Anyone who has ever held a job can tell you a few things that were annoying about it, even if it was their absolute dream job. Selling cars is no different; there are several things customers do that simply annoy car salespeople. It’s almost as if some people are trying to learn how to piss off a car salesperson!

If you want a smooth, pleasant car buying experience, it pays to know what customers do that gets under a car salesperson’s skin. If you want to know how to piss off a car salesperson so you can avoid doing those things, you’re in the right place. It’s time to take a look at five things customers do that frustrate car salespeople.

Come in Right Before Closing

If you’ve ever held a job that interacts with the public, having a customer come in right before you close is likely pretty high on your list of annoyances. Car salespeople are the same.

Your average car dealership is open from 9 AM to 9 PM, otherwise known as half a day. Most salespeople are scheduled to work for a fair amount of these hours.

So when you come in looking to buy a car at 8:45 PM, the salesperson greeting you will be at least a little annoyed, even if they hide it under a smile. That salesperson was about to leave the dealership and enjoy their free time, but now they might be staying until midnight to sell you a car.

Don’t get us wrong, coming in right before closing and saying you want to buy a car will make a car salesperson and sales manager happy; they’re there to sell cars. They just won’t be as happy about the lack of sleep before the next workday.

If you want to know how to piss off a car salesperson, coming in right before closing is probably the easiest way to do it. If you can, try to go into a car dealership three to four hours before the dealership closes. That gives you time to go through the sales process without making a salesperson stay at work later than they’d prefer.  

Kids Running Wild Through the Dealership

The car salesperson is there to work with you to sell you a car you love at a great price. They aren’t there to babysit your kids, and they certainly aren’t there to remind you to keep your kids under control.

All too often, parents bring their kids with them into a car dealership to buy cars. There is nothing wrong with that inherently, but once the kids start climbing through showroom cars, honking horns, and spilling drinks in vehicles, it’s time for the parents to step up. Yet, parents often act like there’s nothing wrong with what’s happening.

As a reminder, most car dealerships will have cars ranging from $15,000 to well over $100,000. It’s inconsiderate for parents to let kids use these expensive vehicles for their kid’s entertainment.

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Do you want to know how to piss off a car salesperson? Bring your kids in and let them run wild. In which case, you’ll be forcing the car salesperson to remind you to parent your kids. This could lead to an awkward conversation with you about needing to come back without your kids to continue the deal. Nobody wants that.

If you want to bring your kids with you to buy a car, that’s fine. Just be prepared to parent your children when they get bored.

Bringing a Check for The Wrong Amount or Ditching the Deal

This annoyance isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, but it still happens.

You see, back in the ’70s and ’80s, people weren’t able to walk into a dealership and drive off the lot with a new car on the same day. Instead, they’d do all their negotiations and then fill out a credit application. The salesperson would call the bank and give them all of the buyer’s information, and then they’d reach a decision about a loan.

To hold the car, the buyer would leave a small deposit, usually around $100.

After the salesperson painstakingly went line by line with the bank rep to get them approved, people simply wouldn’t show up the next day to finalize the sale. That means that the salesperson missed out on a commission, and they wasted their valuable time processing a credit application.

Back then, if the buyer didn’t need a credit application and were going to pay by check, they’d often come back the next day with a check that was $50 cheaper. It seems, they figured they could save a little bit of money right at the end.

Looking to find out how to piss off a car salesperson? Put down a deposit on a vehicle and then never come back. When you put down the deposit, that salesperson cannot sell that car to anyone else. If it’s an expensive car or an in-demand car, they could miss out on other sales while your deposit is holding the vehicle. If you don’t come back to finish the deal, you better believe you’ll have a pissed off car salesperson.

This one is easy to avoid; come back to finish the deal.

Not Bringing a Driver’s License

This one is simple: you need a driver’s license to test drive a car. The number of people who show up to a car dealership and ask to test drive a car without bringing their driver’s license would astound you. It seems like common sense, yet it still happens all the time.

Wanting to know how to piss off a car salesperson? Get to the point where it’s time for a test drive and then say you don’t have your license with you.

Avoid this annoyance by bringing your driver’s license with you when you go to the dealership.

Be Confident and Honest When Saying “No”

Honesty is always the best policy, even when dealing with car sales. Being honest with the car salesperson is respectful and persuades them to continue being honest with you.

If you don’t like a car or an offer, confidently say no. Don’t start talking about needing to talk it over with your spouse. Just look the salesperson in the eye and say that the car isn’t the right fit for you or that you don’t like the deal.

Don’t be worried about hurting the car salesperson’s feelings. They hear no all the time. They heard it before you arrived, and they’ll hear it again when you leave. Just be confident and honest with your “no.”

Now You Can Start Off on the Right Foot

Every car salesperson wants to make a sale, but an annoyed salesperson is less willing to work with you. Learning how to avoid frustrating them will go far in creating a pleasant, straightforward transaction. Plus, it shows you respect the car salesperson even when you’re on opposite sides of the negotiating table.

Now that you know how to piss off a car salesperson, you’re in a good position to start things off on the right foot. Show up well before closing, parent your children if they act up, bring your ID, complete your deals, and be confident if you say no.