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Comments
So your bil copped a free breakfast. Big deal. I agree, move on.
I agree, houdini! *driver isn't responsible for his BIL's actions any more than I am responsible for my father's actions.
Dad sees only peripherally - he can't see straight ahead because of the macular degeneration of his retinas. But he manages with magnifying lenses and lots of light. Let me tell you what he spends time doing.
He and the neighbors have only one thing they look forward to each day (except for Sundays and very soon, Saturdays) - and that is the mail delivery. 99% of the daily mail is made up of flyers from food chains, postcards from the casinos to come in for a free lunch and $100 worth of free play, the local monthly community magazine, and other trash. But Dad gets special things in the mail that few people get - coupons from manufacturers for "free" stuff. I asked him the other day why they send him coupons for so much free stuff. He tells me he is just lucky.
Last week, I was coming home from physical therapy, so I decided to pick up the mail to save him a trip downstairs. I see 4 envelopes addressed to him from various manufacturers. I go upstairs and sat down with him to look over the mail so he wouldn't have to struggle with his magnifying lenses and bright light. He asks what's for him. I tell him and he immediately grabs the envelopes and tells me it's his mail. That provoked in me an alarm telling me something is very fishy here. I sat him down and got angry with him asking him to give me those envelopes back. After some aggravating moments, he hands them back reluctantly.
I open the envelopes, one by one, and inside each is an apologetic letter from a manufacturer stating they were sorry to hear that their product did not meet with my Dad's expectations and had enclosed a coupon for one or two free items he had complained about. I asked him how long he had been doing this and he responds that he's done this for a couple of years. I always wondered how he got do many "free" coupons and now I knew. He would call the 800 numbers of various companies that produce products he eats or uses and complains that there was something wrong with the product. They then send him a free coupon for a replacement. That's when I hit the ceiling. I ask WHY DO YOU DO THAT? WHY DO YOU LIE TO COMPANIES TO TRICK THEM? He responded that he gets lots of free stuff. I shout at him and tell him that is indirectly stealing from a company by lying to them. I told him if he ever does that again I am leaving him!
He promises not to do it any more, but I will rip up any free coupons he gets in the mail with any apology letters from the company.
He actually saw nothing wrong with what he did. He said that the companies overcharge for their products, etc. I told him that it is his choice whether to purchase their products if the are not worth what he paid. Further, that he lied to get something for nothing - that it was immoral to do that.
At least I now know why he got so many coupons addressed to him. I should have sensed something was going on when he got so many coupons, but I never questioned him about it.
I have called a company or two in my life when there was a problem with their product, but at least there was actually a problem. What *driver's BIL did was, in retrospect no different from what my father did. It was wrong because it is unethical.
Now, my Dad and I are moving on from this as we should all move on from what *driver's BIL may have done. *driver is no more responsible for his BIL's actions than I am responsible for my father's actions. Let's all move on!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Richard
That sentence really says it all.
Your father's hobby is very similar.....he is doing something and he doesn't realize it is wrong. You have done all you can do, and hope it stops. But older people often aren't aware of what they are doing.
My mother was extra careful with her money. She had a lot of pain, and she would listen to info programs that are on the radio during the night. They sell all kinds of vitamins and natural stuff that will cure all your pain. So she orders a bottle of vitamins and there is a money back guaranty.
But, she sets the bottle aside until she has more time to deal with it, she forgets and she doesn't pay by the due date. So now, they want $60 for these mega-huge vitamin pills. First I wrote to the radio station and told them it was irresponsible for them to let these snake oil salesman sell stuff to old people on their radio station - talk about unethical. They denied responsibility, they just sell the time, it is the only way they can make money from advertising during the night. So, I had to write to the company and tell them they have no business sending mega-vitamins with about 10X your daily requirement in each pill to a 92 year old woman and if her doctor knew about it he would tell them they were out of their minds.
They agreed to let me off the hook if I sent the bottle back immediately. I sent it by courier, took lots of pictures for proof, and it cost me $45 to return the pills. The whole thing cost me a lot more than that in time and stress, but, I wanted to get her money back so she wouldn't worry about it.
She sometimes talked about ordering things when she heard about some miracle cure but I told her next time she is on her own, I am not going to return pills again.
I have to say, she didn't do it again, but I am sure she was thinking about it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What a great idea....maybe paying the lowest taxes will be the law.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
From all the wonderful things you have told us about him, I am sure that overall he is a great guy and an outstanding father.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Driver, I laughed out loud when I read that line.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
From all the wonderful things you have told us about him, I am sure that overall he is a great guy and an outstanding father.
Of course he's a great guy - very caring and very loving. But sometimes he does things that are just plain wrong. If I don't impress upon him how wrong it is and threaten to leave (which I could never do to him), he will continue to call companies and lie to them. If I don't raise my voice and rant and rave, he forgets we had the conversation. His dementia causes him to forget most things that he experiences. He'll ask me the same question over and over, even after I've answered it 5 times, and this is within 24 hours. His doctor's told me that when I need to get his attention and have him remember more, I have to make a big deal out of it.
Unless you have personally had to deal with, and live with, a 90 year old with advancing affective dementia, you could not understand why I made a big deal out of what he was doing. You also need to know that he is quite wealthy and is the last person who needs to lie to get free stuff.
I'm doing the very best I can here with absolutely no help from anyone else. I talk to his neurologist and his other doctors frequently so I know what to do and when to do it. Remember, at times he is like a 2 year old child. He asks me every morning if we are going out walking and how he should dress. I refuse to answer his question about dressing. I say to him, "...Dad, go out the door onto the terrace and decide how you should dress today." If I tell him everything he should do, he won't think for himself and his dementia will take over his whole consciousness.
But I so understand what you are trying to say. I would not be here cooking, cleaning, washing dishes and taking care of his every need unless I loved him and he was not able to show his love, affection and appreciation. He was, and still is my best friend!!!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Anyway, you all are a great group and I enjoy getting to know you in this virtual world. I do have one question though. When I found this forum years ago there were not only more "sales stories" but also much more commentary from salespeople. I imagine it was one of my periods when I strayed away as I never got the full story as to why that activity ceased, but I've picked up on a vibe or two that something big must have happened which led the forum down a different path. I just don't see many stories or perspectives from actual salespeople anymore and have been curious about that for awhile. If that's a taboo topic that would open up a large can of worms, forget I asked!
Glad to be here.
2024 Ram 1500 Longhorn, 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2019 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 2016 Kia Optima SX, 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
Nice to hear a new voice and I hope you will contribute when you feel like it. Today we have 3 retired car salespeople and forgive me if I left someone out, Mike, Boomer and Isell.
I think some of the others who were actively selling cars had to give it up for one reason or another. Joel, who sold Fords in Florida was told not to do it any more by his manager - he was good, always explained whatever we asked (like Mike does now). Moo was selling Porches I believe, but he was kind of moody and I don't think business was too good when he left. And the Rover guy, British Rover?, I think was in a sales slump. Off the top of my head that is what I can remember.
Maybe competition is so fierce, that the actual working salespeople can no longer afford the time. Maybe management has caught on and discourages them.
Those are just my random thoughts. Maybe when we go out looking at cars we should tell the salespeople to check this site...they can keep up on the latest trends inwhat consumers are saying, and may find out what kind of coffee maker works best.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Nice to hear a new voice and I hope you will contribute when you feel like it. Today we have 3 retired car salespeople and forgive me if I left someone out, Mike, Boomer and Isell.
I think some of the others who were actively selling cars had to give it up for one reason or another. Joel, who sold Fords in Florida was told not to do it any more by his manager - he was good, always explained whatever we asked (like Mike does now). Moo was selling Porches I believe, but he was kind of moody and I don't think business was too good when he left. And the Rover guy, British Rover?, I think was in a sales slump. Off the top of my head that is what I can remember.
Maybe competition is so fierce, that the actual working salespeople can no longer afford the time. Maybe management has caught on and discourages them.
Those are just my random thoughts. Maybe when we go out looking at cars we should tell the salespeople to check this site...they can keep up on the latest trends inwhat consumers are saying, and may find out what kind of coffee maker works best.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I guess you were so intent on making sure you covered everything appropriately that you "double posted" your "post'! I think I've done that once or twice.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I second *driver's welcome, *js06gn! I was a salesman and a sales manager at two different dealerships down here in south Florida after I retired from public and private administrative education. The problem is, I've posted tons of stories over the past year about the business and my experiences. Unfortunately, I can't remember them all. Every so often I remember a customer or a situation after my memory has been jogged by one of our posters. All of us here buy lots of cars and we share those experiences as well.
We are always in the side here monitoring posts in case a passerby or "watcher" such as yourself has a question or two. We'd be more than happy to assist you or anyone else - all you have to do is post your question.
We are always ready and eager to answer questions about negotiations, car research, pricing, incentives and rebates, the inner workings behind the scenes at car dealerships, dealer fees, how to get the best deal, when to stay and bargain and when to get up and walk out of the dealership, etc.
I guess we haven't had many posters check in to ask those question, but since all of us here share stories about almost anything and everything, we sometimes forget that there are lots of people who view this forum but don't see much about sales stories. I, for one, apologize for that.
What you can do at any time is ask any question related to car buying and there are many of us who will put our two cents worth into answering your question. You can also review the many posts over the past year and you will find tons of stories about car buying and selling.
Always feel free to jump in to any discussion or start a discussion of your own. I for one am here to answer and/or provide expertise about almost anything pertaining to car buying or selling. I know I speak for everyone here! Welcome to the forum!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Long story short, a new poster came in here with some "wild" tales of his time in the business. He was quite abrasive, and become nasty with a regular here. Things got out of hand (on both ends), and well the forum got shut down for a good while.
It was re-opened and more or less is now a "lounge" of sorts. If you notice we never show up on the right hand side "Most popular in forums", despite having the highest post count.
I don't believe we have any active salesman in the forum any longer. Isell, is retired, Boomchek moved on, British Rover doesn't seem to post anymore, Mackabee lost his battle with cancer, Madmanmoo, GreanPea, Joel are all MIA. Abacomike is a recent addition to the group and his knowledge of the industry is immense,
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
I have done it a few times lately but I caught it the other times. I have been a little lazy and haven't rebooted the laptop for awhile, and if I don't do that it does some wierd things. When I do italics it often double clicks and puts my whole message in italics.
I will try to be more careful...it isn't a case of thinking that what I have to say is so important that I think it should be repeated.
Sorry to those environmentalists who don't like me using up extra cyberspace, it was an accident.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
:P
Not to get this started again, as I promised no more posts on this.
I didn't hold driver responsible for his BIL's actions. Apologies if you thought I implied that.
Let's carry on, and move on to the next tangent.
Thank you. I won't reply directly about that particular discussion, but I am glad we had it. It made me think about what is honesty and where do you draw the line. I guess there are different degrees that are acceptable at different times, and depending on the situation.
When I worked for a large publishing firm we had a salesman who was found cheating on his expense report (I know, you are shocked). You know how you record your phone bill once a month and hand it in with your expenses which we did twice a month. He would photocopy it and hand it in twice a month. He would fill up his wifes car, sons car, and his boat (he lived in Florida) and hand in all the receipts as his own.
Another trick he had...this was before computers. He would go out of town, check into a motel for 4 days, pay cash and get a receipt. After doing his work in one day, he would tell the desk clerk at the hotel he had a family emergency, could he get a refund for the nights not used, and he would come back the next time.
He was caught after many years on the duplicate telephone receipts. Now, that is dishonest.
Like I say, I try to live as honestly as I can. But people exaggerate when they tell stories. Some surveys suggest we tell about 6 lies a day. The biggest being the answer to "How are you today?"
Like I say, I am glad we had the conversation, it is worth thinking about what our values really are, and what is important.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When I first came here, there were more salesmen than consumers. The guys were very nice and offered much help to those of us not in the know. We've had a few "flash in the pan" types who didn't stay here very long. Those who are mean spirited and arrogant (both salesmen and consumers) leave quickly because the rest of us don't tolerate those personalities. It's a nice place to visit and converse on most any topic. Posters don't buy and sell cars every day, so we enjoy filling in the blank spaces with other useful information. Still, we all get excited when a "car story" develops.
We're always happy to have new posters, and we certainly welcome you to our group. Feel free to post as much or as little as you like. It's nice to know that people are at least "lurking" out there and enjoying this forum. A few of us have become friends outside of this forum. We also do private emails. It's a nice place to make new friends.
Richard
Thanks for checking in.....it's nice to know the site is of interest to others besides the regulars.
Joel was excellent and gave detailed insightful answers. Now that you mention it, Nashville sounds right! You have been here awhile! He answered everything just like our retired ex's do now. Moo went off in a huff but, I think selling Porches was tough during the deep part of the recession (I am not saying it is over).
There was a Ford guy too, not Joel, but he didn't like some of the comments being made about the latest version of the Taurus.
A few have come and gone over the years. Thanks for letting us know you are here.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Management discovered one of their best sales people was doing the same job for another company in a different industry. He was collecting the sames expenses from both companies, had two company cars (the other driven by his wife) and collecting two checks and benefits. He was located halfway across the country but his other employer was only 12 miles away from us. He coordinated visits back east so he could show his face at both.
Both companies coordinated the firing. One sales manager planned a field visit. When the sales person went to pick up him up at the hotel, the sales manager from the other company was sitting in the lobby as well. The sales person was fired and they went back to his house to get back all the company equipment and files and drove the cars back to Boston.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
When my stepdad was in his declining months he would get constant mail begging for money for one cause or another. Sometimes they would attach a dollar bill for "postage" to make him feel indebted.
And, it worked! I found out he was sending bogus orginazations money every month. 10.00 here, 10.00 there. So they sold his info to other companies.
Finally, I had all of his mail directed to me.
I would stuff those return envelopes full of Monopoly money, and paper, making sure they wre overweight and they would be "postage due".
It didn't take long before those mailings stopped!
If there was some way to do such "backfire" scheme on spam email, i.e. stuff their mailboxes with some overweight crap and make the spammers pay extra fees for data, perhaps we would all see less of it. One could dream.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
It's a neat place to hang.
We've lost some due to passing on (our good friend, Mackabee). Others retired (isellhondas, abacomike). Others are either out of the business, or quite posting.
I saw a post about sales people. While I'm in marketing, a little while ago, I also had responsibility for a sales staff, too. I will disagree with some of the thoughts I've seen posted here. In particular, that sales people don't know their respective company's business. They do....all too keenly. If they don't, they won't be very successful.
However, it is true that if they don't sell to expectations, they won't be employed very long. I know the amount of stress I put on my people when I managed them. They didn't get a yearly review. They were on my radar monthly. You miss your target one month, I'd chalk it up to personal issues, or some bad breaks here and there, or something that had no relevance to teh business. You miss your number for two months, you'd go "on report". That's where I'd give a number of tasks to be accomplished that I felt would improve their sales (revenue and margin). If 3 months went by without hitting their number, they went on 30-day probation. IF they didn't hit their sales target that 4th month, they were fired.
The best sales people were the ones that knew their industry, their product and their company thoroughly. They were also the ones who had a close positive relationship with their customers.
Although I was put in charge of a team of sales people after only a very short period (albeit a very successful period) of being a sales person myself, I have a very healthy respect for the jobs they do.
I think your guy wins for biggest cheat so far. The guy has plenty of chutzpah.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Oh, I love that idea.
Unfortunately, people in pain and discomfort are open to believing in these miracle cures the snake oil salespeople use. You handled it in a clever way, I am going to remember that if it happens again. I better tell my wife that one so when I start sending money to the horse thieves she will know what to do.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Before the car business, I was a Regional Sales Manager for a Fortune 300 company. I had 200 people to worry about and a 30 million dollar P&L I had to keep running. I was tough on people who were lazy or weren't trying. If they were struggling but working hard I was right there with them.
And, yes, a good salesperson will know a LOT about the inner workings of a company.
So what makes a good salesperson then? Every sales associate goes through some degree of training including detailed product or service information as well as the products or services of his competitor's. Yet, unfortunately, some of them are not successful.
Which leads me to conclude that good salesmen are born and not made, just like good teachers or entrepreneurs. They are just born that way.
I really like salespeople who first find out what my needs are. I do the book buying for my company. Some salespeople learn about my business so they will know what I am looking for.
Others push whatever they can my way and don't have a clue what I am really looking for.
I like car salespeople to find out what I am really looking for. When I got the 535 my Maserati friend said I should get an 8 cylinder model. When I asked the salesman what he thought he said, for your needs the 6 with the M package that gives you Sport and Sport+ options will suit your needs much better. I like that kind of advice from a salesperson.
When I was in sales, I always thought if I can make the buyer into a star, by giving him the right product, his boss will like him, maybe promote him, and he will trust me to the limit. And, if he does well, I will do well.
GG, you had huge responsibilities....and being in charge of a sales force must be very difficult. Actually, a number of people here have had those kind of difficult jobs, Mike and Isell come to mind. Good for you guys.....how did you sleep at night with all that responsibility? No wonder you are enjoying being retired!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
That is a great question and I would like to hear what others think. I tend to think that great salespeople and entrepeneurs and maybe even teachers are moulded into their profession. Some of the things they have done and experienced in life have made them good at what they do.
If you really want this question answered read the book The Outiers by Malcom Gladwell. Here is part of his theory;
We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers.
Those 3 people put in over 10000 hours at their craft to develop it. He'll also explain why the most of the best hockey players are born in a certain month. Who excels in school - that is what month are the best students born?
In brief, I think we are born into it with some skills or attributes, and then it is our experience in life that shape us. A bit of training definitely helps too, and a mentor can be a huge help.
Hope there are more ideas........
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
The very best salespeople are the ones that, once they know their product and competitors' products, are capable of selling themselves as well, if not better, than their products.
Great salespeople "listen to their customers, ask the right questions, and are sensitive to a customer's wants and desires/needs!" Great salespeople see every customer as a sale, maybe not that same day, but a sale.
Great sales people know their new car and used car inventory like they know their mother. They are not pushy, aggressive or obnoxious (like they know everything). They are pleasant, attentive and highly observant of the customer's reactions and comments. They match their approach to the customer's demeanor. If the customer is assertive or aggressive, he/she adjusts the sales approach. If the customer is reserved, laid back and sheepish, the salesperson adapts to that personality.
I could go on, but I've trained many hundreds of salespeople and the ones that succeed are the ones who have those innate talents as I described above.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
We left the discussion title the same because, well, you never know.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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More than one opinion would probably be good, especially since mine is the the one.
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Mike, I agree. When I purchased my last car two years ago, the sales experience was so pleasant that I hadn't realized I had purchased a car. Later I became close friends with the salesman and every time I went in for service I would drop by to say hello. Too bad, he died a few months ago and I even went to his funeral, something I've never done before.
This reminds of a sales guy who once said, the hardest part of the sales process is closing the sale. You have to be able to overcome every sales objection without being seen as too pushy or too desperate. It's both an art and a science and only the truly gifted salesperson call pull that off with regularity.
Thanks Driver for that recommendation. Outliers: The Story of Success, sounds like a good read. Don't know if Gladwell mentioned it, but besides talent and ambition, luck plays an important role. American Business history has shown us that determination, hard work and a strong believe in God were important characteristics of many of the Robber Barons of yore. I think it is an indescribable quality that few can explain.
It is a shame that someone with that much knowledge, ambition, drive, and ability could not have been salvaged. I would have delved more deeply into exactly what was going on, and depending on the circumstances, maybe tried to work something out with him.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
IIRC, he admitted he was doing it because he could. There wasn't much remorse shown. I don't think either was willing to keep him on as he was double dipping on expenses - he submitted copies of his expense receipts to both companies. Neither company bother to chase him for reimbursement because the court costs would have been too high.
Honestly, firing him was probably the only choice. If you told him to quit the other job, who is to say he wouldn't do it again or find another way to defraud the company.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
The greatest salespeople don't "close the sale" themselves! They are so adept at what they do and know what not to do that the customer closes the sale for them. It is a talent, an art, a skill, and the ability to instill trust in the process for the customer. If the customer trusts the salesperson and the process, they usually end up closing themselves! That is truly the epitome of a great salesperson.
When I buy my cars, the dealership does not close the deal - I do! Why? Because of my implicit trust in who I am doing business with!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
It was like they were licking their chops waiting for the next person to wade out into the ocean in low tide. Very ominous and scary. I've never seen so many big sharks so close together and so close to the beach. They must be hungry!
Doesn't that remind you of the dealerships where the salespeople stand out front waiting for the next morsel (customer) to wade toward the showroom? That is a good analogy of some dealerships. The shark waiting for the mark to get close enough!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
In a way luck plays a role, but you really make your own luck. When something develops it looks like luck to outsiders, but it took will and determination and being ready when the time comes to make it work.
In our case, our major customer was getting out of peripheral products and wanted to concentrate on clothing only. Slowly we were sliding into oblivion. I was trying to call the divisions within the company(we were only allowed to sell to this one company because we had sold the other half of the company and we had a non-compete for 5 years in place) dot.com company, and I would try to sell our books on their site. The switchboard person didn't have a listing for the .com company, but she put me through to the much larger discount department store division to see if they could help (I had tried them in the past but they didn't want to upset their traditional suppliers).
I started talking to the buyer there and she was new, wanted to make a name for herself, and she said the product would be good for them, and we were in. Our sales went up 500% more with the new retailer.
We became their most profitable book supplier.
But, was it luck or determination that made it payoff. I think of it as luck on one hand, but, a businesses can take off when the right situation comes along....what the entreneur does is has the structure in place, and then jumps at the opportunities that come along, and hope one develops into something successful.
Few businesses could be successful without hard work and determination. You have to accept failure, it helps you to learn and to get it right. I was told early on you will ask yourself 100X why you ever started your stupid business in the first place. As I made mistakes I would say, great, now I only have 96 more mistakes to make...95, 94 and so on.
It is very rewarding running a business and making and shaping it the way you want. I often thought I would rather earn half as much running my own business as working for someone else, and for a long time I did that. I really like the fact we have given good jobs to about 15 full and partime people. We try to make our place a challenging but interesting pleasant place to work.
Hopefully, my SIL will make his last payment and the business will be his. Religious? Well, I will say this, I couldn't have done all that all by myself, I had to have had help along the way.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Yes, I heard 10s of 1000s of sharks on CNN at 7 a.m. this morning, Fox caught up....ha ha...just joking, nothing against Fox.
Now, after I buy my Florida place I find out about the sink holes and sharks! Just my luck. (Remember the shark on Saturday Night Live?)
I agree about trust. Like I said to the 535 salesman, after he said that was one of the easiest cars I have sold. I said, it's simple, you want to sell a car, I want to buy a car, all we have to do is agree on the price.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I once had a brilliant college professor who called it Establishing a Climate of Affection.
I found that hard to do with immigrants whose culture didn't allow this to happen. If we barely understood each other it was impossible for me to establish much of a rapport with them...usually.
Then there were the price shoppers who only cared about price. They really didn't mind being treated rudely as long as they thought they were paying the lowest price. I sold these people a lot of cars but it was never a pleasant experience for either of us. These people were rarely loyal and having a business relationship meant nothing to them.
Some people die before their ideas catch on. Others die well after their ideas take hold - success stories! Then there are people who outlive their ideas and die in spite if their ideas. Here is an individual whose idea never quite took hold with the consumer but outlived most!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
GM had Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet.
Ford only had Ford, Mercury and Lincoln.
So, the Edsel was born! Basically a glorified Ford.
Looks are subjective but it was hated by the masses at the time and it's looks were the main reason.
Funny, isn't it...now Pontiac and Oldsmobile are gone and I believe Mercury is too if I'm not mistaken.
Mercury has been gone for two or three years now. If I remember the Edsel correctly, it looked much like the Mercury Monterey which was a bit redundant. GM cars always looked like one another. When Pontiac finally stopped "looking like" the other brothers and sisters, it couldn't maintain it's niche. I owned many Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs over the years and found the Oldsmobiles to be very excellent riding cars and the Pontiacs were quite powerful like my 1966 GTO. People back in the 60's and 70's were Ford Families, Oldsmobile Families, Pontiac Families, etc. Families were very loyal to their brands.
Back then, brand identity was very strong. I remember my Dad always bought Oldsmobiles until he became more affluent and then bought a new Cadillac every other year, whether he needed it or not. Ahhhh, now I know where I got the car buying illness - my Dad!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger