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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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We need to include the cities who use speed cameras at a few select, high revenue locations with their red light cameras to raise money (they get about 1/3) for a large Australian camera company, RedFlex.
Dayton Ohio got Biehl from Cincinnati as their current police chief, and he just bragged about how much safer the urban city is because accidents have dropped at the redlight camera locations, therefore they will add speed to those same 12 locations.
Not too brilliant. There's nothing like an officer driving along and seeing someone run a light or speeding some and make a traffic stop to check them out, even if no ticket is to be given. They find people with warrants, no license, improper registration on the car, no insurnace proof, etc.
Just using a camera is simple mindedly stupid. The accidents go up at all the other locations in between the cameras.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Best of luck to your sister and nephew. My mother was run over (while in a crosswwalk) by a young lady who had no license and no insurance. It was a hit and run, but some bystanders copied down the license of the car and the driver was found and brought to trial. In Ontario, my mothers' car insurance (!!!) paid for her physical therapy. You can't sue in Ontario unless you are killed or maimed permanently.
This person was injured, and if they walk with a limp, they may have permanent injury, or a long-term temporary injury...this is compensable, even for those who think lawyers are worthless...the other driver was negligent, almost to the point of reckless...you could sue her and garnish her wages, but if she has no assets, she can file Chapter 7 and wipe out the judgment, so that may not be the best option...
Do the injured party have uninsured motorists coverage on their car, or are they on the parents policy with UM coverage???...you may be able to recover on your own UM coverage, which is what it is there for, an uninsured at-fault motorist...
If there is no UM coverage, and if the driver really IS uninsured, you may be SOL, and I don't mean "statute of limitations"...
You can certainly get a judgment against the driver, but in my experience, the temptation to file Ch 7 is too high...I have done just that myself for a number of clients...not only wipe out credit card debt, but judgments for auto accidents...
One exception...a judgment cannot be discharged in Ch 7 if she was convicted for DUI, but this does not sound like that type of situation...
One last thought...if the victim does have their own car insurance, or on their parent's policy, BUT NEITHER HAS UNINSURED MOTORISTS coverage, now you know why I am such a stickler for MedPay and UM coverage...for those who think it won't happen to them, well, it can and it does...
Good luck with this...
Every study I've seen (except for the studies by traffic enforcement camera manufacturers) shows the claims of increased fine revenue to be wildly exaggerated. In addition, in some cases, it costs the states and municipalities money because collection of the fines, and cost of operating the cameras are so high.
I'm in Butler County. So, I'm not that familear with this Biehl person. Long and short of it, traffic enforcement cameras are a bad idea, for the municipalities, and the driver.
This is all 2nd hand information, provided by my sister and her son. All of this transpired in IN. He has uninsured motorist coverage and is on my sister's policy. But, since he was a pedestrian, does uninsured motorist coverage even apply?
This is sounding like a wild goose chase for the perpetrator, however.
Richard
Richard
I have a "thing" for Lincolns (most full size Fords actually). Growing up my uncle and Grandpop always had Town Cars or Marks and I liked them even as a kid. The late 80s models are my favorites. I bought that car in 2000 with around 60K on the odometer and it was my "toy" car. I sold it before I bought my house and regret it so much.
Here is a pic
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Richard
uhh, this doesn't sound like a frivolous lawsuit we're talking about. So, not sure what your point is... other than you don't get any respect in your chosen profession. Join the crowd!!! Lot's of sales folks here who can empathise with you I'm sure. :P
If gg's nephew lives in Ohio, they have a 2 year statute of limitations on personal injury. Some states have up to 6 years. Not sure how it pans out since the victim was a pedestrian.
So, nephew has some time in deciding what course to take. And as I wrote before, maybe this deadbeat road warrior of a woman gets married, or gets a good job. Then nephew may be able to collect on damages.
We know you like them. And, they maybe yesterday's tech, but are still really good cars.
I think it's time.
EDIT: Here's a bunch. This place is about 15 20 minutes from me, too. I can even check them out for you. As an added bonus, it looks like they all come with a cassette player, too. :P
http://apps.dealerconnection.com/dealers/fairfieldlm/new-inventory?lang=en&inv-r- adio=on&VehicleType=All&Year=2010&modelId=176#modelid=177&filters=All/All/All/Al- l//10/BodyDesc/1/0
Not long ago, a voice shouted a greeting to me in the grocery store. I turned around while initiating a similar greeting. The B---- wasn't addressing me. She was calling a person on her cell phone. I felt like a fool.
I was in a hospital surgical waiting room last month. I had to sit next to a man who was having an argument with some family member via his cell phone. I finally got up and went outside. That caused me to miss the doctor when he came out of surgery.
The final insult was a cell phone call taken in church by someone behind me. I finally turned around and ask them to hang up.
I refuse to leave my cell phone on now. I don't even check messages. I just make a call when I absolutely need to do it. If my wife is out of town, I will leave my phone on for her. Other people can call my home phone if they need to talk. Most calls aren't even urgent enough to merit a cell phone.
Richard
Richard
Richard
We're ay my sister-in-law's wake. She's laid out and this woman approaches to pay her respects and her cell phone goes off. She answers it! Without even moving away so someone else might go forward. Just some chatty message and no "this is a really bad time."
Richard
Richard
I think they offer something that is hard to find today. First is comfort, along with bulletproof reliability, and inexpensive maintenance, to go along with durability.
There's something about a big, body on frame, design, driven by a V8. They're comfortable.
While you wouldn't want to take one to an autox event, for a good portion of the driving one needs, a GM fits the bill.
Not sure what's up with the Town Cars. I haven't seen any at local dealer lots. I know new ones are out there. Maybe the local dealers are just pushing Lincoln's newer iron.
Regarding cell phone usage, a little consideration is in order. That person who's waiting for you to talk on the cell phone, at the bank, the grocery store, the theater, etc has time that's just as precious as theirs. Much to my son's chagrin when he's been with me, I've been known to ask someone on a cell phone who's holding up any line if I could cut in front of them while they finish their call. They usually give me a dirty look and terminate the call at that point.
Most of my customers don't return the courtesy. Some will answer non stop cell calls and chat as if I'm not there. I tend to lose interest quickly when this happens.
I left a customer on our lot a few weeks ago after he took his 4th call call in a row.
He did come find me and he apologized.
Then there are the cell calls that can screw up a sale...
" I'm at a Honda Dealer right now buying a car"
" Oh, what are youi buying?"
" An Accord"
:" Oh really...my brother in laws friend works for ABC Honda...you shouild call him and see what he will sell it to you for"
I couple of years ago this happened in reverse.
A salesperson at a store 50 miles away had a deal done and he was getting the paperwork ready when his customer took a cell phone call from a friend.
" Oh you should call Craig...he's sold us three cars and he's the best"
The guy had the nerve to actually call me from the salesperson's office after they had shook hands to see if I could better the price and he told me he was sitting across from the salesperson"
I told him to let me talk to the salesguy.
I asked if this was really happening and he confirmed it.
I told him to sell the car.
People can be so rotten!
That's because you are a good, decent human being.
I can't believe the guy with the cell phone in the other sales guy's office!
Hey! Maybe I'll call you tomorrow from some dealership.....
Had a couple of real knucklehead experiences in the car hunt. Listed with a sunroof and on further inquiry it didn't have one! Since that's a must have for my wife that saved me a trip to PA.
Hey, doesn't Honda have a nice employee price you could send my way?
After the sunroof fiasco did in teh Legacy that had reached the top of the list now the two top contenders are an 07 Camry EXL CPO that one of our sometimes coohorts is selling or an 09 Mazda 6 CPO.
The Volvo guy was only marginally better. He took several calls while I was driving. Most of them he did say "I'll call you later" or just had a brief conversation, so it wasn't quite as irritating, but still - when you've got a customer sitting next to you, is that really the best time to be multi-tasking?
The older salesman at another Chevy store where I drove the Equinox was hands down the most polite and professional salesperson I've dealt with yet. He called me "Mrs. Biancar," was silent when I was driving except to answer questions, and when I did ask anything, he answered fully and completely. Perhaps no coincidence, he was not a native American although he's been living here for some time; his name was "Sadiq" and his native culture clearly knows something about how to treat potential customers courteously.
Second-most professional was the Infiniti guy, who also was not American-born; he was from Yugoslavia, although he's been here since he was a teenager.
Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't care for it when some young squirt that I've just met calls me by my first name. If I'm old enough to be your mother, then I want to be called "Mrs." or "Ms.," not "Bianca."
It is interesting how the sales person's attitude and courtesy toward me definitely influence my perception of the brand he's selling.
My favorite experience with incosiderate cell phone users, we're in the movies and this lady's cell phone goes off, very loud ring, she's on the other side of the theater. She starts talking to the other party WITH THE SPEAKER ON. We can easily hear both sides of the conversation, keep in mind we're on the other side of the theater. A near riot almost breaks out as most everyone in the theater starts yelling at her, with a few big guys walking towards her.
I just sat there munching on my popcorn, heck it was better than the movie, LOL.
If you're going to buy a Honda let me know what you want and what store and I'll make a phone call on your behalf.
Regards:
Oldengineer
Yeah, I know. I'm looking for something that will carry my husband and me, our two small dogs in or with their crates, various equipment for agility competitions, and luggage.
There are a surprising number of crossovers/small to mid-size SUVs, maybe even some sedans, that will do that, and I'm comfortable looking up and down the price range to see what I get for my money. I've ruled out the HHR (no surprise, only drove that, at the salesman's suggestion, because the Terrain I really wanted to test-drive was out with another couple; when they came back then I drove the Terrain); the Subaru Forester, probably the Volvo V70 because of its annoyingly slow throttle response. Liked the Terrain OK, but liked the Equinox better.
Loved the Infiniti EX35 but it might be too small; want to try the FX35 next, and the Nissan Murano which is somewhat similar but has more cargo room.
Still in contention: Chevy Equinox, although it doesn't have Home-link, which I would miss a lot; Subaru Outback 2.5 Ltd., Volvo XC60, and probably the Infiniti/Nissan products.
Is that really all over the board? They are all very comparable in size, amenities, and actual prices (not necessarily MSRPs) are roughly low to upper 30's, a range I'm comfortable with. The Infiniti FX35 would be more, might be worth it.
It's surprisingly hard to find, in a given model, the exact trim and options I want on some of these, even when I'm somewhat flexible on exterior and interior colors. That makes a difference, too. I'm not going to buy something that isn't quite what I want just because the dealer doesn't happen to have what I really want in stock. I'll wait and/or order if necessary.
I can confirm that to some degree and I posted to that effect a year or two ago.
The company I retired from hired me back as a consultant a couple years back due to receiving some massive contracts and they wanted a couple of experienced people to go along with the boat load of new hires. This company is paying their new hires quite well, nothing like when they hired young engineers when I started. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great for them and I’m not jealous. I know times have changed. Anyway, a lot of these new hires are females and a lot of them drive BMW 3 Series. It’s gotten to the point when someone mentions one of their names someone else says, “is that the one that drives the black one or the silver one”? That comment is followed by, “which black one or silver one, there are so many of them out in the parking lot it looks like a dealership out there”.
I can assure you these young ladies did not buy these cars for the driving experience. You only have to talk to any of them for a minute to know that. The first thing these young ladies have to learn is how to get to and from the girls room without getting lost. :confuse: After that they can start learning about cars and driving.
Very interestingly, most of their counter part young male engineers are driving a Nissan, Honda, Mazda even a Hyundai or two. Very few of the young guys, only two (I think) are driving a 3 Series.
Yeah, I’ve seen this badge thing first hand and it's quite amusing.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I don't think I am but E-mail your phone number to my carspace mail or to fezo @ rocketmail.com .
I may well be up in NY state dealing with our sometimes cohort but am scouting out a Legacy, too.
I do have a question for you.
Sometimes a small (to me) thing can make or break a sale and this leaves me shaking my head so let me ask you.. Why is Homelink such a big deal? I have owned cars with it and without it and I couldn't give the smallest twit if I have it or not. If I have it I'll use it. If not, it is a simple thing for me to clip my opener on my sunvisor. Either way, all I have to do is reach up and push a button.
I'm just curious, that's all.
Richard
Richard
Thank goodness. I thought that I was the only one. I was still hiring new teachers at age 62. These 22 year old clients would call me Richard during the initial interview. How many of them do you think I hired? These young people didn't even know me on a personal basis. I wouldn't call a personnel director by his/her first name regardless of the age difference. Times have certainly changed. Also, I miss "Yes sir." and "Thank you." these days. Common courtesy and a little respect go a long way in my book.
Richard
I have had people buy or not buy cars for a number of trivial reasons.
1. They didn't like the way the tailights looked
2. Not enough cupholders - ( I never use mine)
3. Didn't like the way the dash lights looked at night
4. Thought the steering wheel was too thick or too thin
5. Used cars with tiny scratches too small to see unless one inch away
6. Thought they heard a funny sound (?)
A lot more things that I can't think of now. The Home link requirement was a first for me.
Biancar, I hope you know I'm not picking on you, just wondering why Homelink is so important to you.
Isell....sometimes the littlest of things tilt the sale one way or the other. During my recent car buying, I noticed how much better I liked the seats in the Acura than any other model I was looking at. Same goes for the steering wheel. I also liked how the transmission shifted.
Those are things that probably wouldn't raise an eyebrow with some buyers. But, they did tilt the way I was thinking from one model over another.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
It's not exactly a make or break issue, but if there is an option package that has it, I'm getting that option package. I would certainly rather have it than not. Nissans have it standard (at least in upper trim lines) and I was surprised to learn that it can be hard to find on other makes sometimes.
I find those big clunky door openers a pain to use. They are big, they are a nuisance when I move the sun visor to the side, they get in the way, and sometimes they fall off when moving the visor. Not something that I like to have happen while I'm driving 70 mph! We have had Homelink on both our cars (Nissan Maxima and 350Z) for the last 10 years; I'm not even sure where our original door openers are now. In the basement somewhere, I guess.
Another thing I liked about homelink was that I was able to program the middle button with my elderly mother's garage door. This was useful when we went to visit; we could get into the house via the garage door even if she could not easily get up and get to the door. She has passed on now, so this particular use isn't important any more, but it was handy at the time.
There are many things that I look for in a car: good handling, comfort, fuel economy, utility for the purpose intended, convenience features, etc. Some of the cars I'm looking at are great for handling and convenience features but lousy for fuel economy (f'r instance, the Infiniti); some are great for fuel economy and space but might have reliability issues down the road (Equinox); some are not outstanding in any one thing but score "average or better" for all the things I'm looking for (Outback).
The perfect car hasn't been built yet, so it's just a question of weighing one against the other. The Homelink feature is something I would always get if the particular model has a trim line or option package that includes it, and it would be a slight negative if it's not there.
Re adding after-market: depends on car. With all the new gadgetry included in mirrors in some cars, it is not as easy as you might think. Homelink on their own company site explains how and to what cars it can be added. http://www.homelink.com/get/homelink.tml
I am in similar situations all the time here in Chicago. So I will ask you i you feel comfortable and safe at 75 MPH with little distance between you and the car infront of you under any circumstance?
Your argument advances neither position.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I will venture to say that most, if not all, passengers are not fully aware of what is going on around them so that if a situation arises it is likely that they will continue the conversation. Using a cell phone the driver can drop the call in an instant.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Ok but all I am saying is someone talking to someone in a car isn't 100% focused on the business of driving, nor is the person listening to the radio, nor is the guy checking out the girl in the short shorts, nor is the.........
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Do you have anything to support this?
If this is the case why are the roads getting safer when cell phone usage is going up?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Now if I am the customer and someone like my wife calls you bet your sweet a** that I will take it. Family will take priority in that situation.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Oh that one is just to easy. :shades:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
you might want to read this report.
"http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Documents/Dstrct_Drvng_White_- Paper_Fnl.pdf"
The Infinitis do not, and some people care enough that they won't buy the car for that reason.
No one suggested otherwise. The point was they are fully aware of being in a moving vehicle. In any case, you cannot possibly be suggesting that passengers are less aware of the driving situation than someone at the other end of a phone conversation.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I take it that the first "someone" refers to the driver and the second refers to a passenger. Certainly, a driver engaged in a conversation, whether it's with a passenger or a remote person on the phone, is not 100% focused on driving. However, that's just not in the same league as listening to the radio which is predominantly a passive activity while engaging in conversation requires a significantly greater amount of attention. The term "red herring" comes to mind.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper