Stories from the Sales Frontlines

imidazol97

>she literally drove through the front door of her doctor's office.

My aunt had always been a hellacious driver of large cars. In her late years she drove into the wall of the local funeral home.

british_rover

My aunt had always been a hellacious driver of large cars. In her late years she drove into the wall of the local funeral home.

MUST RESIST TASTELESS JOKE......... :sick:

jmonroe

Not long after the new license was issued, she literally drove through the front door of her doctor's office.

Unfortunately this is becoming a big problem today. It’s great that we have the medical care today so that people are living longer. And I do understand that when a person is no longer capable of driving that a large part of their independence is gone and psychologically this is not good for their continued good health. However, at the same time, if you no longer have the reaction time needed to drive safely the other people on the road should not be put at risk.

I for one am tired of hearing about elderly people killing themselves and causing accidents. It’s about time our laws put an end to this and drunk driving.

Rant over. Now back to slamming these no good car sleaseman.

jmonroe

fezo

My folks both managed to stop driving in time. No so my father-in-law who kept driving after Alzheimer's onset. We finally had to remove the keys followed quickly by the car.

It was really difficult on my mother-in-law who had to deal with him and his frustration at not being able to drive. Really by then he didn't belong in the house with her anymore and shortly thereafter he wasn't.

Fortunately the worst thing that happened was when he took us in a huff one day and then had no idea where he was. Fortunately the cop realized what was going on and that episode had a reasonably happy ending.

mark156

My Dad is 87 yrs. old and drives everyday 16 miles each way to work (except Sunday). He has an '04 Grand Marquis. He will not retire as he has his own business that he inherited from his Dad. And, he enjoys meeting with his customers that some have been coming to his store for over 50 yrs. My grandfather opened the store in 1919, so Dad is getting 2nd and 3rd generation of families.

Dad swears he can see the street signs just fine but I'm not so sure. When my Dad recently had knee replacement surgery, my brother drove him to work but once Dad got better, he was behind the wheel again.

Actually, I think he drives pretty good but 87 yrs old is 87 yrs old.

To keep this on track...

Have any of you sales guys/gals had a elderly person want to take a test drive and you were afraid?

Mark

isellhondas

Very unprofessional and uncalled for.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I recently felt like sending out a nasty email but I bit my tongue.

A couple I had spent hours with, driving a car, made an appointment to come and buy the car...finally. It was sunday, my day off but I changed my plans, dressed up and came in only to find a message waiting that something had come up and they would have to reschedule.

Fine. At least she left a message.

After a couple of days of not hearing from them, I left a message or two and finally an email inviting them back in.

She answered me by telling me they had bought the same car at another store because they "wouldn't have to negioiate"???

Losing a sale isn't going to affect my lifestyle one iota but I just can't believe it when people do stuff like this! All it would have taken would have been a phone call asking me if I could match or beat this wonderful deal they had been given by another store.

Really sours me on the business and people in general.

isellhondas

I can't remember an elderly person scaring me.

Some of the recent immigrants we deal with can be HORRIBLE drivers to the point we won't let them on the freeway. How they passed thier driver's license test is beyond me. I' ve had to grab the steering wheels when they make wide right turns into oncoming traffic. I have had them run stop signs etc. I keep them on a VERY tight leash!

dino001

But you know why it won't change, don't you? Old people are largest and most disciplined voting block. Anyone touching issues, especially those "self-esteem" related is going to be drowned. It's fashionable and easy to put out legislation against tenagers and young adults - older people not so much...

roadburner

I thought it kind of borderline snotty. My wife and another guy said I should print it out and send it to the sales manager or some other wheel in the organization. I'm thinking that the person in question will hang herself fairly soon without my help.

When a salesperson slams a competing product it really turns me off. Back in the '80s I was looking for a mid-to-high end CD player. I had it narrowed down to units from Adcom, Denon, Phillips, and Rotel. I had about decided on the Phillips but when I went to look at it the sales guy asked me what other models I was considering and when I answered he proceeded to tell me what pieces of %#$% they were. I ended up buying the Rotel from an authorized dealer who happened to run his business out of the first floor of his Mc Mansion(which is another story altogether...)

roadburner

It's fashionable and easy to put out legislation against teenagers and young adults - older people not so much...

