[Marc]

A peek at how dealers get brainwashed, ermm... trained

And a bonus video: Sync turn by turn navigation (starting at 1:07)

 

[Marc]

Talking about videos -- not a Fiesta, but still a fast Ford hatchback:

YouTube - WRC New Zealand 2010 final moment

 

[PowerShift]

Good find. I liked when NONE of the sales people in the car recognized that the control panel was supposed to look like a cell phone.

 

[Marc]

Indeed, that's why I have put up these videos: to show how unfamiliar and uncomfortable US dealers are with this Euro car.

Also note that the Ford guy starts with 'this is the sedan, and there's now also a hatchback' (thus kinda the other way around)

And well, most cellphones nowadays are Blackberries and iPhones, which totally do not look like the dash of the Fiesta...

(would it be this 8 year old phone design that inspired Ford? I can't think of any other model...)

 

[eRic]

that dude creeps me out for some reason...

 

[Reddog99]

That's because he's a career salesman. He certainly liked to use buzz-words and acronyms. He probably thinks it makes him sound intelligent. You know the old saying: "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullsh*t".

 

[NLC-KC]

Indeed, that's why I have put up these videos: to show how unfamiliar and uncomfortable US dealers are with this Euro car.

Also note that the Ford guy starts with 'this is the sedan, and there's now also a hatchback' (thus kinda the other way around)

And well, most cellphones nowadays are Blackberries and iPhones, which totally do not look like the dash of the Fiesta...

(would it be this 8 year old phone design that inspired Ford? I can't think of any other model...)

Like the Fiesta for the US, you got that Nokia phone before we did. I didn't get mine like that until summer of 2003. I knew the center stack reminded me of something familiar.

 

[PowerShift]

Cell phones have definitely moved on since the Fiesta was designed. However, I don't think that's why the salespeople didn't get the connection.

 

[golf strom]

that dude creeps me out for some reason...

Same here!

It would have been better to have had a slightly younger person on this job if you ask me. A bit stilted and awkard in presentation. The funny thing is that MANY of the potential buyers of the Fiesta will have better basic knowledge than the sales people.

It's going to be interesting to see if good old US Ford dealers can actually grasp this product..unfortunately in the past it was pretty sorry to see how the old LM dealers coped with the Merker models...frankly they didn't just not understand that product they didn't want to even try and sell it to the potential customers. I remember I was there.

I am old enough to remember how the MKI Fiesta was dealt with at the dealers in the USA...and because the car was very simple and straight forward it wasn't too difficult for them to grasp it. Of course the typical dealer was constantly trying to up sell you to a luxury Fairmont!!!! It was funny to because after you tested the Fiesta the Fairmont was a real piece of crap in everyway, especially the interior...ironically the Fiesta (especially the S model) really looked nice, a couple of steps up compared to the typical US offering at Ford during those dark days!

Interestingly Dearborn stopped offering the Fiesta here just prior to the introduction of the new "world car" the Escort. Unfortunately the Escort the US recieved had NOTHING in common with the RoW offering EXCEPT the name...The US model was horrific cheap and nasty. It made the Fiesta look positively like a luxury model! That is WHY Ford didn't want the import here at the same time because they knew it would kill Escort sales.

 

[Marc]

The dumbfounded looks are priceless!

The most weird part of the sales pitch is that every time someone gives a correct answer, he gets a coupon of some sort. And it's given out without a single thought.
Kind of like when a circus animal does a good job and gets a cookie or sugar cube without drawing too much attention to that by the audience

 

[golf strom]

I'm hoping that instead of the scenario you might have seen back in the 80's with the Merker models there might have been enough infiltration of awareness of imports in general and their importance as customers in the domestic stores that instead of fearing something "different" the sales and service staff will embrace it.

We can only hope. I think the LM dealers have always been focused on older customers and back in the day those Merkers were literally like UFOs from another planet to the staff there. I'm darn glad they DIDN'T choose to use LM dealers for this Fiesta OR the MKIII Focus.

 

[Marc]

Like the Fiesta for the US, you got that Nokia phone before we did. I didn't get mine like that until summer of 2003. I knew the center stack reminded me of something familiar.

Some background info ...

Re*Move: User research on the Ford Fiesta: the view from some real life Antonellas

 

[iamz]

Interesting bit on the Antonellas. I do agree with the women on there being too much silver. Nothing that a can of spray paint can't take care of though.