Handover Experience

[Lancerlot]

So how was it for you? [8|]

When I bought my first Porsches, starting back in the mid 1980's, it was very much with a sense of occasion. []

My main criticism back then was my treatment at the enquiry stage of the process. Showroom sales staff were often uninterested or indifferent and it seemed to me, they were doing me a favour just communicating with me. Looking down their noses and sizing me up to see whether or not I qualified for attention.

Once, I had convinced them I was serious, it came down to choice and delivery. But, it was not so much what I wanted, but what was available. Deal done and order given, came the big wait (sometimes 2 years) and no idea what the final financial outcome would be - but it was a Porsche and I should be grateful!

Finally, it was time to collect the car and all this changed. [] There it was - stage centre - hidden under a fancy dust cover in the showroom. After minimal preliminaries were completed, came the grand unveiling. Staff members would gather around and applaud as the cover came off. In the cabin would be a myriad of merch and freebies compliments of the Centre and the lady-of-the-house would receive a huge bouquet of flowers. This, in particular, was significant since it cheered her up no end and made her forget for a while, that housekeeping would be tight for many years to come and the living would be frugal.

Nowadays handover seems a more downmarket affair and pretty lengthy too. I've no idea why takes 3 hours to hand over a couple of keys or why no flowers are produced for the little lady anymore. If you're really lucky the car might be residing in the showroom, but more likely it'll be stuck in the car park or in a workshop round the back. Once your money is received and the car is yours, "please push off now so we can get on with other things". IMHO, factory collect, when available, is a much more memorable and rewarding experience - although even that is a shadow of what it used to be. [&:]

Anyway, is all this unfair? Did they make you feel like a king when you collected yours? I'd be interested to hear how you got on. []

Regards,

Clive

 

[COD981]

Well when I picked mine up it was in the showroom but it was more like half an hour as I believe the salesman wanted to be somewhere else, they hadn't done a chip on the rear bumper they promised to sort out despite the fact that I had to wait to view/drive it because it was supposed to be at a bodyshop having pre sale paint correction (I believe said salesman was off on the day I wanted to go and he didn't want to miss the chance of a sale) no flowers for the other half and the freebies were 2 keyring and 2 caps, other half not impressed

 

[Peter_Bull]

My recent purchase of a 992 (since rejected) was also a pretty dumbed down afair. No cover, no flowers for the boss and not a single 'gift' in sight.

There was even a technician working on it to set up the tracker!

Perhaps we expect too much nowadays as they can sell as many car as they can get hold of. The mass production of the SUVs has spoilt the whole process IMHO.

 

[dpoynton]

Clive

Is this your way of announcing that you have taken delivery of your new mark 2 Macan GTS? []

ATB
David

 

[Lancerlot]

Picking up a new car, especially a Porsche, should be a most pleasant and memorable experience and so far responses indicate it's not particularly. I urge PC's to raise the game and make it more of an occasion - after all a happy customer is a returning customer. []

Peter,
I think you may well have hit the nail on the head. Mass production has shifted the emphasis from service to sales. No longer are you viewed contemptuously when first entering the showroom - just when they've had your money and delivered the product.

David,
No. I shall be expecting a Red Arrows flypast and the assembled Massed Bands of the the Household Division when that happens!

Regards,

Clive

 

[pwebb]

Do you guys not get the big reveal?

IMG_0850 by

Sadly the days of the bouquet seem to have gone, but the box of espresso cups still make an appearance. I always find the handover takes as long as it takes, and they set aside at least an hour plus a follow up 'Masterclass' some time later which is useful if there's a lot of instruction on the techy side and you suffer from information overload as I do.

 

[richardfleming]

Do you guys not get the big reveal?

IMG_0850 by

Sadly the days of the bouquet seem to have gone, but the box of espresso cups still make an appearance. I always find the handover takes as long as it takes, and they set aside at least an hour plus a follow up 'Masterclass' some time later which is useful if there's a lot of instruction on the techy side and you suffer from information overload as I do.

That looks like porsche Swindon to me?
Bouquets are long gone (and missed), freebies rare and small if any, but still get the reveal and the drive out of the showroom. Cars have always been very well prepared.
Pleasantly i seem to have a much less amount of nonsense paper to fill in at Porsche dealers (four of them so far) compared to Mercedes and VW etc. Mercedes get the prize for highest tonnage of paper involved in a car purchase so far.
Otherwise as Peter says, they reserve time for a proper handover and check over the car and features and it's been a pleasant experience. Business like, professional, not overly fussy - which I prefer.
Pre-sales similarly no problems - though I have seen a few walk-in's scrutinised more than others from time to time.
Servicing experience has been top notch so far (mostly at Swindon) car collected and returned, very flexible and attentive, communicate well, and happy to show me around the service bay and follow up on any of my questions, price things clearly, do what they say - so A1 on that front.

 

[pwebb]

Swindon indeed, good experience with them over the last ten years I’ve been living in this part of the world.

 

[RussellC]

I bought my first Porsche from Swindon last year.
A 3 year old Macan SD is obviously near the bottom end of their catalogue but the pick up was excellent. It was waiting under a dust cover for a big reveal with a few goodies and a bouquet of flowers

 

[crossbro]

I always found the contrived reveal fuss somewhat embarrassing, especially when our first Macan was revealed with the wrong wheels.
When I collect a new car I just need to have any controls and features I am not aware of explained and then get on my way.
I find going through the whole process of having to reject several times add ons like GAP insurance, Wheel and Tyre insurance etc tedious.
Just taken delivery of my Wifes new Macan S (Red seems to be this years in colour), they sent me a personalised "Porsche Pylon". I suppose it is a paper weight, however it had my name on not hers. Not sure what to do with it (My wife had a suggestion though).