I can't imagine living life with such a chip on your shoulder
LOL... sounds like you've got a log on yours.
Do you guys go to Best Buy and start giving grief to the kid working in the TV department?
Nope. Unfortunately, Best Buy salesmen don't work on commission. Otherwise, I'd give those guys all kinds of heck come plasma t.v buying day. :surprise:
I don't feel one bit of compassion for the customer.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
Do you have anything at all to say that is evenly remotely positive or entertaining? Any sales stories? We already know all your customers suck. You've made that quite clear. You're venting has turned into nothing but one big whiney/crybaby fest.
You're sounding more and more like a troll who needs a little attention... take it to the Dr. Phil forum will ya?
edited: Sorry Ricahrd, my post should have been more like yours. We've all tried to reason with this guy. He doesn't want to listen...too bitter and angry I suppose.
I can't imagine living life with such a chip on your shoulder.
To be honest I think you are here with a similar chip on your shoulder. I will join in the chorus that is signing that maybe you should look for a different career, maybe something not dealing with the public.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
Well when you overprice cars and misrepresent their values what do you expect. Customers didn't create this, dealers did.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
No. I retold a story of a Kirby salesman giving me his best sales pitch. I ended up buying one from him for $200 less than one he sold to his granny. A full reversal of the "clubbed like a baby seal" analogy.
I think greenpea, gg or isell sold Kirby... somebody else sold the shoddy Rainblow vaccum. :sick:
Think about it....a guy sold you a $19,000 piece of equipment and he made $50 on the sale. In the best case scenario he made $100.
Let's see... the buyer swapped a few emails with an internet rep and is handed off to a regular salesman who gave a test drive. The truck drives fine and the buyer agrees to the pre-negotiated deal. How long did this take? 2 hours from arrival to departure at the most? $100 / 2 hours = $50 per hour. I WISH I MADE $50 PER HOUR!!!
The buyer knew what he wanted and all he needed was a price test drive to confirm. He didn't need someone to "sell" him anything. No need to run around and test drive 3 Tundras, 3 Tacomas, and every used truck on the lot. All he needed was someone to find the keys, slap a dealer tag on the back, take a spin around the block, and to fill out the forms. (for which he paid a $298 doc fee) How much should a buyer pay for that minimum level of service? I'm thinking a minimum commission. Fifty bucks an hour doesn't seem bad.
I've actually had more then one customer tell me that they wanted to make sure I didn't "make" anything on the sale.
Well, these customers were either first class jerks or perhaps they encountered a disreputable dealership/salesman the last time they bought. A salesman or dealership who thinks its A-OK to pull this sort of deception and BS:
A salesmen sold a Sequoia the other day and made a $7,500 payable. I don't feel one bit of compassion for the customer.
or, even better, this:
We overprice our vehicles by 3-4K on EVERY SINGLE UNIT. Then we see if we can rope some dope into buying it at that price. It's up to the customer to try and get a price that makes sense. We nail some people on the sticker prices, especially if it's a CPO and we can justify it with the warranty. But the point is that the prices on the windows are for the people who come in blind and want to buy now.
We even print out these corny Kelly Blue Books from the 90210 area code to present a false market price that is more in line with what we want to get for the car.
It is places like these who make it hard for the good guys on this forum to make a living, always having to make up for the previous salesman's misdeeds.
It is not the buyers fault that the commission structure from your dealership blows.
I've actually had more then one customer tell me that they wanted to make sure I didn't "make" anything on the sale.
More than one? Would that be two? Three? Even if it were a truly random sample, which it most definitely is not, the error bars would be at least plus or minus 30% with as many as 10 "respondents." Your data and conclusions are simply invalid. How many customers did not say that?
You want to make sure that I provide you with a service and that I shouldn't be compensated for it?
See above.
Do you guys go to Best Buy and start giving grief to the kid working in the TV departement?
The "kid" is not in a position to bargain whereas the car salesman is. But since you raised the question, I will admit to approaching management at outlets like Best Buy when I thought the price "wasn't right" and - invariably - have gotten positive results.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
I don't have to wonder. I have always been treated quite well whenever I bought a car. With no exceptions, each and every one of my salespeople over the decades has been respectful, courteous, informative, honest, friendly, willing to negotiate, helpful and a pleasure to work with. And I gave everyone of them top grades on their CSIs. :shades:
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
Nope, I never spend money with someone who treats me poorly. We waste each others time and reinforce each others stereotypes about the other. I take the experience and knowledge gained, if any, and purchase somewhere else where I am treated well and appreciated.
Accountants quite often deal with the public. I had one job that most likely would have had alejand going postal (it took my predesessor 8 months to develop ulcers). Currently I do payroll and think about how some of your customers might deal with their pay?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
And then you get this guy who buys a vehicle under invoice and then wants to know about the commission for the poor [non-permissible content removed] who had the displeasure of opening his email.
Once again.... I have to side with Alej on this one.... Maybe because I am in the business, but things like this happen all the time. All you can hope for is a good bonus structure. I can see Alej side of view.
It does crack me up when the consumers on this board will jump on a salesman for giving a negative point of view to a customer. A real point of view of some of the people will deal with. And what happens... everyone pounces on him.
With the exception of Craig.... I reallydon't think everyone should be telling this guy to quit. This is "SFTFL".... the kid is giving actual stories and points of view from the "front lines".... When I first joined this page I was told it was a forum for car sales people..... And there are sme here.... some banned.... and some probably just don't comment anymore.
I just want to go to the place of business of one of my customers and unload on them like they do when they stumble into the dealership. It's a dream of mine. Just stand over their shoulder and act like a tool.
Alej, you should visit a psychiatrist or at least a family therapist. You are so negative and your potential customers are going to read this through your phony welcome "Hi Sir, how can I assist you?" Have you considered an anger management course?
I hope you have something to do that you enjoy. I have a policy, I steer clear of negative people, they can only bring you down and you don't gain anything good from them.
BTW, I believe that most car salespeople that post here are not much different just that they aren't so vocal about it
Hey now don't lump us all into the same bag of coal. I don't begrudge people for negotiating a good deal. When I sold I always figured that it was my MGR's job to put me on a number that worked well for all involved. If I worked a deal hard and closed close to that number and didn't make a good deal I wasn't mad at the customer, I was mad at the MGR that started my deal. If the customer grinded it out and I made bumpcus on a deal so be it, I would rather have a mini and a number then no deal at all.
Most stores require two things to make a good check, gross and units. I went into every new car deal figuring it would be a number toward the Holy Grail of 14 units. Thats what I needed to top out on bonuses. As long as I had 5 or 6 good used cars deals in the mix then it was all good. There were many, many, many months I would have given my left arm for one more mini deal. In our store if you have say $12K in gross the difference between 13 and 14 units would be $850.
To coin and change an NBA phrase, Don't hate the customer, hate the game.
That post just showed how uneducated you are and if you actually read my post you would have known what I was trying to ask.
Here is what happened.
Wednesday my father called me and said his 1994 Ford Ranger died and that he needed a new truck.
I emailed the dealer asking for a quote on the exact truck that I wanted, and he emailed me back with the price of $19,015 without the 2.9 percent financing and $19,515 with the 2.9 percent financing.
I picked up my father, we went to see and drive the truck, sat down with the salesman assigned to us, and said that we wanted the truck.
There was no negotiation at all, because we were satisfied with the price. We signed the paperwork, and then went to the F&I office. We did the paperwork there and then went home, all in under an hour. It was a great experience.
My question was.........How would the commission on a deal like that get split up, because it seemed like they gave us a great price and I was just wondering if everyone got their fair share.
I read these posts all of the time, and everyone here is great. However all of your posts make you seem like an arrogant jerk...................so if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then it is a duck.
"When I first joined this page I was told it was a forum for car sales people..."
I don't think that you love us (consumers) anymore. :P
"...when the consumers on this board will jump on a salesman..."
I'm not jumping on him. I just like to see people happy. I'm sure that he is nice to customers. To keep his job, he would have to be. It's how he perceives people that bothers me. The majority of people in life are not out to "get" everyone else.
Most stores require two things to make a good check, gross and units. I went into every new car deal figuring it would be a number toward the Holy Grail of 14 units. Thats what I needed to top out on bonuses. As long as I had 5 or 6 good used cars deals in the mix then it was all good.
Joel, I give you a lot of credit. You have figured out a system to get you where you want to be in sales, and it is realistic so that you can make a living and allows enough leeway so your customer can negotiate. You always answer in a positive helpful manner. You have the qualities I would look for in a car salesperson - as I say, I steer (pun) away from negative people.
One emailed me back a bunch of emails saying "Bring us your lowest quote from any other Dealer (even from the Internet) and we'll match it."
You played it beautifully j1mbo01 although you have a peculiar name) and I really like that you didn't go to the guy who was going to match it.....let the other dealers do all the work. There are customers who know a fair price and will buy right away without a hassle, then there are customers who balk at phony inflated prices, phony blue books etc. How come alej gets all the worst customers? :confuse:
"...I was just wondering if everyone got their fair share."
That's how I read your post, too. So much for being thoughtful, right? I hope your father enjoys his new truck. Though it was a terrible Toyota dealer and salesman that brought me to this forum, your experience goes to show that not all dealers and salesmen are alike. That's what I learned by coming here. People like Mack, Joel, greenpea, and others showed me this.
The majority of people in life are not out to "get" everyone else.
You're correct sir. It's just that the people "here" have nothing better to do than hand out advice to a salesperson making the topic interesting again. It's also the people "here" that appear out to get the salesperson.
I think the person that's getting bashed represents most of the industry (Joel excluded). He is brutally honest and because his opinion doesn't coincide with some of the "jerk" posters here he gets labeled a troll. If you don't like his posts do a jipster/isell and ignore each others post (which we all know they don't). It's so simple.
BTW, snake I was just joking when I mention accountants. We all know the stereotype of accountants and engineers not being people persons. I mean who else would Dale Carnegie make all his money from?
Salespeople whether it be autos or solar depend on profit. Without it you don't make any money for yourself or the company. Those of you who despise ADM need to focus your negative energy elsewhere. Bobst never once mentioned ADM. Why? Because his system ignored it completely. Go figure. So once again when you see ADM stickers remember that it is only a starting point. Being educated means you understand the ploy. So let me ask again. What is there to get excited about?
Life is short. There are other things to get excited and get your pressure raised a few points about. Like GW for example.
Joel, I give you a lot of credit. You have figured out a system to get you where you want to be in sales, and it is realistic so that you can make a living and allows enough leeway so your customer can negotiate. You always answer in a positive helpful manner. You have the qualities I would look for in a car salesperson - as I say, I steer (pun) away from negative people.
Yeah, I agree. Joel, greenpea, moo, and many other of the salesmen that post here are helpful and positive. They can tell a story about a negative experience with a customer, that doesn't make you want to take a hot shower with a brillo pad. Generally they are supported by us "non-biz" folks, i.e "Yeah, that guy sure acted like a jerk." They can "laugh off" a customer who comes in wanting 5k over blackbook on his trade. But, I can't think of many people who enjoy reading someone who does nothing but whine, complain, and make negative comments toward others day after day after day. :sick:
And everybody likes an audience for their stories greenpea. Without us non-biz folks in here to cheer you on, or boo you... this place would be dead dead dead!
It's also the people "here" that appear out to get the salesperson.
You're sounding paranoid again. No one is out to get anyone. Like it or not this site is shared by those in, and out of, the biz. Consumers get "jumped on" just as often as the salespeople... an example being our Toyota buyer. People are free to question or challenge another posters comments as long as they are done in a respectful manner. If you don't like it, you can join isell and I's "Scroll So You Don't Know" club. :P
It does crack me up when the consumers on this board will jump on a salesman for giving a negative point of view to a customer. A real point of view of some of the people will deal with. And what happens... everyone pounces on him.
When you attack the buyer for getting a good, quick deal its more than presenting a "negative point of view". It looks to me like this buyer did everything right other than paying too much.
Here's the original question again:
How is the commission on a deal like that split up. I talked with the internet manager via email, then was set up with a salesman when I got there.
If alej wants to complain about why a traditional salesman is having to do the internet guy's dirty work, it would be a very valid and sympathetic point. I'm wondering this myself. " I've got to do the work but I'm not going to have the chance to earn myself some extra commission." I think ultimately this might have been the OP's real question, not so much about the specific dollar amount. However, alej chose to flame the buyer for getting a good deal. It is no wonder why he was jumped on by the consumers on the board. He might have a valid beef with the management of the store but not the buyer in this case.
Alej is also fully entitled to his opinions on internet vs. traditional sales but put the fault where it lies. He seems to want to put the genie back into the bottle regarding all of the information available out there. Personally, I am thankful for transparency and wished it carried through to other industries and to the government.
And everybody likes an audience for their stories greenpea. Without us non-biz folks in here to cheer you on, or boo you... this place would be dead dead dead!
Gimme a break. Ever wonder where Bobst went? They should password this topic only for salespeople and create another one for those who want to rant on the salespeople and not let the two mix. Then and only then would you have salespeople posting with no hesitation. I know the salespeople you mentioned have stories that would curl the hairs on the back of your neck that they refrain from posting. Greenpea mentioned this several times. However if you prefer the goody two shoes approach well that's fine and dandy.
BTW, you ever get that leaking tire fixed? or too busy posting here to do that? :P
I think Bobst and many others have left these forums because their "friends" have left only to be replaced by a couple of newbees who always seem to have an answer to everything.
Nope....never did any sort of door-to-door sales. Worked at a dept store in High School. though. Actually was a "management trainee" for a while working there while in college (let me translate....I worked the hours none of the regulars would....and they paid me a pittance of a salary for 60 hours of work).
Lessee....sold shoes at that store for awhile (observation....people need to shower more before they go out to buy shoes and have a clerk fit them).
Never sold vacuums (even at the dept store).
I did have a Kirby guy show up at my door years ago. He asked if the "lady of the house" was around. I told him I was the man of the house, the lady of the house, the housekeeper, the cook, toilet cleaner, lawn mower, snow shoveler, launderer, and the main breadwinner. Told him upfront that his Kirby presentation would probably be lost on me. He insisted on doing it though by offering to clean my whole house. I'm up for that.....have at it.
I watched TV while he was working....even though he kept talking, to no one in particular as I wasn't paying attention, about how much dirt his KIRBY picked up (gee thanks for pointing out that I'm a terrible housekeeper).
After about 45 minutes of cleaning and closing techniques, he got down to negotiating. Still, I wasn't interested. Gotta admit, for a wee bit, I almost considered the fact that having the biggest, baddest most chrome laden vacuum cleaner in the neighborhood did have some appeal...but, just for a moment. But, "holy moly", those things cost a bundle....regardless of whether it can suck, chop, dice, mix, and never need sharpening.
Alej....like others here, I believe you really don't have the disposition to be successful in automotive sales. This is coming from the other side of the desk. Maybe a career as a Kirby rep, or selling Time-Life "Remember the 70s" CD sets?
They should password this topic only for salespeople
I actually thought about suggesting the same thing upon reading your prior rant. May be a good idea. Of course if it were offered on Edmunds, it would be open for other members viewing.
Then and only then would you have salespeople posting with no hesitation.
Sorry, but I just have a hard time believing this is true. We all know how salesmen like to talk. :P
However if you prefer the goody two shoes approach well that's fine and dandy
Hey, I like to roll with the pigs from time to time as well. But come on, be honest, if you had a co-worker who did nothing but complain about his work week after week... would you want to hang around him?
BTW, you ever get that leaking tire fixed?
Yes I did. Had it "re-gooed", with new valve stem, and hasn't leaked since.
Speaking about the "kids" down at Best Buy, I had to redo my "home theater" after the storms that went through here in Sept ruined my set up.
I plotted, researched, shopped. I'll give the local Best Buy credit. The people they have at my local store are worlds better than what they had just a few yeas ago. At least in my locale, they actually employ audio/video people who know more than how to turn a TV on and off.
Settled on one of those big, honking Pioneer plasma displays. Looked online and there was a very sizable difference in what Best Buy was charging and what an online dealer was charging.
After about my 3rd trip to see the plasma at Best Buy, the sales people actually started recognizing me....wondering if I was ever going to pull the trigger. Finally, I told one of them that there was (at the time) a $2,500 swing between what they were charging and what I could buy it online for.
He asked me to show him the WEB site I was getting my prices (in addition, I showed him a picture of the exact same TV, with price that I took at Costco). He looked everything up. Conferred with the store manager. Not only did they match the price (pretty big markdown), but they gave me a $100 Best Buy gift card. And, I got a bunch of "reward zone" points (which translated into another $100 BB gift card).
So Best Buy does indeed negotiate....at least on big ticket items.
Yes. Sadly that seems to be true. I'd like to think that anyone who criticizes any salesperson on this board spend a week selling cars. Then and only then they might actually have a clue to what's going on.
I'm curious as to what type of system you have installed. The one's that I've seen at BestBuy, Circuit City, and even Sears Roebuck/KMart aren't what one would call a home theater system. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place but the one's I've seen cost upwards of $50K and no one at BestBuy or Wally world would be able to answer the questions asked of those that sell that type of system. Then again I guess it depends whether you're shopping for a Hyundai or Bentley.
Don't get me wrong. My system cost a little over $15K cause I "shopped" and found some comparable items to substitute on those $50K systems. Cause there was no way that my home theater would cost more than my car.
And for the record, I didn't believe that you sold Kirby's. Not for a minute. Isell either.
Going back to how this particular thread started (with the customer showing concern for the salesperson) - I had a few customers who asked the finance manager how much my commission was because they knew the internet deals tended to be short. I had numberous customers give me a "tip in the handshake" and palm me anywhere from $20-$500. I had another customer who everytime he came in for service would palm me $20... for no reason what-so-ever. I felt so bad, but he would never take the money back. Nor would any of the other customers.
Alej - You should really find a new dealership. You should WANT to sell cars to the customers & they should WANT to buy from you & your store.
Gotta admit, for a wee bit, I almost considered the fact that having the biggest, baddest most chrome laden vacuum cleaner in the neighborhood did have some appeal...but, just for a moment. But, "holy moly", those things cost a bundle.... regardless of whether it can suck, chop, dice, mix, and never need sharpening
I thought it was one of our regulars that sold either Kirby or Rainbow, maybe it was a passer-by.
But, yeah... those Kirby's were awesome. Fire the thing up and it sounded like a jet plane getting ready to take off.. oh, the sweet unadulterated power of the thing. Always kind of regret selling it.
I remember the asking price that the greenpea salesperson was trying to get me to pay was $1,300 or $1,400. I'm like no way I'm paying that kind of money for a vacuum cleaner. Around midnight he starts to weaken and calls his manager to come over. They come down to $600... say's his granny paid $800, he was so green I'm sure it was true judging by his body language.
I sold it about a month after I bought it (getting married). Sold the first day it was in the BargainMart for the asking price... $600. Probably could have gotten $650 -$700 easy.
Good post. It's nice salesguy's like youself that I wouldn't mind giving up a little extra money to when buying.
Like isell, whos posts I never read, always says... the vast majority of customers are acceptable to a pleasure to work with. There are always going to be that 10% or 15% that no one wants to deal with. Let's not lump everyone into the same bag... consumers or salsemen.
Now, I'm off to buy a Wii for my kid, Even though they list for $249, I'm going to use the "Jipst Method" of toy buying and try to get it for around 120 or 130 dollars.
Not only did they match the price (pretty big markdown), but they gave me a $100 Best Buy gift card.
Sounds good. I did see a consumer show where some parts like wiring can cost 3 or 4 times the price of other brands...and when they tested them there was absolutely no difference. Monster brand was the much more expensive brand they used for comparison. They asked Best Buy about this but they just said the usual.....well some people like a certain brand and they insist on a certain standard. Guess it is like alej Toyota.
Now, I'm off to buy a Wii for my kid, Even though they list for $249, I'm going to use the "Jipst Method" of toy buying and try to get it for around 120 or 130 dollars
When I was the internet sales manager, I would send 1 (sometimes 2 if it had been a while) email stating to bring us your lowest offer. I did that for people that lived in our immediate area. I also told them why I was doing that... simply because if I gave them a price that was higher I didn't want to loose their business since they lived so close. Sometimes internet shoppers will give you one chance to "win" their business based on price & it isn't fair to the salesperson to give an invoice price, below invoice, or below market price if it isn't necessary. But pricing the vehicle too high (even by $100 in some cases) can make you loose a deal. It's a fine line when it comes to internet pricing since there are many different types of buyers & it is extremely hard to "read" people through emails.
Why leave the house? You can find cheap ones on ebay. Course they might be made in China but who cares right?
For anyone who golfs, I bought twenty dozen Pro V1's on ebay. I had asked the seller if they were from China. Course he denies it. Funny thing when the balls arrived, the package said Guandong, China. Too funny. After a couple of emails, he refunded the money. I asked him if he wanted me to ship him the balls and of course he said to do as I please with them. So I gave them to a friend who visits our local swap meet. Not sure what he plans to do with them :P
Nevermind being impressed... I'll pay him $20 to buy an extra 2 at that price for me!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
It's a fine line when it comes to internet pricing since there are many different types of buyers & it is extremely hard to "read" people through emails.
Tell me about it. I do our internet (and some marketing) and sometimes I'd get email asking for pricing, and sometimes I'd get inquiries with bad/wrong phone numbers.
Once in while you'd get inquiries from kids who are just messing around. It's frustrating but it's part of the job, so I can't complain. :confuse:
As long as the job keeps paying my bills I'll be ok with it.
Shoot... the Wii was sold out at 3 stores. Looks like I'll be paying full retail this year.
On the plus side, I did hit the jackpot while shopping at Victoria's Secret (for my wife). I had a coupon card for $10, $20, $50, or $500 off any $50 or more purchase. You would know how much you had off when the cashier ran it through the register. After buying $110 worth of lotions, perfumes, and other smelly stuff, the cashier took my card, ran it through, and.... $50 OFF! That means their profit margin shrank from 450% to only about 50%... lucky me. :shades:
Hey Jip, if you're interested I might sell you a (very) slightly used one with extra remote, rechargable batteries (and chargers), and those couple of games. Let me know.
obyone...I didn't get anything but the Pioneer plasma from Best Buy. At the time, they had a price on it of $6,500 (I think they've dropped that to $5,000 here recently). Costco and online stores were selling it for $4,000 for the same exact thing....pretty big delta in the price. But, BB matched it and threw in the other "goodies" to boot.
Unless you've got a Magnolia store within the Best Buy, you're looking at all "lower end" audio gear.
Magnolia carries the better stuff....like Pioneer Elite (my personal fave), upper end Denon and Yamaha. Pretty nice speakers there, too...Martin Logan, Vienna Acoustics, Definitive Technology. If you really want to spring out the check book, go to one of those boutique AV "Salons" and get a gander at their stuff. You can spend multiple thousands just on a preprocessor.
But, I didn't answer your question. There's a sizable community of on line only audio companies....AV123 (again a personal fave), Ascend Acoustics, HSU Research, OPPO, Emotiva.com, and many others.
So, my set up as of right now is....
-Pioneer KURO 60" plasma -Pioneer Elite SC 05 AVR -AV123.com Rocket speakers -HSU subwoofer -OPPO upscale DVD player -PS3 Blu ray player/gaming system
At regular list prices, that's worth about $15K. I got all of it for around $7K. That doesn't include labor for the home theater build out (which I did in my basement which flooded during the storm), nor setting it up. I did that myself. Also doesn't include cabling/connectors..again, I ordered the parts online and built my own cabling, connectors. It also doesn't include a surge protector/electrical line conditioner (big believer in getting a good one, since I've seen first hand what a storm can do to a system).
I've yet to hear/see anything, in any showroom, or in anyone's home, better it.
Hi dino. Thanks, I really appreciate the offer. But, I think we're going to try to buy new. My wife told me about a month ago that the Wii's were selling pretty good. I thought I was doing well to shop 3 weeks before Christmas, instead of my customary 3 days. If I can't find one though I certainly would be interested in buying yours.
Shoot... the Wii was sold out at 3 stores. Looks like I'll be paying full retail this year.
If you find one, grab it. I drove 40+ miles one way at 10:30 pm last Christmas to get one. Got lucky, they were very hard to find. I actually bought 2 and sold one to the neighbor. (yes, at cost ) This is a MSRP item.
I find it interesting that no one has addressed isellhonda’s post, which is the most insightful and relevant of any related to alejandrom’s comments It wasn't the buyer's fault, it was the DEALER who "cheap sold" a great product
Why would the consumer be at fault here? It was the dealer that offered to sell the vehicle under invoice!!! Should the consumer reject the dealer’s offer and insist on paying $500 or $1000 more? I don’t think so!
Consumers cannot force dealers to sell vehicles at or below cost. Only the dealer can decide whether or not to do so.
Walk into a grocery store and offer to buy a fresh gallon of milk for $0.50. The manger will say no, and you can either buy the milk at his price or leave without it.
The same holds true in car sales the dealership controls how much they sell their products for, not the individual consumer.
The same holds true in car sales the dealership controls how much they sell their products for
And the dealer wasn't complaining or acting like he was being beaten up like a baby seal. He was happy to sell the car at that price - no resistance. Maybe he wanted to make his quota, maybe he wanted to convert some metal into cash, maybe he was worried truck sales are in the dumper......seems both parties were OK with the price.
I have said this before. You sell what you can when you can for what you can and hope that at the end of the month you have thrown enough in the pot to equal a profit. There are so many things that come into play.
When I sold and knew I had a grinder on my hands I would try to land them on the lowest stock # possible. If I had two identical F150's and the cust was interested in one I would put him on the lowest stock #. Why? Because that means we had it in stock the longest and was needed to go. it was not one floating on free floor plan but one that was costing us money to sit there.
Ford also puts from time to time aged inventory incentives on. If you had a truck with an invoice date earlier the xx/xx/xxxx then there was dealer cash on it that a fresh unit may not have.
One of the biggest myths in the car business is "The dealer just didn't want to sell me a car"
That one drives me crazy, its not that they did not want to sell it. Its that the offer made did not make good business sense. Always remember, it takes two people to trade cars, a seller and a buyer and both have to participate in the process, if negotiations are one sided the deal won't happen
When I was shopping for a new car those "Get a FREE NO OBLIGATION quote" were everywhere. I decided not to waste any one's time until I was sure I was ready to buy, but the temptation to click that button was pretty strong. So I can see where you would get a lot of non-serious inquires. I can also see how it would be frustrating to the internet sales guy. But really. what do you expect? One click and you get a quote that you can shop around. How can the average customer resist?
Perhaps if there were some way of indicating how serious a buyer you are it would help weed out the "kids who are just messing around" from the guy who would buy today if you hit his number. How about a button that says "just looking" and another which says "want a car today".
Of course you would still get the kid messing with you but you might be able to weed out some strokes too.
Just a thought from one of the "jerks".
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
How about a button that says "just looking" and another which says "want a car today".
I don't mind giving quotes out to people in the market. What sometimes gets to me is one sided email conversations:
Customer send in a request on a model, but usually with no details (color options, etc) Me: Thanks for the inquiry, i'd be happy to help....what options do you want/engine/transmission.colors, so that I can get you the right number on the right car... .... ...... No responses to emails or phone calls. Sometimes I get wrong numbers :mad: ...
Send another email: I haven't heard back from you since your inquiry 2 weeks ago...
Again..no responses..........
Send another email..finally get a response: oh I'm not in the market, or nobody called me initially and I bought elsewhere. :mad: Hmmm, "I tried calling and emailing", I wish you'd pick up...but that just comes with the job. Lot of emailing in order to get that one decent deal.
The worst is people who apply for financing and don't answer their calls. It's like they left me their personal info, and I can't get a hold of them to help them get approved. It's as if they don't care about leaving their info all over the place. And then some have the nerve to say they never applied probably because they applied at so many different places that they don't remember anymore :confuse: And then you wonder why their credit is in the hole when they simutaneously apply at 15 dealerships, and everyone pulls a credit check on them dropping their already lousy beacon even more. :sick:
Comments
LOL... sounds like you've got a log on yours.
Do you guys go to Best Buy and start giving grief to the kid working in the TV department?
Nope. Unfortunately, Best Buy salesmen don't work on commission. Otherwise, I'd give those guys all kinds of heck come plasma t.v buying day. :surprise:
I don't feel one bit of compassion for the customer.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
Do you have anything at all to say that is evenly remotely positive or entertaining? Any sales stories? We already know all your customers suck. You've made that quite clear. You're venting has turned into nothing but one big whiney/crybaby fest.
You're sounding more and more like a troll who needs a little attention... take it to the Dr. Phil forum will ya?
edited: Sorry Ricahrd, my post should have been more like yours. We've all tried to reason with this guy. He doesn't want to listen...too bitter and angry I suppose.
To be honest I think you are here with a similar chip on your shoulder. I will join in the chorus that is signing that maybe you should look for a different career, maybe something not dealing with the public.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
Well when you overprice cars and misrepresent their values what do you expect. Customers didn't create this, dealers did.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You mean like an accountant? :P
Or maybe he should try selling Kirbys or Rainbows or Fuller Brush? Now who was that vacuum salesman? jipster? lol
BTW, I believe that most car salespeople that post here are not much different just that they aren't so vocal about it. Right Greenpea?
No. I retold a story of a Kirby salesman giving me his best sales pitch. I ended up buying one from him for $200 less than one he sold to his granny. A full reversal of the "clubbed like a baby seal" analogy.
I think greenpea, gg or isell sold Kirby... somebody else sold the shoddy Rainblow vaccum. :sick:
Let's see... the buyer swapped a few emails with an internet rep and is handed off to a regular salesman who gave a test drive. The truck drives fine and the buyer agrees to the pre-negotiated deal. How long did this take? 2 hours from arrival to departure at the most? $100 / 2 hours = $50 per hour. I WISH I MADE $50 PER HOUR!!!
The buyer knew what he wanted and all he needed was a
pricetest drive to confirm. He didn't need someone to "sell" him anything. No need to run around and test drive 3 Tundras, 3 Tacomas, and every used truck on the lot. All he needed was someone to find the keys, slap a dealer tag on the back, take a spin around the block, and to fill out the forms. (for which he paid a $298 doc fee) How much should a buyer pay for that minimum level of service? I'm thinking a minimum commission. Fifty bucks an hour doesn't seem bad.I've actually had more then one customer tell me that they wanted to make sure I didn't "make" anything on the sale.
Well, these customers were either first class jerks or perhaps they encountered a disreputable dealership/salesman the last time they bought. A salesman or dealership who thinks its A-OK to pull this sort of deception and BS:
A salesmen sold a Sequoia the other day and made a $7,500 payable. I don't feel one bit of compassion for the customer.
or, even better, this:
We overprice our vehicles by 3-4K on EVERY SINGLE UNIT. Then we see if we can rope some dope into buying it at that price. It's up to the customer to try and get a price that makes sense. We nail some people on the sticker prices, especially if it's a CPO and we can justify it with the warranty. But the point is that the prices on the windows are for the people who come in blind and want to buy now.
We even print out these corny Kelly Blue Books from the 90210 area code to present a false market price that is more in line with what we want to get for the car.
It is places like these who make it hard for the good guys on this forum to make a living, always having to make up for the previous salesman's misdeeds.
It is not the buyers fault that the commission structure from your dealership blows.
More than one? Would that be two? Three? Even if it were a truly random sample, which it most definitely is not, the error bars would be at least plus or minus 30% with as many as 10 "respondents." Your data and conclusions are simply invalid. How many customers did not say that?
You want to make sure that I provide you with a service and that I shouldn't be compensated for it?
See above.
Do you guys go to Best Buy and start giving grief to the kid working in the TV departement?
The "kid" is not in a position to bargain whereas the car salesman is. But since you raised the question, I will admit to approaching management at outlets like Best Buy when I thought the price "wasn't right" and - invariably - have gotten positive results.
And you guys wonder why you get treated so poorly when you buy cars.
I don't have to wonder. I have always been treated quite well whenever I bought a car. With no exceptions, each and every one of my salespeople over the decades has been respectful, courteous, informative, honest, friendly, willing to negotiate, helpful and a pleasure to work with. And I gave everyone of them top grades on their CSIs. :shades:
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Nope, I never spend money with someone who treats me poorly. We waste each others time and reinforce each others stereotypes about the other. I take the experience and knowledge gained, if any, and purchase somewhere else where I am treated well and appreciated.
Accountants quite often deal with the public. I had one job that most likely would have had alejand going postal (it took my predesessor 8 months to develop ulcers). Currently I do payroll and think about how some of your customers might deal with their pay?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Once again.... I have to side with Alej on this one.... Maybe because I am in the business, but things like this happen all the time. All you can hope for is a good bonus structure. I can see Alej side of view.
It does crack me up when the consumers on this board will jump on a salesman for giving a negative point of view to a customer. A real point of view of some of the people will deal with. And what happens... everyone pounces on him.
With the exception of Craig.... I reallydon't think everyone should be telling this guy to quit. This is "SFTFL".... the kid is giving actual stories and points of view from the "front lines".... When I first joined this page I was told it was a forum for car sales people..... And there are sme here.... some banned.... and some probably just don't comment anymore.
GP
Alej, you should visit a psychiatrist or at least a family therapist. You are so negative and your potential customers are going to read this through your phony welcome "Hi Sir, how can I assist you?" Have you considered an anger management course?
I hope you have something to do that you enjoy. I have a policy, I steer clear of negative people, they can only bring you down and you don't gain anything good from them.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Hey now don't lump us all into the same bag of coal. I don't begrudge people for negotiating a good deal. When I sold I always figured that it was my MGR's job to put me on a number that worked well for all involved. If I worked a deal hard and closed close to that number and didn't make a good deal I wasn't mad at the customer, I was mad at the MGR that started my deal. If the customer grinded it out and I made bumpcus on a deal so be it, I would rather have a mini and a number then no deal at all.
Most stores require two things to make a good check, gross and units. I went into every new car deal figuring it would be a number toward the Holy Grail of 14 units. Thats what I needed to top out on bonuses. As long as I had 5 or 6 good used cars deals in the mix then it was all good. There were many, many, many months I would have given my left arm for one more mini deal. In our store if you have say $12K in gross the difference between 13 and 14 units would be $850.
To coin and change an NBA phrase, Don't hate the customer, hate the game.
Here is what happened.
Wednesday my father called me and said his 1994 Ford Ranger died and that he needed a new truck.
I emailed the dealer asking for a quote on the exact truck that I wanted, and he emailed me back with the price of $19,015 without the 2.9 percent financing and $19,515 with the 2.9 percent financing.
I picked up my father, we went to see and drive the truck, sat down with the salesman assigned to us, and said that we wanted the truck.
There was no negotiation at all, because we were satisfied with the price. We signed the paperwork, and then went to the F&I office. We did the paperwork there and then went home, all in under an hour. It was a great experience.
My question was.........How would the commission on a deal like that get split up, because it seemed like they gave us a great price and I was just wondering if everyone got their fair share.
I read these posts all of the time, and everyone here is great. However all of your posts make you seem like an arrogant jerk...................so if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then it is a duck.
You better go back and read post 36792.
"When I first joined this page I was told it was a forum for car sales people..."
I don't think that you love us (consumers) anymore. :P
"...when the consumers on this board will jump on a salesman..."
I'm not jumping on him. I just like to see people happy. I'm sure that he is nice to customers. To keep his job, he would have to be. It's how he perceives people that bothers me. The majority of people in life are not out to "get" everyone else.
Richard
I was at work when my father called. This was about 3:00 PM.
I emailed 2 dealers who had the truck that he wanted.
One emailed me back the price of 19,500 within 10 minutes.
One emailed me back a bunch of emails saying "Bring us your lowest quote from any other Dealer (even from the Internet) and we'll match it."
I went to the dealer who gave me the quote of 19500 and bought it.
Simple story...................................not everyone's a jerk!
Joel, I give you a lot of credit. You have figured out a system to get you where you want to be in sales, and it is realistic so that you can make a living and allows enough leeway so your customer can negotiate. You always answer in a positive helpful manner. You have the qualities I would look for in a car salesperson - as I say, I steer (pun) away from negative people.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
One emailed me back a bunch of emails saying "Bring us your lowest quote from any other Dealer (even from the Internet) and we'll match it."
You played it beautifully j1mbo01 although you have a peculiar name) and I really like that you didn't go to the guy who was going to match it.....let the other dealers do all the work.
There are customers who know a fair price and will buy right away without a hassle, then there are customers who balk at phony inflated prices, phony blue books etc. How come alej gets all the worst customers? :confuse:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's how I read your post, too. So much for being thoughtful, right? I hope your father enjoys his new truck. Though it was a terrible Toyota dealer and salesman that brought me to this forum, your experience goes to show that not all dealers and salesmen are alike. That's what I learned by coming here. People like Mack, Joel, greenpea, and others showed me this.
Richard
You're correct sir. It's just that the people "here" have nothing better to do than hand out advice to a salesperson making the topic interesting again. It's also the people "here" that appear out to get the salesperson.
I think the person that's getting bashed represents most of the industry (Joel excluded). He is brutally honest and because his opinion doesn't coincide with some of the "jerk" posters here he gets labeled a troll. If you don't like his posts do a jipster/isell and ignore each others post (which we all know they don't). It's so simple.
BTW, snake I was just joking when I mention accountants. We all know the stereotype of accountants and engineers not being people persons. I mean who else would Dale Carnegie make all his money from?
Life is short. There are other things to get excited and get your pressure raised a few points about. Like GW for example.
Yeah, I agree. Joel, greenpea, moo, and many other of the salesmen that post here are helpful and positive. They can tell a story about a negative experience with a customer, that doesn't make you want to take a hot shower with a brillo pad. Generally they are supported by us "non-biz" folks, i.e "Yeah, that guy sure acted like a jerk." They can "laugh off" a customer who comes in wanting 5k over blackbook on his trade. But, I can't think of many people who enjoy reading someone who does nothing but whine, complain, and make negative comments toward others day after day after day. :sick:
And everybody likes an audience for their stories greenpea. Without us non-biz folks in here to cheer you on, or boo you... this place would be dead dead dead!
You're sounding paranoid again. No one is out to get anyone. Like it or not this site is shared by those in, and out of, the biz. Consumers get "jumped on" just as often as the salespeople... an example being our Toyota buyer. People are free to question or challenge another posters comments as long as they are done in a respectful manner. If you don't like it, you can join isell and I's "Scroll So You Don't Know" club. :P
When you attack the buyer for getting a good, quick deal its more than presenting a "negative point of view". It looks to me like this buyer did everything right other than paying too much.
Here's the original question again:
How is the commission on a deal like that split up. I talked with the internet manager via email, then was set up with a salesman when I got there.
If alej wants to complain about why a traditional salesman is having to do the internet guy's dirty work, it would be a very valid and sympathetic point. I'm wondering this myself. " I've got to do the work but I'm not going to have the chance to earn myself some extra commission." I think ultimately this might have been the OP's real question, not so much about the specific dollar amount. However, alej chose to flame the buyer for getting a good deal. It is no wonder why he was jumped on by the consumers on the board. He might have a valid beef with the management of the store but not the buyer in this case.
Alej is also fully entitled to his opinions on internet vs. traditional sales but put the fault where it lies. He seems to want to put the genie back into the bottle regarding all of the information available out there. Personally, I am thankful for transparency and wished it carried through to other industries and to the government.
Gimme a break. Ever wonder where Bobst went? They should password this topic only for salespeople and create another one for those who want to rant on the salespeople and not let the two mix. Then and only then would you have salespeople posting with no hesitation. I know the salespeople you mentioned have stories that would curl the hairs on the back of your neck that they refrain from posting. Greenpea mentioned this several times. However if you prefer the goody two shoes approach well that's fine and dandy.
BTW, you ever get that leaking tire fixed? or too busy posting here to do that? :P
Nope....never did any sort of door-to-door sales. Worked at a dept store in High School. though. Actually was a "management trainee" for a while working there while in college (let me translate....I worked the hours none of the regulars would....and they paid me a pittance of a salary for 60 hours of work).
Lessee....sold shoes at that store for awhile (observation....people need to shower more before they go out to buy shoes and have a clerk fit them).
Never sold vacuums (even at the dept store).
I did have a Kirby guy show up at my door years ago. He asked if the "lady of the house" was around. I told him I was the man of the house, the lady of the house, the housekeeper, the cook, toilet cleaner, lawn mower, snow shoveler, launderer, and the main breadwinner. Told him upfront that his Kirby presentation would probably be lost on me. He insisted on doing it though by offering to clean my whole house. I'm up for that.....have at it.
I watched TV while he was working....even though he kept talking, to no one in particular as I wasn't paying attention, about how much dirt his KIRBY picked up (gee thanks for pointing out that I'm a terrible housekeeper).
After about 45 minutes of cleaning and closing techniques, he got down to negotiating. Still, I wasn't interested. Gotta admit, for a wee bit, I almost considered the fact that having the biggest, baddest most chrome laden vacuum cleaner in the neighborhood did have some appeal...but, just for a moment. But, "holy moly", those things cost a bundle....regardless of whether it can suck, chop, dice, mix, and never need sharpening.
Alej....like others here, I believe you really don't have the disposition to be successful in automotive sales. This is coming from the other side of the desk. Maybe a career as a Kirby rep, or selling Time-Life "Remember the 70s" CD sets?
Not really. Does he ever wonder where I am???
They should password this topic only for salespeople
I actually thought about suggesting the same thing upon reading your prior rant. May be a good idea. Of course if it were offered on Edmunds, it would be open for other members viewing.
Then and only then would you have salespeople posting with no hesitation.
Sorry, but I just have a hard time believing this is true. We all know how salesmen like to talk. :P
However if you prefer the goody two shoes approach well that's fine and dandy
Hey, I like to roll with the pigs from time to time as well. But come on, be honest, if you had a co-worker who did nothing but complain about his work week after week... would you want to hang around him?
BTW, you ever get that leaking tire fixed?
Yes I did. Had it "re-gooed", with new valve stem, and hasn't leaked since.
I plotted, researched, shopped. I'll give the local Best Buy credit. The people they have at my local store are worlds better than what they had just a few yeas ago. At least in my locale, they actually employ audio/video people who know more than how to turn a TV on and off.
Settled on one of those big, honking Pioneer plasma displays. Looked online and there was a very sizable difference in what Best Buy was charging and what an online dealer was charging.
After about my 3rd trip to see the plasma at Best Buy, the sales people actually started recognizing me....wondering if I was ever going to pull the trigger. Finally, I told one of them that there was (at the time) a $2,500 swing between what they were charging and what I could buy it online for.
He asked me to show him the WEB site I was getting my prices (in addition, I showed him a picture of the exact same TV, with price that I took at Costco). He looked everything up. Conferred with the store manager. Not only did they match the price (pretty big markdown), but they gave me a $100 Best Buy gift card. And, I got a bunch of "reward zone" points (which translated into another $100 BB gift card).
So Best Buy does indeed negotiate....at least on big ticket items.
Don't get me wrong. My system cost a little over $15K cause I "shopped" and found some comparable items to substitute on those $50K systems. Cause there was no way that my home theater would cost more than my car.
And for the record, I didn't believe that you sold Kirby's. Not for a minute. Isell either.
Alej - You should really find a new dealership. You should WANT to sell cars to the customers & they should WANT to buy from you & your store.
I thought it was one of our regulars that sold either Kirby or Rainbow, maybe it was a passer-by.
But, yeah... those Kirby's were awesome. Fire the thing up and it sounded like a jet plane getting ready to take off.. oh, the sweet unadulterated power of the thing. Always kind of regret selling it.
I remember the asking price that the greenpea salesperson was trying to get me to pay was $1,300 or $1,400. I'm like no way I'm paying that kind of money for a vacuum cleaner. Around midnight he starts to weaken and calls his manager to come over. They come down to $600... say's his granny paid $800, he was so green I'm sure it was true judging by his body language.
I sold it about a month after I bought it (getting married). Sold the first day it was in the BargainMart for the asking price... $600. Probably could have gotten $650 -$700 easy.
Like isell, whos posts I never read, always says... the vast majority of customers are acceptable to a pleasure to work with. There are always going to be that 10% or 15% that no one wants to deal with. Let's not lump everyone into the same bag... consumers or salsemen.
Now, I'm off to buy a Wii for my kid, Even though they list for $249, I'm going to use the "Jipst Method" of toy buying and try to get it for around 120 or 130 dollars.
Sounds good. I did see a consumer show where some parts like wiring can cost 3 or 4 times the price of other brands...and when they tested them there was absolutely no difference. Monster brand was the much more expensive brand they used for comparison. They asked Best Buy about this but they just said the usual.....well some people like a certain brand and they insist on a certain standard. Guess it is like alej Toyota.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
If you close that deal I will be impressed
For anyone who golfs, I bought twenty dozen Pro V1's on ebay. I had asked the seller if they were from China. Course he denies it. Funny thing when the balls arrived, the package said Guandong, China. Too funny. After a couple of emails, he refunded the money. I asked him if he wanted me to ship him the balls and of course he said to do as I please with them. So I gave them to a friend who visits our local swap meet. Not sure what he plans to do with them :P
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Tell me about it. I do our internet (and some marketing) and sometimes I'd get email asking for pricing, and sometimes I'd get inquiries with bad/wrong phone numbers.
Once in while you'd get inquiries from kids who are just messing around. It's frustrating but it's part of the job, so I can't complain. :confuse:
As long as the job keeps paying my bills I'll be ok with it.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Shoot... the Wii was sold out at 3 stores. Looks like I'll be paying full retail this year.
On the plus side, I did hit the jackpot while shopping at Victoria's Secret (for my wife). I had a coupon card for $10, $20, $50, or $500 off any $50 or more purchase. You would know how much you had off when the cashier ran it through the register. After buying $110 worth of lotions, perfumes, and other smelly stuff, the cashier took my card, ran it through, and.... $50 OFF! That means their profit margin shrank from 450% to only about 50%... lucky me. :shades:
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Unless you've got a Magnolia store within the Best Buy, you're looking at all "lower end" audio gear.
Magnolia carries the better stuff....like Pioneer Elite (my personal fave), upper end Denon and Yamaha. Pretty nice speakers there, too...Martin Logan, Vienna Acoustics, Definitive Technology. If you really want to spring out the check book, go to one of those boutique AV "Salons" and get a gander at their stuff. You can spend multiple thousands just on a preprocessor.
But, I didn't answer your question. There's a sizable community of on line only audio companies....AV123 (again a personal fave), Ascend Acoustics, HSU Research, OPPO, Emotiva.com, and many others.
So, my set up as of right now is....
-Pioneer KURO 60" plasma
-Pioneer Elite SC 05 AVR
-AV123.com Rocket speakers
-HSU subwoofer
-OPPO upscale DVD player
-PS3 Blu ray player/gaming system
At regular list prices, that's worth about $15K. I got all of it for around $7K. That doesn't include labor for the home theater build out (which I did in my basement which flooded during the storm), nor setting it up. I did that myself. Also doesn't include cabling/connectors..again, I ordered the parts online and built my own cabling, connectors. It also doesn't include a surge protector/electrical line conditioner (big believer in getting a good one, since I've seen first hand what a storm can do to a system).
I've yet to hear/see anything, in any showroom, or in anyone's home, better it.
That's a long winded answer to a short question.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
If you find one, grab it. I drove 40+ miles one way at 10:30 pm last Christmas to get one. Got lucky, they were very hard to find. I actually bought 2 and sold one to the neighbor. (yes, at cost
It wasn't the buyer's fault, it was the DEALER who "cheap sold" a great product
Why would the consumer be at fault here? It was the dealer that offered to sell the vehicle under invoice!!! Should the consumer reject the dealer’s offer and insist on paying $500 or $1000 more? I don’t think so!
Consumers cannot force dealers to sell vehicles at or below cost. Only the dealer can decide whether or not to do so.
Walk into a grocery store and offer to buy a fresh gallon of milk for $0.50. The manger will say no, and you can either buy the milk at his price or leave without it.
The same holds true in car sales the dealership controls how much they sell their products for, not the individual consumer.
And the dealer wasn't complaining or acting like he was being beaten up like a baby seal. He was happy to sell the car at that price - no resistance. Maybe he wanted to make his quota, maybe he wanted to convert some metal into cash, maybe he was worried truck sales are in the dumper......seems both parties were OK with the price.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
When I sold and knew I had a grinder on my hands I would try to land them on the lowest stock # possible. If I had two identical F150's and the cust was interested in one I would put him on the lowest stock #. Why? Because that means we had it in stock the longest and was needed to go. it was not one floating on free floor plan but one that was costing us money to sit there.
Ford also puts from time to time aged inventory incentives on. If you had a truck with an invoice date earlier the xx/xx/xxxx then there was dealer cash on it that a fresh unit may not have.
One of the biggest myths in the car business is "The dealer just didn't want to sell me a car"
That one drives me crazy, its not that they did not want to sell it. Its that the offer made did not make good business sense. Always remember, it takes two people to trade cars, a seller and a buyer and both have to participate in the process, if negotiations are one sided the deal won't happen
When I was shopping for a new car those "Get a FREE NO OBLIGATION quote" were everywhere. I decided not to waste any one's time until I was sure I was ready to buy, but the temptation to click that button was pretty strong. So I can see where you would get a lot of non-serious inquires. I can also see how it would be frustrating to the internet sales guy. But really. what do you expect? One click and you get a quote that you can shop around. How can the average customer resist?
Perhaps if there were some way of indicating how serious a buyer you are it would help weed out the "kids who are just messing around" from the guy who would buy today if you hit his number. How about a button that says "just looking" and another which says "want a car today".
Of course you would still get the kid messing with you but you might be able to weed out some strokes too.
Just a thought from one of the "jerks".
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Right, for the wife....sure.....
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I don't mind giving quotes out to people in the market. What sometimes gets to me is one sided email conversations:
Customer send in a request on a model, but usually with no details (color options, etc)
Me: Thanks for the inquiry, i'd be happy to help....what options do you want/engine/transmission.colors, so that I can get you the right number on the right car...
....
......
No responses to emails or phone calls. Sometimes I get wrong numbers :mad: ...
Send another email: I haven't heard back from you since your inquiry 2 weeks ago...
Again..no responses..........
Send another email..finally get a response: oh I'm not in the market, or nobody called me initially and I bought elsewhere. :mad: Hmmm, "I tried calling and emailing", I wish you'd pick up...but that just comes with the job. Lot of emailing in order to get that one decent deal.
The worst is people who apply for financing and don't answer their calls. It's like they left me their personal info, and I can't get a hold of them to help them get approved. It's as if they don't care about leaving their info all over the place. And then some have the nerve to say they never applied probably because they applied at so many different places that they don't remember anymore :confuse: And then you wonder why their credit is in the hole when they simutaneously apply at 15 dealerships, and everyone pulls a credit check on them dropping their already lousy beacon even more. :sick:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX