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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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It's the test drive part I didn't like.
We get these Odysseys when they are done with them and they always have under 1000 miles on them.
I'll acknowledge that from a strictly math standpoint, it's stupid. More in interest and all that. It's especially stupid if you let yourself get upside down and the car gets totalled or you have a major life change and have to dump the car (job loss, have a baby, etc).
I can't believe people get into the situation where they've traded in upside down 2 or three times so that they're paying interest on $10-20K worth of car they don't even own anymore.
We are happy to arrange financing ourselves through a variety of sources. If the seller has his own financing in place, that's fine too.
We will simply do an "option contract". The customer fills out a credit application and we pull his credit. If he/she has good credit, we will roll the car.
We explain to the customer that we will fax a P.O. the his/her lender and they will pay us. IF for some reason, that loan doesn't go through we will have our own financing to fall back on. The customer will know in advance what the rate is.
I can't remember us ever having to do that?
I keep in touch with buddy #2, and we're invited to his wedding. He will be at our wedding. He doesn't hang out with my fiancee's ex-bf anymore anyways.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
When I bought my first new car at a dealer, was offered one interest rate (say 6%), signed the forms (thinking they were the actual loan documents, my fault for not reading and doing my homework), and drove off. A week later, while vacationing 1500 miles away, I got a call that said they couldn't get me financed at that rate, but could get me financed at a slightly higher one (say 7%). This left me 3 choices: spend my vacation trying to get financed elsewhere, bring the car back and pay big time usage fees, or agree. I agreed.
Was I scammed? Is this common? It seems like it would be a great little racket, especially since that extra percent would do very little to the monthly payment which is most peoples most important number.
I went outside one evening at work to have a smoke.
Now that you must STOP. :sick:
Give yourself every chance you can to watch your children grow to maturity and give you grandchildren. Believe me, I know, I did it and it’s well worth it.
Ex-smoker,
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
salespeople are there to help a customer get into the best car for their needs.
Salespeople are there to sell cars, their cars. If another manufacturer makes the best car for your customer will you tell the customer to go to your competition?
Or better yet suppose the best car for the customer is the less expensive used car but the customer wants that car that you know he cannot afford because he is trying to get a much lower payment and extends his term so it fits into his budget, do you steer the customer to the less expensive car? Of course not, all I hear is that its not your responsibility.
does that mean they don't care about their customers or that they don't have their "best interests at heart" as you put it?
I didn't put it that way, sales people here have. Yet they also say its the customers fault if they pay to much and that its not their responsibility to see is they can actually afford it.
what about that can't you understand?
but there has to be some element of responsibility on the consumer's part to make the appropriate decision regarding whether they can afford a car or not,
I agree with that 100%. What I have an issue is the contradictory nature of the sales peoples comments. You cannot have their best interests at heart and stand there and watch them make bad financial decisions without at least talking about it.
I see your side of the story and it is contradictory.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Mostly business's that wish to expand. As more money becomes available to be lent out the cost of that will be going down and many companies will go a head with plans to expand and such. They will be spending that money buying thins, paying more in salaries so others have more money to buy things.
Who's going to buy Joe's stuff unless someone else is spending the $25000 you aren't
Do you read what I write? that $25,000 doesn't just dissapear. If you put in in a bank the bank will loan it out and those who borrow it will buy Joes stuff. The money will be used somehow.
Equilibrium will soon be reached between goods produced and goods purchased, but it'll be at a level much lower level than it is now
However thats not how things work, the money you have has to be put into the economy one way or the other. Either you spend it or you invest it, if you spend it you buy goods and services, if you invest it someone else borrows it and spends it. Either way the money is put into the economy and no jobs are lost.
You have to stop thinking that if you don't spend it it magically disappears.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
So, they can and do work...as well as helping a good cause.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That said, jlawrence and I are in agreement. If I'm so fearful of a model or brand, then I'm not going to be looking to step into their showroom.
Something I've noticed the last few years, dealership service detps have gone to the dogs. Not saying that's true of you benz, but I've had hellacious experiences with dealership service depts. My BMW guys are really good. But, I can say from personal experience that the Acura, Mazda, Ford and Cadillac dealership service people I've encountered have been, at best, woeful.
So, why buy a service contract when the dealership's service personnel can't even do the correct service when the car is under warranty? It makes no sense.
I'll take my chances. If something goes wrong with my BMW or my Tahoe when they're out of warranty, I'll pony up the $$$ out of my own pocket (if I keep them that long). My bet is, if I don't have any troubles during the warranty period, I'm likely not going to have any big problems further down the road. I must say, though, I'm meticulous about servicing my vehicles, too.
Well I guess they trade every 10 years. The point is that it is easier to trade some one out of a short term loan then a long term loan. Nothing more, nothing less.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well no I guess it does not matter if you are person who keeps there cars 10 years. That would just make that person one who does not fit the profile that this particular conversation was addressing.
I would starve to death if everyone was on a 10 year trade cycle. Thank God for the Jones's and those who feel the need to keep up with them
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Heck I think they are all good. Kind of like sex, there is no such thing as a "Bad Sale". Have I sold to some folks that I knew I shouldn't, still did, then wish I hadn't? All the time. But at the point where hands are shook and papers are signed there all good.
They were totally fine when they went on thier trip, and they lost air for no appaernt reason. The shop checked them out and found no problems either.
It doesn't matter though because it sort of brought us together.
As for the smoking part, i'm working on it jmonroe. Most of us at work are actually trying to quit.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
anyway, i read your post in the how much should a dealer make and didn't know you'd dicker with the sales manager. a good trick to get the deal done.
By saying you are TRYING to quit, you are admitting that you may not be successful. That gives you an out, if you fail.
Do you go to work each day and say "I am gonna TRY to sell a car today" Or...I AM gonna sell a car today?"
(Sorry, unasked for and OFF TOPIC comment from an old ex-smoker who quit cold turkey many years ago)
I've had tires lose air for no apparent reason like that though. I've also had slow leaks caused by very tiny nails, where the tire shop thought I was crazy until they took the tire off the rim.
Emphasis on best car is mine, not snakes.
Just to add my .02 on this point.
I think that when folks go into a dealer, they probably have a good idea of what they want - sedan, small SUV, truck, whatever.
I think what the sales folks are saying here that it's their job to pinpoint those needs and desires of the customer and focus their selling efforts on the model of whatever they are looking from from their brand. Joel would push the sedan buyer into a Fusion or 500, isell and boom into a Civic or Accord, and so on.
Now, what if the customer is looking for something that the dealer simply doesn't carry? For example, going onto a Nissan lot and loooking for a small, car-like SUV (similar to the Escape or CRV)? Nissan doesn't have anything like that? Then what?
Some salesman - at least, those that I've encountered here in Denver - if they work for a large company with many franchises, can sell any car from any dealer. Which means they could steer me towards that Escape or CRV and still get the sale and the commission.
I suspect that this may not be the case for many salesman. They can sell their brand for new cars or point the prospect towards anything they might have in their used car inventory, and that's it. If they have good selling skills, they might be able to convince that prospect to purchase something other than what they came to look at.
I know that happened to us. Back in November of 1998, my wife woke up one Saturday morning and declared that we needed an SUV. At the time, she had 3 or 4 months left on a lease of a Ford Escort, so we dropped the kids off at some friends, and went to the local Ford dealer.
We were leaning towards the Explorer, as we had ridden in one and liked them quite a bit. Drove both an Explorer and an Expedition .. sales guy said that the residuals on the Expedition were better than those on the Explorer. We drove out that day in a new Expedition, at a price we were happy with.
That is a completely irrelevant question. No one but the customer can decide that. Others may disagree with that decision, challenge it, berate it, consider it ill-advised and the customer may be woefully misinformed, uninformed, or irrational or none of the above but it is the customer's decision.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
It's funny that you mentioned that because towards the end, their relationship was on the rocks, and that's why she came to the dealership with him because I caught her eye.
She told me that after we started dating.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Here in lies the problem. There are many stories on this forum of a customer coming in to buy one car and actually leaving with something totally different. If thats the case then either the customer didn't really know what they wanted or the salesman put them into something they didn't want.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
For what it's worth I also agree with this approach.
If you fall in love with just one car and the salesman picks up on this you'll pretty much have to pay whatever the salesman wants to sell it for. When I buy, any one of 3 maybe 4 will satisfy me. On occasion, when the negotiation stalled, I've let the salesman know this and they were usually more willing to give me my price.
I'm not saying I always got my first choice but I always got a car that I was very satisfied with.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
If you fall in love with the car, you always seem to pay a lot more. I always let the salesman know what I am looking at.
Yes, and I have. I had no qualms about sending a person to a different dealer if we truly did not have anything that would work for them. You make it sound like everything always has to be one or the other. its either we care about customers or we dont, and if we care about them, then we're giving away our commisions, otherwise we don't care.
see, to you, its this black and white (and i am sorry you feel that way). but things are not always black and white. there are too many variables and exceptions to be able to say it is.
i know you are never going to see it my way, or anyone elses way here, so i give up. i concede. it will probably make you feel better because you "won" this little battle, which is fine by me. i've made my point, you just never saw it. your subsequent posts have shown me that.
anyways, im all for hearing some sales stories! i never really had that many crazy ones from when i sold cars...
i think british rover has taken a break - hopefully he's saving some stories up for us when he comes back!
in the mean time, moo, lr, joel, boom, any new stories to share?
Happy Friday!
-thene
my apologies!
(is it 5pm yet? big snowstorm on the east here...maybe they'll let us leave early?)
-thene
I know this comment wasn't directed at me but I' m pretty much a black and white person. Maybe it's the profession I chose or may I chose that profession because I'm a black and white person.
Now, having said that I can see shades of gray as well as the next guy when gray fits the situation. I will not, however, see gray when it's not gray and I think way too many people are willing to go with the flow just because they don't want to makes waves. Maybe more often than we want to admit, waves have to be made otherwise too many things get way out of hand.
If I could find two cents in my couch, I could sign off like you do but Mrs. jmonroe makes waves when she finds loose change in her couch, so I know not to do this because gray just won't work here.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Hey, what's going on here? Don't you have a buddy that's in the same field that posts here? That being the case I would have thought the two of you would see eye to eye a lot more than you have. :P
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Most embarrassing thing I ever did (other then asking a lady who wasn't pregnant when she was due. But heck we have all done that) was I went out to appraise a car, it was the first year Pontiac came out with those I think Aztec's, the cross over you could hook a tent to and all that crap. Anyhow I walked out to look at it, it was the first one I had ever seen and I said "Damn that f@#$%n car is uglier then a mans azz" Well the owners who were sitting on a bench 5 feet from me did not think that was to cool. I had to apologize like 5 times to the lady for the language that I used and for talking about her car.
No we haven't. Speak for youself silver-tongue.
"Damn that f#$%n car is uglier then a mans azz" Well the owners who were sitting on a bench 5 feet from me did not think that was to cool. I had to apologize like 5 times to the lady for the language that I used and for talking about her car.
After you put your personal opinion aside, did you give her a fair appraisal.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
i think you need to buy your own couch so you can find your two cents in "your" couch and then use them for your posts like me
anyways, there are certain things that i feel are very close to being black or white. i just find that there are more circumstances that have gray areas than strictly black or white.
with regards to the tax stuff...its not a career path - i actually went to school for graphic design, and other than my lovely day job doing employee level taxes, i am working with a friend of my mothers and her sister to get a t-shirt line off the ground, which i designed the logo and other designs for. hopefully, that will someday take off and allow me to leave the gray cubicle of hell!
isell, thanks for the offer by the way! seattle sure likes like a fun city! i prefer snow over rain though
-thene
She would not even let me in the car.
Those people you can put in your eyelid.
Just doesn't happen anymore.
Cars cost too much for most people to finance for 3-4 yrs, and most new car buyers want a new car every few years.
Oh Brother,
It is the customers job to decide which car is best for them. Not mine.
If you come to my store I will give you the case for buying my car.
If you agree w/ me you will buy my car, if you don't you won't.
Sometimes Volvo doesn't make the kind of car someone wants, in which case I do send people off to look at other things.
It is 100% unfair to blame us for decisions that other people make.
We are all adults, we all have to own up to our own decisions.
Remember that what works for you doesn't necessarily work for other people.
Clearly, you have issues with car salespeople.
Thats ok, get in line.
This place isn't for bashing salespeople however.
Good Job
Break out the Clear Eyes... or Visine. I would be one of those people. We financed for 4 years and "plan" on keeping for 10 years. We did put a sizeable amount down though.
If we don't make what they want whats the box of rocks doing here in the first place.
Now with that being said, would I try to sell them something? Heck ya, thats what we do we are sales people. If you will LET me show you a car and if you will LET me do a walk around on it and if you will LET me take you on a test drive then obviously you are interested.
A good salesmen will assume the sale 100% of the time. That means that every person he greets he will assume they are buying a car today from him until they say otherwise.
The greatest compliment a salesperson can get and the customer does not even realize it is a compliment is when the customer says:
"No I don't have my title to my trade with me, I didn't plan on trading today. That means you sold some one a car.
You either sell someone a car or they buy one from you, there is a big difference.
The rules of car selling
Luck is when Preparation meets opportunity
I am just looking is an unfinished sentence, what they meant to say was, I am just looking for the car I like and some one I am comfortable with who will give me a fair price. When I find those three things I am going to buy a car.
Everybody has the ability to buy a car, it is up to you to structure the correct deal on the right car to make it happen
There are no bad sales, only badly handled transactions.
No hold check is good
It isn't a coincidence that most scams happen on Friday night after 6:00 PM. Seller beware
If you can't look a customer in the eye 2 weeks after the sale in the grocery store you are doing something wrong.
If a customer goes through the negotiation process at another dealer the color was not the issue.
If something does not seem right it probably isn't
I'd just like to state I'm an equal opportunity basher. Doesn't matter to me if you're a edmunds member, dealership owner, salesmen, greenpea, peapea, customer, casual edmunds lurker, manager, john, edmunds host... I'll bash all ya'll. :P
But, seriously... I don't see a whole lot of bashing going on in here. People are strongly expressing their opinion thats all, which is fine by me. The problems generally occur when one side won't let the issue drop. Just my 2 cent that I borrowed from Mrs. Monroe.
P.S Just kidding about bashing the edmunds host tidester. Do I still get to keep my VIP membership in your fan club?