Garage Sunday Closing

Garage Sunday Closing

Author
Discussion

Frimley111R

Original Poster:

15,989 posts

241 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
I don't get it. I have been looking at all sorts of performance cars and just about every garage closes on a Sunday. They have 2 days when their buyers are free to buy and close for one of them. If these cars were flying off the forecourts I might get it but they are stuck for months in many cases.

I've even traded cars from home in the past and knew that weekends were make or break for the week mostly.

bad company

19,478 posts

273 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
They’re all in Church on Sundays. wink

Does seem odd, I agree.

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
bad company said:
They’re all in Church on Sundays. wink

Does seem odd, I agree.
Why?
smileclap

SteBrown91

2,571 posts

136 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
A lot you will find will do appointments on a Sunday - but obviously have decided it’s not worth hanging around all day to maybe sell a car.

Nickp82

3,405 posts

100 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
Because the motor trade woke up and realised treating staff like normal people is a good idea .

Richard-D

1,026 posts

71 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
Pica-Pica said:
bad company said:
They’re all in Church on Sundays. wink

Does seem odd, I agree.
Why?
smileclap
They're used car dealers... they have A LOT to atone for.

And yes, I do realise this isn't the question you were asking. That one is tiresome though.

bad company

19,478 posts

273 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
Nickp82 said:
Because the motor trade woke up and realised treating staff like normal people is a good idea .
Why not take their days off during the week?

Davie

5,024 posts

222 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
bad company said:
Why not take their days off during the week?
As appealling as days off when the wife is at work / kids are at school, I'd assume some car salesmen would like a weekend spent with the family... of golfing with mates or heading out on a Saturday night

bad company

19,478 posts

273 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
Davie said:
bad company said:
Why not take their days off during the week?
As appealling as days off when the wife is at work / kids are at school, I'd assume some car salesmen would like a weekend spent with the family... of golfing with mates or heading out on a Saturday night
Fair enough, they may sell less cars though.

akirk

5,618 posts

121 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
bad company said:
Davie said:
bad company said:
Why not take their days off during the week?
As appealling as days off when the wife is at work / kids are at school, I'd assume some car salesmen would like a weekend spent with the family... of golfing with mates or heading out on a Saturday night
Fair enough, they may sell less cars though.
Presumably there is a fixed number of people wanting a performance car, they still have times when they can buy so will buy when the garage is open…

Opening for an additional day won’t somehow magic up extra people wanting that niche product… it simply spreads them out over more days…

Sure, if ten garages sell Ferraris and one opens on Sunday they might get proportionally more of the market, but in reality it probably doesn’t increase sales by much…

Pica-Pica

14,468 posts

91 months

Monday 5th August
quotequote all
bad company said:
Fair enough, they may sell less cars though.
Or maybe fewer cars.

daqinggregg

3,084 posts

136 months

Tuesday 6th August
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Why don’t banks open Wednesday to Sunday, (some countries, they’re open all week) that’s when we need them.

Why aren’t gov offices/doctors surgeries/solicitors open Wednesday to Sunday.

Wait a minute, why aren’t they open, on Monday and Tuesday, when I need them!

ACCYSTAN

1,030 posts

128 months

Tuesday 6th August
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Day of rest, the workshop is closed so why not close the sales front

Part deliveries from motor factors don’t generally happen on a sunday

Can’t think of many if any dealerships that have the workshop open on Sunday
The only one I know of open on a Sunday is the IVECO van and truck centre and it’s only 2 blokes in.
The scania centre seems to only open on a Sunday for emergency repairs

fridaypassion

9,397 posts

235 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
Sunday closing is a new phenomenon amongst a lot of dealers. Opening Sunday is a complete waste of time which is why they do it. Tyre kicker day.

These days especially with prestige and sorts cars most deals will be done at a distance and also I find people use new flexibility in work to do things like shop for cars during the week leaving weekends free for other activities.

Anyone that's serious about buying a car has 6 days to go at it's great to let the sales guys have a regular weekend day off.

Ferrari in Leeds do it slightly different they employ someone to just open up Sunday but don't have proper staff in. You can leave your name and get a call back Monday but does away with tying up valuable time from people trying to get test drives or generally just passing time going looking at cars. Even a lot of mainstream dealers are doing it now.

Also other than people doing collections Saturday is the quietest day of the week on site.....

Edited by fridaypassion on Tuesday 6th August 07:49

anyoldcardave

768 posts

74 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
akirk said:
bad company said:
Davie said:
bad company said:
Why not take their days off during the week?
As appealling as days off when the wife is at work / kids are at school, I'd assume some car salesmen would like a weekend spent with the family... of golfing with mates or heading out on a Saturday night
Fair enough, they may sell less cars though.
Presumably there is a fixed number of people wanting a performance car, they still have times when they can buy so will buy when the garage is open…

Opening for an additional day won’t somehow magic up extra people wanting that niche product… it simply spreads them out over more days…

Sure, if ten garages sell Ferraris and one opens on Sunday they might get proportionally more of the market, but in reality it probably doesn’t increase sales by much…
After 15 years, my son has given up car sales because of this, Sunday was never a great day, for a lot it is family and friends day, especially in warm weather. Car salesmen have family and friends too.

Fact is, especially with niche cars, if they have the one you want, you will find the time to view it, if it is a good one, they will sell it anyway. I am sure they know their market.
Expecting anyone to pander to your time off, is self entitlement, Sunday opening for anything was not always the norm, rejecting a car because of it not being available to you on Sunday is just restricting your options.

Sunday opening does not sell more or less cars, quality and pricing does, and a happy workforce. Sunday working restricts your Saturday evening too.

The Rotrex Kid

31,679 posts

167 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
I did every Saturday & Sunday for about 10 years, 10-4, suited me just fine as I got 2 days off in the week which I always enjoyed more, there’s no other departments in on a Sunday, no management etc.

It was a short easy day as a trade for a weekday where you had to deal with all your colleagues, all the other departments and anything that goes along with all of that.

The company eventually decided that Sundays weren’t worth it, not enough business so they closed Sunday.

vikingaero

11,227 posts

176 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
I would say too many tyrekickers and not enough conversions to sales. And they tend to bring in the whole family which is often another level of pain.

fridaypassion

9,397 posts

235 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
I set up 14 years ago and knocked Sundays after about 3 months. I will still do a Sunday handover I'm still very flexible but no matter how quiet it is never do a Sunday viewing I don't even have my work phone with me Sunday. You get drunk people ringing at 9pm!

HTP99

23,305 posts

147 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
Been selling cars for over 20 years, Saturday and Sunday used to be the busy days, they aren't anymore and haven't been for a long time, everything is spread out through the week as working patterns have changed, many work from home, many have flexible working, so are able to come in during the week, weekends are family days as the kids are off school, parents don't want to be dragging their kids to showrooms at the weekend.

Shutting Sunday is being openly talked about amongst higher management, we do 1 in 3 with 1 salesman and a Sunday helper. It is very demoralising sitting there all day, feet up, not talking to anyone, we get pretty much zero walk ins, any business is via appointment or has been on the go for a week or 2, beung finalised on the Sunday, speak to these people and most would just find time during the week to do it. The only issue with management at the moment is FOMO.

More and more dealerships are shutting their doors on Sunday, they feel there isn't the business there and they also feel productivity will improve during the week due to a happier workforce, I agree. So contrary to what some may think, Sundays aren't the day to do business.

bad company

19,478 posts

273 months

Tuesday 6th August
quotequote all
HTP99 said:
Been selling cars for over 20 years, Saturday and Sunday used to be the busy days, they aren't anymore and haven't been for a long time, everything is spread out through the week as working patterns have changed, many work from home, many have flexible working, so are able to come in during the week, weekends are family days as the kids are off school, parents don't want to be dragging their kids to showrooms at the weekend.

Shutting Sunday is being openly talked about amongst higher management, we do 1 in 3 with 1 salesman and a Sunday helper. It is very demoralising sitting there all day, feet up, not talking to anyone, we get pretty much zero walk ins, any business is via appointment or has been on the go for a week or 2, beung finalised on the Sunday, speak to these people and most would just find time during the week to do it. The only issue with management at the moment is FOMO.

More and more dealerships are shutting their doors on Sunday, they feel there isn't the business there and they also feel productivity will improve during the week due to a happier workforce, I agree. So contrary to what some may think, Sundays aren't the day to do business.
Fair enough. You clearly speak from experience.