BMW rolling out new US dealership standards for 2015

[nike001]

Originally Posted by Devin.RS

Hey man,
I see you're a BMW genius so I hope you didn't take anything I said personally, maybe I'm looking at this wrong and you can clarify some misconceptions that I may have.

It's my understanding the BMW Geniuses are not sales people, they're only hired to answer peoples questions, once you decide to commit to purchasing a vehicle they will hand you off to a salesperson. Is this correct?

When I do decide to purchase a car, be it from a genius or from a traditional salesperson, will the same tried and true tactics of car sales apply, meaning is there a chance if my wife goes in and negotiates a car, she can end up paying $6,000-7,000 dollars more than me, for the same exact car, simply for not knowing how or wanting to negotiate?


What are your thoughts on the methods Tesla has been using to sell cars?
cheers

Yes, you basically have the gist of it. Although our services aren't only for sales. I'm always in the service department of my dealership helping answer questions that service customers have. Whether it be hooking up bluetooth, BMW Connected Drive, BMW SOS, answering questions on runflats, or why their iTunes won't play though the car's sound system.

Before you get handed off to a salesperson, ideally we're to get what options you like/don't like, what color combinations, and basically anything else that one would like or not like to have in a vehicle. That way, we can hand them off to a salesmen and say that we think that this particular customer would really like the Convenience Package, Doesn't need a vehicle with lane departure warning, etc etc. That way, when talking to a salesperson, they can basically build and/or find a vehicle that closely represents their needs. The customer doesn't want to be hounded about buying a car with Nav if their commute is 12 miles to/from work, and they have another car with Nav that they use for roadtrips anyways. Get what I'm saying?

I answer almost all questions customers have. Why? Because do the salesmen want to be bothered answering questions when they can potentially be following up with potential customers and creating sales? Not particularly. Customers love that they can come in and ask me any questions they have and I'll provide and enthusiastic and quick response to their questions.

Simply put: the "Genius" position (and yes, I hate that term as much as everyone else here) isn't made for you "enthusiasts." You guys know what you want, how you want it, and you've probably done enough research to know all the logistics of the car anyways. We're for the people who are probably new to BMW, and want to learn about why BMW is better and cooler than their previous Ford Taurus or Kia Optima.

Originally Posted by Alumac

A BMW genius should not be showing up here rambling on about how his time is as valuable as a potential buyer. Flat out, it isn’t. A genius should be able to recognize when they are working with a BMW novice and an enthusiast/hobbyist and be able to adjust accordingly. That is value added.

You're incredible. Why is our time as valuable as yours? Because we have other customers that would like ours assistance. The last thing I want to be doing is being secretly quizzed by some "enthusiast" to see if/when I mess up when I could be assisting an actual customer with actual questions they'd like answers to. Other customer's time is as valuable as yours, therefore my time is valuable.

If you ask me what BMW's "twin scroll" turbo means, I'll basically tell you it's like having two turbo's in one. Why? Because frankly, nobody cares. To the average buyer, that answer is good enough and they get the picture. To an "enthusiast", the last thing I want is a "Ha! No it's not!" Can I explain that half of the engine's exhaust goes in one side and the other goes in the other side, thus making for much less turbo lag and better efficiency? Yes. Can I also go in depth about how BMW's electric turbo's have flaps that move dependent on throttle input & turbo need? Yes. Does anybody really care? No. I mean, sure people care, and every once in a while I meet somebody who likes to learn about that stuff, but to the average buyer.. they don't really want to know how every mechanical item works.

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by Alumac

A BMW genius should not be showing up here rambling on about how his time is as valuable as a potential buyer. Flat out, it isn’t. A genius should be able to recognize when they are working with a BMW novice and an enthusiast/hobbyist and be able to adjust accordingly. That is value added.

I see nothing wrong with what he said. You completely misinterpreted what he was saying. You ARE wasting his time because in the time he's wasted trying to talk to someone who's just trying to play "gotcha", he could use his resources towards a customer who actually needs help with something. A concept known as opportunity cost, a concept that obviously went right over your head.

And no by definition a "Genius" shouldn't know more than an enthusiast, knowing internal chassis codes won't help a genius much in the knowledge required to help your typical consumer nor would knowing engine codes. How to navigate through iDrive, set up different driver profiles, etc etc. would be far more beneficial for a Genius in training to know.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

the genius is there for after the sale. a salesperson would never hand off a prospect to a genius for fear of another salesperson taking his up. the salesperson would talk the person into the car that he can get the most commission off of.

That sounds backwards, why would I talk to a genius after the sale? That's what the service department does. Maybe delivery walk through, but that's not a time where people need information to make a decision which I'm assuming is the primary reason for a genius:

(1.) Evangelize the brand
(2.) Provide decision-enabling information
(3.) Provide leverage for the sales team to move more product

[fecurtis]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

That sounds backwards, why would I talk to a genius after the sale?

Because you have a question about how something works? That's literally the entire point of having them.

[moff]

I totally disagree that the sales guy should know everything.

In my line of work there are consultants, pre-sales and sales.

I am fresh from a recent BMW buying experience having collected my car (new 640d) end December 2014.

During the delivery a BMW Genius was on-hand to help with all the car's technical features should I need it. I am pretty familiar with iDrive but he quickly hooked up both my phones, got the Spotify app working for me and ran through the BMW Connected Apps stuff on my iPhone.

These guys spend a lot of time on forums making sure that they are up to speed on everything technical (like coding ;-)) and in my experience really know there stuff. I don't expect the sales guy to go into that level of detail.

The 'Genius' also gave me his business card and told me to call or email him with any questions that might come up.

Excellent service.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Because you have a question about how something works? That's literally the entire point of having them.

Huh, well then I guess dealerships must be getting with a lot of post-sale questions that don't fit with either the sales team (since it's post-sale) or the service team (since it's not a service issue).

So the electronics have gotten complicated enough that they want geniuses to be able to answer the how-do-I-use-my-nav or how-do-I-bluetooth-my-phone ...

I guess ... but seems like they'd be way better off creating much better self-service tools & content than paying for labor ... cause now we have to foot the bill for genius labor which I'll never use

[bd5400]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

the genius is there for after the sale. a salesperson would never hand off a prospect to a genius for fear of another salesperson taking his up. the salesperson would talk the person into the car that he can get the most commission off of.

That's how my experience was. I was immediately routed to a salesperson upon walking in and only met the genius after I purchased the car and was ready to drive off.

[bd5400]

Originally Posted by moff

These guys spend a lot of time on forums making sure that they are up to speed on everything technical (like coding ;-)) and in my experience really know there stuff. I don't expect the sales guy to go into that level of detail.

Perhaps BMW needs to work on consistency then as the concept may be great but if everyone isn't getting the same experience (knowledgeable geniuses) I would struggle to call it a successful program.

Not everyone is an enthusiast and is going to care about all of the details but I think having geniuses who are knowledgeable and excited about all aspects of the cars is a good way to show all customers that BMW is a technical brand and not an appliance on wheels. It will make customers feel like they're buying something more special than just the badge.

[Alumac]

Originally Posted by fecurtis

I see nothing wrong with what he said. You completely misinterpreted what he was saying. You ARE wasting his time because in the time he's wasted trying to talk to someone who's just trying to play "gotcha", he could use his resources towards a customer who actually needs help with something. A concept known as opportunity cost, a concept that obviously went right over your head.

And no by definition a "Genius" shouldn't know more than an enthusiast, knowing internal chassis codes won't help a genius much in the knowledge required to help your typical consumer nor would knowing engine codes. How to navigate through iDrive, set up different driver profiles, etc etc. would be far more beneficial for a Genius in training to know.

As I said, a BMW genius should be able to recognize what kind of customer they are dealing with. A 'know-it-all' enthusiast should take far less time than a BMW novice to explain the details/tech of the car. If you can't see that, then you're missing the point of why BMW copied this class of employee from Apple in the first place.

I am sure there will be dickheads that play dumb just to feel smug about what they know and what the BMW genius did not. But my point, is that if you have a class of employee you call genius, that should rarely happen.

I'm sorry, but yes, a BMW genius should know how to use iDrive and the tech specs of a car. A BMW genius should add value to every customer that walks in. Not just the idiots that can't figure out how to sync their phones. If thats the case, they should be called BMW buddies...

Going back to time spent. I could care less what the opportunity cost to the dealership is. When I show up to spend 30-160k on a car, I expect that the dealership considers a BMW genius to be a sunk cost... If not, fuck 'em.

[ORIGIN M.]

Fire all the lazy ass sales people, who no long have to build a relationship and do it like Tesla. I order online, and BMW has a Genius deliver my car.

[Manbnda]

The sales people should be the geniuses. There is no other way around.

[ORIGIN M.]

Sure there is. Bypass the salesperson and only deal with the managers instead.

Better deal too.

Originally Posted by Manbnda

The sales people should be the geniuses. There is no other way around.

[modkrazy]

Originally Posted by nike001

Bold: Our time is as valuable as yours. Why have a Genius go through the whole ordeal if you already know it all? Especially if you're just waiting for them to make a mistake.

The idea is that they aren't a nonproductive employee - they're there to build relationships. A customer with a pleasant buying experience is likely to come back again, no?

If I'm a customer, your time is my time, so no, your time is worth what I say it's worth.

[wdeerfield]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

That sounds backwards, why would I talk to a genius after the sale? That's what the service department does. Maybe delivery walk through, but that's not a time where people need information to make a decision which I'm assuming is the primary reason for a genius:

(1.) Evangelize the brand
(2.) Provide decision-enabling information
(3.) Provide leverage for the sales team to move more product

thats not how it works. its meant to get the sales guys back to selling and pass the customer who already purchased off to someone that is nonproductive to explain the car and how it all works. it is not an opportunity to sell anything at this point and would be a waste of the salespersons time. soon as the guy goes to the F&I manager, he's considered sold from the salesperson's perspective. They may greet them when they come back for delivery but other than saying hi and hope you like it, they are not useful to the dealership to spend an extra minute with a customer. His role is to turn prospects into customers and turn that into tail lights..

The genius is someone on salary that does not work off any commission structure and just is a human manual for the products that roof top sells.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

thats not how it works. its meant to get the sales guys back to selling and pass the customer who already purchased off to someone

Got it, thanks!

I would much rather have excellent self-service tools and content (that are asynchronous and don't require a visit) than a genius that I have to pay for but will never use.

[nike001]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

The genius is someone on salary that does not work off any commission structure and just is a human manual for the products that roof top sells.

You continue to prove your ignorance on the position.

What has the Genius position done to you? You're using a lot of time and effort to denounce something with such initiative, it makes me wonder how someone can be so mad at something they don't know much about..

[wdeerfield]

Originally Posted by nike001

You continue to prove your ignorance on the position.

What has the Genius position done to you? You're using a lot of time and effort to denounce something with such initiative, it makes me wonder how someone can be so mad at something they don't know much about..

In the new role as a BMW Genius you’ll be the figurehead of BMW’s ‘Modern Retailing’ initiative. As an expert you will promote our largest ever model range and transfer your enthusiasm for the BMW brand to our customers by providing exceptional customer service. Thereby you will strengthen our customers’ trust in the BMW brand and give them a feeling of being treated uniquely.

Responsibilities will include:
• Informing customers on product specifications of all BMW products and features
• Conducting the need analysis together with the customer
• Keeping the product knowledge within the dealership at level
• Managing the test drive process
• Supporting the Sales Advisor during the sales consultation
• Being the main point of contact for the customer to answer questions about products including usage/functions

About you
Highly motivated with strong enthusiasm for BMW as well as a high affinity for technology, you enjoy going the extra mile for your customers. You will be a product and technology expert who enjoys learning about innovative technologies. To complement your extraordinary product knowledge, you will also need the people skills to be able to communicate everything you know to customers who might have very little understanding in the things you're so passionate about. With your strong interpersonal skills and your confident manner you will create a positive experience for your customers when visiting the dealership.
Desired Skills and Experience
Specific Skills
• Excellent interpersonal/customer skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Self-motivated and driven
• Ability to work well with others
• 3-5 years of experience representing a luxury/prestige brand OR product/marketing (nice to have but not mandatory)
• Experience in retail strongly preferred but not mandatory
• Bachelor degree strongly preferred but not mandatory

other than not really needing a college degree, did i miss anything?

[aas5]

No offense to the Geniuses and I am not a pro when it comes to the dealer economics. Seems to me there is a simpler way of doing business. May be a better way is for the dealer to channel extra earnings to the salespeople instead of hiring Geniuses in exchange for keeping these salespeople accountable to higher level of car knowledge and service levels.

I don't think it's possible nor fair to ask salespeople to know every configuration about every BMW. There's just too many models, especially with all the new model introductions. But I do think that if they are paid better they would care more about their jobs, would not be looking to change jobs every few months and may be deliver better service.

[nicholls_dean]

Originally Posted by M Car Chris

I'm inclined to agree . Genius idea has been around for a while in the UK. Although helpful I found in quite a few areas I had better knowledge (disappointing).

Maybe there should just be a Terminal with super fast internet and a default user logged into.....Bimmerpost! Simples

You obviously weren't in Milton Keynes M Car Chris

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by nicholls_dean

You obviously weren't in Milton Keynes M Car Chris

Odd first post, but hi there, nope I live nowhere near MK.

[nicholls_dean]

Originally Posted by Kristalov

I know they are there to help but with so many models of BMW's and various features these poor guys come across as less than knowledgeable. Lets face it when I order a car or plan on buying one I typically download the pdf manual online weeks before in anticipation. Thanks internet.

The manuals are generic, so if you don't have an option that is mentioned in the manual, you will no doubt expect your car to do what it says in the manual and bombard/demand the dealer because you don't know the difference in functionality between the Business and Professional Media Package, which we have in the UK, I am a BMW Genius in the UK and I am passionate about the brand, the products and the people I meet on a daily basis, my knowledge has been complimented on countless ocassions, my Manager believes me to be the most knowledgeable person in our dealership, no I don't know everything, but I am positive that I can show you more on your car than a manual can attempt to explain, there is a difference between walking the path and knowing the path.

[nicholls_dean]

Originally Posted by M Car Chris

Odd first post, but hi there, nope I live nowhere near MK.

I signed up for this forum a few months ago, but it's the first time I have actually signed in, read/quoted anything, nice to meet you Chris, I have been a BMW Genius since June 2013, currently moving dealerships (to be closer to home), so will be in Tring.