In law school I had the pleasure of living in an apartment that didn't allow kids. Of course, much whining and moaning by people "victimized" by those types of restrictions finally got a federal law passed banning those restrictions. One loophole remained of course- for geezer complexes.

micosilver

Does anyone work at a VW dealership?
Does anyone know when the Jetta TDI (diesel) might be back on the lots for sale?

Hopefully, sometimes this summer demos will come out, and we will be able to order them.

jkinzel

Thank you.
Maybe the old grey mare will last that long, if not it looks like a Taurus or a Sable.

I can hear the booo's and hisses.......

imidazol97

>Old people are largest and most disciplined voting block.

But don't think they are as collectively one-minded as AARP might have you think. AARP claims to represent a whole bunch of people, but they never drop anyone from membership--even if they don't pay dues to join the next year. I had joined for one year. When I several years later tried to rejoin, they wouldn't let me. Finally I got a message that I was already a member!!! I hadn't rejoined after the first year and I hadn't paid the dues.

So when they claim to represent lots of people over 50, that may mean many of them used to belong.

gogiboy

"Some of the recent immigrants we deal with can be HORRIBLE drivers to the point we won't let them on the freeway."

I put much of the blame on a lack of state oversight. Every one of us has to contend with uninsured motorists, distracted drivers, reckless morons and road rage from time to time. The least we should expect is drivers who are competent. This expectation is predicated on proper licensing and enforcement.

In Oklahoma, any driver only has to take a written, vision and road test once. This likely means that a percentage of drivers on our roads are: 1) mentally impaired or incompetent, 2) legally blind or visually impaired, and 3) physically impaired to the point where driving is difficult and/or hazardous. Not only is my state putting all drivers at risk, they are missing an excellent revenue stream. When I lived in MI and WI everyone had to take a vision and written test every four years when you renewed your license--and we paid for the privilege. At least we have gone to a graduated licensing for teenagers, which has had a measurable affect on teenage accidents.

Obviously there are plenty of good drivers at both ends of the age spectrum as well as plenty in the middle who don't seem to know--or care--one iota about the laws governing motor vehicle usage. Let's face it, we should all be saying a prayer everyday that we get home in one piece. The again, any reduction in available drivers is likely to hurt sales and sales stories from the front lines.

Gogiboy

bolivar

Any gogiboy, did you read yesterdays newspaper article saying 1 in 4 (25%) of cars on our state's road have no insurance?

And, the article said this is about the same in all states.

On your next drive, just start looking at the oncoming traffic, now knowing every 4th car is uninsured.

And, yes, our state does have laws that require insurance verification be shown to obtain the yearly auto tag.

mackabee

I think more of a hazard are drivers who talk on their cell phones while driving. Studies have shown this to be as dangerous as drunk drivers. The best way to combat this is for these drivers to get a Bluetooth device.
Mack

dino001

Actually, I heard/read that TIRED driver is the worst kind - worse than drunk, old, child, or what not.

imidazol97

>, now knowing every 4th car is uninsured.

And knowing the ones that are insured are driven by the older, responsible people who are very, very unlikely to hit you. You are more likely to be hit by the 20 something or the lady in her van on her cellphone engrossed in the drama topic at hand than hit by the person over 50. The elderly here drive carefully because most are aware of their shortcomings; most drive very little distance because they drive to the necessary places. Then there are the few who should have had their keys put away.

I like Michigan's driving retest every 4 years or at least every 8 for the license renewal.

jmonroe

...did you read yesterdays newspaper article saying 1 in 4 (25%) of cars on our state's road have no insurance?

When did it become this bad? Only a couple years ago I heard the number was one in about 15 or 20.

And, yes, our state does have laws that require insurance verification be shown to obtain the yearly auto tag.

I live in PA and you have to verify that you have insurance when you apply for your yearly registration and also at the time of state inspection you have to show proof of insurance.

I guess the high cost of insurance is part of the reason. When I ask my insurance agent about people buying insurance to comply with the states requirement then canceling; I was told that when you cancel, the insurance company must report this to the state. I’ve known a couple people who canceled their policy because they could get a better rate at another company but were sent a letter from the state asking them to turn in their plate because they cancelled their insurance. This was corrected when the new company issued proof of insurance again. The new company issued paper work to the state to prevent this when the new policy was written but it must not have gone to the right department. It appears that the department that receives the cancellation notice isn’t the same department that receives proof of insurance.

I’d hate to think that I live in a state where one half of a dept. doesn’t know what the other half of their dept. is doing. If so, I’d give consideration to moving but where? :confuse: However, this can account for people driving around without insurance but I would never have guessed that the number had sky-rocketed to 1 out of 4. :sick:

jmonroe

imidazol97

In Ohio you have to sign a paper verifying you have insurance or ability to pay. Yeah. Sure. You only have to show proof if stopped for violation or accident. Welcome to Ohio. I can guarantee within the urban Dayton area the percent of uninsured is much, much higher than 25%. A couple decades ago it was 30% IIRC. They used to do roaming traffic checks, but those were outlawed as profiling.

corvette

One loophole remained of course- for geezer complexes.

I'm doing a closing for someone buying a condo in a "geezer complex." I mentioned it being a 55-and-older community and told him he shouldn't have to worry about screaming kids and hockey matches in the street, and then told him I wish I could live there, but have a long way to go to meet the age requirement!

fezo

New Jersey wants your insurance provider and policy number every time you register a vehicle. Fine by me.

I'm all for frequent testing even though it would be a real pain in the neck for me. The only time they ever did an eye check on me at the DMV was 40 years ago when I was 17. I flunked that because they test both eyes and I only have one good one eye but they only required that I have my eye doctor fill out a form that said while I only have the one good one that I'm fine which has proven true over those years.

I've been temporarily on the cannot drive list (doctor ordered as opposed to DMV) and it's no fun at all but what are you going to do? You adjust.

jipster

Really sours me on the business and people in general

You don't seem very happy with your job. Small annoyances seem to get under you skin and stay there. i.e "Team Jipster" Perhaps it is time for a career change.

Do some of you other sales guys ever think about hanging it up and getting a "real" job? Or, do you consider yourself life-ers?

jmonroe

They used to do roaming traffic checks, but those were outlawed as profiling.

Yeah, I hear you.

Anytime we have something that might help the masses, just scream PROFILING.

Now, if only the masses can find someone/something to protect our rights we’re in. Good luck with that thought. :mad:

jmonroe

greanpea68

I live in PA and you have to verify that you have insurance when you apply for your yearly registration and also at the time of state inspection you have to show proof of insurance.

Here in Mass. Before your insurance is cancelled you get a notice sent to you by mail. The insurance company also sends a notice to the RMV the date your insurance will be cancelled. Once it is cancelled your registration is cancelled and you are driving illegally. The problem is people can get by for as long as there inspection sticker shows valid. ( meaning the number of the month and color of the sticker shows when it is invalid). Once that is up and cop see's it and pulls someone over is how people get caught in Mass.

Every two years you have to re register and of course no one can be registered with out insurance. Now to stay on topic...

Thats why here in Mass nobody really owns a car untill it is registered. We can't register a car until we have a stamped insurance binder in house. The only way we get that insurance binder is if the customer calls the insurance agent giving them permission to work with us/dealer.

Now NH on the other hand... You don't need to have insurance on a vehicle. it is the " live free or die" state. When people buy cars there they get a 20 day temporary tag. :confuse:

I know someone mentioned WI. here earlier. I had some friends out there and they told me when you bought a car out there all you had to do was put a piece of card board on the car where the plate goes and write the intials "LAF" which stood for liscense applied for.... It made wonder how many people were really registered and legal. This was of course 10 years ago and i surely hope things have changed.

GP

imidazol97

We do have an eyecheck using a machine for peripheral vision testing. And our licenses are good for 5 years.

greanpea68

Do some of you other sales guys ever think about hanging it up and getting a "real" job? Or, do you consider yourself life-ers?

Sure I have thought about it! I would love to have weekends back. I wonder what it is like to get home around 6 or 7pm every night and dinner with the family. OR to be able to make plans on a Saturday and Sunday get away. Or to be able to go to a BBQ every weekend or the Beach. Or to blah, blah, blah...

