Stories from the Sales Frontlines

Sandman6472

My folks had a couple of these in white but with a blue roof...some sort of Special Edition one we got in Florida. Looked pretty nice actually with the bling that was added...think they had a couple of these as they were best friends with someone in the auto business & if there was a deal to be had...my dad was right there! Drove one of the late '80's version & it was pretty nice, soft & floaty which is just what they wanted.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

604doc

Put the fake convertible top and continental kit on it. :P

Sandman6472

They both had that top in blue but only one had that continental kit...looked a bit cheesy to me...preferred the 2000 model which had just the roof.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

nyccarguy

That's a very funny story. I'll bet the guy's wife was shaking her finger at him and everything. I can visualize it now.

Regarding women & not caring about cars. Back in 2002 When my Mom was in the market for a new vehicle, she told my Dad & I: "I don't care what it is, as long as it drives nice and has front wheel or all wheel drive."

She drove the just released E46 BMW 330xi & Audi A6 3.0 w/ Quattro. She said the BMW was too small & that she liked the Audi because it was bigger. She despised everything about that car so much that she was literally counting the time until the lease was up.

jipster

There has to be a moral from that story somewhere.

I ain't no Mr. Peabody, but how about this one, " Buying peoples 20 year old junk, saves you money, you can put in the trunk." The trunk of your brand new Mercedes S Class that is. :P

Sandman6472

Like your "Mr. Peabody" reference in your post...used to enjoy him & those "Fractured Fairy tales"back in the day! Think kids today are missing the simplicity of the old kids shows that we had in the '60's which didn't need special effects to be funny. "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and "The Jetsons" just to name a few were so cool to watch that it would be so cool to have dvd's of these old shows.

Just got home & passed the Hyundai store and noticed the blue Elantra is still there but there must've been some recent sales as there is only one white one left and the dark cherry & titanium one are long gone. Must've been a good weekend for the store & hopefully they'll be easier to deal with when we're ready to buy. Our Accent sale was very simple but we could not come to terms on the Elantra that my oldest wanted back in 2009. She ended up with a Nissan Versa and is thrilled to death with it still. Like it except for the CVT...it has a very slow start from a stop...takes a bit to get up & go, but once it does, it's great. Works great at highway speeds but would prefer a regular tranny.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fezo

Somewhere one of my brothers has our old copy of a Rocky and Bullwinkle album - it's a whole adventure including several episodes, two Mr. Peabody episodes, Two Fractured Fairy Tales and a couple of Bullwinkle's corner bits. Classic stuff.

It was always funny to me that it took me years to notice how cheap the animation of the Rocky and Bullwinkle shows were because the dialog was so good.

Here's a sign of how old one might be - remembering that the same people did Crusader Rabbit earlier. Same kind of stuff - great dialog filled with terrible puns....

stickguy

If you really want to mess wife traffic, you need the light bar up top.

When i was a kid, my father was a volunteer fireman (actually still is!). In those days, eventually the chief and asst. chief got cars (LTD wagon that I remember), but for a while, you had to use your own car, but you got a light bar and radio.

this was when we had the Volvo 144 (a '69) in medium blue. With a giant gumball bar on top (attached like a rack, hooked onto the drip rails). Big honking lights, shaped like coffee cans (well before low profile was invented!).

Needless to say, you saw them coming. And trust me, people noticed them.

He had the Chief's car by the time I learned to drive, but I did learn (after the fact) that my sister a few times snuck up on people from HS that were doing things not necessarily legal, and put the lights on.

probably fun at the time, but that was so far into the no fly zone that if my father had found out, she never would have driven again!

Sandman6472

Loved "Crusader Rabbit" also...that album is a real treasure Fezo, probably worth a lot to a collector but who'd want to sell it! A real treasure there for sure!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

jipster

Rocky and Bullwinkle" and "The Jetsons" just to name a few were so cool to watch that it would be so cool to have dvd's of these old shows.

While the title not politically correct these days, I did buy 3 DVD"S of the Fat Albert cartoon a few months ago. Still funny and always ends with a good moral. HeY Hey Hey! :shades:

jmonroe

...the Accent isn't a bad car...

The new model looks sorta like a "baby Sonata"...

I think the new Elantra looks more like a "baby Sonata" than the Accent does. Although the Accent has gotten some style to it also.

Imagine that, Hyundai trying to compete with the big boys with style now. I guess that reliability thing has gone to their head. I wonder what else they have in mind?

Then, while we weren't looking Kia got into the act.

It ain't your fathers Korean car anymore. :shades:

jmonroe

driver100

20 year old junk, saves you money, you can put in the trunk." The trunk of your brand new Mercedes S Class that is

He could probably afford the S Class because he bought all his other stuff at garage sales.

fezo

So today's question is, why don't more people take advantage of the opportunity to shut the **** up?

What has me going on this are some of the incredibly stupid things being said about Japan - jokes, vengeance for Pearl Harbor rants, whatever. Gilbert Gottfried said something insensitive enough that he got fired as the voice of the Aflac duck.

jwilliams2

Some people just don't have a clue. They just don't know when to shut up. They feel they have to be funny, or prove they are right, or have the final word. Kind of sad. :confuse:

fezo

Yeah. (sigh) It's bad when you get yourself fired from a job as a duck.....

imidazol97

>of the incredibly stupid things being said about Japan - jokes, vengeance for Pearl Harbor rants, whatever.

This is not the time. People are suffering. They are not the businesses based there nor the government there. People are suffering.

Also, I suspect the West Coast is next..., and that was before I saw/heard about one person saying three corners of the Pacific have had major quakes and the one which hasn't is the West Coast of US.
Just heard on one of the cable TV news channels an interview of an _expert_(?) saying the same thing and citing someone in the past who predicted the San Francision quake of 1906? using the same logic.

Remember what New Orleans did to the country through their lack of preparation with the warnings about Katrina. The West Coast has been preparing but will it be major like Japan or less. The expert I heard mentioned San Diego area as a likely major target.

roadburner

I love the Saturday Morning- Cartoons' Greatest Hits CD. Nineteen cartoon theme songs performed by Alternative bands. It's worth it just to hear Go, Speed Racer, Go! by Sponge, Spiderman by the Ramones, and the Tra La La Song from the Banana Splits by Liz Phair and Material Issue(my all-time favorite power pop band).

fezo

rb - gotta love that!

Amazing pictures - this is from ABC News. Move your mouse right to left to go from before to after. Japan disaster.

sterlingdog

"Don't think a dealership would unwind a deal on a car that has already been titled."

Well, the impossible does happen. My friend got'er done. It was a 2010 Grand Marquis LS loaded. It had 9K miles and he paid $17K and change with the old 2000 Town Car as trade. Fortunately, the dealer also sells Lincolns. This time he took the wife with him. He pleaded his case to the dealership owner while wife waited in the car. My friend offered to buy a Town Car if they could unwind the deal. The dealer took the bait. The wife picked out a 2010 Town Car Signature Series with 8K miles. My friend paid $30K---a $13K increase. Wife is now happy.

My friend was so frustrated because he has been buying cars for his wife for 40 years with no complaints. I reminded him that he had always bought her Lincolns or Cadillacs. He agreed that this was probably the problem. I also reminded him that he was very lucky to have had a dealer who would unwind the deal. He said that was because the dealer made an additional $13k. He's probably right about that.

A poster asked earlier what my friend drives. He has always driven Suburbans or Tahoes. He's a former college basketball player---7 ft., 2 in. tall and weighs in at close to 250 pounds. Shoe size is 13. He needs a big vehicle. His wife told my wife that from now on, she would buy her own cars. Her husband is very happy with that idea. BTW, the Town Car is silver in and out.

They are both good people---always hard working and generous to those in need. We're happy that this family disaster turned out well for them. We rode in the new purchase. Floats like a boat---just my style.

Richard

fezo

Ah! Two things favored being to unwind the deal - used vehicles and, indeed, the additional $13K!

snakeweasel

Canadian? The only thing Canadian about me is the Molson I sometimes insert into my gut.

snakeweasel

If you really want to mess wife traffic, you need the light bar up top.

I have a friend in downstate IL that does storm chasing, going out when bad storms come through to report on conditions and such. He uses an old dodge work van. He has it equiped with the orange and yellow lights radio and siren.

When he first put the siren in I went from his place of business to his house driving my car with him in the van following me. Well I didn't know about the siren and he turned it on when we were out in the country. It did scare the crap out of me when he did it but I thought that there was a cop behind him. He hit it a few times before I realized it was him.

snakeweasel

The West Coast has been preparing but will it be major like Japan or less. The expert I heard mentioned San Diego area as a likely major target.

