How One American Car Company Lost a Sale, And Why It Matters

 

I was reminded about my last car buying experience this morning when I saw a post for a Cadillac appear in my newsfeed on Facebook. I thought to myself, "I almost bought a caddy." Why I didn't has less to do with the car than my customer service experience and the unfortunate nature of humans to judge.

At the time I looked at a Cadillac I was also making a delivery for the restaurant I work at. Deliveries are not typically my job, but we don't typically deliver and I am not on the line or the front counter, so it makes sense for me to make the deliveries as needed. My job is in marketing, which has everything to do with relationship building and engagement. The decline in the quality of customer service is particularly disappointing to me, but at the same time, I know it only benefits the small businesses excelling in customer service because they will appreciate the potential customers others don't.

I dropped off the order inside at the car dealership and went back outside and decided to browse the Cadillac CTS's. My car was at the point where I was having to put money into some sort of repair nearly every month and it was costing me more than having a large monthly car payment, so it was time to consider purchasing a new car. I have always liked the distinctive look of Cadillac and my grandfather was a long time employee of GM so I had often felt a bit of loyalty to buy from GM. Other cars I considered were a BMW 525i, a Chrysler 300s, and the Cadillac CTS. What I was looking for was a car that worked well as a family vehicle and could also double as a sporty vehicle-that's what a mid-life crisis by a responsible parent looks like with kids. I remember being approached by one salesman who was pleasant enough and asked me if he could help me. What he doesn't know is that he could have prevented me from walking away and exploring my car options had he not judged me when I told him I was interested in the Cadillac CTS while wearing a grey hoodie and jeans (and probably delivering his lunch). Besides asking me if he could help me, he didn't ask me any further questions after I told him what car I was interested in.  I realized this morning just how thankful I am that he didn't pursue the sale.  I am so much happier with my decision to purchase a Chrysler 300s than I ever would have been with a Caddy.

 

So, why does this matter? It was just one lost sale for that growing dealership. It matters because our innate habit of judging others cost that salesman and that dealership not only a sale, but also a relationship. Most people purchase multiple cars during their lives and often return to who they trust as with any business or service they use. I will never trust anyone who judges me, and if they are an employee of your company, that becomes part of your brand. The irony is how this can even be seen in this dealership's marketing efforts, my bias aside. A customer is a customer, and when they feel judged they don't trust you or your brand.

 

 

 

Thankfully, my next car experience was perfect. I contacted Darling's Auto in Augusta, Maine and told them I was interested in a Chrysler 300s but wanted to test drive one first. The salesman had one brought to Augusta the very next day from another one of their dealerships 60 miles away. As soon as I drove it, I knew it was a perfect fit. Then I got picky. I didn't want a lot of upgrades and the base model came standard with nearly everything I wanted: keyless entry, navigation, Beats by Dre., etc. I told my salesman Jason I wanted the car in black with red leather interior. Darling's had my car in two business days from a different dealership in Rockland, Maine. I never even made the trip to look at the BMW.

 

So the next time you see a customer walk through your doors wearing a hoodie and jeans, assume they are some sort of introverted computer marketing guru who works 7 days a week building relationships so they can afford that Caddy, but realize they will never buy it from someone they can't trust.