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Dealership/EV Specialist Experiences

4460 Views 22 Replies 17 Participants Last post by Digi02, Mar 6, 2021

ErickF

Discussion Starter · Oct 4, 2020

I'm think it might be useful to have a thread to share experiences with dealerships. Have you heard from yours yet? Have you started talking about deals? Etc...

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

ErickF

Discussion Starter · #2 · Oct 4, 2020

I received an email from my dealership's EV specialist yesterday. Won't name the dealership here, but it's probably a mid-volume one within the Seattle metro area. The email was personal, rather than from a VW marketing system or anything formal.

Message stated: "We will be sending you further news on your vehicle in the coming days."

Interestingly enough, the message was sent with all reservation holders on the to line (oops). Counting the number of addressees, they have 50 ID.4 reservations.

Reactions: 1

Drew18

· #3 · Oct 4, 2020

Holy crap, 50 good for them. I’ve been in touch with my dealer for 2-3 months prior to the reveal. Seattle area too, but smaller dealer. I think I’m the only reservation there.

ID Rather Drive Electric

· #4 · Oct 4, 2020

I emailed my dealer and asked for the EV specialist to get in touch, which he did later that day. He said they will have a display model sometime in December and he would keep me in the loop. In St Petersburg, Florida.

Reactions: 1

ID.4

· #5 · Oct 4, 2020

My dealer was in touch with me on 9/24, the day after I placed my order. Since then he has sent me the ID.4 Cheat Sheet and answered my questions on general ID.4 and EV, pricing (MSRP) and additional dealer add-ons (none). He has indicated that the dealership "should" have a demo in December.

Reactions: 1

Cathy

· #6 · Oct 4, 2020

I stopped by my dealer yesterday. I am their only reservatio. They did verify me in their system and said they will call once they get production availability which is when I pay $400 and order. Didn’t know when this would happen but did think the ZEV states would go first. I am in Florida, not one of those states, so I expect to hear later after they produce cars for CA, WA, etc.

ErickF

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 5, 2020

In the VoA call with dealers (relaunch), they gave the impression that dealer reps were behind expectations. Maybe some took a wait and see position on response. It now seems VoA might be lagging in giving the dealers what they need (just like us).

Being in marketing, I think Volkswagen is collectively missing the boat to engage buyers and build momentum. In their dead air, I've had the opportunity to look around (the Ford Mustang Mach-E price cut caught my attention).

Reactions: 2

Dorkchopqueen

· #8 · Oct 5, 2020

My local dealership’s guy called me after I sent an inquiry over a few days after my reservation and gave me his cell phone and he sent a follow up email so I would have it should I want to reach him that way. When I asked about demos, he responded back pretty quickly. So far he’s been great to work with. Admits if there is something he doesn’t know and assures me that once he finds something out, he’ll send it my way.

Reactions: 2

Mark Magiera

· #9 · Oct 5, 2020

I heard from a rep (happens to be an EV Specialist) from my area dealer asking me "IF" I had watched the live reveal, minutes before I reserved (& while I was online configuring). So I was in email contact with a dealer EV Specialist within hours of the launch. Within minutes after I had already reserved & before the transaction would have entered their inbox. Since then, I have learned there are two "EV Specialists" for that specific dealer.

Timeframe issued to them was "1st of the year" for arrival. Nothing about the next $400. However, there is to be a demo to the sales staff & that arrival I was to be given a heads up on.

As a note: with the pandemic, know that many dealers furloughed/ laid-off a bunch of sales reps. The sales rep for my e-Golf (who was very well respected by many in my area for his thorough dedication & fair dealing/ no non-sense) got the ax. I was looking forward to working with him. Now, I am seeing many new faces on the dealers sales-force webpage (although the managers are the same). So yeah, there is a learning curve on this for sales staff.

The root of the more than enthusiastic response amongst dealers is multi-layered.
~ e-Golf was much bluster with not so great follow-up from VWoA to Dealers.
~ followed by Diesel-gate
~ a revolving door of new faces over the past decade amongst Corporate.
~ a consolidation in dealerships
~ a direct change in approach in car buying (cutting out flexibility & greatly diminishing the dealer profitability) / transition to the Tesla model of online purchasing & the dealers become "service centers."

The writing is on the wall. They know it. It is not a VW dealer problem either.

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ErickF

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 5, 2020

I don't think the dealer will see the $400. When I cancelled my Beatle Launch Edition just before delivery, my reservation fee ($495) was refunded by VoA, through the reservation platform.

eldecarlo

· #11 · Oct 5, 2020

My $100 went to dealer. I assume so will the $400?

Reactions: 2

eldecarlo

· #12 · Oct 6, 2020

FYI. I just stopped by my dealer, mainly because it’s 2 minutes from my house. He told me he has 14 1st Edition orders! Also told me he expects a demo between November and January. Which essentially is December. He said it’s very likely demo and reservations come at same time........ we are close to the port in Baltimore where his shipments come in.

Reactions: 5

valleyguyva

· #13 · Oct 13, 2020

jonic said:
I visited by my preferred dealer today and met their EV Specialist-in-Training. He said a few of the approximately 15 reservations were 1st Editions but doesn't expect anything to show up until after the first of the year. He did not think there would be a dealer markup but couldn't say for sure. If they do opt for the markup, I'll be sure to take my reservation to the 1 out of nearly 20 VW dealers near me that doesn't play that game.

