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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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Those requests never work. When we went to purchase our convertible, I asked my wife to let me do the talking. She agreed. After we tried out the car and sat down to negotiate, the salesman brought forth the first offer. My wife looked over my shoulder and exclaimed, "That's not a bad price at all!" :sick: To try to get out of it, I said, "Honey, you don't have your reading glasses on. That's a terrible price." The salesman just laughed. We did buy the car after one counter and a second offer from the manager.
Richard
Behind every great man stands a woman...waiting to cut the legs right out from under him.
I too have made the mistake of bringing the little woman along when buying a car.
Once when I wanted to test drive a pick-up all they had was a standard shift model. As I said a manual would be ok she blurted out "you can't drive a standard transmission", forgetting that I drive one at work every day.
By the time I convinced the salesman that I wasn't going to strip his gears I no longer was in the car buying mood.
Now she tells me what color she likes and I go out by myself.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Actually, it's sales speak for: "I'm a sales manager now and don't do floor sales. I'll be happy to work out the numbers for you. This is GP, he'll handle the test drive."
:shades:
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Are you kidding? Those 4500 pound gas guzzlers are in high demand right now. You should be happy paying MSRP. And "only" 2K in useless junk? Be glad it's not 3K.
As for the 7600 demo miles, why would this concern you? A bunch of yahoos "seeing what it can do" is nothing to be worried about. Think of it as pre-broken-in. You should pay extra for that.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
ROFL. That is a good one.
I had the same problem when I bought my 06 Tundra. I was debating between 2 identical vehilces, one being a demo with 6K miles and the other new with about 8 miles, both vehicles the same body style, color and the MSRP within $100 of each other, one vehicle had some goofy dealer add on accessory.
The dealer would not discount the demo even one dollar, said it has the same floor plan as the other, so I bought the one with 8 miles.
Not getting any of the demo discounted would be a deal killer for me too.
Richard
Richard
At least I'm in a want to buy and not a need to buy situation.
My offer was $26600 OTD. Which according to my research here on Edmunds and another site this is what the target price should be before incentives ($4k manufacturer to dealer incentive). In your opinion, was that a good offer? What should have I expected off for the 7600 miles? I was figuring $1500, less than 20 cents per mile.
WOW! :surprise:
I think you need to find another dealer, especially if this demo is a 2008. Are you still in Georgia? I'm seeing new 2009 EX-L 's being advertised on (the major auction website) for $28,985 by the dealer in Milledgeville; the dealer in La Grange also advertises there. A colleague recommended the dealer in Athens recently. He's known to be thrifty and I am sure he did his homework. Another quick quote revealed a price of $28,832 for a new EXL FWD using the Atlanta zip code 30324.
Your OTD offer is hard to judge without knowing what GA taxes are. Unless I missed it, you never indicated whether this was an 08 or 09, FWD or 4X4. In my experiences, demos are never priced attractively -- not enough discount for what amounts to a used car.
"duke.....everybody has their own agenda when it comes to oil. "
That's the truth, but please don't mention the Vega, that's a four letter word.
So who would guess that Jimmy Page would do Whole Lotta Love ? Way up in that structure I was guessing instrumental Stairway to Heaven.
Stymied !
Snare drum string.
:shades:
P.S. I'm the same way. When I find a good/excellent salesperson I keep going back to them be it for clothes, shoes, musical instruments, etc.. AND since most of these folks work on commish I want to make sure they get compensated for the time they have spent with me.
You think that's bad? You should see what working for these "new kids on the block" is like. :sick: They have no sense of urgency to work a deal even though you have a customer at the negotiation table. A good friend/customer of mine of which I wrote a few weeks back that has an F-150 came in to see what we could give him for it and also to get figures on a Matrix. Two and a half hours later he's leaving not very happy that we made him wait that long. He came back a few weeks ago to look at the Matrix again and said to me tongue in cheek; "Tell that manager that worked my deal the last time to start on it right now so that when I come back all I have to do is sign up.!"
It's already dead.
:confuse:
Record breaking Phelps and Bolt take precedence. Quite rightly so. "
The Olympics are on?? I thought sales were down due to our fear mongering media.! :shades:
The Volt is going to discharge very quick. The styling is dated already.
:shades:
"P.S. I'm the same way. When I find a good/excellent salesperson I keep going back to them be it for clothes, shoes, musical instruments, etc.. AND since most of these folks work on commish I want to make sure they get compensated for the time they have spent with me. "
Yea, verily. Once in college after having worked as a car washer for a dealership for Mr. Skinner, oddly enough his first name wasn't Lynryd. I worked subsequently as a waiter. Servicing large parties it was not uncommon to be stiffed. To this day I tip 20%. Good sales engenders loyalty and referrals. Be in it for the long run.
Did he get a face lift? I saw his picture and he doesn't look like the Jimmy Page I remember. But then again, all these celebs that have had lifts don't look like who they were. Look at Kenny Rogers. I thought he was an impersonator when I saw him on a "Curb your enthusiasm" episode with Larry David driving his Prius (on topic!)
:shades:
20 years ago Keith Richards was declared legally dead but it hasn't stopped him from falling out of palm trees. If he were to have a face lift, one might need to engage the services of Caterpillar .
But back to car sales, .. you know.
'night
:shades:
duke's Vegas joke relative to statistics, ( ot)
So this guy goes to Vegas and sit's down at first base at a blackjack table and is dealt a 17 vs. a dealer 12. Suddenly a fairy alights on his shoulder and say's " Hit it " The guy complains to the fairy and says I can't hit it, I've got a 17 vs. a dealer 12. The fairy says hit it! He does and it's a 3. He say's Thank you fairy ! I never should have doubted you. The fairy says hit it!
The guy again complains, I've got a 20 vs. a dealer 12. Are you nuts ? I can't hit that, I'd be insane. And the fairy says hit it ! So he does and the next card is an ace. And he says Thank you , Thank you fairy, I'm sorry that I doubted you . And the fairy say's, " you lucky sob! "
Ps, It wasn't a good fairy.
Duke, you seem to have assumed the role of "bearer of bad news" with the financial dissertations. I used to try, but I don't do it anymore. These guys hate hearing that stuff as they're used to operating in an easy credit market.
You're rant is sound, but needs to lean more towards credit access rather than credit rates. If you can't get credit the price of money is irrelevant. The recent Libor rates show a serious tightening of credit. Bank lending is seriously tight.
Only folks with stellar credit (people that don't need credit) can actually hold sway with lenders.
This will affect negatively on asking price. At least as far as sellers are concerned. Consumers will find this a delightful time to negotiate price. Especially those that can actually afford a new car.
Most cannot. Financing a depreciating asset is never a good idea.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Not many, fortunately for me. It still amazes me the number of customers that buy a car and a couple of days later don't even remember their sales person's name. :confuse:
I was at my local Wachovia branch a couple of weeks ago and while I was talking to a financial planner a pretty young thing kept walking in and out of the office next door. She looked familiar so I asked if we'd met before.
"No, but I do drive a Toyota." she replied. "The FJ Cruiser outside?" I asked. "That's the one. I really like it." she replied. "I see you bought it at my store, maybe that's why you look familiar. Who was your salesperson.?" I asked. "I don't remember his name. Some big guy." she answers.
So I give her one of my cards and tell her. "Here's my card. My name is Mackabee, If you have any questions whatsoever about your FJ please don't hesitate to call me." she grabbed the card and put it in her purse and gave me her name.
Next day I looked her up in our database and her salesperson was actually Big Pauly who is no longer with the company.
You may remember Pauly, I helped him with the purchase of a Tama drum kit for his 5 year old.
But that's the nature of the beast. You have to keep your name in front of people if you expect them to come back to you. It saves lots of animosity between sales people and lots of headaches.
We had one guy that would come after you if you sold one of "his" customers. Yet they didn't ask for him, remember who he was, and the guy never followed up with them. Not even a thank you call a few days later after the purchase of the vehicle. Needless to say, management would not back his claims for a half deal. I always try to avoid half deals like the plague. It's kind of like wrestling the pig. You end up doing all the work and in the end it's not worth half the commission.
I always ask: "Have you been here before? Have you worked with someone else at this store before?" or words to that effect. In some cases they will have been here before but don't want to work with the sales person so I will inform the sales managers and the sales person so there is no misunderstanding later on. :shades:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You have to have been a salesperson or at least someone who works for tips to really appreciate the proper rules in life. If someone spends the time with you should make a point of buying from them. If your server in a restaurant makes your meal more enjoyable, they should be properly tipped above and beyond.
I loved my Jeep dealer and I knew I wanted to try a regular Cherokee instead of a Ltd model because it would fit in the garage better. My dealer did not have a model for me to test so I went to another dealer to try one out. It took some getting used to the rough ride of the regular Cherokee but the salesperson made some interesting comments that sold me on the model. It had a rough ride and is pretty basic (like something out of the 60s) but he said, that is it's charm and he said "I have a customer that buys one every 2 years he loves them so much".
Well, I went back to my regular dealer and ordered one - I did feel bad about it. The salesman emailed me and asked me if I ended up buying a Cherokee from someone else. I had to tell him I thought he was a fantastic salesperson and if I change dealers in the future or someone is looking for a Chryco I would certainly recommend him. I still feel bad about it, but it was easier to go with my regular dealer who had always been fair to me.
I guess you salespeople could learn it isn't always a personal thing if someone doesn't buy from you.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I ask the same thing... Have you been here before and are you here to any one in particular???
Than I do the same thing also ... let management know :surprise:
There is nothing worse than doing all the work for a half deal :sick:
GP
I have a long standing agreement with a friend of mine that sell Honda at our other store. He sends me customers and I send him customers.
A few years ago a nice couple came in to look at a Camry and John had sent them to see me. I did my presentation, test drive, write up, the works. It came down to which vehicle she ultimately liked. She went with the Honda. The following monday she comes in during her lunch break with a big old box of pastries for me. "You did such a great job that it could have gone either way. I do appreciate it." she said as she gave me the box and a card. I appreciated it too since she did refer someone to me and I sold them a car. Little gestures like that go a long way.
No matter, the oil industry's time is short. With the new tech coming around the bend, demand will continue to decline....probably right at the same point that the new drilling sites start producing. That will put a stake through the heart of the industry.
You think Exxon, BP, etc is preparing for this new eventuality? Probably not. They'll be stuck selling a commodity product, with decreasing demand. Not a good business model. Some new companies will crop up that will capitalize by building infrastructure that'll accomodate electric charging stations, or hydro, or any other alternative fuel du jour comes down the pike.
Back to cars.....this was when I was fresh out of college. A business colleague bought a new Citation. It was supposed to be the sporty version. I forget what they called it....I think it was the Citation X. It was all "zooted" up with crushed velour seats, and allegedly a sport suspension. I don't remember it being anything close to sporty at the time (I probably would have bought a VW GTI at the time for about the same money). True to the lost automotive decade of the '80s, it literally started falling apart within 24 months. The pieces of the interior fell off with no provocation. It looked like a frat house on a Saturday night with the amount of pieces broken, that he'd just toss on the floor. I'd say the Vega would have probably enjoyed the same build quality.
Ford had their go with exploding Pintos. Lest we forget, there were Pacers and Gremlins on the roads back then, too. GM's ill-fated V8 diesel conversions and their first foray with multi-displacement V8s. I can't remember the last time I saw a Chrysler "K-car" on the road, or even an Omni. I'll assume those didn't hold up well and that they won't show up at any Mecum auto auction any time soon.
I'd rather not go back down those automotive roads.
Someone said the upcoming Volt can't travel very far before it would have to be recharged. If I'm understanding the car correctly, it can travel up to 40 miles on electric power only. It also has a small 4 cyl engine that "kicks-in" when the batteries are depleted to recharge them. I'm hearing some crazy numbers being thrown around, but I'm hearing 100+ MPG and a traveling range of 500 miles.
But, what I see as a sticking point (aside from the batteries which I think are lithium ion) is what kind of longevity they'd have. For example...let's say your commute to work is 30 miles/day....all electric driven. You park the car in your garage at night, plug it in, and have a full charge the next day. You may go weeks, maybe even a month, where the gas engine doesn't even fire up in this scenario. What kind of stress would this put on the small gas engine in the vehicle.....only firing up occasionally. And, when it did, it would probably only be for brief periods of time. That's the worst type of stress you can put on a gas engine.
Add to that, the estimates I'm hearing are that the Volt will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $30K, maybe $40K. That's a lot of money for a car that's probably going to be snail slow...at least initially and handle dismally with low resistance tires.
But, I'm sure those are the types of things GM's engineers are trying to figure out right now.
Sure there is. Doing almost all the work for no deal is worse.
True
i dunno, sounds like the treatment my lawnmower engine gets.
I agree, that's a great idea. Maybe a bottle of Jack Daniel's. The salesman did get me to decide on a $28,000 vehicle which I loved. I should have done that. There are lots of things I wish I could do over again and that is sure one of them
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'm sorry, I just don't agree. I have no idea what 'new tech' is coming that will knock oil down. Our electricity is generated from coal 49%, natural gas (essentiall 'oil') 20%, nuclear 19%, and hydro 7%. Taking electricity from these sources and then storing in batteries to run autos is a very inefficient energy use.
A Prius battery pack has an expected life of 60 or 70,000 miles, then it's replacement cost is $6,000! The environmentalists worry about us putting AA batteries into land fills. Where are the hundreds of pound auto battery packs going to go? And, aren't these 'new tech' batteries even more nasty to get rid of than the alkyline????
We can't pull hydrogen out of water without a huge net energy loss of electricity to drive the process. The hydrogen that is produced in natural gas is already being extracted and used for various chemical processes. This pretty much make 'fuel cell' tech an big looser.
Here is my guess as what is coming. Oil/natural gas is going to continue as the main energy source. It is going to get more and more costly, mainly because the 'third/second world' countries, namely China and India, are moving quickly toward 'first world' status, sucking up large amounts of the world supply.
Coal will continue to increase as a source of electricity generation. It is dirty, and cleaning up its burning will make it more and more costly (current third world countries don't worry about cleaning it up, this is where most pollution increase is coming from).
Only after energy gets significantly more expensive, nuclear will step up and will probably be used for most electrical generation. France already generates something like 75% of theirs via about 50 nuclear installations. They don't do much right, have delicate sensitivities about what the USA does in the world, but the French have build a nuclear system already.
It will take people in the US being hot in the summer and cold in the winter because of high energy costs, but people will then accept widespread nuclear electrical generation. Or continue to be hot and cold. Our engineers can probably currently over-engineer a nuclear plant that will be 'safe'. The US will accept burying the spent fuel under some desert region.
Then, long term, our only hope is that the little silver colored aliens will stop with their anal probing and show us what powers their flying crafts.
Stopped back on Sunday (when they were closed), so my wife could check out what I had driven (the car is for her)..
Called the guy back today, and he almost fell all over himself, thanking me for asking for him, specifically.. :surprise: Gee, I test-drove, and you gave me your card... who the heck else was I going to talk to?
I was kind of surprised that he gets stiffed that way, very much... a really, really nice guy with no BS..... that's hard to find! (no offense...lol)
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i would tell them a secret shopper reported it.
it gets you off the hook regarding the video, thus not showing your hand, so to speak.
also, every customer potentially becomes a secret shopper. if the clerk just doesn't care, that's another story.
I agree, that's a great idea. Maybe a bottle of Jack Daniel's. He did get me to decide on a $28,000 vehicle which I loved. I should have done that. There are lots of things I wish I could do over again and that is sure one of them
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I had several customers who would bring in Christmas "gifts" for me while I was with BMW.
I remember one guy in particular who would always bring in a big bottle of Crown Royal for me.
Funny thing is, I made a lot of money off the CPO 5-series I sold him. It's been said before, but it seems like my best customers were the ones that paid the most profit. He was extremely happy with his car and me.
Other than the bottles of alcohol I would get (and I'm not that much of a drinker), people would drop off gift cards to restaraunts and stores.
I'm of the same mind as you. If you showed me the car, if you gave me your card, and I enjoyed talking to you, why on earth would I not come back to you? It's a shame that some don't feel the same way.
I don't know if BMW stores have much in the way of turnover. But, that might explain part of it. You buy/lease a car from them. 3-4-5-6 years later, you go back, and you don't recognize any of the sales staff.
I was over on Stewart a couple of months ago. But, it was to look at Minis, not BMWs. I have to admit, their sales staff, in both stores, are probably the most knowledgeable and professional than any other store I've been to, regardless of brand. They do a good job over there.
It's funny, I would have said the same thing until my son rescued a 1988 Plymouth K car from the junkyard. All of a sudden I noticed quite a few on the road.
As cheaply as it was made a K car would last a long time with proper care. Most rusted out long before the drivetrain died. My son's needed a new floor under the front seat. He ran it up to 140K with very little maintaince. Then he ran over a rock and tore the oil pan out.
I would think a modern version of the K car would do Chrysler a world of good these days.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I bet that is the only place their environmentalists will let them drill.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I've received cookies, coffee (Starbucks coffee for home from a guy that didn't buy), fruit platters and chocolates from a customer that we got approved when no one else did, vodka (from a customer that had 2 previous cars on his current loan and wanted out of his 3 month old car to lower his payment by $80 month, and now he's waaaay upside down even when I advised him against it), exotic tea, gift cards. One guy gave me a bottle of Alize, bag of herbs for smoking
The best one by far was the Alize and herbs customer who also gave me some other stuff that people use at a rave. :P
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
A good customer comes back and if he is treated fairly he isn't going to waste time by comparing prices all over the city. When my wife and I were building our business we worked so many hours that we bought a car in less time then it takes to buy a suit. I was satisfied, the time and energy to look all over and compare notes would take more out of us than it was worth. But, if I am not treated fairly...I won't be back.
We traded in a 1999 Mercedes C Class for a 2003 model and thought we had 3 years left on the extended warranty but realized a few days later there was over 4 years left. The dealer could have given us a credit (a refund would be nice but that would be expecting too much) or something but they said it's just one of those things and it was too late to change it. (They would have been really smart to give a credit towards a new one when we were ready - might have got us to go back).
My loyalty went along with it.....haven't been back since to buy - just for warranty work.
Now we have switched dealers and make and I could not even recommend that dealer to anyone. I guess it was our fault up to a point...but then again they weren't being completely honest because they looked at the extended warranty papers too and should have caught it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250