STAFF INTERVIEW: Majid - MINI NOTTINGHAM DEALERSHIP

S: Sarah

M: Majid

S: When you have the customers come into the dealership, what is the normal process you would take them through?

M: The first part of the process is called meet and great, say hello, get their names, the next stage from there is to just to build a report - find a bit about them What they like about MINI’s, what’s their hobbies, what they like doing, you’re more interested in finding out about them.

The next step then is to find out what sort of model of car they are looking for and that’s called qualification.

So its basically finding out what the type of car they are after, what engine size, whether its diesel/petrol they are after, how they are looking to pay for it, have they got a kid, son, boyfriend/girlfriend, wife, whatever and things like that.

Then once you have established that then you can basically take them down one route that will lead to the car they want to buy.

So the next stage from there is called a static presentation, so we present them the car that they may be interested in buying. It may not be the exact car they want to buy but something like for like.

Then after that the next stage is called demonstration, so put them in the car get their bums on the seats, get them out for a drive in the car, see if they like the car, then after that come back, then ask if they want to buy it which is called buy or close. Take them to a side and ask is this the car for you? Yes or No?

Then the next stage from that is called close.

S: Within that process do you usually offer the lifestyle range?

M: If I’m being honest the lifestyle range is normally an after thought, if someone walks in and says I’ve seen for example a T-shirt or a MINI mug or some Puma trainers, can I have those, I’ll buy it – well then ye we will… then ye, we would normally give it them free. It’s normally an after thought, it’s not anything we would discuss at any stage during the buying process.

S: So it’s not generally a main thing?

M: No, the reason why is that we have very limited exposure on the lifestyle range in our waiting area. We only a few pieces that are out for people to see.

And secondly we don’t have any financial benefit to selling the lifestyle range, we don’t get any money from it personally. Where as if we sell them extras like gap cover or finance, we actually make money. So there is no financial benefit to us as sales people to sell any sort of lifestyle products.

S: Do you find generally people come in for the MINI’s and not necessarily the lifestyle range?

M: No, well, yes, Some people that are part of the owners club, the MINI owners club. There are about 200 in the whole country. So when they come in for a car, cause they do buy cars as well. They do want to see all the accessories and want to buy things off the lifestyle range and things like that. To them it is important, they are a part of a group of people that are MINI fanatics, so in their house it will be very MINI, like have a million accessories and things

They will have various things at home that they have been storing for the last 25 years, about MINI’s and stuff like that. Their more interested in the lifestyle range perhaps than Joe Bloggs coming in to just get a nice car for his wife.

S: Do you find its more men or women that come into the dealership?

M: ‘Laughs’ It used to be a lot of women, buts that’s changed over the last, last sort of 4 years, I reckon its 60:40, so 60% women to 40% guys that actually buy it.

It used to be a women’s car but now it’s appeals to blokes as well. And a lot of guys do drive them.

To be honest I’ve sold a lot of cars, I’ve been here for quite a few years now, a lot of them also go to even to the older people now such as 60-90.

Customers ranging from 92, he bought it off me 6 months ago off me. And he loves it.

MINI: Its dynamic, its fun, its retro, cause you get some people that had it when they were younger, they had the old, old MINI’s then, they are interested in the nostalgic sort of feeling of it. Having something that was many, many years ago but now is a modern shape and things like that.

S: Do you think that’s what the main consumers are, the older consumers that relate to it in a heritage sense and the younger consumers from more of the modern branding that is done now?

M:The older people tend to buy it on heritage and sort of the fact it’s an iconic British design.

The younger people want something that is fun and dynamic, and sort of want to fit in with they rest because their mates got one, so and so’s got one, there’s loads in the road, it’s just quirky car.

As daft as it sounds it’s the sort of car where you wake up in the morning and give them a hug.

Its like a cat, its part of the family, you couldn’t do that with a BMW. You couldn’t give a BMW a hug. Its like a friendly car, its cute, you know it’s a nice car.

S: Do you think people come in if they have seen it online, do they order it with yourself?

M: They tend to order it through us, because we do have a sort of a bit of selection of items in our department, but it’s very limited, you can’t see everything. We have a collection of items, but what we do have on the computer we have a link that you can go into see all the products that are available for the lifestyle range. And we can email that to customers as well. They can go through and see what they want, then they can just email us back and say we want this T-shirt etc and we just get it ordered. Its normally next day delivery because they are all made in England items that you want. Its normally next day delivery,

It comes pretty quickly.

S: In your opinion do you think that, the lifestyle could benefit from being separate from the dealership, such as in a stand alone store?

M:I think personally we should have a proper official MINI shop, that sells purely accessories and lifestyle. Because, you know I went to Rome, this is about 5 years ago and there was a Ferarri shop there, which is just purely for clothing and things like that.

I reckon there should be one for MINI not necessarily here but in a town or somewhere. That purely just sells the clothing side of things; the accessories, the mirror caps you can have, toys, because we sell remote control MINI’s now.

We’ve got them in the showroom’s now, they’ve come through in the past two weeks, we’ve sold loads of those. Literally loads of those. Because we are getting close to Christmas now, for a gift it’s ideal. So anyone with a kid, that’s interested in buying a car, we say oh ye do you want a couple of those toys there. And they’re like yeh why not. We can throw in those? Could you go with it? sometimes it does work.

There’s a little teddy bear as well, a bulldog, you know we can throw in those, would you go with it. It does work.

They have loads of mugs, about 6 months ago we were told we can’t use paper cups anymore. You know for teas and coffees. And they gave us like MINI mugs, and I thought you know what, this isn’t going to last long is it. And literally a week later, they had all gone because all the customers had nicked them. (Laughs). And now we’ve gone back to paper cups.

S: Do you feel the car dealership experience is more male orientated?

M: Car sales in general is male orientated. You don’t get many females that want to do it. Purely because they feel intimidated. I think MINI should have more females personally, because you’ll get a lady that prefers to deal with a lady. Because she perhaps understands her better than perhaps I can or someone else.

I ignore the bloke cause he doesn’t wear the trousers anyway. I speak to the lady, because she’s the one who buys the car basically. But, ye it’s easier sometimes to speak to a lady salesperson than it is a bloke, as you don’t feel intimidated when you walk in. If you walk into the showroom its not as bad. But if you walk into BMW its very clinical, its like a hospital. Whereas MINI’s a bit more relaxed. We don’t wear ties because it’s just easier to talk to someone when you’re not that formal looking. MINI’s a bit more of a fun brand so we don’t wear ties and stuff like that.

Mini Dream Team