Stories from the Sales Frontlines

28firefighter

Mazel tov!

All the best to you and your family.

-28FF

fezo

Congrats! Good name - I have a cousin Whitney. Yours came in at one ounce more than the biggest of my four.

Ain't nothing better in the world. Send me a cigar.

roadburner

Congrats!

snakeweasel

Congrats on the arrival of you daughter.

venture

I am not sure how you get the accessories to come on without starting the car. I am sure there is a way.

Just push the START button without stepping on the brake pedal. You have to have the key with you of course.

EDIT: I just saw where that questionn was answered. I was wading thorugh 58 posts.

venture

For what it's worth - I am in the process of finding a car for my daughter so she can haul her kids and accessories. She has an Equinox now and is looking for another CUV. The Santa Fe (which was very high on the list) and Tucson were on the list, but not any more.

Is anyone keeping track of potential lost sales for Hyundai/Kia?

jmonroe

Whitney is just perfect.

Let me say Mazel tov too. I held off until I heard the good word.

Keep working…not only do you have 2 Bar Mitzvah’s for the boys you now have the honor of preparing for a Bat Mitzvah and a wedding for Whitney.

jmonroe

driver100

officially welcomed our daughter, Whitney into the world.

Congratulations and best wishes. Glad everything went so well.

Now we have bought 3 cars in the last few weeks and have a new member.

D.

driver100

Just push the START button without stepping on the brake pedal.

Tic and Venture.....that works perfectly. It makes sense, why didn't I think of that?

sterlingdog

Bradd, I'm so happy for you and your wife. There is nothing like a little girl to spoil and pamper. I think that it's so nice that she will have two older brothers. They will always look out for her as she goes through life. Whitney is a lovely name for a girl. You certainly have the most wonderful Christmas gift this year. Best wishes!

Richard

nyccarguy

Not sure how many kids your daughter has, but we bought Honda Pilot back at the end of May in anticipation of our new arrival. We absolutely LOVE it!

nyccarguy

Thanks again so much my friends! The best wishes truly mean so much!

sterlingdog

I enjoyed seeing the pictures of your new car, especially the one with that cute puppy in the window! I can identify with your having to learn about all of the gadgets on the car. It's been a year now, and I still don't know everything about the SRX. It's funny. I'll learn somethng, but if I don't often use it, I'll forget what it does. For your Florida house, it might be fun to get a used Caddy or Lincoln to leave there. Believe me. They both would fit well into that locale.

Richard

jmonroe

For what it's worth - I am in the process of finding a car for my daughter so she can haul her kids and accessories. She has an Equinox now and is looking for another CUV. The Santa Fe (which was very high on the list) and Tucson were on the list, but not any more.

Thanks for spreading the word. Like I said before…”a lot of little mouths will do more than my BIG mouth”.

Is anyone keeping track of potential lost sales for Hyundai/Kia?

I’m not but I’m doing my part…little by little.

On Monday a gal that works here heard of my problem and because she was seriously considering a 2012 Sonata (same dealer where I had my problem) she asked me what was going on. When I told her she said, “damn it, I liked that Sonata too but now I’ll have to look some more”. I told her if she liked it so much she could always buy one from a different dealer. She said, “would you buy another one from another dealer”? I said, “NO, in fact, I just bought a Subaru Legacy”.

She sits down now and says, “tell me about the Legacy. My husband thinks they are nice cars. Do you like yours”? I said, “it’s new so I can’t tell you much right now”. Then I tell her the story about going to Columbus to get it. As she is about to leave she says, “thanks, I’ll put that on my list. We haven’t looked at one of those yet”. I said, “if you really want to help me, call your salesman and tell him you’re no longer considering buying from them and why”. She said she’d feel funny about doing that. So I said if HE calls you would you mind telling him then? She said do you really think he’ll call? I said it’s the end of the month and if your salesman thinks you were at all interested and he wants to make a sale, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. She said OK but only if HE calls, then I’ll tell you.

I’m doing my part.

jmonroe

fezo

Tic and Venture.....that works perfectly. It makes sense, why didn't I think of that?

Nope. Not gonna take the bait. You can set us up all day like that and it ain't gonna happen.

nyc - where's my cigar? Ya know, I hate cigarettes in a way that only someone who tried it for a few years can and wouldn't want to end up like ol' U S Grant, but an annual cigar or two is really nice. Best accompanied by a nice - really nice - scotch.

jmonroe

Nope. Not gonna take the bait. You can set us up all day like that and it ain't gonna happen.

I’ll take the bait. It won’t bother me. Do you really think he could handle anything more technical than “push a button then watch for indicating lights and/or listen to hear if something comes on”.

jmonroe

driver100

You can set us up all day like that and it ain't gonna happen.

You must really hate white......you are really losing your chance of ever inheriting the 535!

fezo

Hey! That comment had nothing to do with the white color - and you did set us up for someone to spike it!

driver100

Do you really think he could handle anything more technical than “push a button

Somethings are so advanced they are just a total pain in the [non-permissible content removed].

In any normal car you can change channels by pressing a button. If you are in FM you have 6 choices, same with AM. Now I have to find presets, scroll to the station I want, find what I am looking for while trying to drive, and then click on the correct choice. I thought technology was supposed to make life easier.

I also discovered you turn the engine off by pressing the start button once. If you press it again it turns the radio and accessories off (foot off the brake or the car will start again).

I still take my key out when I go to get in. Haven't learned that there is no slot for the key any more. Just keep it in my pocket....this goes against all the rules of common sense and motoring for over 100 years.

driver100

For your Florida house, it might be fun to get a used Caddy or Lincoln to leave there. Believe me.

I am having enough trouble trying to master this car, let alone learning the quirks in another kind of car. Sometimes, I think that a Fusion would seem pretty good.......pretty simple and straight forward if I ignore the Sync option.

It's been a year now, and I still don't know everything about the SRX.

I had the convertible for 4 years and I am sure there was lots I didn't know how to use. I don't know how we ever managed in the good old days.

especially the one with that cute puppy

Gigi is a cutey. She likes to sleep in until 10 in the morning. She goes to work with us every day, and likes to sleep all day.

fezo

I like to sleep until 10 as well. My wife thinks I'm a cutie.....

roadburner

Somethings are so advanced they are just a total pain in the [non-permissible content removed].

Since 2001 BMW has been on a crusade to fix what isn't broken; turn signal switch, radio interface, eliminating the dipstick- and the list goes on. The 1 Series and # Series have managed to escape the most egregious "improvements", which is yet another reason I would no longer consider a new 5 Series(M5 excepted).

oldfarmer50

"...get a used Caddy or Lincoln to leave there..."

I'm on it!

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/ctd/2728385918.html

I know driver100 likes white.

driver100

That comment had nothing to do with the white color - and you did set us up for someone to spike it!

All right, I'll put you back on the possible list (you are number 218).

fezo

AH! That's more like it! Heck, that's probably higher on the list that I was before...

Meanwhile, I'd check out oldfarmer's advice. Even though it's a Caddy it has a Lincoln Lawyer kind of a vibe to it that you could really enjoy....

driver100

..get a used Caddy or Lincoln to leave there..

Oh, perfect! I'll fit right in down there with one of those.

tjc78

I'm on it!

Never was a fan of that particular Caddy. It has to be the stacked headlights.

I think this would be the perfect Driver100 Florida car:

driver100

I think this would be the perfect Driver100 Florida car:

I like that one.......I would fit right in, I see about 50 of those every day in Florida.

driver100

Even though it's a Caddy it has a Lincoln Lawyer kind of a vibe to it that you could really enjoy....

I love those square Lincoln's that the Lincoln Lawyer uses. He even has his office in his car. Now you're talking

fezo

Yeah, of you could work out of one of those you might never fully retire.

explorerx4

nyc, congrats on the birth of your daughter!
Glad everyone is healthy.
So many good times to look forward to.

explorerx4

My '02 Explorer has 'puddle lights' built into the side mirrors.
I like having them, but I'm not sure why.
It does make it easier to find your vehicle in the dark and they do light up the front door area.
I do check them at times, to make sure they are out after I lock it up.

sterlingdog

"I am having enough trouble trying to master this car, let alone learning the quirks in another kind of car."

If you buy a Towncar, it's so simple. You just crank the car with a real key, turn on air or heat, push the button for your radio, put the car in gear, and off you go. It won't even cut off on you at traffic lights. :P Your new car would drive me crazy---brake/accelerator, brake/acelerator, etc. Also, how can that be good for any engine? In addition, why woud any car maker create difficulty in using a radio? If I had trouble finding AM/FM, I would be doomed from the start. Are the power seats complicated? Bet they have an eject button hiding some place. Better be careful.

Richard

sterlingdog

I liked those lights on my '03 Explorer as well. I also liked the fog lights. I would ride around with them turned on in good weather. I just thought that they looked cool.

Richard

sterlingdog

Good for you. As you may remember, it was the evil Toyota dealer who brought me to this site. I never miss a chance to "trash" this dealer to others. It's not Toyotas that I dislike; it's just this dealer. I'm proud to say that I have caused a few people to go in another direction. There is another Toyota dealer 30 miles from here. I sent my nephew's wife to that one to make her purchase. Word of mouth does have an impact.

Richard

sterlingdog

I would be happy to park that one in my garage.

Richard

venture

The Pilot is on the list although I don't think she wants to spend that much. The CR-V is also on the list and the price, as well as the size, is more in line with what she is looking for.

She has 2 kids. A boy who will be 8 next month and is a little gentleman and a 4 1/2 year-old girl who is the apple of my eye and a hellion.

venture

I still take my key out when I go to get in. Haven't learned that there is no slot for the key any more.

You think that's bad? Wait until you have had the car for a while. When you drive your wife's car (if she will let you), you will get in and still have the key in your pocket and have to try to get it out while sitting in the seat.

I assume you lock the 535 by just pushing a button near the door handle and never have to get the key out of your pocket?

driver100

Towncar, it's so simple. You just crank the car with a real key, turn on air or heat, push the button for your radio, put the car in gear, and off you go.

I still have a long ways to go, but, believe it or not, you do get used to a lot of the new eccenticities of the new car. I will bet, these will become the new normal for all cars in the future. Cars won't have keys, they will shut off when you are idling, radio and navigation will all be computer driven. Any one driving a Cadillac Calais or Lincoln Town Car will be considered a dinosaur.

My cell phone, which I use on average 2X a month, is still the old clam shell kind. Every one now has the newer flat square kind. My wife seldom uses her cell but she got the new kind so she won't become extinct. Now she texts the grandchildren.

I am learning each day and it is complicated in the same way as operating a TV with a cable box. Remember trying to play a DVD the first time and trying to figure out which HDML or component device you had to use. Once you master it you do feel a sense of accomplishment....similar to when I fixed the water pump thing in the toilet last week! :sick:

driver100

When you drive your wife's car (if she will let you), you will get in and still have the key in your pocket

LOL....I am sure that is exactly what will happen, I will have to get out of her car to get the key out of my pocket.

I must have got in and out of my car about 12X yesterday, every time I got the key out of my pocket before I realized I didn't need it. Sometimes I even started looking for the slot in the dash.

Yes, you can lock it by waving your hand over the door handle.

One good thing about this, my wife will be less inclined to want to use my car now....hmmm, this might have some advantages.

[Deleted User]

My Dodge Journey has recently added the nifty feature of randomly locking, unlocking, and starting itself. Talk about Hal from the film A Space Odyssey. "I'm sorry, Ty, I can't allow you to shut me off."

-Ty

driver100

nifty feature of randomly locking, unlocking, and starting itself.

Maybe you inadvertently picked the "Do whatever you want at Random" mode of your computer. That's the key when you don't want to be bored.

Is it really doing things on it's own? I sure don't want to own a car with this much electronics after the warranty period is up, unless I bought an extended warranty. I would never have bought a car with this much that can go wrong unless it had a bumper to bumper warranty......and, I won't be trying to change my own oil, that's for sure.

jmonroe

....similar to when I fixed the water pump thing in the toilet last week!

Atta boy. We now have another plumber in here. I think that makes 3 so far. Pretty soon it’ll be a water heater you’re telling us about. To be prepared for that job, I can give you a couple tips on what torch to buy. Then you can get a discount from our poster buddy nyccarguy/plumber.

Just don't take any tips from me on how to make entries into a DIY "oil log sheet".

jmonroe

robr2

Then you can get a discount from our poster buddy nyccarguy/plumber.

Actually he sells plumbing supplies like I do. We don't get our hands dirty except on the weekends.

I have replaced 3 water heaters, plenty of WC's and faucetry over the years. But the way the rough stuff is supposed to work I've never quite gotten. Besides here in MA, you're not allowed to do your own plumbing work. Electrical is fine. The town doesn't care if you burn your house down but screwing up the public water supply in case of a backflow is looked down upon.

fezo

In its own strange way I understand that. We got a notice from the town about the water. Back in September when they ran the routine tests and out of 20 samples 3 flunked. They said no worries unless you have a compromised immune system Since I have a very compromised immune system this was unnerving to say the least. I had to pay thousands to get a mandatory hookup to the town water and now get a quarterly bill for what I used to get for free.

OK - here's a car related question for the gang. I know I've seen it addressed somewhere on the boards before. Our 12 year old Accord has all sorts of glazing in the headlight covers. I seem to remember that toothpaste will take care of it as well as something specially made for the purpose. Anybody remember what you do for this?

houdini1

A new baby is always the most amazing thing. You are in for a lifetime of good times !!! Congratulations to you, your wife and boys !

robr2

OK - here's a car related question for the gang. I know I've seen it addressed somewhere on the boards before. Our 12 year old Accord has all sorts of glazing in the headlight covers. I seem to remember that toothpaste will take care of it as well as something specially made for the purpose. Anybody remember what you do for this?

I know both 3M and Mother's make kits for polishing the headlights. It's some sort of polish and a polisher for your drill.

I've also seen a commericial for a magical liquid that just wipes on and wipes off. It's 19.99 but wait you'll get a second one at no extra charge. That means you'll have to do a second car and get double pissed because it won't work on taht one either.

fezo

But wait! There's more.....

boomchek

Congrats on your baby daughter. It seems like only a few short months ago our son was born but he already turned two. Times flies, enjoy every minute!

boomchek

If I were you I'd find new replacements on ebay or craigslist if none of the creams and liquids work. But buy the time you try all of them you might have spent the same amount as replacing the headlights. Or go visit an auto wrecker. Just my thoughts.