A well designed and provisioned steel and concrete bunker could also provide a safe haven from the wife while she's on the attack. :mad: Because of gas prices, escaping to a safe distance in my car is becoming too expensive.
We are about the only store with any Civic Hybrids left in stock and we had a feeding frenzy.
People are frantically trying to dump their gas guzzlers and they are unhappy when we can't give them much for them. The market on these has died. Nobody wants them at any price.
Same here. We have pre-sold 6 Hybrid Escapes in the last fews days. have not sold a new truck or suv in a week but are selling the crap out of Focus's, Fusion's and Escapes. We are having a great month and I am looking forward to a strong close.
I'm not scheduled to work today and just got a phone call from a customer. He's at the store with his son and they are buying a car today.
I assisted them on Friday. Showed them about five different cars and they decided on a Camry. Before they left they asked me if we were open on Memorial Day. I told them yes 9am to 6pm. So anyway, he tells me that he wants to make sure I get full credit for the sale and that the salesperson helping him now told him I would. (RIGHT!) I tell the customer that's is not true that I would get half credit. He is adamant about me getting full credit and I tell him I can be there in an hour but he doesn't want to wait. I suggest they go get some lunch or something but he declines. So I tell him to go ahead and buy the car and I'll settle with the other salesperson tomorrow when the dust settles.
A minute later the salesperson calls me and tells me he talked to the GSM and he told him I would get full credit and he would give him a bone. (house deal). We'll see.
Same thing with us. We now have a two month waiting list on the Prius and as of yesterday there was only one Camry hybrid left and three on allocation. Mack
I'm glad that you are having a good month. I was wondering how you guys were doing. I heard on CNN yesterday that automobile sales were down 16% across the country. That sounded pretty bad. Still, during the last few months I have come to believe that CNN paints the news the way that they want us to see it.
>CNN paints the news the way that they want us to see it.
I figured that out years ago. E.g., how often is the weakness of the dollar due to the lowered interest rates here cited in the rise of oil prices by the "news" networks?
Yes, you do. It is your youth that keeps you in a positive frame of mind. As you get older, try really hard to remain that way. It keeps you mentally and physically healthy---and a better car salesman.
To all the salesmen and women who are working today, a Sunday, and to those who will be working on Memorial Day. How many stores will be open on Memorial Day? I see lots in the Dayton newspaper ads that are open, at least among those with the full page ads.
I just saw a picture of the Country Music Hall of Fame that opened in 2001 in your fair city. The building is shaped like a piano keyboard. It is a beautiful building. We stayed at the Opry Land Hotel in the early 90's and had such a great time. The Parthenon is such a well kept secret. If people only knew it was there, they would love to go and see it. Naturally, the Grand Ole Opry was fabulous. Nashville is on our list again of places to go.
"All day here. At least in sales. Those gold bricking slackers in service will be closed. "
Same at my store. Heck we are open every Sunday. Tomorrow it's 9-6. I started boycotting Sundays a few months ago. Got to spend some time with the family. Mack
It alternates, we have two finance guys so one week I close Mon, Wed, and Fri, he closes Tue, Thu, and Sat on the nights he closes I go home at 6:00 and the nights I close he goes home at 6:00. Then the next week we flip flop.
Our truck mgr knows how to bill out a deal so he gets in on the Sunday schedule so we only have to work every third Sunday. I am willing to give up the hurting he puts on my average to keep from working every other Sunday.
Our GM is trying to close our owner on letting us go on a split shift when we get in the new building but I don't know if he will. hell I would be thrilled just to get to go home at 5:00 on my early nights.
FWIW, I worked today too. In fact, I worked my tail off staining the deck. I'm looking forward to Tuesday when I go back to work; I need a break from this manual work stuff. If my old employer tried to get that much work out of me they'd be looking for another consultant. :mad:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I worked too! Mrs. Mack dragged me to the closest Home Depot to buy an entry door. My oldest told her they were having a 10% off sale for all veterans and active duty personnel. I figured "what the heck"
So we go the the doors department and look at all the offerings. I like a medium oak door and she likes a cherry mahogany door. These are fiberglass doors that look like wood. So we go back and forth and finally she tells me to go with the oak door but see if they make it in cherry mahogany. The door I liked had an oval glass insert from top to bottom and the one she liked had a thing glass insert. So I ask the young man helping us out if we can get the door in cherry mahogany and he looks it up on his snazzy computer and tells us we have to special order. I ask if we still get the 10% off. And he smiles and says "I can get you 20% off!" I'm starting to like him. "If you apply for a Home Depot credit card you get an additional 10% and 12 months no interest." he says. I can't pass it up since I'll pay it off before the 12 months are over.
He then goes to his computer and pulls up the door we like and it's twice the price of the one in stock. I ask him why that is and he says "It's a special order since we will only be getting one for you. The ones in stock are half the price because we order a bunch at a time to so we pass the savings on to you." Makes sense. So my wife hearing this tells me to go with the one in stock. I'm glad because it saves me a pretty dollar. So we are picking up the door tomorrow and install it next weekend. But that's not the end of it.
She feels like gardening and goes to pick out some flowers and shrubs and some potting soil. We get back to the house and when we get out of the car she says to me. "Don't go anywhere. You're going to help me." and I say "Aye, Aye, Captain.!" So we did some planting and edge mowing and I haven't worked that hard in a long time. I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight. Mackabee
What kind of SUVs are people trying to dump? Are they old clunkers (ie: '97 Explorer XLT with 200K miles) or newer ones who are panicing about the price of gas (ie: 2007 - 2008 Suburban with 10,000 miles). What are these people expecting of their SUVs values?
My buddy saw $5.01 per gallon (Super) in a really ritzy neighborhood yesterday.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Well I am glad you guys are able to sell some cars anyway. Salesmen (and women) are the backbone of this country. Good luck for the month end and the rest of the year.
Just remember, nothing, and I mean nothing, happens until somebody sells something.
The ones we are trading for the most are anywhere from 1 to 4 years old and still have a lien on them. The folks who have one paid for can afford the fuel. its the poor guy paying $550 a month plus feeding the thing that are trying to get out.
The majority of them are prepared for the value to be lowr then normal because all they here about is how allot of people are trying to dump them.
There was a guy here a few days ago trading a Denali in and he thought we were about $3K light. The salesmen asked him if he could show him something and he said sure. So the SM took the guy up to our wholesale line and showed him a cluster of about 15 large SUV's that we have traded for in the last 10 days. The he told him his ride is worth whatever we can cash it for today.
Right now SUV's are like buying stock. Iif I can afford to buy it low right now and sit on it there is a chance that they might come back. its just a matter of having the cash flow to sit on them.
"...I can't pass it up since I'll pay it off before the 12 months are over..."
How many times has someone come into your store with a 499 FICO who said the same thing? Besides, those easy credit and discount store cards are just a ruse so the Men In Black can track all your purchases. Beware!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When panic like this sets in, it might be the right time for a smart buyer to make a REALLY great deal.
It would seem that the dealer can get these beasts for a low price and I bet if they take them in trade just to make the deal on another car they would be very willing to sell them cheap.
If you're a betting person, you could gamble that gas will go down and be driving a nice vehicle cheap.
Of course if gas goes to $10, you're screwed.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Joel, let's say that I wanted to "invest" in one of those 1-3 year old suv's. What kind of savings could I expect off the usual retail price---$1,000, $2,000, etc.? Use the guy's Denali as an example. Thanks.
You are so right. We'll be more concerned with eating and figuring out how we can get to work in the South without mass transit systems. My old bicycle looks more and more appealing.
$10 a gallon is probably not that far off, probably a couple ot three years or so. That's not scare-mongering just a realistic observation. But, life as we know it will not come to an end then or anything even remotely like that.
A local TV station ran another one of those so-called "news" stories about consumers reacting to high fuel prices. This one featured an especially well-fed lady(and her dopey-looking teenage son) who was shopping for a fuel efficient car. Needless to say, she complains about spending $100 a week to drive her SUV. Of course, if she'd take a break from eating doughnuts and wolfing down buckets from KFC she might realize that even if she buys a vehicle that uses 50% less fuel she will only save $2600 per year. How many people here think that her new car payment will be less than $50 more than her current payment? And does anybody seriously believe that she's going to finance her new fuel-sipper for less than 60 months? Oh well, a fool and her carbohydrates-I mean money... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Comments
Good update Obyone
There is a big difference but I am sure I don't have to tell this board.
GP
I can't stand these guys who thrive on NEGATIVITY :mad:
What ever they are doing they are just trying to keep people down.... Alright I am not going to go into this rant :surprise:
But seriously... it reminds me of how people went out to buy and build bomb shelters... just because someone said the end of the world was coming.
GP
Maybe we should start that again. A good steel and concrete bunker will keep those nasty cannibals out.
Wife: "How did your car shopping go honey?"
Husband: "Those darn car salespeople. The last one I went to wanted an arm and a leg." :mad:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Oh, you are FUNNY!
We are about the only store with any Civic Hybrids left in stock and we had a feeding frenzy.
People are frantically trying to dump their gas guzzlers and they are unhappy when we can't give them much for them. The market on these has died. Nobody wants them at any price.
I assisted them on Friday. Showed them about five different cars and they decided on a Camry. Before they left they asked me if we were open on Memorial Day. I told them yes 9am to 6pm. So anyway, he tells me that he wants to make sure I get full credit for the sale and that the salesperson helping him now told him I would. (RIGHT!) I tell the customer that's is not true that I would get half credit. He is adamant about me getting full credit and I tell him I can be there in an hour but he doesn't want to wait. I suggest they go get some lunch or something but he declines. So I tell him to go ahead and buy the car and I'll settle with the other salesperson tomorrow when the dust settles.
A minute later the salesperson calls me and tells me he talked to the GSM and he told him I would get full credit and he would give him a bone. (house deal). We'll see.
Mackabee
Mack
Richard
Communist
News
Network
I figured that out years ago. E.g., how often is the weakness of the dollar due to the lowered interest rates here cited in the rise of oil prices by the "news" networks?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Yes, you do. It is your youth that keeps you in a positive frame of mind. As you get older, try really hard to remain that way. It keeps you mentally and physically healthy---and a better car salesman.
Richard
Richard
LOL!!! You're on the ball today.
Richard
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I am in the middle of my personal 34 hour 3 day sales event right now. I worked Saturday from 8-9 today from 10-6 and tomorrow from 8-9.
Don't mind the hours at all except Sundays. I hate working Sundays.
Richard
Same at my store. Heck we are open every Sunday. Tomorrow it's 9-6. I started boycotting Sundays a few months ago. Got to spend some time with the family.
Mack
I wouldn't even give them the pleasure!
Getting lazy in my old age I suppose.
Wait! What am I doing here today? It's sunday and I'm susposted to be off!
Or I could end up like Jmonroe
GP
We are open 12 -5 pm
GP
Joel do you work every Saturday 8-9? Or is it because you are a finance manager and end up TO'ing deals ussualy till 9pm?
GP
It alternates, we have two finance guys so one week I close Mon, Wed, and Fri, he closes Tue, Thu, and Sat on the nights he closes I go home at 6:00 and the nights I close he goes home at 6:00. Then the next week we flip flop.
Our truck mgr knows how to bill out a deal so he gets in on the Sunday schedule so we only have to work every third Sunday. I am willing to give up the hurting he puts on my average to keep from working every other Sunday.
Our GM is trying to close our owner on letting us go on a split shift when we get in the new building but I don't know if he will. hell I would be thrilled just to get to go home at 5:00 on my early nights.
You should be so lucky. :P
FWIW, I worked today too. In fact, I worked my tail off staining the deck. I'm looking forward to Tuesday when I go back to work; I need a break from this manual work stuff. If my old employer tried to get that much work out of me they'd be looking for another consultant. :mad:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
should be "barely".
So we go the the doors department and look at all the offerings. I like a medium oak door and she likes a cherry mahogany door. These are fiberglass doors that look like wood. So we go back and forth and finally she tells me to go with the oak door but see if they make it in cherry mahogany. The door I liked had an oval glass insert from top to bottom and the one she liked had a thing glass insert. So I ask the young man helping us out if we can get the door in cherry mahogany and he looks it up on his snazzy computer and tells us we have to special order. I ask if we still get the 10% off. And he smiles and says "I can get you 20% off!" I'm starting to like him. "If you apply for a Home Depot credit card you get an additional 10% and 12 months no interest." he says. I can't pass it up since I'll pay it off before the 12 months are over.
He then goes to his computer and pulls up the door we like and it's twice the price of the one in stock. I ask him why that is and he says "It's a special order since we will only be getting one for you. The ones in stock are half the price because we order a bunch at a time to so we pass the savings on to you." Makes sense. So my wife hearing this tells me to go with the one in stock. I'm glad because it saves me a pretty dollar. So we are picking up the door tomorrow and install it next weekend. But that's not the end of it.
She feels like gardening and goes to pick out some flowers and shrubs and some potting soil. We get back to the house and when we get out of the car she says to me. "Don't go anywhere. You're going to help me." and I say "Aye, Aye, Captain.!" So we did some planting and edge mowing and I haven't worked that hard in a long time. I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight.
Mackabee
What ARE we going to do about that boy?
Richard
My buddy saw $5.01 per gallon (Super) in a really ritzy neighborhood yesterday.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Just remember, nothing, and I mean nothing, happens until somebody sells something.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
My body was at work but in my mind I was standing in front of a grill cooking beer brats for 10 or so people and enjoying a Corona.
The majority of them are prepared for the value to be lowr then normal because all they here about is how allot of people are trying to dump them.
There was a guy here a few days ago trading a Denali in and he thought we were about $3K light. The salesmen asked him if he could show him something and he said sure. So the SM took the guy up to our wholesale line and showed him a cluster of about 15 large SUV's that we have traded for in the last 10 days. The he told him his ride is worth whatever we can cash it for today.
Right now SUV's are like buying stock.
Iif I can afford to buy it low right now and sit on it there is a chance that they might come back. its just a matter of having the cash flow to sit on them.
How many times has someone come into your store with a 499 FICO who said the same thing? Besides, those easy credit and discount store cards are just a ruse so the Men In Black can track all your purchases. Beware!
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When panic like this sets in, it might be the right time for a smart buyer to make a REALLY great deal.
It would seem that the dealer can get these beasts for a low price and I bet if they take them in trade just to make the deal on another car they would be very willing to sell them cheap.
If you're a betting person, you could gamble that gas will go down and be driving a nice vehicle cheap.
Of course if gas goes to $10, you're screwed.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Richard
Mack
If gas goes to $10, we're ALL screwed! :P
Richard
Richard
YET...
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
YET...
Ah, so you are still in the 440's working your way up to 499? :P
Oh well, a fool and her carbohydrates-I mean money... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive