Fpv

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by GTGAZ

Regarding the finance and dealership side of things i don't know about Oz but as someone who has just recently purchased a new 335 GT in NZ i can honestly say a big part of the reason they are not selling in NZ is crap dealership service compared to the HSV's etc.
I made the decision that it was time to upgrade my BF GTP (mint black GTP 48000Kms) to a new 335 GT. Started to look around. I wont name the dealerships but they are all FPV dealers. I turned up at my local FPV dealership met a salesman - after 20mins walking around the yard looking for one. Explained that i wanted to trade my BF GTP and was interested in orgainising a test drive of a GT and an F6. The dealer took one look at me like you can't afford that and proceeded to tell me they do not do test drives the only way i could drive one was to be preaprooved for finance and to put a deposit down. I explained that i did not need finance and was still told i would have to put a deposit down before i could drive one. 2 dealerships later i found a salesman who was actually interested and orgainised a test drive for me.
Upon deciding it was the GT for me i started looking for who can offer the best deal. My local dealership had a GT they offered to me for 74000 with a good trade yet 1 week later when i contacted them to pursue further they told me the buyer they had lined up or my car decided not to go ahaed and they could not do the GT for 74 it was now 79 and tried to take 5000 of the trade they had offered to me, even though thet had given me a written quote - needless to say i walked away. Of the 4 other dealerships only 2 really bent over backwards to make a deal the other 2 were down right slack. It was almost like they were doing me a favour selling me a GT. The differance in prices for the new GT varied by 8k and the trade in deals varied by 8 - 10k and 1 in particular was down right insulting.
I can honestly say if i was not the loyal FPV fan that i am i would have told them to stick it and brought a HSV (the thought sends shivers down my spine!!)
Comparing that to recently when i helped a friend to purchase a HSV every Holden yard we went to rolled out the red carpet, offered test drives of everything and offered finance deals and service to boot and really made you feel that they wanted your sale.
Here lies were i think alot of the problems in NZ are with FPV sales crap service from dealers and not pushing sales and making you feel like a valued customer.
Yes i will admit the yard i bought through in the end (Courtesy Ford - Fielding) were awesome and have been great to deal with but this was one of 5 yards i looked at and i can honestly say of the other 4, 1 was good, 1 was OK and 2 particulaly my local were crap. It was almost like "we are the only FPV dealer in town so who else are you going to go through". As i said if i was a first time FPV buyer i would have walked away and would not be driving one now.
The reality is if i am going to spend 70k plus on a car than i expect service and to be treated accordingly this is what FPV and Ford should be looking at. It dosn't matter how greater product you have - and it is a great product if you don't maket it and look after your buyers you will not make the sales. Brand loyalty will only sell so many cars.
I know i am not the only persoon who has come across this as 2 guys i work with decided it was time to buy V8's and are driving HSV's because the service and deals were just so much better.
As i said i am a loyal Ford fan and no matter how much of a better deal you would not get me in a Holden but there are alot of buyers out there who are not brand loyal and are looking for the best package / deal and FPV are dropping the ball in this area.
Gaz

Sorry to burst your bubble, but being in the auto trade I can tell you your story is not exclusive to Ford/FPV, and you probably hit up Holden/HSV dealers on a good day.

Expect to see the similar tactics at just about every new vehicle dealership you ever attend. It is simply that common. Sales people work for sales, not for the product. It is only on relatively little occasions do you come across a sales person who has a passion for the product as well as good sales ability.

And for those who suggest dealers go out and find the right staff to do it clearly do not know how hard it is to find good sales staff in the auto trade.

[brett7777]

Originally Posted by SCUD

Sorry to burst your bubble, but being in the auto trade I can tell you your story is not exclusive to Ford/FPV, and you probably hit up Holden/HSV dealers on a good day.

Expect to see the similar tactics at just about every new vehicle dealership you ever attend. It is simply that common. Sales people work for sales, not for the product. It is only on relatively little occasions do you come across a sales person who has a passion for the product as well as good sales ability.

And for those who suggest dealers go out and find the right staff to do it clearly do not know how hard it is to find good sales staff in the auto trade.

Haha I guess some of the cliches about car dealers really are true
Im not sure what bubble you were bursting though? He was just relating his personal experience.

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by brett7777

Haha I guess some of the cliches about car dealers really are true
Im not sure what bubble you were bursting though? He was just relating his personal experience.

"Regarding the finance and dealership side of things i don't know about Oz but as someone who has just recently purchased a new 335 GT in NZ i can honestly say a big part of the reason they are not selling in NZ is crap dealership service compared to the HSV's etc."

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by SCUD

Sorry to burst your bubble, but being in the auto trade I can tell you your story is not exclusive to Ford/FPV, and you probably hit up Holden/HSV dealers on a good day.

Expect to see the similar tactics at just about every new vehicle dealership you ever attend. It is simply that common. Sales people work for sales, not for the product. It is only on relatively little occasions do you come across a sales person who has a passion for the product as well as good sales ability.

And for those who suggest dealers go out and find the right staff to do it clearly do not know how hard it is to find good sales staff in the auto trade.

i'm really baffled by this mentality though mate , i have experienced it with both holden and ford too. isn't a missed sale less money in the pocket of the salesman ? and also less money for the dealer principle as well ? i'm baffled. the 4 brand new fords i've bought , was all due to the salesman /and dealership , actually having a car to test drive , letting me drive it , and listening to how i'm going to pay if i like it , and giving ME a price .
what is so hard about that ???

[brett7777]

Originally Posted by SCUD

"Regarding the finance and dealership side of things i don't know about Oz but as someone who has just recently purchased a new 335 GT in NZ i can honestly say a big part of the reason they are not selling in NZ is crap dealership service compared to the HSV's etc."

That was a bubble?
Anyway sorry Im gettin off topic.

There is a recession, some car dealers are closing up, businesses are tightening their belts, big cars are selling less, that's about it really ain't it?

[BOOSTEDGAZ]

Originally Posted by SCUD

Sorry to burst your bubble, but being in the auto trade I can tell you your story is not exclusive to Ford/FPV, and you probably hit up Holden/HSV dealers on a good day.

Expect to see the similar tactics at just about every new vehicle dealership you ever attend. It is simply that common. Sales people work for sales, not for the product. It is only on relatively little occasions do you come across a sales person who has a passion for the product as well as good sales ability.

And for those who suggest dealers go out and find the right staff to do it clearly do not know how hard it is to find good sales staff in the auto trade.

Agreed to a point but reality is i know in the case of my local they originally had 3 yards and one of those has disassociated them selves with them due to there reputation of crap service to new car buyers. Reality is wether it is the norm or not it is still crap and in a time when FPV needs sales is unacceptable.
If dealers are going to represent FPV then they should be audited and monitored by FPV to ensure they are living up to the name.

Every sale they can make surely is one step further away from the recession and back to making a profit and keeping there buisness afloat. Thanks to there poor service they missed a sale and there GT is still sitting in there showroom not making them money and not making money for FPV.

[brett7777]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i'm really baffled by this mentality though mate , i have experienced it with both holden and ford too. isn't a missed sale less money in the pocket of the salesman ? and also less money for the dealer principle as well ? i'm baffled. the 4 brand new fords i've bought , was all due to the salesman /and dealership , actually having a car to test drive , letting me drive it , and listening to how i'm going to pay if i like it , and giving ME a price .
what is so hard about that ???

Unfortunately there seems to be a lotta really crap customer service around. I think a lot of people don't have much passion for their jobs?

[Poetic Justice]

Dealers are audited and monitored by the manufacters in the form of the Customer Satisfaction Index. Most dealers will have a dealer agreement/franchise agreement that will stipulate certain levels of Customer Satisfaction that dealership must achieve in order to continue being a franchisee.

[brett7777]

Originally Posted by GTGAZ

If dealers are going to represent FPV then they should be audited and monitored by FPV to ensure they are living up to the name.

I imagine there must be some accountability, but obviously not enough

[Poetic Justice]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i'm really baffled by this mentality though mate , i have experienced it with both holden and ford too. isn't a missed sale less money in the pocket of the salesman ? and also less money for the dealer principle as well ? i'm baffled. the 4 brand new fords i've bought , was all due to the salesman /and dealership , actually having a car to test drive , letting me drive it , and listening to how i'm going to pay if i like it , and giving ME a price .
what is so hard about that ???

Agree wholeheartedly, and without trying to sound egotistical this is generally why I am a good performer. The reality is, and I've got it in the very dealership I work at, that people are just downright lazy and don't always want to do the right thing.

[BOOSTEDGAZ]

Originally Posted by SCUD

Dealers are audited and monitored by the manufacters in the form of the Customer Satisfaction Index. Most dealers will have a dealer agreement/franchise agreement that will stipulate certain levels of Customer Satisfaction that dealership must achieve in order to continue being a franchisee.

All well and good but no sale means no customer satisfaction index filled in so how do they capture all the sales they miss out on due to poor service??

[Poetic Justice]

They don't.

How do you suggest they would monitor/audit the customer experience then?

[GTP534]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i'm really baffled by this mentality though mate , i have experienced it with both holden and ford too. isn't a missed sale less money in the pocket of the salesman ? and also less money for the dealer principle as well ? i'm baffled. the 4 brand new fords i've bought , was all due to the salesman /and dealership , actually having a car to test drive , letting me drive it , and listening to how i'm going to pay if i like it , and giving ME a price .
what is so hard about that ???

It's hard to pick sometimes isn't it? When I was shopping around for an AUII 220kW XR8 in 2001 the salesman at Jubilee Ford treated me with disdain. I made it very clear what I was after and that I was a serious buyer. He had my car valued and we actually agreed on a figure. Then he told me that was for the 200kW XR8 and the value would be less for the 220kW model. We left and went to Thomson Ford.

The salesman's first words were "You look like you know what you're after, how can we make it happen?"!! That afternoon I'd signed up for the XR8 and got a slightly better changeover figure!

When I shopped around for the GT-P in 2003 Thomson Ford weren't interested in repeat business, the original salesman had left. Basically, they didn't want another V8 in the used car yard!

Sinclair Ford on the other hand were terrific and have been great with service; we bought the Territory from them too even though it wasn't the lowest deal but courtesy and service to me outweighed the slight difference.

[GYRKIN GT]

Sinclair Ford on the other hand were terrific and have been great with service; we bought the Territory from them too even though it wasn't the lowest deal but courtesy and service to me outweighed the slight difference.

Agree with you 100%.

You would be hard pressed to find another FPV dealer in Sydney/Central Coast with as much enthusiasm for the product from a sales and service perspective. That's why I travelled 130 k's to buy our GT. And, 3 years later, we continue to make the trip down for it to be serviced at Sinclair Ford. When it's time for a new GT, we'll be heading straight to Kingswood!

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by brett7777

That was a bubble?
Anyway sorry Im gettin off topic.

There is a recession, some car dealers are closing up, businesses are tightening their belts, big cars are selling less, that's about it really ain't it?

Yeap that's about it really and BP98 Octane is just under $2.30 last time I filled up and these cars drink like a fish around the city. Lucky to get 400 km's around Auckland to a tankful and then its another $140 fill to "look forward too" With lower incomes in N.Z. higher initial purchase price here due to the exchange rate, higher fuel prices, maintenance, insurance, tyres and so on...I'm going out on a limb here but I reckon its only enthusiasts that are left in N.Z. buying high performacne V8's these days and then only those with fairly deep pockets.

GTGAZ - I feel for you mate having to endure what you did but congrats for sticking with FPV and your forbearance will be rewarded with a brilliant driving experience for years to come. Some salespoeple and dealers need a bloody good kick in the backside there's no question whatsoever about that.

Not trying to contradict you in any way but for every bad story there's sometimes a good one and honestly Ford N.Z. and the dealer I dealt with couldn't have been more helpful in regard to my SC change-over from my F6.
I guess it all comes down to finding the right people to deal with and I personally found Pacific Motor Group in Whangarei really good.
I hope your Fielding dealer looks after you

Seperate issue but what constitutes a good test drive ? To me unless you have a good chance to try it out in a manner and on roads that are consistent with how you're going to use it then its hard to form an opinion on the vehicle. IMO once a FPV dealer has qualified a buyer as genuine, (not sure how they do that, perhaps someone in the business can answer that), allowing a decent test drive makes good common-sense doesn't it.
Dealer principal threw me the keys to his GT for a whole day, now that's what I call a test drive It really helped that his car was fully run-in and had done 6,000 km's so I could get a really clear picture of how it compared to my F6. Result was a sale.

[mcnews]

They are getting keen... dealer just rang me with an updated change over figure (ford offering more incentives they said) of 35k into a MK II GT-P. I'm still not there though.
(mine is 38,000km F6 ute)

[Rodge]

That the seduce manual one Trev ? You know you want that car. Seduce with Silver stripes in Mk2 with sat-nav and reverse camera, geez, I'm gunna be jealous if you do get that

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by mcnews

They are getting keen... dealer just rang me with an updated change over figure (ford offering more incentives they said) of 35k into a MK II GT-P. I'm still not there though.
(mine is 38,000km F6 ute)

Sounds like a good deal?... GTP Mk11 around 77k? F6 ute wouldn't pull much more than 37-38k private? Yellow book around 28 -32 trade-in?

[mcnews]

It is a really nice car, but there is just not enough 'want' for it if you know what I mean... It doesn't really stir desire in me, just more of the same really, and without trying to be offensive, just stating it as I see it, it still is a one trick pony dominated by the engine which really just shows up how far the rest of the package is behind (the new screen is nice etc. though and does help lift the interior to being something more modern, if still in reality a little bit behind the times). I need to do something before financial year is out really if I do. But in reality I still think something like the 370Z is winning me over more.

As a two-time FPV buyer, looking for something new, perhaps I am a good case in point why sales are poor...

[Charliewool]

370z?.. But that's a hairdressers car

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by mcnews

It is a really nice car, but there is just enough want... It doesn't really stir desire in me and without trying to be offensive, just stating it as I see it, it still is a one trick pony dominated by the engine which really just shows up how far the rest of the package is behind (the new screen is nice etc. though and does help lift the interior to being something more modern, if still in reality a little bit behind the times). I need to do something before financial year is out really if I do. But in reality I still think something like the 370Z is winning me over more.

Guy in the SC section just changed out of a 370Z into a GT, something about the 370Z not having enough power and being a girls blouse of a car, or something to that effect I reckon after a few weeks of owning a 370Z you'll be thinking, what have I done

[mcnews]

The GT-P in standard form feels very tame compared to my ute as it is Rodge. I won't be changing for torque/power. Even the GT-P if tuned won't give the sensation of rotating the earth backwards style torque that my current ride does. As for thinking what have I done in regards to 370Z, I actually fear more that might happen with staying with FPV....

[Poetic Justice]

I've learnt to ignore the knockers. The 370z is an absolute rockin' machine and I love what it offers me. Except the lack of seats.

[evse82]

haha yeah that was me! The 370z is definately not a girls car :p It is an awesome car but I had it for 3 years and was over it... wanted something with more power this time so went with the GT. My first choice would have been an R35 GTR but.... yeah.... no money for that yet... Still the 370z is an all rounder. it does 0-100 in low 5's and low 13's on the quarter... handles like a go kart as well. Point the steering wheel and it's there.

edit: also to add... the 2 seater thing started bugging me after having them for 5 years (350z for 2 years then the 370z) hence another tick for the GT

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by SCUD

I've learnt to ignore the knockers. The 370z is an absolute rockin' machine and I love what it offers me. Except the lack of seats.

Yep.. Have to agree!!... So much so that I just got new plates for it!..
HER370

[Rodge]

Engines are really tight when they're new Trev, that's why I said I was lucky the DP gave me his demo one for the day which had 6,000 km's on the clock.
Every one I'd driven before that felt a bit slower than my stock F6.

No offence but there's nothing special about those power and torque figures Trev. A well run-in and tuned GT-P will make far more power and more torque too. Took me 2 SC drive days at Hampton Downs racetrack put on by Ford N.Z. and the aforementioned demo before I wanted to change to my GT-P.

Really, really happy I did and that Ford N.Z. and the dealer principal made the effort they did.

[dimka100]

Why not get an imported 370GT .. they are like 35K and you get to keep your FPV

Originally Posted by mcnews

It is a really nice car, but there is just not enough 'want' for it if you know what I mean... It doesn't really stir desire in me, just more of the same really, and without trying to be offensive, just stating it as I see it, it still is a one trick pony dominated by the engine which really just shows up how far the rest of the package is behind (the new screen is nice etc. though and does help lift the interior to being something more modern, if still in reality a little bit behind the times). I need to do something before financial year is out really if I do. But in reality I still think something like the 370Z is winning me over more.

As a two-time FPV buyer, looking for something new, perhaps I am a good case in point why sales are poor...

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

370z?.. But that's a hairdressers car

I agree totally....

I'd buy a HSV before I'd buy a woman's car.

Infact I'd never buy a 370z.... Wouldn't matter how good it was.

[Rodge]

Originally Posted by evse82

haha yeah that was me! The 370z is definately not a girls car :p It is an awesome car but I had it for 3 years and was over it... wanted something with more power this time so went with the GT. My first choice would have been an R35 GTR but.... yeah.... no money for that yet... Still the 370z is an all rounder. it does 0-100 in low 5's and low 13's on the quarter... handles like a go kart as well. Point the steering wheel and it's there.

edit: also to add... the 2 seater thing started bugging me after having them for 5 years (350z for 2 years then the 370z) hence another tick for the GT

The fishing out in the Hauraki Gulf was no good on the weekend so I thought I'd wind Trev's watch a bit ...all in good humour of course

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by Rodge

Engines are really tight when they're new Trev, that's why I said I was lucky the DP gave me his demo one for the day which had 6,000 km's on the clock.
Every one I'd driven before that felt a bit slower than my stock F6.

No offence but there's nothing special about those power and torque figures Trev. A well run-in and tuned GT-P will make far more power and more torque too. Took me 2 SC drive days at Hampton Downs racetrack put on by Ford N.Z. and the aforementioned demo before I wanted to change to my GT-P.

Really, really happy I did and that Ford N.Z. and the dealer principal made the effort they did.

You know also though Rodge the tuned GTs seem to need more than 25% more on the dyno to produce the same sort of acceleration as the turbos into the mid-range. The ute 'feels' faster in acceleration than even the supercar 5.4 blown GT I had for a few days. Anyways enough of my dilemma and GT v F6. The only reason I am considering changing the F6 into GT-P is because I want a sedan this time around if I don't go sports car, I would never consider swapping F6 for GT in same body style.