One place that is likely not prepared at all is South East Missouri which had several massive earthquakes 200 years ago (estimated at at least 7.0 and as high as 8.6).

explorerx4

We have several clients based in Japan, who have significant US operations, which is why we have their business, in the first place.
Over the weekend, I made a proposal to my boss to do something to help them out.
Basically, it is bumping up the priority of their outstanding work with us.
We have have had similar initiatives in the past, but usually it was due to a client being upset with us.
It does mean setting aside dedicated time or extra hours to accomplish this.
This is a good opportunity to help out some clients when they are not asking us to.
I haven't had any feedback and I hope it is due to the idea working it's way through the system.
Let me add that I have been trying to figure out a way to buy a new Explorer.
Last week, it had a $1000 rebate which as been dropped.
There are not a lot locally to choose from.
(edit: looks like the $1000 may still be available).
With the lost volume (probably for quite a while) of Japanese produced vehicles, I wonder how that is going to affect incentives of the overall US market.

jipster

My friend got'er done

You don't seem the type to be watching "Larry the Cable Guy" richard. I thought only rednecks like jmonroe, oldfarmer... and yeah the ole jipster watched, "Let's get'er done." It is a funny show though. :P

The wife picked out a 2010 Town Car Signature Series with 8K miles. My friend paid $30K---a $13K increase. Wife is now happy.

We all have to take a vow never to let our wives read this thread. Otherwise... we're all doomed ($$$).

jmonroe

We all have to take a vow never to let our wives read this thread. Otherwise... we're all doomed

My computer will self destruct 15 seconds after this post. :sick:

jmonroe

graphicguy

kirstie....didn't mean to "tweak" Edmunds. Obviously, I like coming here, and have been for years.

That said, Trucar is a pretty strong car related site. And, it seems like it's expanded rapidly.

I go to Truecar.com for different reasons than I come here. Still, there is some cross features between Edmunds vs Trucar.com.

Sandman6472

Absofrickinlutely!!
The Sandman :sick: :shades:

roadburner

One place that is likely not prepared at all is South East Missouri which had several massive earthquakes 200 years ago (estimated at at least 7.0 and as high as 8.6).

Yes, If/when the New Madrid fault lets go(there is some debate on how active the New Madrid seismic zone actually is) it will make California and Japan look like walks in the park. The New Madrid earthquakes that occurred in the 1800s formed Reelfoot Lake, caused the Mississippi to flow backwards, and rang church bells as far away as Boston, MA. An 8.0 event would virtually destroy Memphis, TN and St Louis Mo.

driver100

The wife picked out a 2010 Town Car Signature Series with 8K miles. My friend paid $30K---a $13K increase.

The irony is he probably would have got a better deal on the Town Car if he went in and just bought it.....instead of hoping she would like the less expensive Mercury. Then he was kind of at the dealers mercy.

His wife isn't going to appreciate getting Cadillacs and Lincolns, and then getting a Mercury...it sends the wrong message...though I am sure he meant well.

I guess lesson #4 is, if you do buy a car for your wife, make sure it is of at least the same value or more, than the last car you bought for her.

snakeweasel

Yes, If/when the New Madrid fault lets go(there is some debate on how active the New Madrid seismic zone actually is)

It is supposively very active with at least one quake strong enough to be felt each year.

stickguy

well, the real reason he got away with redoing the deal is that he was dealing with used cars I bet.

roadburner

The last earthquake I felt in KY was a 5.4 originated in the Wabash Valley seismic zone back in 2008. It happened at 5:30 AM, when I got to the courthouse I received an urgent e-mail from Facilities requesting that I inspect the building(which had just been completed about 9 months earlier) and document any damage that I found. I dutifully reported that I had inspected the building and that it looked just as good as it did when the contractors signed off on it. I attached the following picture to substantiate my findings:

kyfdx

An 8.0 event would virtually destroy Memphis, TN and St Louis Mo.

Dang..... I'm going to miss St.Louis....

tallman1

7 ft., 2 in. tall and weighs in at close to 250 pounds. Shoe size is 13.

A size 13 shoe is pretty small for a 7-footer. I wear 13's and I'm only 6'4".

sterlingdog

Well, I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. I'm 6'2" and wear a size 10. My nephew is 6'1" and wears a size 9. I guess the important thing is that we are all standing. :P

Richard

sterlingdog

"You don't seem the type..."

Never judge a book by...

Richard

sterlingdog

"...make sure it is of at least the same value or more, than the last car you bought for her."

Amen to that!

Richard

driver100

Amazing pictures - this is from ABC News. Move your mouse right to left to go from before to after.

That was an amazing site to see....today's technology is pretting incredible.

Regarding Gifried Gotfried and technology....Twitter and Youtube etc have made many people famous, but it will also makes people instantly infamous too.

Before and after Japan

Sandman6472

My son lives there & he loves it. I liked the Forest Park area where we had lunch at the museum...nice city.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

Man, I'm only almost 5'7" and wear a 9...but in some shoes I wear an 8 1/2...feel pretty short compared to most in here. My twin got the height, as well as my other siblings...damn!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

Poor Gilbert...sometimes ya just got to watch what you say...pretty dumb move on his part. From what I hear, Aflac has a large presence in Japan. Will miss the duck though...it just won't be the same with another voice no matter how close. And hey, everyone makes some mistakes...give it time Aflac and then bring him back!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

michaellno

Richard, good on your mate to get the deal unwound on the GM and getting the TC for his wife.

When we bought the CX-7 a couple of weeks ago, there was absolutely no way I was going to buy anything without my wife's seal of approval. If she's going to drive it, she's going to have to pass judgment on it first.

Regarding earthquakes - having grown up in Southern California, I've had my fair share of experience with them. I remember my dad taking us to the San Fernando Valley after the Sylmar quake of '71 and showing us the VA hospital that was damaged. I was on the 11th floor of an office building 300 miles from SF when the "World Series" quake of '89 hit - the building moved back and forth (as it was designed to do) for a good minute or so.

I cannot imagine what the folks in Japan are going through .. we've heard from our office there and the building our company occupies in Tokyo was declared uninhabitable.

Sandman6472

Would never think of her not being there to pick out her own car...all I'm needed for is to test drive the unit she wants to check for any problems & then to negotiate along with her the final otd price. Hell, when I bought my Civic, I test drove what I wanted & did the deal to buy it. No one saw the car until I brought it home 2 days later. But we buy our own rides so didn't need another opinion as to what I bought. Makes car buying so much easier!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

tallman1

I guess the important thing is that we are all standing.

Yep, when anyone complains about the size of my feet I just tell them that if I had smaller feet I might tip over.

nyccarguy

I was once visiting a very close friend of mine who lived in Orange County, CA. He lived on the top floor of a garden type apartment. This is when I was maybe 23. I took an early AM flight out there and spent all day hanging out with my friend. I was exhausted by the end of the day.

About an hour after I fell asleep, I hear the sliding glass door start banging. I jump off of the couch, run into my friend's bedroom, and dive into his bed (where he and his girlfriend are sleeping) screaming "Chris! There's a damn earthquake! What do we do?"

After Chris stops laughing, he tells me there was no earthquake. He opened up the blinds in the living room to show me the top of a Palm Tree swaying in the wind & banging on the sliding glass door.

All week, he kept introducing me to his friends and asking them if they felt the earthquake on Saturday night.

sterlingdog

Regarding earthquakes, we have the Quatemary Fault in Eastern North Carolina. It runs near Wilmington where the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant is located. Heaven help us if the fault ever becomes active. Most of our minor earthquakes (Level 5's) have been in the Western part of the state...none since the 1970's.

Japan is so devastated---just no where for most people to go. I can't begin to imagine the rebuilding process---time, labor, materials, human placement, and money. It will require many years and much help from others. They are a resourceful people and will work hard to rebuild. Still, it will need to be a global effort. Basically, the civilized world is generous at times like these. The economic impact on the United States and other Western countries remains to be seen. Some good often comes from tragedy. Hopefully, this would make America more resourcesful at home. We are a smart population that needs to be more pro-active in producing our own products and services. Such results would benefit both ourselves and others around the world. Still, with China and Arab countries in the mix, it is a difficult thing to predict. Right now, Japan needs help from all sources.

Richard

roadburner

I was fast asleep when the 2008 earthquake hit. It woke my wife up right away(she is a VERY light sleeper). She said that she woke me up and asked what was going on and I replied, "It's just an earthquake, go back to sleep."
And I did. :P

jmonroe

And hey, everyone makes some mistakes...give it time Aflac and then bring him back!

Nope that was no mistake…that was stupidity.

I doubt that this guy will ever be the “voice over” for the duck again and that is the way it should be. There is way too much money involved for a reversal to take place.

jmonroe

jmonroe

All week, he kept introducing me to his friends and asking them if they felt the earthquake on Saturday night.

It all depends where you are as to whether or not you feel them. Sometimes a mere 40 yards can make a difference.

Back in the days when I was a regular at the company where I now do consulting, I made more trips to the East of LA than I care to count. It was probably in the late 80’s when I was out there once during the Summer and because we did not want to blow a couple hours going out to lunch, we sat outside at this companies patio area and worked while we ate. All of a sudden a guy runs up to us and says, “did you feel that?” One of the guys asked what we were supposed to have felt. He said, “the earthquake”. None of us felt a thing. He said that it was bad enough in their manufacturing area that it sheared off about a half dozen 5/8 inch bolts on a piece of equipment and moved it about 18 inches across the floor. That was the most damage that was done although there were some supply cabinets that fell over. Fortunately no one was hurt but I learned that these quakes can be very localized at times.

Later we learned that this quake was a 5.1. I always figured that sooner or later if I kept going out there I’d be there for a quake but I also figured that I’d feel it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disappointed.

jmonroe