Porsche Salespeople To Be Taught Manners

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Porsche salesfolk in Germany may have to go to school again. On the curriculum: Manners. Getting up while greeting a customer may not be a bad idea. Porsche sales in Germany grew 17 percent from January through October. In November, sales were up only 0.1 percent compared to the prior month. Immediately, alarm bells rang at Porsches new owner Volkswagen, says Der Spiegel.

If customers don’t like their treatment at German Porsche Centers, it will result in immediate pain: Payment of Porsche salesfolk will be partially tied to customer satisfaction. Bad manners will be corrected in trainings, conducted by Ritz Carlton, Volkswagen’s favorite etiquette consultant.

Predictable reaction: If the car sells well, then it’s the car. If it doesn’t sell well, then it’s the dealer.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments
Join the conversation
5 of 16 comments
  • Kendahl Kendahl on Dec 17, 2012

    It's very important for sales people to respect the customer's wants and needs, especially if they are out of the ordinary. Long ago, I went shopping for a car to race in SCCA Showroom Stock. Only two salesmen didn't give me the stink eye. One of the two insisted on taking the car first to "show me how to drive it." I hesitantly agreed to this, thinking that, if I liked the car, I could always buy it from someone who wasn't a prick. What he wanted to show me was how to drive it like I had stolen it. We traded seats after he ran the car up to 90 mph in a 55 zone. He was completely comfortable while I tore around curves at speeds that would have left most salesmen gibbering in terror. The other good salesman simply handed me the keys and sent me off by myself on a test drive. In the end, I bought his car because it fit me best. I have noticed the emphasis now being put on customer satisfaction surveys. Frankly, it has become annoying. I no longer feel free to make suggestions for improvement for fear of ruining a decent employee's future. As a result, a guy has to really piss me off before I give him anything less than perfect ratings.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Dec 17, 2012

    aside from what they showed up in the sales floor if they're in tux from saville row or a white toga, u only take 5 mins to qualify them as whether if they have the wherewithal to won a an expensive toy. being rude will not shun all of them away from buying porsches.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Dec 17, 2012

    during the mid 80s Vancouver had one RR & prancing horse dealer, one day I went in the salesman looked at me from the top of my hair to my shoes! i have heard one guy didnt bought from him but went elsewhere.

    • Zeus01 Zeus01 on Dec 17, 2012

      Sounds like the toy store down on west fourth. Service with a snarl indeed...

  • Mitchw Mitchw on Dec 18, 2012

    You guys should try walking into a showroom with a salt'n pepper head of hair like George Clooney/Khalid Meshal. I can't go to dealerships just to eff around without getting swarmed. ps Even the Porsche dealer couldn't resist the coif when I was impelled to check out the new Panamera.

Next