Hello everybody!

I've been quietly lurking in the shadows and reading all of your (extremely) helpful posts since I decided to go the Mini route. You've all been very informative and entertaining to boot, and have been the deciding factor in my choice of options for my girl who'll be arriving early June. A quick question though, have any of you noticed a tendancy for your MA's to treat you with less courtesy then you would recieve at, say, a Ford or Chevy dealership?
I'm just an everyday working shmo, enlisted military a few miles from the dealership, and since beginning the whole purchase process, I have been abandoned at the desk and told to fill out the paperwork on my own while she deals with "other customers", ignored when I call and ask for any tracking updates, and have been brushed off when going into the dealership for information. I realize BMW is more accustomed to a more "Upper Class" clientel then myself, but isn't money the same shade of green regardless of the source? Maybe its just in my head, but it seems like any other big three salesman would be have instantly become my best friend for my business. I would hate to think that this is the level of service I am to expect in the future for maintenance and warranty work. Whats even more sad is the fact that I will totally put up with this treatment because thats how much I WANT THIS CAR. Just wondering if anyone else out there has noticed these symptoms from their MA. Keep up the good work NAM.

Nameless until she gets here (don't want to Jinx anything)
Astro Black Cooper S
16" Alloy Wheels, Bridge Spoke
Anthracite Headliner
Auto-dimming Rearview Mirror
Center Armrest
Chrome Line Exterior
Chrome Line Interior
Cold Weather Package
Mirror Caps in Chrome
DSC
Interior Piano Black
LSD
Hifi Sound System
Premium Package
Rear Fog Lamp

 

Welcome to NAM, and congrats on ordering your baby.

I'm sorry about your distasteful experience with your MA. Where are you from? Name of the dealership you're working with? It's unfortunate to hear stories such as yours but it's not entirely uncommon. There are great dealerships and there are less than great dealerships...those that are less than great quickly gain an unfavorable reputation, and MINI enthusiasts are nothing if not loyal to good products, service, responsiveness, and each other. Word of mouth goes a long way...in both directions.

I hope things improve for you in the realm of customer service.

 

I think part of it is MA's aren't paid on commission, so they are a bit more laid back. We're previous BMW owners and were certainly treated nicely, but thats not not saying our bad about our MA, he's fine.

Ours should be here by the end of the month...I went the same route as you...used this board to determine whether we'd take the plunge on an MCS.

 

Bah that's poo. Plenty of us lower class regular folks drive BMW's & MINIS

Sorry for your bad experience but the cloud does have a silver lining as you will be given the chance to rate your MA in a survey for MINIUSA. Be honest

& Welcome to NAM

 

Welcome to NAM and congrats on the new car! Sounds like a crappy MA to me...The people at my dealer treat me just fine..The next time you are there, why don't you politely ask them if your business is not important to them..Then sit back and watch their response..

 

i can't say i have been treated like gold but my MA is quite nice...
he's a cool guy...
i would like to be treated like a star but then again i am getting a good deal not paying full over the price...

my MA is Brad Crandall of South Motors MINI in Miami, Fl.
anyone else have experience with this place? so far all the people who have dealt with them are happy.

 

I don't use phrases such as this very often but if I were in your shoes I'd be extremely pissed off. Your MA is being terribly rude. When I was military age I had things like that happen and would just grin and bear it. Over the years you learn how to assure that this kind of ..it doesn't happen anymore.

If I was in your shoes, if there are other MINI dealers nearby, I'd ask for my deposit back and go elsewhere. For that matter, in asking for your deposit back it gives you a chance to voice your concern with with management and maybe even get a little more respect shown.

 

I find it completely ridiculous that your MA would blow you off in such a blatant way. I completely agree with Ken Cooper; if you don't say anything, they will keep doing it. I'd definitely go somewhere else or try to get the dealership to address your concerns.

Good Luck!

 

My experience is that most car sales people (other than MINI) will be smarmy to an intolerable level -- for me anyway. I can't stand people who act like your best friend while looking for ways to rip you off.

