Perhaps Hyundai is not chasing sales ###. Maybe they are looking for higher transactions at low volume. If that is the case...nothing wrong with that.

When I saw the GV at the Auto show...they said BMW X5 and MB GLE is the direct competitor.

 

Dealership markup charges don't go to Hyundai, it goes to the independent dealers. Genesis gains nothing from dealers inflating the price, other than maybe convincing some dealers that it's worth it to build the independent showrooms. Most likely won't and will just pocket the cash while continuing to charge top dollar. Same situation as the Palisade and Telluride.

 

Again, I'm with Jill. IMO, it would clearly do more good than harm, and ultimately bring in more customers that it would drive away.

 

That's one reason why I liked Saturn's policies, and, to a lesser extent, those at Scion. Their corporate policies wouldn't put up with dealer price-gouging, even on high-demand/short-supply models. Either sell the vehicle at list or give up the franchise...the dealer's choice.

 

Well well this thread perked up

the 'big boys' - does that include tesla? Which is clearly impacting the 'big boys' market and has no dealers, just fairly basic showrooms.

I believe i am in the vast majority that LOATHE dealing with the sales experience of dealerships. As you said, you are a professional salesperson. I've known and know many. My experience bears out the old adage... the easiest person to sell to is a salesperson.

a friend of mine who is great at sales, has even run car dealerships, was looking for a PC. I knew his needs, i spec'ed what would be a great setup, but i didn't get back to him before he decided he needed it right now and called Dell directly. They 'recommended' he get a $6500 PC. He has slow DSL internet, he does email, browses websites, and some zoom calls. $6500, really? I tried to convince him he didn't need all that, but he was totally smitten with what the smooth talking Dell salesperson had told me. His only questions to me were was there anything ELSE he could ADD to this $6500 PC to make it even better? he loved the PC when it came, not surprisingly. But it died 6 months later.

Also, as you know because you've seen some correspondence i've recently had with dealers in exploring my next car, they either play dumb or lie through their teeth, and keep switching topics, subjects, deliberately to manipulate me. Zero transparency and while the 'majority' might fall for all these tactics, you're right, i'm not going to. More fool me.

Not sure what you mean, you mean liking the concierge service for example?

most buyers have no choice or if they do, they still like the warm and fuzzy of being stroked by the dealer when they come in for sales or service, and paying accordingly. You're right, i don't need that ego stroking.

Generally that's true, but dealers do vary. It seems your experience with 'pleb' dealers has been uninspiring or unimpressive, whereas i've been surprised by how nice and professional they have been, and while luxury brand dealers wear nicer clothes, have fancier buildings, and know how to stroke egos, they're general approach is simply to extra more money in a smooth way. It's a bit like being taken out with a 2x4 and a shotgun at the low end dealer, or a stiletto blade and lethal injection at the high end dealer. The end result is the same.

i agree with that, and that will be nothing like the 'big boys'.

that's far in the distant past, different times. Times change.

yup, we've had different experiences.

exactly! It doesn't have to be like your so-called 'big boys'.

seems totally reasonable in a very limited supply, high demand situation.



Car lokos GREAT but i don't like that giant side chrome bar.

that's because they don't have many to sell!

They don't have enough for that right now. You do know we're in a global pandemic?

Exactly.

If they'd had tons of inventory to start you'd have said they weren't keeping it exclusive enough.

It doesn't do any good to bring in more customers if there's no cars to supply them.

And look what happened to both of those brands.

 

Great night time drive review and commentary.

 

Certainly took long enough. Genesis, IMO, has had unacceptably long delays in getting this vehicle to market...pandemic or no pandemic.

If you know the product, know what you want, know exactly what you are going to be getting (and that's part of what we all do for each other here on Car Chat) it makes the process a whole lot easier, even if you are dealing with an ape-like mentality at the dealership. When I ordered my GX, for example, I knew exactly what I was getting....and the dealership knew that I knew exactly what I was getting, and didn't try any silly stuff. It was basically "What would you like to order, Mr. Marshall? Form filled, deposit collected...and that was it.


Be careful, though, not to confuse ego-stroking with simple courtesy, respect for the customer, and not trying to insult one's intelligence.



Low-mounted chrome moldings the sides of the doors are common with upmarket vehicles. My Lacrosse has one, though not as thick as that one in the picture. Perhaps (?) Genesis may start doing what Acura did for their customers who didn't like the parrot-beak grilles....painting them body-color before taking delivery.


Exactly. You can't fill a gallon jug with a pint of water.....or no water.



That was not the fault of the no-dicker sales policies. It was due to classic Brand-Mismanagement on the part of Toyota and GM. Management allowed both of those brands, and their products, to simply become too much like their parent corporations, and lose their uniqueness and personality.

 

Wow, that silver looks great. All the chromes blend in perfectly

 

The silver looks alright on the GV80, but spectacular on the G80.

 

Im having a tough time with silver or blue for the G80

 

I don't agree with the policy, but I understand the thinking behind it. Is it short-sighted? Perhaps. Will the dealer back track as soon as they sense that sales are normalizing? They better. I agree that some customers have long memories; many also have very short memories, particularly when there's a car they really want.

 

Scroll down to what I said about Tesla. Tesla's retail experience matches the company's culture and feel and consumer perfectly. It doesnt have to be a traditional dealership, it just has to be something other than selling them out of the back of a Hyundai dealer.

Like I said before, I have spent my entire adult life studying and doing this professionally, even when it comes to dealerships themselves. I am quite confident I am right.

And you're right, salespeople are the easiest to sell to because we know how hard it is to be a salesperson and we're softies for good ones.

No offense, but assuming you were selling him a computer and not just helping him out that was your failure. You should have gotten back to him sooner. In today's world people expect IMMEDIATE response and answers, and if you don't provide that they will move to what gives them that. Thats simply a sales reality of today.

Car salespeople are terrible, but most customers who walk into a luxury car dealership arent as numbers focused as we are. Quite frankly, salespeople really want to sell us a car that bad because they make nothing, thats partly why they are so aloof.

But, bringing it back to Hyundai, Hyundai dealers are some of the worst (Mainstream dealers play way more games), subjecting Genesis buyers to that isn't the solution.

Not wanting to engage with them in the traditional way.

Its not about Ego stroking, its about a positive and enjoyable experience. People are willing to pay for an excellent experience.

Treating people with respect, like people and wanting to earn their business is not ego stroking.

I think a lot of that is your aversion to the idea of "ego stroking". There is a significant difference in the quality of people in the different type of dealers. Thats just a financial reality. Their sales process is also very different because their consumer is different. I know because I used to design those sales processes.

Times don't change as much as they stay the same. Luxury buyers still want quality service in quality surroundings. They're not getting it at a Hyundai dealer. If Genesis had a quality alternative sales and service process like Tesla, we wouldn't be having this discussion. They don't have that, they have one guy at an ugly cold Hyundai dealer. That doesnt cut it.

I never said it had to be, I said it has to be a retail experience that is designed for its target consumer and that is as high quality as their product. That is NOT a Hyundai dealer. Tesla delivers quality service in quality surroundings targeted for their consumer too, it just looks a little different. Someone coming from a BMW, Lexus, Mercedes will find the Tesla experience great, although different. The car is also great, although different. See? They match. They will NOT find the Hyundai dealer experience great. Thats the point. Having to go to a Hyundai dealer just reinforces the concept that is already out there that the Genesis is a pretend luxury car.

 

dealers vary, clearly my local isn't "selling them out of the back". but no question genesis should, and i believe will, have a better retail experience at some point.

i wasn't selling him a computer, i was giving him advice as a friend, and about getting back to him, he's the sort of person who needs a response in 5 seconds after he's sent an email and a text and a voicemail, etc. totally not reasonable, and as i said, i wasn't selling anyway, i didn't really care what he bought, but as a friend i advised what would have been perfectly great, not ludicrous overkill but he was smitten with the salesperson's 'recommendation'. obviously the dell guy was a good salesperson! lol

i feel for car salespersons, they can be abused by the customers and the dealerships also, often have to work very long hours. i think the entire model and process is broken.

as i said, recently i was subjected (more than just what i shared with you) to 'games' from several luxury car dealers. they just wear nicer clothes.

agree - someone who works at walmart is a different sales process than someone who works at a gucci store. and the process in the gucci store is focused on the type of customers they expect. and you're right, i'm not a gucci store kind of customer. when i worked in a corporate office, i used to clothes shop at nordstroms, and those salespersons were definitely trained for a guy like me who wanted to spend as little time in the store as possible. i'd walk up and say 'shirts' for example and he'd look at me and say 16/35? and i'd say "yes!" and he'd go grab some. now that's good training.

i think covid will have changed some of that, plus as i've said over and over, it's not always "one guy at an ugly cold hyundai dealer", but your point is valid, some (you say most) luxury buyers want a luxury dealership experience, and i certainly agree that salespersons trained and knowledgeable in those kind of sales are obviously more likely to close than those selling elantras using the 4 square method, although even luxury salespersons get right into that in a smoother way and most luxury buyers have no clue how they're being manipulated and most don't care. it's just a sales technique that is used because it works.

i think that's too sweeping a statement, but i've already agreed that genesis needs a better presentation/experience to reach more luxury car buyers/leasers.

 

Most people today are like him, its really exhausting. I tell all my people, when the phone rings or you get a text or an email, if you arent in front of a customer take it. We all have automated texts setup so if we miss a call we can quickly text back and let them know we saw they called and are with a client and will call them right back.

Any good salesperson is wasted on cars

It is way worse with mainstream dealers. A lot of them wont even give you a quote over email, or really try hard not to.

 

So are there any actual standalone Genesis dealers? I could see Hyundai dealers trying not to give away test drives if the buyer could also go to a competing Genesis dealer.