Stories from the Sales Frontlines

isellhondas

I wasn't talking about kids who were retarded. When I was in school, they had a seperate school for kids like that or kids with severe handicaps. Today, they mainstream these kids and that's probably not a bad idea.

I'm talking about the disruptive kids in class that would cause trouble.

Today, these kids are Bi-Polar or Attention Deficient or catagorized in other ways.

Those swat paddles worked miracles fot th hard core kids whose parents didn't care and getting suspended was a treat. They feared the swat paddles and acted accordingly.

I'm glad there are teachers that still care. Looking back at the teachers I had, I had a few that really cared about us and a bunch that didn't. They were there for a paycheck and their retirement.

I happen to know that a few of teh hard core punks I went to school with are now dead from violence or in prison. Not unpredictable.

driver100

This is a great little fun video of the Model T assembly line. Check out how they assembled the wooden wheels........
Brief Video Model T

houdini1

Good video. The quality of the video is amazing !!

isellhondas

That was great to watch..thanks!

[Deleted User]

Awesome video, Driver. Thanks for posting. It's amazing the type of conditions that simple suspension could handle. When they drove down the sandy wall at an angle I thought for certain it would try to roll, especially since it's rather top heavy, but it took it better than most any SUV today. The axle leaf spring provided some decent articulation. Pretty cool.

sterlingdog

Thanks for a great video. The film quality has been so well preserved. The Model T appeared to do better in snow and mud that our cars do today. They also came in my favorite color for a car.

Richard

fezo

I love the video. My mom used to talk about learning to drive on my grandfather's Model T. Any color as long as it's black.

graphicguy

driver....great video. Thanks!

driver100

You're all very welcome!

I am glad you enjoyed it so much, I wasn't sure, but even my wife thought it was fascinating. I am glad you took the time to watch it.

Those cars must have been pretty rugged. Can't imagine going on those roads in my bmw, but I guess the Model Ts didn't have the same "handling" qualities either.

explorerx4

the only job i would want in that clip is the one driving the cars out of the factory.

houdini1

but I guess the Model Ts didn't have the same "handling" qualities either.

Well I don't think you would have been bothered by numb steering because it looked like there was plenty of feedback !!

graphicguy

Off topic, but still sales related. Thought most of you would get a charge out of this.

I've been looking for a new gym. Nothing wrong with my old one. But, it's starting to get a little worn around the edges. And, I don't get the feeling that health clubs are doing well financially these days.

So, there's a brand new one that went up not far from my home. It's in a large facility that's new.....quite attractive. Right out front, stenciled on the big plate glass entry way was an advert for "Membership is $19.95 per month. No contracts to sign". That was right up my alley. Went in, just to look around.

As I was looking in the workout room through a window, an employee comes up to me and asks if I have an "escort".

"No, just came in to see if you have a nautilus room and a free weight area. You do. So, I'm interested in the sign out front for $20/mo. Where do I sign up for that."

"Well, first sir, I have to give you a tour."

"That's OK. I'm pressed for time. But, I wouldn't mind walking around to see your locker room and shower facilities."

"Sir, I can't let you see those until I get your name, phone number and email."

"Well, you can have that info once I look around."

"We can't let you look around because of liability issues."

"And, what liability would that be?"

"Well, in case you get hurt."

"I could get hurt walking from my car through your parking lot, into the front door. You don't have my name, number email for that."

"Sir, we just need you to sign in."

"OK, tell me where you need my signature and I'll do that."

The nice (but persistent) young lady gives me what looks like a credit app to fill out.

"I'm not completing our signing this. I'll give you a $20 bill cash each month."

"Sir, we need this information to process your membership. If you could step into our conference room, I can go over all the options for you."

"I'm not interested in options. I want what you're advertising on your front window. And, to look into the locker room. That's it. You got me. No more work is needed."

"Sir, I must take you through our presentation...(at this point I interrupted her)...."

"Ya know, you had a customer ready and willing to join up. Now, you don't. Good luck with finding someone else looking for a membership."

I left.

driver100

"Membership is $19.95 per month. No contracts to sign".

That's slightly similar to JMs satellite radio, $77 becomes almost $100.

Marketplace on CBC just exposed Herbal Magic...people pay about $3000 for pills that are supposed to make them slimmer. The claims are all false. They also did a great expose about decompression therapy for back pain. The chiropractors claim almost a 90% success rate...but there is no real evidence it works at all and many people are a lot worse off.

Now a gym that advertises $20 a month for a membership. It would be interesting to know what they are going to actually give you for that price. You can use the gym once a month on Tuesday only, from 3 am until 4 am. I am so curious to know what the scam is.

I think we are so used to this type of come on we don't get upset any more. But, it just turns me right off...those are the places I would never go to...rather get the real price up front.

mako1a

I had an old school buddy contact me thru classmates.com.
He says c'mon, join, you get to see the old gang.
I read the contract. $10 to join. OK fine print, actual price is 39.95, but this month is 10 bucks...with auto renewal...forever.
I looked all over for the bill me part so I could slip them 10 bucks and be done.
Nowhere, no way. Must be with CC and using card subjects you to their rules.
Bye Bye classmates, if you want me I'll be on carspace with dues paid in advance.

jayrider

Call or write and ask for the 3 month promo ---$15. Don't ok the credit renewal.
A bigger concern is all those former female friends who will be sending you sweet nothings. I avoided that problem by posting my photo.

jipster

I've been looking for a new gym..."We can't let you look around because of liability issues."

LOL, well they were probably wanting to check to see if you were a member of Edmunds... so they could steer you towards another club. :P

Sounds like an Urban Active club. I got an advertisement in the mail from them just the other day. For $19.99 paid monthly, you have the use of all free weights, cardio machines,movie theater, the womens fitness area, free weights. circuit training... and tanning. In small print it says see club for details, processing and enrollment fee may apply. Processing fee? Kinda like a doc. fee ain't it? Just can't get away from those doc. fees can we? :sick:

explorerx4

is CMU Carnegie Melon? one of my uncles was a prof there.
he passed on early in life. even though i was barely a teen and probably weighed 100 lbs, i was one of the bearers at his funeral.
had my first sharing of the bottle in a big black cadillac.
would i buy a new black cadillac, not sure.

jmonroe

is CMU Carnegie Melon?

Is that a trick question?

one of my uncles was a prof there.

I had an uncle (Father's brother) who was a math professor at Carnegie Tech for many, many years before the name change to CMU. We might be related. Scary thought but I'm not sure for who that would be. :confuse:

jmonroe

explorerx4

i doubt we are related, my uncle moved there from new england.
feel better ?

explorerx4

i have been thinking that the 'irish' were a slam dunk, but as many parents find out, their kids have a different thought process.
so, uva and umich are still in the mix.
i kind of blame miami u, because of the campus and oxford is such a great college town.
it turns out environment could be a game changer, plus both schools are very strong in law.
none of these schools offer an enough of an economic benefit over the other for me to buy myself a new car.

graphicguy

jipster....you nailed it....Urban Active.

I knew there had to be a catch. My "old" gym is $250/yr. $200/yr if you pay in cash up front. It's an independent...not affiliated with one of the chain gyms.

Won't ever set foot in another Urban Active. 'Ya know, if they would just say upfront...."hey, we're going to charge you $100 up front and $20/mo", I probably would have signed up.

It's just a gym for cryin' out loud. I'd wager to say I've been in more gyms than any 3 of these alleged counselors combined.

Let me walk around. I'll know if I like it. Their "fitness counselor" can even follow me around if they want. I don't need a sales pitch to tell me if the equipment is in good shape, or the locker room/showers are clean.

My "laugh" moment was when they said that to just look in their workout area, they needed to have my name, phone # and email to protect them from any liability. I guess they aren't as worried about someone having a heart attack on their treadmills.

isellhondas

I ran into the same thing a few years ago when I checked into joining one of the "major" chains.

They pulled every trick and in the end, the insults started.

They just opened a new Gold's Gym in our town. Anyone know anything about Gold's?

jmonroe

feel better ?

Yep.

jipster

They just opened a new Gold's Gym in our town. Anyone know anything about Gold's?

The Gold's gym in our area were really nice when they opened about 6 years ago. I believe it's a popular national chain that "Ah-nold" use to work out at. This Golds had brand new equipment, everything top of the line. I was a member for a year. They closed down for some reason.... I doubt the two are related.

A Urban Active popped up in their vacated building about a year ago. :sick:

[Deleted User]

I was a member of Gold's for about 4 years at a newer facility. One of the nice things, especially at the time when I travelled mostly domestic and Canada, is that I could work out at any facility. I noticed the quality varied substantially, from older clubs focused on free weights and a few machines, to the newer ones with sport courts and pools. I'd say it was a good value. My only disappointment in my home club was that during the four-year period I was a member, the facility degraded and they didn't keep it up as much as they should have. The showers became nasty, lockers broke and weren't fixed, and equipment started to show wear. I even had a bicep machine break mid rep and smack me in the head, giving me a decent goose egg. About that time my work provided a membership to Life Time Fitness, which is a very nice chain but comes at a very high price.

snakeweasel

Yep bought a new set of wheels today. Salesman was wonderful, explained things fully including the major differences between the two models I was looking at. Took it for a test drive and pushed it to its limits. The only difficulty was that some of the shifting was a bit clumsy but that can be adjusted. Paying for it was a breeze, no mop and glow, no extended warranty or anything like that. Plus they let me put the whole thing on my credit card. All in all I was there for about 45 minutes, a great experience.

BTW here is my new ride:

stickguy

probably cost more than Q's new MR2 though!

snakeweasel

Not sure about that. But the most expensive bike they have is about 10K. This one is far more modest in price.

tidester

LoL! Nicely done.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

jwilliams2

Looks like a R-330. Just the right time of the year. Have fun riding it.

I just bought a new Mountain bike. They talked me into some accessories (some needed, some of questionable value), but what the heck. You only go round once....

biancar

My neighbor likes Gold's a lot and has a membership there. She is pretty shrewd with her money and not inclined to spend frivolously, so I guess you can take that as a recommendation.

Me, I just go to the county rec facility, something like a Y except operated by the county. Good machines, classes, and a swimming pool. That's all I need and it keeps me fit.

snakeweasel

Yep its a R-330. It will be the 5th bike in the garage. What accessories did you buy? The value of accessories are pretty much determined by the rider and their needs. The only accessory I will be getting is a bike computer and those can be pretty inexpensive (tells speed, distance average speed, max speed and the like). I pretty much have everything else that can be switched from bike to bike.

graphicguy

bianca.....Not sure there are any Gold's Gyms around me. Not that there aren't. I just haven't noticed them.

I just want a Gym. I don't need "coaching" (a spotter would be helpful, but I can usually find another member to help me with that). I don't need anyone to show me how to work out. I've been doing that for decades. I don't need a "smoothie" bar. I don't need a theater. I just want a plain old gym.

My workout shorts have holes in them (actually, they're cut off sweat pants). The t-shirts I work out in all have goofy sayings on them, so they aren't a fashion statement.

The closest hospital to me has a gym. I may try there. Perhaps they aren't as presumptuous. I'll check out the YMCA, too.

jwilliams2

Needed a new helmet (old one about 8 years old, not safe anymore per shop), computer (wireless for back wheel so it would work on trainer), new pump for shock and fork, seat bag, changed over grips and seat. All set now, just need the trails to dry out.

Also thinking about a new vehicle to fit the bike in, as opposed to hanging it off the trunk on the Thule. I have several other bikes, but this is the first full suspension one. Rides nice.

snakeweasel

Unless the helmet is damaged in some way it should still be OK. You really don't need the computer unless you are a bike geek like me who tracks mileage and such. Sounds like you are all set up. Do you carry a repair kit with you? I usually carry with me a spare tube, patches, chain repair kit and some tools just in case.

I am also waiting for the trails to dry out, but I have some work to do on the hybrid before I hit the trails. But we do have some nice paved trails here to that can be ridden right now.

Enjoy your new ride, I am planning on a century ride later this year.

grandtotal

My workout shorts have holes in them (actually, they're cut off sweat pants). The t-shirts I work out in all have goofy sayings on them, so they aren't a fashion statement.

Hmm, seems to me you match your current gym quite well, at least sartorially. Or do you intend to upgrade your wardrobe a little?

Hope you don't suffer a wardrobe malfunction with those shorts.

jwilliams2

Shop showed me some info from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, which places a five year lifespan for helmet replacement. Sounded like a marketing ploy to me, but better safe than sorry. And the computer is nice to track miles, cadence, and all kinds of stuff. All set on spare tubes, tools, etc.... probably carry too much stuff with me.

Also bought a new bike and setup for my Grandson/riding buddy...

snakeweasel

IIRC unless there is a major change in standards a helmet should be OK unless there is damage. According to their (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute) website there is no time limit for a helmet as long as it meets current standards. Most manufacturers will check a helmet to see if its still good.

Hopefully my granddaughter will become my riding buddy, but that won't be for a few years. I do have an old (1950's) single speed Schwinn that I am planning to spruce up and give her when she is big enough. Most likely won't be her first bike.

murphydog

snake - I have asked this same question in other boards - there is no answer that I have seen. Cell phone use has gone through the roof accident rates and death rates are flat or declining.

Don't get me wrong - all distracted driving sucks - as a passenger in a van pool I have watched all kinds of silly things people do - and believe me it is not just the phone.

driver100

accident rates and death rates are flat or declining.

Death rates are declining because cars are built safer, and have been declining for a long time now. It is only declining by about 2% a year lately. I am not so sure accident rates are declining. I would like to see some proof of that. All tests show cell phones are a huge distraction, and many accidents happen while people are calling, or texting (unbelievable!).

murphydog

if Snake's story is a "fluke" then aren't all the one off stories that start " I saw a driver talking on his/her phone...." also flukes?

These one off stories seem to work just fine supporting the point of view that phones are bad, but snakes one off story does not support his point of view?

Just asking?

murphydog

driver - I am unsure how to post a graph here, but I imagine that cell phone use over the last 20 year is way up and to the right. A huge explosion in use such that the graph would have a pretty steep slope to it.

Accident and death rates have remained flat. If talking on a phone = drunk driving how come the rate has not moved even a little bit?

Again - don't take this the wrong way - distracted drivers are bad, however it is all distractions that should be looked at.

driver100

I have read dozens of articles that say talking on a cell phone is a major distraction. Several states and provinces in Canada have banned the use of cell phones while driving. We have had serious accidents in this area that happened while the driver was talking on his cell phone.....one a father driving his child to daycare while he was talking to his wife, and was hit by a train while he was on the phone. I doubt it would have happened if he wasn't on the phone.

Here is just one article. Look up accidents caused by cell phones or other topics on google. I don't think you will find any scientific statement that would say talking on a cell phone makes no difference in paying attention or in accident rates.
Cell phones and accidents

jipster

Accident and death rates have remained flat. If talking on a phone = drunk driving how come the rate has not moved even a little bit?

The rise of vehicle stability control coincides with that of cell phone use doesn't it?
Stability control was reported several years ago with cutting accident rates 55%. So that may explain why accident rates arent"t increasing with cell phone usage.

murphydog

every car on the road has stability control? I have no doubt that more cars have a phone in them than stability control?

Is your contention that if phones disappeared tomorrow accidents would fall 55%?

murphydog

Driver - a great example of 1 accident with tragic results no doubt.

I guess I look at it this way - cities and states pass a feel good law banning cell phone use and/or texting. The sad fact is that no one can say what % improvement we will see on the roads, meanwhile the true idiots out there reading books, watching DVDs, rubber necking to see a pretty girl (or boy) will continue on there merry way.

Lets give the police some real tools to combat all bad driving.

BTW - I know I am guilty of this, but think about it for a moment. Anytime you see bad driving you almost alway take a close look a the person behind the wheel, and when you see the phone in their hand you are like yup, just what I thought.

Try to take a look at drivers who appear to be driving well and see what they are up to - I bet you will be surprised to see many of them doing other things.

Lastly I was in Arizona last week, city of Maricopa. As my light turned green I happened to look over at a car with ~4 or 5 people in it, all appearing to be middle aged. The driver was drinking a Budweiser...

stickguy

on that topic, there was just a big news event in Philly that involved a school bus driver that ran into a car after driving erratically (ran some stop signs I think).

the big issue that kept discussing was that he had caused a fatal accident 10 years earlier, but that wasn't disclosed when they did his drivers check (just that he had been in an accident).

The prior accident? He was trying to dial a cell phone, and blew a stop sign and t-boned a car and killed a little kid.

deltheking

I will be in NY for about 7 months from June and as such was looking for a cheap used car there. I do not want to ship any of my cars from Texas. The new Camry that I just bought 4 days back will be stored in my garage along with my other cars. Due to some work related issues, I have to go to NY. :shades:

I am going there next week to look for an apartment in Queens. Probably close to the work place , so wont drive a lot. And will be parked on the NY Queens roads. And certainly 1k of Texas miles equals 5k of NYC miles wear and tear on the vehicle. I moved from NY to Texas 9 years back and I am just dreading to drive in the traffic there again .

So where do I buy a cheap car for about 7 months of usage ? I will drive 10k miles at the most .And I am looking for a car for around $3k. And then either throw it off at the end of 7 months or sell it to Carmax for $500 :P . Any folks here from NY that can offer suggestions and advice ? I would rather buy it from a New car dealership rather than a cheapo used car dealer. I would imagine the new car dealers can get some cars like these as trade ins which they would send it to auction.So how do I proceed?? Thanks.

biancar

I'm wondering why you would even want to buy a car at all? Seems like you are a perfect candidate for just renting a car when you need to get out of the city, or else join Zipcar, a service where you can rent a car for just a few hours as needed.

Seems like that would be much less stress and worry and expense than owning something and having to consider parking, etc.

deltheking

Actually, I will be driving everyday to work -probably within a 5 mile radius. And getting out of the city on weekends. A good opportunity to visit Canada ! [ Some change that- from a hot desert Texas weather to a really cold place up North !]
So if the car is good for atleast 7k-8k miles, I am fine.