“There is no way the industry will change, because everything is volume-driven.”

Dealers can be in a position where they are losing money on selling cars, with businesses unable to make money on the front end.

Henry said: “We were advertising Suzuki Altos for less than it was costing us to get them in because that was the national pricing. We had to sell a certain amount to get the bonus back. It’s the most ridiculous model and it’s happening across the industry. Ever since then, I never wanted to be in that position when I started leading the business.”

Most modern franchised car retailers will say the current way cars are sold is leaving the hard sell behind. Some believe higher basic pay and linking bonuses to customer service could help change the atmosphere in the showroom.

Henry is not convinced: “Higher basic won’t change a thing as long as that manufacturer volume bonus is in place.”

Richard said: “You have the manufacturers trying to reduce their distribution costs while stripping profit away from their retailers. On top of that, they’re lumping more and more corporate identity and systems onto you.

“Meanwhile, customers are coming in with a print-out from the internet and quote a price that you as the retailer couldn’t even buy it for. It was all about the deal, not the product. A salesman can’t even start to build a relationship, because you’re talking about the price before anything else.”

The Williamses both admire Apple. The lack of the hard sell, high product knowledge and great customer service is how Williams approaches business.

Henry said: “When you go to an Apple retailer, no one ever comes up and tries to sell you a product. They will replace or change things very quickly for you. They have a very set corporate identity, but they make that environment work.”

What about within the automotive industry? Both Henry and Richard still drive Saabs after representing the brand in the past and admire the way it was run before it was acquired by General Motors. Saab’s old style of retailing has stayed with Williams.

Richard said: “Saab put its culture into the network in the 80s when we took the brand on. It was phenomenal. I learnt more from that brand than any other. It was always a brand that Audi wanted to benchmark against, because it had the highest level of repeat purchase.