I'm in the market for a new car as I'm replacing my company car in a few months. "Easy", I thought, "I'll pick up some brochures from dealers stocking models I'm interested in, so I can put together a shortlist for test drives."
All went to plan at dealers for Audi, Saab, VW, Volvo and Honda. No problems - I even managed to get a few minutes with some salespeople, which, given it was a Sunday and I'd shown up on spec, was encouraging.
Everything went horribly wrong when I turned up at an MG Rover main dealer in Shirley, Solihull. The model I was interested in was the ZT 160+ Saloon. This is the one that everyone agrees is a good model, the one that they really want to be pushing. I *really* like this car.
"Can I have a brochure, please?" I asked.
"No. We haven't got any brochures at the moment."
A long pause follows. I'm willing the "salesman" (for want of a better word) to say something. He doesn't (what slick sales practices they employ!) so I help him out a bit.
"Well", I venture, "would you perhaps like to take my details, so you can send me a brochure, maybe?"
Another pause. He looks like I've just run over his dog.
"OK then," he sighs, and proceeds to write my details down with all the enthusiasm of a piece of wet lettuce. No phone number asked for, no offer to set up a demonstration - I just know that this piece of paper will be going in the bin before I've left the car park. The fact that a week has passed and I haven't had a brochure, to complement the ones I have from every other manufacturer, perhaps confirms this for me.
Warming ever so slightly to his task, he then manages to completely misquote the CO2 ratings for this car's engine (the board showing these details was I suppose only three feet away so perhaps he hadn't noticed this) before gushing about the Connoisseur trim level and how nice it is. Great, but last time I checked, that was a Rover 75 variant, not an MG ZT one.
Vehicle delivery times? "Oh, it depends. They can be pretty quick." Gosh - spare me the blinding accuracy, Einstein!
Losing the will to live, I retreated from this car retailing dynamo, and from the dealership.
You're probably not surprised to learn that the MG is no longer on my shortlist. The helpful, enthusiastic, and just plain human salespeople employed at other places make me want to buy from them. That, and the fact that they actually carried literature on their popular models.
I've worked in sales development for financial services companies for 15 years. I know what makes a good, ethical sales process, and how to put a customer in control whilst promoting your product to them.
Do MG Rover want to shift more cars? Why not try *selling* them?