So you’re in the market to buy a new car. You’ve done your research, you know what you want, and you’re serious about buying. One day after work, you get in your car that’s about to be your old car, and you head out to the nearest dealership that carries the vehicle you want. You get out of the car, take one last look at your old car and start the walk into the gleaming show room ahead. The experience starts to get a little overwhelming on your way in as you take in all the different version of the car you want, but still, you walk through the doors.
This is when it gets really overwhelming, as you’re approached by the salesperson, and everything becomes real. Throughout the course of your encounter at the dealership, you’ll probably meet, no less than three people. They’ll all be right in front of you, some spouting language you can’t understand or have simply grown tired of listening to. All you’re thinking about is how long it will be until you’re able to drive your new car back home to show off, but the dealership seems to be doing everything they can to prolong the process.
They’re definitely not trying to hold you up, the process is extensive and can take quite a while to complete. Also, the people you’re meeting aren’t meant to confuse you or just throw out numbers to boggle your mind. Everyone in the dealership that you’ll meet serves a purpose. To take a little bit out of the guesswork of who does what and who the new guy is that just walked into the office, here’s a handy little run through of dealership employees so you don’t get overwhelmed the minute you walk in the door.
- Receptionist – Your dealership may or may not have a receptionist to greet customers, it will likely depend on the size. The receptionist is meant to be a friendly face; someone to put people at ease. Many new car customers are tense and can be nervous about what they’re about to experience. Having a receptionist there helps to ease the discomfort of the customers, and show them the way to a salesperson. If you’re just looking around, a receptionist will have any brochures or car information you may request.
- Internet Sales Manager – If you’ve ever looked at a dealership website, there’s always a window that pops up with a person’s photo in it offering to help. This will be the person who works only in internet sales. This person will take the hassle out of a car deal, because they can hook you up with nearly all of the information you need, while negotiating a deal. They can do everything except take you on a virtual test drive. Doing things this way can take some of the tension out of the car-buying experience.
- Salesperson – If the dealership doesn’t have a receptionist in the showroom, the first person you’ll encounter is a salesperson. You’ll recognize them by the wild look in their eyes, hoping that you’re their next sale. The salesperson will take down your information for credit purposes to hand off to the next person in the parade. They’ll also take you on a test-drive and will work with you during the negotiation process to get to a price upon which you both agree.
- Sales Managers – There are two types of sales managers in a dealership. There is the assistant sales manager who will be trotted out when the negotiation process gets down to the numbers. They are the ones that approve the deals the salesperson is offering, and when your salesperson has to duck into another office during the process, he’s likely consulting with the assistant sales manager. There’s also the sales manager, the head honcho of the sales staff. You’ll most likely never see them, consider the sales manager The Wizard of Oz.
- Finance and Insurance – This is another one of the people you’ll come across during the car buying process. The F&I person is the one who handles the financing side of things, so this is the person who will get down to the nitty gritty with you. This is the person who will offer you the additional products as well. Some of these people will get tricky and simply include it in the contract, not telling you that the products are optional, while others will walk you through each process.
There are many other people that work in a car dealership, but these five are the people you’re most likely to encounter when you go to buy a new car. Knowing who they are can help to take some of the pressure off the buyer, and the whole process.