mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

What You Learn When Visiting A Tesla And Chevrolet Dealer Back-To-Back

One of the largest obstacles Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen has to overcome in transforming the brand into a real player in the luxury automotive market is changing the dealers. A Cadillac dealer experience is currently much different than your average Mercedes-Benz or Audi visit, but General Motors’ dealer issues aren’t exclusive to its luxury division.

A recent piece written by a Chevrolet Volt owner for Forbes highlights what might be wrong with the Chevrolet dealer experience when shopping for the plug-in hybrid Volt. To help bring some of the problems to the surface, the writer made a brief stop at a local Tesla dealer and service center.

The Tesla dealer was “clean,” according to Forbes, and its service area was “as pristine as the showroom.” Furthermore, the service technician “sounded more like an engineer than a service guy,” and “described maintenance like he was fine tuning a corporate server, not a car.” In conclusion, the writer felt like he was “looking into the future.”

Not long after paying a visit to the Tesla dealer, our Volt driver stopped by the local Chevy store for comparison’s sake. His first impression was that it was “primarily a Silverado and truck dealer,” with some sedans scattered throughout, and a Corvette serving as the showroom centerpiece. Way off in the corner was the sole Volt on the lot, and the salesmen didn’t seem interested in moving it.

Comparing these two stores isn’t comparing apples to apples, but it does highlight some obvious issues with buying a Volt. Forbes advises Chevy to “at least pretend to compete with Tesla,” if your going to offer an alternative to their cars. The last thing a progressive- forward-thinking EV driver wants to feel is that the dealer they bought their car from is living in the past, especially if they can go down the street and see the future.

Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. The main reason the tesla store is so much better than the chevy dealer is because the tesla employee doesn’t care about making a sale as much as he cares about advertising the product and the chevy dealer cares more about turning a profit and making as many sales as possible. No before you think I’m hating the traditional dealer experience and favor the manufacturer run showroom instead, keeps in mind that this is only a GM problem. I’ve been to a Volkswagen dealership, a toyota, a Honda, a BMW and a tesla showroom, the difference is that the Chevy dealer is literally trash. While all of these dealers looked nice and clean, the major difference was that all the Chevy dealer cared about was moving trucks and simply didn’t care about sending someone home with a smile on their face. Now, I’ve only been to a handful of dealers in Southern California, and this might not be the case at other dealers in the area. But for the most part, people just don’t like going to Chevy dealerships. I also visited one cadillac dealer and enjoyed the experience even though I wasn’t there to buy a cadillac.

    Reply
    1. Nowadays, consumers know more about the product before they buy something than ever before so there’s little reason to have a dedicated salesperson on the floor who’s more interested in pushing units out the door.

      dmark once compared the buying process of not using dealers to that of pimpled teenager selling pre-built computers. In effect, selling cars today would be the exact same process; the car salesperson can be reduced to a task befitting of a pimpled teenager. Consumers already know what they want and have done their lengthy research beforehand of what they want in their next computer, and what they want in their car. What purpose would that teenager have beyond putting the box in the back of the car, or in this case, handing you the keys when the bank approves the money transfer? That teenager/car salesperson isn’t doing anything to make the process better considering you’ve done all the work researching. Why should they deserve a cut of your money?

      When dealers still expect consumers to be uneducated, they get fleased. Tesla, fledgling as they are, don’t want to ruin the consumers trust right out of the gate with a terrible buying experience. Keep it simple and transparent with no bullshit, and the consumers will keep coming back. The same approach worked for Saturn until GM starved them of product (the Z-bodied languished badly), and the same buying process contributed to the “Saturn Family” consumer culture of the 90’s. Consumers collectively patting themselves on the back for buying an S-sedan or SC-coupe they feel proud owing and being a part of. The same consumer culture that existed right up to the very end of the brand when they sent out replicas of the 2007 NACOTY award to Saturn Aura owners.

      A consumer culture not unlike what Tesla is doing among Model-S consumers; where the entire consumer experience from start to finish is structured in a way that is rewarding and measurably better (customer satisfaction scores) than with a conventional dealership approach. You can’t get that kind of culture with a dealer who’s primary goal is to weed out the uneducated to bilk them. That kind of behaviour goes a long way to destroying any confidence the consumer would have of the dealers aptitude.

