1) While I generally NEVER have a positive thing to say about Honda, they are probably the most transparent brand when it comes to product pricing even if it comes to "you pay our price if you want it."
You can go to ten Honda dealerships and the price will generally not vary much.
2) For me, it is time to order new vehicles for the fleet. I get the information together and send out all the specs to the drivers so they can select what they want to drive.
I am convinced that people never really know what they want in a vehicle. I am on e-mail #17 with one of my drivers. His first e-mail was "I want a Ford F-150." Like I can order from that? Which engine, bed size, etc ...
Don't get me wrong, I like getting e-mails but if the driver would call me and talk for ten minutes we could have the vehicle ordered and on the way.
and how hard would it be to let the salesperson know that you have already bought a car from someone else. i never understood why people do that. if you decide to go with another dealer, just let the other salesperson know, so they don't have to keep trying to get in touch with you. that way, the salesperson's manager doesn't harass him daily to CALL you to get the sale. if you just say "hey, i bought somewhere else, thanks" it takes, what, 10 seconds of your time?
when we bought my husband's car this past march, i had contacted a lot of dealers who had one on the lot (we were looking for a used 2005 saab 92x) we finally settled on one 4 hours from here, because they had the best price, and the car we were looking for, with low miles. i made sure i sent emails/called everyone else i had spoken with to thank them for their time, so they wouldn't waste theirs constantly calling me to follow up.
apparently, however, manners are dead, so this is our excuse for not picking up the phone when the salesperson calls and just letting them know...
and how hard would it be to let the salesperson know that you have already bought a car from someone else.
Not hard at all, but some people have the manners of a bag of rusty nails.
that way, the salesperson's manager doesn't harass him daily to CALL you to get the sale.
Also you have to remember that manners work both ways. Last time I bought a car I was wondering why the salesman never called me. Well he did call me, multiple times a day. The issue was that he was calling my cell phone during working hours. I turn my cell phone off at work, of course that means that it will go straight to voice mail but he never left a message. I never knew the guy was calling me.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Actually I don't have a problem with putting a price in writing but I also tell the customer its subject to change. Things like rebates and dealer incentives, mfg volume objectives, can change daily. The supply also changes. Also if the guy has a trade in that can change also. Lets say the guy has a trade-in that is a little unusual. Some dealers will contact a wholesalers to get a value for the trade. they essentially "bank" the trade with the wholesaler. The wholesalers price is good that minute, not 3 weeks later......There are so many variables that its hard to put an exact quote out there. Here is a perfect example...Some of the cars we sell had better prices 6 days ago than they do now (as much as $1500 better)...so if I gave you a quote 5 days ago it wouldnt be valid on many of our products today. I would be called a crook and a liar all over edmunds if I put a quote in writing 6 days ago for these models and didn't eat the $1500 loss...Also some mfg. tie dealer incentives to volume stair step programs, which makes my cost figures change daily...So unless I know the exact day your buying I don't know how low I can really go. It's just a guess.
oh and I'm sure some of you want to know about the customers price on the card. Its simple. I just ask the guy what he wants to pay for the car and write it on the back of the card.....I never say I sell the car for the customers price I just say "let me write your price on the back of the card so I remember where you wanted to be when you come back"....They often come back
Actually I don't have a problem with putting a price in writing but I also tell the customer its subject to change. Things like rebates and dealer incentives, mfg volume objectives, can change daily.
Personally that I don't mind as long as all that is spelled out. So that when the price three days later is $1500 dollars more I can trace that to whatever caused the price to go up.
However if you just give ma a price and say its good for today and today only I can almost guarantee that you will never see me again. Of course I am open to the deal only good for three or four days.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
somebody I happen know went to purchase a car in CA. The salesperson wanted her fingerprints on the contract papers along with the signatures. Is this a new thing? is it legal?
"The problem was probably about 3/4s of the time there was not enough information for a quote so I would email them back to get more info. Of all the people I emailed to get more information to actually supply a quote about 3/4s never bother to respond back. If they didn't respond to an email I would give them a call if they left a phone number but they rarely if ever returned phone calls either."
As a recent internet shopper, I can attest to the difficulty on my end. I sent out quote requests through manufacturer's web sites, edmunds, carsdirect, and directly to the dealerships themsevles. I included make, model, trim, color, and options on ALL inquiries.
What did I get? About half of the dealerships responded and of those, half of the responses from the dealerships asked for exactly what I had already provided them? I concluded that either the salesman didn't take the time and effort to actually read the whole request or the quote submissions didn't work correctly. Either one is a big problem.
Are you actually serious? Here's why, I am one of the shoppers that will walk out on you if you start playing games. Your sale, your loss, not mine. Not to mention everyone I talk to about my experience. Word of mouth is everything when it comes to sales of big ticket items. There are plenty of other salesman that would take my money without playing games.
It's amazing to me that so many of you believe a shopper should fill out a credit app and agree to a purchase before a) giving a firm price on desired vehicle, b)actually having access to the vehicle, c)giving a "ball-park" date for when the vehicle will arrive, and d) before trade-in value is discussed. It's arrogant of salesman to think a customer should agree to purchase a car based on a bunch of scribbles on a sheet of paper.
I had exactly this experience, not 3 days ago. I walked out after the guy started playing games.Most notably, saying he DEFINITELY had the EXACT model/options I was looking for only to come back and say "I couldn't find one like that, but have these", and the fact he outright lied about my FICO score. Unfortunately for him, I already knew my score from all three bureaus. I'll never do business there again and will make sure everyone I know hears of my experience. Because of one salesman tactics, that place will lose out on many potential customers.
More than likely they don't have anybody to update inventory listings on a daily basis. It's one of those "PITA' chores unless you spend the money on an automated system.
We don't bother to put our new car inventory online. We do on our used car inventory but it is basicly automatic except for adding pictures and descriptions.
Personally that I don't mind as long as all that is spelled out. So that when the price three days later is $1500 dollars more I can trace that to whatever caused the price to go up
Here is where the deal goes south...If the deal changes because of customer cash its easy to explain and document but if its things like volume or stair step incentive I'm not going to open up my books to trace the increase for you...its none of the consumers business and most consumers wouldnt understand it anyway. Remember, edmunds posters are not the typical customer.
I'm curious....if the deal offered TODAY only was alot better than the one good for 3-4 days which deal do you take? Dealers work in a very "now" world....if two people are in the showroom and one guy is ready to buy right now and the other is threatening to buy in a couple weeks or months who do you think is going to get the best price and most attention?
If thats the case make the deal good for a few days and if certain things make the numbers change absorb it.
I'm curious....if the deal offered TODAY only was alot better than the one good for 3-4 days which deal do you take?
If you are my last stop and the deal is better I would most likely take it. If you are one of the first I go to I most likely would have forgotten it by the time I got to the next dealer (not that I have a bad memory but experience tells me that those deals are only as good as long as I am in the showroom).
if two people are in the showroom and one guy is ready to buy right now and the other is threatening to buy in a couple weeks or months who do you think is going to get the best price and most attention?
If the salesman was good s/he would try to give both equal, everyone is a potential sale. But I never go car shopping with the intention of buying months or even weeks away, usually if we are talking price my purchase is most likely days (if not hours) away.
If I enter "just looking" I will tell you right off the bat. But I will say this, there are a few salespeople out there that if I buy their make I will give them every opportunity to make the sale by their actions when I was just looking.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I'm curious....if the deal offered TODAY only was alot better than the one good for 3-4 days which deal do you take?
For the serious buyer, you don't have to ask that question. However, I have one more important requirement; you best deal TODAY, must be the price I'm willing to pay or it's back to square one and I'm down the road still shopping.
It's easy to buy when you recognize a good deal.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Yeah very low volume but we don't get any requests for having our inventory online. I know we wouldn't bother doing pictures since all new cars are basicly the same.
Well actually on autotrader if you are searching for new cars you can see our inventory but there are no pictures. It will tell you that we have blank number of LR3s in stock and blank number of Range Rovers etc.
We will put our VIP loaners up on the net when we are ready to sell them.
If thats the case make the deal good for a few days and if certain things make the numbers change absorb it.
We sell 25-30 cars on a single Saturday....would you like to absorb that kind of money? We arent Walmart and we arent a charity... We just don't absorb losses that shouldnt happen in the first place. I would be asking "what idiot made promises they couldnt keep? Then he/she would be fired. Mistakes are one thing, we all make them but putting guaranteed quotes out there when so many variable are in action is foolish.
If the salesman was good s/he would try to give both equal, everyone is a potential sale
The good salesperson knows a sale when he/she sees it takes advantage of it...the greenpeas are with the shoppers and lookers who might buy a car down the road...
Honestly, and in my opinion, especially in a lower volume store like mine, a professional concentrates on one customer at a time, builds rapport, and spends whatever time is required to make the sale and the customer happy for referrals.
As for numbers, I don't give out any prices over the phone. Yes, I know I will lose some customers that way, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell them. If I quote a price on a specific model, and then you come down to buy it at my "bottom line price" and it's been sold, dealer traded, or otherwise removed, then I look like I lied to them in order to get them to the dealership. On top of that, statistics show that over 80% of the people you give a price to over the phone take it, shop it, and buy somewhere else.
Wheras people that you concentrate on setting an appointment with without price involved have a much better percentage of keeping the appointment (something like 64%) and then if they show up for the appointment there is a 50% closing ratio. Granted these are all general figures, but you get the point.
I'd rather be honest with my customers, and have them hate somebody else for lying to them later. Enough people seem to like our dealership because we're straightforward and don't hide the fact that we try to make some money (but not too much.) Custermers these days a re typically a lot more educated. So long as you treat them with respect, and not like children, they tend to like you. And that's the most important aspect in my opinion.
Honestly, and in my opinion, especially in a lower volume store like mine, a professional concentrates on one customer at a time, builds rapport, and spends whatever time is required to make the sale and the customer happy for referrals.
Agree with that part very much.
As for numbers, I don't give out any prices over the phone. Yes, I know I will lose some customers that way, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell them. If I quote a price on a specific model, and then you come down to buy it at my "bottom line price" and it's been sold, dealer traded, or otherwise removed, then I look like I lied to them in order to get them to the dealership. On top of that, statistics show that over 80% of the people you give a price to over the phone take it, shop it, and buy somewhere else.
Luckily we have so few options on our vehicles that there is not much variation. If something is in very short supply I make sure that person knows that. It also helps that they cars in short supply are just sold for MSRP there are no discounts. People call asking for them and when I tell them there is nothing to give up I know they call around and find out that is the same all over.
On top of that, statistics show that over 80% of the people you give a price to over the phone take it, shop it, and buy somewhere else.
Well first off where did you get that statistic? Secondly if you give them a price and they buy someplace else then your price wasn't that good was it?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I think that maybe, in addition to all of the other theories that abound here, people are not inclined to make their personal information public. I'm not comfortable giving up my personal info to strangers when I'm not sure how it is going to be used. For example, I sent a quote request through the Dodge website for a Dakota in '02. To this day, I still get e-mails & phone calls from various Dodge dealers wanting me to go into hawk for a new Dodge that only they can unload for firesale prices. Regardless of what I wish to purchase, I want to be sure that my private information remains private. Long story short, maybe a lot of people leave out vital info out of fear that it will come back to haunt them in a negative way? Just a thought.
Here's a quick run down of a recent car buying experience in Northern California.
Step One: My wife's car got totalled by a cell phone using, speeding driver on Hwy 101. At that moment she was 4 weeks away from delivering. She was rushed to the hospital, and that was pretty much the last time we saw our car (everthing turned out ok eventually).
Step Two: New car purchase. Safety was a key concern and the list of potential models (station wagons) quickly whittled down to VW, Audi, and Volvo. We never considered a domestic car maker for two reasons. First, we owned domestic cars in the 1990s. That soured us for life. Second, any car maker which still builds full size cars with drum brakes (Ford) or does not even offer by now basic saftey features on its cars (most GM brands) does not deserve a sale.
Step Three: Contacting dealers. The contact-to-purchase timeframe we set ourselves was one week. And we gave this information to all dealers outright (some direct, some through Costco, some through AAA; the latter two did not work well at all). As a matter of fact, we gave dealers a precise roadmap. First test drive, second test drive, insurance settlement money coming in, first quote request, final negotiation, purchase all in 7 days. We also shared (a) that we would not buy based on lowest price since we looked at different models from different makers, (b) we would pay cash, and (c) we would stick to our timeline. As for the latter, we gave dealers specific days and times for each action.
