Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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Now you know how I feel.
:shades:
My youngest worked at Wally world for quite a few years. He finally quit about a month ago. I'm glad too, since he was working the grave yard shift and his sleep is all messed up. *I can relate to that too.) He preferred the late night shift since he didn't have to deal with customers. They paid him $1.50 more per hour shift differential. He's now working at the local Inlet Fitness center. He was a member there and the owner offered him a job. He's now working toward his training certification and his membership is now free. Once he starts full time the whole family can use the facility at no charge. So now he's on a normal schedule and I feel a lot better too. I wasn't to keen on him taking his first break at midnight and then his dinner break at 3 in the morning. He was "hijacked" about six months ago. Two hoodlums jumped in his car as he was about to go on his dinner break. They told him to drive around and then started talking to him about pushing drugs. Thank God he said he was not interested and they drove back to the store and the two thugs left him alone. It could have been worse. I didn't find out until months later as he did not want me to find out and only told Mrs. Mack. He was traumatized for a bit. I kept bugging him to quit or work an early shift even before that "incident" happened. I even offered to buy him a Scion if he quit.
:shades:
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I would go with the 09. I believe there are some changes to the 09 correct? That's one American car I wouldn't mind parking in my driveway. :shades:
Next I will demonstrate how the side curtain airbags work in a real collision. I'll make sure the impact is on the passenger side so they get the full effect.
Before I buy any car, I research the living daylights out of it, here and elsewhere. Not only do I research price, I research potential problems.
Hit any of the threads regarding the Accord, for example, and you'd think is was the reincarnation of the Yugo. A few (very few) think the VCM in the Accord is the Devil's creation.
On the Camry, you'd think their transmissions were falling out of their vehicles.
I think a little "this is what this feature does....this is how it does it....this is how it helps...let me show you what it will do" would go a long way in alleviating some of the discontent.
In the Camry and the Accord, two of the most well engineered, best quality cars on the planet, and according to some posters, you'd think they were designed and built by a bunch of one eyed, peg legged, drunken sailors.
In my experience, the most successful salesmen have been those that can adapt to each individual. Smarmy and disenguous never seems to work well.
Target is a much better shopping experience than Walmart if you're not solely focused on price. The additional profit that they make gives the customer better service, cleaner stores, better presentation, ambience and perhaps better goods as well.
Are you interested in any Nissans.... :shades:
You sound like a great customer and a done deal
GP
I'm with you on this one Mack, that's the way cars should be sold.
A few years ago Chrysler had a program where they rented a huge parking lot for the weekend and let people drive all their cars around. One was a motor-cross track where the visitor drove, another was a thrill ride where you went along with a stunt driver.
What a blast! Tearing though the twisties in a Crossfire while the rep yells "punch it" or getting a 300C up on two wheels with the stunt guy. I was ready to buy something "Today!"
Unfortunately, my bank book talked me out of it.
I often wondered what they did with those cars after they had traveled all over the country beating the heck out of them. Could these be those "Program Cars" I hear about?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Mack,
That is so funny. I do the same thing. We are at the end of a Dead end street that has a cuddle sack where I perform the same exact procedure. I don't step on the brake and the gas at the same time definately everything else. Sometimes when you go around 3-4 times you get a little dizzy... Ahhh what do I mean sometimes... Ussualy eveytime. But is the best way to demonstrate tve Stability control. some times I'll have the customer do it whenthey get back from a test drive....LOL
GP
Thank God he was alright. Those people.... well I think your story covered it all.
But it does remind of song... Not sure who did this one...
"The freaks come out at night, the freaks come out at night!"
GP
I believe he means "Cul de sac", but I could be very wrong. "Cuddle sack" sounds so profane.....
To keep this on-topic
Jeaporady?
What is the end of a dead end road where the road comes to a full circle... like the bottom of a thermometer....
Ussualy at the end of a cuddle sack there will be homes all around the circle... but here where i am there are no homes it is a commerialy zoned area.
GP
LOL... Yes i do believe that is the correct spelling.
Thanks for picking up what I am laying down...LOL :P
GP
So many comments to make, so little wiggle room in Edmunds' TOS.
As a consumer I'd leave your Dealership so fast your head would spin. As a fellow salesperson, I'd be embarrassed for you. Truly.
There was no URL. Can you repost pls?
I remember BMW would have special auctions for these type of vehicles. Mostly they were the cars used at the performance center in South Carolina.
We would get a list of the cars online through Manheim and they would have all sorts of notes as to what was wrong with the car. These cars had been flogged on performance deliveries, special events, etc. We could not certify the vehicles no matter what, they had no warranty anyway and we had to disclose what it was used for. Needless to say, we never bought any.
However, an M3 could be bought less than a year old for about 25K off sticker. The reconditioning would be substantial though.
I went to Atlanta when the new "3" series was coming out for a "ride-and-drive." We got to go through 3 different tracks in the parking lot outside of the stadium the Braves play in. We compared the "3" with the G35,C230 and the Audi. A lot of fun.
Those cars were amazing even though we were beating the crap out of them.
Hmmm I wonder WHODINI it is?
Dude relax....
You and maybe some other people are missing the fact that.... Mack ( as do I ) explains the feature... than the benefit.... than before we do it we explain to the customer this is how we demonstarte this feature. Than we ask permission to do it... If the customer says I don't feel comfortable with that than you don't do it. :surprise:
You can't just surprise a customer with something like that or any other thing. Any good salesperson knows that. :confuse:
Now also I don't do it with a every customer. If someone is squimish about it you just focus on other features
GP
Now if I can just get some customers in the showroom. :shades:
"
I actually have an '04 Pathfinder LE (that I'm trying to sell) and '04 Titan. Had another Pathfinder and an Xterra before that. Nothing but good luck with the cars. Unfortunately, my experience with the sales staff has been about 50/50.
When I bought the Titan, it was a great transaction. I came in with an invoice plus 3 percent offer (minus rebates). Based on several sources, I knew this was right in line with a good but not great deal, and the sale went through with very little hassle. I told the salesman I would be back in two weeks to buy an '04 Pathfinder for the wife, and looked forward to another pleasant experience.
At this point, the redesigned '05 Pathfinders were just hitting the dealerships, and plenty of folks were buying the '04s under invoice plus the rebate. The dealer had one LE in the color my wife wanted, but it had about $750 in options that I didn't really want. Still, I figured I told them I would be back, so I stopped in, told them the car I wanted, and gave them an offer at flat invoice (about $300 more than TMV). My salesman said, "I thought since I gave you a great deal on the Titan, we would do a straight sticker deal on this one." He was actually serious, and there went all the good feeling from the previous transaction. I told him and his sales manager that I would be happy to pay my initial offer, but no more. They let me walk. That evening, I found one in my hometown (about 100 miles away) that was the color we wanted without the additional options. I called the internet sales manager and he offered it for $500 under invoice, (or about $1250 less than my rejected offer at the other dealer). I told him I would let him know in the morning whether I would be driving down to pick it up. Of course, the next morning, my Titan dealer called back and said they would take my initial offer, to which I replied that I found it at another dealer and was paying a lot less. Immediately, they agreed to meet that price despite having the additional add-ons. When I went in to sign the paperwork, my sales guy was acting all dejected, and I just told him, "Man, I was set to give you a decent workable deal, and you had to screw around and play games. If you had just been straight, you would have another grand in your pocket, and a customer that would ask for you whenever he came in to buy another car..."
I'm not sure what I disagreed with you either. I concur with your post. Must have been the lack of sleep.
:confuse:
So many comments to make, so little wiggle room in Edmunds' TOS."
"As a consumer I'd leave your Dealership so fast your head would spin. As a fellow salesperson, I'd be embarrassed for you. Truly. "
What is a TOS? Good salespersons make an impression on customers, that's why they come back. As for your second statement, you would probably walk back to the dealership if you really feel this way. Don't be embarrassed for me. I don't need your pity or sympathy. I actually adopted that "technique" from a fellow salesperson. The first time he told me about it I thought he was nuts. Then I thought about it and I pulled up an SUV (all Toyota SUV's have the vsc standard) and asked him to show me what he did. It worked so now I use it in my presentations. I've yet to have a customer decline the demonstration.
:shades:
:shades:
Historical Pgh
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This is why most customers will never understand. You told him he would have another grand in his pocket? How do you figure? The guy is now on a mini deal from what I can see. I'm not standing up for the guy, he was completely wrong to tell you he should be selling you the Pathfinder at sticker. Probably made a mini on the first vehicle he sold you so was trying to make up for it on the second. He just went the wrong way about it. Totally unprofessional imho. :shades:
:shades:
I guess you and I come from 2 different schools of thought when it comes to salespeople. IMO, good salespeople make an impression by the way they treat their customers & know their product. You're right, I've never considered telling a potential customer that I'm going to attempt to roll over a vehicle while on a demonstration.
Seriously ~ you could incorporate some other tricks into your presentation to help you sell cars. Maybe "saw a woman in half"? That's always a real crowd-pleaser.
Just out of curiosity ~ ever been involved in a rollover accident?
If I'm a "tech" hound, show me the bluetooth or navi. If my only consideration is color (which I suspect is much of the time for some), show me the color I prefer.
But, if someone insists on showing me every feature on the car, top to bottom, A to Z, I'm going to get real bored, real quick. And, I'm only going to listen to maybe half of what they're telling me.
Obviously, you're right. I meant the dealer would have another grand. Shouldn't have used quotes, because I can't remember exactly what I said.
I've been selling Toyotas for the last 10 years and I'm always improving in my presentations and product knowledge. :P
"Seriously ~ you could incorporate some other tricks into your presentation to help you sell cars. Maybe "saw a woman in half"? That's always a real crowd-pleaser. "
Now there's one I haven't tried yet. Care to volunteer?
Mackabee ~ was with Toyota for 12 years before coming to Subaru. I'm not disagreeing with your *intent*. But doing donuts in the parking lot to point out a dashboard light to a potential customer just seems "hokey" to me. (ie: awkwardly unprofessional)
fwiw-VSC isn't intended as a means of preventing rollovers, moreso an active safety feature that keeps the driver on his/her intended path.
Hell, it's a Toyota ~ a simple jackrabbit start in loose sand will produce the same result.
PS....That goes for you too Deskman!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
When I was a lot younger that was the sleeping bag you shared with your girlfriend.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I don't see how going out in a parking lot, and doing doughnuts, is a proper demonstration on how stability control works. Take me out on the open highway brother, yank that steering wheel to the left... then yank it to the right... at 80 mph. If we are both still alive, I BUY TODAY! :surprise:
Deskman (aka kingofthering) hasn't logged on since July 10th. He has either been put in a hospital for fooling around on his wife, is too depressed to write due to income dropping into the five figure range, or has been banned from Edmunds due to excessive "party" talk. Tells great stories though. :P
Nothing much really new. The 2005 to 2009 are about the same car. They jacked the base HP from 400 to 437 or so in 2008. They added a somewhat gaudy, very expensive, all-leather interior in 2008. Supposedly helped the steering 'feel' a lot in 2008 (my 2007 does feel pretty dead in the steering).
Now would be the time to find a 2008 with the options, or no options, and buy it under invoice. They are also giving 0% for 48 months, I think.
What happened to the bundling board?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Is it really getting that bad? Wow, when Toyota can't draw them in I fear the end is near. Maybe all those people down south heard that Russia invaded Georgia and are hiding in their basements. (just kidding).
How about the other sales people, how is traffic? Have people come in to spend their stimulus check?
I would think that with gas easing up a bit customers might be testing the waters a little more these days.
You know, all of us non-biz posters tease you guys a lot, but in the end we would feel bad if you couldn't make a living doing what you're doing. :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible