Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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Comments

  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    And there is nothing better than a baby in diapers!
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    If I had no need for the car, I would probably choose the $15K, rather than go thru the hassle of taking ownership and immediately attempting to sell the car.

    Although I like the Accord, I will probably choose the $15k if I won.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    Know what you mean - I am within a pound this month of what I made with double the units last month. I have a S/C RR that I hope I can deliver (he is due in today) that will put me over last month.
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    Well this month was dismal for me until this week-went from 1 car to five. Todays was a new 911 Cab that I needed in the worst way. :)
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    We will call you the come back kid
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    i was not looking forward to my paycheck..maybe monday and tuesday will keep going..
  • carhag2000carhag2000 Member Posts: 207
    8 1/2 delivered. Outside chance on a couple more. I am going on vacation next month so I am in deep doo doo.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    See, now if you were selling our stuff, 8 1/2 can be a good payday.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    I want to work F&I in one of ya'alls high line stores. I just figured out what 1 point would pay on a 72 month loan financing $80K + tax. Hubba, hubba, hubba. :shades:
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    Like our F&I guy says...it puts some fun into the deal.
  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Ya, but if you're in a high end store, think of all the cash deals and leases. You can throw out your ideas for working in a finance office, but I don't think the best money would be made in high-end and I know from experience it isn't at a Honda store.

    -Moo
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Well over half our deals are cash so don't get too excited.
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    But I love leases!!!!!!
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    I was just dreaming out loud anyhow. I could never leave a Ford Store. If I couldn't sell Fords then I would just move on to another line of work.
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    Well a lot of people say I work at a Ford store anyway..
  • benzserviceguybenzserviceguy Member Posts: 96
    No semantics - extended and certified are 2 completely different animals. Only a cursory inspection is required to be done to a used car (if any) to sell an extended. An extensive recon even on non-warranty items (brakes, tires, etc)is required to certify. It cost the dealer more in recon, then a fee to the manufacturer, but the consumer winds up with a better car up front, and a longer warranty that cost less than an extended. Things have changed in our business since the 80's.
    Also, I am a believer in warranties on cars. If you saw some of the modern repair bills you might be too. The electronics on the modern car (even low end) can really run up repair costs. I have them on all my vehicles - even my Harley.


    AMEN my brother...

    From where I sit, I HIGHLY recommend to ALL my clients that if they plan on keeping the car past the 4yr 50K LIMITED Factory Warranty (notice how I wrote LIMITED) they invest in either an extended Mechanical Failure policy (see how I did NOT write extended warranty?) or if it is within the time frame, opt for a CPO manufacturer backed warranty.

    Cureently I have an '02 S 500 with less than 40K in the shop right now. Car is OUT of limited factory warranty, no extended contract and the bill is close to 4K (multiple electrical control units failed) - the client has now opened up a comprehensive claim on their insurance.
    Now, had they purchased a contract, ALL of these components would have been covered!

    Need I say more??
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Oh yeah do you get a version of the...

    Well that LR3 is really just an explorer with a Land Rover badge

    or that LR2 is really just a ford Escape.

    :mad:
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    yeah, but here it is..

    That S-Type is the same as my Lincoln LS..

    The X-Type is a Taurus although that may be closer to the truth..
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    I remember when I first started selling cars in the early 90's. My wife and I were barely getting by, struggling like allot of young couples with a baby do.

    The hard thing for me to over come was the fact that just because I couldn't afford a $25K car or a $500 a month note didn't mean my customer couldn't.

    I was scared to death when i started and had to tell people there car not would be $500+. In my mind I believed there was no way in the world some one would pay that much for a car. It hurt my sales until I learned just because I was broke did not mean every one was. :D

    Did you guys that went from mid line stores to high line stores have that problem?
  • jescuejescue Member Posts: 521
    Very much so. I went from selling Jeeps and Chryslers, bumping people up to $400 a month, to this. My first big deal here was on a Jaguar XKR convertible in 2001. I stammered out to the guy that his lease payment would be $1500 per month and he said, "OK, thats what I pay now." It was very strange at first but you get used to it.
  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Wow, I'm not selling high lines, but I remember this as well. It's got easier as the years go by, but I did the exact same thing. I could not believe that people were interested in paying X amount / month for a particular vehicle. That sure brings back some memories.

    Now I just like to go back to "It's just math folks".

    -Moo
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    Joel, when I first went to high end, I was doing a credit app and asked the customer his gross income. He said 300k. I said, "per year?". He said, "No, per month". That kinda set the tone. Just got another 1/2 deal and got a be back out driving. Need 9 for better %.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    i stuffed a dryer in the back of my focus...plus a lot of headroom too

    now that Focus is a great car too....too bad Ford (USA) botched up the manufacturing in the USA.
  • epineyepiney Member Posts: 462
    But I love leases!!!!!!

    Lots of high end leases. Here are the top lease 2007 models

    image

    Full article :Auto leasing revs up again
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    and we do both front and back.
    you do front and back eh? :blush:;)
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    The hard thing for me to over come was the fact that just because I couldn't afford a $25K car or a $500 a month note didn't mean my customer couldn't.

    It is a very humbling experience. I ditto that.
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    Any saturday sales stories? since its month end was this a busy July weekend?
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    Yup, We do the whole deal start to finish - Our customers loveit. CSI is above national average
  • tbaxxontbaxxon Member Posts: 80
    Certified is a gimmick used to force an EW on a buyer. "Certified" cars cost more.

    I have never bought an EW on any car, appliance, TV, Computer,

    I have added up around $11,000 in "offered" EWs in 18 years.
    I have spent approx $3500 in repairs on all the items that would have been covered, I am way ahead.

    I rarely have had an issue with a car that would have paid off. I rarely go to the dealer for service. We have a 2001 Izuzu Rodeo with 95,000 miles on it which we plan to trade (if we can get a decent trade in offer I recently replaced a gas pump/sending unit for $425 (non dealer). That has been the only non maintenance issue we had. We also had them change all the belts and hoses, Timing belt, Brakes and plugs, Transmission and coolant flush, oil and filter. I cannot imagine what a dealer would have charged for all this work but it came to $1487.00 The sending unit alone was over $400. My Explorer just went out of warranty and I looked forward NOT to have to go to the dealer for service. They are impersonal and charge far too much unlike our mechanic and I just don't trust them because everything is about the bottom line. They charge a friggin RAG FEE!!!!

    The costs the F&I guy shows of repairs is a hoot. I have always lived by this in commerce.

    If they HAVE to resort to and use FEAR to sell it. Pass. YOu probably don't need it.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    No semantics - extended and certified are 2 completely different animals.

    OK, no semantics you can call it what you like, extended or certified, my point was you pay quite a bit for either of these and I don’t want to pay for either.

    I can see your point though, if I made my living selling something, I wouldn’t tell my customers not to buy it. I have never had the need for any extended or certified warranty on any used car I’ve ever owned. So if I’m ever in the market for another used car I’ll continue with my old ways. The money I’ve saved by not buying these types of warranties, is in a savings account, (which I’ve mentioned in a previous post on this subject) just waiting to be tapped if I ever need it.

    There isn’t a repair bill that I couldn’t pay for from this account and still have a nice chunk left over.

    Also, I am a believer in warranties on cars.

    By now I'm sure you know I'm not.

    jmonroe

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

  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    I'd take the cash. Put it in a cd at 7% with my local credit union and keep it there for a while. The cars depreciate plus you have to pay uncle sam which you also do on the cash but the cash is not depreciating.
    Mackabee
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    The hard thing for me to over come was the fact that just because I couldn't afford a $25K car or a $500 a month note didn't mean my customer couldn't.

    It is a very humbling experience. I ditto that.

    It is humbling when all my professional peers can do that. With a few exceptions, we all make roughly the same $$, and they have Lexuses (Lexi?) and Infinities (Infinitii?) and I have a 15 year old Honda and a couple year old Subie. It would be very challenging for me to take on their lease payment or down payment; I think my priorities are just different than theirs.
    One of the guys did come up and start asking financial questions on what to do about his 20k in credit card debt :sick:
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    In that case I would take the Accordion. :) And sell it back to my Honda dealership or privately. I would get more than 15K for it.
    Mackabee
  • mackabeemackabee Member Posts: 4,709
    "struggling like allot of young couples with a baby do."

    Joel, all young couples struggle with baby doo. ;)
    Mack
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,368
    If you won, what would you pick and why? Just curious...

    I'd take the money; you would have to pay me to drive any of them...

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    don't try to keep up brother. chances are they are deeper in the hole than they will let on, or know.

    that guy that came up to you and admitted 20K in CC debt is just the tip of the iceberg.

    be humbled in the fact you have more financial savvy than many, and what they have is merely an illusion.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    that guy that came up to you and admitted 20K in CC debt is just the tip of the iceberg.

    That is so true.

    In the mid 80's I worked with a guy who was younger than a lot of the guys in the group and therefore was paid less than the more experienced guys but this didn't mean he didn't want the same things the other guys had. He came up to me one day and asked for a little bit advice as to how he should handle his finances. I told him I wasn't qualified to do that and he said he liked how I seemed to do things along these lines so I said I'd do what I could.

    After talking to this guy for about 15 minutes, it's no longer the $6000 debt he had on one credit card, he also wanted to know what he should do about the $3500 he had on another credit card. Finally I said I really don't know what to tell you other stop using those credit cards completely. He said, "I can't do that I still need to buy stuff when my pay runs out around the middle of the month". :sick:

    That's when I told him he needed real professional help. He then said, "about how much do you think that will cost me", and I said I had no idea but I was pretty sure he couldn't use his credit card for that. :(

    jmonroe

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

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    You would be surprised how deep in the hole many people who drive high end cars are. $20K in credit card debt is nothing, I have seen people with $125K in Credit card debt.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    This may be a dumb question but how do people actually get financed when they have so much credit card debt? Doesn't that count against their FICO score? or debt to income ratios or does some banks still finance as long as the consumer can make their payments on time?
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Couple of things, first is that if you are making all your payments on time many places will finance you, especially if there is something securing the loan. Secondly no matter what your FICO score is there are places that will finance you, you may not like the interest (I once knew someone paying 24% on a used car) but you can get a loan. Finally many credit card companies will up your limit on a regular basis if you keep up with the payments.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    I am not here to change your mind, just as either of our opinions are not correct for everybody. I guess that my pet peeve here is that everybody, including me, thinks that their opinion is the only prudent way. But I know for a fact (14 years in the biz) that certified warranties are completely different and less expensive for the consumer. Many times ZI have offered to reduce the price of the car by the amount we pay (not including the recon that has already been done) the manufacturer for the warranty. No takers yet. I also regularly see repair bills equal to or much much greater than the warranty cost. There is a value to many people.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    I run any where form 40% to 50% penetration on Service Contracts each month. My penetration #'s have actually gone up since Ford went to the 5 year 60K warranty.

    Here is my opinion.

    For all of the folks here that say "just put that money in a savings acount, or just put a little aside each month". That is a fantastic idea if you can afford to do that. Not everyone is you and not every one has $1500 laying around to plunk in an account, plus if you have major problems $1500 will get you no where. One poster earlier mentioned he spent that much just doing major maintanence at i.e belts, hoses, timing belts etc.

    Also the fact that you put that money aside says that you realize there is a possibility it will be needed.

    I buy them, hell I prepay my maintanence for the first 60K so that way under fords plan my brake pads, belts, hoses, and windshield wiper blades are covered. So I know for a fact that for the first 60K miles my wife drives her 500 that all I will ever do is pay for gas and tires, and after that she is under the Premium car till 100K I also won't let my friends or family buy a pre owned car from me with out one.

    For those individuals that can afford not to have one that is great, but don't try to justify your blanket statement saying no one needs one. That could be very bad advice for some who read these forums.
  • chetjchetj Member Posts: 324
    i think the north american focuses were assembled in wayne michigan...at least mine is...i think they are a underrated car...mine gets 34 mpg...low price too
  • chetjchetj Member Posts: 324
    ford offers a 100k powertrain extended service contract on the focus...the 5 new cars i have owned have never needed anything cept regular maintenance.. CR reccomends against it(extended warranty) because the vast majority of cars wont need it..i have never bought one
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    chetj, The Focus is a fine car and people get very good service out of them. They are underated.

    You have probably never seen my Ford will rise to the top again and I will have a big ole box of I told you so's waitng rant have you.

    But for those who have, we followed up the #1 JD Power rating with a $750M profit last quarter.

    That object in your mirrior is as close as it appears and it is a great big Blue Oval. :D
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    To me a 6 year 100K mile bumper to bumper on the Focus is a no brainer. You can upgrade to that for as little as $420 + tax depending on the year model.

    I don'tcare who your mechanic is they can't fix any major problem for $420
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Personally I would advise against an extended warranty. Most cars if they make it past their standard warranty with no or little issues should make it past 100K with few, if any, problems. Out of all the new cars that I have bought none of them had anything happen to them that an extended warranty would have covered.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • epineyepiney Member Posts: 462
    Personally I would advise against an extended warranty.

    Normally I would agree with that, but the vehicles are getting so complicated electronically, at least the ones I am looking at, that I have begun to rethink it. Replacing those integrated nav, climate control and audio touch screen systems can't be cheap.
  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    It's all about cost and potential benefit - like with most insurance cases, like most products acutally.

    If the cost is reasonable (like Joel's mentioned $400+ for bumper-to bumper 100K), it may be a very good buy. Unfortunately in many cases dealers (or insurers) get too greedy and their premiums are simply too high.

    I have had two of vehicles and several other large ticket products with ext. warranty. I used them in both vehicle cases, but neither actually paid off its cost (second will expire next year so will have to say then). Same with those other ones - of all products I have bought I needed to prematurely replace one major appliance and that one actually had no warranty, but it was only $400 built-in microwave.

    Sometimes mere convenience may be worth money, at least to me, but I'm getting more and more conviced over time they aren't good buys after all, but I would still approach them case by case basis as potential cost to benefit.

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Thats why my penetration runs 40%-50%. About half the folks have your opinion and about half have mine. Thats what makes America great.
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