Stories from the Sales Frontlines

tjc78

Richard,

It depends on the type of breakfast. Many of the bigger chains like Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, etc just have a free buffet set up with all kinds of bagels, juices, coffee, eggs, etc. It's very easy to just appear like you are staying there and help yourself.

At other hotels with a full restaurant it would be much harder to get a free meal. When I traveled to Richmond frequently there was a Crown Plaza I would stay at, because I was a Priority Club member I received a ticket for free breakfast at their restaurant.

dino001

Never. I've never seen any log book, or signup sheet. Perhaps next time I have to look for it.

sterlingdog

Oh yes, I see your point. That's exactly right. I had forgotten about the small motel continental breakfast.

Sorry Dino. I don't know where my brain is this morning.

Richard

dino001

It was Holiday Inn in suburbs of Cologne, Germany. I could not believe my eyes. It had virtually everything one could think of wanting, everything upscale. Each type of food, from breads, to jams/fruit preserves (not just a sugary jelly, real fruit jam from nice looking jars, to ceral/musli, to yougurts, to fresh fruit, to even sausage/deli/cheese (some Germans and Poles eat "lunch food" for breakfast), had multiple (most often 5-10) choices. Coffee was from this great espresso machine, but that is quite common there, even at regular gas stations. Want tea instead - there is a box with ten different tea choices. You get the picture - just awesome. Some other hotels in the region had paid breakfast, sometimes as much as 15 EUR (over $20) per person - steep, but I imagine it may be similar quality. Just this one had it included - even a room rate was quite reasonable, too. What's suprising, HI's in US (which is original country) often don't offer any kind of "free breakfast" at all- at least last time I was in one, which was a while ago.

isellhondas

It becomes a DEAL when he's burning gas.

The cynical part of me is thinking that he gave you 500.00 to take the car off the market while he shops some more. I hope I'm wrong.

Or, some neighbor, friend or client will tell him that he paid too much etc.

Is the 500.00 non refundable?

You should have asked him to throw in a lifetime of back crackings whenever you felt the need!

isellhondas

GG, thank you for that info!

We live five minutes from Costco's National Headquarters and, of course, they have a large store there where we shop often. I used to buy a lot of gas tehre but I've shied away because of some of the things I've heard.

this will ease my mind and pocketbook.

It's not 50 cents cheaper here but probably 10-15 cents.

jayrider

"It becomes a deal when he's burning gas". Spoken like a guy who has seen every possible way for a deal to go wrong. Chiropractors don't "crack" backs anymore -- they do spinal adjustments.

nyccarguy

Good luck with selling your beloved BMW. I know you'll let us all know the instant it happens!

My father in law bought himself a new car last night. After 3 straight Subaru Outbacks ('06 LLBean, '08 LLBean, & a '10 Premium 4cyl), I figured my father in law was only headed one place for his next ride when the lease was up on his 2010 Outback, the Subaru Dealer. Well, I was wrong.

About 2 weeks ago, he visited that said Subaru Dealer to get an idea what a new 2013 Outback would run & if they could do anything to get him out of his 2010 lease a couple months early (either a "pull ahead program" or if his car was worth more than the stated residual). He's purchased all 3 of his Subarus from this particular dealer. He told the dealer exactly what he wanted (color/options). They kept trying to push a demo on him. Now there's no problem with a demo, except they weren't discounting it anymore than a brand new car. Then they said they would "eat the last 2 lease payments," except when my father-in-law did the math, he realized they just rolled the remaining lease payments into a 60 month loan.

Now his car had a "dirty carfax" due to the fact that it was almost completely repainted due to hail damage. The guy who did the body work did a fantastic job. I understand that a car with a clean carfax can bring more money than one with an accident history, but you can't tell me that his car is going to be priced thousands less because it doesn't have a "clean carfax."

