We are of the same generation, Mako. My mom had a Chevy Caprice wagon too, to haul us four kids around.
As for the SUV craze waning, I'm not so sure about that. The V70 (and I believe its smaller sibling, the V50) is going to be discontinued after this year, in favor of something called the V60, which will be a lower version of the current XC60 (an SUV type vehicle). Volvo actually made its name making station wagons, and now the last two wagons in the line-up are going to be discontinued.
Anyway, for myself, I started out looking at small to mid-size SUVs, and gradually came around to the wagon idea after driving a lot of non-wagons and realizing I didn't like the high seating position, didn't care for the handling, and didn't like the generally worse mileage that SUVs get as compared to wagons (Chevy Equinox being an exception).
Then I drove both the V50 and the V70, liked the V70 better, and made the choice.
The Subaru Outback was in the mix and would have been a good choice too, and less expensive long term no doubt, but the Volvo is more comfortable, more attractive, and has that lower and absolutely flat load floor, so that pulled me over to Volvo.
In all seriousness, I plug my cell phone in to charge probably less than once a month. Yet I charge it daily as I consume lots of battery-draining data. I place the phone on the Touchstone, magnets line it up, and it uses inductive charging like the Philips sonicare electric toothbrushes.
Once you have non-plugin charging, you quickly realize how inconvenient it is to actually plug in a hand-held device. Others are getting there although they're taking different paths. My electric razor uses contacts to charge but all you do is drop the razor in the base. It auto-charges and all I have to do is hit a button if it's time to clean.
To make this at least somewhat car related, I wish the upcoming EVs would offer inductive charging or some other means of avoiding the nightly plug-in but for the power requirements, plugs are the only way to go at the moment.
I was just giving you a hard time. I do agree. The nightly plug-in of the phone is a slight irritant. The inductive charging would be so much better. I just purchased two additional land phones by AT&T. I have noticed that their sound quality and distance range are so much better than the two Vtech phones that we have at the other end of the house. We also have a 20 year old Panisonic land phone that is actually better than the other four. We refuse to throw it out. We don't use our cell phones much but I do enjoy the car chargers that we purchased for them. I read at some point that it wasn't good to use the car chargers on a regular basis. I can't remember why, though they certainly come in handy on a trip.
I had some work done on the '03 Explorer yesterday since my wife is taking five other ladies to the beach for a week. I thought that perhaps you would like to compare these prices to those in your area. The work was done by my trusted Chrysler dealer who takes care of the convertible.
Major fuel induction service, cleaned fuel injectors, intake, intake valves, and throttle body: Parts---$43.50, Labor $96.45 for a total of $139.95
Rotate and balance tires: $29.95
Oil and filter change: Parts---$20.95, Labor---$12.10 for a total of $33.05
snake....you experience mirrors mine. Not so much any more, but several years ago I used to get calls from alleged "sales training" companies who wanted to come in and train my sales staff. I hired one of them, never to hire another again.
The training wasn't useless, but pretty close. Time management, filling the pipeline, etc were good chapters. But, that should be common sense. The more time you spend talking to customers, and the more prospects you have are always good things.
What they didn't address is what you do with those contacts after you have them. Anybody can pick up a phone or walk into a business to fill a pipeline. Further, you'd think that putting in a good day's work would be a minimum requirement for any person who wants to succeed.
But, most people I know won't buy anything that doesn't fit their needs. More importantly, no one is buying anything from anyone who they don't feel comfortable with.
Building relationships, asking simple questions to find out what someone is looking for seems like sales 101. But, I'm surprised at how many dealerships I've visited where these concepts seem to be foreign.
I can't tell you the number of times I've accompanied one of my sales people on a call with companies that were supposedly "hot to buy" our hardware/software/services. A few questions later, and it becomes clear that the sales person was spinning their wheels. Either the company didn't have the money to buy, or what we offered didn't fit what they needed, or the sales person themselves weren't in tune with what the company wanted. Talk about a waste of time.
I've never been in car sales. Don't know if it's different than the tech industry. But, a few questions would seem to me would steer the sale.
We've heard the pros here do it the right way (although some won't agree). What kind of car are you looking for? Why? Colors? Options? Time frame? Do you need financing?
Just like the "gym counselor"....what are you looking for (in my case, nice equipment and a nice locker room)? Why (my old gym is getting ratty)? Etc. Instead, that gym wanted me to listen to their script or pitch before they even remotely knew what I wanted. As such, they lost my business.
Just as a diversion.....I was watching one of the Top Gear shows. Of course, they're European Car Brand centric, but they said they liked Lancias, even though their reliability and build quality were terrible. Mentioned the show to a friend of mine.
I said it's a good thing Lancia pulled out of the American market. He said they were never in it.
I bet him that they were, as I remember seeing a few (very few) when I was a 'youngun. He said they must have been imported here by individuals, but they never sold them here.
We have a beer bet. Did Lancia ever sell cars in the U.S.?
I read at some point that it wasn't good to use the car chargers on a regular basis. I can't remember why, . . .
I was told by Verizon that the home plug-in charger is essentially a trickle charger and that it doesn't hurt the battery to leave it plugged in overnight or whenever. The car charger is not as "smart" and runs the risk of overcharging the battery if it's left on too long; OTOH, it can do a very quick recharge during a short drive and render the phone usable until it gets home to its real charger.
Sounded plausible, and I did notice that the few times I've used the car charger, it works much more quickly than the one at home.
To tell you the truth, I was the one who asked for the fuel induction service. With 106K miles, it had never been done. I meant to do it when I had the Explorer reconditioned. at 100K miles---all fluid changes, brake pads and rotors, new tires etc. Was I unwise to do the fuel induction service?
We've heard the pros here do it the right way (although some won't agree). What kind of car are you looking for? Why? Colors? Options? Time frame? Do you need financing?
Yup. I got irritated (although of course remained pleasant and non-committal) when the sales person started asking qualifying questions of me personally rather than about the car right from the start. For instance, one guy's early question to me was "What do you do for a living?" Well, that's none of his business at that point. In fact I'm retired, so I just said "I'm retired, I get to spend my time however I want." I didn't say what I was retired *from,* so he didn't get to guess my income level.
That was before he had asked about why I needed a new car, what features were important to me, etc.
The kinds of questions you suggested are the kind I would have expected right off the bat, along with "what are your absolute must-haves, and where can you be flexible?" Personally, I was flexible on the exterior color, but not on the interior color, had four must-have options, was flexible about whether more stuff might be on the car than those four things, and was very flexible about time-frame - I could wait or I could purchase immediately, IF they had what I wanted.
Very few salesmen actually went in that direction right away. The sales woman did, though. Maybe women have a different communication style than men, or she just "read" me properly from the start, or some such thing. It was interesting to see the differences between all the sales people I spoke with or had e-mail contact with.
I found your post interesting regarding the sales training. For several years now, I have done similar trainings for both industry and education. I dropped the Time Management training. As you say, it is pretty much a waste. The two sessions that I have found to be helpful to folks are "Adjusting to Change" and "Team Building". I enjoy doing these for new businesses or businesses that have merged. There is actually some good benefit from these seminars. I also do a seminar on "Dealing With Difficult People". That one is good for all businesses. Many teams need that skill today.
One problem that I have found is poor listening. Sales people are so busy pushing their products or following a script that they fail to listen to the customer. This mistake can be fatal to a business. Whether the customer knows what he or she wants or not, you need to listen to obtain clues and to lead them to satisfaction. Listening and watching the body language can make a business more successful. It's a shame that more managers and business owners don't emphasize this to their employees.
Although they had imported cars sporadically before, Lancia officially sold cars in the US from 1975-1982. They departed the market with Fiat at that time.
It's most likely the only damage was to your wallet.
It's the service side equivilant to mop 'n glo really. Does it work....kind of, do you need it....not so much. If you really had an injector problem the money would have been better put towards new injectors and a fuel filter.
The jeep dealer told me my throttle body needed cleaning. $109 special. Took it to my indy who confirmed it could use a cleaning. Took 10 minutes and cost $30. After watching him do it could do it myself if I wanted to. I won't. Have an appointment for 2015.
Did your ford need the service ? If it was running well, probably not. You didn't get ripped on the price though -- that goes for $159-199 around here. Another question -- how old is your spare tire?
Well, I now have a good one that I'll not be able to get around cheaply. The power mechanism on my top on the Celica got stuck and managed to tear a nice hole in the roof. I suspect I'm looking at a new roof. Well, the rear curtain part (the part with the back window in it) just got replaced last year but the front will need to be replaced unless he can do a heck of a patch job.
I'm only looking to be in it for another year. Dang.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
richard...now, I can see where team building (for managers), adjusting to change, dealing with difficult people...those are topics that would be useful.
Time Management...All I ask is a good day's work. If I've ever hired someone who doesn't know what that means (and I have), then shame on me.
Could be I employed the wrong type of sales training. Aside from the basics ...be courteous/polite, dress professionally, know your product(s) and services etc. which are all common sense, find out what it is the customer is seeking. If you can't provide it move on. I can't tell you how many big deals languished on a forecast because one of my sales people didn't know what the customer really wanted.
Quick story.....several years ago, I had a guy who was very affable. He could engage just about anyone about our products and services, even if there were no requirements for them. For awhile, he was "gung ho". He worked hard and had a good run where he was quite successful. I'd get phone calls and emails from him early in the a.m., late into the evening (he was remote). I didn't mind. I was happy to have someone who was so dedicated.
Slowly but surely, that behavior tapered off. He started missing company meetings with some excuse or another....usually health related. After a bit of this, I became concerned as it sounded like he had some sort of chronic health issues.
He had set up a very important potential client meeting in Chicago (I'm in Cincinnati, he was in Salt Lake). I got 2 of my colleagues from our San Francisco HQ to fly to Chicago for the meeting, as did I. We were waiting in the lobby of the company we were visiting. 15 minutes went by past the meeting time, no sales person. I called the person we were meeting with and asked if his staff could wait another few minutes. They agreed.
Finally, after about 20 minutes went past the meeting time, and numerous calls to his office, cell phone and home, with no response, I decided to have the meeting without him.
About 30 minutes into the meeting, we get a call from the lobby that he had finally shown up. He was escorted into the conference room, and I was shocked at what I saw. He came in wearing a suit (which looked like he had slept in), hair disheveled, and not smelling very fresh. I shot a look to him that sent the message to sit down and be quiet.
After the meeting was over, and we were leaving the customer's office, I asked the sales person to get into my rental car so we could talk on the way back to the airport.
Long story short, and it took me awhile to get him to open up, he said he was very sick. When I questioned him about his malady, he beat around the bush, and said he needed to be under medical supervision for awhile. He said his illness would probably not allow him to work for a period of time. I told him to contact our HR dept to arrange for short term disability (even though I couldn't find out what his illness was). In the process, our HR dept turned up a recent police record (why they checked that, I'm not real clear).
Fact was, he had a serious drug problem (cocaine). He was so successful for a good period of time, he was making a very, very good living (well in excess of $200K/year). Instead of banking the money, or investing it, buying a house, etc, he went in a different direction. He had been caught with a large enough quantity of cocaine by the police, that he was charged with a felony and was out of jail on bond awaiting trial.
I got him into our EAP (employee assistance program). His information was confidential, so I couldn't find out about his progress. I knew he was in one of those EAP programs, but no details. I did find out that he had quit whatever program he was in. A few weeks after I found that out, I tried to call him a couple of times to see how he was doing. I wasn't going to chastise him. Matter of fact, I called to simply see if he was healthy, both physically and mentally. And, to offer my personal ear, if he needed it. Never heard back. Finally, I tried to set up a meeting to unfortunately terminate him. He didn't even respond to those calls. I had to do so in absentia.
What was a bright career was flushed by drugs. I never knew the whole story, and really didn't need to. Tried to check up on him from time-to-time as I truly liked him. His phone was eventually disconnected and never heard another peep.
Maybe there should be a car dealership that offers credit counciling advice with your purchase. "We know you want an 8 cylinder CTS sir, but with your debt load we suggest you take this nice yellow Cobalt out for a spin".
The bank will do that by declining to approve a risky loan.
More and more, phones use some variant of USB for charging so all you have at home & in the car are, relatively, 110V AC or 12V DC converters that down the power to 5V DC at 0.5A. The so-called high-speed chargers have amperage doubling circuitry (really an intentional short-circuit) that provides 1A instead of 0.5.
What happens to the cars after a car show? Do they get shipped to the next show or go back to local dealers or what?
I almost always go the D.C. show. It used to be in late December, but now is in late January and has some policy discussions with the folks who actually set Federal energy and safety policy, so I guess that's a good thing.
I always enjoy looking at the cars. Always interesting to see what's new and what trends are hot in terms of new safety or technological issues, as well as colors, utility, etc.
I've seen a few salesmen like that too at dealerships. Top sellers until payday came around and they'd "disappear" for a few days or so. Once they ran out of money they'd be back selling and being the top guy at the dealership.
I could never understand if it was an addiction they had that pushed them to sell, or what?
I cannot speak for other shows or manufacturers, but to my knowledge most cars come from dealer stock, After the show we drive them back to the dealership and they get a good detail and are made ready for sale. Concept cars will be furnished by the manufacturer.
Funniest comment I encountered while working for Honda a few years ago at the Auto Show.
Guy: Ridgeline only tows 5000lbs huh? Me: Yup Guy: That's very weak for a truck. How is one supposed to tow a heavy boat? Me: Do you have a boat that you need to tow that's over 5000lbs? Guy: No Me: Do you haver any boat at all? Guy: No, no boat Me: Do you have anything at all you need to tow? Guy: No, I don't tow anything right now.
In all the years of working the shows I think i have sold 3-4 cars as a result. Most of the people who do show up at the dealership have credit issues.
Unreliable, yes. But many of them were a blast to drive.
That plus the many technological firsts (I wasn't aware of them, and no, I don't remember them right now) is why Top Gear ranked them best car company.
The auto show here in Denver starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday
I will work the show Thursday 5-9 and Friday 12-5. If you are in the building then come by and say hey.
Bother. While I am off work Friday, I've got a bunch of errands to run, including going back to the MINI dealership to get the clear bra installed and delivering pizzas to one of the classrooms in my wife's childcare program as a reward for a fundraiser.
I'll probably end up going either Saturday or Sunday.
Interesting about stuff getting stolen like that. What a shame. I'm with you on the parents who let their kids run crazy, although mostly the kids I've seen have been reasonably well-mannered - i.e., not nuts or rambunctious, but they are kids and they want the fun of sitting in the driver's seat, sometimes.
I'll admit to not knowing much about Hondas, so took a look at them at the recent car show. I included the CR-V and Accord Crosstour on my shopping list only because I saw them there and thought "hmm, maybe..." Turns out they weren't really for me, but it was only due to seeing them at the show that I considered them at all.
i knew the V70 was being discontinued, but didn't want to say anything to take the shine off your new purchase. glad you are an informed car buyer. my street has 23 homes and it is practically a Volvo showroom. 5 S80's, 3 XC90's, 2 S60's, 1 XC70, and 1 XC60.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
my explorer has less mileage than your's, but i have never had the intake system cleaned. a couple of times, i put in a bottle of techron. your tires are pretty new, so unless you had a vibration, i would not have had them balanced. i would have gotten a 4 wheel alignment due to the independent rear suspension, if i felt any wandering or pulling in one direction or the other. total confidence your wife will have driving her friends to the beach, priceless.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
My very first sales job was selling vacuum cleaners (I think this was discussed before) and I was trained to do a script. Everyone was doing a script but after a few sales calls I dumped it. I ended up doing my sales calls in half the time of everyone else and had better closing rates. At first my boss was a bit upset that I wasn't doing the sales pitch as scripted but he was happy at my sales.
A natural salesperson will never need a script.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Hey, Craig! Get one of those odd six cyl Accord sedans with a stick and I may be ready to come buy it....
The front of the roof frame broke on the Celica. That's what caused the tear. I now have the roof guy calling around junk yards for a roof but I'm betting this is more than the car is worth. Ugh.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
i knew the V70 was being discontinued, but didn't want to say anything to take the shine off your new purchase.
Thanks for the consideration. ;-)
Because I knew it was being discontinued, I jumped on the first car I found that had all four things on it that I really wanted. There literally was nothing else with the right combination anywhere else within a three to three and a half hour drive, which was the maximum I was willing to go.
Turned out it had just arrived at the dealer four days before I contacted them. Shows they have a good internet department that keeps their inventory list up to date. (Sales guys: take note!!)
I don't really care about it being discontinued. For the length of time I keep my cars, it won't matter. It was more important to just find what suits me.
Our neighborhood of about 100 homes has at least 3 V70s that I've seen in the driveways, plus several of the XC-versions. Today I met a neighbor who was driving a XC 90. I asked her how she liked it, where she got it serviced, etc. Turns out she had owned (or leased, actually) a V70 before she got her current car, and loved it, said it was her favorite car ever. She needs the 3 seats of the 90 now due to family issues, but otherwise she would have kept the 70.
She gets it serviced at the dealership I went to where the salesman was more interested in telling me how to finance it than in finding the right car. She likes their service dep't, so that was good news too.
Tomorrow morning I'll be going to pick it up. Bye-bye, beloved Max. Hi there, V. ;-)
my street has 23 homes and it is practically a Volvo showroom. 5 S80's, 3 XC90's, 2 S60's, 1 XC70, and 1 XC60.
So what’s your problem Fordman? :surprise:
This is a perfect segway into what I have noticed in my hood the last couple of weeks. There must be some very good sales or leases on Mercedes. I have seen 3 C Class, 1 E Class and 1 M thing. One of the 3 Class guys and the E Class guy were driving a Lucerne.
I’m thinking there might be a Mercedes in my future.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Those were such oddball cars that we got two of them.
After a year, one finally sold and the other was (thank God) dealer traded.
Convertable tops have become very expensive. We recently had one of our S-2000's broken into on our lot. They slit the top so they could get in and steal the seats. The S-2000 was a nice one but it had quite a few miles on it. It got totalled.
What a waste.
Do you have Comprehensive Ins? I'm wondering if they could possible cover it?
They would if it got slit but, again, they might have just totalled the car.
I'm sure there are times I ask too many questions.
I do try to break the ice and find some common ground so that my customers feel at ease. If I get the feeling that my customer doesn't want me to know anything about them, I'll change gears.
Some customers are just naturally open and friendly. Others are aloof and once in awhile, I'll get an abrupt, strictly business type. No problem.
In my former life I wore several hats. From the Corporate Boardroom to the streets of the inner city, I pretty much did it all. One week I might be on a stage with a microphone in my hand as the M.C. of a company meeting wearing a suit.
The next week, I might be in a Hawaiian shirt on Maui trying to understand Pigeon English and making sure my people didn't just think I was another Haole out to change their way of doing business.
I am able to adapt but I probably still annoy some people by asking too many questions.
I'm sure there are times I ask too many questions.
As a customer relating to a salesperson - and especially to a sales *guy,* as opposed to a sales woman - it's not so much the number of questions, it's how personal they feel. I want to know FIRST that the sales person is interested in finding out what car will best meet my needs - so a question like "what's most important to you in your next car?" or "are you looking particularly for good mileage or for plenty of room?" or even "what price range did you have in mind?" would be fine. A question about my personal income status, too early on, is not.
I'm sure that in part this is gender-related. Women just learn early on in life not to disclose too much too soon to guys until they feel they can trust the man in question. That training and instinctive response I think tends to stay with us even long after our dating years are over, and probably comes into play in situations where we need to not be taken advantage of and look out for our own interests. Which pretty much describes the car-buying process. ;-)
Comments
As for the SUV craze waning, I'm not so sure about that. The V70 (and I believe its smaller sibling, the V50) is going to be discontinued after this year, in favor of something called the V60, which will be a lower version of the current XC60 (an SUV type vehicle). Volvo actually made its name making station wagons, and now the last two wagons in the line-up are going to be discontinued.
Anyway, for myself, I started out looking at small to mid-size SUVs, and gradually came around to the wagon idea after driving a lot of non-wagons and realizing I didn't like the high seating position, didn't care for the handling, and didn't like the generally worse mileage that SUVs get as compared to wagons (Chevy Equinox being an exception).
Then I drove both the V50 and the V70, liked the V70 better, and made the choice.
The Subaru Outback was in the mix and would have been a good choice too, and less expensive long term no doubt, but the Volvo is more comfortable, more attractive, and has that lower and absolutely flat load floor, so that pulled me over to Volvo.
Once you have non-plugin charging, you quickly realize how inconvenient it is to actually plug in a hand-held device. Others are getting there although they're taking different paths. My electric razor uses contacts to charge but all you do is drop the razor in the base. It auto-charges and all I have to do is hit a button if it's time to clean.
To make this at least somewhat car related, I wish the upcoming EVs would offer inductive charging or some other means of avoiding the nightly plug-in but for the power requirements, plugs are the only way to go at the moment.
Richard
Major fuel induction service, cleaned fuel injectors, intake, intake valves, and throttle body: Parts---$43.50, Labor $96.45 for a total of $139.95
Rotate and balance tires: $29.95
Oil and filter change: Parts---$20.95, Labor---$12.10 for a total of $33.05
Front end alignment: $61.95
Tax: $4.99
Total bill: $269.89
Richard
The training wasn't useless, but pretty close. Time management, filling the pipeline, etc were good chapters. But, that should be common sense. The more time you spend talking to customers, and the more prospects you have are always good things.
What they didn't address is what you do with those contacts after you have them. Anybody can pick up a phone or walk into a business to fill a pipeline. Further, you'd think that putting in a good day's work would be a minimum requirement for any person who wants to succeed.
But, most people I know won't buy anything that doesn't fit their needs. More importantly, no one is buying anything from anyone who they don't feel comfortable with.
Building relationships, asking simple questions to find out what someone is looking for seems like sales 101. But, I'm surprised at how many dealerships I've visited where these concepts seem to be foreign.
I can't tell you the number of times I've accompanied one of my sales people on a call with companies that were supposedly "hot to buy" our hardware/software/services. A few questions later, and it becomes clear that the sales person was spinning their wheels. Either the company didn't have the money to buy, or what we offered didn't fit what they needed, or the sales person themselves weren't in tune with what the company wanted. Talk about a waste of time.
I've never been in car sales. Don't know if it's different than the tech industry. But, a few questions would seem to me would steer the sale.
We've heard the pros here do it the right way (although some won't agree). What kind of car are you looking for? Why? Colors? Options? Time frame? Do you need financing?
Just like the "gym counselor"....what are you looking for (in my case, nice equipment and a nice locker room)? Why (my old gym is getting ratty)? Etc. Instead, that gym wanted me to listen to their script or pitch before they even remotely knew what I wanted. As such, they lost my business.
The "major fuel induction service" was probably unneeded and a total waste of money. Some shops like to push these jobs.
I said it's a good thing Lancia pulled out of the American market. He said they were never in it.
I bet him that they were, as I remember seeing a few (very few) when I was a 'youngun. He said they must have been imported here by individuals, but they never sold them here.
We have a beer bet. Did Lancia ever sell cars in the U.S.?
I say "yes". He says "no".
Help me out here!
I was told by Verizon that the home plug-in charger is essentially a trickle charger and that it doesn't hurt the battery to leave it plugged in overnight or whenever. The car charger is not as "smart" and runs the risk of overcharging the battery if it's left on too long; OTOH, it can do a very quick recharge during a short drive and render the phone usable until it gets home to its real charger.
Sounded plausible, and I did notice that the few times I've used the car charger, it works much more quickly than the one at home.
Richard
Yup. I got irritated (although of course remained pleasant and non-committal) when the sales person started asking qualifying questions of me personally rather than about the car right from the start. For instance, one guy's early question to me was "What do you do for a living?" Well, that's none of his business at that point. In fact I'm retired, so I just said "I'm retired, I get to spend my time however I want." I didn't say what I was retired *from,* so he didn't get to guess my income level.
That was before he had asked about why I needed a new car, what features were important to me, etc.
The kinds of questions you suggested are the kind I would have expected right off the bat, along with "what are your absolute must-haves, and where can you be flexible?" Personally, I was flexible on the exterior color, but not on the interior color, had four must-have options, was flexible about whether more stuff might be on the car than those four things, and was very flexible about time-frame - I could wait or I could purchase immediately, IF they had what I wanted.
Very few salesmen actually went in that direction right away. The sales woman did, though. Maybe women have a different communication style than men, or she just "read" me properly from the start, or some such thing. It was interesting to see the differences between all the sales people I spoke with or had e-mail contact with.
One problem that I have found is poor listening. Sales people are so busy pushing their products or following a script that they fail to listen to the customer. This mistake can be fatal to a business. Whether the customer knows what he or she wants or not, you need to listen to obtain clues and to lead them to satisfaction. Listening and watching the body language can make a business more successful. It's a shame that more managers and business owners don't emphasize this to their employees.
Richard
It's most likely the only damage was to your wallet.
It's the service side equivilant to mop 'n glo really. Does it work....kind of, do you need it....not so much.
If you really had an injector problem the money would have been better put towards new injectors and a fuel filter.
I'm only looking to be in it for another year. Dang.
Time Management...All I ask is a good day's work. If I've ever hired someone who doesn't know what that means (and I have), then shame on me.
Could be I employed the wrong type of sales training. Aside from the basics ...be courteous/polite, dress professionally, know your product(s) and services etc. which are all common sense, find out what it is the customer is seeking. If you can't provide it move on. I can't tell you how many big deals languished on a forecast because one of my sales people didn't know what the customer really wanted.
Quick story.....several years ago, I had a guy who was very affable. He could engage just about anyone about our products and services, even if there were no requirements for them. For awhile, he was "gung ho". He worked hard and had a good run where he was quite successful. I'd get phone calls and emails from him early in the a.m., late into the evening (he was remote). I didn't mind. I was happy to have someone who was so dedicated.
Slowly but surely, that behavior tapered off. He started missing company meetings with some excuse or another....usually health related. After a bit of this, I became concerned as it sounded like he had some sort of chronic health issues.
He had set up a very important potential client meeting in Chicago (I'm in Cincinnati, he was in Salt Lake). I got 2 of my colleagues from our San Francisco HQ to fly to Chicago for the meeting, as did I. We were waiting in the lobby of the company we were visiting. 15 minutes went by past the meeting time, no sales person. I called the person we were meeting with and asked if his staff could wait another few minutes. They agreed.
Finally, after about 20 minutes went past the meeting time, and numerous calls to his office, cell phone and home, with no response, I decided to have the meeting without him.
About 30 minutes into the meeting, we get a call from the lobby that he had finally shown up. He was escorted into the conference room, and I was shocked at what I saw. He came in wearing a suit (which looked like he had slept in), hair disheveled, and not smelling very fresh. I shot a look to him that sent the message to sit down and be quiet.
After the meeting was over, and we were leaving the customer's office, I asked the sales person to get into my rental car so we could talk on the way back to the airport.
Long story short, and it took me awhile to get him to open up, he said he was very sick. When I questioned him about his malady, he beat around the bush, and said he needed to be under medical supervision for awhile. He said his illness would probably not allow him to work for a period of time. I told him to contact our HR dept to arrange for short term disability (even though I couldn't find out what his illness was). In the process, our HR dept turned up a recent police record (why they checked that, I'm not real clear).
Fact was, he had a serious drug problem (cocaine). He was so successful for a good period of time, he was making a very, very good living (well in excess of $200K/year). Instead of banking the money, or investing it, buying a house, etc, he went in a different direction. He had been caught with a large enough quantity of cocaine by the police, that he was charged with a felony and was out of jail on bond awaiting trial.
I got him into our EAP (employee assistance program). His information was confidential, so I couldn't find out about his progress. I knew he was in one of those EAP programs, but no details. I did find out that he had quit whatever program he was in. A few weeks after I found that out, I tried to call him a couple of times to see how he was doing. I wasn't going to chastise him. Matter of fact, I called to simply see if he was healthy, both physically and mentally. And, to offer my personal ear, if he needed it. Never heard back. Finally, I tried to set up a meeting to unfortunately terminate him. He didn't even respond to those calls. I had to do so in absentia.
What was a bright career was flushed by drugs. I never knew the whole story, and really didn't need to. Tried to check up on him from time-to-time as I truly liked him. His phone was eventually disconnected and never heard another peep.
Sometimes I wonder if he made out OK.
The bank will do that by declining to approve a risky loan.
I will work the show Thursday 5-9 and Friday 12-5. If you are in the building then come by and say hey.
Like Fiat, their cars were junk and they packed up and left quickly.
I'm good for about the first hour or so then I lose patience.
" What is the difference between an LX and a EX"?
" Why doesn't Honda make a XXXX"
" You would THINK Honda would.....
" Why did the mess up the tailights?"
I watch them and I cringe as they SLAM doors, twist every knob and let their kids jump up and down on the seats!
I almost always go the D.C. show. It used to be in late December, but now is in late January and has some policy discussions with the folks who actually set Federal energy and safety policy, so I guess that's a good thing.
I always enjoy looking at the cars. Always interesting to see what's new and what trends are hot in terms of new safety or technological issues, as well as colors, utility, etc.
I could never understand if it was an addiction they had that pushed them to sell, or what?
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Guy: Ridgeline only tows 5000lbs huh?
Me: Yup
Guy: That's very weak for a truck. How is one supposed to tow a heavy boat?
Me: Do you have a boat that you need to tow that's over 5000lbs?
Guy: No
Me: Do you haver any boat at all?
Guy: No, no boat
Me: Do you have anything at all you need to tow?
Guy: No, I don't tow anything right now.
Me thinking: So why make a big deal about towing?
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
In all the years of working the shows I think i have sold 3-4 cars as a result. Most of the people who do show up at the dealership have credit issues.
That plus the many technological firsts (I wasn't aware of them, and no, I don't remember them right now) is why Top Gear ranked them best car company.
We clean them up, fix the stuff the people break and sell them.
Anything that can't be removed will end up stolen. Especially shift knobs so we remove these.
One year somebody actually stole the DIPSTICK out of an Odyssey.
And you quickly learn which models to stay away from. The cars that attract the dreamers and oddball question askers.
S-2000's and Hybrids come to mind.
I will work the show Thursday 5-9 and Friday 12-5. If you are in the building then come by and say hey.
Bother. While I am off work Friday, I've got a bunch of errands to run, including going back to the MINI dealership to get the clear bra installed and delivering pizzas to one of the classrooms in my wife's childcare program as a reward for a fundraiser.
I'll probably end up going either Saturday or Sunday.
Here's a link to the show floor layout.
Could you please send that link on the Model T to my email? It's in my profile.
I tried to copy and paste but it wouldn't work.
Thanks!
I'll admit to not knowing much about Hondas, so took a look at them at the recent car show. I included the CR-V and Accord Crosstour on my shopping list only because I saw them there and thought "hmm, maybe..." Turns out they weren't really for me, but it was only due to seeing them at the show that I considered them at all.
glad you are an informed car buyer.
my street has 23 homes and it is practically a Volvo showroom.
5 S80's, 3 XC90's, 2 S60's, 1 XC70, and 1 XC60.
your tires are pretty new, so unless you had a vibration, i would not have had them balanced.
i would have gotten a 4 wheel alignment due to the independent rear suspension, if i felt any wandering or pulling in one direction or the other.
total confidence your wife will have driving her friends to the beach, priceless.
Throttle bodies can be cleaned iwith solvent and a toothbrush (preferably your wife's) in probably 15 minutes.
I've never done that either.
And, yes unless you are haviong a vibration problem, you don't need a wheel balance.
A natural salesperson will never need a script.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Done, let me know if you don't receive it!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The front of the roof frame broke on the Celica. That's what caused the tear. I now have the roof guy calling around junk yards for a roof but I'm betting this is more than the car is worth. Ugh.
Thanks for the consideration. ;-)
Because I knew it was being discontinued, I jumped on the first car I found that had all four things on it that I really wanted. There literally was nothing else with the right combination anywhere else within a three to three and a half hour drive, which was the maximum I was willing to go.
Turned out it had just arrived at the dealer four days before I contacted them. Shows they have a good internet department that keeps their inventory list up to date. (Sales guys: take note!!)
I don't really care about it being discontinued. For the length of time I keep my cars, it won't matter. It was more important to just find what suits me.
Our neighborhood of about 100 homes has at least 3 V70s that I've seen in the driveways, plus several of the XC-versions. Today I met a neighbor who was driving a XC 90. I asked her how she liked it, where she got it serviced, etc. Turns out she had owned (or leased, actually) a V70 before she got her current car, and loved it, said it was her favorite car ever. She needs the 3 seats of the 90 now due to family issues, but otherwise she would have kept the 70.
She gets it serviced at the dealership I went to where the salesman was more interested in telling me how to finance it than in finding the right car. She likes their service dep't, so that was good news too.
Tomorrow morning I'll be going to pick it up. Bye-bye, beloved Max. Hi there, V. ;-)
5 S80's, 3 XC90's, 2 S60's, 1 XC70, and 1 XC60.
So what’s your problem Fordman? :surprise:
This is a perfect segway into what I have noticed in my hood the last couple of weeks. There must be some very good sales or leases on Mercedes. I have seen 3 C Class, 1 E Class and 1 M thing. One of the 3 Class guys and the E Class guy were driving a Lucerne.
I’m thinking there might be a Mercedes in my future.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
After a year, one finally sold and the other was (thank God) dealer traded.
Convertable tops have become very expensive. We recently had one of our S-2000's broken into on our lot. They slit the top so they could get in and steal the seats. The S-2000 was a nice one but it had quite a few miles on it. It got totalled.
What a waste.
Do you have Comprehensive Ins? I'm wondering if they could possible cover it?
They would if it got slit but, again, they might have just totalled the car.
That's a shame.
I do try to break the ice and find some common ground so that my customers feel at ease. If I get the feeling that my customer doesn't want me to know anything about them, I'll change gears.
Some customers are just naturally open and friendly. Others are aloof and once in awhile, I'll get an abrupt, strictly business type. No problem.
In my former life I wore several hats. From the Corporate Boardroom to the streets of the inner city, I pretty much did it all. One week I might be on a stage with a microphone in my hand as the M.C. of a company meeting wearing a suit.
The next week, I might be in a Hawaiian shirt on Maui trying to understand Pigeon English and making sure my people didn't just think I was another Haole out to change their way of doing business.
I am able to adapt but I probably still annoy some people by asking too many questions.
Hey, I told you at the time that if I had been in the market at the time I'd have grabbed one of those 6 cyl sticks!
I knew a Chicago cop who once told me amateurs cut through the roof of a convertible. He said breaking a window gets you into the car far quicker.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
What, exactly, would make explorer4x's wife's toothbrush special?? :P
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
As a customer relating to a salesperson - and especially to a sales *guy,* as opposed to a sales woman - it's not so much the number of questions, it's how personal they feel. I want to know FIRST that the sales person is interested in finding out what car will best meet my needs - so a question like "what's most important to you in your next car?" or "are you looking particularly for good mileage or for plenty of room?" or even "what price range did you have in mind?" would be fine. A question about my personal income status, too early on, is not.
I'm sure that in part this is gender-related. Women just learn early on in life not to disclose too much too soon to guys until they feel they can trust the man in question. That training and instinctive response I think tends to stay with us even long after our dating years are over, and probably comes into play in situations where we need to not be taken advantage of and look out for our own interests. Which pretty much describes the car-buying process. ;-)