Stories from the Sales Frontlines

jmonroe

If my pants and shoes weren't wet, from a leaking garden hose spray nozzle...

I'm glad you explained that. :shades:

jmonroe

driver100

Crows are one of the most intelligent creatures. Do you know what a group of crows is called? (Answer below)

New research has shown they are among the most intelligent animals in the world, able to use tools and recognize each other's voices and 250 distinct calls. And they are able to recognize individual humans and pick them out of a crowd up to two years later.

Answer: A Murder of Crows

And crows have been watched using traffic to come by and crack nuts open for them.
Crows cracking nuts with cars

jipster

I'm glad you explained that

yeah me too... no telling what you guys would have thought.

venture

The wife called me this morning and said there was a light on the dashboard. She said it was “two little squiggles with a line”. :confuse: Hmmm. I had a hard time figuring out what that was. I told her to call later if it stayed on after she got to where she was going.

She called later and said it was no longer on, but it had happened yesterday too, but she forgot to tell me.

When she got home I showed her the symbols in the owner manual and it was the coolant icon.

Seeing how the car is only two days old, I took it to the dealer.

When I explained what was going on he laughed and the guy next to him had a grin on his face. He said I was about the 100th person asking about it.

It seems Subaru decided that we don’t know when it’s cold out so the coolant icon displays blue when the coolant is cold, flashes red when the engine is ready to overheat, and stays steady red when the engine has overheated.

The second two make sense. The first one is sort of weird. I didn’t get that far in reading the owner manual yet. (It used to be owner’s manual, didn’t it?)

Now you know. :shades:

jipster

Those are some pretty clever crows. But I can't help but feel paranoid that these pigeons, blackbirds, and various other fowl, have it in for me. If I park my car out on the street, it is pretty much carpet bombed beyond recognition. I park it in the driveway the car is mostly left alone... maybe one or two hits a week.
For some reason my car seems to be hit much more often than my wifes. Maybe if I sprinkle some bird seed on the roof of my car... kind of like a peace offering? It really is quite maddening at times, and I can't write here what I'd like to do to those bird brains, for fear of being reported to the PETA people. Anyhow, bird pooh rant over. :sick:

crkyolfrt

Crows have been video taped using tools to get to food in traps set up for the test.

I have heard (but don't know if true beyond seeing a lot of poop on green cars) that the colour of your car can make it a greater target.

Back in 04 I had a robin fight with itself in the mirrors of my Matrix. Took me quite awhile to figure out which bird was doing it. It would peck hundreds of times as it tried to scare off its rival [major eye roll] (i guess that will be one of the reasons the term bird-brain has never garnered complimentary status). Anyway once i figured it out I just parked with a couple small shopping bags with an elastic on the mirrors...problem solved. The damn beak left marks tho

So FF a few years and now I have some sort of pippet (sp?) in the spring that perches on anything you leave sticking up (my wiper blades for example as I don't want them sitting on the hot glass in the summer heat) (they stay noticeably more pliable for longer if anyone is thinking of copying my habit) (altho if u live in an area of bored, delinquent street walkers u might as well hang a sign that says come and vandalize me so do it at your own risk..) Anyway, I have NEVER before seen such a load of really ugly waste it leaves after only one contraction on my hood. And the quantity from such a small bird! It is full of everything including small stones so i used to have to soak it down well with the hose before spraying it off. You might think that i quit leaving my wipers up? Well you'd be right in year #1 with this car, but in year #2 (how long it took me to discover the culprit in the act) I....hmmmmm...well...let's just say I took matters into my own hands....with leada bitta hep..

tallman1

Many years ago, when I was a young man and lived at home with my parents, I would park my car on the street. It could sit out there for a week when it was dirty and no bird would come near it. Almost every time I washed it, they would leave deposits. :sick:

jmonroe

When I explained what was going on he laughed and the guy next to him had a grin on his face. He said I was about the 100th person asking about it.

Granted, owners should read their owner’s manual so they are aware of these things but most don’t. Given that “about 100” people have asked that question, I’d say the salesmen selling these cars should be pointing this out to their customers.

When I bought the Genny the salesman did a once over from the quickie book but said there is a lot more info in the other manuals that I should read but followed that up with, “if you’re like most owners you won’t read the manuals”. Mrs. j said, “oh yes he will. He’s one those weirdos that reads those things. He even read the manual for the toaster oven and the electric tooth brush”. :mad:

I said “manuals” (plural) for a reason. I got two of them one for the car and one for the nav system. There is a LOT of info to digest in these car manuals today.

Happy reading.

jmonroe

exb0

Is your car white, maybe the birds mistaken your car for a toilet? You did say they are smart. They are probably on their first stage of putty training.

oldfarmer50

"...I punched it a couple times..."

Ahh, one of my favorite ways of fixing things. Next step would be to hit it with a hammer. If that doesn't work, learn to live with it.

oldfarmer50

"...a quarter to a third of an acre with taxes in the range of $15,000 to $18,000 a year..."

Yikes! Those must be mansions on those lots.

My town is not only the safest in NY but also one of the lower taxed. My house and 8 acres is charged about $4,500 a year in combined property and school taxes. I get about $1,500 back because it's a farm. It helps that we've been here 30 years so the valuation is pretty low.

My brother lives in MA and they also have annual property tax on cars. I've wondered who pays the most car tax. My new cars have run $1,500 to $2000 for sales tax but then you pay no more even if you keep it forever.

In your state what would you end up paying in total taxes (both property and sales) over say 10 years on a $25,000 car?

oldfarmer50

"...bird pooping on cars..."

Man, you city boys don't know nothin'. Most birds are territorial (that's mainly why they sing) and if they see their reflection in your mirror or that nice shiny wax job they will sometimes think it is a rival for food or mates. The bombing attack is a result of them trying to frighten away the "other" bird. In the spring we have to cover our mirrors with bags or the birds will attack them with a poop barrage daily.

venture

My sentiments exactly re: salesperson telling you about something strange that will happen.

I'm about half way through the manual. It still amazes me how they go on and on to explain the common sense things and things that have been that way since Henry Ford built his first car. Lawyer things I guess.

I skimmed the TWO manuals that came with the nav/ system. I usually ignore the ones about the tires, etc.

I haven't purchased a new car for two years. Is this blue coolant light doohickey normal now?

Where's Richard?

oldfarmer50

"...we don't know when it's cold out..."

When it's below 35 degrees F the temp display in my Eclipse flashes "ICE".

Like, duh! I just walked to the car didn't I? I know how cold it is.

fezo

There used to be a variation of the blue coolant light on sixties American cars. They'd have a little blue light that said COLD. It would stay on until the engine warmed up. The only useful thing it did was let you know when turning the heat on was futile.

jmonroe

Next step would be to hit it with a hammer. If that doesn't work, learn to live with it.

Yeah…like living with this new Edmunds upgrade. Talk about using a hammer, if I didn’t buy a pretty monitor just a few weeks ago that’s what I’d use. :mad:

jmonroe

mako1a

I'm a big proponent of simplifying everything.
Call it the path of least resistance.

All instruction manuals should come on a 3 x 5 card.
If it won't fit, it's too complicated.
User friendly is a good thing.

Some products are intuitive, some are not.
Makers should consider this.

driver100

that we don’t know when it’s cold out so the coolant icon displays blue when the coolant is cold,

More of the dumbing down of America. But, at least you know not to bother putting your heater on yet. It might seem a bit silly, but overall, the more devices the better, it isn't like it hurts any one.

Yes, it is still an owners manual. But the new super deluxe Genesis will come with the manual in an iPad, which they give you with the car.

driver100

. I park it in the driveway the car is mostly left alone...

It might be the color of the car, that is making the difference. You have to find a color that the birds don't like to use as a target. Maybe you need a decoy target set up near your car.

robr2

My brother lives in MA and they also have annual property tax on cars.

Actually it's an excise tax that drops every year until year six when it becomes fixed at 2.5% of 10% of the MSRP. On my Odyssey, it's $65.

mako1a

Maybe you need a decoy target set up near your car.

Seriously, a boat pier in Maryland had Seagulls painted on it.
It was because gulls won't drop on other gulls.
It saved a lot of pier cleanup.

jmonroe

I skimmed the TWO manuals that came with the nav/ system. I usually ignore the ones about the tires, etc.

Now that you mention it, I got 2 manuals for the nav system too. One is a quickie thingy and the other is about the size of a phone book. We were talking about glove boxes a while back. With all the manuals I got with the Genny that thing is almost full right out of the factory.

I haven't purchased a new car for two years. Is this blue coolant light doohickey normal now?

I don’t have that on either of my throw-aways (’05 XG350 or ’09 Genny). Didn’t have it on the ’06 Sonata that was traded in for the Genny either.

Where's Richard?

He just got a new Caddy recently, didn’t he? He’s probably reading his MANUALS.

jmonroe

mako1a

manual in an iPad

What is the purpose of an ipad?
I thought it had a phone in there, but it doesn't seem to.

What does it do? Is there a recurring hookup fee?
Does it transmit, or just receive? I'm curious why it is so popular.

jmonroe

Maybe you need a decoy target set up near your car.

Yeah that’s it.

‘jip’, park your wife’s car there. That oughtta keep you bed ridden for the first quarter of the new year.

jmonroe

Kirstie_H

The iPad's primary purpose is to let others know how trendy and cool you are.

Secondary purposes include internet browsing and media storage/playing. It's like a netbook, only with no operating system (you can't create documents, spreadsheets, etc - only view them). It is compact, with a touch screen, though - meaning no keyboard (it's on the screen) or mouse to tote around.

Think of it as a big iPod that connects to the internet (with an internet browser) just like any laptop/netbook computer would. Netbooks already existed, but Apple invented the $500 netbook.

driver100

Seriously, a boat pier in Maryland had Seagulls painted on it.
It was because gulls won't drop on other gulls.

Good idea. Paint pictures of pigeons on the roof of your car.

On second thought, pigeons aren't that intelligent.

robr2

What is the purpose of an ipad?

It's a repalcement for an owners manual and it includes interactive features for a better manual experience. It also includes a list of Hyundai dealers and IIRC a way to set up appointments via the iPad.

It's wifi only so no there won't be a recurring cost.

Why do it? Why not? I'm sure Apple and Hyundai will garner great exposure from offering such a luxurious way to learn about your luxury vehicle.

robr2

It's like a netbook, only with no operating system (you can't create documents, spreadsheets, etc - only view them).

Actually it does have an OS - no computer can run without one. It does not have the ability to create document/spreadsheet because it's not desiged a computer replacement - it's a supplement.

driver100

What is the purpose of an ipad?

Mako, I doubt if you really need an ipad. The best discription seems to be it combines a laptop computer and an iphone. Our IT expert at work thinks it is useless, but there are people who love Apple, and will buy and embrace anything they make.

You can use it as an ebook, as a phone, and as a laptop, but not a very good one. It is cool the way it works, but is really a fancy toy for under 30 year olds.

Uses for an iPad

Kirstie_H

Well, yes... but not a standard one. I was intending to pass on the information that it can't run standard programs, like MS Office. They are nifty, and if they were priced better, I'd consider one. But, I don't see a big benefit over my $200 netbook. I'm more likely to get one if and when they are upgraded to do a bit more.

driver100

it's not desiged a computer replacement

2011 Equus

And the ipad will fit into the glove compartment or into the back seat pockets so passengers can use it if they get bored.

venture

"Yes, it is still an owners manual."

That's what I thought, except on the cover of the Forester's manual it says "Owner Manual". I guess they saved $0.0000001 worth of ink. :P

jipster

Interesting comments all, on the bird pooh problem. Giving my car a Earl Schieb paint job to change the color, putting bags over the mirrors everytime I get out of the car, getting skulled with that titanium frying pan my wife carries with her.... nahhhh, too much trouble for the ole jip. I'm throwing in the towel on this one. I'm hanging a little white towel out of each car window. If those bird brains are as smart as driver and others have indicated, they will honor my surrender, and stop their daily bombardment. :sick:

Well, on second thought, the painting of other birds on the pier idea may work. What about a ceramic falcon or owl perched on the sill of the rear windshield (to scare them away), maybe another in the front? My son has plenty of rubber snakes, T-Rex'es and some stuffed animal birds. May be worth a try. See oldfarmer, this city boy still has a few tricks left up his sleeve!

venture

I knew a guy who laid a piece of old garden hose in the driveway. He said birds think it's a snake and won't go near.

I'm skeptical, but he swore it worked.

jipster

I'll give it a try. Got some old garden hose I was going to throw out on junk day. Thanks.

jmonroe

I guess they saved $0.0000001 worth of ink.

Believe it or not that is the BS the PA Turnpike Commission planned to use to “save printing costs” when they implemented their new toll increase program that takes effect in 2011. When one of the state politicians got wind of this from a constituent he was on TV making a vow that he would have this changed. Fortunately he got it changed according to a newscast I saw just a few days ago.

Get this, they were going to print tickets but the ticket would not have ANY info as to price. You had to exit the pike and take the word of the person at the tool both to tell you what your toll would be. Of course if you wanted to know the cost, “you could go on-line to get that info and you could print it out, so you really didn’t have to see it on the ticket”. What a crock. Like I said it has been reversed but now I guess we can expect to see an even higher toll increase because according to the PA Turnpike Commission they were going to save 100K a year in printing costs by dispensing blank tickets.

I think someone’s BIL will get the new contract for printing tickets which was probably the plan from the beginning. :mad:

jmonroe

robr2

But, I don't see a big benefit over my $200 netbook.

Ease of use. I had my MIL convinced to get one as she had no need for business applications. All she wanted to do was net surf, pay bills, bank and get e-mail. Perfect as the iPad has applications for all those things. She could easily carry it on trips and rarely have to deal with tech support. My SIL instead got her a 17" laptop.

Kirstie_H

I should have added "to me." I do see benefits for some people. Probably not the masses who have purchased them, but it's not my money so I really don't care.

fezo

Could be worse. UP at my dad's house he used to get turkey vultures. They look bad enough staring down at you from the trees. When they decide to bomb your car it's just hideous.

venture

Look alive when you visit there.

venture

Before I got EasyPass I always looked at the ticket to get the price. That way I had the money ready at the tool booth.

After working at PennDot for so many years, there is nothing they would do that would surprise me.

m6vx

More on intelligent crows.

http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_klein_on_the_intelligence_of_crows.html

nyccarguy

jimbres - Get yourself off that floating traffic jam & move up to CT. A few rides up & down the Merritt Parkway will make you fall in love with your '01 E46 330i SP all over again.

oldfarmer - I can assure you the houses I looked at were far from mansions. I was looking at very modest homes.

As far as the taxes go, we only pay 6% sales tax here in CT. This doesn't mean anything because I bought the car while still living in NY. Yes we have to pay a personal property tax on vehicles in CT, but the insurance rates are much lower. So total cost of ownership probably ends up being the same.

fezo

Well, dad is gone (he made it to 90) but we still have the house that we're taking too long to empty.

I'll try to keep moving.....



turkey vulture

jmonroe

Before I got EasyPass I always looked at the ticket to get the price. That way I had the money ready at the tool booth.

I did the same thing before I got E-ZPass. But since I travel the PA pike around 40 miles round trip, I finally caved into my protest that they didn’t give a discount to E-ZPass customers. So I got it for the convenience of not having to get into the toll booth line.

The good part of this PA Pike increase for 2011 is that now E-ZPass customers will get a discount. I think it is 10%. Although, I understand that as of 2011, the transponder fee has gone up but I’ve only heard this. I haven’t checked that out yet. Even if it has, what am I going to do about it? Get in line again? :mad:

jmonroe

driver100

More on intelligent crows.

Thanks M6, that was fascinating. Crows are everywhere in the world, where there are humans. They teach other crows how to break nuts by letting traffic run over the nuts. And they know to go out in traffic when the light says "walk". They can use a vending machine by putting currency into it, and I like the way they made a hook to get food out of a cylinder.

I hope El Kadha doesn't learn how to make them into suicide bombers!

fezo

El Kadha

Must be that Canadian spelling again....

driver100

El Kadha
Must be that Canadian spelling again....

Thanks for drawing it to their attention, they'll probably want to blow me up for getting their name wrong.

Should be Al Qaeda.

Thanks for standing on guard while Richard is enjoying himself in The Keys.

nyccarguy

I am really not sure about this whole idea of paying for my Mom's Cayenne before the truck actually arrives at the dealership. I understand the salesman & the dealership need to deliver it to try and "make their numbers," but I'm taking ownership of a $60,000 SUV before I even see it. What if it drops off the lift? What if a lot jockey backs it into something? What if another car hits it? There is just too much that can happen. I'm not doing it.

he told me today the car is still in RI. So it isn't here today, tomorrow & Saturday are Holidays for the truck drivers, Sunday is closed, so the car isn't going to get to the dealer until Tuesday or Wed next week.

jipster

Well, I didn't think it was actually your car until you took delivery. You could write a contingency in the contract saying sale dependent on satisfactory inspection by the buyer. I wouldn't buy either under the conditions you describe.