Step Four: Working with the dealer. Here's where the wheat separated from the chafe and some apparent lumps of coal. The VW experience was appaling (we already own a VW so I guess I should have known better). Entering the dealership on a slow day, none of the senior sales staff even wanted to talk with me. I was sent to the most junior sales consultant who proceeded to recite utterly useless and at times outright wrong information and to top it off test drove me. Yes, this is not a typo. I left him my card and told him I would be back 2 days later with my wife. Low and behold, we showed up 2 days later on the button. He did not recognize me and I had to start all over. And yet again, he test drove us (we were actually silently laughing by that time). Unforgivable however was - while babbling about torque over horsepower - that he tried to show off the car's acceleration, making my then heavily pregnant wife nearly throw up. That by the way killed any deal. And it got better still. The model we looked at was selling for about $ 2,100 under invoice in the area with plenty in stock. The pricing the dealer had posted started with a dealer mark-up of $ 2,995. PT Barnum would be proud. While leaving the dealership in an obvious "unconvinced" mood our genius sales consultant topped himself by offering to take a deposit to make sure we would be able to get our hands on one of these "rare" models.
Step Five: Buying a car. We simply exercised our roadmap at a local Volvo dealer. Got a quote by e-mail when asking for one. Decided on a model which had to be trucked in from over a 100 miles away. Got an even better price offered just by providing a competitive dealer quote. We showed up with check in hand one week after the first test drive - and there was no car. Apparently the dealer did not believe that we would do exactely what we had told them we'd do. We got the car two days later. And knocked off some more money for having made us wait, resulting in $ 1,800 below invoice. We got no arguments - the dealer still made $ 600-700 (hold back, fleet targets, the remaing $ 78 of the cash to dealer incentive we did not price down).
Lesson One: Do not lie to prospective customers or disrespect them. Never. Ever.
Lesson Two: Listen to your customers. And take a look at them. A pregnant woman does not care about torque curves. She wants to know about safety. And don't make her nearly throw up.
Lesson Three: If a customer gives you six steps and seven days and sticks to this roadmap and timeline step after step work with your customer. He/she is serious.
Lesson Four: Buying a car is not always about bottom line pricing. We spent $ 6,000 more on the Volvo than on the VW while getting a great deal on the car we bought.
But an email telling me about six steps and seven days would go straight into the roundfile. Does it have to be that rigid and complicated?
For one thing, if you'll be paying cash, what is there to do but figure out what you want, then figure out what to pay for it, then go and do the deal? It's not all that complex, especially if you drive the process rather than wait to be catered to.
I tend to be polite whenever I can, so I can see one chauffeured test drive, but TWO??? Isn't there a point where you take the initiative, and then it's about what you want to do, not what some green pea thinks is proper.
Congratulations on your new car, though. Sounds like you got what you wanted.
But an email telling me about six steps and seven days would go straight into the roundfile
Yeah, it was a bit complicated. I would, in as few words as possible, initially convince the sales folks I was a serious buyer and my time frame was one week.
I tend to be polite whenever I can, so I can see one chauffeured test drive, but TWO???
Sounds like he's doing all the initial homework to narrow the choices down so his pregnant wife doesn't have to go through everything. Then when he's narrowed things down, she's just there for the final approval. That's the way I'd do things as well.
It comes down to undercutting. There are three - four dealerships with the same merchandise in my area. It's not a matter of having the best deal, it's a matter of if I quote a price here, and the customer takes it to another dealership in the area, they will literally lose money in some cases to take that customer from us. Wheras if I can get the customer to come and meet me face-to-face, I can work to sell myself as thier consultant, and build value in me, the dealership, the staff, and the vehicle. And I DO take care of my customers after the sale. I have a newsletter I send out, and I stay in contact at least every 45 days.
I don't know about you, but I get paid on commission. My customers know that, and a lot of times (just like mentioned above) they are happy to pay more then invoice so long as I provide a good presentation, build a good rapport with them, and really listen to, and take care of thier needs.
Sometimes if you are looking for the "best price" you get what you pay for in terms of service. (Though not always. I treat my "mini" customers just like any other customers.)
Keep in mind I'm coming from a dealership with 4 total salespeople. It's family owned, and we do very well considering our size (we don't have 50 car Saturdays though..) And in a small community like this a lot of people are more interested in having a friend/consultant in the business then paying $50 over invoice every time.
If every customer decided they were only going to pay $50 over invoice, the entire automotive industry would be forced to change. Nobody on commission could live on "mini" deals. Sales would be forced to go to salary and then very likely service would diminish.
The key is to find the salespeople that really do go to work to work, and value thier customers individually and not as numbers. It makes the experiance better for everyone all around.
As for the 80% it's off one of the Auto industry statistical videos I recently watched. Just like the fact that 74% of the people who bought last year did so because they liked and trusted thier salesman.
On a side note, which full size sedan that Ford released in 2007 has rear drum breaks? I know the base model Focus does (still a great car for the price..) But I know the Fusion is 4-wheel Disk and so are the Five Hundred and Crown Victoria. You might be referring to the Taurus but 2006 was the last year for it.
And by the way, Ford bought Volvo back in 1999 So not only are thier cars carrying some Ford components, but two of Ford's current models ride on Volvo chassies (Five Hundred and Freestyle). Many fo Volvo's technologies have made thier way into Ford vehicles, including the Safety Canopy System standard on many models this year.
Just like the fact that 74% of the people who bought last year did so because they liked and trusted thier salesman.
I don't think that 74% of the people who bought a car last year did so because they liked and trusted their salesperson. I think they bought because they were in the market for suitable transportation and may have bought from a particular salesperson because they liked and trusted that person.
Sometimes if you are looking for the "best price" you get what you pay for in terms of service. (Though not always. I treat my "mini" customers just like any other customers.)
Well - you said it yourself - treatment does not depend on the price paid, it depends on the person that provides it. If you treat your mini customers the same way as those who paid MSRP, where is that $2000 worth of that "service" that you claim they get?
I don't mean to say "nice guy factor" is worthless - as a matter of fact I believe it could be priced (for some people here it is worth about a penny), but I'm probably willing to pay much less that you would like me to belive it is worth. Just a matter of points of view. :shades:
What's done, is done, but I wonder - if you were about safety so much, why not Subaru or Saab. Both get highest recognition from Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, whereas Volvo seems to be capitalizing on its past achievements - recent test of Volvos show somewhat so-so crash performance (not bad - just not in par with the best). But don't listen to me - it's just one poorly informed man's opinion.
I think you should have cut that babbking young VW man's off early and simply put him in his place - I bet you'd be amazed how quickly they'd change their attitude. As long as he goes unchallenged, he things he is doing allright.
Same with pricing - I'm convince that they read you initially as "suckers" and you did absolutely nothing to change that perception. Couple of short sentences dropped about what you just said (showing that you know the stuff is not "rare" and you know that real price is close to invoice).
When you left with "no thanks", they even had no clue why. Not that I really feel any pitty, just somehow feel you lost possible opportunity because you gave them no chance to rectify their "error".
I love Subarus, but they're missing stability control on most of their line. It's a pretty glaring oversight if you're shopping for safety. Their standard AWD arguably somewhat lessens the need for stability control, but doesn't eliminate it.
I wouldn't have bought the line about VW being rare, either. If I hear enough BS out of a salesperson, I would probably shop elsewhere and not mention it unless I got a follow-up call.
it's a matter of if I quote a price here, and the customer takes it to another dealership in the area, they will literally lose money in some cases to take that customer from us.
Would you lose money just to steal a customer (mind you there is no guarantee that it will create more business)?
I can work to sell myself as their consultant, and build value in me,
While I can't speak for anyone else but if I am asking for a price I don't want a consultant, its to late for that. I already know everything I need to know about the car. I just need someone to take my order.
And I DO take care of my customers after the sale.
I have never needed the salesperson after the sale.
and a lot of times (just like mentioned above) they are happy to pay more then invoice so long as I provide a good presentation,
Can't say about paying above or below invoice. The market determines that. If I want a good presentation I will buy tickets to a play. When I am buying the car just take my order.
Sometimes if you are looking for the "best price" you get what you pay for in terms of service.
Again other than delivering me a car there isn't much more in the area of service.
If every customer decided they were only going to pay $50 over invoice,
Again I am not asking you to sell all your cars for $50 over invoice. Prevailing market prices for the car yes, if thats $50 over invoice so be it.
As for the 80% it's off one of the Auto industry statistical videos I recently watched.
I will take that for whats its wroth. FWIW getting a quote is part of shopping around. I said earlier that I got three quotes for my patio, that was shopping around. There is nothing wrong with it, it is how a free market works. Again if you give a good price then you have nothing to worry about.
But let me ask you this, how many people come to you asking you to beat someone else showing you a written quote?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I'm not nessisarily disagreeing with anything you say snake, but what I will say is that I believe many of the "average" consumers feel differently then you do. A lot of people prefer personalized service, and somebody that they can go to after the sale with questions, advice, or somebody to refer too.
It's true that the average consumer is becoming more educated about cars and the auto industry in general these days, but I feel like you represent a growing minority that will eventually become a majority. I never said it's bad to shop around. I've been on the other side of the line and beaten a lot of sales guys up over thier price.
All I'm saying is I'm unlikely to give a bottom line price over the phone. As we are the family owned store with 4 salesmen, the Mega-Dealership about 50 miles away has 20+ (Probably more, I've never counted.) When I quote my bottom line price to a customer over the phone, and they call the Mega-Dealership, you bet they will beat us. Because they can afford to lose the money on a volume deal and we can't. And I would say, probably 15-20% of the customers that come to our dealership have a price that was quoted from another nearby dealership. Sometimes we can beat it, sometimes we can't, sometimes we don't have to and they buy a completly different rig.
It's closer to half the people that call do so with a price from another location. Fortunatly we can convince a lot of them to come to the dealership so we can take a look at thier offer and see what we can do. Then it becomes the same as above, sometimes we can beat it, sometimes we can't, and sometimes it's a completly different vehicle.
You make it sound like rapport doesn't matter to you. That's all fine and peachy and you would probably be a very quick, cold, efficient customer. But in a small town setting, that's not how the majority of people like to do things.
Many of either don't understand all the features or didn't do all the research some people do, and really want thier salsman to educate them and bring them to understand why the vehicle is worth paying for.
And yes, I meant to say that 74% of the people that ended up buying a car bought from the location that they did because they liked and trusted thier salesman. But if the salesman was doing thier job, they would've identified the customer's wants and needs, found the proper vehicle based on those, and built the value of that vehicle in the cutomer's mind.
Would you lose money just to steal a customer (mind you there is no guarantee that it will create more business)?
This is so common on a daily basis in the retail auto industry that anyone else in a normal business finds it hard to comprehend. It's the 'stick in the eye' concept. It depends on inventory levels and age of the piece being discussed but if the situation is right and someone who has been to one of the other key competitors comes in ready to buy and price is the only hurdle that buyer will leave in our vehicle.
This is especially true on a Sat where moving an additional $20,000-$50,000 worth of slow inventory is much more important than the individual profit/loss on that one item. Factor in meeting monthly goals and keeping the other competitors from meeting their goals and it's an easy decision.
$5000 losses are rare to never-seen but $1000 losses occur every week. This is a real $1000 loss after all incentives and holdbacks. In the overall scheme it's still smart on a limited basis. Higher volume stores can do more of it than lower volume stores.
You make it sound like rapport doesn't matter to you.
To be perfectly honest I buy a car and drive it into the ground. That means with two cars (wife and me) I buy a car on an average of every four or five years. Then unless I take a car in for warranty work I take it to a mechanic I know and trust. Plus add to that equation the fact that I never bought two new cars from the same make (not model make) means when I leave a dealership there is a good chance I will never return. So why build a rapport for one economic occurance?
But if the salesman was doing thier job, they would've identified the customer's wants and needs,
Ok but someone like me (and our numbers are growing) we know what we want and/or need and the decision is made. All we want is someone to take the order.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
$5000 losses are rare to never-seen but $1000 losses occur every week.
But you said yourself, thats to move slow moving inventory. Logically if a certain car is a slow mover for you then it is a slow mover for other dealerships in your immediate area. You are not undercutting the other dealer to steal a customer but to move a slow moving car. If it is a slow moving car then maybe the original dealer overpriced it in the first place.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You make sense Snake. And I agree that your numbers are growing and you will become the majority. I'll happily adjust to this trend as it simply makes my job easier and I can relate. Eventually it'll be like going to a grociery store, and the price of the car will be set universally. Then it will become more of an advertising war in order to get the most market share (which it already is, but even more so). At that point the Salespeople will become cashiers/account representatives (which some of us already are in some cases. I do a lot of the Xplan pricing with local business for my store.)
But it's going to be a while until that happens in the little college town I'm working in. Now if I were back in Seattle, or even Spokane, it's already a slightly different story in some of those cases (such as customers like yourself) and it's up to the salesperson to determine how best to serve the customer and adjust.
In any case, versatility and determining what your customer wants is key in any sales situation.
In a small town atmoshpere where I grew up, I'm with you. But where I currently am in central Florida, I'm with Snake. All I need the sales person for is to write up the order. In my experience, I already know much more about the particular vehicle I'm seeking than the sales person I have to deal with.
Eureka - first dealer who admits that one-price system may actually work in right circumstances. Moreover, the market is actually evolving to it - just slowly. All information for the customer and consolidation of market will eventually force that "grocery store" environment. It may first happen in megastores, where when volume eclipses individual profit. Sales person will be a facilitator just to make things happen (let the customer fall in love, present possibilities and write them up for preset contract) rather than negotiate highest possible separation of the money (as the time wasted will be money lost).
Not saying it will happen tomorrow, but there is a good chance it will. Still lots of factors working against it, from "we know better what works" to complications from trade-in and financing, which still make each transaction unique, thus slowing streamlining of the ordering process.
I don't really care if the sales person goes to Hawaii or does not enough for his/her family dinner. Well, I do as a human (don't like see people starving), but I don't as a customer.
If one tells me "supply-demand" story on and feels great about charging 3 grand over the sticker for that Solstice then please leave your kids and pregnant wive at home when you sell that Grand Prix. If market was kind to you on one product and you're happy to take full advantage then I fell no remorse if you didn't make a dime on another sale. I accept marketplace rules, so should everybody else. Suply-demand is a very much two way street. Automotive business is risky - not everybody is cut out for it, as not everybody can be an astronaut, doctor, engineer, or a teacher.
Today, marketplace seems to be tolerating commissioned salespeople in automotive business scoring from zero to the sky, depending on their customer (lack of) skills, personal history and all the other factors. Perhaps tomorrow the marketplace will force them to act more like SEARS or even Walmart. Who knows? Maybe, maybe not.
If a customer gives you six steps and seven days and sticks to this roadmap and timeline step after step, work with your customer. He/she is serious.
I think organized buyers like you with a stated research and purchase time line are so rare that the salesmen/dealership didn’t recognize you as a motivated buyer.
Next time you buy a car, consider trying the Bobst method. It’s simple and appeals to dealer’s orientation to today’s sale.
BTW, I like to make things complicated too. It just suits some of us.
jmonroe....it has always frustrated me when I walk into a dealership with one of their ads and the salesperson tells me he/she wasn't aware of the ad pricing.
The question I always ask them is....."how can you not know what your store is advertising?". Dealerships have sales meetings every day, right? Isn't this discussed in those meetings? Just curious.
One of the jobs I had in college was in retail. We had to know everything that was on sale, in the newspaper, etc before we went on the floor.
Regarding going through "steps" to buy a car, nothing wrong with that. I'll assume that most of us are here because we do a lot of research. We probably know as much about the car we're interested in as the sales people do. Just a test drive, to confirm what I THINK is the way the car should perform is about all I need.
The only thing I carry with me into the showroom is a small note pad, a pencil, my checkbook and a financial calculator. All of my research, whether it be from Edmunds, newspaper ads, etc are in the notebook. If I've gone to more than one dealership, their offers are in the notebook, too.
I guess if I were to put the steps down it would go something like this....
Comments
Is it? maybe they went with another dealer.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You can go to ten Honda dealerships and the price will generally not vary much.
2) For me, it is time to order new vehicles for the fleet. I get the information together and send out all the specs to the drivers so they can select what they want to drive.
I am convinced that people never really know what they want in a vehicle. I am on e-mail #17 with one of my drivers. His first e-mail was "I want a Ford F-150." Like I can order from that? Which engine, bed size, etc ...
Don't get me wrong, I like getting e-mails but if the driver would call me and talk for ten minutes we could have the vehicle ordered and on the way.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
when we bought my husband's car this past march, i had contacted a lot of dealers who had one on the lot (we were looking for a used 2005 saab 92x) we finally settled on one 4 hours from here, because they had the best price, and the car we were looking for, with low miles. i made sure i sent emails/called everyone else i had spoken with to thank them for their time, so they wouldn't waste theirs constantly calling me to follow up.
apparently, however, manners are dead, so this is our excuse for not picking up the phone when the salesperson calls and just letting them know...
my two cents...
-thene
Not hard at all, but some people have the manners of a bag of rusty nails.
that way, the salesperson's manager doesn't harass him daily to CALL you to get the sale.
Also you have to remember that manners work both ways. Last time I bought a car I was wondering why the salesman never called me. Well he did call me, multiple times a day. The issue was that he was calling my cell phone during working hours. I turn my cell phone off at work, of course that means that it will go straight to voice mail but he never left a message. I never knew the guy was calling me.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Here is a perfect example...Some of the cars we sell had better prices 6 days ago than they do now (as much as $1500 better)...so if I gave you a quote 5 days ago it wouldnt be valid on many of our products today. I would be called a crook and a liar all over edmunds if I put a quote in writing 6 days ago for these models and didn't eat the $1500 loss...Also some mfg. tie dealer incentives to volume stair step programs, which makes my cost figures change daily...So unless I know the exact day your buying I don't know how low I can really go. It's just a guess.
oh and I'm sure some of you want to know about the customers price on the card. Its simple. I just ask the guy what he wants to pay for the car and write it on the back of the card.....I never say I sell the car for the customers price I just say "let me write your price on the back of the card so I remember where you wanted to be when you come back"....They often come back
Personally that I don't mind as long as all that is spelled out. So that when the price three days later is $1500 dollars more I can trace that to whatever caused the price to go up.
However if you just give ma a price and say its good for today and today only I can almost guarantee that you will never see me again. Of course I am open to the deal only good for three or four days.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The salesperson wanted her fingerprints on the contract papers along with the signatures. Is this a new thing? is it legal?
As a recent internet shopper, I can attest to the difficulty on my end. I sent out quote requests through manufacturer's web sites, edmunds, carsdirect, and directly to the dealerships themsevles. I included make, model, trim, color, and options on ALL inquiries.
What did I get? About half of the dealerships responded and of those, half of the responses from the dealerships asked for exactly what I had already provided them? I concluded that either the salesman didn't take the time and effort to actually read the whole request or the quote submissions didn't work correctly. Either one is a big problem.
Are you actually serious? Here's why, I am one of the shoppers that will walk out on you if you start playing games. Your sale, your loss, not mine. Not to mention everyone I talk to about my experience. Word of mouth is everything when it comes to sales of big ticket items. There are plenty of other salesman that would take my money without playing games.
It's amazing to me that so many of you believe a shopper should fill out a credit app and agree to a purchase before a) giving a firm price on desired vehicle, b)actually having access to the vehicle, c)giving a "ball-park" date for when the vehicle will arrive, and d) before trade-in value is discussed. It's arrogant of salesman to think a customer should agree to purchase a car based on a bunch of scribbles on a sheet of paper.
I had exactly this experience, not 3 days ago. I walked out after the guy started playing games.Most notably, saying he DEFINITELY had the EXACT model/options I was looking for only to come back and say "I couldn't find one like that, but have these", and the fact he outright lied about my FICO score. Unfortunately for him, I already knew my score from all three bureaus. I'll never do business there again and will make sure everyone I know hears of my experience. Because of one salesman tactics, that place will lose out on many potential customers.
Am I wrong in thinking so.
More than likely they don't have anybody to update inventory listings on a daily basis. It's one of those "PITA' chores unless you spend the money on an automated system.
Here is where the deal goes south...If the deal changes because of customer cash its easy to explain and document but if its things like volume or stair step incentive I'm not going to open up my books to trace the increase for you...its none of the consumers business and most consumers wouldnt understand it anyway. Remember, edmunds posters are not the typical customer.
I'm curious....if the deal offered TODAY only was alot better than the one good for 3-4 days which deal do you take? Dealers work in a very "now" world....if two people are in the showroom and one guy is ready to buy right now and the other is threatening to buy in a couple weeks or months who do you think is going to get the best price and most attention?
If thats the case make the deal good for a few days and if certain things make the numbers change absorb it.
I'm curious....if the deal offered TODAY only was alot better than the one good for 3-4 days which deal do you take?
If you are my last stop and the deal is better I would most likely take it. If you are one of the first I go to I most likely would have forgotten it by the time I got to the next dealer (not that I have a bad memory but experience tells me that those deals are only as good as long as I am in the showroom).
if two people are in the showroom and one guy is ready to buy right now and the other is threatening to buy in a couple weeks or months who do you think is going to get the best price and most attention?
If the salesman was good s/he would try to give both equal, everyone is a potential sale. But I never go car shopping with the intention of buying months or even weeks away, usually if we are talking price my purchase is most likely days (if not hours) away.
If I enter "just looking" I will tell you right off the bat. But I will say this, there are a few salespeople out there that if I buy their make I will give them every opportunity to make the sale by their actions when I was just looking.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
For the serious buyer, you don't have to ask that question. However, I have one more important requirement; you best deal TODAY, must be the price I'm willing to pay or it's back to square one and I'm down the road still shopping.
It's easy to buy when you recognize a good deal.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well actually on autotrader if you are searching for new cars you can see our inventory but there are no pictures. It will tell you that we have blank number of LR3s in stock and blank number of Range Rovers etc.
We will put our VIP loaners up on the net when we are ready to sell them.
We sell 25-30 cars on a single Saturday....would you like to absorb that kind of money? We arent Walmart and we arent a charity... We just don't absorb losses that shouldnt happen in the first place. I would be asking "what idiot made promises they couldnt keep? Then he/she would be fired. Mistakes are one thing, we all make them but putting guaranteed quotes out there when so many variable are in action is foolish.
If the salesman was good s/he would try to give both equal, everyone is a potential sale
The good salesperson knows a sale when he/she sees it takes advantage of it...the greenpeas are with the shoppers and lookers who might buy a car down the road...
Thats where planning comes in.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
As for numbers, I don't give out any prices over the phone. Yes, I know I will lose some customers that way, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell them. If I quote a price on a specific model, and then you come down to buy it at my "bottom line price" and it's been sold, dealer traded, or otherwise removed, then I look like I lied to them in order to get them to the dealership. On top of that, statistics show that over 80% of the people you give a price to over the phone take it, shop it, and buy somewhere else.
Wheras people that you concentrate on setting an appointment with without price involved have a much better percentage of keeping the appointment (something like 64%) and then if they show up for the appointment there is a 50% closing ratio. Granted these are all general figures, but you get the point.
I'd rather be honest with my customers, and have them hate somebody else for lying to them later. Enough people seem to like our dealership because we're straightforward and don't hide the fact that we try to make some money (but not too much.) Custermers these days a re typically a lot more educated. So long as you treat them with respect, and not like children, they tend to like you. And that's the most important aspect in my opinion.
Agree with that part very much.
As for numbers, I don't give out any prices over the phone. Yes, I know I will lose some customers that way, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell them. If I quote a price on a specific model, and then you come down to buy it at my "bottom line price" and it's been sold, dealer traded, or otherwise removed, then I look like I lied to them in order to get them to the dealership. On top of that, statistics show that over 80% of the people you give a price to over the phone take it, shop it, and buy somewhere else.
Luckily we have so few options on our vehicles that there is not much variation. If something is in very short supply I make sure that person knows that. It also helps that they cars in short supply are just sold for MSRP there are no discounts. People call asking for them and when I tell them there is nothing to give up I know they call around and find out that is the same all over.
They swam in the cool aid.
I like people like that. :shades:
Well first off where did you get that statistic? Secondly if you give them a price and they buy someplace else then your price wasn't that good was it?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I'm not comfortable giving up my personal info to strangers when I'm not sure how it is going to be used.
For example, I sent a quote request through the Dodge website for a Dakota in '02. To this day, I still get e-mails & phone calls from various Dodge dealers wanting me to go into hawk for a new Dodge that only they can unload for firesale prices.
Regardless of what I wish to purchase, I want to be sure that my private information remains private.
Long story short, maybe a lot of people leave out vital info out of fear that it will come back to haunt them in a negative way?
Just a thought.
Step One: My wife's car got totalled by a cell phone using, speeding driver on Hwy 101. At that moment she was 4 weeks away from delivering. She was rushed to the hospital, and that was pretty much the last time we saw our car (everthing turned out ok eventually).
Step Two: New car purchase. Safety was a key concern and the list of potential models (station wagons) quickly whittled down to VW, Audi, and Volvo. We never considered a domestic car maker for two reasons. First, we owned domestic cars in the 1990s. That soured us for life. Second, any car maker which still builds full size cars with drum brakes (Ford) or does not even offer by now basic saftey features on its cars (most GM brands) does not deserve a sale.
Step Three: Contacting dealers. The contact-to-purchase timeframe we set ourselves was one week. And we gave this information to all dealers outright (some direct, some through Costco, some through AAA; the latter two did not work well at all). As a matter of fact, we gave dealers a precise roadmap. First test drive, second test drive, insurance settlement money coming in, first quote request, final negotiation, purchase all in 7 days. We also shared (a) that we would not buy based on lowest price since we looked at different models from different makers, (b) we would pay cash, and (c) we would stick to our timeline. As for the latter, we gave dealers specific days and times for each action.
Step Four: Working with the dealer. Here's where the wheat separated from the chafe and some apparent lumps of coal. The VW experience was appaling (we already own a VW so I guess I should have known better). Entering the dealership on a slow day, none of the senior sales staff even wanted to talk with me. I was sent to the most junior sales consultant who proceeded to recite utterly useless and at times outright wrong information and to top it off test drove me. Yes, this is not a typo. I left him my card and told him I would be back 2 days later with my wife. Low and behold, we showed up 2 days later on the button. He did not recognize me and I had to start all over. And yet again, he test drove us (we were actually silently laughing by that time). Unforgivable however was - while babbling about torque over horsepower - that he tried to show off the car's acceleration, making my then heavily pregnant wife nearly throw up. That by the way killed any deal. And it got better still. The model we looked at was selling for about $ 2,100 under invoice in the area with plenty in stock. The pricing the dealer had posted started with a dealer mark-up of $ 2,995. PT Barnum would be proud. While leaving the dealership in an obvious "unconvinced" mood our genius sales consultant topped himself by offering to take a deposit to make sure we would be able to get our hands on one of these "rare" models.
Step Five: Buying a car. We simply exercised our roadmap at a local Volvo dealer. Got a quote by e-mail when asking for one. Decided on a model which had to be trucked in from over a 100 miles away. Got an even better price offered just by providing a competitive dealer quote. We showed up with check in hand one week after the first test drive - and there was no car. Apparently the dealer did not believe that we would do exactely what we had told them we'd do. We got the car two days later. And knocked off some more money for having made us wait, resulting in $ 1,800 below invoice. We got no arguments - the dealer still made $ 600-700 (hold back, fleet targets, the remaing $ 78 of the cash to dealer incentive we did not price down).
Lesson One: Do not lie to prospective customers or disrespect them. Never. Ever.
Lesson Two: Listen to your customers. And take a look at them. A pregnant woman does not care about torque curves. She wants to know about safety. And don't make her nearly throw up.
Lesson Three: If a customer gives you six steps and seven days and sticks to this roadmap and timeline step after step work with your customer. He/she is serious.
Lesson Four: Buying a car is not always about bottom line pricing. We spent $ 6,000 more on the Volvo than on the VW while getting a great deal on the car we bought.
Frank
But an email telling me about six steps and seven days would go straight into the roundfile. Does it have to be that rigid and complicated?
For one thing, if you'll be paying cash, what is there to do but figure out what you want, then figure out what to pay for it, then go and do the deal? It's not all that complex, especially if you drive the process rather than wait to be catered to.
I tend to be polite whenever I can, so I can see one chauffeured test drive, but TWO??? Isn't there a point where you take the initiative, and then it's about what you want to do, not what some green pea thinks is proper.
Congratulations on your new car, though. Sounds like you got what you wanted.
-Mathias
Nevertheless, good luck with your new car.
And, more importantly, best wishes on the arrival of your new baby.
Yeah, it was a bit complicated. I would, in as few words as possible, initially convince the sales folks I was a serious buyer and my time frame was one week.
I tend to be polite whenever I can, so I can see one chauffeured test drive, but TWO???
Sounds like he's doing all the initial homework to narrow the choices down so his pregnant wife doesn't have to go through everything. Then when he's narrowed things down, she's just there for the final approval. That's the way I'd do things as well.
I don't know about you, but I get paid on commission. My customers know that, and a lot of times (just like mentioned above) they are happy to pay more then invoice so long as I provide a good presentation, build a good rapport with them, and really listen to, and take care of thier needs.
Sometimes if you are looking for the "best price" you get what you pay for in terms of service. (Though not always. I treat my "mini" customers just like any other customers.)
Keep in mind I'm coming from a dealership with 4 total salespeople. It's family owned, and we do very well considering our size (we don't have 50 car Saturdays though..) And in a small community like this a lot of people are more interested in having a friend/consultant in the business then paying $50 over invoice every time.
If every customer decided they were only going to pay $50 over invoice, the entire automotive industry would be forced to change. Nobody on commission could live on "mini" deals. Sales would be forced to go to salary and then very likely service would diminish.
The key is to find the salespeople that really do go to work to work, and value thier customers individually and not as numbers. It makes the experiance better for everyone all around.
As for the 80% it's off one of the Auto industry statistical videos I recently watched. Just like the fact that 74% of the people who bought last year did so because they liked and trusted thier salesman.
On a side note, which full size sedan that Ford released in 2007 has rear drum breaks? I know the base model Focus does (still a great car for the price..) But I know the Fusion is 4-wheel Disk and so are the Five Hundred and Crown Victoria. You might be referring to the Taurus but 2006 was the last year for it.
And by the way, Ford bought Volvo back in 1999
I don't think that 74% of the people who bought a car last year did so because they liked and trusted their salesperson. I think they bought because they were in the market for suitable transportation and may have bought from a particular salesperson because they liked and trusted that person.
tidester, host
Just picture this.
Hate my new car, but I really love the guy who sold it to me.
Yeah, sure.
Well - you said it yourself - treatment does not depend on the price paid, it depends on the person that provides it. If you treat your mini customers the same way as those who paid MSRP, where is that $2000 worth of that "service" that you claim they get?
I don't mean to say "nice guy factor" is worthless - as a matter of fact I believe it could be priced (for some people here it is worth about a penny), but I'm probably willing to pay much less that you would like me to belive it is worth. Just a matter of points of view. :shades:
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I think you should have cut that babbking young VW man's off early and simply put him in his place - I bet you'd be amazed how quickly they'd change their attitude. As long as he goes unchallenged, he things he is doing allright.
Same with pricing - I'm convince that they read you initially as "suckers" and you did absolutely nothing to change that perception. Couple of short sentences dropped about what you just said (showing that you know the stuff is not "rare" and you know that real price is close to invoice).
When you left with "no thanks", they even had no clue why. Not that I really feel any pitty, just somehow feel you lost possible opportunity because you gave them no chance to rectify their "error".
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I wouldn't have bought the line about VW being rare, either. If I hear enough BS out of a salesperson, I would probably shop elsewhere and not mention it unless I got a follow-up call.
Would you lose money just to steal a customer (mind you there is no guarantee that it will create more business)?
I can work to sell myself as their consultant, and build value in me,
While I can't speak for anyone else but if I am asking for a price I don't want a consultant, its to late for that. I already know everything I need to know about the car. I just need someone to take my order.
And I DO take care of my customers after the sale.
I have never needed the salesperson after the sale.
and a lot of times (just like mentioned above) they are happy to pay more then invoice so long as I provide a good presentation,
Can't say about paying above or below invoice. The market determines that. If I want a good presentation I will buy tickets to a play. When I am buying the car just take my order.
Sometimes if you are looking for the "best price" you get what you pay for in terms of service.
Again other than delivering me a car there isn't much more in the area of service.
If every customer decided they were only going to pay $50 over invoice,
Again I am not asking you to sell all your cars for $50 over invoice. Prevailing market prices for the car yes, if thats $50 over invoice so be it.
As for the 80% it's off one of the Auto industry statistical videos I recently watched.
I will take that for whats its wroth. FWIW getting a quote is part of shopping around. I said earlier that I got three quotes for my patio, that was shopping around. There is nothing wrong with it, it is how a free market works. Again if you give a good price then you have nothing to worry about.
But let me ask you this, how many people come to you asking you to beat someone else showing you a written quote?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It's true that the average consumer is becoming more educated about cars and the auto industry in general these days, but I feel like you represent a growing minority that will eventually become a majority. I never said it's bad to shop around. I've been on the other side of the line and beaten a lot of sales guys up over thier price.
All I'm saying is I'm unlikely to give a bottom line price over the phone. As we are the family owned store with 4 salesmen, the Mega-Dealership about 50 miles away has 20+ (Probably more, I've never counted.) When I quote my bottom line price to a customer over the phone, and they call the Mega-Dealership, you bet they will beat us. Because they can afford to lose the money on a volume deal and we can't. And I would say, probably 15-20% of the customers that come to our dealership have a price that was quoted from another nearby dealership. Sometimes we can beat it, sometimes we can't, sometimes we don't have to and they buy a completly different rig.
It's closer to half the people that call do so with a price from another location. Fortunatly we can convince a lot of them to come to the dealership so we can take a look at thier offer and see what we can do. Then it becomes the same as above, sometimes we can beat it, sometimes we can't, and sometimes it's a completly different vehicle.
You make it sound like rapport doesn't matter to you. That's all fine and peachy and you would probably be a very quick, cold, efficient customer. But in a small town setting, that's not how the majority of people like to do things.
Many of either don't understand all the features or didn't do all the research some people do, and really want thier salsman to educate them and bring them to understand why the vehicle is worth paying for.
And yes, I meant to say that 74% of the people that ended up buying a car bought from the location that they did because they liked and trusted thier salesman.
But if the salesman was doing thier job, they would've identified the customer's wants and needs, found the proper vehicle based on those, and built the value of that vehicle in the cutomer's mind.
This is so common on a daily basis in the retail auto industry that anyone else in a normal business finds it hard to comprehend. It's the 'stick in the eye' concept. It depends on inventory levels and age of the piece being discussed but if the situation is right and someone who has been to one of the other key competitors comes in ready to buy and price is the only hurdle that buyer will leave in our vehicle.
This is especially true on a Sat where moving an additional $20,000-$50,000 worth of slow inventory is much more important than the individual profit/loss on that one item. Factor in meeting monthly goals and keeping the other competitors from meeting their goals and it's an easy decision.
$5000 losses are rare to never-seen but $1000 losses occur every week. This is a real $1000 loss after all incentives and holdbacks. In the overall scheme it's still smart on a limited basis. Higher volume stores can do more of it than lower volume stores.
To be perfectly honest I buy a car and drive it into the ground. That means with two cars (wife and me) I buy a car on an average of every four or five years. Then unless I take a car in for warranty work I take it to a mechanic I know and trust. Plus add to that equation the fact that I never bought two new cars from the same make (not model make) means when I leave a dealership there is a good chance I will never return. So why build a rapport for one economic occurance?
But if the salesman was doing thier job, they would've identified the customer's wants and needs,
Ok but someone like me (and our numbers are growing) we know what we want and/or need and the decision is made. All we want is someone to take the order.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
But you said yourself, thats to move slow moving inventory. Logically if a certain car is a slow mover for you then it is a slow mover for other dealerships in your immediate area. You are not undercutting the other dealer to steal a customer but to move a slow moving car. If it is a slow moving car then maybe the original dealer overpriced it in the first place.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
But it's going to be a while until that happens in the little college town I'm working in. Now if I were back in Seattle, or even Spokane, it's already a slightly different story in some of those cases (such as customers like yourself) and it's up to the salesperson to determine how best to serve the customer and adjust.
In any case, versatility and determining what your customer wants is key in any sales situation.
Not saying it will happen tomorrow, but there is a good chance it will. Still lots of factors working against it, from "we know better what works" to complications from trade-in and financing, which still make each transaction unique, thus slowing streamlining of the ordering process.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
If one tells me "supply-demand" story on and feels great about charging 3 grand over the sticker for that Solstice then please leave your kids and pregnant wive at home when you sell that Grand Prix. If market was kind to you on one product and you're happy to take full advantage then I fell no remorse if you didn't make a dime on another sale. I accept marketplace rules, so should everybody else. Suply-demand is a very much two way street. Automotive business is risky - not everybody is cut out for it, as not everybody can be an astronaut, doctor, engineer, or a teacher.
Today, marketplace seems to be tolerating commissioned salespeople in automotive business scoring from zero to the sky, depending on their customer (lack of) skills, personal history and all the other factors. Perhaps tomorrow the marketplace will force them to act more like SEARS or even Walmart. Who knows? Maybe, maybe not.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
I think organized buyers like you with a stated research and purchase time line are so rare that the salesmen/dealership didn’t recognize you as a motivated buyer.
Next time you buy a car, consider trying the Bobst method. It’s simple and appeals to dealer’s orientation to today’s sale.
BTW, I like to make things complicated too. It just suits some of us.
The question I always ask them is....."how can you not know what your store is advertising?". Dealerships have sales meetings every day, right? Isn't this discussed in those meetings? Just curious.
One of the jobs I had in college was in retail. We had to know everything that was on sale, in the newspaper, etc before we went on the floor.
Regarding going through "steps" to buy a car, nothing wrong with that. I'll assume that most of us are here because we do a lot of research. We probably know as much about the car we're interested in as the sales people do. Just a test drive, to confirm what I THINK is the way the car should perform is about all I need.
The only thing I carry with me into the showroom is a small note pad, a pencil, my checkbook and a financial calculator. All of my research, whether it be from Edmunds, newspaper ads, etc are in the notebook. If I've gone to more than one dealership, their offers are in the notebook, too.
I guess if I were to put the steps down it would go something like this....
1) Greeting
2) Test drive
3) Offer
2018 430i Gran Coupe