Let’s start with the training:
You're sent down to a grubby hotel in Derby to do a couple of days’ induction. The training was not very engaging and was often interrupted by the testosterone filled idiots in the room (I’m not just saying this, one of them stole a dog whilst I was there. A DOG?!).
The training consisted of nothing more than common sense for the most part. What would be better is to perhaps place people first and give them some experience so that the training can be interactive and answer real life questions – but hey, that’d be too simple wouldn’t it?
Moving on to the dealership experience:
So, picture this. A fresh face in the business is left on their first week (with minimal ‘training’) the keys to a dealership and is required to ensure that all the alarms are set, all the cars are put away, cameras are on and everything is locked up. What a joke.
The hours are long. I’m not work shy, but this takes the biscuit. I worked an average of 70 hours per week (with no overtime, naturally). Are you allowed a lunch break? I’m still foggy on this one. When I got one, I had a phone call after 20 minutes asking where I was and what I thought I was doing. Charming.
The target was set at 14 cars per month with a certain amount extra for the ‘add-ons’ that were included in a sale. Now this would have been okay, but the dealership had such a negative image by customers that a maximum of 4 people walked in per day.
With these hours and a lack of people to sell to, my hourly rate worked out at less than £5 per hour. Even if there had have been people to sell to, as a graduate your commission is capped, yet another joke.
Oh, I might add that on my first day I was told to arrive at 9am – no one knew that I was supposed to be there. The person I spoke with before starting (understandably) left the business and not passed on any information about my arrival.
Most would do absolutely anything for a sale – I witnessed an employee include products onto a quote and then sell to the customer, adding the products on afterwards – double charging the customer.
As another review also states, and I can’t agree more: The automotive industry also confirms to every cliché in the book:
Were the cars bounced off of their limiter every time they were moved – yes sir!
Harassment – why of course!
Sleazy deceitful salespeople – oh, it wouldn’t be a dealership without!
Bad pay, long hours, unmotivated staff – check!
Showroom in a state of disrepair – of course!
Salespeople blatantly rude to unsatisfied customers – you’ve got it.
PLEASE, DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO WORK.
You will not gain any valuable experience working here.
