Cerwin Vega speakers. Man.....hadn't thought about those in a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG time. Not the greatest, but I remember seeing them in a lot of friends' set ups.
Reminds me of some HT speakers I used to see at Costco several years ago....I think they were actually branded as BIC (which had a pretty decent reputation as a speaker maker at one time). They looked like Klipsch knock offs.
I just got some very exciting news about treatment for my Hepatitis C. About 35 years ago, I had a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood. I was diagnosed with Hep C in 1995. There is a new drug on the market called Harvoni that rids the body of Hep C within 12 weeks. My insurance company approved the regimen of one pill daily for the first 4 weeks after which my blood tests will determine continued eligibility. I will go into the donut hole due to costs of the drug, but a foundation approved me for them paying for my co-pay ($3800.00). So the great news is that I take my first pill as soon as it is delivered this afternoon. After 12 weeks, I was told I should feel significantly better. Just lots of blood tests involved and I must drink lots of fluids.
Dad is still in the hospital. I will probably move him to a rehab this week.
I just got some very exciting news about treatment for my Hepatitis C. About 35 years ago, I had a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood. I was diagnosed with Hep C in 1995. There is a new drug on the market called Harvoni that rids the body of Hep C within 12 weeks. My insurance company approved the regimen of one pill daily for the first 4 weeks after which my blood tests will determine continued eligibility. I will go into the donut hole due to costs of the drug, but a foundation approved me for them paying for my co-pay ($3800.00). So the great news is that I take my first pill as soon as it is delivered this afternoon. After 12 weeks, I was told I should feel significantly better. Just lots of blood tests involved and I must drink lots of fluids.
Dad is still in the hospital. I will probably move him to a rehab this week.
Thanks for letting me off topic for this post.
Mike - good news on the Hep C treatment. Here's hoping all goes well for you.
The 2012 135i M Sport is out of the running; too many stories of friends having issues with the N55, such as going into limp mode on the track even after an oil cooler upgrade. Then there's the IBS, electric water pump, and other endearing traits that really make long term ownership rather off-putting.
That was my experience, as well, albeit with the N54.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I just got some very exciting news about treatment for my Hepatitis C. About 35 years ago, I had a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood. I was diagnosed with Hep C in 1995. There is a new drug on the market called Harvoni that rids the body of Hep C within 12 weeks. My insurance company approved the regimen of one pill daily for the first 4 weeks after which my blood tests will determine continued eligibility. I will go into the donut hole due to costs of the drug, but a foundation approved me for them paying for my co-pay ($3800.00). So the great news is that I take my first pill as soon as it is delivered this afternoon. After 12 weeks, I was told I should feel significantly better. Just lots of blood tests involved and I must drink lots of fluids.
Dad is still in the hospital. I will probably move him to a rehab this week.
Thanks for letting me off topic for this post.
Very encouraging medical news but pardon the ignorance; but what is the doughnut hole and what are the symptoms of Hep-C?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection transmitted from one person to another by blood products, shared drug needles, sexual relations. They traced it in me back to a blood transfusion I had in 1980 after back surgery. They did not screen for this virus in blood until 1991. There was no other way I could have contracted the virus.
The virus attacks the liver and the immune system (which is why I contract pneumonia frequently) and in me, it causes horrible muscle cramps in my diaphragm and sides and legs. I feel weak and tired most of the time.
This drug was just approved my the FDA s few months ago.
Mine, that's fabulous news. I had dozens of transfusions and other than iron overload no ill effects The iron overload sloooooowly takes care of itself. There are things to hurry it up but doc thinks just letting things take their course is the correct thing. She's been right too many times to argue.
Nice having someone picking up the donut hole. I thought they were going to eliminate that. Well, there's $3K more toward next week's car.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Here's Wiki's blurb on the donut hole - Medicare Part D coverage gap. Expensive hep-c drug(s) but most people will only have to have it for 8 to 12 weeks, last I heard.
(Ah, cars. Spending Monday afternoon at the auto shop getting my busted heater hose fixed. Supposed to be on the last leg home, but no hurry. Don't ask me why I need heat this time of year. )
At least medical spending has flattened out. We'll see how that works when the Supreme Court hits it. Either fix the less well though out parts or put us on a single payer system. You can dig enough and find out what's likely to be most cost efficient.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Mike, the Hep-C sounds serious but not fatal as you've been living with it for over 30 years. I wish you the best with the treatment and don't worry about the cost (donut hole) even if you have to step down to a MB C class.
Here's Wiki's blurb on the donut hole - Medicare Part D coverage gap. Expensive hep-c drug(s) but most people will only have to have it for 8 to 12 weeks, last I heard.
(Ah, cars. Spending Monday afternoon at the auto shop getting my busted heater hose fixed. Supposed to be on the last leg home, but no hurry. Don't ask me why I need heat this time of year. )
Isn't it like about 110 degrees there today?
I am assuming you need the heater hose fixed so water can circulate through the engine, and maybe for those cold mornings (only 72 )
My personal laptop was running slow as molasses so I asked the guys at work to take a look see. As expected they said my computer was infected with what appeared to be dozens of viruses and four vicious malware trojans even though I had Norton installed.
Anyway, it took four hours to clean the laptop and for protection they installed Malwarebytes and SUPERAntiSpyware. Don't know how they work but they block cookies and offending websites. Best of all they block the pop-ups such those ads running on the Edmunds forums.
Now my laptop is running even faster than when I took it out of the box. Sorry Edmunds.
By the way, both software are free but you can upgrade to even more protection.
My personal laptop was running slow as molasses so I asked the guys at work to take a look see. As expected they said my computer was infected with what appeared to be dozens of viruses and four vicious malware trojans even though I had Norton installed.
Anyway, it took four hours to clean the laptop and for protection they installed Malwarebytes and SUPERAntiSpyware. Don't know how they work but they block cookies and offending websites. Best of all they block the pop-ups such those ads running on the Edmunds forums.
Do you have an antivirus still installed such as Norton's in one of its forms?
I've used Malwarebytes to scan at least once a week for a long time and I also use SpybotSD (Spybot Search and Destroy) in the same way. On other computers I've had Norton Internet Security for my wife, son and some folks for whom I supply computer services. On my own laptops I have Avira Free and AVG free versions, along with the above-mentioned two antispyware programs.
For a backup I download and run the ESET online scan if I'm concerned about something.
I am assuming you need the heater hose fixed so water can circulate through the engine, and maybe for those cold mornings (only 72 )
Heading home tomorrow now, hanging with friends in cooler Taos at the moment. Thought about bypassing stuff, but easier just to get it fixed. Basically two hose leaks and a split Y junction. Guess the heat is hard on the hoses.
This will be our 4th night of camping under the stars in our friend's back yard. Beautiful out.
Any thoughts or opinions on how far below invoice a new VW Golf SportWagen would be obtainable for?
I think the Costco price might actually be really good on this one, but I have to go in person to see the price.
I read that Costco is now the number two dealership behind Auto Nation. Who knew? Not sure if dealership is the right word as Costco makes no money on these transactions. Instead they make it up with the annual membership fee and customer loyalty.
The article mentions that customers like the Costco buying service because of its no haggle pricing model. Hmm, haven't this been tried before, and failed?
Any thoughts or opinions on how far below invoice a new VW Golf SportWagen would be obtainable for?
I think the Costco price might actually be really good on this one, but I have to go in person to see the price.
I read that Costco is now the number two dealership behind Auto Nation. Who knew? Not sure if dealership is the right word as Costco makes no money on these transactions. Instead they make it up with the annual membership fee and customer loyalty.
The article mentions that customers like the Costco buying service because of its no haggle pricing model. Hmm, haven't this been tried before, and failed?
I read the same thing. I think what makes them different is they have no interest in selling the car, and as you point out, don't make any money on the service. It's simply something they do for their members.
I'm guessing is it's a nice stream of customers for the dealerships who partner with them. May not be the rock bottom price some here can do on their own, but perhaps within a few hundred, and no worry about "did I pay too much?".
Any thoughts or opinions on how far below invoice a new VW Golf SportWagen would be obtainable for?
I think the Costco price might actually be really good on this one, but I have to go in person to see the price.
I read that Costco is now the number two dealership behind Auto Nation. Who knew? Not sure if dealership is the right word as Costco makes no money on these transactions. Instead they make it up with the annual membership fee and customer loyalty.
The article mentions that customers like the Costco buying service because of its no haggle pricing model. Hmm, haven't this been tried before, and failed?
I read the same thing. I think what makes them different is they have no interest in selling the car, and as you point out, don't make any money on the service. It's simply something they do for their members.
I'm guessing is it's a nice stream of customers for the dealerships who partner with them. May not be the rock bottom price some here can do on their own, but perhaps within a few hundred, and no worry about "did I pay too much?".
Agreed - it takes the hassle out of buying a car. Similar to the Price Promise concept here at Edmunds - you get a good (but not great) price, take it to the dealer, sign the paperwork.
I just got some very exciting news about treatment for my Hepatitis C. About 35 years ago, I had a blood transfusion of 2 units of blood. I was diagnosed with Hep C in 1995. There is a new drug on the market called Harvoni that rids the body of Hep C within 12 weeks. My insurance company approved the regimen of one pill daily for the first 4 weeks after which my blood tests will determine continued eligibility. I will go into the donut hole due to costs of the drug, but a foundation approved me for them paying for my co-pay ($3800.00). So the great news is that I take my first pill as soon as it is delivered this afternoon. After 12 weeks, I was told I should feel significantly better. Just lots of blood tests involved and I must drink lots of fluids.
Dad is still in the hospital. I will probably move him to a rehab this week.
Does Costco do an "out the door" price, or do you still have to fight with the dealer over $350 doc fees and the like?
Just a guess, but I'm thinking they probably have some sort of an agreemement with the local dealerships (who agree to do Costco pricing) is a certain percentage off MSRP. Doc fees are still going to be part of the deal.
Only way to get a true "out the door" or "all-in" price is to figure your offer yourself (which is what I like to do). I figure taxes, license, etc into my deal. For dealers I've bought from before, they know the routine. For those I haven't done business with before, the way it usually goes is they accept my offer. I sit down in the F&I office and the person behind the desk starts priting paperwork that shows an additional $250 for doc fees. I explain again that my offer was an "all-in" offer. Sometimes I get "but we have to charge a doc fee", or "it's pre printed on our contract. At that point, I thank them for their time and get ready to leave.
They rework the numbers, and I've yet to have any of them let me walk over the doc fee.
You guys asked to be updated on my Cadillac Lemon Law case.
Lawyer just sent me a note stating that Cadillac is requesting all my service records, registration, purchase documents (price paid, etc). I don't know if that means anything, but I sent all of it.
I can see this dragging on another month or more. They sure do know how to irritate their customers. They're quite practiced at it.
We'll see. Not sure how much more information they'd need given I've told them and shown them everything I had a month ago. Plus, these are records they already have access to. Unless they're trying to find out if I've kept the records. If not, I guess they could come back and say the records don't exist (even though I know they have them, too).
As I said before. Let's see if they're willing to do the right thing. Or, continue to be obstinate and irritate me.
You guys asked to be updated on my Cadillac Lemon Law case.
Lawyer just sent me a note stating that Cadillac is requesting all my service records, registration, purchase documents (price paid, etc). I don't know if that means anything, but I sent all of it.
I can see this dragging on another month or more. They sure do know how to irritate their customers. They're quite practiced at it.
My guess is the right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing.
So, all of a sudden they have become somewhat interested.
The price promise is in my experience a "great price". I was happy with it.
Having that set when you walk in is a nice way to do business.
The fact is people hate the thought of going to a car dealership to buy a car.
Accenture surveyed 10,000 people in the U.S. and a handful of other countries about buying cars, and the results show that most consumers aren’t exactly fans of the standard car dealership experience. In fact, three-quarters said that “if given the opportunity, they would consider making their entire car-buying process online, including financing, price negotiation, back office paperwork and home delivery.
So a friend went to work selling VWs a few months ago. She is a very capable sales woman and has sold professionally for many years. She doesn't have to work but prefers to work.
She just quit her job because the owner complained that 3 people in one day that she was dealing with left without taking a test drive.
How could that matter? Some people may have taken a test drive somewhere else. Some people just do preliminary research before testing. Some people may not have the time to go out for a drive. I know I often prefer to sit in a few makes before spending time test driving a car.
There is a billionaire in Canada who owns many businesses. He started making his billions with car dealerships. He would fire the worst performing salesman every month. This just seems wrong somehow!
A real car sales story!
So a friend went to work selling VWs a few months ago. She is a very capable sales woman and has sold professionally for many years. She doesn't have to work but prefers to work.
She just quit her job because the owner complained that 3 people in one day that she was dealing with left without taking a test drive.
How could that matter? Some people may have taken a test drive somewhere else. Some people just do preliminary research before testing. Some people may not have the time to go out for a drive. I know I often prefer to sit in a few makes before spending time test driving a car.
There is a billionaire in Canada who owns many businesses. He started making his billions with car dealerships. He would fire the worst performing salesman every month. This just seems wrong somehow!
It all depends on their written policy for sales associates. Some dealerships have an employee handbook that lists requirements for sales personnel.
It sounds more likely that your friend released customers who did not take a test drive without first getting a manager to greet and release the customers. In my dealerships, prior to releasing any customer, a manager had to be consulted and would usually thank the customer for stopping in. At the same time, a manager would inquire if the customer drove the vehicle they were interested in. That is where you find out if a test drive was offered. If not offered, those could be grounds for termination.
So a friend went to work selling VWs a few months ago. She is a very capable sales woman and has sold professionally for many years. She doesn't have to work but prefers to work.
She just quit her job because the owner complained that 3 people in one day that she was dealing with left without taking a test drive.
How could that matter? Some people may have taken a test drive somewhere else. Some people just do preliminary research before testing. Some people may not have the time to go out for a drive. I know I often prefer to sit in a few makes before spending time test driving a car.
There is a billionaire in Canada who owns many businesses. He started making his billions with car dealerships. He would fire the worst performing salesman every month. This just seems wrong somehow!
Mike said:
It all depends on their written policy for sales associates. Some dealerships have an employee handbook that lists requirements for sales personnel.
It sounds more likely that your friend released customers who did not take a test drive without first getting a manager to greet and release the customers. In my dealerships, prior to releasing any customer, a manager had to be consulted and would usually thank the customer for stopping in. At the same time, a manager would inquire if the customer drove the vehicle they were interested in. That is where you find out if a test drive was offered. If not offered, those could be grounds for termination.
I am pretty sure she asked the potential customers if they would like to go for a test drive, and for one reason or another she had 3 in one day who just didn't want to go.
I guess sales managers have to do what they have to do but it sounds a bit much to me. Those kind of sales jobs aren't for the faint of heart.
I thought selling cars would be a kind of fun job....sure doesn't sound like fun to me. Sounds more like a shark tank.
Most stores are miserable places to work and the sales staff are treated like garbage.
A lot of these places make their sales people stand in a row taking "ups". They see a customer drive on the lot and whoever is at the beginning of the line takes that "up". Getting the shoppers name and phone number is required and before that customer leaves, he has to be turned over to a "manager" so another run can be made at landing the customer on a car.
A lot of stores are Liner-Closer stores. The Liner greets the customer and maybe writes up an offer and the Closer (sometimes more than one) go's in to close the deal.
The store I worked at wasn't one of those stores and I wouldn't have lasted long if it had been.
Most stores are miserable places to work and the sales staff are treated like garbage.
A lot of these places make their sales people stand in a row taking "ups". They see a customer drive on the lot and whoever is at the beginning of the line takes that "up". Getting the shoppers name and phone number is required and before that customer leaves, he has to be turned over to a "manager" so another run can be made at landing the customer on a car.
A lot of stores are Liner-Closer stores. The Liner greets the customer and maybe writes up an offer and the Closer (sometimes more than one) go's in to close the deal.
The store I worked at wasn't one of those stores and I wouldn't have lasted long if it had been.
Sounds awful! Isell, you were fortunate to work in a place that treated you like a human being. I think people subconsciously pick up when they are being attacked by pirranha.
I remember a department store in our town in the mid 60's when I was a teen ager. I used to buy stuff in there all the time, and then they changed their policy and got very aggressive, I felt like I was being attacked by the sales staff, so I didn't go back. As soon as you walked in the door people would be asking you what you wanted and whether they could help. Quite a few people made the same comment at the time.
I don't like the way dealers now have the young ladies running to you as you enter and asking how they can help. Having a desk I can walk up to if I really want help just seems more user friendly to me. Or, I may just want to wander around and look at the cars in the showroom before being bombarded by sales people.
The dealer where I got the Cadillac and previously the Buick has its greeter leave the showroom and engage you out in the lot if she sees someone looking around outside. That irritates me.
The dealer where I got the Cadillac and previously the Buick has its greeter leave the showroom and engage you out in the lot if she sees someone looking around outside. That irritates me.
In both dealerships I worked, customers were left alone on the lots (used and new) and were not to be approached by employees. At the dealership where I was a manager, we had several decorative signs prominently displayed in all areas - these stated, "...you are our guest - feel free to browse. If you would like some assistance, please stop into the showroom."
It sounds more likely that your friend released customers who did not take a test drive without first getting a manager to greet and release the customers. In my dealerships, prior to releasing any customer, a manager had to be consulted and would usually thank the customer for stopping in.
I dislike that practice - usually it's more like, thank you for coming in and what can we do to sell you a car today. Assuming I like the salesperson, I'd just as soon deal with them and no one else, and if I'm done, I'm done. If the manager is so interested in meeting me, let him or her direct the ups to the sales staff.
Look at the language used about the customer; I'm on the hook line and sinker but if I don't bite, I have to be released?
(Nothing personal, I just came from that new Buyer And Seller..Still Adversarial As Our Culture Changes discussion and my BP is up. )
I think you misunderstood me. Let me be more specific.
It costs a dealership $200-$300 (could be more) to attract each customer to it's establishment in terms of advertising (newspapers, TV, billboards, magazines, websites, etc.). The proper release of a customer from the dealership is essential in order to increase the odds that the customer will return. I required all salesmen to introduce me or another manager to customers that are about to leave so I could personally thank them for visiting our showroom. I also presented each customer with my business card and shared with them that if they had any additional questions or were in need of assistance, to contact me personally on my cell phone.
Sometimes I would ask if they would like to take a car home with them overnight, I could arrange for that to take place. All this was done to make the customer feel important to our dealership. I never asked a customer, "...what do I have to do to earn your business now!"
My my customers knew when they left the showroom that they could call me personally - the store manager - if they wanted. It was done in a subtle, non-pressure manner. The objective is to make sure the expenditure in advertising was well-invested.
Comments
Cerwin Vega speakers. Man.....hadn't thought about those in a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG time. Not the greatest, but I remember seeing them in a lot of friends' set ups.
Reminds me of some HT speakers I used to see at Costco several years ago....I think they were actually branded as BIC (which had a pretty decent reputation as a speaker maker at one time). They looked like Klipsch knock offs.
Dad is still in the hospital. I will probably move him to a rehab this week.
Thanks for letting me off topic for this post.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Hepatitis C is a viral infection transmitted from one person to another by blood products, shared drug needles, sexual relations. They traced it in me back to a blood transfusion I had in 1980 after back surgery. They did not screen for this virus in blood until 1991. There was no other way I could have contracted the virus.
The virus attacks the liver and the immune system (which is why I contract pneumonia frequently) and in me, it causes horrible muscle cramps in my diaphragm and sides and legs. I feel weak and tired most of the time.
This drug was just approved my the FDA s few months ago.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Nice having someone picking up the donut hole. I thought they were going to eliminate that. Well, there's $3K more toward next week's car.
(Ah, cars. Spending Monday afternoon at the auto shop getting my busted heater hose fixed. Supposed to be on the last leg home, but no hurry. Don't ask me why I need heat this time of year.
At least medical spending has flattened out. We'll see how that works when the Supreme Court hits it. Either fix the less well though out parts or put us on a single payer system. You can dig enough and find out what's likely to be most cost efficient.
I am assuming you need the heater hose fixed so water can circulate through the engine, and maybe for those cold mornings (only 72
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Anyway, it took four hours to clean the laptop and for protection they installed Malwarebytes and SUPERAntiSpyware. Don't know how they work but they block cookies and offending websites. Best of all they block the pop-ups such those ads running on the Edmunds forums.
Now my laptop is running even faster than when I took it out of the box. Sorry Edmunds.
By the way, both software are free but you can upgrade to even more protection.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I've used Malwarebytes to scan at least once a week for a long time and I also use
SpybotSD (Spybot Search and Destroy) in the same way. On other computers I've had
Norton Internet Security for my wife, son and some folks for whom I supply computer
services. On my own laptops I have Avira Free and AVG free versions, along with the
above-mentioned two antispyware programs.
For a backup I download and run the ESET online scan if I'm concerned about
something.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think the Costco price might actually be really good on this one, but I have to go in person to see the price.
This will be our 4th night of camping under the stars in our friend's back yard. Beautiful out.
The article mentions that customers like the Costco buying service because of its no haggle pricing model. Hmm, haven't this been tried before, and failed?
I'm guessing is it's a nice stream of customers for the dealerships who partner with them. May not be the rock bottom price some here can do on their own, but perhaps within a few hundred, and no worry about "did I pay too much?".
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Isn't science amazing?
You can do the same with dozens or hundreds of other "members only" groups.
Edmunds TMV shows $900 off MSRP, but that's not what we hear in the forums..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Having that set when you walk in is a nice way to do business.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Only way to get a true "out the door" or "all-in" price is to figure your offer yourself (which is what I like to do). I figure taxes, license, etc into my deal. For dealers I've bought from before, they know the routine. For those I haven't done business with before, the way it usually goes is they accept my offer. I sit down in the F&I office and the person behind the desk starts priting paperwork that shows an additional $250 for doc fees. I explain again that my offer was an "all-in" offer. Sometimes I get "but we have to charge a doc fee", or "it's pre printed on our contract. At that point, I thank them for their time and get ready to leave.
They rework the numbers, and I've yet to have any of them let me walk over the doc fee.
Lawyer just sent me a note stating that Cadillac is requesting all my service records, registration, purchase documents (price paid, etc). I don't know if that means anything, but I sent all of it.
I can see this dragging on another month or more. They sure do know how to irritate their customers. They're quite practiced at it.
As I said before. Let's see if they're willing to do the right thing. Or, continue to be obstinate and irritate me.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So, all of a sudden they have become somewhat interested.
Keep us updated.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Accenture surveyed 10,000 people in the U.S. and a handful of other countries about buying cars, and the results show that most consumers aren’t exactly fans of the standard car dealership experience. In fact, three-quarters said that “if given the opportunity, they would consider making their entire car-buying process online, including financing, price negotiation, back office paperwork and home delivery.
HOW MUCH DO PEOPLE HATE BUYING A CAR
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
So a friend went to work selling VWs a few months ago. She is a very capable sales woman and has sold professionally for many years. She doesn't have to work but prefers to work.
She just quit her job because the owner complained that 3 people in one day that she was dealing with left without taking a test drive.
How could that matter? Some people may have taken a test drive somewhere else. Some people just do preliminary research before testing. Some people may not have the time to go out for a drive. I know I often prefer to sit in a few makes before spending time test driving a car.
There is a billionaire in Canada who owns many businesses. He started making his billions with car dealerships. He would fire the worst performing salesman every month. This just seems wrong somehow!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It sounds more likely that your friend released customers who did not take a test drive without first getting a manager to greet and release the customers. In my dealerships, prior to releasing any customer, a manager had to be consulted and would usually thank the customer for stopping in. At the same time, a manager would inquire if the customer drove the vehicle they were interested in. That is where you find out if a test drive was offered. If not offered, those could be grounds for termination.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I guess sales managers have to do what they have to do but it sounds a bit much to me. Those kind of sales jobs aren't for the faint of heart.
I thought selling cars would be a kind of fun job....sure doesn't sound like fun to me. Sounds more like a shark tank.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
A lot of these places make their sales people stand in a row taking "ups". They see a customer drive on the lot and whoever is at the beginning of the line takes that "up". Getting the shoppers name and phone number is required and before that customer leaves, he has to be turned over to a "manager" so another run can be made at landing the customer on a car.
A lot of stores are Liner-Closer stores. The Liner greets the customer and maybe writes up an offer and the Closer (sometimes more than one) go's in to close the deal.
The store I worked at wasn't one of those stores and I wouldn't have lasted long if it had been.
I remember a department store in our town in the mid 60's when I was a teen ager. I used to buy stuff in there all the time, and then they changed their policy and got very aggressive, I felt like I was being attacked by the sales staff, so I didn't go back. As soon as you walked in the door people would be asking you what you wanted and whether they could help. Quite a few people made the same comment at the time.
I don't like the way dealers now have the young ladies running to you as you enter and asking how they can help. Having a desk I can walk up to if I really want help just seems more user friendly to me. Or, I may just want to wander around and look at the cars in the showroom before being bombarded by sales people.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
and to walk in and ask, even those dumb questions.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Look at the language used about the customer; I'm on the hook line and sinker but if I don't bite, I have to be released?
(Nothing personal, I just came from that new Buyer And Seller..Still Adversarial As Our Culture Changes discussion and my BP is up.
I think you misunderstood me. Let me be more specific.
It costs a dealership $200-$300 (could be more) to attract each customer to it's establishment in terms of advertising (newspapers, TV, billboards, magazines, websites, etc.). The proper release of a customer from the dealership is essential in order to increase the odds that the customer will return. I required all salesmen to introduce me or another manager to customers that are about to leave so I could personally thank them for visiting our showroom. I also presented each customer with my business card and shared with them that if they had any additional questions or were in need of assistance, to contact me personally on my cell phone.
Sometimes I would ask if they would like to take a car home with them overnight, I could arrange for that to take place. All this was done to make the customer feel important to our dealership. I never asked a customer, "...what do I have to do to earn your business now!"
My my customers knew when they left the showroom that they could call me personally - the store manager - if they wanted. It was done in a subtle, non-pressure manner. The objective is to make sure the expenditure in advertising was well-invested.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger