scottwilliamfoley.com

I recently had an educational experience at a car dealership. Last Sunday morning I saw a car I wanted to test drive, and so I contacted an internet salesperson that afternoon to set up a test drive for the next day–Monday. The dealership called me Monday morning to confirm the test drive. I’d never done business at this particular dealership, but everything seemed to be running like clockwork.

When I showed up at 5:30 PM for the test drive, the car wasn’t there. The internet salesperson said the used car salesperson was supposed to call me. The used car salesperson said he did call me, and that I must not have seen it. Of course, in this age of cell phones there’s no point lying about such a thing. As you guessed, he had not called me.

The used car salesperson immediately moved into trying to sell me a different car. I asked him if the car I scheduled would be coming back. He didn’t know. He continued pressing me on the other car, the slightly more expensive car, the newer car. I told him to let me know either way and left.

The next day he texted me to tell me the car sold, but it would make sense for me to buy the other car he recommended. I told him that while that may be true, I’ll gladly pay more somewhere else to be treated in the manner I expect.

At that point, he finally apologized, but it was far too late. He had already proven himself as someone with whom I would not do business.

This experience reinforced for me the importance of treating potential and current clients with respect, courtesy, and kindness. It’s so important that one does not get preoccupied with offering the best deal in order to make a sale. Some clients don’t care about the bottom line. Some, like me, care as much or even more about the experience and will pay extra if it means a smooth, professional, courteous exchange.

In fact, after that debacle, I returned to the dealership where we bought my wife’s car. The salesperson who helped us back then was professional and polite, and he made us feel like we were his only customers. He took the time to understand our needs and find the perfect car for us. He also gave us a great deal, and we felt like we were getting a fair price. Therefore, I sent him an email to tell him what I was looking for. He immediately got back to me with possibilities and worked with me as a partner to find the best fit.

We are now about to purchase another car from him, and we trust him to give us the best possible service. I’ll continue to do business with him for my car needs because of his professional demeanor and courtesy.

I believe that a successful businesses focuses on providing positive customer experiences. This means treating potential clients with respect, regardless of whether or not they end up making a purchase. When customers feel valued and respected, they are more likely to provide more business in the future. I’m living proof of that.