Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   The Indian Car Scene (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/)

-   -   No Sunday Funday! Why manufacturers are shying away from improving the Sunday sales experience? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/175968-no-sunday-funday-why-manufacturers-shying-away-improving-sunday-sales-experience-5.html)

Andy,


Big thanks for taking your time with such an thought out reply. But the ending leaves me confused.

Are you saying that you don't give the feedback back to manufacturers for this question whether they are working on Sundays? Whereas as per the rating system, you should actually have provided them a lower rating?

I think it's best to have events at malls, rather than showrooms. 90% of the people visiting these display vehicles go there only with one intention- to test the likes worthiness of their faces on Facebook.


Nice to hear of your experience. Could be due to the fact that Alleppey is still a small town with much nicer people around as compared to bigger towns and even bigger cities?


PS- My hometown as well. Though we later moved to Trivandrum, and now I'm based out of Bangalore.

Couldnt agree more to this. When we were in the market for an SUV/MUV, we visited TATA, not once, not twice but thrice on weekends apart from the waits for their so called "call backs". All 3 times the TD vehicles were unavailable with once both the Storme and Aria TD vehicles having been taken by the staff on a picnic to some coastal area. Not really sure what the manager was thinking because it's generally on the weekends that the footfall is a lot more than weekdays and if those days (especially Sunday) if you do not even have the TD vehicles in the vicinity, it's certain that you will not sell the vehicle, even worse the buyer might go on to buy a vehicle from a competitor (in our case an Innova).

Leave along sundays, for models in high demand, the servicing qualities at dealership levels are pathetic. If you get a decent smile and good reply, you should consider your self lucky. For the Brezza and Creta I experienced them! And most calls, you dont even get a call back if the sales manager's line was busy. Cant blame too much here as there are too many takers for such service levels and people aren't complaining too. They just want their dream car home.

Going by this thread and a general observation while driving through the city, I was under the impression that sunday isn't the day for test drives.

This past saturday, I'd gone to a Ford dealership for a test drive and then mentioned to the sales guy that I'll come over again with family on monday since they'll anyway be closed on sunday (since the Ford website lists sunday as a holiday).

To this, the sales guy says that despite Ford's policy of having sunday off, they keep the dealership open as "sunday is the day when everyone has the time to come visit showrooms". And he seemed fairly okay, if not enthusiastic, about working on sundays. The only difference, the entire staff was wearing casuals, not Ford uniform.

The guy I spoke with is in the late 20s and single. Of course, if he were to be married/with kids, he probably wouldn't be as enthusiastic working on the weekend.

,

As I said, I am enlightened.

And as I mentioned, my query on whether they opt to work sundays/holidays has nothing to do with the rating, I ask this question because I am curious, to know whether automobile retail market has changed ever since I was at the receiving end?

Sadly it has not.

Coming to many queries raised by BHPians on malls, I humbly suggest them to visit malls on tuesday,wednesdays,thursdays. Why ? Because you would see there is no excitement on weekdays. Everyone's busy only on weekend, because their clientele, that is you n me have our weekend off and visit the mall for entertainment on OUR OFF days.

The staff of the mall are on lean attendance not on weekends but on middle weekdays. Why does the auto company display cars in the malls? Because the maximum footfalls occur on saturdays and sundays?

Have you ever seen car being displayed on a weekday? Nope !! you have'nt.
However in case you have, reason that weekdays especially thursday and friday are thrown in as part of the deal by mall business manager. Infact there is even surge pricing for weekend display of cars, where in these mall managers show you footage of well placed cameras at the entrance to claim that "My mall because of the reputation brings in best well heeled customers" on weekends. And they spend entire day here with there families.

Probably you can compare this to the many Vadapav and pavbhaji shops on Juhu beach. The business starts only at 5pm and ends by 3am. You wont see staff there. And by around 12 pm afternoon, when cleaning and maintenance folk arrive.

Coming to the topic of multibranded car showroom?

Hahaclap:

No manufacturer would ever agree.

Many years back, When I was a sales officer with a Hyundai dealership in Bangalore, I struck up a very good friendship with a guy from the Ford showroom guy, we would often compare notes. For every Hyundai Accent customer who decided to go for Ford Ikon, I would put this guy and a sale would eventually happen and vice versa. Man, the dealership promoter was hopping mad when he came to know of our little arrangement.

Tragedy of the Situation : This Promoter was the owner of both Hyundai dealership and that of Ford dealership once upon a time in Kanakpura road near opposite METRO.

Best Regards
Andy

This thread isn't about sales executives. Its about manufacturers.

Like many other businesses that work weekends / holidays, car makers would need to deploy special resources to service customers who find it comfortable to visit during weekends.

This is IF they are serious about their sales.

To those who're (directly or indirectly) taunting whether we work on Sundays, "Yes. Many of us do. Although we may not be daily wagers who depend on daily income, we do as many things as humanly possible to service our valued clients at their convenient time".

A very high number of people avoid buying /getting delivery of cars on Saturdays. Most dealerships have Saturdays as effective half days. once I was in a dealership on a Saturday and was surprised to find a couple of cars being readied for delivery. Turns out both buyers were from a particular community.

In brief they can officially close on Saturdays and work Sundays.

I think this ‘no business on Sunday’ attitude is slowly changing, at least in Kerala.

A few weeks back when I was in Kerala, went to the Kairali Ford showroom in Thrissur on a Sunday. The main gate to the service area was closed but saw a couple of guys in the showroom floor. We went in and asked about the Ecosport, the guys were warm and friendly and explained the car/features pretty well, and were quick to organize for the TD of both diesel and petrol models. The sales person who attended us mentioned that nowadays lot of enquires come on a Sunday and hence they normally have at least two staff available in the showroom.

Similar experience in Cochin; I was at Rajasree motors showroom on a Saturday, enquiring on the GLA. Their TD vehicle was out and the sales person offered us a TD of the CLA 200 petrol (to get a feel of the engine), and then suggested that he can arrange to bring home the GLA for TD next day (Sunday) if I am available. Did not take up that offer as I had to return to Thrissur on Saturday itself, but overall great service indeed!