Should You Care About Your Watch, Outfit, or Car When Visiting a Luxury Car Dealer Like Porsche?

From Order to Delivery

So, in January 2015, my husband ordered a left-hand drive, manual Boxster GTS. Since “left-hand drive manual GTS” is a limited production option,

・2015/1 Ordered
・2015/5 Informed production was confirmed for September, delivery planned for November
* After summer, the model changed to the next generation, causing a slight price increase and additional charges
・2015/11 Delivered

was the timeline. When I asked him, “Before you were sure you could buy the Boxster, didn’t you think about visiting the dealer just to test drive?” he said,

“I wouldn’t have been able to buy it anyway. I thought I’d go once I had a clearer idea. But I kept looking at photos of the Porsche key on my phone, kind of imprinting the feeling of being a Porsche owner into my subconscious.”

Makes sense…

What Did My Husband Pay Attention To?

Now, the important question: “When you went to the Porsche dealer, did you pay attention to your outfit or appearance?” He said,

“I never cared about that, and I don’t think you really need to. Well, the first time I went was a casual weekday afternoon, so maybe they thought I wasn’t a typical office worker.”

I see… Also, a friend of his once went to a Porsche dealer wearing “a flashy gold watch and a luxury bag,” which was a very obvious look, but ironically he stood out and it created an awkward atmosphere (laughs).

What Do Salespeople Think?

Still, I wondered how the salespeople feel about this. So I once asked a dealer, “Does the way a customer dresses or the car they arrive in affect how you treat them?” The dealer replied,

Honestly, salespeople are human too, and I’ve heard stories of people who came in a kei car and were completely ignored. Of course, that’s not right, but treatment varies depending on the salesperson and dealer, so there’s no hard-and-fast rule… However, since the Macan was released, Porsche’s customer base has broadened quite a bit. Also, Porsche isn’t about specs or fuel economy—it’s a car you have to experience by test driving, so we really want people to come and try one out.

Makes sense. So, there’s no strict rule—just be yourself, dress appropriately for the occasion, and go with the flow. That’s probably true for Porsche, but I wonder if it’s different for Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Bentley?

I’ll ask some acquaintances and find out.