My guess is that this is different at MINI because:

1. They typically sell as many as they can order (allotments).
2. They don't get commissions.
3. Expectant MINI buyers would bug them 24/7 if allowed.

Since I ordered my MCS, my MA has responded with just the sufficient info (no more) only on topics that really need a response. Questions like, when will it arrive receive a slow response with minimal info (I only asked once).

This is in Silicon Valley, he knows where I live, and I'm paying cash. In spite of the Levis, I don't think he took me for blue collar. So I don't think the attiude has anything to do with class. I think half of it has to do with lack of incentives and the other half is due to an over abundance of over-hyper, obsessed buyers bombarding them with questions.

After leaving the MINI dealer on the first visit, we stopped at a VW dealer. As we approached we noticed that the sales people were not waiting in the salesroom. They were hovering, on the edge of the parking area (entrance to the dealer lot). I had the distinct impression of turkey vultures waiting for something to die. Or, sharks circling. I much prefer the laid back MINI sales people.

 

MINI dealerships don't have to fight that hard to make the sales, so I think that it's possible for the MA to get a bit complacent unless they have a true love for the job, have been bitten by the MINI bug or have a great manager (few and far between in the auto industry).

If you have another dealership in town, vote with your $$$ and go somewhere else... making sure to tell the dealership management why you are leaving.

I love the MA who sold my car to me (Neil Scheckter at Moritz MINI in Dallas, TX) and walked away from MINI of Dallas because of a pissy receptionist who wouldn't unlock the doors during business hours (an hour and a half before the posted closing time).

 

I didn't know that they don't get commission, that makes a huge difference, not a justification mind you, but that at least explains it a lot better. I don't like the "hovering" salesman either, but I think Auto dealerships may have conditioned us to expect this and leaves us (me, at least) scratching our heads when its not the case. I'm hesitant to create waves at the dealership though because I really want to keep a good relationship with them...its never smart to insult the guy thats preparing your food, right? I still have a few weeks to go before delivery so there's time for my initial impression to change (hopefully). Thanks for the feedback.

 

hey that survey? my MA told me that there are 4 or 5 options, but if you select anything less that perfect, they fail... if you do a survey that crit fails her then management might make her straigten her patootie up or hit the road...

oh and welcome to nam and please don't spill soda on the seats... :-D

 

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa! Where did this information come from? As a former MA and still friends with current MAs, I can assure you that MAs work on commission. Of course, this is a dealership-to-dealership arrangement and may not apply everywhere. However, based on my conversations with other MAs from around the country while at training sessions, I would venture to say that MOST dealerships still use the commission-based pay system.

Sadly, I believe that agranger is closest to the mark. While she has apparently already spoiled part of the process for you, don't wait to "slam" her on the survey when it will seem out of the blue to her. Tell her about it now - in the nicest way you can possibly figure out (to avoid the human nature to backlash) - so she has a chance to make up for it over the next few months.

 

michimini,

Aloha and welcome to NAM.

Time to switch to another MA in my book. Talk to the sales manager or maybe the receptionist and ask who else you can work with to "close this sale". Of course they can have an "attitude" problem if there is more demand than there is supply. Are there alot of other customers when you are at the dealership? If so then pick a better time to arrive so there are no distractions except your sale. Early, first thing in the morning on a weekday is usually good.

Your options-
Astro Black Cooper S
16" Alloy Wheels, Bridge Spoke
Anthracite Headliner
Auto-dimming Rearview Mirror
Center Armrest
Chrome Line Exterior
Chrome Line Interior
Cold Weather Package
Mirror Caps in Chrome
DSC
Interior Piano Black
LSD
Hifi Sound System
Premium Package
Rear Fog Lamp

ALL are good.
What about upholstery? Black leatherette or cloth might be good.
Some people have criticized the Hifi sound system saying it wasn't worth the extra cost. Take some familar CDs or MP3 songs and play them and trust your own ears.

