[eyedocgb]

I have had my episode of being snubbed at a Hyundai showroom in Guwahati. I was on the lookout for a hatchback for my wife with booking amount ready.
I was on my way back after a long working day at hospital and a tiring traffic jam-filled drive. Sweaty tired face , dressed in formals yet none of the 10 or so young chattering and mobile-scanning service advisors took a look at me.
Not that the showroom was filled ,maybe couple of more customers but I had to pick up price lists from the reception bin myself. Called it quits after 15 minutes of waiting. Later gave an earful to the dealer's GM-needless to say, the Hyundai never came home.

Another memorable episode -New Toyota showroom opening at Umiam, Meghalaya-was working at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong at that time and was invited by the owner. Two new demo Fortuners on display;a local taxi stops ,an elderly kong (respectable term for lady in Khasi) in normal pink-checked village jainsem with a sidebag strolls in, selects the black Fortuner and wants to take it home.
Two service advisors try to reason with her probably based on her appearance, dealer owner rushes into the crowd, fawns over her.
The kong calmly takes out bundles of notes ,keeps it on the bonnet and dealer practically licks her feet and gives her the royal treatment.
Later came to know, she was a coal mine owner and owns properties and businesses across Shillong,Jowai and Guwahati.
So, does dress matter ?

[theqca]

My thoughts are that dealers / sales reps usually judge you as someone who might or might not be able to buy their car based on how the clothes look vs an actual dress code.

In all fairness they have a sales target to meet so while everyone walking in should ideally be treated equally, in reality you will get more attention if you come across as a "possible potential buyer."

I've bought a Maruti swift after a test drive wearing formals and a Honda city in casuals - company reps at both companies were equally attentive.

So I think you could be a rich man in a cheap looking suit and not get attention and maybe get a lot of attention if you've worn expensive looking shorts and flip-flops because they'd unfortunately judge your pockets on the basis of how you come across to them rather than your actual net worth.

The other interesting bit I've realised is that in our country a lot of outlets including car showrooms don’t seem to understand the concept about a future prospective customer - a person might not want to buy right now or maybe cannot buy right now but might turn into a customer let’s say some years down the line. If you give him a bad experience now he / she would never buy your brand ever.

[Durango Dude]

This topic brought this clip of Vijayakumar and Sarathkumar in Natpukaga to mind... That said "to judge is human, not to judge is divine" we're all "judgmental" in TBHP since we test drive our rides before we buy

https://youtu.be/MUoKKWNkTns

[Cyborg]

How you are going to be treated anywhere is not really a particular “dress code” but confidence and a soft voice which is easily heard. If you feel out of place internally it will show on the outside and the results will be negative. You should be like you own the place and you automatically project to the salesperson that he/she has to be on their toes, nonsense will not be tolerated.

Please do not misunderstand the above as arrogance or being rude in any manner. On the contrary, always be extremely polite. It’s merely projecting a powerful persona which cannot be denied.

Cheers

[d.j]

I think our mind consciously or subconsciously eventually reads the personality and just not the clothes to finally determine the course of action or strategy around a prospect, it would read just clothing only to the extent one is, say in a statue position.

Also it’s important to consider that the concept of a dressed person is completely changing in time, me going out, my mom likes to see me clean shaved, crisp pant/shirt, my wife looks forward to see me in a casual jeans/shirt/T-shirt, same time my daughter wants me to wear something completely different, similar way we as a subjects at a place can be perceived in wide array by the prospector, a young car sales guy possibly will be more influenced if one is dressed from his/her time.

So strategizing for a successful showroom visit, to my opinion it doesn’t exist. On a personal front, given to make a choice, no doubt one must look clean and crisp, I re-iron my fresh shirt/T-shirt every morning in spite of it coming ironed from the laundry and won’t care of fact that it gets seat belt marks after few mins, same time possibly skip shave some days, so best thing at hand seems to be in that state of mind and other things will fall in line automatically.

About dress codes, these been there in all formats, we can see in all walks of life, so if anyone, a person, an entity or an institution asking for a dress code, it should be fine and nothing to be torn out.

Cheers/DJ

[ajayc123]

Here’s my thought. If I am damn clear in my that I inclined to buy a specific car (after having assessed the product quality and the after sales service capabilities) I would not like to be turned off by the unresponsive sales staff, but somehow navigate through these sales staff. In all probability, I am not going to be interacting with the same people at all or at best minimally, after the sale has concluded.
This interaction is a very small part of the big picture, maybe I will go to another dealer, but I would not like to lose a good car because of a small interaction.

[Samarth 619]

Any salesman reading this, if I or my son/daughter ever drop in your premises in slippers and/or without helmet and expect a test ride of a bike, please politely refuse once and if I still insist, you have no right to disrespect me with words.. Instead, I give you the right to kick me right where it hurts the most and throw me out of your showroom the next moment.
I'm a biker and I know what being a biker means.

This is in total honesty, between me and the salesperson, I can't be entitled to comment on rest of the world. Discipline is what defines us. Let not there be a compromise on it.

But yes, if the salesperson makes an assumption on non-safety related matters, and tries to assume my bank balance or income on it, then it is wrong.
But, not as simple as that, you have to go into the details. What kind of people does the salesperson meet everyday? How does it affect his career? What is the footfall to sale ratio? These are questions that need answering before we blame a professional for just doing his job.
Step into their shoes is what I say.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Samarth 619

What kind of people does the salesperson meet everyday? How does it affect his career? What is the footfall to sale ratio? These are questions that need answering before we blame a professional for just doing his job. Step into their shoes is what I say.

Don’t agree at all Samarth

As a customer I don’t need to step into any salesperson’s shoes at all. I don’t care a damn who he meets everyday, what’s the footfall etc etc, it doesn’t concern me. If the salesperson is a professional (as you say) then they do their job, it doesn’t matter who is standing in front of him/her.

As long as we speak with the salesperson who is a human being in a polite and respectful manner, it’s their duty to do their job. Its customers who pay their salary, if customers don’t come to their establishment their job has ended.

They are getting paid to interact with customers and do what they do. If they feel otherwise they are in the wrong job. Allowing or accepting any unwarranted nonsense from them only encourages them, never do that.

Cheers

[fhdowntheline]

I can never forget the incident I witnessed many years ago at a Hyundai dealership in Pune. While I was awaiting a test drive, I observed a typical "rural Maharashtrian" middle aged person with his family, dressed in white kurta, pyjama and white topi. He had that weather-beaten look about him, presumably due to the hardiness of his life. The sales person enquired about him and took him in the direction of a Santro, but the gent stood his ground and pointed to the Sonata next to him. The look on the salesperson was precious, needless to say !

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by Hayek

. Of course they usually start by asking you where you work, and working for an MNC bank automatically gets you credibility with car sales people.

Sorry to pick a year old post. Going through the posts of this thread, I was reminded of an old incident.

It was probably Nov 2015. MS Baleno was the new kid in the block and in raging demand. A close friend was looking for his first car and had selected the Baleno. I did the TD for him (he didn't know driving then) and had advised against the model but he stuck to his choice. So be it.

Couple of days later, after office he asks me to accompany him to the Nexa showroom to deposit the cheque for the booking amount. He being a PSU employee and working on the factory floor (he was a QC engineer), is in his khaki uniform and boots, riding his old Pulsar. I come in my old Wagonr but in formals.

We walk in and wait there for few minutes. No one has time to attend to us. I see our SA was attending to a group seated comfortably at a lounge and realise they are my colleagues. I walk over and join them. Now since I was part of this group of employees from a Big 4 accounting firm, I was immediately offered beverages, hot and cold. I tell the SA to offer something to my friend as well, who has been standing alone all this while. I chat with my friends/colleagues about their car buying plans as they never mentioned about it earlier during our lunch get-together. They clarify this is just a window shopping and they don't want to buy a car at all. None among the 6 of them (they never bought a car until the next 4 years). I smile, take their leave and go back to my friend who was still standing.

I called the SA again and told him to collect the cheque from us, a confirmed sale for him instead of spending all his time with prospects. I knew it was all due to my friend's worn out work uniform that he was ignored even though he was worth more than my colleagues.


After my friend booked the Baleno top end Alpha, 5 of his colleagues followed suit and bought Baleno Alpha from the same dealer in the next few months. And yes, the SA remembers well even today.

[V.Narayan]

Let's take a moment and forgive our poor Indian salesmen who with all their faults are young or not so young Indians struggling to make ends meet. In July 2007 my wife and I visited Monaco on vacation. Me being me I slauntered into a Rolls Royce showroom looking all the tourist I was. I think they figured in 0.01 seconds that this was no buyer. There was no other customer there. So to get rid of me they asked if I was a resident, which I wasn't and politely told me the showroom was only for residents. This was a new trick I was not expecting. after regaining my composure a few seconds later I asked if by any chance did they also sell 1:18 scale models of Rolls Royce cars. I forgot to check if they found that funny. Nice trick to get rid of nosy tourists. :-) I said my good byes and left.

If I had been 28 I would have been humiliated. But I was a grizzled 47 year old and this was just so much water off a ducks back. 20 minutes on I walked into a Porsche showroom and promptly announced I'm a tourist and wish to look around which they very nicely allowed me to. Use fore knowledge to jam your wedge in. ;-)

For those planning to visit Monaco - I found it a lousy little place for the platinum plated -oh the grapes are sour you see.

At my age chances of being treated badly at a showroom or any other place diminishes with the grey hair, bearing etc. But I can empathize with the young floor engineer in the post above from D-BHPian ashis89 because I've been at that stage of life too. In circumstances where I suspect some of this 'who are you' nonsense could happen I get my secretary to call and announce that Mr V_____ would be visiting your (Showroom, club, Belvedere, whatever) this afternoon at 3PM. Announcing your arrival, through a secretary or a friend, is an age old method, used over the centuries, to puff up who you are and get the other side mentally ready that a big piece of horse manure (you, me) is arriving. Try it. It works like a charm.

[IshWish]

Off-Topic:
I had a similar incident, not in any car showroom but Air India Flight.

It was 2003 or 2004, I along with my parents were traveling back from Bangalore to Delhi via Air India flight. I was in 11th standard at that time and had zero fashion or dressing sense. I was wearing a black T-shirt and black pajamas with flip-flops and I am pretty sure I had a Tere Naam Hairstyle.

Since it was an afternoon flight, Air Hostess started distributing lunch. Being the professional that they were, Air Hostess were asking each and every guest about their lunch preference in a very polite and very English way- "Sir/mam, What would you like for Lunch? Is it Veg or Non-Veg"? "Would you like to have any drink along with it?"

As I was sitting in an aisle side, one of the Air Hostess reached our seats to offer us lunch, she had a good look at me from top to bottom and loudly said- NAASHTA CHAHIYE? (which can be translated as "You want Breakfast?")

I still blame my TERE NAAM hair style for that particular incident.

[harry10]

Dress code matters.
Not to everyone, not everytime but it does.
We all know it so why not abide with it.
We dont go to our corporate offices wearing sleeveless tees and shorts with floaters. Do we?

Car showroom is a place of business and not an amusement park. The salesman needs to know we are serious about the showroom visit and not just joyriding. Our attire does matter. And i am not saying wear a suit and tie. But atleast wear jeans and proper shoes.

Although a good Salesman will still greet us well even if we are wearing shorts but then that's a rarity.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I worked, in London, for an old-fashioned family firm. The patriarch of the family and the company was actually very wealthy, but one of those rich guys who (and it is one of the ways they make sure of staying rich) was mean with every halfpenny.

We published pictures (modest greeting cards, mostly, but fancier fine-art prints too) which had to be scouted for, and going out and looking around galleries etc was quite a nice part of the job.

If you want snooty, then never mind car salesmen, try private gallery owners and their staff, eg in London's Bond Street area. Our big boss had gone for a wander around. I'm sure many would have known him, not as a buyer but as the boss in an associated trade, but on this occasion, he was not recognised.

Back in the office, he received a phone call: "We feel you ought to know that in incredibly scruffy old man came here earlier, claiming to be you!" He bought a new overcoat Even he would tell this story against himself

[WorkingGuru]

Conventionally (since time immemorial), the concept of "work/business attire" exists because a persons attire indicates their identity, culture, opinions & their seriousness. It is polite to indicate so with your outfit and although it is not compulsory, in life it is very important to be polite, both as a customer as well as a business-representative.

The farmer here seems to be behaving very well in person. Sounds like a usually calm soft-spoken reasonable guy who felt wronged & decided NOT to accept it. If his allegations are true, he is right & as long as the salesman/manager has orally apologised, he isn't owed anything else.

This discussion can endlessly go on without much of a fruitful outcome. Mods can decide if they want members to delve further or put the matter to rest.