'There is a positive adjective which you rarely see in any other industry which is very motor trade specific. 'Proper'. I do not think I have seen Wayne Rooney described as a 'proper' footballer or Snoop Dogg described as a 'proper' rapper. I would however describe all the people that I admire and respect in the motor industry as 'proper'.
Proper in a motor trade context means someone you can trust who acts with honour and integrity, someone who will help you out when you need a favour and most importantly of all, knows how this business works.
Unfortunately, there appears to be a worrying declining trend in the proliferation of these people. The first time I realised there was a change of mentality was when dealers stopped taking cheques from each other. I don't blame a business for protecting their interests, I look to those individuals who bounced a cheque on someone, did not settle a finance agreement or were funding cars that did not belong to them. What happened to honour amongst thieves?
It has now perforated even more trivial aspects of the trade. How many of you have collected a car from another dealer only for it to be mis-described? I am not talking about an alloy wheel scuff, one stamp missing in the book or a chip in the screen, I am talking six owners not two, lights on dashboards ('it wasn't like that when I appraised it') and even poorly executed approved manufacturer checks. There is very seldom a positive outcome to any subsequent negotiation, suffice to say it is another dealer or individual you will not do business with again.
The latest evidence in the decline of 'properness' is the advent of electronic used car disposal systems. I wonder how many times I have been used as some kind of fallback position only for a dealer to then try and use your bid to make a profit. I certainly do not have a problem with dealers making a profit, but if a car is not available to buy, do not offer it to me. Use your skill, value the car yourself and good luck. There is also the issue and I hear about it frequently, 'they put the car down to me, someone else rang them up and offered them more money and they sold it to them'. This is not good to hear.
There is also a shortage of 'proper' customers. 'I understand Mr Customer that you are not a motor trade professional but when you are telling me about your part exchange on the phone, I would expect you to tell me about the slippling clutch or missing service history as these are very obvious'. I heard a horror story from another trader the other day about a customer who wanted to return a car due to it needing a new engine, when the warranty company investigated, they found the car had been drained of oil, ran dry and then refilled once it broke.
I know that I am doomed to live in a world where in order to protect yourself and your business that examples like these are only going to become more common but the scary part of all this is I am only 32, how cynical will I be when I am 50...'
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