Lack of Product knowledge

[MINICS]

I'm amazed time & time again about the lack of product knowledge the dealers & promotional people that are employeed by BMW.

My dealer is not up to date with the product and I have informed him about the site but he's not intrested.

The other day I was out walking at work with a couple of mates from work, when we came across a mini promo (5 cars, 2 S's) one of the guys asked the person how many kilowats is the S and they said 1200!!!!! and then proceded to inform him how much they studied the spec's of the car!!!

I think my dealer waits on me to tell him about the car.

Come on BMW it's about time you employeed the right people to sell the car - people with passion (should I send my CV now!!!!)

Vanessa

[Grinder]

Yeah, i agree 100%. The sales people at my dealership are great and generally knowledgable. The service people seem to be hopeless from what i can tell. When i complained about the squeaky seat they said they'd never heard of it (!!!), they claim i cant enable the speed sensitive/step down when stopped wipers, they hadn't heard of the seat handle retrofit, etc.... Maybe it's just some giant miscommunication, but i'm not impressed..

[eltel]

Vanessa, those 5 people are not BMW/MINI people. They are from a marketing company engaged to drive the things around and hand out brochures.

Spazz and I spoke to them on the weekend, and you're right, they know very little. They haven't even read the brochures!

They're just a bunch of fashion-conscious young people paid to do a job and that's a real shame.

BMW/MINI Should ask me to do it, I'd do it for free! (almost free)

Regards, ElTel (see you Sunday, where are we meeting?)

[gromit]

In march of this year I was taken to task for referring to one of these marketing Einsteins as a "Bim"...
Lets set the wayback machine to March 19, 2002. I had just returned from the Toronto Auto show where I had spent at least 3 hours at the MINI display. I had put down my deposit four months earlier and it was my first chance to sit in or look at the car.

My Comments regarding product knowledge:

... she *was* a dim bulb and knew nothing of the MINI except how to look cute standing next to it. I know this from spending quite a bit of time at the display and speaking to her directly and observing her interactions with other customers. The most basic questions were met with little understanding or appropriate (correct) response. If the spokesmodel had been a male he would have been a him-bo, in fact there was one of those there too. He couldn't tell me where the oil filter was


The whole thread: (gromit's "anti female" post included)
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...ht=toronto+bim

[stryder]

If people knew everything about the car, wouldn't they logically be educated enough to get a better job? say even working for MINIUSA's customer or dealer support, or something similar?

Its a fact of life, the best people move upward, so if you're looking at the entry-level people, they don't have the knowledge. I don't see this as unique to MINI, or anything. I generally dislike salesmen and representatives, (especially the BMW service people I need to deal with) Because they just don't have the time, interest or expectations to look up and find everything I do about my one product. There's a huge pile of BMW's including the MINI each which you'd need to keep track of. Its a simple equation. Its like complaining about the service at a fast food place, sure you have some clout, but give the poor people a break, they're making $6, maybe $7 an hour. If they were the best employees ever, they'd have found a way out of that job quickly. Mediocrity is the name of life.

I've found good looking car/engineering people to be an especially rare find. It makes sense for the public to find someone who looks good next to the car first, and someone who knows about the product second. Initial selling is visual first, knowledge second and most people agree.

[Bad Manners]

Quote:

Originally posted by gromit
If the spokesmodel had been a male he would have been a him-bo, in fact there was one of those there too. He couldn't tell me where the oil filter was

Well, I'm neither attractive nor un-knowledgeable about MINIs, but I couldn't tell you where the oil filter is!

[stryder]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bad Manners
Well, I'm neither attractive nor un-knowledgeable about MINIs, but I couldn't tell you where the oil filter is!

Good point Bad Manners, I don't even know where it is. Mostly since it won't be relevant for another 25,000 miles/2 years, since I figure BMW engineers are informed and smart enough to tell me when the oil needs to be changed, and I won't need to do it until my free maintence expires.

Just another example of how no one can know everything.

[Basil]

Hmmm.... I think if MINI, in this case BMW Group Australia, are going to send people out in the "public" to promote the MINI, they should know at least the basics, or be told to say it's all in here, when they hand out a brochure.

That reminds me, I have a letter to write......

[rich]

Quote:

Originally posted by MINICS
I'm amazed time & time again about the lack of product knowledge the dealers & promotional people that are employeed by BMW.

My dealer is not up to date with the product and I have informed him about the site but he's not intrested.

The other day I was out walking at work with a couple of mates from work, when we came across a mini promo (5 cars, 2 S's) one of the guys asked the person how many kilowats is the S and they said 1200!!!!! and then proceded to inform him how much they studied the spec's of the car!!!

I think my dealer waits on me to tell him about the car.

Come on BMW it's about time you employeed the right people to sell the car - people with passion (should I send my CV now!!!!)

Vanessa

I have to agree with you MINICS... This is after all a car aimed at the motoring enthusiast

The dealers seem to know less than us, which is an indictment of BMW I think. Maybe I'm getting cynical on the faults front, as I've noted some dealer employees tripping themselves up claiming no knowledge of a fault that we had previously discussed in relation to their demo car - Sounds like they are being told to spout a company line briefed by head office... "if anyone asks you about a problem with X, just say you've never heard of it". I suspect they are getting worried that the car may be at risk of picking up a bad rep for faults

So far, a dash rattle & a hatch-latch glitch aside, I've been "lucky" with my car. I love it! How's yours?

By the way, you are the only person on the board that seems to have the same car/colour/wheel combo as me... Nice choice, can I say

[MINICS]

Rich,

I will post some pictures early next week.

I always said what excellent taste you have!!!!

Apart from the seats, only minor niggles (which Vanessa is keeping a spreadsheet of)

Did you get the 12v socket in the boot and the emergency boot release (under the rear seats) - as ours didn't come with them, but BMW have said they will install them under warranty.

Just come back from a drive with a few other S owners in Vic and Boo & Melody from Sydney - fantastic drive.

Andy

[Grinder]

I've heard about the emergency boot release, but how would i get to it if i had one? I haven't looked closely, but it doesn't seem like the rear seats just lift up easily...Am i wrong, or is there some trick to it?

[MINICS]

Just pull the rear seats up (a big tug should do it) - instructions are in the Owner's handbook pg 23. It states.

"Tailgate

Operating manually
If there is an electrical fault, the tailgate can be opened manually.

1. Fold the rear seat up
2. Pull the ring.
The tailgate is released."

Hope this helps.

Andy

[Grinder]

Thanks! I'll give it a try in the morning.

[rich]

Quote:

Originally posted by MINICS
Rich,
Did you get the 12v socket in the boot and the emergency boot release (under the rear seats) - as ours didn't come with them

...Yes thanks!