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Please go away: how official Haval dealers work with customers

  • August 31, 2022
  • 0

The popularity of Chinese cars in Russia is growing rapidly. And the ‘heavenly’ manufacturers themselves attribute this not so much to the lack of acceptable alternatives, but to

Please go away: how official Haval dealers work with customers
The popularity of Chinese cars in Russia is growing rapidly. And the ‘heavenly’ manufacturers themselves attribute this not so much to the lack of acceptable alternatives, but to the improvement in the quality of their products, favorable conditions and exceptional customer service. This time, the AvtoVzglyad portal decided to personally check the last item – I visited one of the Haval car dealers in the capital and was, to say the least, shocked by what I saw.

According to the January-July results, Haval showed the best sales result among Chinese brands (namely 13,625 cars sold), which is why we chose this brand. Legend has it that we looked at the Dargo SUV, an ambitious new product that aroused great interest among Russians. For starters, we had to take a test drive and then discuss the terms of the acquisition – nothing supernatural in general.

SELECT

The first thing I would like to note from the results of our experiment is the extremely unfortunate location of the Haval car dealerships in Moscow. Only one showroom is near the third ring road, while the rest are near the Moscow ring road, which is difficult to get to alone, or on the outskirts of the city, which is also inconvenient. Anyway, they chose “Major Tushino”, hung up on the phone waiting for the operator to answer, and “got” their manager anyway.

Unfortunately, the case never came to a face-to-face meeting with him. The consultant listened carefully to the wishes of the “customer”, showed his interest, albeit insincere, but still, but refused to make a test trip. You see, the test Dargo is not registered and can therefore only be driven around the territory of the dealer – and then, after agreement with the management. Is this a horse circus? Thanks, no need, drive yourself.

We return to the search for a dealer, we call AvtoPassage on the Warsaw highway. This time we were not only lucky with a friendly manager, but also with a full test drive: “Of course there are cars, we will be waiting for you tomorrow night.” The advisor wrote down contact details, booked a car for us. And finally, I was happy with the fact that if we like everything and we decide to “assemble” Dargo to order, we won’t have to wait more than a month.

WE COME

Anticipating fruitful negotiations and renowned Chinese service, we arrived at the car dealership at the agreed time. It turned out that our manager had a day off, and his colleagues, as they say, were neither sleep nor ghost. We were asked to wait but no hot drinks were offered, although a coffee machine shows off (seems to be just for show) in the customer area. Of course, this is far from the most important, but still – a bright touch to a gloomy picture.

Fifteen minutes later, the disgruntled manager, who ‘caught’ a ‘foreign’ customer at the end of the working day, was still asking for our driver’s licenses. During the paperwork for a test drive, it became apparent that Haval not only saves on coffee for customers, but also on CASCO policies – demo cars are only insured under OSAGO. Or is it done on purpose so that potential buyers refuse to take a test drive?

TO TEST

Another fifteen minutes – and we are at the car. The advisor leaves the dealer’s premises and hands the helm to my colleague. What’s interesting (and also strange and to some extent even outrageous) is that we are the only ones asking questions. The manager doesn’t try to identify our needs, “push” the car, or otherwise imitate violent activity: again, he only moves when we “poke him with a stick.”

During a “fascinating” conversation, it turns out that there are many people who want to buy Dargo, but not cars: “I do not know why another manager has promised you a month of waiting, in fact, the car will go from one month to three .” He remembers the Jolion crossover, which started splashing out like the proverbial hotcakes right after its premiere due to its low price, and he’s delighted that “Dargo”‘s competitive price is still holding up demand.

WE BUY

After a two-lap test drive (the first was a “customer” and the second an advisor), we expressed the desire to buy a car and asked the manager to orientate us on costs, discounts, conditions and other conditions. We can say that we almost had a suitcase of money. But the seller did not even offer us to sit at the table: the conversation took place literally on the doorstep – somewhere between the doors and the reception.

The adviser announced to us the recommended retail prices, promised to give Dargo for the indicated 3,750,000 rubles without the imposed “special stages” and even at a discount – 100,000 “only from the salon” or 150,000 if we lease the car. He answered all other “contact your manager” questions – although we repeated several times that we had and never had another manager besides him.

Absolute indifference was read in the eyes of the consultant, he clearly wanted us to leave as soon as possible. Why? Either the manager ‘read’ us right away and realized we weren’t going to buy anything, or he had already made a sales plan by then. Perhaps there is indeed an incredible demand for Dargo and there is no need to interest customers – they will come themselves. Or the company’s standards are to blame for everything: whoever gets on the line first works with the customer (read – gets a bonus). But why does the buyer have to endure it?

Whatever it was, I didn’t want to go back. Neither in AvtoPassage, nor in any other salon of the brand. Bravo, Haval – really excellent customer service!

Photo: AvtoVzglyad
Photo: AvtoVzglyad
  • Photo: AvtoVzglyad

According to the January-July results, Haval showed the best sales result among Chinese brands (namely 13,625 cars sold), which is why we chose this brand. Legend has it that we looked at the Dargo SUV, an ambitious new product that aroused great interest among Russians. For starters, we had to take a test drive and then discuss the terms of the acquisition – nothing supernatural in general.

SELECT

The first thing I would like to note from the results of our experiment is the extremely unfortunate location of the Haval car dealerships in Moscow. Only one showroom is near the third ring road, while the rest are near the Moscow ring road, which is difficult to get to alone, or on the outskirts of the city, which is also inconvenient. Anyway, they chose “Major Tushino”, hung up on the phone waiting for the operator to answer, and “got” their manager anyway.

Unfortunately, the case never came to a face-to-face meeting with him. The consultant listened carefully to the wishes of the “customer”, showed his interest, albeit insincere, but still, but refused to make a test trip. You see, the test Dargo is not registered and can therefore only be driven around the territory of the dealer – and then, after agreement with the management. Is this a horse circus? Thanks, no need, drive yourself.

We return to the search for a dealer, we call AvtoPassage on the Warsaw highway. This time we were not only lucky with a friendly manager, but also with a full test drive: “Of course there are cars, we will be waiting for you tomorrow night.” The advisor wrote down contact details, booked a car for us. And finally, I was happy with the fact that if we like everything and we decide to “assemble” Dargo to order, we won’t have to wait more than a month.

WE COME

Anticipating fruitful negotiations and renowned Chinese service, we arrived at the car dealership at the agreed time. It turned out that our manager had a day off, and his colleagues, as they say, were neither sleep nor ghost. We were asked to wait but no hot drinks were offered, although a coffee machine shows off (seems to be just for show) in the customer area. Of course, this is far from the most important, but still – a bright touch to a gloomy picture.

Fifteen minutes later, the disgruntled manager, who ‘caught’ a ‘foreign’ customer at the end of the working day, was still asking for our driver’s licenses. During the paperwork for a test drive, it became apparent that Haval not only saves on coffee for customers, but also on CASCO policies – demo cars are only insured under OSAGO. Or is it done on purpose so that potential buyers refuse to take a test drive?

TO TEST

Another fifteen minutes – and we are at the car. The advisor leaves the dealer’s premises and hands the helm to my colleague. What’s interesting (and also strange and to some extent even outrageous) is that we are the only ones asking questions. The manager doesn’t try to identify our needs, “push” the car, or otherwise imitate violent activity: again, he only moves when we “poke him with a stick.”

During a “fascinating” conversation, it turns out that there are many people who want to buy Dargo, but not cars: “I do not know why another manager has promised you a month of waiting, in fact, the car will go from one month to three .” He remembers the Jolion crossover, which started splashing out like the proverbial hotcakes right after its premiere due to its low price, and he’s delighted that “Dargo”‘s competitive price is still holding up demand.

WE BUY

After a two-lap test drive (the first was a “customer” and the second an advisor), we expressed the desire to buy a car and asked the manager to orientate us on costs, discounts, conditions and other conditions. We can say that we almost had a suitcase of money. But the seller did not even offer us to sit at the table: the conversation took place literally on the doorstep – somewhere between the doors and the reception.

The adviser announced to us the recommended retail prices, promised to give Dargo for the indicated 3,750,000 rubles without the imposed “special stages” and even at a discount – 100,000 “only from the salon” or 150,000 if we lease the car. He answered all other “contact your manager” questions – although we repeated several times that we had and never had another manager besides him.

Absolute indifference was read in the eyes of the consultant, he clearly wanted us to leave as soon as possible. Why? Either the manager ‘read’ us right away and realized we weren’t going to buy anything, or he had already made a sales plan by then. Perhaps there is indeed an incredible demand for Dargo and there is no need to interest customers – they will come themselves. Or the company’s standards are to blame for everything: whoever gets on the line first works with the customer (read – gets a bonus). But why does the buyer have to endure it?

Whatever it was, I didn’t want to go back. Neither in AvtoPassage, nor in any other salon of the brand. Bravo, Haval – really excellent customer service!

Source: Avto Vzglyad

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