Everytime I think about it I wonder what the hell am I qualified to do. No college degree, no skills besides the gift of gab. :shades:

SO untill I win powerball I will probably be here selling cars. But I enjoy working with people everyday. As I said before this is like a new job everyday. You never know who your going to run into. Or how much

GP

cotmc

When a salesperson slams a competing product it really turns me off. Back in the '80s I was looking for a mid-to-high end CD player.

Hey, roadburner, I'm guessing you made a good choice by going with the Rotel instead of Philips. Of all 4 brands you mentioned, I can't help but laugh that it was a Philips guys dissing the other 3 brands!?

Back around 1990 I was searching for a mid-to-high end tape deck. (Note: This isn't quite the same story as yours, but thought it could be of interest.) I went to a local high-end audio store here in town -- the type of store that makes me feel underdressed for wearing golf shorts and tennis shoes -- and they nearly sold me on a Nakamichi deck. I told them I would think about it overnight. When I researched this deck on the internet, I discovered that Nakamichi's suggested retail price was $50 LESS than the price I was quoted! If fact, this info was provided directly by Nakamichi. In the end, I purchased a Denon tape deck from another dealer who seemed more honest and helpful with me. I also now have a very good Denon DVD player which provides excellent CD music playback (imo); purchased from that same store.

Sorry for the off-topic post. Back to car stories now, I promise.

british_rover

ack around 1990 I was searching for a mid-to-high end tape deck. (Note: This isn't quite the same story as yours, but thought it could be of interest.) I went to a local high-end audio store here in town -- the type of store that makes me feel underdressed for wearing golf shorts and tennis shoes -- and they nearly sold me on a Nakamichi deck. I told them I would think about it overnight. When I researched this deck on the internet, I discovered that Nakamichi's suggested retail price was $50 LESS than the price I was quoted!

And in 1990 I am sure it took you all night to research anything. Ahh the days of 14.4k Modems. Hmhh wait in 1990 you might have not even had a 14.4k modem. Could have been a 9800 or 7400 modem.

cotmc

LOL!

My memory is not so great, anymore. It could have been as late as 1993...

grandtotal

Could have been a 9800 or 7400 modem.

That would be 9600 or 7200. I'm sure though that neither of those were available in 1990, not to mention that the internet didn't exist in any meaningful consumer sense then.

isellhondas

Jipster, I'm sorry, but this IS a "real" job in spite of the contempt I know you feel for us.

I have been in retail and mid to upper lever retail management all of my life but nothing could have prepared me for this.

As savvy as i thought I was, I had no idea just how low some people can go. In other retail envirorments, I never had people lie to me or pull the tricks they do. I honestly wouldn't have believed it.

You do become hardened or you leave. I'm usually happy but it is becoming harder as time go's by.

Career change? No, when I'm done here, I'm done unless I find a part time gig doing something fun.

cotmc

OK, maybe 1995..., but that's as high as I go....

chikoo

I would say this was grapevine talk spread by GM to diss the Japan build quality.

laurasdada

"As savvy as i thought I was, I had no idea just how low some people can go. In other retail envirorments, I never had people lie to me or pull the tricks they do. I honestly wouldn't have believed it. "

By "...some people..." I'll believe that you are writing about both clients, salesfolks, SMs, UCMs, F& I....
Unfortunately, the door swings both ways.

Generalizing, of course.

I'm a good customer, other than the fact I generally don't need a salesman. I know what I want, how much I will pay-ish. And I can pay. And do. (And I always "under-purchase." Come on, let me blow my IRA on my "mid-life crisis-mobile!) Where I "lose" is on my lazy nature about selling vs. trade... Oh, well. My choice, my mistake, dealer's profit...

british_rover

1992-1993 We had either AOL or Compuserve and the guy who would become my college roommate's family had an internet connection for work even earlier then that. You are right in that there wasn't much consumer use of the web back then though.

cotmc

I had no idea just how low some people can go.

From my observations, it appears that deceitful customers are only a small part of the problem for you guys. There are also:

* Otherwise honest customers who want to ensure they save every penny possible on their car purchase! (Hmmm..., I don't know if any of us can relate to this, can we?)

* Ignorant customers who think they know more than you.

* Along those same lines, customers who are convinced the online pricing estimates for their trade-in are more accurate than your Used Car Manager's quote.

* Relatively nice people who don't realize when they are being inconsiderate to you.

* Other dealers and sales people who try to steal your customers away from you.

* A good customer in terms of personality and honesty, except they have too low of a credit score or too much money into a trade-in.

If I ever got into the biz, I wonder if I would ever figure out how to deal with a lookie-loo who wants to take a couple hours with me to perform all his test drive research on a Saturday afternoon? :confuse:

dtezla

Ok - Long Time Lurker & Seldom Poster here....(Prepare for flaming...)
Going back a few pages in discussion to salespeople driving what they sell. I've been in this business for 8 years. Originally I sold Volvo & then switched to Lexus & Subaru & Recently started with Honda. (Hopefully I'll stay with one manufacturer for a long time now because these certification tests are a pain). I actually sold my C70 coupe a few years ago when gas prices hit $2 per gallon & started riding a scooter & small motorcycle. I'm surprised how often my customer ask me what I drive & then shocked when I tell them I don't own a car anymore.

chikoo

"I could match or beat this wonderful deal they had been given by another store. "

as a consumer, I would NOT do that.

Why should I do that?

If I drove over to another dealership 35 miles away, and they give me a good deal, you expect me to:

1. Call you back
1.5 Wait for your response, or approval from your manager
2. Drive back to your dealership

WHY?

jmonroe

OK, maybe 1995..., but that's as high as I go....

Gee, it didn't take very much to 'bump' you up. :shades:

jmonroe

mackabee

He is the manager. The price he gave the couple was very competitive. You may not believe this but there's plenty of "customers" that will send you down the river for $50, $100 or less.
:shades:

cotmc

Sigh... The truth is that my memory doesn't function as well as it used to. In fact, it ... umm...,

sorry, I forgot what I was going to say!

I initially mentioned 1990 because I refused to admit I invested $400 into a tape deck anywhere near the mid-90s! If true, that would mean I purchased it shortly before CD burners were made available to the mass market. That type of a purchase demonstrates about the same level of judgment as buying an expensive 8-track tape player at the end of the 70's.

However, I do distinctly remember it was early in 1996 when I first started reading Edmunds online! It was their glowing review that helped influence me to buy a '96 A4. It's a shame, though, that Edmunds didn't have much info regarding that car's reliability...

isellhondas

No, I work in a great store. Family owned store with, unlike most places, a lot of long term employees. A LOT of repeat and referral business.

I work with good salespeople and great managers otr I would have never stayed this long.

chikoo

Mack, but the fact still remains is why should I, the customer, call back a previous dealership when the new dealership has already offered a good price?
As a customer I am anxious to get into my new car!
What/why should I delay that by making a call back to a previous dealership? For some reason, I can NEVER understand this concept of beating the price after the fact that the customer has already left your showroom. You had your chance then.

isellhondas

All true.

I don't blame the customers in most cases. They are simply reacting to prior experiences and the stories they hear from others.

isellhondas

Here's why...

These people kept saying they din't want to go through a tough process. They took two long and very creative test drives etc. Like an idiot, I gave them a price to shop and they did! Again, like an idiot, I trusted them when they told me they justwanted a great and easy deal.

So, who knows how far they drove to save a few bucks? All it would have taken was a phone call..." Hey, we've been shopping you...can you beat the price we got?

They will probably spend more on their first tank of gas then they "saved".

oldfarmer50

"...I'm done unless I find a part time gig doing something fun..."

I can get you a school bus driver's job, no problem. You don't have any problem being cursed out or spit on do you?

jkinzel

I believe it is called “courtesy” something that is desperately lacking in our society today.

isellhondas

Thank you! That's correct.

For a lot of people today, it's just about dollars. They don't care.

isellhondas

IThe first time I was cursed at or spit on, the bus would stop and the offender would be slammed into the ceiling of the bus by his throat.

Just like this would have been the case back when I rode on a school bus.

Then the poor little darling would compain that I had abused him and I would be fired.

Don't think so!