So he left the Suabru dealer. I told him to just wait until the lease is up in May & get what you want. He started researching some alternatives. He and my mother-in-law are happy with her 2011 Flex. He also qualifies for "X-Plan Pricing." So he went to the Ford Dealer and test drove an Escape. They were able to give him the residual value plus remaining payments for his Outback. He got a conquest rebate (for trading in a Subaru), a loyalty rebate (for owning another Ford). They inquired about the price and their salesman went back to the manager about 3 times (my in laws are grinders, sorry Craig). The guy came back with the "final price" and my father-in-law casually asked if the "X-Plan" pricing was any cheaper. He went back to the manager and came back with the X-Plan price. My in laws took "spot delivery" of their brand-new 2013 Escape SEL AWD with the 1.6L Ecoboost engine, navigation, & a whole other load of goodies. They are happy.

driver100

It just seemed odd to me. It makes me wonder if he had to tell "a little white lie" to get the breakfast.

That's because you stay only at finer hotels. Many less expensive hotels just have a table laid out and guests help themselves. There's usually coffee, toast, bagels, cereals, and if your lucky some kind of eggs. It is pretty minimal. Most of these places don't check who eats at these mini breakfasts, but I am sure they would notice if someone came in every day, or if they saw someone walking up from the road.

I admit it isn't nice to do, but people do small stuff all the time...like do personal emails on company time, delivery truck driver stops for a snooze,
etc., it's one step higher than if your wife asks if the dress makes her look like she needs to lose weight, you say...........................

driver100

My in laws took "spot delivery" of their brand-new 2013 Escape SEL AWD

Well done for your FIL. Good "sales" story!

robr2

Good luck to your Dad and the Escape. Make sure to tell him to give the sales guy and the dealership all excellents on the survey.

He should have just told them it was an X Plan purchase up front instead of having the guy walk back and forth - it's not often that one can beat the XPlan price with negotiating as you're entitled to all the incentives in place. Poor guy probably made $50 on the sale since it was XPlan

nyccarguy

I agree with you robr2 that he should have been upfront about being able to receive X-Plan pricing, but they did it to make sure they were getting the correct X-Plan price.

Everything worked out in the end. My In Laws got X-Plan pricing, the dealership moved a unit (I think it still counted towards Feb numbers), the sales guy punched a sale, the F&I guy got a piece of the action (they financed), and they took "spot delivery."

If driver's brother in law were there, he'd be stuffing his pockets with K-Cups.

driver100

If driver's brother in law were there, he'd be stuffing his pockets with K-Cups.

lol, but not really, he doesn't have a Kureg :P :P

tjc78

We had a K-cup thief at the office for a while. We figure it was a temp. because all of a sudden it stopped.

Speaking of Keurig and K-cups. I don't get it, outside of an office or waiting room environment.

It doesn't make a big enough cup for me, and the per cup price is huge. I know they have those generic cup you can put your own coffee in, but someone buggered up the machine at work with one of those.

I think its a huge marketing campaign that has certainly worked.

graphicguy

Isell...you might be right. All I know, he has to come to me to get his $500 back if the deal falls through.

nyccarguy

My wife has always been a coffee drinker. I didn't become addicted to caffeine a coffee afficionado until after my daughter (our 3rd child) was born. Anyway, the K-Cup brewer was perfect because my wife was the only one in the house drinking coffee.

When we both started drinking coffee, I said, let's buy the coffee by the pound and I'll make it every day. Well, I leave the house @ 6:20 - 6:30 AM. She doesn't leave until 8:45 AM. The coffee doesn't stay good that long, so we went back to the K-Cups.

Usually she has a 20% off coupon from BED BATH & BEYOND that she uses to buy the K-Cups. Yes it is more expensive than brewing, but a helluva lot cheaper than stopping @ DD every morning.

driver100

Although a bit long at 15 minutes (I don't usually watch youtubes that long) this video about how they put together a new car was fascinating for me. Note, most of the car is put together by robots and machines.

watch a BMW ">being put togetherbeing put together<a href="

bossman141

This was awesome. Had a crowd around my desk watching it. Many thanks!

dino001

I have seen some of it in person in Munich and then in Greenville, SC, too. :shades:

Greenville facility doesn't have sheetmetal or engine shops, just paint and assembly. Munich has those. What's awesome, they fit it into a small footprint with multiple levels, so lines with parts run both horizontally and vertically. Absolutely fantastic view, almost from sci-fi movie, especially that there are really few people there, so everything seems to run "itself".

driver100

This was awesome. Had a crowd around my desk watching it. Many thanks!

You're very welcome and thanks for remarking...I wasn't sure it would be watched.

driver100

I have seen some of it in person in Munich.

That would be a great experience! I believe they have a cafeteria there too...do you pay for the food or is it free...ha ha...just a little humor.

robr2

...but they did it to make sure they were getting the correct X-Plan price.

There is only one X Plan price and it's printed right on the invoice along with A and Z plan pricing.

Once you say you are doing X Plan, they should pull out the invoice and show you the number. Add the factory mandated $100 doc fee and that's the number.

X Plan is about .4% below invoice.

robr2

My in-laws and SIS love their Keurigs. They buy the K-Cups online in bulk.
Personally, I won't buy one for two reasons: first is cost, second is that the little cups aren't recyclable as a whole. You have to disassemble them to remove the two plastic components that can be recycled.

I like my drip coffeemaker. Luckily the wife and I are both on the same schedule and I make a small pot every AM. Better yet, I use the timer on the coffee maker so it's ready for me when I stumble down the stairs.

tjc78

like my drip coffeemaker. Luckily the wife and I are both on the same schedule and I make a small pot every AM. Better yet, I use the timer on the coffee maker so it's ready for me when I stumble down the stairs

That is what we do. The drip coffee maker makes 8 cups in the morning for me and the wife to split. On the weekends we have a Farberware percolator that makes awesome coffee, just takes a little longer to fuss with the wrap-around filters. If it had a timer we may ditch the drip machine.

Our house is so automated in the morning. At 5:45 the alarm goes off, the heat returns to daytime settting, the lights turn on in the living room, and the coffee is brewing. It makes getting up not so bad!

dino001

Actually, since it was a delivery, I got 15 Euro credit. Almost enough for one-course entry in their restaurant.

dino001

Are you sure about the price. I guess there must be couple of different plans, one is employee (lower price), another is "partner" (higher). I thought X plan was the latter one, a bit over invoice. But perhaps it changed, or I just got my facts wrong.

houdini1

We have had a Keurig brewer for years. In our house, one pod makes 2 cups of coffee. Just right for my wife and me. We like the fresh brewed flavor and the convenience of having it ready in about a minute.

My wife holds out for the 30% off coupons at Kohl's.

explorerx4

If you factor in the cheaper doc fee, it probably comes out under invoice.

tjc78

How does one pod make two cups? Every one I have seen brews an 8 ounce portion. Do you reuse the pod? I would think the second cup is very weak.

abacomike

Note, most of the car is put together by robots and machines.

I watched the entire production film and even though I was aware that robotics is responsible for 70% or more of the production of most vehicles, unless you see it for yourself, one cannot imagine the precision of those robots and the technology and software necessary to run them, one can easily forget how few human hands actually build a car.

Anyone who wonders where all the manufacturing jobs have gone just needs to watch that film. Appliances and electronics are using robotics in the same manner. It is truly amazing how precise those robots are and can you imagine the intracasies of the software. My hat is off to the developers of that software and the computers needed to run that software.

I am in awe of that film, to be sure

sterlingdog

Glad that your inlaws are happy with their new purchase. I noticed in your wonderful story that your MIL is happy with her 2011 Flex. That's what I wanted when my wife talked me into the SRX. I love the SRX but I still wouldn't mind having a Flex. I really do like them. I don't even know if they are still producing them.

Richard

sterlingdog

"You're very welcome..."

Just thinking. We don't know bossman141 at all. Have you ever wondered how many people read this forum that we never hear from? I'm thinking that it must be a ton of people. I would bet that many of them find us very entertaining with our vast array of topics. :surprise:

Richard

sterlingdog

I know what the X-Plan is, but what are the A and Z plans? I've never heard of them.

Richard

driver100

Anyone who wonders where all the manufacturing jobs have gone just needs to watch that film

That's what I was thinking too. We all hear how cars are made by robots, but it is hard to picture how that is done and how the robots do it.

I suppose robots are and shoud be more precise than humans, but still, it is an eye openner to see it.

driver100

l. Have you ever wondered how many people read this forum that we never hear from?

Interesting thought! It could be a "ton" of people, or maybe just 7...who knows?

Maybe all people reading who don't actually post could just write in a line. Let us know if there are any topics we haven't covered yet, that you would like to hear about.

cdnpinhead

I had forgotten about the small motel continental breakfast.

There's a somewhat upscale version of the "protein, we don't serve no stinkin' protein" style of breakfast provided by Super 8 types of places. It's served at Country Inn & Suites and a number of other similar under $100 a night lodgings.

The buffet includes eggs of some sort (sometimes in a very highly processed form), a meat and sometimes biscuits & gravy. It's not gourmet quality, but it is protein, and it's hot. Plus which, it costs something to provide, well in excess of the pastries and cereal provided elsewhere, and I'm happy to eat it.

I take a pass when I'm staying at one of the "all carbs all the time" places and pick up a McMuffin or two on my way to work.

There was a time when my company wouldn't hear of people traveling for them staying in some of the schlock places I use these days, but that was then and this is now -- nothing quite like using a Fortune 100 corporate card at a Motel 6, and they provide no breakfast of any kind, period.

explorerx4

A plan is for current employees and Z plan is for retired/spouse survivor.
X plan is a Friends and Family plan.

abacomike

Dad and I ate a very late lunch, so we decided to go out for a late dinner at a local Italian restaurant. So we made dinner reservations for 7:30 PM. This Bistro is about a 5 minute driver from our condo. We pull into the parking lot and was looking for a parking space when we saw the delivery boy for the restaurant throwing pizzas at this other car in the parking lot! I tell Dad we better stay in the car until he is finished decorating this car with his pizzas that I guess were customer orders.

About a minute later, the police show up and tackle this kid so he would stop throwing pizzas with the cheese smeared all over the hood and front windshield of this white BMW. They cuffed the kid and I guess they took him to the station. We get out of my car and walk toward the restaurant when we see some employees picking up all the pizza cartons from the ground and were attempting to clean the car off - the cheese and sauce were all over that car.

We enter the restaurant and the owner, who we know quite well, greets us. I asked him what was going on and why his delivery boy was throwing hot pizzas on that white BMW. He responds that the young man's girlfriend had just broken up with him and he was in a bad mood. It seems that when he went outside to get to his car to make his deliveries, he saw a car (the BMW) in the parking lot which he thought belonged to his X girlfriend who worked in a real estate office in the same mini-shopping center as the restaurant. So the owner said he "just lost it" and started throwing the pizzas at the car. Unbeknownst to the kid, the car actually belonged to a patron who was having dinner at the restaurant. He said he tried to stop the boy, but he was out of control so the owner of the car called the police.

Can you imagine coming out of a restaurant after a great dinner and finding that your car was covered in fresh pizza? It blows my mind just thinking about it!

houdini1

No, we don't reuse.

Our machine gives you a choice of 4 different size cups. We brew a 12 oz. cup and split it into two 6 oz. cups. "Dark Magic" blend by Green Mountain is our favorite. Nice and strong.

robr2

Are you sure about the price. I guess there must be couple of different plans, one is employee (lower price), another is "partner" (higher). I thought X plan was the latter one, a bit over invoice. But perhaps it changed, or I just got my facts wrong.

There are 3 plans:

A/Z for current and retired Ford employees and family = invoice - holdback - advertising + 275
D for dealership employees = A Plan + $100 advertising
X for Partners (I qualified as a shareholder) invoice - .4% + 275

Here is an example of an X Plan price:

https://www.fordpartner.com/partnerweb/pdf/sample_x_plan_invoice.pdf

Note - There is a $275 admin fee charged by Ford so price is just above invoice on X Plan. But one can save on the doc fee and although one might be able to negotiate invoice - that couple of hundred bucks is worth the time savings.

robr2

...so we decided to go out for a late dinner at a local Italian restaurant. So we made dinner reservations for 7:30 PM.

In my best Marling Perkins voice:

"Ah - the elusive personas retireus floridius foraging for food outside it's normal feeding times. It must have slumbered past the usual 4:30."

mako1a

I've stayed in hundreds if not thousands of hotels during my stint with the Dept of Defense. That thing Richard said about signing with your room number must have happened while Casablanca was still showing in theaters.
I've stayed in dumps like the Swiss Chalet in Groton, CT. Good Oyster bar with a room meant for sleep, shower and go. Then in fancy places like the Holiday Inn Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (a small island where sheiks go to do what they can't on their mainland). The towels were so plush I could barely get my suitcase closed. j/k. Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach. A little snooty with the most expensive breakfast around. A Sheraton in NJ where a lady came to give me "turn down" service. New to me. I thought it was something else entirely, but I took the chocolate. My favorites have always been Mariott Residence and Embassy Suites. Both have hot breakfast on the house and made me feel welcome and comfortable (which is all I ask from a hotel).
This is all true, but was written to be humorous, not to start comparison shopping.

robr2

I've used my room number to pay for meals in hotel restaurants in the past 5 years. I used to stay at the Hyatt Regency at the McCormack Center in Chicago all the time and signed meals and drinks to my room. The Four Seasons in LA - same thing.

Now I usually stay at the Comfort Inn now that I pay for the room - Subway across the parking lot doesn't let me use my room number to pay for dinner.

verdugo

That unfortunately isn't working the system - that's stealing.

I can't believe you - a small business owner - would condone stealing of product.

Agreed on both counts. I'm disappointed in driver. :sick:

We had a big face to face meeting for my team last week. We had people from all over the world come (12 of us, only 3 local.) I met one team member at 7am at their hotel to talk over breakfast before the meetings started. I paid for my own breakfast.

verdugo

Stiil as I said before, were Wal Mart to open, a large percentage of that 10,000 would quickly forget their opposition and shop there.

In Mexico, Walmart has bribed its way to obtaining permits for lots of stores.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/business/walmart-bribes-teotihuacan.html

It's a long article, but it's a good read. I know the area. It's a shame they opened it in that location. It'll be similar to Walmart opening a mega store next to the Washington memorial or the Vietnam memorial.

What is interesting is that the main leader of the opposition was quoted as saying that people were protesting the opening, but once the store opened, they shopped at the store.

sterlingdog

Thanks for the explanation.

Richard

verdugo

Amen dino. The US is lucky to have you.

Driver, you can spin it anyway you want to, but I expected more from you.

Like somebody asked, how would you feel if old people who worked hard all their lives started helping themselves to your books?

sterlingdog

Oh raaaalllleeeey? My,my. If we must drop hotel names post Casablanca, I've signed name and room numbers for hotel restaurants and bars to the following within the last five years: Grove Park in Asheville, The Plaza in New York, Renaissance Mayflower in Washington, D.C., Gaylord's in Nashville, The Fairmont in San Francisco, Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock, etc.

I've also stayed beneath the ranks at Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, Super 8, and Best Western. I didn't sign any tickets probably because they didn't have any restaurants or bars.

Geeze......

Richard

boomchek

Did you tell him it was a non refundable deposit? I've had people tell me before they'll leave me a deposit on a car I was selling privately until they decide if they want it for sure. I politely declined, saying the deposit is to give them more time to get the rest of the money, not to take my car off the market until they find something better.

boomchek

Great video, thanks for posting. I watched the other one too on how the E90 (one I drive) was built. Like someone mentioned, the robotics programming and engineering is amazing to be able to have a semi-automated production facility like this.

I guess the manufacturing jobs morphed into software and hardware engineering jobs. A team of software and hardware engineers can build and program a whole factory of robots that effectly replaces several thousand assembly line workers.