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Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Does anyone else think that is strange??

    I agree with the others. Maybe I can understand him not wanting to give it up due to identity theft reasons, but to go on with the tirade just proves he's an idiot.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I got an e-mail on my yahoo account and replied but it got kicked back.
    Mack
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    That's priceless!
    :shades:
    Mack
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    The Alloy Olds/Buick V8s weren't used until 1970 in Land rovers and even then it was only the Range Rover.

    The 1959 has a 2.25 liter all iron OHV 4 cylinder with 36,xxx miles on it. Oh to the best of our knowledge that is ORIGINAL mileage as well.

    I think the engine was running kind of rich to begin with but a good "high speed" run cleaned it out until the motor vapor locked on me.

    There was heavy condensation on the little one barrel solex and the outside temp was approaching 90 degrees. With all the ethanol in gas around new england now it wouldn't surprise me.

    I got it started again and drove it back to the dealership where it stalled on me again as I was pulling in. I got it to fire up again so I could get it into its spot but I think vapor lock is the problem.

    Side note:

    Recent thunderstorm + new asphalt + torquey 4 cylinder + skinny knobby tires + RWD = a 50 year old rover border line drifting out of the gas station.

    That was hilarious.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    So I wonder, do you think that if I had a concern like that if I could just have a copy of my license with me and when they ask to make a copy, show them the copy I brought and would that be okay??

    Boy, is that an interesting comment. When I bought in 2006 at a different dealer I had done all my negotiating via the internet and phone. All I had to do was go to the dealership to test drive and sign the papers. Since I felt that this dealer would want a copy of my license for the test drive, I made a copy at home before going to buy the car. When I got there the salesman never asked for my license before we took off for the test drive, so I never took the copy out of my packet of info that I had taken with me (I never volunteer information unless I’m asked for it). :surprise:

    While we were waiting for the F&I guy, Mrs. jmonroe said, “see, you were worried about something that never even happened”. Ooooo, I hate it when she says stuff like that. :(

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    "Can you hold on for a second?" he asked. "My wife says she can come in monday. Is that okay?" he asks again. "Monday is okay. We do close at six and since it's a federal holiday I expect we will be pretty busy. Please try to come as early as possible." I tell him. "I'll talk to my wife and call you back."
    Sunday rolls around and I'm at home enjoying my son's birthday and spending some quality time with him. Around 4:35 my cell phone rings and it's Mr. Smith. "Hi Mack, we are at the dealership and they told us you were off today." by now I'm starting to think that there is something terribly wrong with this guy and I say "Mr. Miller, I told you yesterday that I would be off today." He says: "Can't you come down so we can do the paperwork and take the car today?" you got to be kidding me!! "No. It's my son's birthday and I'm not leaving the house for anything. I will see you tomorrow as we agreed." and I hang up the phone.
    Next day I deliver a Prius to a rocket scientist, a NASA engineer who is very cordial and a genius of aeronautics. He has been working with the space program since he was 16. His wife is a teacher and they are a pleasure to work with. They leave happily in their Prius but not before asking about the Hybrid Highlander which she is very interested in. I tell them the 08 is due in July and give them a preview brochure to take home.
    A few minutes later I get a call from Mrs. Smith. She asks if she can come in early. "Sure, what time were you planning on getting here?" I ask her. "I'm leaving the house now and should be there in 30-45 minutes." she says. "Sounds good to me. See you in a few."
    She arrives in an expensive suv along with one of her children. After we sit down and I get her something to drink and start going over the paperwork I can tell that she's the one with the common sense in the family. The car will be registered in her name only, hence Mr. Smith is not with her but will pick up the car after he gets out of work. The next hour is uneventful with the exception that she does not want her credit pulled but wants to know what we can offer her. I keep telling her that it will be based on her credit score and still she does not want to have her credit checked. I give up and I figure I will let F&I deal with the facet of the sale.
    About forty minutes later she is done with the paper work and I take her to the delivery area to go over the car with her. I tell her to walk around it and make sure there are no scratches and I also open the trunk to show her the seat release levers, and the spare and nothing is missing. I then open the car and go over all the features until she is satisfied and has no other questions.
    She signs the delivery check list which basically states the car has no damage, all the features and options that are on the window sticker are actually in the car, it has a full tank of gas, and has names and contact information of the GM,Service Manager, Customer Relations Manager,and hours of operation. She signs it and I give her a copy.
    "Where is the car going to be when Mr. Miller comes to pick it up?" she asks. "I will park it right where you are parked right now and put the spare keys and owners manuals in the glove compartment." I reply. "Ok, I'll let him know. Bye" She leaves and I go back to the showroom. The tempo has slowed down and there are very few customers left. I go to the GSM and let him know I'm done for the day and I head home....
    To be continued...
    :)
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    To be continued...

    How many is this already 2…3? I don’t know you like some of the others here because by their time here at Edmunds, I’m pretty much a newbie but I can see already that you’re a TEASE. ;) However, I do like this tale but am curious as to when we’ll see the finally?

    Some of us are a little long in the tooth and are wondering if we’re going to be around to see this through. :(

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Macabe is worse then me when it comes to multi-part stories.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Rather than vapor lock I'd suggest you may have suffered carb icing. The fact you were running at full throttle and the condensation on the carb are clues. Had you raised the hood (though of course we all know that Land Rovers really have bonnets), you might have seen frost on the carb.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    j, you can see by the title which part is on. The next one will be part quattro. Sorry to keep you waiting but this is my style of writing. Besides this new software only lets you idle for 30 minutes and then you have to refresh so if I were to write the entire saga I would be doing a lot of rewriting. Stay tuned, you won't be disappointed. Got to go night night..
    Mack
    :shades:
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    I'd have to agree, i'm curious to see how this all plays out without the to be continueds :)
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,404
    welcome back. But aren't we still waiting for the final installment of your last story from 2005? :)

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,404
    Last car I bought (my Accord) I ended up finishing the deal over the phone. I guess that is one of my "techniques". I haggle a bit (working off something between a lowball and a short deal). The dealer says no mas, so I say OK, I'm leaving, call me, etc.

    Well, they always seem to call. With the Accord, I think I came up maybe $200 (at most), and they gave in. I expect I did get a good deal, since if we were that close, I doubt I was getting out the door in the first place.

    Well, by now it is 7:00 PM. I said fine, how about I come in the next day to do papers, etc.? Nope, they wanted me back in that night, since it was a 1-day only deal.

    Ended up in the service area after the place was closed, since by the time they finished all the papers and did the delivery stuff, it was pushing 10:00 (they closed at 9:00)

    So this was the opposite of delaying the customer in F&I. They made me come in!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • joe131joe131 Member Posts: 998
    A person who gets furious and starts screaming about a dealer wanting to copy his license probably has some personal problems causing the erratic behavior, maybe even a brain tumor or something.
    But in the not so distant past a certain car dealer in my town got in a little hot water when it was discovered it was automatically running credit checks on people who took test drives. The dealership would demand a copy of the driver's license and then secretly run the credit check. It was discovered by a bunch of customers when their bank notified them of a breach in the confidentiality of personal information contained in the bank records. In each case, the customers had test driven a car at the dealership which was shown as one of the entities requesting their credit information. That was the common link. Somehow the personal information had been shared with or sold to someone else outside the dealership and because of possible fraudulent losses the bank might suffer, everyone had to get new bank accounts and credit cards and check their statements for signs of abuse or improper charges.
    So, some people think they have good reason to guard their personal information, particularly at car dealerships (or at least this one).
    This was in the same state when many years ago a dealership faced civil and criminal legal action because of a salesperson throwing a customer's car keys on the roof of the building to keep him from leaving the store. The sales guy was not quite done trying to make a deal happen. I think the criminal charge was false imprisonment. Not sure what the civil claim was but I think a pretty big sum of $$ was paid to make it go away.
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    i am rather new to this forum but I must say I love the way you post- It is better than reading a book. Keep it up-makes my day
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I love the way you post- It is better than reading a book

    Sometimes it's a book without a last chapter though. :mad:

    However, people here are pretty good at holding Mack's feet to the fire. ;)
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Which story was that? Refresh my memory. I recall I do have one floating around but it was much earlier than 05. I believe it was around 98-00 about a drunken customer if I remember correctly. I think that one will be one of my unfinished works. stein13 called me on the carpet on this one and I may finish it someday when I remember all the details.
    :)
    Mackabee
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    Glad to see you posting again - and with a very interesting story as well!

