[minimienymo]

Customers for life. Family philosophy. Please - spare me the "Sales 101" I'm sure the company meetings are full of balloons and people clapping like they're on wheel of fortune.
To the outside world it's just a neat little car that's in great demand - I wonder if the salespeople are as new as the car? Perhaps some experience in originating clients out on the street would put some perspective on your dilemma of having a zillion customers beating down the doors.
It would be great to get the "S" as soon as possible but don't misunderstand all of the enthusiasm. We're not all geeks from a Star Trek convention who just can't go on without a MINI. All it takes is one gigantor SUV squashing our little car on 60 minutes to dry up demand quicker than you can say Ralph Nader and Corvair in the same sentence.
Just get the cars here, call the people who want them and order more from England. Keith - are you with me on this?

Dave

[Keith]

Don't get me wrong - I really appreciate the effort that some dealers are going to to be fair to their customers. I wish everyone had this attitude!

[pbraun]

What is this MINI MARCH website?

[minimienymo]

Don't go soft now Keith.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by pbraun
What is this MINI MARCH website?

It's not a website, it's another thread here at MINI2:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...&threadid=3844

[TimR]

Quote:

Originally posted by minimienymo
Customers for life. Family philosophy. Please - spare me the "Sales 101" I'm sure the company meetings are full of balloons and people clapping like they're on wheel of fortune.
To the outside world it's just a neat little car that's in great demand - I wonder if the salespeople are as new as the car? Perhaps some experience in originating clients out on the street would put some perspective on your dilemma of having a zillion customers beating down the doors.
It would be great to get the "S" as soon as possible but don't misunderstand all of the enthusiasm. We're not all geeks from a Star Trek convention who just can't go on without a MINI. All it takes is one gigantor SUV squashing our little car on 60 minutes to dry up demand quicker than you can say Ralph Nader and Corvair in the same sentence.
Just get the cars here, call the people who want them and order more from England. Keith - are you with me on this?

Dave

I'm not new, just new to MINI. As for our meetings, since I'm the only MINI employee here, I try to avoid the hand clapping and balloons because people tend to look at you funny.

As to the "neat little car," you're right, to the outside world they are just the cute new thing. Is that why you want one? I sincerely do not think so. In fact, most of my customers are like you, in fact many of them are on this site. They own, or used to own a Mini, and to them this is an emotional thing to be involved in. One guy still has 18 Mini's in his driveway and garage. In fact, he was here yesterday with a Countryman(men?) helping me look over the '64 Austin 850 I just bought. (from New Zealand)

Now, the salesman in me loves the fact that I don't have to work to sell this thing for at least a year or two. But the customer service side ain't easy. Like I said this is an emotional purchase for a lot of people, and judging by the aggression in your post, it sounds like it may be for you as well. I don't reply here to be a MINI cheerleader, I do it to try and provide answers, and to learn from all of you who have been involved much longer than I.

One last thing. I'd love to call England and say send more cars over. In fact, I want them today, and I would sell out any that they sent me. But I can't, because they can only build so many in the one plant that services 18 countries, blah blah blah. I've been selling this thing since August, and today is the first time I have ever seen one in person, so I had to wait too BTW, I also saw the article back in 95 that said it was coming, and have waited to see it just like everyone else. Having seen and driven it, I have to say, this is still the most fun thing to wait in line for since Space Mountain in 86!

[minimotoringadvisor]

Tim, I completely agree. For one most dealerships do only have one mini motoring advisors right now. Two, you try get two hundred calls a day, and trying to make all happy.
Dave I'm sorry you are wrong. I myself took this job, not only because I am a salesperson, but I am also an enthusiast. My family has had MINI's. You are starting to sound like Veronica off of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY!!!, and you remember what happen to her. Be patience, we motoring advisors are not getting paid yet to work on the MINI deals, so most of us are still working in other parts of the dealerships to get a paycheck. We are trying to juggle to very full time jobs to make our customers happy. I'm sorry if you have had bad experiences else where but, I hope you do enjoy the MINI you so desperately want.

[minimienymo]

Ah jeez - Is a little sarcasm hurting your feelings? There's a huge difference between aggression and making smarta** remarks about the dealership situation.
As far as wanting one "desperately" - that was a good one. Talk about passive aggressive. So was the cheerleader comment -glad to see the self recognition. Sure I want one - heck, I might buy two and put one way in the back of the garage with the Harley's.

Ms. J - Sorry - I have no idea what Charlie and the Chocolate factory is much less the character Veronica.
You might want to save those types of references for your meetings in San Francisco - it certainly seems like the appropriate city after the few conversations I've had with the "MINI Motoring Advisors".

Go enjoy yourselves - Take a day off you two.

[TimR]

Quote:

Originally posted by minimienymo
Ah jeez - Is a little sarcasm hurting your feelings? There's a huge difference between aggression and making smarta** remarks about the dealership situation.
As far as wanting one "desperately" - that was a good one. Talk about passive aggressive. So was the cheerleader comment -glad to see the self recognition. Sure I want one - heck, I might buy two and put one way in the back of the garage with the Harley's.

Ms. J - Sorry - I have no idea what Charlie and the Chocolate factory is much less the character Veronica.
You might want to save those types of references for your meetings in San Francisco - it certainly seems like the appropriate city after the few conversations I've had with the "MINI Motoring Advisors".

Go enjoy yourselves - Take a day off you two.

You know what, you're right, a day off couldn't hurt. These posts might not sound so negative after a ride down the coast on the sportster. Thanks for being such a positive influence.

[TimR]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK


Tim, you make a lot of sense. But #428???

You are planing on taking on one of the dealership's demo MINIs as your main transportation "to familiarize yourself with the product", aren't you?

I don't know yet if I'll get a demo, but I had one he** of a time with a Cooper up here yesterday! Even with the CVT it was a blast to drive, kind of launched you like a slingshot as it wound up to 5000 rpm. Much more enthusiastice than the Austin 850 I have been driving this week. The stereo doesn't hurt either!

BTW, for those in the U.S. who have been concerned with leg and headroom, don't be. The sunroof cartridge leaves plenty of room, especially with the height adjustment. And the seats slide back so far that at 5' 8" I had about 6-9" to stretch for the pedals. 'Course, no-one would have fit behind me, except my dog. I'm in trouble though, my wife came down to drive it, and the wait will be even longer now!

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by TimR
.... Much more enthusiastice than the Austin 850 I have been driving this week...

Congrats on your purchase of a classic Mini! If keeping it totally stock with the 850 engine is not important to you, you really should consider dropping in a nice warmed over 1275 unit and upgrading to Cooper S disc brakes. The car you end up with will be so much fun to drive you'll understand exactly what inspired the creation of the new MINI.

[TimR]

Actually, we are going to do paint and new interior and chrome bits to use it as a show car with the new MINI. Although I must admit I'll try and drive it whenever I can Next I need to find a sportier version to show with the S. Any ideas? We can't buy anything newer than 25 years old to bring in, and I need to find something nice.

[sdmidget]

TimR

My last mini was a '60 850 Morris Mini Minor (which I had back in 1969). It was a great high school/college days car. Enjoy!!

[33 years between minis/MINIs -I'm long overdue.]

[MINIAC]

Quote:

Originally posted by sdmidget

My last mini was a '60 850 Morris Mini Minor (which I had back in 1969). It was a great high school/college days car. Enjoy!!

33 years between minis/MINIs - I'm long overdue.

Amen!

You've gone longer than I have between MiNis

My 1967 Austin Cooper S was stolen in August 1972

[minimotoringadvisor]

All in good humor. Your comments keep my smiling. No hard feelings. I may be a young women, but I can handle it. You are hilarious.
J.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by TimR
....Next I need to find a sportier version to show with the S. Any ides? We can't buy anything newer than 25 years old to bring in, and I need to find something nice.

Well, a classic Mini Cooper S would seem the most obvious. But the problem is that a stock classic Cooper S is a rare find indeed and is visually almost indentical to a stock classic Mini 850.

Have you thought about a nice used race or rally Mini to show the sporting aspect of the marque - and especially the Cooper S?

How about:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...188258&r=0&t=0

Fix it up and it would be very interesting in your showroom. You could add some race memorabilia and focus on the Mini's fantasic history in competeition against bigger and more powerful cars, such as below:

[Keith]

I don't think Mustangs should have stripes - but we don't want to go down that road!!!

[minimienymo]

Thanks for all the hard work you two - maybe they'll give you a MINI for putting up with all this "stuff" from exuberant -and I use the word loosely- future customers.

Anyway - my local dealer said not to expect an "S" until August. I'm going golfing, see you then.

Ms. J. - you know it's not very nice to tell 40 year old married men that "your a young women" ...that hurt.

Dave

[TimR]

Dave, hope you had a great game. And as a married man, I second that comment.