Motor Vehicle and Vehicle Parts Salespersons
Sell motor vehicles, boats, caravans, earthmoving equipment, vehicle accessories and parts in retail and wholesale establishments.
The used ute on the front row
You are a vehicle salesperson at a car yard on a Saturday, with a mix of test drives, finance questions and parts enquiries. It is 10am. Your first customers of the day have just walked onto the lot. The sales manager has the month-end figures on his desk, and you can see him watching.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
It looks perfect. Has this one ever been in an accident? A mate said one of these had a crash and I just want to be sure. I am going to be relying on it every day for work.
Tell him the history looks clean, even though the check shows a repair
Taj finds out from a mechanic that the ute has been repaired after a collision. He feels deceived, and the yard faces a complaint.
Show him the full history, including the repair, and let him decide
Taj appreciates the honesty. He has the ute inspected, buys another model and tells his mates that you are straight.
Say the history is not your department, and he should check it himself
You did not lie, but you passed on a duty that is yours. Customers should not have to ask twice.
We love this one. It is a bit more than we planned, but the finance people said we could stretch to it. We are expecting a baby soon and money will be tight. Is it the right car for us?
Tell them it is the right car, and that they should sign today before it is gone
They sign under pressure, then worry about the repayments for months. Pushing a sale because someone is excited is not helping them.
Suggest a night to think, and show a cheaper option they might like too
The Phams go away, talk, and come back to buy a cheaper car with room for a baby seat. They are comfortable, and they send their friends.
Say you cannot give financial advice, and leave them to decide on their own
You are right that you are not a financial adviser, but you left them alone with a big decision. A suggestion to slow down would have been fair.
I need a headlight for my old four-wheel drive. I know exactly which one it is, I have fitted one before. Just give me the one for the model on the box. I do not have time to look up the number.
Sell him the one on the box, since he knows his own vehicle and has fitted one before
He is happy until he gets home and finds the plug is different. The model year changed halfway through and he needed a different part.
Sell it without comment, because the sale is the sale and he is in a hurry
He returns it the next day and tells you it was the wrong one. You made a sale, and lost his goodwill and a morning.
Ask politely for the number and check it against the system before you sell
The number shows a later version with a different plug. He is grudging for a moment, then thanks you for saving him a second trip.
How it went
By the end of the weekend you sold a ute honestly, helped a couple slow down and found the right headlight. Selling vehicles and parts is about knowledge, patience and having the courage to tell the truth. Would you enjoy being the person who knows cars and respects customers?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The part that nearly fitted
A fictional case set in a family-owned car yard with a parts counter in a fictional regional city.
The situation
Greg worked the trade counter at the parts department of a car yard. A mechanic from a local workshop rang, asking for a particular brake part for a well-known family hatchback. He gave the model name and the year, and wanted it ready in ten minutes. Greg's system showed two parts that matched the description, and the mechanic was clearly in a hurry. Handing over the more common one would have been the quick option, and it was probably right.
What they did
Greg asked for the vehicle's identification number so he could look up the exact car. The number showed that the hatchback was a later version that used a slightly different part from the one the system suggested first. He told the mechanic what he had found, and set aside the right part. He also noted on the order why he had asked for the number, so the next person at the counter knew to do the same.
How it turned out
The mechanic collected the right part and fitted it without a second trip. A week later he sent two more orders and asked for Greg by name. The parts manager added a line to the counter procedure about asking for the vehicle number on any part with two close matches.
What would you do?
- Why was it worth asking for the identification number?
- How would you handle a customer who tells you he already knows the answer?
- What do you like about work that involves solving little puzzles?