Autoweek: How not to sell a Ford C-Max Energi

sounds like the exact same experience many of us early pip adopters had. my favorite was, ' i would never drive a prius, they have no power'. saleswoman was a sienna driver.

 

Yeah, that goes with Toyota Prius dealer also. When I got my new Prius, the sales director giving me the fob does not know how to open the right passenger door. He said to me to go to the driver side and press the button on the left console in order to open the rest of the doors. He has the fob in his hand .

Just in case any one who can read and learn from this on opening the rest of the doors (including the hatch) : On the Fob, the first press on the unlock button is to the unlock the driver side door. Quickly, presses the button again will unlock rest of the door. Most Toyota Fob works like that including Sienna.

 

I believe if a person has a college education, it will give a indirect prove that person at least has the mental capacity to learn.

Maybe they should give an IQ test for sale person. If they can't master the usage and know how on how a hybrid works, then they will not be qualify to sell to the customers. They have to earn their batch before they can sell to customers.

 

College education has absolutely nothing to do with it. It's difference between ignorance and stupidity. Believe it or not, there are highly educated people that don't know how to use a TV remote.

 

Anything is possible these days and age. I am just increase the percentage that a college educated person is likely to be more capable than a non college educated person - that is all I am saying.

 

One possible solution is for the manufacturer to operate the showroom. Staff it with knowledgeable people & have vehicles to test drive. No sales. No orders. When you want to buy go to a dealer.

 

what a success THAT has been for Tesla, from a legal standpoint…

 

That experience shouldn't be considered too surprising, as the technology expands and changes within the automotive world. But I would also say there is no excuse for that level of ignorance, from a dealership or salespeople.

It's new, it's different, but it still is a tool designed by humans to be used by humans.

I don't care how "few" of the product may actually exist on the lot, I'm assuming even 1 Ford C-Max Energi comes with a owners manual? It's incumbent of the dealership to have people educated in the operation of the vehicle.

Interestingly, one time I was at my local Honda Dealerhip. Somebody had left a big manual on one of the tables. The whole book was each Honda Model and exactly "How" to sell them. It had technical information on each model as well as favorable comparisons that could be made to competing brand models. I don't think it was meant for consumer reading, but it clearly was meant for Salesmen and Dealership reading.

Plug in's, Hybrids, all are an extra step in obtaining knowledge. But given the resources of The Internet, and simply sitting down for 1/2 hour and reading...there really is no excuse for ignorance about one's own product.

If you don't know about it? Don't understand it? Don't sell it.

I believe Toyota's long time commitment to selling Hybrids has given them an advantage, but I've experienced similar "ignorance" even at a Toyota dealership. Depending on who 1st walks up and shakes your hand....you have no idea how much knowledge or lack of knowledge they may have about the product.

Believe it or not, We are still in the early stages of "alternative" automobile infancy. So if mainstream dealerships are behind the learning curve on some of their own products? I can be forgiving. But it really should be the goal of Ford, Toyota, Honda...all manufacturers to have the resources available to educate their dealerships.

When I first looked at Prius, and investigated Prius...It took me perhaps, just a few hours of research here, and on Youtube to become at least educated enough about the product to surpass the walk up knowledge of many Toyota salespeople I've talked to.

The first time I attempted to test drive a Prius? The Salesman couldn't even get it started.

I don't mean this as an indictment against all sales people or dealerships. Some are better than others. But it is an area all of them should be working on improving.

Just like a Doctor or Nurse needs to follow advances in treatment and therapy throughout their career, so do dealerships and salespeople need to stay up to date and knowledgeable about their newer products.

 

Here, here!!! Well said.

 

ad is blocking the OP, what is it?

 

How not to sell a Ford C-Max Energi - Autoweek

 

Oh jeez, doesnt surprise me though, I dont think even Ford knows how the sync works! All a salesperson would need to do is download the manual and read the dang thing. Doesnt take rocket science. The manual for my FFH includes the Energi model and everything you need to know is in it.