    -thene :)
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Well I wasn't at full throttle for long because I didn't want to put too much stress on the 50 year old engine. I was only a WOT for maybe 30 seconds total but spread out over two intervals.
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    The drive home is uneventful. It is after all Memorial day and I take a few moments to thank all the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives for us so that we may enjoy our freedom. I drive up to my home go in and tell Mrs. Mack about my day. I grab me a sandwich and sit down to read my e-mail and catch up on the news of the day. I call Mack Jr. and speak with him and he asks how was my day then puts my grandson on the phone :) He always brightens up my day and today is no exception. I say bye to him and tell him I love him. He replies in kind "I love you Papa" and I hang up the phone. Right at that instant my cell phone starts ringing. The song "Hallelujah" is set as my ringtone for calls from work and I pick up. "This is Mack." I answer. "Are you still here?" one of my sales managers asks. "Nope, left about an hour ago." I reply. "You have a customer picking up a Camry and he can't find it." he says. "It's right in front of the showroom. You can't miss it. It's a silver Le." I respond. "Ok, I'll help him find it." and hangs up. No more than five minutes later my phone goes off again. It's the sales manager again. "Hey, this guy is really pi--ed off. Says the car has 88 miles and the paperwork his wife signed shows 3 miles so he's asking for a discount." he says. "What!? He's nuts! I showed his wife the odometer when I went over the car and double checked it myself for the paperwork." I exclaim. "Ok, let me go check the car." he says and hangs up before I have a chance to tell him what I think is actually wrong. I wait for his call back but it doesn't happen so I call him. He picks up and I say "Don't tell me; I bet he was looking at the outside temp instead of the odometer right?" I ask. "This is so funny, I walked out to the car and turned the ignition key and said to him: Looks like your mileage just went down by 2 degrees. It now reads 86. If you wait long enough you'll have 0 miles on it."
    :shades:

    Mackabee
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    I know it sounds funny and the guy looks like an idiot, but for someone, even of limited intelligence, to mistake the temperature for the odometer, there might be a problem in the ergonomics design.
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    "Don't tell me; I bet he was looking at the outside temp instead of the odometer right?"

    In all fairness, it is NOT a difficult mistake to make given the placement immediately ABOVE the odometer.

    I took possession of a Chrysler Aspen with 2 miles on the odometer. I *thought* that I was in the wrong gear as the mileage was reading "2".
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    (I'm almost done!) by mackabee

    You're almost done? You mean there's more? :surprise:

    Even if it stops here, that was a good tale. :):)

    Like I've said many times, cars ain't gotta have all those gadgets. :(

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    As far as it's going to go. In all fairness the temp shows right next to the mileage but there is a degree symbol right next to it. I do believe this guy and his wife don't communicate very well. Not finding the car when it was right in front of the showroom and it was the only Camry parked there. Anyways, he called me a week later to complain about a crack in the windshield. There was no crack in the windshield when the car was delivered and I told him to bring it in to service and see what we could do. We are replacing the windshield as a good faith gesture and now he wants scratches that weren't there at delivery to be fixed too! :confuse:
    Mackabee
    '
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,404
    Well, on our Hondas, the temp is the same place as the odo. You actually have to cycle through odo to get to temp (you can't see both at the same time). Really dumb design. You can have the odo and trip odo, or temp and trip odo.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    Not dumb design, they knew exactly what they were doing. It's cheap design, there is a difference.
  • editor2editor2 Member Posts: 64
    I like the Honda temp layout just fine, having never had it at all before. This kind of economy is well worth it to me, if I can trust that the important build decisions were properly executed, such as safety features.
  • jack47jack47 Member Posts: 312
    Once again....it seems like the squeaky wheel gets the most grease.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Fords have an option on some of the cars called Homelink. It is an option that goes on the drivers side visor and has 3 functions. You can program your garage door to one button, you home security system to another button, and the button in the middle is a recorder. You can record a 60 second message and play it back so if you need to remember an address or remind your self to pick up beer on the way home (who forgets that) etc.

    Any how, we have a very senior sales person who has been here 20+ years and technology has passed him by like he is standing still, this guy has asked in the past what time the internet closes.

    So he sells a SEL Windstar to a women years ago, the homelink was a mid year release and she had bought one before they came out. All her visor had was buttons for the garage door and security system. She asked him if the Van had homelink and he saw the buttons and said yes.

    So she comes back a couple weeks after delivery and ask the truck manager to show her how the home link works. He walks out, looks at the the visor and tells the lady she does not have home link. First she gets red faced then starts laughing. She says "You mean to tell me that me and my husband have been talking to this GD visor for two weeks for nothing? Hell we were screaming at it thinking that we were not loud enough.

    Her and her family have been buying cars from us for ever, there family is probably good for 15 a year so we ordered a visor with the home link and installed it for her. But it makes me chuckle when ever I think about her and her husband sitting there in the van yelling at the visor, PICK UP MILK AND BREAD ON THE WAY HOME, AND PICK UP SISSY FROM DANCE CLASS!!! :D:D
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    This same sales men walked up to the desk one time a couple years ago and said "This crazy SOB at my desk wanted a Front Wheel Drive Escape, I ran his goofy [non-permissible content removed] off". He was pretty embarrassed when we told him all Escapes are FWD with a 4x4 option. Even more when we made him call the guy and tell him. He missed that sale :D
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,677
    Shopping in 1985 or so we ordered a car from him after shopping a couple of dealers. Later that Saturday afternoon I got a call saying he didn't notice at the time we ordered but if we got the stereo AM radio package with something else there was no increase in price over what we'd ordered. Did I want to chagne to the AM Stereo? Yes.

    The dealership was GMC, Chev, Pontiac, Geo, Buick at the time. I don't know how he could keep all the options for all the many models straight. And being straight-forward enough to call and say he didn't know or remember he promotional option group made us appreciate him more. We ordered 5 more cars from him through the years. He never had all the answers about options when I would call while shopping various lines, but he always checked and called back.

    PS. He did know front wheel drive from RWD. ;)

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Reminds me of a couple of salespersons we had here. One was a lady that is now a service writer. I remember her coming up to me one day and asking "Mack, where's the 4wd button on the RAV4?" there is no button or lever for the 4wd. It's an as needed system and comes on on its own. The other was a slick salesman that came through that sold a Pre-runner which is a 2wd truck that looks like a 4wd. The customer comes back one night and walks in the showroom and says. "Hey Brandon, I can't find the 4wd on this truck." so Brandon goes out to the truck and both are under it and in the cab with a flashlight and nothing. They both come back in and we end up undoing the deal and getting the guy a 4wd truck! :shades:
    Mackabee
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    In 1997 when Ford hit the market with the first standard 3 door truck we talked about it every week while we were waiting for it to get here. About 3 weeks and 40 sales later after they arrived we had a lady sell one. She ran inside and told 4 of us "Come here you won't belive this. The Super Cab truck I just sold has a 3rd door on it.

    I have as many screwy salesperson stories as i do Screwy customer stories.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Whats funny is when the list gets upset because customers complain about lack of product knowledge from the sales staff.
  • tazerelitazereli Member Posts: 241
    Well heck Joel...let 'em roll!!

    Kyle
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Whats funny is when the list gets upset because customers complain about lack of product knowledge from the sales staff.

    Every sales staff has or has had the guy before that would not know product knowledge if he tripped over it. The only person like that we have now is The guy I have mentioned. He has been here so long that we don't have the heart to cut him loose and the majority of his customer base realizes that he don't know jack, but they have bought from him for so long they put up with it. he turns 62 next year and will probably retire.
  • carhag2000carhag2000 Member Posts: 207
    I have been a Honda sales person for seven years and qualified for the council of sales leadership every year. And I will be doggoned if i can make the Rear Entertainment System jump through all of its hoops. At the time of delivery I always go completely through the car and when I get to the RES I say' You will have to have your kids show you how to run this as I am technically incompetent and my VCR right now is sitting home blinking 12:00." I have never been dinged on a survey because of that. I am honest with the customer and show them where they can find the info themselves and it seems to be enough. I do know what Vtec stands for and can meticulously explain that, but that was hard won knowledge and a story in itself.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    And I will be doggoned if i can make the Rear Entertainment System jump through all of its hoops. At the time of delivery I always go completely through the car and when I get to the RES I say' You will have to have your kids show you how to run this as I am technically incompetent and my VCR right now is sitting home blinking 12:00." I have never been dinged on a survey because of that. I am honest with the customer and show them where they can find the info themselves and it seems to be enough. I do know what Vtec stands for and can meticulously explain that, but that was hard won knowledge and a story in itself.

    There are a couple of issues here. If you can work the thing, the interface isn't as good as it should be, and that in itself is an issue. I get really annoyed when people feel like they are incapable of handling new technology. Engineers get so excited about a new technology they put it out before its ready.

    For example, Bluetooth is like that...there is no standard for communication between bluetooth devices with the exception of very loose "profiles." Your phone to that little piece that goes in your ear is the "hands free" profile, but the phone-to-car one doesn't officially exist. Its a great technology, but its hit or miss right now and thats not the way it should be.

    The other thing is I personally think its cool that you have so much pride in your product knowledge. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and some people are more mechanically minded than others but I think its cool you followed up on the vtec stuff until you understood it well enough to explain it to a consumer.
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    Your phone to that little piece that goes in your ear is the "hands free" profile, but the phone-to-car one doesn't officially exist. Its a great technology, but its hit or miss right now and thats not the way it should be.

    Ok current Ford salespersons, good luck with "Ford Sync" coming out later this year...

    Originally that's what got me to look at a 2008 Ford Focus...
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Ok current Ford salespersons, good luck with "Ford Sync" coming out later this year...

    Originally that's what got me to look at a 2008 Ford Focus...


    I will let you know as soon as we get one with a sync in it as to how it is. if it is simple to operate that thing is going to be fantastic.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    he turns 62 next year

    Be careful what you say about older sales people - some of us know more than you think! :D;)
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    What does VTEC stand for? and what does it do?
    :confuse:
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  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    VTEC(Valve Timing and lift Electronic Control)

    I could probably explain exactly what it does too but I want to hear the other guys explanation.
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    Bluetooth is easy to set your phone up in the car for Nissan. Meaning I can set it up in two minutes so that when your phone rings you can use the bluetooth through the car or if you are going to make a out going call I tell people to call from the cell and then it will turn the bluetooth on in the car autmatically. But for putting in peoples phone numbers that can take a month Sundays to do one family's member cell phone....
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    Oh I know what it stands for and what it does. Toyota VVT-i system is superior and now has left Honda's in the dust with the Dual Independent VVT-i which varies BOTH intake and exhaust valves for better fuel economy, lower emissions, and more power. :shades:
    mackabee
  • thenebeanthenebean Member Posts: 1,124
    yeah well Nissan's VVTL is gonna be right there with ya!!

    :P

    -thene ;)
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Alphabet soup nonsense.

    Mad points if you can tell me what this alphabet soup means...

    CBC, HDC, ARM, EAS, EBD, EBA, CLV, DSC
  • carhag2000carhag2000 Member Posts: 207
    It actually stands for Variable Valve Timing Electrically Controlled. The first time I was asked I had read the Honda propaganda and had the barest of understanding. I said to the customers ( and this has been quoted since) " I have an understanding of how this thing works but my explanation would just confuse both of us so why dont I get out the Honda Engineering manual and lets read it together."

    Actually what happens is the cam lobes are not fixed in place like in other engines but are operated electrically to create multiple timing or cam profiles. This enables the honda to " peak out" the horsepower at different RPM's rather than just one spot. It smooths out the power and actually creates a "power band" like Suzuki RM motorcycles have. Quite impressive, in that you can hear and feel the extra power being delivered.
    My sucess with explaining things that I know nothing about comes from the fact that I am brutally honest with my customers and can find out the answers to their questions in a timely fashion.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    It actually stands for Variable Valve Timing Electrically Controlled

    That is what I thought it meant and then I looked it up and got a different answer.

    Could it be both?
This discussion has been closed.