Sometimes we just don’t realise the lengths that people go to in order to get the job done or to create the experience that we as consumers expect. This is never more-true than in the automobile industry where the act of buying a new car is filled with behind the scene effort and magic. That feeling you get when you walk onto a showroom floor and get ready to part with your hard-earned cash is a special one, but what goes into creating it? What happens behind the scenes before, and after, you take ownership of your new wheels?
Factory to floor
It is quite crazy when you actually think about the journey a car must undertake in order to get from eth factory where it is made to the showroom floor where it is sold. In some instances the factory and the dealership are in the same country, but in many instances the cars have to be transported over international borders. It is hard enough organizing car transport Melbourne to Sydney, imagine how hard it is doing it from Japan to Botswana! But the reality is that wherever you are when you buy a new car you expect it to have as close to zero on the clock as possible – and that takes a lot of hard work and planning.
Thinking smart
From the dealers perspective one of the key parts of selling a new car is being able to dispose of the purchasers old wheels. And this is not always easy. Trade-ins happen everywhere but being able to offload the trade-in is a risk that is carried by the dealership and so they work hard behind the scenes to set up a network of second-hand buyers who they know will reliably be able to buy what they bring them and at an appropriate price.
Licensing
Once you have acquired the car you want to be able to drive it away as soon as possible, and with the minimal amount of fuss. Again, this is something that the dealership plans for and manages, ensuring that once the process is initiated that they have people available to take the papers to the licensing office for registration and all the other legal formalities that must take place. It sounds simple, but the truth of the matter is that you don’t want to do it so they take care of it for you.
Test Drives
For every genuine buyer there are about ten more people who are just looking for a bit of a day out. Sure, many of them are looking to buy cars, but your make and model might only be one of five or more on the list that they intend to drive. But still, part of the salesperson’s job is to deliver the patter and attempt to close the deal. It can be very time consuming and of course it also means adding mileage to the car that you are driving, which in turn lowers its value. But it must be done as it is all part of the experience.
