Sorry, can't stay. ...running fast.
Posted on 03/01/2016 8:53:17 AM PST by rickmichaels
Surprise, surprise: Female buyers still encounter sexism in the dealership.
So a man and a woman walk into a car dealership … nah, there’s no punchline. But it’s likely they will have a different experience.
A discussion I had recently at the Canadian International Auto Show about the role of women in the auto industry shifted around, as it always does, to a version of “What Do Women Really Want?” No matter how you examine it, this is still a heavily male-dominated industry that simultaneously courts women and turns them off. That pushmi-pullyu creature is real; they want our money but still overthink the ways to get it.
You’ve heard that magic statistic, that over 80 percent of car purchases are influenced by women. I’ve used it myself because I believe it. I also believe car purchases are influenced by men, by children, by pets and by cottages. While it’s nice to see the double X so heavily represented, I also hesitate to think that it has really made much of a difference in how cars are made, marketed and maintained for women.
Buying a car sucks. J.P. Ositguy, senior manager at the Alta Group in Toronto, agrees. “Buying a car can be an adversarial transaction,” he admits. Consumers are prepared for the worst, and sellers are prepared for consumers who are prepared for the worst. Everybody comes in loaded for bear and negotiations begin there.
I’ve watched car manufacturers believe they could design a car “for women.” I’ve seen pink cars and cars with flattering lighted mirrors and cars with weird door handles that I was supposed to prefer. Designing a car for women is a terrible idea; women want reliability, safety and good value more than they want something pink. But let’s talk about that color thing for a minute.
I’ve had more than one salesperson tell me, with a laugh, that they’ve had a woman walk into their dealership knowing little beyond that she wants a red car. It’s the laugh that pisses me off, not the fact that someone knows little about a prospective purchase, especially a large one. If you are a professional, it is your job to make sure you sell the right vehicle to that person. If the colour is their starting point, then it is now yours. I could ask someone I’d never met 10 questions and get a pretty good handle on what kind of car they need; it’s not that difficult, and if I’m selling cars, my job is to find the right 10 questions, not to belittle someone for not understanding a complicated industry. Buying and selling cars is a confidence game in the best and worst sense of the phrase.
The internet has changed much of this however, as Ostiguy notes. “Women spend more time researching before they set foot in a dealership; men spend more time after.” Women know the internet is a genderless way to ask questions and seek opinions, and Ostiguy also says women are better communicators. “They take advantage of more information, whether it’s through social networks or reviews, but they also research the sellers, not just the cars. Women are building a relationship, and people who successfully sell to women know it.”
The car industry knows a lot about you. They know women are more rational, and more likely to stick to a budget. They know men are more emotional and spend more. Older women are more skeptical because wisdom comes with age; I worded that last sentence myself.
What about thinking I’d prefer to buy from a woman? About 20 years ago, there was a push to get more women onto the sales floor. Because apparently, I’ll walk into a dealership and automatically trust another woman, as if our ovaries send out some kind of bat signal. Nope. I want a sales associate who will be honest, transparent and address the person asking the question.
At that same car show, a woman told me she walked out of a dealership because a sales rep consistently pointed out interior finishes to her while discussing chassis components with the man who was with her. She said she was the one buying the car, for herself. She asked about tire sizes; the rep opened the glovebox. She asked about the four-cylinder versus the six-cylinder; the rep showed her the stereo.
Where gender can make a difference is at the back of the house. Service managers have to be great communicators; they are the gateway between the customer and the person fixing the car. The sales transaction is actually such a small fraction of owning a car, I barely notice if I’ve been sold a car by a man or a woman. The ongoing relationship with that dealership, however, needs to be something I can count on. I’ve dealt with several female service managers – the people who explain what’s going on with your car when you bring it in – in the past, and I’d be happy to see more women in this important role. The automotive industry provides a lot of excellent career opportunities for women in every area.
As the way we buy and maintain cars changes, it is the very same soft skills that have historically put women at a disadvantage that will soon be what makes or breaks a dealership.
What do women want when they buy a car? I want to be respected for what I do know and be educated on the things I don’t. I won’t be swayed by a pink car unless I actually want a pink car. If you advertise the car, I want you to have it. If I say I don’t want expensive up-sells, I don’t want to be orphaned in some windowless sales office until I change my mind.
Honesty. Transparency. A good experience. The same thing men want.
My folks owned a Saturn Vue. It was a wonderful vehicle to drive. Of course, it had a Honda engine and transaxle in it...
You know what we would have if everyone in the country drove Pink Car?
Look at the demographics on the sales.
Too many words and no picture.
I have always chosen and purchased our cars. All hubby does is sign the paperwork. He just doesn’t want to deal with it.
Like you I have researched it and know exactly what I will pay for it. The last 2 purchases have all been done online except for signing the paperwork and picking up the car.
I have walked out of dealerships because the male salesman tried to treat me like an idiot. Once we were sitting in the dealership and when the salesman addressed Hubby he replied....talk to my wife, she’s the accountant. lol There used to be a commercial like sometime after he made the statement.
Sorry, can't stay. ...running fast.
Are you saying that my generalization is wrong, or that you are an anomaly?
I’ve known some shrewd female negotiators, but the vast number of women I’ve known have a great disdain for haggling, while most of the men pride themselves on it, even when they aren’t very good at it.
Turbo charger, one of the most expensive things to fix on a motor.
Good one! Mine has taken over 3 closets in 3 rooms. I have a sock drawer and two others. That’s it, except for the big metal box in the master closet.
What I want is a saleperson that recognizes an anti-social person who really wants to get this over with. I came in knowing exactly what car I wanted down to the VIN (pending test drive of course) with financing lined up. Still 5 hours to navigate the whole world. 5 hours of chit chatting with friendly sales people just about killed me. Would be nice if they could spread the word “not social, wants to sign the papers and go home” and put it on the fast track, don’t worry if I’m not making you earn your commission, just keep shoving paperwork in front of me.
It's called an "engine".
Wait a minute. We are always told there is no difference between guys and girls in pretty much anything, just as good athletes, infantryman, everything, so why would tastes be different. Treat them all the same.
They also want a car that tells them that dress doesn't make them look fat ....
In other words: they want a car that LIES to them.
Honda, that would help. :)
After 25 years of vans and SUVs when we had kids at home, I went to the Ford dealership to make my first purchase for myself.
I had done the research, and found that the 6 cylinder Mustang had 305 horsepower and was fun to drive.
You should have seen my husband’s face when I pulled into the garage.
That is one reason why woman make less then men. They don’t like to haggle. Broad brush yes but liberals say that it is because they are devalued but that is not true. The boss just says ok when they hear what the woman’s salary offer to work is.
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