BMW Manhattan - M1 conversation - FAIL

[FJUNO78]

On my way home from work yesterday, I passed BMW Manhattan, (wall street location), and I noticed the new 535i in the window and decided to check it out. After looking at the 5er for a few minutes, I start walking around the showroom floor. A CA there is standing around, and I ask him if they started a waiting list for the M1.

The CA looks at me as if I asked him for the cure to cancer. Clearly confused, I continue, saying the 1 series M Coupe. He then goes "Oh... yea, that's hypothetical.... that's never going to happen"

At this point, I tell him the head of M division confirmed it a while ago... He goes, "Yea, but it won't come to America. He said they have 5 series wagons in Europe, but you don't see them here, costs too much to bring over... even if they do make it, you won't see it for a couple of years

I then mention that the pictures are all over the internet. He continues to say, "You may be getting it confused with the 135i with the ///M sport package". I reply back, "Oh, I must be..." I thanked him for his time, then I walked out"

It's a shame that CA's do not pay attention to current developements, but what really is pathetic is when I was explaing myself to him, he was shaking his head at me like I had no clue about what I was asking.

[dmboone25]

I have had similar experiences, at least with people being clueless, at my dealership in Indy...

Most of those people at the dealer that I have struck up a conversation with about the 1M think that it would be great if it did come to the US, but none of them seemed to know about the concept of it either....

[zuggerat89]

Bah, to them, it's just a job. Not everyone can have our passion!

[JBurer]

I believe the CA was correct - at least as of a few weeks ago, the M1 moniker was not going to apply to the 1 series M package.

Am I behind on news?

Originally Posted by FJUNO78

On my way home from work yesterday, I passed BMW Manhattan, (wall street location), and I noticed the new 535i in the window and decided to check it out. After looking at the 5er for a few minutes, I start walking around the showroom floor. A CA there is standing around, and I ask him if they started a waiting list for the M1.

The CA looks at me as if I asked him for the cure to cancer. Clearly confused, I continue, saying the 1 series M Coupe. He then goes "Oh... yea, that's hypothetical.... that's never going to happen"

At this point, I tell him the head of M division confirmed it a while ago... He goes, "Yea, but it won't come to America. He said they have 5 series wagons in Europe, but you don't see them here, costs too much to bring over... even if they do make it, you won't see it for a couple of years

I then mention that the pictures are all over the internet. He continues to say, "You may be getting it confused with the 135i with the ///M sport package". I reply back, "Oh, I must be..." I thanked him for his time, then I walked out"

It's a shame that CA's do not pay attention to current developements, but what really is pathetic is when I was explaing myself to him, he was shaking his head at me like I had no clue about what I was asking.

[FJUNO78]

Originally Posted by JBurer

I believe the CA was correct - at least as of a few weeks ago, the M1 moniker was not going to apply to the 1 series M package.

Am I behind on news?

yea.. I called it the M1, then offered further clarification by calling it the 1 series M coupe.

The point of my post wasn't to discuss the official name of the car...

[Future M1 owner]

Basic carbusiness rules: Don't spark or encourage interest in an upcoming model with an uncertain timeline.

Focus the potential customer on what is on offer here and now.

Why go for an uncertain sale in the future, work to make a sale today.

That's why dealers are frequently genuinely not interested in upcoming models.

[RäDIOCLäSH]

It's in the Kool-AidBMW Dealership employees are indoctrinated to mistrust the internet and forums.I have been treated to that same "are you from Mars?" look.It usually comes after you tell a Service Employee that you are aware of an issue that other owners are having as well.(via the forums)
Your case is even worse though!I think that employee might need an intervention....or a special visit to tell him that as soon as my 1M arrives,"I'm coming to see you and make you feel like an idiot for condescending to me"

[FJUNO78]

Originally Posted by Future M1 owner

Basic carbusiness rules: Don't spark or encourage interest in an upcoming model with an uncertain timeline.

Focus the potential customer on what is on offer here and now.

Why go for an uncertain sale in the future, work to make a sale today.

That's why dealers are frequently genuinely not interested in upcoming models.

i understand that, but based on that 2 minute conversation, I will never go to that dealership to get my next car. Once a dealership rubs me the wrong way, I write you off.

if his response was something like, "yea, it looks cool, but when it comes out it's probably going to be the same price as a leftover M3..." I would have respected him...

[FJUNO78]

Originally Posted by RäDIOCLäSH

It's in the Kool-AidBMW Dealership employees are indoctrinated to mistrust the internet and forums.I have been treated to that same "are you from Mars?" look.It usually comes after you tell a Service Employee that you are aware of an issue that other owners are having as well.(via the forums)
Your case is even worse though!I think that employee might need an intervention....or a special visit to tell him that as soon as my 1M arrives,"I'm coming to see you and make you feel like an idiot for condescending to me"

it's true.. last november, when shopping for my 2010 135i, I asked a CA out in Jersey if the HPFP problems have been fixed in the 2010's... His response was. "I never heard of a 1 series with a HPFP problem... the bulk of the bad fuel pumps are in 535i's/.." I told him alot of people were complaining on the forums... his reply... "Alot of young guys who drive competitors cars, sign up to the forums and like to make up stuff... you can't believe everything you read online..."

Stupidity like that is an automatic deal breaker.

[jraymond]

CA's at dealers are bred to talk and schmooze what is available. Anything else is foreign language. This helped me tremendously when i wanted a 135i. Since it takes people like us to inform the dealer, as soon as they got allocation I got down there and built my car and became #1.

[ianc]

I continue, saying the 1 series M Coupe. He then goes "Oh... yea, that's hypothetical.... that's never going to happen"

You can save yourself a lot of time if you become adept at quickly realizing the signs of idiocy. If I had heard the response above from a CA, I would have just smiled and moved on.

Do yourself a favor,

ianc

[amdmaxx]

Its not the dealership, its the person, who probably won't even be a BMW salesman in a few months. The turnover for those job is huge..

Originally Posted by FJUNO78

i understand that, but based on that 2 minute conversation, I will never go to that dealership to get my next car. Once a dealership rubs me the wrong way, I write you off.

if his response was something like, "yea, it looks cool, but when it comes out it's probably going to be the same price as a leftover M3..." I would have respected him...

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by RäDIOCLäSH

....or a special visit to tell him that as soon as my 1M arrives,"I'm coming to see you and make you feel like an idiot for condescending to me"

Yeah, go all Pretty Woman on his ass!

[ALPINE6SPD]

Come see me in NJ

[MarkR171]

This happens more often than you would think. Most CAs are just there for the job and don't care about the cars and don't bother to do their homework.

I was at a Cadillac dealership and asked about the CTS Coupe. NO ONE in the entire dealership even heard of a CTS Coupe being made, they didn't even know of the concept. That's 4 different CAs and the sales manager. They kept thinking I was talking about the wagon...

The CTS Coupe has been the first thing you see on the Cadillac website for months...

[NL-J]

Originally Posted by zuggerat89

Bah, to them, it's just a job. Not everyone can have our passion!

+1 exactly what I thought. Sad though, you always hope that there are at least a few people at the dealers that do share a passion for the brand, they often seem to be hard to find

[sb335is]

yeah CAs dont want to talk about whats upcoming my friend ordered his e92 and a week after he received a guy rolled up with msport and he had no idea. he was pissed his CA didn't tell him that was coming out. he rants about it all the time.

[Raine]

I notice they seem to get flustered and intimidated when you've done your research and know more about the car than they do lol

It's like "dammit, this guy knows..."

[BMWDAD]

My CA told me to keep him informed.

[Hairlesswookiee]

This is the reason why I shop around on the internet before even stepping foot on a dealership lot. The salesmen hardly ever know crap about the cars they're selling. I agree that they are more focused on selling what's on the lot today instead of possibly making a sell in the future.

[Pol]

Originally Posted by FJUNO78

it's true.. last november, when shopping for my 2010 135i, I asked a CA out in Jersey if the HPFP problems have been fixed in the 2010's... His response was. "I never heard of a 1 series with a HPFP problem... the bulk of the bad fuel pumps are in 535i's/.." I told him alot of people were complaining on the forums... his reply... "Alot of young guys who drive competitors cars, sign up to the forums and like to make up stuff... you can't believe everything you read online..."

Stupidity like that is an automatic deal breaker.

That's right, they don't like forums at all.
When I had my fuel pump failure, my dealer said to me : "how do you know it's a fuel pump failure". When I replied that there is plenty of pages about the problem on forums all around the world, he said : "don't believe to much in forums especially when it comes from oversea". OK I said, I'll show you lots of pages from our German neighbours forum...
He replaced the pump....

[WyattHerb]

Originally Posted by Raine

I notice they seem to get flustered and intimidated when you've done your research and know more about the car than they do lol

It's like "dammit, this guy knows..."

Originally Posted by Hairlesswookiee

This is the reason why I shop around on the internet before even stepping foot on a dealership lot. The salesmen hardly ever know crap about the cars they're selling. I agree that they are more focused on selling what's on the lot today instead of possibly making a sell in the future.

This and this.