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When I was selling there were not any no call rules so every morning I would pick 10 cold calls to make and 10 calls from my current base, then that evening I would sit down and make the 20 calls. I would do it Monday through Friday and not bother people on Saturday nights. That got me 100 calls a week and I shot for 2% return on the calls. Sometimes it was much more and other times much less and really it was hard to track because allot of times the call you make today might not get any results for a year.
They certainly aren't doing anything "wrong".
I was only trying to say to Mack that the grass isn't always greener.
They have people working there who are successful and happy.
I’m not trying to start a fight but the thing about the “my time being worth more ” is exactly why I try to do the little stuff myself and nobody cares more about my cars than I do. We’ve all heard the horror stories; I just try to limit my exposure to someone making a mistake on my cars when I can easily do it myself. Heck, I had a near miss too; it served as a great reminder to not let someone else do the easy stuff. My time is worth something and I use it to do what I want to do. Sometimes it’s just doing nothing; like relaxing, reading and hanging out here.
That running to and from is the “time waster”.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Plus, that way they have the full records of all the service done, plus they are the ones keeping an eye on the car. So it would be hard for them to argue that I ignored a problem that could have been caught early, but became big later.
So, if I do ever have an out of warranty failure that I want to argue with Honda about (say, the tranny on the Odyssey), I should have a pretty good case to fall back on.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
No. That would be silly.
There is much more to it, things I have posted elsewhere and don't need to go into here. I just happened to say it in that post for the hell of it. And, really, hate is a strong word. I just don't like it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Use your hands as a forklift and roll her over gently :P
hahahaha.
You are just too used to Ford trucks, joel.
Remind me to get my dealer's little propaganda pamphlet on their "recommended services" and show it to you. You may be shocked at how much they tell folks to spend on their cars. And the amount that is charged just for "inspecting" things is truly disgusting.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It pays to take care of your service advisors and techs.
I do that all the time. When I take my car in for service, I just tell the service advisor to do it on the side, which turns out to be a lot cheaper.
I have the voice activated dialing on my cellphone and it takes 3 or 4 times for it to understand who I am trying to call. Very hard if the car is going on a rough road or wind noise.
Okay, I gotta ask .. what's the difference between Canadian French and French French?
"Oui, eh, hoser"? :P
(apparently, I've got too much time on my hands this Friday afternoon)
Hope y'all are able to close the month strong!
And you expected to hear what? You know you can't give them commands, you can only request...
Did you have it set to American Male?
Mack
Mack
I've got a hammer and duct tape. Any job that needs more ain't worth doing. :lemon:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
For 3 days, I parked (in NJ) next to an Audi A4, with Virginia plates, and a checkered flag plate surround. Must be a visitor from our Chesapeake office.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
What towns or areas would you recommend that aren't too far out of downtown (wherever the Hartford ins. offices are), and not crazy expensive? No kids, so schools aren't the big concern.
Since you just bought a house and all.
For the hosts, The Hubby is going to be needing a new car soon, how far from hartford are you, and will you give them a nice, welcome to Ct. deal?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The hammer is good for smashing the tomatoes and the duck tape is probably good enough for sealing the jar but you ain't coming near my beauties with those farm instruments. :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Plus, that way they have the full records of all the service done, plus they are the ones keeping an eye on the car. So it would be hard for them to argue that I ignored a problem that could have been caught early, but became big later.
My Mazda dealer gave me free oil changes every 5K for as long as I own my Mazdaspeed; all I'm out is the cost of the Mobil 1 5W-30 I provide. I also have the dealer perform the services Mazda calls for in the OM's maintenance schedule(although the dealer and I agree that that the transaxle oil should be changed at 30K rather than 60K as Mazda advises). I change the oil on the X3 myself halfway between the @15K intervals that BMW pays for. My BMW dealers prices for service are very reasonable; they changed the ATF and transfer case fluid for only 208(I change it at 50K instead of Munich's recommendation of 100K). OTOH, I perform almost all of the maintenance on my 3 Series and Wrangler. That said, I have an outstanding BMW indie shop as well as a great domestic mechanic I use when I don't have the time to DIY. As for my Speed Triple, I change the oil but leave everything else to my local Triumph dealer.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Secondary recommendation is my area of the state around litchfield west of Hartford.. Prices can be a bit higher but it is much more rural. Commute is a bit longer and I wouldn't recommend it if they are working on the east side of Hartford but if they are working on the west side it should work.
The Litchfield area is beautiful but the soil is kind of rocky for farming. If they locate there I recommend a visit to White Flower Farms for the tea and cucumber sandwiches on July 4th.
If they don't mind a longer commute, I might be willing to sell them my place just over the border in NY.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
just as an fyi, there is a pretty busy airport in the granby area.
brit brings up a good point about taxes. property taxes vary quite a bit from town to town. i live about 15 miles west of hartford and pay about 5500 a year for my house. in south windsor same distance, east of hartford you would pay double that!
we also pay property taxes on our vehicles(cars, boats, trailers, etc..)
maybe your friends can stop by to see brit and buy a car.
my town has an area that you can sign up for on a yearly basis that is divided into small plots that people use for seasonal gardening. all the plots are probably taken for this year, though.
mACK
Mackabee
i have seen 2 or 3 of them. ever.
what recommends one over another suv?
This forum was a great resource for me and the posts here are extremely informative. I sold cars for several years and, in hindsight, found it to be a great experience although I wouldn't want to go back to do it again. I don't really like to shop for cars especially since I sympathize with the salesmen. However, my Infiniti lease was up so I was in the market again. I have to say that I was disappointed in the salesmanship skills of some of the salesmen that I encountered. I walked a few lots to check out some cars I was interested in and minimized my interaction with salesmen when I knew I wasn't ready to purchase.
I walked lots mostly during off hours or during slower times (early weekdays) to check out cars I was interested in so as not to "stroke" anyone and deny them an opportunity to help a more serious buyer during potentially busier times. I did my research mostly via Edmunds and it is an excellent resource. I did contact a few dealers by phone to get quotes and only worked with two that I felt good about. As a former salesman, I like to see someone make an effort to earn the sale with earnest interaction and rapport and who respected where I was coming from. Those are the ones I discussed price with seriously and was straightforward with them about my background and price goals. As long as I got close to my goals and the salesman did his job properly and respectfully, I didn't quibble over a couple of hundred dollars. My final deal took just 1 sit-down visit to the first dealer and a few phone calls to a couple of dealers after that.
I didn't shop different BMW dealers until after I didn't make a deal with the first salesman (my fault as told below). The first salesman I didn't make a deal with because I started at some ridiculously low numbers not due to a negotiating tactic but due to miscalculation and lack of complete information on my part. I became that customer some of you may be familiar with that thought he had "all the facts", armed with facts and worksheets, but actually didn't have all the facts and calculated everything wrong. All the manager did was come out and say he couldn't do it without any further effort to learn how I came about my numbers or working with me. I went there to BUY, not shop numbers. I had to research later on my own online to find out how off base I was and appropriately readjusted my payment goals. (I forgot the acq fee that needed to be added to the gross cap cost)
I have to say that of all the lots I walked or the salesmen I observed, BMW salesmen are by far the biggest pricks I encountered. Salesmen are supposed to EARN your business, not wait around for people to throw money at them. As a former salesman, I like to be sold on something. BMW salesmen, although I only interacted with a couple at length, almost universally demonstrated the worst habits of car sales.
1. "prequalifying" a prospect (big no no) by observation only. This means they looked at me, didn't consider me to be a "big fish" and ignored me. Didn't even bother with a cursory greeting. Just guys standing around talking, quick look at me, then back to their social conversation among themselves. I'm no poor schmo looking slob but I don't go out of my way to look like I earn mid-six figures a year. Gee, sorry for not having that written on my forehead for the BMW salesman to see.
2. One thing I learned in the business and from my managers is never let a hot prospect walk off the lot if could help it. These guys acted like they didn't need your business just because they represent BMW's and the cars sell themselves. In that case, BMW should get rid of the traditional car sales model entirely and go to the CarMax/Best Buy sales model. That first BMW dealership I went to could have had the sale.
So why did I lease the BMW? I drove it (Point #3: Test drives work). That first salesman I tried to make a deal with was "kind" enough to give me the time of day and offer me a test drive while I was checking out different cars I was considering. The BMW is an awesome drive. Pulled me from the LS460 that I was seriously considering getting.
By the way, the Lexus salespeople were universally excellent and courteous (Santa Monica Lexus). Absolutely no attitude or reduction in service even though I told them that I was just looking and didn't want to waste their time.
Oh by the way, the 535i broke down tonight 4 days after I acquired it. Lost engine power halfway between San Diego and LA Saturday night. Had to be towed. Staying at Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel courtesy of BMW (they don't know it yet but will first thing Monday). Definitely going Lexus next time...
Sorry to hear that BMW guys were Less than stellar. I can't say I've never pro-filed someone, but I try to avoid it, and do my job.
It's tough when someone is far away from a realistic deal. Yes, it is our job to work with people. However, sometimes it's like being on 2 different planets with nothing but a bicycle for transportation.
I'm glad everything worked out with your BMW, but sad to hear it broke down so soon. I guess the alternative is to by a Lexus, still break down, and be bored out of your mind with the commute.
Look forward to more posts from you
MACK
In my 10 years experience the worst customers are previous car salesman that think they know it all.
Mack
There has been a lot of discussion on this board about that kind of thing. It does seem to happen at high-line dealers more often than others. In my most recent quest for a new car the only dealer who had a notable disdain for my appearance was the Honda salesman. The nicest by far was the Pontiac SM who invited me to "waste his time" all I wanted. I went with Mitsubishi who didn't care that I was wearing jeans, a beat up old ski parka and a Timex watch.
I bet the BMW store would have set the dogs on me as soon as I exited my car.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Perhaps you should. I can think up a number of excuses for not paying all the money for a BMW which would have me pointing to the old beater in the parking lot and saying "You see that old car out there..."
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I sold cars for 7 years mostly at a straight sale store and sometimes helped my managers close deals for the greenpeas when they were busy with other deals. I was taught to always defend my position (regarding price) multiple times and always ask questions to get to the root of the objection in order to overcome it.
So with regards to that first salesman, I have to admit that I was a bit embarrassed by my error and I was not ashamed to admit it to him a couple of days later when he called. So why did I not go back. As I mentioned previously, while I was "in the box", the manager came by and within his 30 second visit:
1. said no can do, impossible, not reality
2. made a snide comment about me having my computer with me (yes, that's where I had my lease worksheet that an old customer gave me years ago when he worked me on a car deal - it can be found online still)
3. left without asking questions or working the numbers and then left the dealership entirely right after since his shift was off. Where I worked, we worked till the deal was DONE even if we had to stay till after midnight.
The salesman gave up and in the callback didn't try to get me back in since they didn't have the car I wanted anymore and actually recommended a list of other dealers for me to go to.
I ended up getting a more expensive car than I originally wanted. I ended up paying $1K over invoice which I felt was a good enough deal (I was not going to waste time grinding for a few hundred more dollars off) and still quite reasonable for any dealer.
The one I bought from took the time to work the numbers with me, confirm my information or corrected it. I told him HONESTLY what I did before, admitted my error with the first dealer, what other offers I had and I expected him to be straight with me.
I am not completely a payment buyer. The only reason I hemmed a bit over the payment was whether I felt that particular BMW was worth it to me or not since I am not a diehard BMW fan. I was ready to spend over $1K a month on an LS lease. All I wanted was a good deal and decent service. I wasn't going to waste time and quibble over a few hundred bucks more off. As a matter of fact, when I closed that deal with the dealer, another dealer I had emailed at the same time called in and I told them I had already committed and wasn't going to shop anymore.
As a former salesman, I worked hard for what I earned and don't respect those that don't show the same work ethic. It's not my job to earn your sale, it's your job to earn my purchase.
Son #2 wanted to replace the rear brake pads on his 05’ Mazda 6 with a little over 40K miles. He has done the front pads on several of his cars over the years but always wants to come over to my garage for morale support and the use of my tools should something out of the ordinary pop up. I don’t have a problem with this and sometimes I learn something new and sometimes I might even be able to pass on a few pointers.
Well, to back-seat the piston into the caliper on this car can’t be done with the traditional method of using a C-clamp. Once I saw machined V-grooves in the face of the piston I knew a special tool was needed. It wasn’t too difficult to envision that the tool had to have a couple pins about 1/8 of an inch in diameter about 3/4 of an inch apart to fit into the machined groves, but I didn’t have anything that would do the job without tearing the rubber boot on the piston. I knew better than to try to grab the 1/16 inch edge of the piston that protruded from the boot, with a pair of channel locks,.
Years ago I heard of pistons on European and Japanese cars that had to be screwed back into the caliper and when I saw this piston I knew this had to be one of those types of cars. I said to my son we’re going to need a special tool to do this brake job and tried to explain to him what had to be done. He agreed but since it was mid day on a Sunday he said, “where do we get one of those today”? I told him that the auto parts close to me loans tools with no charge and since he bought the pads at that place on his way over, I told him to call and ask if they had what we needed. We must be living right because they said they have one loaner tool kit and it was just returned about a half hour earlier and it was available.
When we got to the auto parts I asked the guy if they had the tool we needed for sale. He said that the single tool we needed only cost about $15 dollars (the kit had many pieces for doing brake work on many types of cars and costs about $120) but they were out of stock and they probably wouldn’t be getting one for a few days (maybe we ain’t living right after all). So, my Son left a deposit on his Visa that was fully refunded when he returned the kit.
This job could not have been done without this special tool and even with the extra time spent going for the kit we still had the brake job done within an hour and a half. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because my Son said, “it’s still more convenient for me to do this job myself (he already forgot about my help :confuse: ) than to take it somewhere to have it done and then go back to get it”. I wonder where he got that type of thinking? :surprise:
I just thought of this, jipster has a Mazda. I wonder if he’s listening?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
No not customers on the lot but the delivery company.
Mack
It's not as easy being a do it yourselfer as it used to be!
It almost makes you think that the auto parts are out to get the dealers service dept.
With the tool it was really easy. Without the tool someone would be running to the dealer to have the brake job done which would have included replacing the boot. A lot more bucks when you try to force something.
rover is right about the loaning of tools. My Son went to Advance for his pads (he bought Bendix not the store brand) but he was still entitled to free use of the tool kit.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Leave it running and pop the hood. Problem quickly apparent. The EGR valve has broken and is dangling behind the engine. This particular valve is an assembly held together by three bolts. All three bolts are broken. The engine runs without it, just not very well. All I have with me is an emergency kit that has a screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and a lug wrench. I open the kit for a look anyway. Hey, there is a roll of black electrical tape. I surveyed the situation. Yes, I think this just might work.
Waited about thirty minutes for things to cool off. I wrapped that sucker with that entire roll of tape back in place on the exhaust manifold. Ran a little rough, the gas mileage was horrible, but it got us the last eighty miles to Wilmington. Had to wait until Monday to get a new valve. Ten minute replacement. Had the vacuum lines checked when we got home. All ok.
Tape. Don't leave home without it.