My experience is similar. My selected dealer's EV Specialist contacted me on 9/24, the day after I reserved a First Edition online. He conceded he was still in training and asked if I had any experience with EVs. I shared that the ID.4 would be my third. He suggested he may have more questions of me than I of him. Happy to help. I'm taking some consolation from the fact he contacted me. When I first entered a Nissan dealership in 2012 and inquired about a Leaf, I witnessed a dozen sales people arise from their desks and walk out in unison. Times have changed, but not fast enough.

gorillahornet

· #14 · Oct 21, 2020

I preordered on launch day and my dealer reached out to me today - my specialist introduced himself. I asked a few general questions and he has been responsive so far. We'll see.

Reactions: 1

salant76

· #15 · Dec 23, 2020

Has anyone reached out to their dealer recently?

I was thinking of stopping by my dealer this or next weekend since I placed my reservation last week after seeing the ID.4 in person.

Wanted to see if they could give me an idea what my trade in value for my current car is. Realizing that the Pro AWD will be another 9 to 12 months from now. Just would like a base line.

I hope when the ID.4 comes out that VW will give good interests rates. They currently have 0.9% for 60 months.

Dave Mc

· #16 · Dec 23, 2020

Wow, reading these dealer stories makes me want to switch dealers. I had no contact from the dealer I have my reservation with, so I stopped in a few weeks ago. No EV specialist, and the guy I talked to said he'd have his internet dealer reach out to me. He did, four days later, asking if he could help me with anything. I replied with my ID.4 reservation info & asked if they had any updates as to the timeline for receiving the vehicles. No response at all since. Yep, great customer service. I have several VW dealerships in the area & think I'll be reaching out to others & see if they're more responsive, but I sure would be nice to work with the dealer two miles from my house!

ixlr08

· #17 · Dec 23, 2020

Dave Mc said:
Wow, reading these dealer stories makes me want to switch dealers. I had no contact from the dealer I have my reservation with, so I stopped in a few weeks ago. No EV specialist, and the guy I talked to said he'd have his internet dealer reach out to me. He did, four days later, asking if he could help me with anything. I replied with my ID.4 reservation info & asked if they had any updates as to the timeline for receiving the vehicles. No response at all since. Yep, great customer service. I have several VW dealerships in the area & think I'll be reaching out to others & see if they're more responsive, but I sure would be nice to work with the dealer two miles from my house!

I was having some issues at first with the 'preferred' dealer I chose. Enough so I called VW Customer Care, they told me I could call them and switch dealers up until the point where the vehicle was actually delivered to the dealer. My dealer is getting more and more responsive and last time I talked with him, he said that he has been getting lots of interest in the ID.4. I suspect there is a connection between his responsiveness and vehicle interest.
It does sound like if your dealer doesn't get their act together then it might be time to switch preferred dealers.

vwid4

· #18 · Dec 23, 2020

ixlr08 said:
I was having some issues at first with the 'preferred' dealer I chose. Enough so I called VW Customer Care, they told me I could call them and switch dealers up until the point where the vehicle was actually delivered to the dealer. My dealer is getting more and more responsive and last time I talked with him, he said that he has been getting lots of interest in the ID.4. I suspect there is a connection between his responsiveness and vehicle interest.
It does sound like if your dealer doesn't get their act together then it might be time to switch preferred dealers.

I already switched my dealership back in November as I wasn't getting much response from my nearest local dealer - dealership I switched to was very accommodating and they already have 20+ reservations under their belt so hopefully they have more to offer in terms of sales and services - will report back in March when deliveries come through

ixlr08

· #19 · Feb 5, 2021

I received an email from my dealer 'specialist' yesterday. He said he finally figured out how to get into the VW ID.4 system and found my reservation, but not my order. He was confused about me having a reservation but not an order. I sent him a note back explaining how the reservation system worked. I asked him if any of the sales or service folks had any training yet as there was several thousand 1st editions sitting on the docks in Rhode Island. He said sales had received no training, service had watched a few video's and their charger had been installed. He said if he had any further questions... he would ask me as I seemed to have more access to info than he did.
This does NOT give me warm fuzzies. Glad I ordered an AWD version so some of the wrinkles will be worked out before my car gets here.

TT97

· #20 · Feb 5, 2021

ixlr08 said:
I received an email from my dealer 'specialist' yesterday. He said he finally figured out how to get into the VW ID.4 system and found my reservation, but not my order. He was confused about me having a reservation but not an order. I sent him a note back explaining how the reservation system worked. I asked him if any of the sales or service folks had any training yet as there was several thousand 1st editions sitting on the docks in Rhode Island. He said sales had received no training, service had watched a few video's and their charger had been installed. He said if he had any further questions... he would ask me as I seemed to have more access to info than he did.
This does NOT give me warm fuzzies. Glad I ordered an AWD version so some of the wrinkles will be worked out before my car gets here.

Hey, he found you and reached out to you. That alone puts him in the upper echelon of dealers!

Reactions: 1

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