The official I have ordered/received my new MKVI thread

**sek** · 05-01-2011, 09:22 AM

Well, i sent the dealer an email asking for an update and this was basically his response

"I have just heard from our stock control regarding the delivery times of your GTI. At this stage, it looks like it will be here in June or July. I know this is a big delay from what we first initially anticipated, so its up to you whether you are still happy to wait for the car"

So after reading that email i jumped onto this thread to see if other ppl are in the same boat...

**markwid** · 05-01-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by sek

Well, i sent the dealer an email asking for an update and this was basically his response

"I have just heard from our stock control regarding the delivery times of your GTI. At this stage, it looks like it will be here in June or July. I know this is a big delay from what we first initially anticipated, so its up to you whether you are still happy to wait for the car

In other words, they don't disclose the reason(s)...

So what do you think? Going to stick it out and wait?

**SilvrFoxX** · 05-01-2011, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Dermot

I don't understand why dealers just cant be honest to the client from the beginning... What a farce of an industry we work in.

Because the customer has come to expect thats the way it is.. it would take a cultural shift to drive a change in thinking. Given that the distribution arm is a seperate entity to the manufacturing and they are in competition with each other then the truth is always going to be on the flexible side.

I would suggest the key is transparency and as I am not a car dealer I can't see the challenges with that but from my experience it is all very process driven and too many hand offs and too little knowledge of what is going on to instill faith or confidence

**markwid** · 05-01-2011, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by SilvrFoxX

I would suggest the key is transparency and as I am not a car dealer I can't see the challenges with that but from my experience it is all very process driven and too many hand offs and too little knowledge of what is going on to instill faith or confidence

+1. Leaving the customer guessing is not ideal. It would be nice if there is a strong confidence in the ETA. Right now, it is all up in the air.

**weewilly** · 05-01-2011, 11:24 AM

all this ETA business has reminded me of Bernie Powers, who after spending 10mil building a brewery in Qld and perfecting Powers Beer announced on the day of its launch that Powers hadn't produced enough of the golden nectar resulting in a shortage and no stock for 5 to 6 weeks. This created a huge demand, sales went through the roof after the 6 weeks, he eventually sold out to CU for 100mil. Bernie later confessed that at the time of the launch he had warehouses full of beer, that Powers in fact had over produced 10 fold. As a last ditch marketing plan, he told the public they couldn't have his product, thereby creating a huge demand knowing a fundamental human truth... 'I can't have therefore I want.' as a side note, the beer turned out to be crap, the brand was dropped by Carlton United.

**SilvrFoxX** · 05-01-2011, 12:19 PM

I reckon VW is doing the same to be quite frank.. keeping the both brand and product at a premium

**SilvrFoxX** · 05-01-2011, 12:32 PM

Without wanting to appear in defense of your brethren, the beauty of ignorance is vagueness without actually lying. Now if you know the outer limit of peoples patience is say 5 months and there is no evidence to support that there is anything to the contrary why not say that.

Now up until recently 5 months was about right so for the past 3 months it has been a truth, now the true extent of the problem is becoming apparent then to indicate less than 5 months is a lie.

**markwid** · 05-01-2011, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Dermot

It's probably better to just say I don't know when your car will arrive. It might be tomorrow, it might be 9 months.... Let's just play it by ear shall we.... Just sign here.... Thanks... I'll call you....

LOL! I think that is what is happening now.

**SilvrFoxX** · 05-01-2011, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dermot

Oh I dunno anymore.... I give up.... It's probably better to just say I don't know when your car will arrive. It might be tomorrow, it might be 9 months.... Let's just play it by ear shall we.... Just sign here.... Thanks... I'll call you....

I would be more inclined to be truthful about the situation by saying these are limited volume cars and the wait time because of their exclusivity is quite long. Provide a range of 4 - 9 months based on current experience, this way the potential client knows what they are in for and why. Then the offer of an alternative, ie the GTI if indeed it is a shorter wait but again outline the availbility but then what is on offer in the holding yard.

I just think because Car sales seems a young mans game, expereince with communication and managing expectations is not a natural but bait and hook is..