Stories from the Sales Frontlines

imidazol97

The ethics of adding on extras, whether at the dealer or by the distribution franchisee, bothers me. If the car needed those items, the manufacturer would have them on there from the factory. It's another way of adding mop and glow, stuff and puff, to charge the consumer.

I recall shopping Buicks long ago at a metro Cincy dealer who owned the Reds at the time (identity shall remain anonymous) and the car had special wax, pin stripes, and 3M cloth protector spray (available for $5 at KMart) all for up to $500. that would be $1500 today. Most cars in the intermediate group I was looking at had the stuff already listed on th addon sticker. Chutzpah.

greanpea68

I was asking because my workshops can go from 1-3 hours depending on what the boss wants. Also, a group of 30-40 is a nice size to work with and work with each other. Do you have e-mail at your office?

WOW.... that was a pretty good close can I use that one too?

You might be trying to solicit business when you close like that.

Keep up the good work Rich...

GP

greanpea68

I have to say not every consumer is cheap, economical, price effiecent, tight with there money, think every one is out to get them

When dealers add those items, why do you think we do it. Welllll, I will tell you.

Because people buy them.

Just because most of the consumers here wouldn't doesn't mean they have to bash dealers all the time for selling something that someone see value in.

If people were not buying this stuff. Dealers would not go out of their way to install. Why would a dealer want to loose money on something nobody would buy?

GP

On the lighter side did anyone hear about the New York Police officer who got a vanity plate that said " GET OSAMA"...

Some liberal person is complaining that it is offensive and asking the registry of NY to make him change his plate............. :confuse:

Oh one more thing. Does anyone still have any doubts that the Pats can't go 16-0 this year?

GP

isellhondas

If someone doesn't want these items, not a problem!

I'll just sell them a car that's in transit and stop the accessories. We DO install these when the cars are prepped.

I don't tell anybody the cars come with these items. They don't. We install them.

mrsuzuki

Hopefully he has changed the tranny fluid before 67000 miles.

imidazol97

>If people were not buying this stuff, dealers would not go out of their way to install. Why would a dealer want to loose money on something nobody would buy?

If it weren't already on the car as a mandatory "option," would people not buy it? After all it can easily be added to the vehicle during prep.

It's like the "optional" ticket charge for Ticketmaster when I buy tickets to almost any event at a publicly paid for and publicly built arenas, e.g. Is it an _option_ I would have chosen? But Ticketmaster probably says people pay it so they want the additional charge.

Or the reverse is that I drink caffeine free diet cola. I stop at a large chain of gas station stores along the interstate and they won't have any 12-pack cans of caffeine free diet colar but they have 45 kinds of beer in the cooler already cold. They will either say they don't have room to stock all types of cola or they will say the coke delivery guy doesn't leave any because they don't sell it. To that I respond if you don't stock any you won't sell any to justify stocking it again, duh. When they give me any come back that's even dumber I just mention I'll call corporate offices in the morning or the district office in Ohio for the subsidiary stores.

Why not stock cars without the addons and install them when the customer "wants it and buys it." That way people who don't want that don't have to wait for a "car in transit" to arrive sometime in the future.

mrsuzuki

Drink water from a cup backwards/upside down. Hopefully you know what I mean, because it would be a pain to try and type it out lol. Works everytime for me.

oldfarmer50

"...Because people buy them..."

But do they buy them because they want those things or because they can't get a car without them? I wonder if customers were offered a choice would they scream "I'm not buying that sludgemobile unless it has wheel locks!"

BTW, I AM cheap and think everyone is out to get me .

I was wandering a Nissan lot on Sunday and listed on the sticker for every car I looked at was "Floor Mats--$175". Those must be some nice floor mats.

british_rover

Yikes that is crazy. Rubber floor mats for a LR3 are just over a 100 bucks and they are huge heavy duty mats.

Carpet mats are less then 150 bucks.

isellhondas

Stores stock what sells the best. You can call the district offices all you want but if caffeine free diet pop is a slow seller, they will utilize their limited shelf space for products that sell!

