** · #7 07-13-2012, 12:24 PM

You get what you tolerate.

When I plunk down a quarter million dollars I demand more than the DMV experience.

But that's me.

Kai

**RickLederman** · #8 07-13-2012, 01:12 PM

My dealer remains very responsive both before the sale and well after the sale. In the USA if you live too close to a dealer you are stuck with them for a new car. Very fortunately I have had nothing but great service from mine, both the sales department and the service department (Midwestern Auto Group in Dublin OH)

Rick

**Need4Spd** · #9 07-13-2012, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickLederman

My dealer remains very responsive both before the sale and well after the sale. In the USA if you live too close to a dealer you are stuck with them for a new car. Very fortunately I have had nothing but great service from mine, both the sales department and the service department (Midwestern Auto Group in Dublin OH)

Rick

+1 Ferrari of SF has been great to deal with. OP, where is yours?

**clockem** · #10 07-13-2012, 02:13 PM

Paying what we do for these cars bad service should not exist. Each dealer gets only so many cars from Ferrari. Let them know if things don't improve you will contact FNA and then Ferrari in Italy. Dealers get penalized if people contact Ferrari Italy directly.

**TheMayor** · #11 07-13-2012, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyboxer

Sounds normal for most new car dealers to be honest

Agreed.

My feeling is that it's difficult to get anyone on a phone call. Email works best.

I think a lot of times they don't have info on the car's progress themselves.

patatty · #12 07-13-2012, 03:00 PM

Since I unfortunately (or fortunately, don't know which) live close to a Ferrari dealer, I am destined to have to go there for all future cars, unless I decide to move to remedy this situation. Thus, burning bridges is a big concern here. Hypothetically speaking if in the future I go back for another one, I don't want there to be lingering memories of "hey that was the guy that ratted us out to Italy", let's make him number 18,346 on the waiting list for the 458 Spyder.

**TheMayor** · #13 07-13-2012, 03:21 PM

Email is your friend.

Worst experience ever? I can't say I've had the same with my 4 F car and 1 M car new purchases. Walking into a BMW dealer and talking to a sales person gives me the shakes.

**mjc_123** · #14 07-13-2012, 03:27 PM

my buying experience was also very good. my dealer (Ferrari Long Island) seems to value their good reputation and cares about what customers say about them, on forums and such. in fact, the owner reached out to me via fchat PM and connected me to his sales person. we also had several in-depth phone conversations about specs and other things so it was a very personable and enjoyable experience. now that I have done it, the speccing, buying (and waiting) process is very much a part of the whole ferrari experience. because you are supposed to buy from your nearest dealer, I guess some dealerships have a devil may care attitude...

**Traveller** · #15 07-13-2012, 04:20 PM

I found it initially impossible to get my dealer, whom I had not bought from for 10 years, to come back to me to arrange a test drive or to treat me as a serious punter. After endless efforts i had to go to Ferrari UK who finally made the dealer pay me attention, and this despite having had a number of Fcars from the dealer before including a factory F40. The reintroduction resulted in a number of orders and now I have a great relationship.

NJ-Cali · #16 07-13-2012, 04:24 PM

I agree with the Mayor.

Get the sales associates email address. Couldn't hurt to get the sales managers as well and copy him/her on all correspondence.

Email is documentation. Phone calls/messages not so much.

Besides email give the assoc an option as to when he can reply. Phone calls/messages not so much.

For what it's worth my assoc retired about 2/3 of the way thru the process. She headed south to sunny Fla. the young man who picked up where she left off did a great job of keeping me informed.

The dealership is Wide World in Spring Valley, NY

**hotbmwm3** · #17 07-13-2012, 06:30 PM

I have had a similar experience with Grey Paul in Nottingham, UK

But my experience was with service staff, not sales staff

I'm going to switch dealerships, I'm sure you wouldn't be as likely to have customer service problems if there were three competing dealerships within 60 miles of your home

The dealer and addict analogies I think have some merit, there is no substitute for a Ferrari in an Microeconomics 101 meaning

There are competitors, but Ferrari hold what is close to a monopolistic position in passenger vehicles as it is possible to get

We all are addicted, and the use of the term 'dealer' to sell us and service us is apt

wingfeather · #18 07-13-2012, 06:33 PM

I had an amazing experience buying my F car through a non-Ferrari dealer. He even offered to trailer the vehicle to me (over 100 miles). Salesmen in general are garbage, which makes me extremely sympathetic for the rare gems out there. If you find a good one definitely buy from them.

Noblesse Oblige · #19 07-13-2012, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patatty

I did communicate my displeasure right after paying the deposit, and was promised things would be better. Wasn't sure about the etiquette or sensitivity if I requested to deal with a different person. After all, behind the scenes they all work together, and I am the outsider.

In a perverse way, I feel that this is akin to a drug dealer/dealee situation. The dealer has a somewhat unique and hard to find item, the dealee is the one paying the money (and hence should be treated as Numero Uno Customer), but the relationship ends up being somewhat reversed, with the dealer doing pretty much what they want. Where else is the dealee going to go?

It should not be that way. My local dealer explains his philosophy. They have three generic kinds of customer:
1. The guy who buys the super car once, but who next time will buy a Lambo or a McLaren, or Bugatti, etc.
2. The repeat Ferrari customer who may buy out of inventory at first, then eventually orders a new one.
3. The new customer who trades his Panamera for an FF or his SL for a California.

All customers must be treated well, but realtionships need to be built with types 2 and 3 especially because they are the repeats and who can evaporate to other dealers.

mtarvydas · #20 07-13-2012, 07:35 PM

Wow that sucks with your experience. All communications from my dealer and Ferrari were blazing fast.

But what knocked it over the top for me was when I had problems with the passenger seat and my child seat in the back. A wonderful elderly gentleman showed up at my office to pick up my car. Hours later he brought it back and explained that I was not engaging the seat correctly. Very helpful.

Then 2 months later I see the same wonderful person at a Ferrari meet so I shook his hand and thanked him for his attention to my issues. "Do you know him?" someone asked. "He owns the dealership." NICE!!!! That is service.

Hope it all goes well for you.