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Thread: Have you ever tried to buy something expensive ...

  1. #51
    Administrator swanbourne's Avatar
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    It's not a new thing. In the late 1980s I was due to change my company car and could choose my own. I went to the BMW dealership and approached a salesman seated at a desk reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

    "I'm interested in a BMW 325i", said I.

    Without even bothering to look up he waved towards the other side of the showroom and said "there's one over there".

    I didn't even bother to look at the car and went elsewhee.

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  2. #52
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Hallamshire Motor Company?
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  3. #53
    Master KavKav's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tifa View Post
    Few years ago, accountant says change the car or pay more tax.
    More or less forgot all about it, but was passing Merc dealership so thought I'd pop in and have a look.
    Sales staff totally up their own arses with a shocking attitude.
    Walked out, tried BMW dealership.
    Girl there offered me a coffee before I'd even started looking.
    Knew from that moment I was going to buy a car there.
    Probably the easiest sale she made that day.

    It's not rocket science.
    Reminds me of the Audi dealership in Solihull!

  4. #54
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    I have found that as you get older, so you receive better treatment in upmarket shops.

    I once decided to buy myself a decent double barrelled English side lock 12 bore shotgun when I was in my early thirties. I drove up in a Jaguar which the salesman saw me get out and was wearing a decent suit.

    The plain truth is that he treated me as a pleb, so that was the end of that.

    Today as an elderly chap, I am always treated civilly (with the exception of the BP) and the last time I purchased a shotgun, it was smiles and charm all round.

  5. #55
    To be fair, that's what the bear 🐻 pit is for
    It's just a matter of time...

  6. #56
    Administrator swanbourne's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by number2 View Post
    Hallamshire Motor Company?
    Yes, did you work there?

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  7. #57
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swanbourne View Post
    Yes, did you work there?

    Eddie
    Late 89 - late 90 was GSM, The bloke you probably spoke to was Duncan, I left and joined Jaguar because the owner Mike Holland was quite a dinosaur, and wouldn't agree to me replacing 50% of the sales team.
    Happy days.
    Last edited by number2; 21st April 2018 at 17:18.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by edzt View Post
    In the Times a couple of weeks ago Giles Coren wrote that he tried to buy his girlfriend a Balenziaga hoody from their shop.
    The salesperson wouldn’t let him in the shop and showed him the item on the pavement.
    After a while Coren told them to F*** off and left
    Having just googled the man in question I can can confirm that he can look "well dodge"...



  9. #59
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    Have you ever tried to buy something expensive ...

    Quote Originally Posted by doctorj View Post
    https://www.vox.com/2014/6/30/585449...d-for-business

    It's a psychological thing that works, apparently.
    Great idea but for me it’s all about the money, if the deals right I’ll buy if not I’ll walk, take my shorts tea shirt and bacon butty elsewhere.

    Here’s one of my psychology theories, if you can afford it you’re not bothered, if you can’t afford it you want it badly.

    I expect finance comes into play and the customer feels they are at the mercy of the sales team.

    But when you have nice things the peasants revolt, my daughter is off to her university open day for those who already have a place, but she insisted we go in her mums car the Aygo and not the Bentayga, but she says how I dress is fine.


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    Last edited by Volvomanuk; 21st April 2018 at 06:05.

  10. #60
    Nothing to do with appearance but I’m surprised you get served eating in a showroom. Find it unbelievably rude , couldn’t give a rats if you’re buying a Bentley or not. Have the manners to finish your breakfast at home not over someone’s desk and giving them the pleasure of having to hear you chew it . It’s genuinely bizarre to me .

  11. #61
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    Years ago I went in to a jeweller to buy wedding rings, going straight from work I wasn't the best dressed, we went in and we're told we couldn't afford them and shown a cheaper range which we didn't want.
    We walked away found another shop who sold the same rings and bought them there saving a fair few £££ in the process.
    That jewellers has since taken a lot of money from not just me but our wider family, the First jeweller I've only been back in to once since when suited and booted to show they I'd got the ring elsewhere.

    I used to work in sales and a lot of the guys would discriminate on appearance so I'd go over have a chat with the customer, my conversion rate was the best in store for two years, when your on commission the more sales you make the better.

    The company I work for now although my roles not in sales I do help the sales guys when there busy or short staffed, a couple of weeks ago I came out of my office and a chap was looking I casually asked if he needed any help, I spent an hour or so with him and he made a hefty sale, later on in the warehouse one of the sales guys advises me they didn't approach him as he wasn't going to buy anything, that person has now had some sales training.

    You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

  12. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lampoc View Post
    From the moment I picked her up in my Lotus Esprit her pants were wet.
    Classic Lotus roof leaking?

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by eagletower View Post
    It all strikes me a bit sad and smacks of “ I want to impress the salesman’s with how much I look like a tramp but can afford these expensive things”.

    Do you really think there are salesman posting on a forum on the one time they misjudged a
    sale because someone came in looking like a tramp? Doubt it.

    You’re long forgotten , where as years later people will boycott brands; or gleefully remember stories on the back of getting One over the salesman.

    I worked in retail for my sins when I was at uni, and appearance had very little to do with it, it was actually attitude that spoke volumes.
    I disagree with that.
    Impressing shop assistants has nothing to do with it, but observing behaviour towards me does and i will deliberately not go out of my way to change my appearance to satisfy their sad preconceived ideas of what someone who should look like in order to be worth the 2 minutes of time it takes to speak to someone and correctly assess their "attitude".

    I may be long forgotten by the salespeople who have been dismissive, but probably less so by their competitors because I keep going back whenever i want one of "the expensive things" that they're selling, and over time that stuff stacks up.
    Its basic sales 101. Don't be a d*ck and people will come back if they're in the position to.

  14. #64
    Quote Originally Posted by verv View Post
    Its basic sales 101. Don't be a d*ck and people will come back if they're in the position to.

    Agreed on this . If you see my post later you’ll see I don’t think it’s to do with appearance . Eg poster earlier talking about walking around eating a bacon roll whilst shopping - that probably would get someone ignored more than what they’re wearing.

    They’re are d*ckhead salesmans as there are customers it just goes both ways.

    I’m 37 now , I couldn’t tell you a time I have been ignored or made to feel I couldn’t afford something by a salesman in the last 10 years.

    Mick P makes a good point about with age maybe you do get treated better .

  15. #65
    Master PhilipK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by julian2002 View Post
    I can remember rocking up to Lexus Milton Keynes in a 57 plate KIA Ceed, wearing jeans and a t-shirt and asking the salesman if they had any trade in LS400's for sale... They didn't but still got the coffee, sit down, chat about what I was after, etc. even showed me round a GS450h that was sadly reserved as I was contemplating one of those as well. Didn't end up buying but the experience was the least stressful car dealer one I've ever had.
    I've spent too much time in car showrooms (mostly Porsche and BMW), but Lexus have always been on a different level. It's a shame my IS250 is so boring to drive, otherwise I'd never look at another marque.

  16. #66
    Grand Master VDG's Avatar
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    My therapist told me "write letters to the sales people who were rude to you then burn them".

    I feel fantastic now, but not sure what to do with the letters..
    Fas est ab hoste doceri

  17. #67
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    Have you ever tried to buy something expensive ...

    Quote Originally Posted by eagletower View Post
    Nothing to do with appearance but I’m surprised you get served eating in a showroom. Find it unbelievably rude , couldn’t give a rats if you’re buying a Bentley or not. Have the manners to finish your breakfast at home not over someone’s desk and giving them the pleasure of having to hear you chew it . It’s genuinely bizarre to me .
    I’m surprised they let me in the door as I only wanted the 4.0 diesel version as well.



    Quote Originally Posted by Motman View Post
    I’m sorry but that just says to me you show total disrespect for the salesperson. What an attitude. I wouldn’t buy a newspaper 'munching on a bacon butty'. Just shows you can’t buy class.



    It’s almost as bad as disrespecting the hosts guidelines for swearing in the G&D.

    I edited your post to avoid quoting your obscene language while chewing on my bacon sandwich.

    Maybe you could give me some pointers on this class thing you speak of because you sound like you neither have the class or possibly money to afford a rant.




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    Last edited by Volvomanuk; 22nd April 2018 at 07:00.

  18. #68
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    I went into a BMW/Mini dealership with my mate (he was looking at buying a Cooper) about 15 years ago. There were a couple of sales guys fawning over a customer looking at an M3; they totally ignored us (not exactly looked down on just ignored).

    Conversely, I went into a Bentley dealership about 12 years ago; the sales person there asked if I would like any info on the car I was looking at (a continental GT). I explained I was not in a position to buy such an expensive car; he was really friendly and invited me to sit in the car, popped the bonnet, and talked through the W12 engine and specs of the car.

  19. #69
    Quote Originally Posted by edzt View Post
    In the Times a couple of weeks ago Giles Coren wrote that he tried to buy his girlfriend a Balenziaga hoody from their shop.
    The salesperson wouldn’t let him in the shop and showed him the item on the pavement.
    After a while Coren told them to F*** off and left
    To be fair to the shop, Giles Coren does seem to come across as a bit of an arse these days.

  20. #70
    Master
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    Couple of things spring to mind: -

    1. Mate of mine did very well at work when the company he had a senior position at was bought. He made a fair chunk of money and was a huge petrol head, so decided to buy himself a Ferrari. Went in to the local(ish) dealer, and salesman couldn't have been any more dismissive, to the extent that my friend asked to use his computer, logged into his bank, and ended up having to show that he had more than enough in his account before even being offered a test drive! Needless to say, he didn't go on the test drive, and didn't buy a Ferrari...

    2. I was doing some consultancy at a luxury yacht builder on the South coast, and on my 3rd or 4th visit there, was asked if I wanted to see one of their completed yachts. I'd previously seen hulls, and yachts in various stages of build, but never the finished article, so welcomed the opportunity. Went down to the dock, and there was an army of workers, polishing crystal glasses onboard, putting champagne in the onboard fridge etc etc. The yacht was an absolute work of art, and I got chatting to a scruffy looking guy on the dock, about 35, who was busily scribbling notes on a piece of paper. "Can you imagine ever having the money to pay for something like this?" I said out loud. He laughed and said "I can, actually. It's mine." Turns out he was a diver who'd actually found oil in an area of the North Sea previously thought dry...

  21. #71
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Divers don’t ‘find oil’........

  22. #72
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackal View Post
    Divers don’t ‘find oil’........
    I paraphrase.... he'd researched known oil fields in a certain area, and found a small previously undrilled area. He hired a team, and they struck oil. That's what he said anyway, and he was known as "being into oil".... He certainly had enough money to pay for a £ multi-million yacht without too much fuss.

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