Anyway it's your choice to keep your MA or not. My MINI dealership is pretty good by comparison, the staff is friendly and helpful. They seem as busy as ever so the popularity of the MINI is not really tapering off yet. Ford or chevy dealerships in my area are not so good. Dodge is even worse.

If there is a MINI club in your area you can ask if they know of a good MA they could recommend.

 

My MA told me, after a test drive that they all "work together" so it didn't matter if he wasn't there when I came back to order or had questions. If they get a commission, it seems to be pooled, and since they sell out their allotments, it ends up being more of a salary than a commission.

 

Ah yes, we had a pooled arrangement for a while. But it was definitely still commission-based.

Trouble with that system was that the lazy ones got to stay lazy while the ones who cared had to pick up the slack.

One other observation to throw out there. If I knew then what I know now, I could have been a better MA. I was inexperienced and I didn't have a good manager backing me (nice person - like him a lot - just not a great manager). I spun my wheels a lot. I probably left more customers hang for longer than I ever wanted/planned/realized because of it. There are a lot of details to tend to that are multiplied by all the various people you are working with at any point in time (which also compounds over time). The lack of good processes/systems within the dealership can certainly have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the staff. But a seasoned and organized person can still overcome those deficiencies. While I got a lot of positive feedback, I'm sure I could have done better.

I still say to give her a "heads up" and see if she steps up her game. But talking to the Sales Manager, as minihune suggests, is also a viable option.

 

Welcome to NAM and thank you for your service to our country! Because of your screen name I assume your in Michigan, right? If so, who's your MA at Motor City MINI? I delt with Lisa Harris and she was great and I didn't get the impression that the other MA's were bad to deal with at all (they're also not bad to look at either )

 

Hi michimini and welcome to NAM! I'm really sorry to hear about the cold shoulder you've been getting from your MA and just wanted to reassure you that there are plenty of helpful, thorough, courteous, and pleasant MAs out there as well, should you shoose to switch dealerships. Despite being a 22 year old, I was treated very well by everyone at East Bay Mini in the Bay Area both before I placed my order and during the waiting period. Best of luck!

 

I deal with Mini of Towson (MD), which is right next door the their BMW store. Having driven BMW's for a long time, my experience with Mini is pretty recent, but I've noticed no difference in treatment between the two. Mini does seem to be more laid back, which I actually find refreshing. My MA is also from the U.K., which even makes the Mini experience "more authentic" !

 

It doesn't (or shouldn't) have anything to do with you personally. It has more to do with the fact that the MAs don't really have to sell MINIs. They just have to stand there and take money from people lined up for them. Back in my Mercedes buying days, I came into the dealer in tee shirts and worn jeans. I was always treated like I was their best customer. I think as time goes by MINI dealers (and MINI itself for that matter) are going to come to regret their lack of customer attention.

 

I've had nothing but good experiences at the local MINI dealership, and it is connected to both BMW and Cadillac dealerships. MINI has been given prime real estate at the facility...I think they are very proud of their MINI franchise. Sorry for your bad experience but that's not the norm.

 

Snobbery is never an excuse for being a jerk. E.g., it's spelled "snobbery". See what I mean?

 

I hope our experience is not the norm. My experience at 2 different MINI dealers has been such that I felt they considered my presence more of a waste of time than anything else (and I am not the sort who bugs them with a thousand questions). Emails take days to receive responses, if they are responded to at all. Knowledge of the R56 is cursory at best. When at the dealership, the MAs breeeze past while mumbling an acknowledgement of my existence out of the sides of their mouths..... Maybe it has to do with the fact that there are so few dealers that they don't feel there is much competition. I am hoping both of those variables change.

 

Welcome to NAM!

There are MA like that everywhere. I have been lucky with my MA and SA @ local BMW dealer. Once you get to drive your car, you will forget about all the bad experiences...

Good luck and enjoy motoring.

Mack

 

I am driving and, contrary to your suggestion, I am being reminded of the customer service. The dealer doesn't even seem to know what voice recognition is, much less know how to get it to work.