      Reply
  2. I think this guy hit his head somewhere en route to writing this article. At this point in time, Tesla is a one trick pony. I would hope since Tesla portrays itself as a EV luxury brand, the service center which only has to service one model of vehicle would be very clean and customer service would far exceed the ordinary Chevrolet dealership experience. Also, in his own words he states: “And it’s no mystery why the service center is so pristine. Like most electric cars, a Model S is really a computer on wheels and lacks many of the dirty, wear-prone components that plague gasoline cars. That includes the absence of valves, camshafts, gears, clutches, and lots more. (He forgets the many different types of fluids required of regular vehicles.) The upshot is the Tesla Model S (barring, of course, customer-specific issues) needs almost no regular maintenance.” What he lacks saying though is how the sheer volume, types, and brands of vehicles the Chevy dealership sells and services far exceeds what any Tesla store/service center will ever imagine.
    If the picture in the article was of the actual service center this writer visited, I’m rather dismayed that there are so many Model S’s in for service. Are they that unreliable? Is that requiring “almost no regular maintenance.” I can’t imagine Tesla is selling in such high numbers in Philly that the service bays would be that full. Especially after the worst winter on record went through the northeast. Maybe they break in the cold.
    The writer bought a Volt at a dealer in L.A… I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I bet if there are 12 Volts on the lot at the L.A. dealership of his purchase and only 1 at this Philly dealership, it is probably because the L.A. dealership sells 12 to every 1 the Philly dealer sells. Another safe bet is the EV market in PA is a lot smaller than the market in CA. Especially during a cold and snowy winter. This is not a very educated comparison on his behalf.
    Obviously this writer is a complete greeny and just cannot for the life of himself understand why there are so many outdated old tech Silverado’s on the lots of Chevy dealers, and the past its use by date Corvette sitting in the showroom over the futuristic Volt. If I may answer the question for you Mr. Writer, it is because the Silverado is one of the best selling vehicles in the nation. The Volt is not. The Volt is a great car don’t get me wrong, but for now the “future” is a niche vehicle. Same with the Tesla. I’m sure GM and its dealer network knows what sells in a cold winter or during a hot summer, and it is not high volumes of a compact plug in hybrid. The Vette is the past, present, and future for Chevrolet. An Icon that needs to make no apologies to the enviro-whackos and deserves its centerpiece position in the showroom.
    While I agree the dealership service experience could be improved, I personally have always found the GM dealerships in my area to be clean, pleasant and most of the employees helpful. Most customers ever have a reason to go to the service bays and I’m sure if they did they would understand why it is dirty. I think Cadillac could step it up a bit if they are to be considered elite, but they aren’t awful. Certainly not a dirty 80’s truck stop this writer makes them out to be. Dude, get over yourself. If you want the Tesla experience, then go get one. Meanwhile, if your dad wants a new Volt, he should buy it as he actually has a positive review of the vehicle from you. Probably a reputable voice to his mind. The Volt will be none the worse for the wear despite being a sale’s number back bencher.

    Reply
    1. Most likely the Teslas in the service bays are being prepped for sale or the showroom.

      Reply
  3. “The Silverado is a great pickup and the Corvette is a world-class sports car but neither of those vehicles speak to the future of the automobile. And certainly don’t speak to the millions of Americans (like my father) interested in cars like the Volt.”

    And here is the real point of the article but the writer did not see it. There may be “millions of Americans” that are interested in the Volt but there are only thousands of Americans that are interested in actually buying one. They are a car of the future and not ready for prime time due to cost. I love the Volt but it is still a niche vehicle.

    Reply
  4. this car is really one of the lounges talking nonsense. Around the world, inside the car, the Tesla as well as a variety of others. Yes the car would always be proud of representation. However, the representation of the car at all proud of and what is not. people’s tastes is different. Yes, some car dealers in, or have a really bad though and some very good ones. iniemstel but also different opinions on what is a very good and what is not.
    different countries have different styles and options. In some places is not possible to build a large house can be.
    I’ve been crying in recent times come across various forums GM.
    Often, fingers are pointed at the bad and the ugly as the European offices. Very different subsidiaries in Europe so-mb-audi bmw cadillac-ford-tesla.
    And I’m sure that America is very different representations. is proud of the worst and most car dealerships.
    all auto shops have no pictures on the internet.
    Europe is no longer a special tesla. At the beginning of Tesla’s special. But now there are so many that are no longer paying attention.

    Reply
  5. tesla dealer

    Reply
  6. chevy dealer

    Reply
  7. Next up: What You Learn When Visiting Saks Fifth Avenue And Walmart Back-To-Back

    Really?

    We are talking a 100 plus year-old warts-and-all company that was there during the infancy of the ICE automobile revolution, carried our troops, aided the efforts through world wars and conflicts, helped the lower and middle classes populate the suburbs in the post-war era, versus a terrific, innovative and disruptive company that caters to only upper-affluent in a niche market, albeit very successfully.
    I am a fan of visionary Elon Musk and the Tesla business model, but I suspect, over time, when Tesla ramps up production of the 3 and X, moves down market and increases production, dealers, employees and service needs, they too MAY experience some of the difficulties inherent in serving a broad and deep marketplace with a full product portfolio, as all the Big 3 did throughout the 20th Century.
    It’s markedly easier to successfully open a boutique with 2 products to date than it is to have a full service dealership designed and required to sell and service decades old vehicles with antiquated technology alongside Sparks,Cruzes, Volts, ZL1’s and Z06’s
    Musk’s great advantages, besides his deep pockets that he himself lined, are his vision and the clean sheet of paper he built his company on without the positive and negative weight of a hundred years of corporate culture, products great and bad, and process. (GM tried this with Saturn)
    I wish him, and GM well.
    Full disclosure, I am a GM salesperson who sold all three Volts my dealership retailed last year, and will be delivering a 650 HP Z06 tomorrow.

    Reply
  8. There is no doubt that Chevy dealers, thier premises and culture of selling product is distainful to those weary of it.
    more than one dealer experience has poisoned me to Chevy. I buy Chevy I like
    Not because dealer is super and cares about me and my buying experience.
    But with Tesla its simple straight forward no shenanigans a fantastic product sold by smart people who treat you as guest in there home as they themselves would appreciate being treated.
    My take.
    🙂

    Reply
  9. The Tesla and Volt are apples and oranges, so trying to compare the dealership experience is disingenuous. Yes, they are similar, but sales of the Tesla is a luxury electric car and is also critical to the success of the company as it’s the only car they sell right now. So they had better get that experience right if they want to survive. The Volt is intended for more practical people who are fuel and/or environmentally conscious. It’s not as expensive, so that reason alone is why the dealership is not as lavish. Plus, the Volt is not critical to the success of Chevrolet, much less GM. A better comparison would be between the buying experiences at the Tesla dealer vs. buying an ELR at a Cadillac dealer.

    Also, my dealership experience with my ‘lowly’ Sonic RS has been truly great. The Chevy dealer in Broken Arrow, OK was really clean. ALL the employees had a smile and pleasant demeanor and I was treated like a family member. They even provide a complimentary ‘family plan’ that includes free oil changes for as long as I own the vehicle. I took my car in for its first oil change this past week and the service bay was pristine as well. Plus, they did the oil change and tire rotation (also free) and got me on my way in under 45 minutes. So, my experience was hardly like the article.

    It’s almost as if the author went out of their way to find a disparate comparison.

    Reply
  10. You’ll find the same in-house competition between cars and trucks in Ford dealerships, for example, as Chevrolet because it’s about “follow the money”. Maybe that’s why Ford’s EV efforts have flopped even in comparison to the Volt.
    And Cadillac’s need/desire to take advantage of it’s relatively large dealership network is really frustrated by this car/truck dynamic. Gross profits and commissions on trucks present a direct competitor for sales expertise, sales effort, inventory investment, etc. when Cadillacs are in the same store as are Chevy and/or GMC trucks and SUVs.

    Reply
  11. Even as a Tesla fan, I agree this is an unfair comparison. If is teaches anything, it is that it is hard for a mass market / downstream car manufacturer to move upstream. It is also hard for a small upstream manufacturer to go downstream.
    GM actually has an easier job since they could just use a sub brand with dedicated dealers, such as Nissan with Infiniti.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel