Neglected Hopper Car Dealer Shambles

Not strictly a solution sell, yet sharing similar traits in some interesting ways, there are occasional crossovers with the world of second-hand car sales.

[Even when they sell hard.]

Here's an example from a frustrated, ultimately thwarted London buyer. The full horror duly tweeted, but this is our main chunk.

"I made multiple enquiries to dealers. We found a [car] we liked. We spoke to someone [there] and arranged a test drive at a time and date (cancelling a different one to go there).
We arrived - the guy we'd been talking to had "handed over" our enquiry to someone else, who had no idea why we were there, no idea of the model we were looking for, and the car we were meant to test drive wasn't ready. A wasted trip driven an hour each way.
They were very apologetic, and offered to follow up with us to re-arrange it all. We never heard from them again.
We then found [another dealer]. This one was out of London. Spoke to a guy ... who was v helpful. We left it that he'd email us with a valuation of our car, plus a video of the car we liked. We heard nothing back. I emailed to chase him. We heard nothing back."

Upshot, no purchase. Wistfully compelled to 'sweat the asset'. To continue on with what they already had. So a sale goes begging. Needlessly lost. At a time when you'd think no-one can afford so.

As many replies lamented, such experience seems the way-of-the-world now.

Yet three decades back, I won deals when the client rushed to tell me how supposedly bigger better competitors simply didn't get back to them. Leaving my path beautifully clear.

How difficult can it be? A potential buyer contacts you for info. Yes, they can turn out to be the archetypal 'tyre kicker', but our job starts with proper engagement.

Are you doing so?