Stories from the Sales Frontlines

jmonroe

This is the same guy who wanted to forgo heated seats to save $500.

You have to start saving some place.

It’s better to have a cold tushy than not being able to stop. Then you’d have one forever.

jmonroe

roadburner

Makes me wonder if any of these service writers have ever pulled an wheel, changed a brake drum/disk? Pulled off an oil filter? Changed a serpentine belt? Replaced a valve cover gasket? A fuel or water pump? Done a tune up (which these days means little more than to change plugs)?

I guess I've been lucky; my BMW Service writer is a true enthusiast(he has an E36 M3, a Z4, and a Triumph Bonneville). He knows BMWs and likes to discuss old and new ones. My Mazda writer isn't as much of a car buff, but he still knows what he's talking about.

sterlingdog

Don't let them pick on you. That was a sweet thing to do. :shades: The Easter Bunny will bring you a nice basket for that gesture.

Richard

dino001

You misunderstood the comment. "Bad" here meant "expensive", not "poor quality".

roadburner

You misunderstood the comment. "Bad" here meant "expensive", not "poor quality".

I understood exactly what he meant.

dino001

So I misunderstood your response then. :surprise:

jipster

tell the owner of a Porsche that their $8K + Ceramic Composite pads need to be replaced and there is probably labor on top of that

You're kidding? Unless the brakes are located inside the engine compartment, by some strange chance, I would refuse to pay. Shoo... it'd be cheaper to strap a couple Kia Rios on the thing and use them as brake pads. :sick:

isellhondas

Most of our Service Advisors have been here for years.

Very little turnover here but we may be an exception.

jmonroe

... it'd be cheaper to strap a couple Kia Rios on the thing and use them as brake pads.

Or bumpers. :surprise:

jmonroe

gogiboy

"A hard loaded SEL FWD would list for $26K with a cost of $24K."

Joel--

Can you or one of the other salesmen explain "Hard" Loaded? How does it differ from just "Loaded" and is there such a category as "Soft" loaded? The term is used by pretty much every dealer in Oklahoma City in their radio and TV spots.

I would guess "hard" loaded would include such testosterone enhancements as oversize wheels, a loud exhaust, hitches, winches and the like. "Soft" loaded would include accoutrements like a flower vase (VW Beetle), lighted mirrors, buttery soft leather seats, etc.

Just plain "Loaded"? Any truck with a bed larger than the cab?

Gogiboy

smithed

If you don't drive a Honda or a Toyota then as far as the Metro sexual class of America is concerned you are a, Red neck (>check) , gas guzzling driven (check), baby seal clubbing (haven't done that, but might like a coat), littering (don't do that), non environmentally cautious (I like to hunt and fish too much to mess up the enviroment), cigarette smoking (agree that that is bad for me), tap water drinking (tastes best), fast food eating (love a good Wendy's double), domestic beer drinking (Is there another beer besides Bud?) , gun toting (30.06) Republican (because not everyone can be on welfare) who in their opinion (for which I don't give an excrement) is a second class citizen. :shades:

toyota2lexus

Business was pretty slow for me, only had 3 deliveries on the 17th, am now sitting on 8 with another 3 being delivered before Friday, lots of internet and phone leads the past few days.

Maybe I'll have a month afterall.

mattandi

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Praying it will be resolved quickly.

mattandi

I haven't sold a single car all month.

jmonroe

This is directed to the car biz guys but anyone is free to add their comments especially those who have, or know someone who has, put off a car purchase until their check arrives.

When the government sends out the Tax-Stimulus-Checks (not the normal 1040 refund checks) will it provide the car sales that you had prior to the slump? The way it looks, the checks won’t arrive until the warmer weather when car sales traditionally rise on their own. If that is the case, I guess you’ll have to wait to see if sales are above normal.

I anticipate an advertising blitz by most of the dealers to get the attention of buyers that are on the fence. Do any of you biz guys care to share if your dealerships are planning on joining this advertising blitz?

Since the checks are for people with an income of $75K or less, my first thought is that it won’t affect the high-end stores very much but since those sales are now also down what do you high-end guys see for yourself?

jmonroe

nj2pa2nc

besides home foreclosures a record number of vehicles are now being repossessed. opinions anyone.

oldfarmer50

"...I havn't sold a single car all month..."

Yikes! :sick:

mattandi

I'm ok, I don't sell cars for a living.

Feeling it for our friends here who do though.

mattandi

I told her she was pretty good at washing dishes why would we need a dishwasher

So, was the sofa comfortable that night? :P

oldfarmer50

"...I told her she was pretty good at washing dishes why would we need a dishwasher..."

Because a dishwasher is cheaper than a divorce lawyer.

greanpea68

Do any of you biz guys care to share if your dealerships are planning on joining this advertising blitz?

J,

I thought about this and I don't really think it will make a differance either way. $1200 per couple and $600 for single....

Lets say a single person... if that $600 is going to make or break a deal than that person probably shouldn't be buying a car anyway :sick:

The $1200 will help some couples but I don't really think it will make that much difference. As I am typing this I feel like it is coming out negatively but I don't really see it making much difference.

The people I think it might help is any one that is interested in leasing. Most people put $1000 - $2500 on average down. ( I am not including high line ). So there is that area but over all I don't think it will help that much. I think you will see the circuit city's and the textile markets feel it the most. Just my 2 cents :shades:

GP

mackabee

I'm buying me a flat panel tv with my rebate. Prices are going down really quick. My favorite tv was discontinued so there's a few places that a really marking it down. I'm waiting to see if I can get it for around 6-8 hundred. Rear projection, 50 in Sony SXRD. The movie Cars looks really fab on it.
Mack

greanpea68

I'm buying me a flat panel tv with my rebate

I am with you on that one!!!! :shades:

I told my wife I wanted to get a flat panel TV also

She said she wanted a dishwasher

I told her she was pretty good at washing dishes why would we need a dishwasher :surprise:

For the record our currnet dishwasher is broke and we do need to replace it.

when the check comes though we will be going to one of my customers who has bought 2 motor vehicles from me. He owns a appliance store that sells dishwasher and TV's. It will be good to help the family owned business's...

qbrozen

For the record our currnet dishwasher is broke and we do need to replace it.

aw, come on now. Get your hands dirty and fix it. ;b

I just fixed mine a few weeks ago. Took me about 3 hours to figure out it was a $15 fuse. But, heck, better than $800 to replace it.

verdugo

when the check comes though we will be going to one of my customers who has bought 2 motor vehicles from me. He owns a appliance store that sells dishwasher and TV's. It will be good to help the family owned business's...

Watch out for the upsell with the Jetdry

qbrozen

Watch out for the upsell with the Jetdry

Bah. Everyone knows that's a blatant ripoff!

HOWEVER, you know those dishwashers need extra rust-proofing. And an extended warranty is a must-have.

;b

jmonroe

Took me about 3 hours to figure out it was a $15 fuse.

Doesn't that just twique ya when you don't start trouble shooting with the easy stuff first. :mad:

Not laughin at ya; I've done it too.

jmonroe

qbrozen

i always start easy on a car. my dishwasher experience is limited, though.

First thing I did was look for fuses. I had no idea this fuse was even there. It was on the underside of the control panel circuit board, and it doesn't look like a normal fuse. Its a solid piece of metal (well, looks like one, anyway). Apparently, though, it is a common trouble spot (hint hint, greenpea). I have forgotten the name already. Some sort of overheat fuse (eg, not a surge protector like most fuses, but a metal fuse whose center will melt at a certain temperature).

Ya learn something new everyday. And don't get me started on appliance repair people! (recent experience with my freezer) Far worse than any experience I've had in car buying. (notice keeping it on topic. )

oldfarmer50

"...When the government sends out the Tax-Stimulus Checks..."

Sad to say when the check arrives it will go right back into my bank account to repay what I had to take out in April. Even then I'll be worse off than before I paid my taxes. Sometimes self-employment stinks.

Needless to say I won't be buying that PT Cruiser that my wife wants. I suspect most people will just pay their existing bills with it. It won't do a damn thing for the car biz or the economy.

Of course the foolish people who buy houses they can't afford will continue to buy cars they can't afford too. Until they self-destruct that is.

mattandi

Until they self-destruct that is.

Lot of that going around these days.

We were more seriously looking at cars about a month ago. Then rethought and started looking at real estate. There are some really good deals in play on foreclosures in our neck of the woods. Others' misfortune, or stupidity if that's the case, is creating some decent opportunities.

We'll get back to the car market in a couple of months maybe.

FWIW, I don't know what we will do with the rebate check.

greanpea68

aw, come on now. Get your hands dirty and fix it. ;b


LOL... My hands get dirty when I have to wash the dishes manually :P

The current dishwasher is called a Caloric... It looks like something from the late 70's early 80's... My wife can't stand the apperance of it. When we bought the house we new we would eventually do the kitchen over but I am not ready for that now. $500 on a dishwasher I can live with though.

GP

greanpea68

So, was the sofa comfortable that night?

King size beds.... sometimes it is like she is on the other side of the house.

I recommend a king size bed for anyone.

GP

cotmc

"When the government sends out the Tax-Stimulus-Checks (not the normal 1040 refund checks) will it provide the car sales that you had prior to the slump?"

I don't necessarily disagree with GP and oldfarmer, but I think there is one scenario playing thru my head which would send more business to the dealerships.

First off, I believe the price of gasoline seems to always go up just before summer. I don't know why... Some say the "summer" blends of gasoline are more expensive. Also, they say the price spikes up due to an expected increase in demand.

Just recently oil shot up to ~$102/barrel! :surprise:

Who's to say gasoline won't be close to $4/gallon by the time we start seeing our rebate checks?

Doesn't it seem reasonable that high gasoline prices, combined with an extra $1200 (plus $300 for each child) in the family's bank account, might cause some people to strongly consider trading-in their gas guzzling truck-based SUVs (or older full-sized cars) for newer models with higher fuel efficiency?

fezo

So, q - with that $800 you didn't spend on the dishwasher I'm sure you'll be using that to start the next car fund.....

snakeweasel

I will be using mine to buy a car. Of course it won't be for at least a year (hopefully two) so it will go into that nice little bank account that I have been putting a little money in each month for a down payment on the next car (maybe even pay cash).

jipster

King size beds.... sometimes it is like she is on the other side of the house, i recommend a king size bed for anyone

Oh... it wouldn't matter. The bed could be 30 feet wide and I'd still end up with a little over a foot of space to sleep on. Everytime I get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, and then come back to bed, my wife is laying in the middle of the bed with her knee poked out another foot or so. I would guess I have about16-20 inches in mattress width to work with. This is on a Queen size bed. :sick:

To make this on topic, my son has one of those race car beds he sleeps on. Naturally, negotiated it for under invoice... free mop n glow as well. :P

mackabee

My grandson has one of those. Looks like a Corvette and it's decorated with sheet and pillows from the movie Cars. That used to be his favorite movie, now is Transformers which are still cars so he's on the right track.
Mack
:shades:

qbrozen

So, q - with that $800 you didn't spend on the dishwasher I'm sure you'll be using that to start the next car fund.....

;b

if only I had the $800 to begin with. *sigh*

greenpea - A Caloric? Wow! Yeah, I guess that has outlived its usefulness.

joel0622

They all mean the same thing for the most part. Hard loaded just means it has all the options, and it varies form person to person. To my Dad for example if I told him hard loaded he would think PL PW AC AUTO T/C, and thats it. To me it means not only does it have the leather, roof, and SYNC system bu also has the heated seats, rear sensors, sport package, etc etc.

oldfarmer50

"...I still need my handsome rest..."

Are you sure it's wise to lob softballs like that to all the heavy hitters in this room?

Speaking of wisdom. Ever since I purchased a new car I have been bombarded with offers to buy cars from everybody under the sun. Why would other car dealers assume I would be a good candidate to market? I'll probably have to pawn my false teeth the come up with the monthly payment on this one. I'm the last person who would see these mailers and run right out to spend more money.

Is there some sort of logic in marketing cars to someone who has just bought one? How about the stores represented here, do you try to convince recent buyers to come on down and buy another? :confuse:

With me they are wasting their time.

isellhondas

Well, congratualtions!

I wouldn't know but I guess the best thing about grandkids is the fact you can enjoy them and then send them home.

Kind of like the neighbor's Golden Retreiver.

isellhondas

" I guess since most Camrys have that "floaty boaty" ride he thought it was normal"

FINALLY, he admits it!!

Victor, it IS normal! You don't need to spend any money for struts!

jmonroe

Everytime I get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, and then come back to bed, my wife is laying in the middle of the bed with her knee poked out another foot or so. I would guess I have about16-20 inches in mattress width to work with. This is on a Queen size bed.

Believe it or not I was in bed (ahead of you know who) just so I could lay claim to some of our Queen size bed real estate when you made your post. I still need my handsome-rest.

To combat your restroom problem, I’d keep a pan under your side of the bed. If you were ever to forget to use the pan and go to the restroom, if when you came back to bed you find her spread out like you’ve said, I’d go get a cup of warm water and sprinkle it on her toes. Since she couldn’t be sure where it came from, she’d leap from the bed and go to the couch and let you sleep in THAT bed. :confuse:

Then again, she might have that cast iron skillet under her side of the bed and well…you’d be lucky if you made it to the garage to spread out in your Mazda van. (Notice how I mentioned a CAR manufacturer in this post to stay on topic)

jmonroe

imidazol97

>Took me about 3 hours to figure out it was a $15 fuse.

Good for you fixing your own stuff. Many appliances are amazing simple to diagnose and repair. There's an applianceblog.com with all kinds of repair help--it's much like Edmunds.

Wife already spent our check on new furniture from North Caroline; made in US, assembled in US, US company, US sales store locally-owned, and local delivery people.

houdini1

For me, the funniest stories are those that evoke pictures of the scenes described. I literally laughed out loud at picturing jipster in the middle of the night, half asleep and being laid into with that cast iron skillet. Thanks for the laugh.

qbrozen

yeah, not to be a shill or anything, but I love repairclinic.com. It is amazing how cheap some of this stuff is, too. I came upon a nice Sony Wega TV that someone had dropped. Opened it and found one cracked circuit board. $27 at repairclinic and I had a very nice TV for the bedroom.

Its quite similar to working on your own car. Why pay a dealer $300 for a scheduled service when you can pay $25 to get the oil changed, $40 on an air filter that you replace yourself, and rotate your own tires and check your own brakes? (does that keep us on topic at all??)

jmonroe

Thanks for the laugh.

Your welcome.

Just trying to keep things alive here. The car biz guys ain't doin nothin to help this forum lately.

They could be selling some cars that we'll hear about when the weather breaks. :surprise:

jmonroe

joel0622

Just to let you all know, Tuesday I became the proud Grand Parent of a 21" 9 pound strapping young man. He was born at 3:06 pm CST. The baby and my daughter are both doing wonderfully and right now I am just waiting for the call to come bring them home.

It will be wild having a baby in the house again. Its been a long time.

mackabee

Now that we're talking about maintenance, we just picked up a 95 Camry LE for mackabee III. Sold his 94 Geo Prizm. The 95 I originally sold to a navy buddy of mine. He just retired on monday and I offered to buy the car from him. Good condition in and out but the shocks are shot! Or rather the struts. He told me only the rear struts needed replacing but after driving it I realized the front ones are shot too! I didn't pay much for the car so I figured I would probably have to put a little money into it to get it right. I did call him and pretended to be mad, he was in Sacramento at a rental car place. "I want a refund!" I said. "What?" he replied. "This car is a piece of junk! all four struts are shot!"
I guess since most Camrys have that "floaty boaty" ride he thought it was normal. Heck I got seasick last night on the way home, I thought I was back in the Navy!
But to make a long story longer, my shop wants $800.00 to do the rear struts so I figure to do all four they probably want double.
The OEM struts are $129.00 at the dealership but I went online and found KYB struts for half the price and free shipping. I'm going to consult with my ace tech and ask him about them. He offered to put them on for me at the hobby shop or at my driveway
It pays to take care of your service advisors and techs.
Mack

mackabee

Good for you Joel! is this your first grandkid? I tell you, you're gonna wish you had them first! They are the most wonderful beings in the world. As you can tell my grandson is the light of my life and what keeps me going! Enjoy him and congratulations to the happy parents and grandparents! Whoo Hooo!!