In 2009 the customer has to come first

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With Christmas fast approaching, be prepared for several postcards and envelopes to drop on your mat, and not just the ones with snow and baubles on. This year probably more than ever the Christmas promotion, which for most dealers starts just after Boxing Day, could be a genuine sale event and may trigger some amazingly good deals. If you have taken the time to enquire at a showroom and leave your details at any point this year then you will no doubt receive promotional material for the latest event from every car dealer you have visited now that you are on their database. The dealers with any money left will have been bulk buying in order to offer massive savings and try to inject some positivity into 2009.

The other thing you may notice, as I did when ringing my bank today, is things may just be changing for the better. Although they usually keep me in an automated queue, give me 25 options none of which actually apply to my enquiry and eventually get me cut off after 20 minutes and make me cry with frustration. Today however someone not only answered the phone but seemed actually interested in speaking to me, took my call seriously transferred me to the right department which answered in 2 rings, some lovely lady even asked me if it was ok if she called me by my Christian name!

Hallelujah! but does this point to a lovely irony. For years consumers have been complaining about poor service, that they are undervalued consumer cash cows, I don’t need to point out the total lethargy and indifference some sales staff have had towards their customers, especially in retailing. This has led to the total disregard people have developed towards the motor trade. Now though these same employees are finally waking up and smelling something, because they are suddenly realising that guess what?

‘No customers no job!”

So don’t wait until the New Year thinking the prices will get even better, they probably won’t. Try your local dealer and see what they can offer you, at the very least if you are feeling a bit down and unloved this Christmas a car salesman will offer you some real seasonal love and goodwill, if he knows what’s good for him!