Why not stock cars without the addons? Because for every customer that complains, there are 10 that don't.

At the end of the model year at Clearance Time, we leave all accessories off. We get shopped to death by "bargain shoppers" at this time and a set of splash guards can kill a sale.

greanpea68

We have about 350 cars on the property and we will put dealer add onson about 5 vehicles. We usauly put the cars with dealer add ons in the show room with Addendums ( I know how much some people hate those and run away from dealers that do it)

Add ons can be After market roofs, after market leather, Road Block, pro pack, touch of class, heated seats , spoilers, mudflaps, pinstripes, bedliners, special wheels, etc...

We try to put it on the popular colors. We put them in the showroom so customers can see and feel them. If people want it on a different color now they know what they are buying when they see them on a particular car.

GP

british_rover

Stores stock what sells the best. You can call the district offices all you want but if caffeine free diet pop is a slow seller, they will utilize their limited shelf space for products that sell!

Exactly.

A couple of months ago I started driving a new way to work because of construction on my normal route. I actually like the new route better and will continue to use it after they finish construction on the regular route but that is not the point of this story.

I stopped by a package store I had never been in on the way home one night to pick up some Modello. I don't see any on the shelfs or in the cooler so I ask the guy at the register if they have any.

"Modelo what the hell is that?" He says.

"Its this good mexican beer they make Modelo negra and modelo especial. It is good beer comes in a funny short fat bottle."

"Sorry never hear of it," he replies. "The only mexican beer we stock is corona cause that is the only one that sells. Plus most of those mexican beers have the shelf life of ________________________." Censored so as not to offend Richards delicate ears. :P

This demonstrates two things that get discussed on here all the time.

1: Stores carry what sells the most.
2: What sells the most isn't necessarily the best.

Corona is nasty beer IMO. Modelo especial or negra is much better even though they are all made by the same company.

lrguy44

But do they buy them because they want those things or because they can't get a car without them? I wonder if customers were offered a choice would they scream "I'm not buying that sludgemobile unless it has wheel locks!"

We put clear bras on all our Range Rovers, Range Rover Sports and Service loaners. We do this because this is Colorado (average windshield life about 60-90 days before pitting ot cracked" because you would not believe how many hoods we have repainted on trades due to rock chips and do not want to mar a new car. On the cars we do not put a clear bra on at least 85% of buyers want one put on.

dino001

Stores stock what sells the best.

Correction: stores stock what makes most profit with least amount of effort. Although close, it is not the same thing. Nothghing wrong with that unless of course you are a consumer who wants something else.

dino001

I could see why people wan a clear bra. I don't. For me it looks hideus - worse than chipped paint. Seriously. But I get why people buy them. If people put plastic covers on their couch to preserve the fabric or wrap remotes to protect them from grease, they'd buy anything that "protects" their second-largest expense ...

lrguy44

If you lived here and realized that a trade is:

A) discounted for the $600-800 to repaint the hood

Discounted because a repaint lowers retail value.

You just might want a clear bra. Also, the plastic on a couch is much more noticeable and lessens the comfort level. Not true with a clear bra - it is hardly noticeable.

dino001

Yeah, I get that. But they look so awful - especially after three-five years when they start peeling off, dirt collect behind and paint fades unevenly, creating different color zones within the hood.

british_rover

Err dirt can't collect behind a clear bra as it is attached directly to the paint.



Now someone who does a poor job waxing the vehicle will leave a line of wax residue where the bra ends but that is it.

lrguy44

I have never seen one peel - dirt cannot collect under them. Several years ago they would tend to yellow slightly with age and it would detract from a white car. However, the new Lexan materials do not do that. I have them on my vehicles and love them. They also keep Meth Chloride from affecting the paint.

isellhondas

Well, yes and no.

Some items with a high margin aren't good sellers so they won't be stocked.

I guess you have to be in retail your whole life (like me) to understand.

chikoo

u better take that email off. The bots will be all over it.

chikoo

" Profit"...what an ugly word, huh?

In one religion, earning "profit" is actually banned on certain transactions

pushingtin

Exactly! And as far as I know we are the only dealership in the area that has this brutal of a pay plan.

So, during a slow week where I only deliver a car or two - and of course they happen to be mini deals - I've made a whopping $75 or $150 for my family. I take the draw and pay it off the next week, if I happened to make any gross.

In talking to the guys who have been at our dealership for 6 or more years, they say this is the absolute worse pay structure, spiff, bonus, etc. they have ever experienced. Traffic is slow, the shoppers are shopping and they buyers are lying.

In fact, I've had 3 deals this past week that were happy and satisfied with price, a buyers order drawn up and signed and one of them "blew out" in finance, another needed to bring their trade in (sometime today?), because they hadn't considered it earlier but wanted to know what they could get for it, and finally the last one who had to leave to pick up kids and just hasn't bothered to come back in and take delivery or have the decency to call.

Whats with this business that just brings out the worst in people? I had spent over two hours of my day with each of these people - demoing cars, going over all the features and benefits, getting them the price THAT THEY OFFERED ME, had the deals done (or so I thought), and POOF! I left early on Saturday because I just felt beat down and worthless, and seriously considered walking away for good.

I haven't sold a car since last Tuesday (a mini), and I'm really starting to doubt if I am going to be able to make this a career.

Highs and lows. The highs are nice and things just seem to roll along, but the lows are much lower than the highest high, and the swings are killing me. Its like mood on any given day, week, or month is determined by how many cars I'm selling and I'm having a hard time separating the bad work days from my home life.

Help......

chikoo

I had the opportunity once to be in Domino's in a sleazy neighborhood.
I order grilled chicken toppings and the response was "Sorry- we do not carry chicken". It does not sell in this neighborhood.

jescue

You have to get used to the highs and lows as much as possible. It is not easy when the middle of the month rolls around and you have no money made. If you let it get to you it will affect your sales and your attitude. I thought I was going to have a terrible october and ended up with a great month. You just have to keep at it and it will all average out. The pay plan is a different story.

sterlingdog

"...Richard's delicate ears."

After 28 years with high school students and 12 years with teachers, you couldn't put a word on this site that I haven't seen or heard. BTW, I added your apostrophe for you between the "d" and the "s".

british_rover

I know I left it that way on purpose. :P

sterlingdog

I know. That's what my students used to say. :P

sterlingdog

I'll let you borrow that one.

british_rover

Attitude is very, very important. I had a horrible October and part of it was because I got frustrated and I know I let some deals slip through my fingers. Part of the reason I was frustrated though was pay plan issues so I feel your pain there. A good 2/3s of our pay plan issues have been resolved now and I tried to wipe the slate clean for November so I could have a strong month.

So far it is working as I am having a much better month now then I did last month. I struck out las week and that sucks but because I got a lot of bonus money last week it evens out.

roadburner

$358 for synthetic fluid exchanges on a bimmer? Big time bargain Unless of course it was only engine+transmission+diff and inspections and nothing else - then it's "normal".

Nope, it also got fuel and air filters, plugs, and maybe coolant...

dino001

Actually I understand it very well. You don't need to be in retail to understand that concept, as it's very simple. The items that are believed to give the best combination of ease and unit profit have highest chance of being stocked and actually pushed by sales staff. I didn't say "all high margin" or anything remotely to that. I said "easy margin", i.e. what gives most profit with least amount of effort and capital involved. Perfect example: only very small percentage of Corollas had $500 side impact option, yet ALL had $699 "Toyoguard" junk. We all know why.

It is of course a self-propelling loop. The advantages (quick stock turnover, high profits) far outweigh "lost opportunity" risk presented by not stoking models/trims that are believed unpopular, but could actually sell if only given a chance. Nobody wants to take that chance and I don't blame them. It's just an observation from a non-mainstream customer.

Going back to accessories - all I have a problem is appearances of no "opt-out" choice. I know it works and sells, but in every other area of public business bundling wanted and unwanted product for extra profit is often prosecuted by anti-trust laws. Sometimes it is even called extortion. Car retail business calls it "good business".

Send a long-legged Suzy (or bodybuilder Sam, if that works on others to convince customer about whatever you want to sell. Subject them to a presentation showing horrible consequences of their opting out of that paint sealant or wheel locks. Make couple of nice specimen in the showroom so everybody can see how great they are. Electronic stores do not bundle monster cables with the receiver, but they certainly don't miss opportunity to sell you one if you want it. They put a "consider this" sticker. Do the same with a car. Make big posters listing all the benefits of that extra stuff you're selling. I might actually buy something and feel good about it.

But we I walk on your lot and see your little extortion scheme by preloading every car on the lot, I'm ready to walk out - and angry. I might even change the brand. That Civic at 16K may be a bargain (even at MSRP ), but with $699 mop&glo package and another $599 accessories it just lost the appeal. Moreover, something inside tells me this store has no respect to its customers. It may be just me, so who cares, right?

dino001

So it's not as expensive, as it certainly could.

gogiboy

"Jack Webb is right. Who was the other guy Harry Potter? I know he was Colonel Potter on Mash, one of my all time favorites."

Good one, Mack! It was Harry Morgan and his character name was Gannon, I believe. Sgt. Friday must be one of the most spoofed characters from TV. I always liked the Friday-like library cop in Seinfeld.

Gogiboy

laurasdada

Wow, BR! That is one sharp looking Land Rover! Beautiful! Such tight tolerances! If only my Acura TL looked that good!

Don't wax: Zaino!

micosilver

Any decent sales book will tell you: Recession exists in one place only - between your ears.
Are you selling a bad product? If so - switch to the brand you believe in.
Is your pay plan bad? Negotiate a better one, or find a better place to work.
The rest is up to you.

isellhondas

I had no problem with your post until you used the word "extortion".

We only preload the items that most buyers want anyway. No paint protection etc.

Very few people have a problem with this.

I did have a "thrifty" customer on Saturday who refused to pay for ANY accessories on a Touring Odyssey. No problem, I threw them in and told the customer I would simply remove the cargo tray that we install in Odysseys that they saw no value in.

Ah, but alas, they had SEEN the cargo tray...you know, the one they didn't want, so they demanded I throw that in too! Sorry, didn't work!

joel0622

I was a little late the party on this but I would have told you to do the service. Always, always, always do the maintanence.

greanpea68

I hear a lot of posters saying they are walking right out of a store if there are ADM's on a car. I find it hard to believe with all the CSI and the emphasis of treating customers right especialy with all the competition that I can't believe stores are treating people unjustly. With that being said........

With all respect............. I think it is weak for someone to run out of a store because a ADM on a vehicle. It is the same thing as pre-qualifying a store. Thatis like saying oh this person is wearing ripped jeans and driving a 1992 Buick. We shouldn't wait on that person. Maybe I am taking it personaly because we do ADM's on some of our vehicles, but I work in a brand new state of the art store. We offer a lot of service to our customers that someone would miss out on if some were to run out and miss it because of a ADM............

It is one thing if you go into a dealership and they treat you with disrespect...
but isn't everyone innocent untill proven guilty???

ALl I am saying is you shouldn't run out because of a peice of paper on a car. Especialy people that come here. You guys are the ones that are educatedand shouldn't be afraid of anything.

GP

joel0622

Ingredients
1 Bottle Tequila

1 12 Pack of Corona

Take one shot of tequila and chase with a swig of beer

Continue process until you are drunk enough to pass out

When you wake up in the morning the hiccups will be gone.

If we lived closer to each other I would come and administer the procedure by giving you an example on each and every step.

lincolnexpert

I run the # 1 internet hep. in the country for a LINC/Merc dealer and it is tuff. All the time I get leads with no #'s or wrong #'s and there is a dealer that is close to us that just lies point blank to every customer they talk to they are on RT 1 buy the prison and in this day and age you would think that they would deal with customers like it is 2007 not 1980. They dont know how to make a customer happy and the claim to give customer service a priority the only thing they care about IS SCREWING EVERY PERSON THAT WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR.

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE STILL DEALERS OUT THERE THAT JUST DONT CAREABOUT YOU ALL THEY WANT IS TO SELL A CAR MAKE THE MOST THEY CAN AND DONT THINK ABOUT MAKEING YOU A FRIEND THAT WILL BUY FOR YEARS TO COME AND SEND ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO. MOST OF THE TIME YOU ONLY WANT TO GO BACK TO THEM TO [non-permissible content removed] THEM OUT AND THAT IS SAD. GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!!!!!!! MAYBE ALL OF THE STORES YOU HAVE TOGETHER CAN BRAKE THE 200 MARK FOR A MONTH.

PEOPLE IN NJ SHOULD THINK ABOUT GOING TO A DIFFERENT STATE THAT IS NOT TO FAR AND DEAL WITH THE BEST..

lrguy44

Never lost a deal or had a customer walk because we had put a clear bra on a car

houdini1

Second largest expense? If you think buying a house is more expensive, think again. Just think back over the years about what all the houses you have owned have actually cost you and then think how much you have spent on cars.

Chances are you have actually made money on the houses but certainly not the cars. New car depreciation is typically your biggest expense. Of course I could be wrong.

epiney

Ah, but alas, they had SEEN the cargo tray...you know, the one they didn't want, so they demanded I throw that in too! Sorry, didn't work!

Nothing wrong with that. They don't want to pay, you don't want to throw it in, then they don't get it.

I still don't agree with preloading. If most buyers want them, then you should have no problem selling them and adding them during prep. But I guess we will just have to disagree on that.

epiney

Maybe I am taking it personaly because we do ADM's on some of our vehicles, but I work in a brand new state of the art store. We offer a lot of service to our customers that someone would miss out on if some were to run out and miss it because of a ADM............

GP, I don't think that's a problem. I actually like seeing some accessories on the cars to see what they look like. I would probably not buy it, I do understand why they are nice to have in showrooms. What customers have a problem is when dealers ADM every vehicle and say that's the way they come.

dino001

I sometimes use strong language to make a point, not enemies. Perhaps too strong this time. It was an obvious exagerration (sort of like penny pincher top-of-the line customer :P but a little further), but if I offended you by that - I'm trully sorry. The point there was just that your industry in quest for added profit does go further than many other retail and some of the practices (without pointing fingers) might be trully seen as at least questionable. But again - if it got too personal, I apologize.

By the way - I actually bought a bunch of accessories (cargo tray, net, and such) with my last purchase, so it's not that I don't see value there. We are of course talking about those real ones, not the "mog&glo". My salesman was actually asking "why do you want differential protector?" - can you imagine that?

Kirstie_H

Welcome to the Forums! You'll find that most people here are friendly, and that our salespeople have a reputation for helping consumers around here and bucking the car-salesperson stereotype.

We look forward to hearing your tales - if you could take off the CAPS LOCK when you type, that would help us read your posts. Thanks!

british_rover

why do you want differential protector?" - can you imagine that?

What did you buy that offered that? Only non-truck I can think of that has those as an accessory is Subaru.

dino001

Let me put it this way, GP:

ADM on Solstice: I just smile and move on as I would nod buy that thing even at invoice. But even if I did - I keep shopping. I don't need to be first on the block.

ADM on all Corollas and Matrices: I'm out of here. They are obviously idiots or think I'm one. Either way - don't do business with them. That is lack of respect. Doesn't matter if I could negotiate lower. I just don't do business with people whose understanding of free market economy is "take money and run".

dino001

You got it - it was Subaru. As they are all AWD, they have rear differentials. So Subaru offers sheetmetal protectors on them (like a small box).