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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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That would be a dilemma.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Or "dilemna" depending on how you want to see it.
(Sorry, couldn't resist.....last time, promise)
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I am having a ....er, quandry....for lack of the "d" word. How long does a Mac 3 Gillette blade last, approximately?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What a conundrum!! Still using a Mach 3 eight years after the Fusion came out??
I get about 30 shaves out of a Fusion blade - IIRC, I used to get about 14 shaves out of a Mach 3. I could probably stretch the time as I now shave only 2/3's of my face due to the Van [non-permissible content removed] but it's so much easier to remember to change the blade on the first of the month.
Now, now... everything is designed by humans and therefore prone to error. Since you work in tech, I will use a tech example. I have a Dell laptop bought less than 10 months ago. It has required 2 service calls for 3 problems in that time: failed screen, cracked case, and one unfixable (so far) problem. That is the Intel Centrino wireless card, one of the most mundane items in any laptop. It is supposed to just work, like a floormat or ignition switch. Yet (and this is well-documented should you wish to look into it) Intel is unable to produce driver software that can provide reliable connectivity and speed for it. They have likely produced millions of these cards and the problems are widespread. My point is that the issue is not just limited to the automotive industry, but is endemic.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
No disagreement AB....laptops don't usually have fatal flaws, though.
Say what you will about Apple. They make some of the best, most robust computers/laptops on the market. I'm typing on a 3 yrar old MAC Air now. It replaced a 5 year old Macbook Pro that my son's girlfriend is still using.
"I am having a ....er, quandry....for lack of the "d" word. How long does a Mac 3 Gillette blade last, approximately?"
I usually get about 20-25 shaves out of every Mach3 blade.
I just received a new Fusion Pro...razor and 10 blades from Gillette as a gift to try out the new Fusion. I'll start using it tomorrow and let you know.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I can parallel that with my own examples. My HP laptop has served well, but can't be easily upgraded to Win 7 because HP acts like they don't have drivers. The same laptop was upgradeable to Vista (ugh) when new. However, HP has similar laptops with names DV-5143us with a hyphen in the name that is upgradeable to Win 7. My does not have a hyphen.
Further, laptops bought shortly after mine had failures in the video portion of the motherboard due to high heat. Lots of lots of Pavilion HP laptops failed. My friends commented that the laptop got really hot.
Now did they do recalls with letters? Nope. Only because I was working on the problem of occasionally shutting off the video did I stumble onto this problem on the internet and a link to how to contact HP for repair/replacement of the motherboard.
Other friends bought a good HP desktop with a pair of disk drives meant for video use. It started cutting off. I fiddled with it and it would work and then not work. Changed power supply. No change. After convincing them to buy just a base replacement desktop computer for replacement that was faster after 4 years and cheaper, I found that their HP had capacitors that were leaking, which changed the circuits after the motherboard heated them up causing failures and shutdowns.
No recall letter. Known problem, of course I had to take a close look at the motherboard to see the 9 capacitors that were expanded and failing.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
A SALES STORY!
This year, it was time to get rid of our old camper. It was a toy hauler, purchased by my S.O. years ago, and it had sustained some pretty significant water damage. It had to go while we could still pull it out of its spot, 100 miles away, and tow it to trade it in without having it fall apart on the road. (<--legit fear)
We had stopped at a few camper stores, both here in mid-Missouri and in Kansas City. We found the PERFECT camper in Kansas City, right at our price point, and we were intent on buying it last Friday. However, we wanted to give our local store a chance, even though we previously hadn't seen anything we liked there within our price range. We brought the sheet for our perfect camper in on Memorial Day, and told the sales guy that's what we intended to purchase unless we magically found something better for the same price.
Turns out they weren't an authorized dealer for that brand - bummer. We still wanted to look around. We were almost done, and he stopped by to see how we were doing. Our perfect camper was a bumper pull, and he asked if we'd considered 5th wheels. I told him of course we loved those, but they are significantly more expensive for the same room/layout/features. He said he'd like to show us a few, and we figured, what the heck, it's a nice day and it's fun to look. I started getting a bit irritable, because he KNEW what our top end $ was, and he was showing us campers $6-8000 more than our perfect camper.
He kept saying, "I'm going to make you a helluva deal, because I don't want you going to Kansas City." And I'm thinking, "sure buddy, but even if you knock the $6-8K off, to make the price equal, the KC camper is bigger and, after all, it's perfect." During this time, he kept telling my S.O. how much better he'd like pulling the 5th wheel than a bumper pull.
The last 5th wheel he showed us was lovely, and fit the layout/finish requirements that we'd stated (and he listened to those well), but it was still $7K more than we wanted to spend. He asked us to come back to the office and give him a chance, so we did. He came back with a price $7K BELOW the price of our "perfect" camper!! We were pleasantly surprised, to say the least. As we were considering it, the sales manager came in and took an extra $1,000 off to cover the hitch. I'm not sure what motivated him to do that, as it was pretty clear that price wasn't the sticking point.
Sold. I told the guy afterward that he was a fantastic salesperson, which he was. He listened to our wants, and we were picky. He worked tirelessly to find a camper that met our needs, and when he said he was going to make us a "helluva deal," he wasn't blowing smoke. He didn't pressure us, ever, but made it clear he would do whatever he could to earn our business. Gotta respect that - he's a 21-year veteran at that store, and I can see why.
On a side note, while towing the old camper back, it blew a tire. Twice. So glad to see the back of that thing. Pics in the next post!
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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It's dog-approved
On another side note, when towing a long, heavy rig like this, you really learn how many idiots there are out on the road. Several vehicles pulled in front of us leaving only 2 or so car lengths between us on the highway. They'd have been a road pancake if a sudden stop was required. And the SP was right - the 5th wheel tows much better than a bumper pull!
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Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Wow! that's huge. Looks like the perfect tornado-chaser-mobile. How do you park it?
Very carefully.
It's in a semi-permanent spot at a big lake (Lake of the Ozarks) 100 miles away. The campground is lovely, chock full of mature trees, which is great... until you try to back up a rig like that and make it snug against an existing deck. Thank goodness the campground owner is fabulous, and he helped us with that task late Friday night. We'll be down there this Saturday, so I'll take pics with the slideouts out and in its "natural" habitat.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Isn't that the pickup you recently bought? Looks like they were born for each other.
Thanks for sharing your sales experience.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
SALES STORY
I'm sorry but we were discussing how many shaves you can get from different razors so please take that talk elsewhere.
Seriously, good job at getting what you want at a bargain price. That rig is bigger than my school bus. Practice backing using your mirrors and you'll be a pro at it in no time.
Btw, that dog looks like a sweetheart.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
That was the main reason for getting a pickup of that size/power. Our ability to tow something newer/larger was hampered by our old pickup - both its reliability and towing ability. The gas mileage wasn't actually that bad. I mean, it wasn't great, but considering the pickup gets about 12 MPG not towing, the 7 MPG we got towing on non-flat roads was a nice surprise.
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Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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"It's in a semi-permanent spot at a big lake (Lake of the Ozarks) 100 miles away."
First of all, that is one huge camper - are you sure it's a camper and not a house?
I spent several summer vacations with my family at Lake of The Ozarks at Tantara, a resort hotel in South Central Missouri - beautiful!!!
Enjoy your new camper - definitely a home away from home!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I get about 30 shaves out of a Fusion blade - IIRC, I used to get about 14 shaves out of a Mach 3.
>
Yes, it seems to me 5 blades is the point of diminishing returns....and besides, I tried a Fusion and I think it is too wide. Another thing, it seems silly to keep adding more blades, I was afraid if I supported the idea of more blades the next step would be 12 or 20 blades, and I would need two hands to work it.
I am glad you said you get 14 with a Mach 3 and that is what I get. That blue strip is a little tricky to tell sometimes, but if you say 14 days that's good for me.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I usually get about 20-25 shaves out of every Mach3 blad
Thanks for the reply to my ummmm, err, ahhh, dil problem. I didn't want to put a new blade in my Mach 3 because we are leaving here Thursday, but it has gone 3 weeks now...21 days, all the blue is gone, but it still seems to work...so I was curious how long people keep them going. I think it does lose something after 14 to 20 days, so I'll just keep to a 2 week schedule.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Hmmmm. I'm still using Gillette Sensor Excel blades. Very old school but they work for me. I buy them on EBay and I think that they are the OEM ones from Australia. Go figure...
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Hybrid, 2022 Ram 2500 Laramie 6.4 Hemi, 2007 Mazda MX-5 Miata PRHT
You should be using Shick Extreme 3 blade razors. I use mine for months at a time. I think the last one I started using in November or so. I rinse in the shower after using. I spray it with a spray cleaner with bleach that removes soap deposits once in a while. It hangs in open air on the side of our walk-in shower so it dries quickly. Shick will never make money on me with their quality razors: I don't use enough.
On the other hand, my son fell for the Fusion by Gillette early on. It helped that they sent him a free sample. If only the car companies would send a free car sample to youthful males in the same way he got all kinds of freebies after high school and after matriculating at OSU. Then it was a Power Fusion. I buy blades online avoiding the fakes and frauds. He does one about every 2 weeks.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
It's in a semi-permanent spot at a big lake (Lake of the Ozarks) 100 miles away.
Ahh, no shaving stories! It was an excellent sales story though. I have a feeling that RVs and motor homes etc are being greatly discounted because of the current market conditions. I mean, home sales are slow, people don't want to spend money on gas, they cut back on travel etc etc.
Enjoy, sounds like you got a much better motorhome at a much better price than you expected, you can't beat that.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Kirstie, that is a great looking rig, and it sounds like you got a real bargain. I hope you guys have many years of fun and enjoyment out of it !
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Speaking of slow sales, that apparently is not the case with used cars. I read last week that over 40 million used vehicles were sold last year, almost three times as many as new ones.
If we put a positive spin on that phenomenon we can deduce that [American] cars are well made and very durable.
I did again.
Today I bought an HTC One (M8) smart phone as a Father's Day gift for my vacation home house sitter. You would think after the run around I had last week this time it would be easier, however it was anything but.
I wanted to buy an unlocked HTC phone but the carriers were not inclined to sell unlocked phones. After going to about five different places I was able to buy the phone at the full $799 price. I begged and pleaded for a discount but they said incentives were only offered to customers who signed up with them. Bummer.
With that said, I am off to the Caribbean tomorrow to do a little house cleaning (termite problem) and to enjoy some sultry summer evenings. Read -- passion fruit punch and rum and coke, sans the rum. I have high speed internet there so I will be keeping in touch.
When you take the RV on a road trip you can save a bit of anxiety by asking for a pull through site. My wife and I got pretty good hauling a 26 footer coast to coast and north and south for decades. Whenever we needed to back into a spot, she drove and I guided. Worked great -- we always agreed ahead that any and all shouting was OK -- never was a problem.
Or that lots of people just can't afford a new car. New car prices aren't that bad compared to used, especially since there is a shortage of used cars. People are keeping there cars longer than ever too.....good used cars are hard to find unless you are oldfarmer.
Actually sales of used cars has been fairly steady since 2000, with a slump around 2008 and 9.
Used-Car-Sales-Figures-From-2000-To-2014
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Yes thats it, GM salaries were capped due to the government bailout. Barra is earning less than the last CEO but that may change this year or next.
Now in the late 90's the average Fortune 500 CEO made over 450 times what the average non supervisory worker, so that ratio has been dropping.
Also remember that the total compensation (that 287 times what the average worker earns) many not be realized. It includes bonuses (which may not get paid), stock options (which may become worthless) and other metrics that may or may not occur.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
What a beautiful camper and a beautiful deal on it. Congratulations and enjoy many wonderful moments in it. BTW, I love the doggy---looks as sweet as pie.
Richard
Define "Overpaid". Pay them to little and some other company will hire them away with more money and you pretty much have no good talent to move your company forward. It's called what the market will bear.
Also do not confuse hourly with lower paid workers. I know hourly employees making well over $100K and salaried employees making in the mid teens.
You are missing my point, the vast majority of companies that have CEO's making millions of dollars have tens, if not hundreds of thousands of employees and if you distribute the CEO's salary amongst the rank and file it would only amount to a very small increase. Truth be told a CEO's compensation package is a very small amount compared to the total compensation package paid to all employees of the company.
OK lets look at that, GM sells over 8 million cars world wide, that means take away Barras total compensation and use it to improve the interiors of all those cars. That means you have an extra $1.75 per car, you can do a lot with that $1.75.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I know that there are many improvements but how much safer do they really make cars? say you have a car thats 98% safe adding a bunch of other safety equipment won't increase the safety by 3%
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
while towing the old camper back, it blew a tire. Twice.
Kirstie, very nicely done. You;re doing it right by mostly parking it where you want to be with the option of moving. Looks large enough for a bunch of guests.
I kept waiting to hear about the disposition of the toy hauler. Was waiting to hear you just left it at the camper store after such a great deal. Congrats.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
The best protection against incompetent/moronic drivers is behind the wheel of your car.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
wouldn't having a full belly and a warm soft place to lay down make it "Dog-approved"?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Kirstie....great deal! Good looking rig, too! Way to go!
RAZORS=DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB. Best and cheapest blades out there. Quality every bit as good as Gilette...maybe even better.
Back in the 70's when twin blade razors came out Saturday Night Live did a parody commercial for a three blade razor with the tag line "Three blades, because you will believe anything." When the three blade razors first came out thats all I thought about.
Personally I use an inexpensive Gillette disposable twin blade. I may not get as many shaves out of one but they cost a fraction of the expensive multi-blade razors. So it works out to less money per face scrapping.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
my son signed up for the dollar shave club, and seems happy with them. Of course, he rarely shaves at this point, so hard to go wrong
Am I the only guy here that actually still uses an electric?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I buy the Bic disposables. 99 cents for ten. Gives a close enough shave for my purposes and you get about 6 shaves out of each. The secret is to dry the blade after each use.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
While CEO pay makes for great class warfare theatre is it anyone's business? If you took the $20 million salary of Walmart's CEO and gave it equally to all their employees each worker would get about $10.
With any employee you have to produce an increase in profit equal to your pay or you are just dead wood. If a CEO isn't doing that it's the responsibility of the board of directors and the shareholders to do something.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I flip flop from an electric to a blade. I know, I know...you're not supposed to. But, if I'm traveling, it's a whole lot easier to throw a blade and travel shave cream in the bag, than to throw beard conditioner (Williams 'Lectric Shave) and the bulky electric in my bags.
It took me years to find an electric I liked, too. I used to use rotaries (Norelco), but they couldn't get to the hard places. I have a BRAUN now, which I got for a gift a few years ago. Great electric. Replace the blades every 18 months. It came with a little stand that actually cleans the razor after every shave. Gets close (still not as close as a blad), is a LOT more comfortable than a rotary (barely have to use any pressure), and is made very well.
I tried using an electric razor when I was younger .. no go.
So, I've been using the Fusion for some years now. On the days where I shave - it's nice to work from home!
There is a high end shaving store at the local mall. Fancy upscale handles that will work with the Fusion blades. They run from $90 to over $200.
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
One thing to consider is if the president of Wally Mart makes $20 million a year but he increases sales by $1 billion a year, are the shareholders happy to pay him $20 mill,....
I think they would be!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
For years I had an electric, a Remington Microscreen.I thought it worked fine but you needed to use Lectric Shave beforehand to get it to shave close and it also seemed to cause the occasional ingrown hair. So when it gave up the ghost I went back to blades.
When the Gillette Fusion was introduced and I saw the first ad, I actually thought it was a parody ad for another company. Five blades just seemed absurd. But I got one free and the cartridges seemed to last forever, and it did give me a much nicer and more comfortable shave so I've stuck with them despite the ridiculous cost of replacement cartridges. Are there other makes that fit the Fusion handle? Never bothered to look.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
If that safety device made it so you lived in a bad accident you would be glad you got it.
Advances seldom happen in huge jumps, but over 3 or 4 years can add up.
We are using the Passant in Florida now, and I really miss a back up camera.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My point exactly.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I have gotten so used to the back up cam in the RDX (and with the terrible rear visibility, not safe to back up without it!) when I drive the old car, I find myself looking at the stereo when backing up, which just doesn't do much good.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
You think that's bad? I tried to find the rear view mirrors on my golf cart last week.
Oops!
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Good news.
Just heard that Jeep had the best May sales ever. GM sales were up about 12% in May despite the recalls and Ford beat estimates for May sales.
Seems somebody has money.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Thank heavens. I was beginning to think that I was the only one who used the Gillette disposable twin razors. One razor will last me a week and then I toss it. I've tried some of the fancier models but didn't care for them. As for electric razors, how many was I given over the years only to discover how sorry they all were?
Richard
You're exactly right oldfarmer. You have to dry the razor off after each use. They do last longer if you do.
Richard
We did! They actually gave us a few thousand as a trade in. There were some valuable functioning parts and pieces, like the fridge and A/C unit. I'm sure they just took it for parts.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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