Stories from the Sales Frontlines

fezo

tjc78 - add me to the sorry for your loss. The circumstances make things worse but that's more or less how I want to go. Actually, I want to go like Buck Owens but at an older age. Had just finished a great show at hos own roadhouse - Buck's Place - took in all the compliments, went to bed and never woke up. He was only 76. I'd like more time than that though after the latest episode I appreciate every day.

Gene Pitney went the same way (I know these names mean nothing to you but the old guys in here will appreciate) - though not in his own bar and he was only 65. I'd seen him a couple years earlier and he still had his pipes!

I never knew my dad's dad. He was gone three years before I showed up. My mom's day was around until I was 14. He was only 73 but did all the things we now know a lot better about now - chain smoked Camels, drank a lot, used more salt than any 10 people I know.... Was still working. He was a plumber. Sat down to do some paperwork at his desk and when his sister came around with lunch he was dead in the chair.

driver - I'm with Mike. What a status symbol wimp!

Mike - I'm not big on white cars but that one is spectacular. I'll trade any time....

fezo

Oh, almost forgot. My one Mercedes was a stick. Of course it was a 1954 300B Adenauer. Four on the column. Loved that car.

roadburner

Why thanks! That's the best explanation I've ever been given!

So, have they fallen from grace since the 80's?

You are most welcome! Glad you are back, by the way.
As for your question, that I don't know. I know most people prefer natural gas furnaces, which feel "warmer" than heat pumps. In our system the air coming out of the ducts is @80F. In contrast, a gas fired unit pumps out air at @100F. The interior temperatures may be the same, but the gas system lets you know that it's working...

abacomike

Mike, I am not big on white cars but…

Neither am I, to be honest with you, but when you see it in the daylight, that Diamond White Metallic sure is overwhelming. I know one color I truly love, but will never, ever get again - Black! My 2011 was black and it was gorgeous, but keeping it up was a nightmare. It showed everything, especially water spots from the sprinklers. The Silver was the best for as a color, but as *driver knows, "older" people drive Silver or Beige Mercedes Benz cars.

This white E350 sort of sparkles - I guess they have to give you something for that $1525.00 Diamond White special order color.

Thanks for the comment, fezo! By the way, how are you feeling?

fezo

I'm tired but getting better all the time. Long haul.

I know what you mean with black. My wife's Camry is black and shows all these light scratches. Good thing I buy recent used cars. There's already a few flaws so I don't sweat them.

roadburner

I hadn't mentioned this previously, but three days after we bought the 328i a guy in a pickup rolled into the back of my wife's "new" car. All it needed was a rear bumper cover and his insurance didn't argue. So anyway, my wife said she would drive the 1975 2002 rather than bother with a rental, and she drove it for four days last week. Thursday her car was ready so she picked it up her car and drove it home. As she got out of the car she said, "You know, this is a really nice car, but if the 2002 had A/C I would really prefer to drive it."

Mission Accomplished!!!
:P :P :P

abacomike

Mission accomplished!!!

Yes, there's more than one way to skin a cat!

abacomike

I am tired, but getting better all the time

That is so good to hear, fezo. The tiredness is to be expected - remember your body is working overtime while on repair and saps a lot of energy from your reserves. Keep getting stronger.

I saw the pulmonary doctor on Thursday and he gave me an Rx for something to relieve my constant post nasal drip and one to dilate my bronchial tubes. The CT Scan of my sinuses showed inflammation which he believes is caused by an allergy(s) to one or more things. He wants me to see a specialist for allergies. That's just what I need - another doctor.

So, it seems that along with the Hep C, I have a muscle neuralgia, chronic sinitis, end-stage pneumonia caused in part by the sinitis, weakened immune system, and a new Mercedes Benz. At least I have one nice thing!

oldfarmer50

"...heat pump..."

If you have enough land (and it sounds like you do) you might consider a ground heat pump installation where heat is extracted from the soil rather than the air. They say it's more efficient since ground temps are constant in the 55 degree sweet spot. Cost more to install but they say it's a short payback.

EDIT: dang, I see one of the smart hosts beat me to that suggestion.

Also thanks for answering richard64's question on the Vayron. I understand @ $2 million+ they are all sold out.

isellhondas

Gene Pitney?

Let's see...Town without pity..Only love can break a heart...The manwho shot Liberty Valence and a few more.

How do I know this?

1. I'm a rock trivia guy

2. I'm an old fart

Why does this scare me?

fezo

Let's not forget Mecca..... Half Heaven Half Heartache....

He also wrote the Crystal's He's a Rebel and Ricky Nelson's Hello, Mary Lou.

sterlingdog

Thanks so much for that wonderful information. I can't imagine riding in a car that would go 250 mph. What an experience that must be. Before doing so, I would definitely need to purchase a package of Depends! :P

Richard

sterlingdog

"...she was drinking like there was no tomorrow..."

You allowed a drunken slut to make you switch from a MB to a BMW?! :confuse: :surprise: Bless your heart!

Richard

houdini1

We have one of those heat pumps that cools and heats. We also have a normal forced air gas furnace that takes over when the outside temp is around 30 degrees or colder. It has been flawless in the six years we have owned this house.

sterlingdog

"Are you sure you are all right driver?"

LOL! Mike, the more you stay here the more you'll realize what I've had to put up with these last few years. He's actually better than he used to be! :P

Richard

driver100

2 identical 535i's so I could feel safe driving them. It was a matter of safety and trust

Mike, I forgot to ask you, what was the safety problem in the 535s? I know we had a real safety issue with our 95 Volvo. It would stall out at odd times, like on a highway, at an intersection, etc. 3 different dealers and Volvo Canada looked at the car. One of the dealers told us it needed new rear brake pads, another dealer said the rear pads were fine, it needed front pads. Of course that had nothing to do with the problem. They virtually gave up, but the dealer let us return the car early - it was leased.

While it was at one dealer mywife went across the road and test drove a Mercedes. She said she didn't care if we had to buy a used Mercedes, that was what she wanted. Fortunately, Benz made a low price C Class for 99, and we bought one for about $35K. What a difference, between the Volvo and the Benz...but, I know, Volvos are much better today, but, it still leaves a negative impression....but, not as much as the Irish lady.

sterlingdog

I know exactly what you mean. You don't actually own a white car. The Diamond White is very different. It is a beautiful color. I wanted that for our
SRX but the wife was carried away with the black. I am constantly washing that car! It does look great as long as it is clean. Thank goodness we have a garage!

Richard

driver100

You allowed a drunken slut to make you switch from a MB to a BMW?!

In the early days I would have done a lot more than switch cars for such a find.

driver100

the more you stay here the more you'll realize what I've had to put up with these last few years

Ah come on, considering my output around here my batting average ain't too bad.

abacomike

...what was the safety problem in the 535i's...

In 2007, I bought a brand new 535i, which I special ordered from Germany. After 2 or 3 months, after a very heavy rain, usually accompanied by lightning and thunder, when I would go down the next morning to start the car, I would get a text message with an alert signal on the NAV screen that said, "...heavy battery drain, see you BMW service center ASAP!". I took the car in and they retrieved the message from the car's memory, but could not determine the cause of the heavy drain on the battery.

This went on for 2 or 3 more months, with the warnings coming more and more frequently, even without rain or thunder, etc. BMW decided to take the car back and built another car for me. I got the replacement car 7 weeks later. It was an exact duplicate of the first one.

Within one week, I started getting the same warnings about serious/heavy battery drain. I took the car back to them. They said they retrieved the message from the memory just like the first car, but could not determine where the electrical drain was coming from or what was causing it. This went on for another month or two. I wanted my money back and asked for a lemon law enactment on their behalf.

I got so fed up with this that I drove into a Mercedes dealership and just rid myself of the damn thing as it could have taken them another month to get approval from BMW North America. That was my first E350, 2008.

I vowed never again to buy another BMW. I had both cars in my possession for no more than 4 months out of 9 months ownership. The other 5 months, the cars were in the service department while I drove a 3 series loaner.

Now you know why I won't buy another BMW. Two identical cars, same identical problems. According to them, only 2 other cars had the same problem in the US. If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap!

abacomike

Fortunately, Mercedes made a low price C Class...

*driver, I can't believe you bought a "low priced" Mercedes for $35,000 in 1999. You can get a C250 right now for about that price. Are you sure they didn't charge you twice for the same car?

All kidding aside, Mercedes Benz had some big issues with most of their line of cars in the early 2000's. I think I told you one of my best friends was a general sales manager for Lokey Mercedes and he said that a month wouldn't go by where there wasn't a customer filing for a lemon law on their car. I believe this was when Chrysler was owned by Mercedes. It took Mercedes many years to recover from that period in their long history of producing great automobiles.

From what the shop foreman tells me, since 2010, the C Class and E Class cars have had the fewest problems of ant cars Mercedes has ever built. He told me some interesting stories about the 2000-2007 cars though. I believe Chrysler took too much if their attention away from building the kinds of cars they were known for.

nyccarguy

Back in January of this year, my Grandfather (89) went the same way. My Mom called him at night to see how his day was. She spoke to him and it sounded like he was sleeping. He was confused whether it was 6 am or 6 pm (it was the evening). He told my Mom he loved her & he'd talk to her soon. 24 hours later the Pittsburgh PD found him in his chair with the phone on the floor like it slipped from his hand. It was as if he was waiting for my Mom's call.

nyccarguy

Happy, healthy, sweet, & prosperious New Year to all my friends here on SFTSF!

28firefighter

Shanah Tovah to you and your family as well! Enjoy the time with your family.

tjc78

Very similar NYC. He talked to someone on the phone around 10 am and my stepfather went to check on him around 130 pm and saw he had passed. Certainly the way to go. No suffering.

bwia

...you won't be disappointed, I guarantee!!! I've eaten KFC, Browns, El Pollo Loco, Popeyes, etc, but Chick-Fil-A is the best of the best...

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I just had to share my first experience at Chick-Fil-A.

I finally made the pilgrimage to the nearest Chick-Fil-A in the Boston area (Burlington to be precise). It took 45-minutes to get there but the drive was well worth it. I ordered the deluxe (with lettuce, tomato and American cheese) and my wife ordered the regular sandwich with fries.

As others have said, it is haute chicken packaged and sold in a fast food joint. I don’t know how it is prepared but it appears that the chicken breast is marinated, grilled and then lightly fried and cooked to perfection. It is a hearty chicken breast, not the processed combination of chicken parts that other fast food joints sell.

Although chicken breasts tend to be dried and tasteless the opposite is true for Chick-Fil-A. The chicken was thick, juicy and tender bursting with flavors. And Oh! it was not salty—just right for those of us who limit or salt intake. Their sauce added a little something extra. In writing this my mouth is still watering. Now I wish I had bought two sandwishes instead of one.

My wife noted for such a large piece of chicken the bun should be a little bigger to hold it all in, and I agree. She also liked the fries which she said was one of the best she’s eaten. Not wanting to ruin my diet I did not eat the fries.

driver100

heavy battery drain, see you BMW service center ASAP!"

That would be very frustrating and I would feel the same way. I think most automobile manufacturers don't realize that one really bad experience can turn you off of their cars forever.

I would consider another Volvo, but it wouldn't be easy, I would have to be very impressed and hear lots of good things. I had a few minor complaints about Mercedes too, but not enough to turn me off if I was interested in one of their cars. The minor things were;

We traded the 99 C Class for a 2003 C Class wagon and that car was gutless. It had a 6 cylinder engine about we missed the Kompressor 4. That was our fault I suppose for not testing it enough.

After we drew up the papers for the sale and returned to pick up the car it was discovered there was an extra year left on the extended warranty. That was probably worth $500 or $600 we should have got coming back. The dealer said it was too late to change it. I knew that family, they lived down the street from us, and I wouldn't trust them one bit. They may not have been able to change it, but they could have said, When you buy your next car we will put it in your file and we'll give you an extra $500 off.

Finally, we didn't take out an extended warranty on the 03 since we didn't use it on the 99. Right after the 5 year warranty was over...like within 2 weeks, the power window on the passenger door stopped working. That cost $500. The car had about 50k miles on it, I haven't had a power window fail ever before, in cars that have gone a lot further.

These aren't major problems but might be enough to tip the balance. I don't remember having a problem with the bmws that wasn't covered, or that wasn't a normal repair from useage.

I think special ordering a car from Germany was pushing your luck. Mechanics here seem to have enough trouble keeping up with repairs, especially electronics, on the cars they are supposed to know, let alone a car they aren't familiar with.

It does show you though, how important it is to please your customer.

driver100

*driver, I can't believe you bought a "low priced" Mercedes for $35,000 in 1999.

It was the first year Mercedes went for the lower price market. I belive the cars started at $32000 but with a few extras such as Mercedes leather (forget what they call it) it was about that price. But, keep in mind, in Canada we pay much more and our dollar was only worth about 65 cents on the U.S. dollar. Today our dollar is worth $1.03 against the U.S greenback, so that makes our cars closer in price, but there is still a 20% difference in the price of cars. That is one reason the Passat is so appealing, it would cost $30K in Canada.

I believe our 99 was made before the Chrysler union. But, yes, MB lost their focus for a few years and the quality dropped. But, Benz makes wonderful cars.

driver100

Happy, healthy, sweet, & prosperious New Year to all my friends here on SFTSF!

To you and firefighter and anyone else;

Best wishes to you and your family for a healthy, peaceful and sweet New Year

SHANA TOVA 5773

driver100

juicy and tender bursting with flavors. And Oh! it was not salty—just right for those of us who limit or salt intake.

Good review bwia...I can hardly wait to try it when we are in Florida. So many restaurants use salt these days, it's a cheap way to enhance flavor.

Sounds like a great place to try...hope people aren't marching there when I can give it a try!

abacomike

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I just had to...

*bwia, YOU SHOULD BE "BOILED IN OIL" FOR RESURRECTING THIS THREAD ON A SUNDAY! My mouth started drooling after the third paragraph, and you know darn well that Chick-Fil-A's are closed on Sundays! Now I have no way to quench my desire for chicken strips and fries!

Pathetic that you would do that to me and every other lover of Chick-Fil-A! Pathetic!!!

tjc78

Driver ,
no need to wait until Florida. There are plenty of locations up and down the I95 corridor on the way down.

They make a hell of a sandwich. I like the spicy one.

They are also an interesting franchise opportunity. You can only have one at a time and the selection process isn't easy. I have a good buddy of mine who did the whole process and was given the opportunity to get one. He turned it down because it was in a sketchy area in Philly and now hasn't heard about getting another location. He still kicks himself in the rear over that.

driver100

They are also an interesting franchise opportunity.

When we go to Florida we could take the I-95, but, it is so much easier to go on I-75. But, I think I saw CFAs in some small towns just off the highway last time....I will definitely watch for them. That's an amazing story, sounds like they perfected fast food chicken.

I'd like to get a franchise for Canada. It seems hard to believe they are not up here yet. Some chains take awhile because of the logistics of getting food up here, but, other chains thrive.

I felt kind of bad for those guys that opened a KFC, Hardees and Krispy Creme in Egypt though. They did not have a good week!

driver100

Hey Roadrunner. What do you know about Dinan 7s? I saw one parked next to me the other day and it looked pretty nice. It had BMW emblems and it looked like it was about 10 years old...but beautiful. Looked a bit like this;

jmonroe

Well, it looks like the heat pump my parents installed back in 1986 is on its last legs. Twenty-six years is a good run so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

You got a lot more out of your first heat pump than my neighbor got from his.

I personally am not a fan of heat pumps as a heater. They are much better as an A/C. I had a heat pump for the second floor of our house when we lived in SC. That was the way they did it back then to get the house rated as a “good cents” home which got you a better electric rate and a tax break on the home because it was considered environmentally friendly. I could have gone with the conventional system for the second floor but I was cautioned against it so I went with their standard installation. The heat pump wasn’t too bad as a heater because of the mild winters in SC but when there was a cold snap it lacked heat because it had no electrical strip heaters. It was a heat pump only for the second floor. The house had a first floor master suite and no one was on the second floor so for us, with no kids up there, it was no problem. My neighbors couldn’t say the same. The house had a “heat pack” (conventional gas furnace and A/C in one outdoor mounted unit) for the first floor. I had no problems with this set up.

The neighborhood where I am now was built in the mid 70’s. My next door neighbor worked for and has since retired from local power company and opted for the hype of an “all electric home” that was going on at the time around here. So, to get a good electric rate he chose not to have a gas line run to his house. He is now on his 4th heat pump. Two since we’ve been here (August of ’98). He now has a Trane but has had Lennox and Carrier. Last week while we were cutting the grass we took a break and chatted while sipping a lemonade. I ask him how his heat pump was doing and he said, “fine so far. Just like the other ones did when they were two years old but if this one goes in a few years you’re going to see a ditch cutter in my front yard so a plumber can install a gas line”. :mad: :mad:

I’m not saying you should do the same but my neighbor has been snake bit with heat pumps.

jmonroe

abacomike

*driver, you download lots of pictures from your computer to the posts here on Edmunds. I took some pictures of the black Rolls at TownCenter Mall the other day. I was able to upload them to my "itunes" software, and then was able to get them into my PC softwarde - I even had one sent to the desktop.

I just don't know how to get the pictures posted to the "message" box when you want to post a new thread or reply to an existing thread.

I need step-by-step instructions on how to get it from my desktop to this post. I tried copy/paste, but that doesn't work. The "send to" worked to get it from my PC to the desktop, but not to the message box on Edmunds.

Now what?

Thanks in advance for you help.

cdnpinhead

. . .it looks like a new HVA system will be our next purchase. My inclination is to buy a system that is only a step or two down from the top of the line with a dual stage compressor and a variable speed air handler.

I've replaced both our units over the past several years, as they failed at about 15-20 years. Expensive up-front, but a very noticeable and significant reduction in operating cost. At least here in the desert, the new high-efficiency units make a real difference in the electric bill.

cdnpinhead

"You know, this is a really nice car, but if the 2002 had A/C I would really prefer to drive it."

Wow! Does your wife have a sister? Seriously, I haven't dealt with very many women who take much interest in the more sporting features of cars.

You do realize you're a very lucky guy, don't you?

mako1a

Mike, select the pic on the internet in your format. RIGHT CLICK on pic, go to PROPERTIES.
There you'll see the picture's address. (it will be highlighted).
Copy that picture's address on the internet.
Go to Edmunds like posting text only click IMG (to open). Then PASTE your pic address, then click IMG again (to close) Then post as usual.

tjc78

Mako's explanation is great, however, Mike's problem is the picture is on his computer not the web.

Mike, to post a picture on Edmunds it has to be "hosted" somewhere on the internet. There are many free sites in which to do so. The most common are Photobucket, or Flickr.

Once you have an account there (and the pics uploaded) you can then use Mako's instructions to link to a post here on Edmunds.

Once upon a time here they had a place you could store pictures here on Edmunds, but they did away with (USEFUL!!!!) feature. :mad:

sterlingdog

Well, here is my two cents on your heat pump situation which, by the way, is probably worth less than that. For this big, old house that we purchased, there are two Carrier units that are 22 years old. The advice from my AC/electrician that has done work for us for 30 years is to run them until they die. While I am paying for a little less efficiency now, I am prolonging the initial cost of two new units. It's a trade off on what you hope you are saving in equipment costs.

As to replacement brand, my AC guy has a definite preference. For years he has installed and serviced many brands---York, Carrier, Trane, Rudd, Goodman, etc. He is really sold on Rudd. He claims that they give quite a bit of attention to quality manufacturing, efficiency, and longevity. While they are not the cheapest, neither are they the most expensive. As you know, I know nothing about such things. I have to rely on experienced experts that I respect and trust. I just thought that you might want to investigate that particular brand.

As for heat pumps in general, many of us in the South use them. They aren't perfect animals. If temps here rise above the mid 90s, we have to raise the thermostat five degrees to maintain the preferred coolness. This same technique applies during the winter months if the temps drop below 30 degrees. Still, they seem to work and I haven't had any personal complaints. My wife doesn't care for the cool air that blows out in the winter months, but we manage to stay warm. Years ago, my father owned a local oil company. Our home had an oil furnace. We stayed warm as toast all winter. It was heat that you could really feel and enjoy.

Good luck on your selection. Let us know what you decide.

Richard

tjc78

I'd stay away from Goodman, but the other brands mentioned are pretty solid.

I have Lennox and hear some bad stories, but I have no complaints.

If you need a hot water/boiler system Weil-McLain is pretty darn hard to beat from what I hear.

abacomike

select the pic on the internet in your format....

Thanks mako, appreciate your response. It seems that pictures I take on my iphone and then upload to my PC "cannot" be posted. I can see why they might do that.

So, I'll stop taking pictures with my iphone to post on Edmunds.

abacomike

Mako's explanation is great....

Thanks, tjc, I think I now know the problem. Must be on a website to move it to Edmunds. Can't be on my iphone or PC.

At least I know I haven't become senile yet. I'm pretty proficient on computers, but this problem can't be solved.

Thanks much.

driver100

black Rolls at TownCenter Mall the other day. I was able to upload them to my "itunes" software, and then was able to get them into my PC softwarde - I even had one sent to the desktop.

I see mako replied and he explained it very well, better than I can. Hope that works, if not you may have to put them in "Photobucket" and then do it.

I'd love to see those pictures of the Rolls!

driver100

a picture on Edmunds it has to be "hosted" somewhere on the internet.

Good work tjc, that's what I was trying to explain, and thought he would have to do.

There are some knowledgeable people around here.

sterlingdog

I think that you are correct. My AC guy says that Goodman is the absolute worst system---cheaply used for rentals, some new construction, and for replacements when owners dont have much money. As for your Lennox, we had the same in our last house. It was an '04 model which seemed to work well for us.

Richard

driver100

hanks, tjc, I think I now know the problem. Must be on a website to move it to Edmunds. Can't be on my iphone or PC.

I think you are doing great to be trying all this stuff. You were also brave to buy the Lexus with all the electronic gear. Can you imagine how much we will have to know 5 years from now, it might be overwhelming.

isellhondas

A sketchy area in Philly?

Say it isn't so!

We don't have any around these parts that I know of.

We don't have Church's or Popeye's either!

fezo

Not wanting to ruin my diet I did not eat the fries.

What a shame. The fries are outstanding.