;ales Attitudes Then and Now
Page 49
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.7, my observations of 40 years ago on selling and 2g commercial vehicles will be of interest to newly 1 dealers who, due to the ever-increasing demand vehicles combined with the tendency of manuto reduce dealership territories by making addipresentation, have been made dealers. In many has caused the said dealers to engage extra " carrnereial salesmen." This I consider very unwise, ausiastic-car salesman without sufficient knowledge vehicle or requirements will sell an unsuitable for the purpose specified and jeopardize future
years ago when there were not so many dealers, in was a trained engineer who had served a full eship with the manufacturer of the particular Ind he always obtained full details from his prosustorner as to the use to which the vehicle would eluding routes and gradients and other data before or the suitable machine.
rnber one instance many years ago when -a 5-ton ven lorry was delivered to a customer in a hilly , as the gradients in the locality where the vehicle perate were unknown, three pairs of alternative "pads and spare chain links were sent with the On arrival at customer's premises the driver/ spent two or three days testing the vehicle fully ii the routes and changed sprockets to give most avid for that area, taking back with him the unused esult, a very satisfied customer and repeat orders. applies to service buses supplied to a congested, . in Wales.
trnazed to find today a salesman will sell, say, a ry, and does not know what goods will be carried, torways will be used. (Two-speed axles, power tnd braking equipment not mentioned.) A skilled should be able to visualize a customer's require
ments and suggest special features, in body design, etc., to facilitate loading and so on, With regard to after-sales service, nearly 40 years ago initiated a system of inspecting engineers calling periodically on all customers, tuning up their vehicles and generally giving advice. This procedure paid handsome results.
Every effort was made to keep .vehicles on the road at all costs during their normal working hours. Today there is far too much "We are very busy, you can bring in your vehicle next week," with the result that a repeat order. is Iasi and the particular vehicle gets a bad name because it was off the road unneeessa'rily.
180 Degrees Out
xxTE operate a large Mir:fiber of Commer light diesels TV (4-cylinder with D.P.A. pump) and quite by accident one of our fitters managed to fit. a D.P.A. unit 180 out by timing it from No. 4 cylinder instead of No. t. This wasn't found out until after overhaul when it was road tested, and performance was not quite up to par. The chargehand checked the timing and found it was, as stated, 180' out of correct timing (early or late as you care to call it). Needless to say this caused quite a debate and argument among the fitters, the general opinion being that an engine would not run with the injection pump in this relationship. To prove it, the chargehand got another identical vehicle (in poorish condition), turned the D.P.A. pump . 180" and, to the surprise of the "Doubting Thomases it ran, and ran well at that!
Have 'any of your readers experienced any similar case?
I3arnwood Road. A. PRATT; Gloucester. Assistant Manager, Transport and Refrigeration Dept., T, Wall and Sons (Ice Cream), Ltd.