I blew this off as inexperienced salesmanship, but here is how it goes:

I have purchased two Porsches from this dealer in recent history. Friendly with both the GM and the Sales Manager. I stop in regularly, a little banter, buy a few goodies, parts, etc, and have a good relationship with most of the staff I know.

I ask the GM about a launch event a couple months ago, he explains with all production sold out, he's not sure they will do anything. OK. I guess having a bunch of prospective Porsche customers in the showroom did not make sense at the time.

So...I get my invite and stop in today. As I park, I see the Sales Manager I know so well, we exchange hellos, and he's off to the back lot to do something.

I enter the dealership. There are four 997 Turbos up front, all nicely displayed, all sold, one, in fact, under cover so it cannot even be seen (so why the heck is it even in there?). I saw the cars last week when they were delivered, so it was just a friendly stop in and see what's new thing.

Salesman (new guy) halfway ignores me, but I have questions about the base seats vs adaptive sport seats. One of the Turbos has Adaptive Sport, and I'd like to see how it feels/fits, so that when I order a car, I will know what I'm getting, and ****, what part of the car do you spend most of your time attached to?????

The ONE Turbo with them is 'locked' and 'sold' and he does not have the keys. "Oh but wait, let me walk back and see if I can get them." He returns empty handed, cannot get the keys, no one else I know is running the showroom, so I head back to parts/service to grab a few things I ordered.

10 minutes later I return to the showroom, explain to the guy who I am (The Plug Guy, now he knows me), yeah... then the more senior sales guy who is really nice jumps right in and BOOM, gets the keys, opens the door, lets me sit and adjust the seat, politely answers questions, etc. I leave, happy to know what I now know (DAMN those are nice seats), and everything is cool.

Basically, I'm a business dressed guy and I'm there all the time. The newbie treats me like I'm some homeless porsche wannabe and can't help me.

Guess that Porsche Dealer Training is really working....NOT.

Nonetheless, I still may end up buying the next one there, IF a deal can be had, but this was a tasteless way to intro the Turbo, no fanfare, no nothing, just a few cars, just another average day, more salesman than customers.

 

New guy was prolly nervous, didnt want to get into any trouble

 

The bottom line is that in the car business you never know whos who and EVERYONE should treated the same.

 

exactly...and as a general rule it would be nice if salesmen would actually do their job and find someone who can answer your questions/service your needs instead of blowing you off...you make their paycheck, how bout an effort at an educated response or at least some respect

 

this is why i don't patronize a certain dealership in my area.

 

You take a dealership like Newport some of the oddest people would come in. You would think to yourself that guy does not have two nickles to rub togeather. He then drives away in a Bentley or any other exotic. As a salesman you can't judge a book by the cover. Or else you can get burned.

 

Sadly, Porsche dealers nationwide are filled with these clueless *******s.

 

I walked in a BMW dealership a couple weeks ago. FIFTEEN minutes looking at the 5 series!! NOT ONE SALESMAN! There were maybe 6-8 at their desks not budging! One of them walked by me to go for a smoke outside. I walked out, he was staring at the 22's.. just as he saw me head of the car he asked what car I was intrested in - I said 'a porsche...'

Now, with that said, I was wearing a basic white T-shirt with ripped jeans (they came like that). I can understand their point of view, but I can't say it was the right move.

 

It may not be that the guy was totally clueless or even trying to blow you off. Considering the cars are presold, my guess is that he was instructed not to open the Turbos for any reason. Most of the dealerships that I go to regardless of make have "do not touch" signs on cars that are pre-sold.

I would imagine that each and everyone of us would not want our car to be sitting unlocked at a Turbo launch with people shuffling in and out of the showroom. Everybody and their mother would want to sit in the car, play with the buttons, slap the shifter around, adjust the seats, play with the ***** etc etc. There may not have been that many people but IMHO, even one person is one person too many. I am not so **** that I am saying that a few people sitting in the car and messing with it will damage anything but why does my car have to be the display guinea pig? If I have ordered the car and it is pretty much sold to me, there is no reason for anyone other than the guy that washed it and placed it in the showroom to touch it.


If there are a selective few that are allowed to sit in the "special" cars, then they should consider themselved "special" customers. Eric, FWIW it sounds like the salesman that eventually let you sit in the car was giving you the VIP treatment and the new guy was just following orders out of courtesy for the Turbo's new owner.

 

My local dealer has one of those dim bulbs working there. Within a few seconds of talking to him I knew it was a waste of oxygen. We won't have any turbos coming in until July. That was last Friday. Their/my turbo arrived on Saturday and I came in last monday to talk with my regular guy.


20 1/2 hours and counting.

 

I would love to walk into a Porsche dealership in ripped up and ugly clothes, no shave for a week...look like a real poor guy, with a Louis Vuitton suitcase, with $400,000 in cash, point to a CGT and say " I want that one", hand the cash to the stunned salesguy and say "Keep the change"..

 

At least you actually had someone giving you attention.
A friend of mine, some years back went into a Porsche dealership to buy a 1993 Turbo 3.6 . Only, after he saw the movie "BAD BOYS". He was wearing a track-suit and sneakers. Upon his entrance, one salesperson(a real *****y women), comes up to him and tells him"Excuse me, you must be mistaken, cause te FORD dealership is on the other side of the road"(Pointing towards the Ford dealership.)
He leaves the Porsche dealer. A week later he enters the Porsche dealership with his uncle. He ignores the same ***** that greets them with a smile and a "how can i help you sir". He goes straight to another salesman, they pay for the car and on their way out, he tells the lady. Excuse me, if by any chance you need work,the Ford dealership have a vacant spot for a salesperson." He walks out with a reassuring smile.
This is one of the worst ways of judging people.

 

This isn't exclusive to nicer car dealerships. I've gotten the same treatment at Mitsubishi and Nissan dealerships, dispite the fact that I was dressed nice and drove up in a comparable vehicle.

I was crawling all over an Evo once for about 15 minutes. Like, literally opening every possible door, including the gas door; laying on the ground looking under it, etc. The only person that spoke to me was the janitor who told me in passing that "Mitsubishis are pieces of ****." I said "So are their dealerships," and walked out.

 

That is me on any given day of the week, except for the suitcase and the cash.

 

Mine would have to be a backpack from high school with the Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Sonic Youth patches on it full of cash. Wearing a pair of flip flops, shorts, no shirt and sunglasses, drinking a 40oz in a Getto cooler (brown paper bag).


I know what you are thinking. I put the *** in class