Good Evening Everybody

I just got back to Oxford from London, had gone there to see the "Dark Knight" in IMAX, it was amazing super movie, every body should see it, even if you are not a Batman fan, I'm sure you will love it.

By the way I made a pit stop on my way to the cinema at the famous "Marylebone Fiat Showroom", and my short experience was not very good. First of all nobody bothered that I was there (a customer), and the only one guy was there who was explaining about the features of the 500 to an old gentleman.

After a few minutes, a lady in a red shirt came to reception, but was not bothered that someone is just strolling around in the showroom - opening cars, fiddling with the equipment etc.... I myself had to go to the reception after some time when nobody was bothered, and asked if some one could explain me the 500's features and was told that the guy who was explaining about the 500 to the old gentleman would be with me shortyl (I was surprised they only had one guy at that time). But still after 20 mins he never got free from the gentleman's questions (I can understand the old gentlemans excitiment ), so I decided that Ill just take a brochure and leave, I asked for it and the lady told me that they had finished, and someone had just taken one right before me !!! When I told her that I have already ordered a 500, she went and came with a brohure and said that it was her personal copy !!!! Do they think the customers are stupid, Fiat should do something with there dealers, its the 500 itself that is keeping the customers from creating a Havoc, or else they would have done it long time ago.

Unfortunatly your experience is normally what I to get when I go to dealerships. Their Parts desk is normally more helpful at 'selling' me a car

I to have yet to manage to get a 500 brochure

Jon.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

I to have yet to manage to get a 500 brochure

Jon.

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I have a spare I think.
Drop me a pm and I will send it to you on Monday if you want.

j3bnl said:

I have a spare I think.
Drop me a pm and I will send it to you on Monday if you want.

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Thanks for the offer, but I'll save you the trouble, I had a butchers at a friends one that surficed

Just I seem to have a habbit of collecting brochures

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Thanks for the offer, but I'll save you the trouble, I had a butchers at a friends one that surficed

Just I seem to have a habbit of collecting brochures

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No worries mate.
The offer is there if you want it.
One of the best brochures I have seen for a car in a while.

Its funny you should post this, but not surprising to a Northerner that a West End London showroom (be it Fiat or not) was somehow aloof.

When I was first interested in the 500 and when I had my merely 6 month old smart ForTwo I went to Fiat in Macclesfield to have a good old look around.

For the WHOLE time I was there I was ignored. Frankly I could've stolen three of the bloody things and it would've gone unnoticed!

Annoyed and dismayed that Fiat would treat me like that I very nearly didn't bother with a 500 thinking that the cute new Fiat had the dealers somehow behaving like MINI - BMW dealerships.

How wrong I was, because the dealer I chose, MARSONS of Newcastle-Under-Lyme ARE superb! They even let me take the 500 out on my own for a little, erm, blast!

The most satisfying thing of all is that I recently drove past the Fiat dealer in Macclesfield - AND ITS CLOSED DOWN!!!!

That's what you get for ignoring me!

Up here you are fighting them (salesmen/women) off with a stick.
This can be equally annoying.
Shows you how different things can be.

It's the same all over the world.

When I first went to look at a 500 there was no sales person to be seen... for almost an hour.

I went to the Bentley showroom next door. A stunning saleswoman came over after a few minutes and we had a great chat about bents, I told her I was going to buy a 500 but no one would serve me so I could not be bothered. She called the sales manager for the dealership and Fiat people came running from everywhere

Come to Cardiff folks. The sales team at Wessex on Penarth road went out of their way for us. Not only that, they were very relaxed about my kids treating the showroom cars like a giant playground. Brochures were in plentiful supply too and we test drove a 500 within minutes of arriving at the showroom for the first time.

cjay said:

A stunning saleswoman came over after a few minutes and we had a great chat about bents

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I'm not entirely sure why but the idea of talking Bentleys with a stunning woman is somehow arousing.

Try Northgate Garage in Canterbury. The service is superb from start to finish. The car was immaculately presented and was 'unveiled' from one of the retro Fiat car covers when I collected it - a really nice touch!!

Staff from Sales to Service have been excellent, probably the most personal service I have ever had from a car dealer in over 40 years.

salesmen cant win!

If we approach a customer, were labelled pushy, and many customers are rude to us, look at us like we are the devil, even though we are jsut asking if they need any advise.

If we dont approach a customer- leave them alone to browse the cars etc, were ignorant.

Simple truth is you cant please all the people all the time.

P.s the reason you may find it hard to get a brochure is because they cost the dealer £5 each. go onto fiat.co.uk and request one there, there will be one through your letter box in 2 days and you wont have to go near a salesman- RESULT!!

monkeyman said:

salesmen cant win!

If we approach a customer, were labelled pushy, and many customers are rude to us, look at us like we are the devil, even though we are jsut asking if they need any advise.

If we dont approach a customer- leave them alone to browse the cars etc, were ignorant.

Simple truth is you cant please all the people all the time.

P.s the reason you may find it hard to get a brochure is because they cost the dealer £5 each. go onto fiat.co.uk and request one there, there will be one through your letter box in 2 days and you wont have to go near a salesman- RESULT!!

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Hi there mate,

I can understand what you are trying to say, and don't want to go against your statement, but the visit was my personal experience, maybe it was not a good time, maybe next time it will be really great.

Ok no hard feelings for anyone.

Cheers

Omar

I used to work in sales myself (not cars) and although it can be difficult to get to everyone, and I got moaned at for not leaving them alone, it was always nice to make sure that I knew if they needed help or not.

The same should apply for car showrooms really. Research Garage in Nuneaton were brilliant with me, a very friendly saleswoman came over and explained about the car, showed me the one outside and let me leave with a brochure on my first visit. On the 2nd visit I was taken on a test drive with that same saleswoman in a 1.2 Pop, then she let me take the 1.3 Lounge out on my own for a bit.

It was the 2nd visit when I left having bought the car, she was very helplful every step of the way,and the woman who did the handover for her when I picked the car up was brilliant too. An all round good dealership IMO.