Made a Yelp account because I really couldn't stand my salesperson's ugly and slimy attitude…read moretowards us. This was easily one of the most unpleasant customer service experiences I've had in a long time. What should have been a simple test drive turned into an unnecessarily uncomfortable experience because of how dismissive and sarcastic the salesperson became once he realized we weren't buying a car that day.
I called about 30 minutes before arriving and specifically asked if the car I was interested in was available to test drive. I live about 40 minutes away, so I wanted to make sure the trip would be worthwhile. I was told the car was available and that I was welcome to come in.
When we arrived, we worked with Maroon. We were completely upfront from the beginning that we were there to test drive a couple of vehicles and continue our research. We never claimed we were buying a car that day, and we even asked if it was okay that we were just test driving. Maroon responded with, "Of course, it's free."
Ironically, after driving 40 minutes to get there, we weren't even able to test drive the main vehicle I had called about because the battery in the key fob was dead. At that point, I decided to test drive a backup vehicle I had also been interested in, but that's when the experience started going downhill.
Once it became clear that we weren't purchasing a vehicle that day, Maroon's attitude noticeably changed. He seemed less interested in helping us, less engaged, and generally annoyed that we were there simply trying to evaluate vehicles before making a major purchase.
The moment that really stood out was when my brother asked where the restroom was. Instead of simply answering the question, Maroon pointed and sarcastically replied, "That's free too." It was such an unnecessary comment that it genuinely caught us off guard. Between that remark and the overall change in attitude, it became pretty obvious that he viewed us as a waste of time because we weren't ready to sign paperwork on the spot.
What I don't understand is how dealerships expect customers to make a decision without first driving the car and comparing it to other options. That's literally the purpose of a test drive. Not everyone walks into a dealership ready to spend tens of thousands of dollars within the next hour.
Honestly, if you're looking to test drive vehicles and actually get a feel for them without pressure, I'd recommend CarMax whenever possible. In my experience, they're far more relaxed about the process and typically let you take the car out for around 20 minutes so you can get a real impression of it. I would have gone to CarMax for this vehicle too, but unfortunately they didn't have the specific model I wanted, which is why I ended up here instead.
This experience has honestly turned me off from traditional dealerships and salespeople altogether. Going forward, I'll probably stick with CarMax or private sellers whenever I can. At least there, I don't feel like I'm being judged for wanting to do research before making one of the biggest purchases most people make.
If customers who simply want to test drive a vehicle are considered an inconvenience, then maybe that's something management should address. No customer should feel mocked or dismissed for wanting to make an informed decision. If customers taking a test drive are viewed as a waste of time, then maybe don't invite them in after they've called ahead and driven 40 minutes to get there.
Maroon had also told us that the vehicle I originally came to test drive would likely be ready by Monday and that I could come back then. Under different circumstances, I probably would have. However, after driving 40 minutes to the dealership, discovering that the vehicle I called ahead about wasn't even ready to test drive, and then being treated like an inconvenience for simply wanting to evaluate my options, I really had no interest in returning. If this is how potential customers are treated before a sale, I see no reason to give this dealership a second chance.
