Stories from the Sales Frontlines

driver100

Audi has been using a 5 link for a bit now, as well as high strength tensile steel for a few generations.

I think a few cars have 5 link and hi-tensile strength steel, but not cars in this price range. That's why I think the Gen should be considered if someone wanted a Chrysler 300 or Pontiac G8. I don't think a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E class owner will risk losing the things they know they like in their current choice.

boomchek

Does every deal have to be run through the SM or do you eventually "earn" some authority to do a deal.

If it's a fairly simple deal, like no payments, cash only, I want $500 off this car, I'm ready to buy today, here's my deposit, then usually we can do it by ourselves, but 99% of the time we will run it by the manager just to make sure everything is honky-dory.

For example on the Internet, I'm allowed to give $500 off regular price, without checking with the manager to kick things off.

jmonroe

Audi has been using a 5 link for a bit now, as well as high strength tensile steel for a few generations.

Actually…I don’t think ‘driver’ was pointing out who was FIRST with that stuff but rather who has applied that technology BETTER today. I didn’t say Audi wasn’t good and there always has to be a first time developer but the article (which I think is by some professional group) that ‘driver’ quoted said someone does it better now.

In a couple years someone will do it even better than today. That’s progress.

jmonroe

jmonroe

Kind of changes my perspective.....in a more positive light.

Somewhere out there, there has to be a report/test/rating of the Genesis that says, “what’s all the hype about this car. It doesn’t do this and it doesn’t do that…” but I haven’t seen it yet. Now keep in mind it’s a family sedan so comparing it to a sports car is meaningless to me.

Right now I’m doing a test of my own. I’ve run regular gas since I got it last Saturday. Now I’m on the first grade of premium. I’ve only run it down the pike this morning with this and it was too foggy to play around too much but I haven’t detected any difference yet. Next, I’ll try the next grade of premium.

Who knows, maybe I’ll find something with how this thing goes.

jmonroe

lrguy44

I am lucky to work for a dealership that allows me to work our own deals from start to finish. I have the software on my computer - so we show, negotiate, and do the financing. One customer, one face.
If we get close to a break even deal, we do pass it by the SM for the Papal blessing. Yes, we get paid on both front and back end.
Our customers love the concept.

boomchek

I noticed that high end stores do that more so than regular brands. One Land Rover dealer here n Vancouver is set up the same way, and I think some BMW and MB stores work this way too.

I think with a higher end-lower volume store, you can do that, give more personalized service, as floor traffic is typically not that busy so you can focus on one customer more.

lrguy44

You are right - although most MB and BMW stores generate much more traffic than LR. This way of doing business was the original foresight of LR in North America. It still exists at some single point stores, but has been lost in multipoint operations.

graphicguy

driver....I'm not one to flaunt a particular brand demanding some sort of premium over another. Some of the supposed premium brands ear their premium price. Most, do not.

There are those that will chide me because I think an Acura is worth more than its Honda cousin.

On the other hand, Mercedes just isn't worth the price to me....any of them. That's blasphemy to some. Their steep slide in reliability rankings over the last several years just compound their problems.

If a Genesis can do 95%-99% of a BMW 5 series, Lexus GS, Infiniti M, Mercedes E series, etc (and I think it can) then I do consider it competition to them. Just because it does so at a much lower price point doesn't mean it doesn't compete.

What does the E series, 5 series, GS, etc owner lose with a Genesis? No doubt some cachet. Perhaps the latte machines in the customer lounge, the free WiFi service, or the flat screen TV in the waiting area. Maybe have to suffer some derision by the neighbors who own those other premium brands. But, as nice as those things are, they don't hold much benefit to me. I'm even betting I can negotiate a free service loaner from a Hyundai dealership as part of any deal.

Personally, whether I end up owning a Genesis or not, I do think it's one of those cars that upsets the apple cart. The Genesis coupe does the same thing.

I keep thinking that Infiniti and Lexus did the same exact thing about 25 years ago.

sterlingdog

I wondered where you went. Thanks so much for the tip. After your posting the other day, I immediately went and put the top up. From now on, I'll do it each time that I come home. I did know about not having the top down in damp weather. That really will mess up a top. Thanks again.

Richard

golic

Hey LR -

Did you use to post as BritishRover??? Or was that somebody else?

lrguy44

no, BR worked in Conn. I am in Colo. I have lost touch with him, but he had the passion and knowledge it takes with LR. If he is lurking, I hope he lives to post again.

golic

Yeah, I remember him being out east and that was my next question if you were BR - was how did you end up in CO.

Back on topic - have there been any studies done on where your approach yields more profit in "F&I" than the normal dealership. In one aspect, I can see the customer being more relaxed moving from the deal to finance with the same person and perhaps you can get a little more profit on the back end. Whereas, in a typical dealer the customer is ready for Round 2 or 20 with the F&I and is ready to go in swinging???

You do lose the whole good cop/bad cop approach with your system, though??

lrguy44

When you deal with customers in the way we do, there is no good cop bad cop needed. It does make the back end easier as a relationship has been established. Also, by the time you do the paperwork, most of the back end products have been discussed. and we only sell things that really have customer value. Out here, warranty, clear bra, window tint, wheel and tire and dent protection are the most needed and sold. We do not even offer things like mop and glow, etch, and the old stand by, croak and choke. (that is Credit Life and Disability).
Since we live on repeat and referral business, the final outcome is a success only with a satisfied customer.

driver100

I'm not one to flaunt a particular brand demanding some sort of premium over another.

GG, I don't either in most cases. If I buy aluminum foil I don't care if it is Reynolds or No-name. But, if I buy ketchup I prefer Heinz. I don't care if I get no-name garbage bags, but I do find Edge shaving gel is a little better quality than no-name.

I am sure that the Gennie is a fine car and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I tried it and liked it. But, I know what I have got with a Bimmer, and there is a certain handling quality and engineering standard that I doubt can be matched by the copy cat guys (they might have surpassed the benchmark in some areas, but I'll stick with the benchmark car for now). I would be willing to try, and I'll have an open mind.

They have these Toyota ads in Canada now that say why buy a car that is trying to match the Corona, when you can just get a Corona.

I also wouldn't hesitate to buy a Mercedes because it is lower in JD Powers surveys. Even though their record is not as stellar as it once was I think you can be confident you are getting a fine car if you buy a Benz. It has nothing to do with the nameplate, that doesn't mean much to me. It is the car that is under the nameplate which has a proven record of making fine cars, and you can make a great car, but just might not be able to capture the heart and soul of the benchmark car - that's what concerns me.

lrguy44

What a long day this is. We had 15" of snow yesterday and closed early. It is sunny and the snow (as is the way in Denver) is quickly melting and evaporating. But the customers are too busy headed to the high country for spring skiing. Oh well, at least we close at 7.

boomchek

This is what our lot looked like this winter when the snow came down:

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

lrguy44

I hope you have lot tots to broom the cars. With the low humidity and sun here, the snow will pretty much be gone by Sunday

boomchek

That was back in January. It took about a week for everything to melt.

isellhondas

It is the opinion of many that Acura ruined the looks of their cars with that "beak" fron end they are using now.

When I worked the Auto Show recently, the Acura booth was right next to Hondas and I heard a LOT of comments to that effect and I have to agree.

It's all subjective, I'm sure some like that look?

boomchek

I don't get why Acura had to mess with success by experimenting with new styling. Ok, they could have done it on one model, but on the entire lineup? :lemon:

explorerx4

they probably charged you something to cancel the policy.
if you have one on your new car, contact the company directly, if god forbid, you swap it for another one.
i think keeping the top down under the tonneau cover is the best thing for it.
the interior gets some extra exposure to the sun, though.
owner of a 19 year old convertible with 34k miles on it.

lrguy44

Charge backs on GAP, Warranties, etc are prorated by time and/or miles depending on the product. The dealer is charged back his profit - also prorated

explorerx4

here is where we are now.
i think we are ok with their website prices, so i say we will take a test drive saturday, which is now tomorrow.
after that, my wife says we can't do that we are spending the day at a school fundraiser.
i emailed the dealer that we can't make it saturday with the above explanation (true) and will have to figure out when we can test drive.
hopefully next week.

jmonroe

It has nothing to do with the nameplate, that doesn't mean much to me.

OK, that’s you and we’ve been through this before but it is paramount to a lot of owners.

It is the car that is under the nameplate…

That’s the way I feel and BTW you’ll appreciate this…the Genny has those cute outside mirrors that rotate downward when you put the car into reverse. I couldn’t help but think of you when I noticed this. Not so sure how valuable they are but they are cute.

I still haven’t figured out what all the buttons on that thing do. :confuse:

Now the throttle…I've got that down pretty good.

jmonroe

explorerx4

what i meant was if richard didn't cancel the policy directly, he probably paid an extra fee to have it done by the someone else.
i am not saying it is a bad thing, you should just be aware that it is not being done without a service charge.

explorerx4

it's too bad you have to put up with this grief from someone who drives a grocery getter propeller head brand.
i am happy got what is supposed to be a great car.

sterlingdog

Here is how the GAP insurance refund worked in my case. I called the insurance company directly. They said that I was owed 73% of the original amount ($595.00) because I only owned the car for 18 months. They said that the refund had to come from the dealer where I purchased the car. I faxed proof of trade to the dealer. The dealer called the next day to say that a check for $432.00 was being mailed to me as a refund. Since 73% of $595.00 is $434.35, I guess that the service charge was $2.35. That is a small amount in exchange for the refund. How did I know to do all of this? My banker reminded me.

Richard

jipster

I hope you have lot tots to broom the cars. With the low humidity and sun here, the snow will pretty much be gone by Sunday

Any special method the lot tots have in removing snow? I would think pushing heavy icy snow across the roof or hood of a car could leave microscopic scratch marks. Hope they are using O Cedar soft bristle brooms... not the old granny straw brooms.

sterlingdog

"It's all subjective,..."

Just like the color, right? :P

Richard

sterlingdog

"Hope they are using O Cedar soft bristle brooms..."

So you know about O Cedar brooms, do you? Aren't they good? O Cedar also makes great mops for your home. We use them for our tile floors in the kitchen and Florida room. They get up more dirt, leave less streaks, and rinse out better than any mops we have tried.

Richard

driver100

the Genny has those cute outside mirrors that rotate downward when you put the car into reverse.

Once you get used to it you will really appreciate those tilting side mirrors. One time they are really handy is if you are backing into a space and you if you don't have a car to line it up with...you will see the white line and you can easily tell exactly where you should be.

You can live without these things but once you have it you don't want to be without it. I used to think it was silly having a remote control for the TV, I thought you have to be pretty lazy if you can't get up every hour to change the channel.

Another thing I have which you probably have, and I only found this out by accident is;
Let's say the car is locked. I don't have to press the remote control. If I am close to the car and pull the door handle up it will unlock. Same with the passenger side.
I just pulled on it by accident when it was locked and found it will unlock.

And of course the memory in the power seats and rear view mirror. If I use my key to open the door and start the car it goes to my settings - Memory 1. If my wife opens the door with her key it goes to her setting - Memory 2!

They should have a course you can take to find out how everything works.

sterlingdog

Help me out guys. I need a new set of tires for the Explorer. I have always used Michelins. Here are three possibilities that I have been offered. Prices include mounting, balance, taxes, etc.

A. Michelin---$605
B. Goodyear Fortera---$615
C. Bridgestone---$625

Thanks!

Richard

sterlingdog

I have been meaning to tell you something. Since you are our Safety Director, you will appreciate this. My new convertible came with both front and side air bags for driver and passenger. You had cautioned me about this when I was looking at the GM's. See, I do listen to some things that you say. :P

Richard

jmonroe

...you will see the white line and you can easily tell exactly where you should be.

Kinda redundant when you have a back up camera.

Another thing I have which you probably have, and I only found this out by accident is;
Let's say the car is locked. I don't have to press the remote control. If I am close to the car...

Yes I have that feature but a good walk around by your salesman would have brought this to your attention. That was the first thing he showed me.

And of course the memory in the power seats and rear view mirror. If I use my key to open the door and start the car it goes to my settings - Memory 1. If my wife opens the door with her key it goes to her setting - Memory 2!

She ain't drivin that beauty. Both of those memories are for me. Normal driving and a quick get away position. :P

jmonroe

cdn_tch

I had the Michelin ATX on my '99 and was very happy with them year round.

mikefm58

I've always had great luck with Michelins. I also use tirerack.com and read the reviews when I'm considering a new set of tires.

oldfarmer50

"...I've run regular gas since I got it last Saturday..."

Is that what's recommended for this car? I doubt it for the kind of hp I've seen in reviews, so why cheap out?

If you really want to save money that bad why not throw out the owner's manual and make up your own stuff. I find those recommendations to put air in the tires and oil in the engine just a way for the dealer to rip me off, so I think I'll eliminate them.

Then we can help each other push our cars back and forth. :P

oldfarmer50

"...why buy a car that is trying to match the Corona, when you can just get a Corona..."

Because good old Coors is cheaper and you don't have to put that slice of lime in the bottle. :P

driver100

Well, they aired the episode on Marketplace last night. It was pretty good. It costs about $5000 for a 3 year membership. First you go to their showroom for a high pressure sales talk. You are told you could save 50% or more. If you don't sign up right then you don't get another chance.

Once you sign you read the fine print. Transportation and delivery could be up to 25% extra, a handling fee of 8%, you can't return anything and if you have a problem you have to talk to the manufacturer. Most of the people complaining could buy for less by shopping around. You are limited to what Direct Buy has in their catalogue.

They talked to the manager of a Direct Buy outlet and of course she said there was no pressure and people had 3 days to change their mind...though this has never been done.

I always stay away from ads that show lots of happy people who have outsmarted the system, and from money up front before receiving services. Too see more;Direct Buy

driver100

Since you are our Safety Director, you will appreciate this. My new convertible came with both front and side air bags for driver and passenger.

I am proud of you boy! Hopefully you will never need those airbags, but it does give some piece of mind.

We moved into this house last August, and for the first time I wanted to get an alarm system installed. I don't know how necessary it is, but sometimes there's strange noises (even though the house is only 2 years old), like a bump or thud in the night, and the nice thing is, if the alarm doesn't go off, I know I can turn over and go back to sleep....I don't have to stay awake and hope it isn't someone walking around.

My motto is, buy as much safety as you can afford......but get the car you like too!
I don't think I would buy a GM if it didn't have all the safety features, accidents happen too easily and are often out of your control......life and limbs are hard to replace.

oldfarmer50

"..money up front before receiving services..."

I'm with you on that. It took me years before I would pay for a membership at Sam's Club. $5K for a membership would give me a heart attack. :surprise:

driver100

Kinda redundant when you have a back up camera

JM, What doesn't that car have?

I know. It can't park itself, but with the mirrors and cameras that's not a big problem.

Can you go 15,000 miles between oil changes?

One more thing...I don't want you to hurt that 375 hp engine. If it calls for premium gas use premium gas. You won't get any advantage using regular, you might save a few cents at the pump but it won't work as efficiently and you'll end up paying for less mileage anyway. Also, it might affect your warranty.

Oh yeh, and weren't you the guy who said to me, why do you need all that extra horsepower and handling unless you are racing around?

It's just so you can drive safer and can always be in control. Learn that answer because people will be asking you.

driver100

A. Michelin---$605
B. Goodyear Fortera---$615
C. Bridgestone---$625

Richard, an excellent site to compare these 3 brands would be;
Compare

driver100

Because good old Coors is cheaper and you don't have to put that slice of lime in the bottle.

But some of us don't mind paying extra for the really good stuff :P :P

snakeweasel

Is that what's recommended for this car? I doubt it for the kind of hp I've seen in reviews, so why cheap out?

Regular for the V6 and premium for the V8.

snakeweasel

We moved into this house last August, and for the first time I wanted to get an alarm system installed.

When we moved into our current house we took our old alarm system with us. Its organic, mobile and fully automated.

My motto is, buy as much safety as you can afford

My motto is "It's 5 o'clock somewhere". That being said the best safety system which trumps everything else combined is the nut behind the wheel. A good defensive driving course with time behind the wheel can do wonders.

snakeweasel

Any special method the lot tots have in removing snow?

Back when the Earth was cooling being a porter was my after school job, we used the shimmies that we used to was and dry the cars.

graphicguy

Going from memory here (based on the sales presentation I got), but the Genesis V8 can run on premium or regular gas. Timing is retarded running regular, with a drop of 7 or 8 HP as a result. Probably not a big deal with that kind of HP. Probably all modern cars do this with the compute power they possess.

Also, I THINK the sales person said that maintenance on the V8 is less than with the V6. V8 only needs oil, filter changes. Transmission goes for 100K miles before maintenance is needed. V6 trans needs service every 30K. Not sure, but I think even the coolant is good for 100K miles.

Might be an issue for Hyundai since they have a 100K warranty on the powertrain.

I was always a little skittish with the BMW 3 calling for oil changes at 10K+ miles. That car didn't even have a dipstick. :surprise:

I used to think I was pretty knowledgeable about oil changes, quality of gasoline, etc.

Now, there's a ton of FUD out there about the effectiveness of premium gas over regular. Same goes for the effectiveness of oil after, say 7K miles.

These days, I don't know what, or whom to believe.

snakeweasel

But some of us don't mind paying extra for the really good stuff

Neither corona nor coors is the really good stuff.

IPA's for everyone

driver100

. That being said the best safety system which trumps everything else combined is the nut behind the wheel.

What if you go through an intersection on a green light, but the other guy goes through a red light?

What if you are on a 2 lane road and the other guy falls asleep and comes at you head on?

What if you are on a highway and the drunk guy comes on the highway from the exit ramp?

What if you are parked at the end of a dead end street and a drunk lady comes down the street at full speed, doesn't realize you are sitting in your car or that there is a car parked at the end of the street?

All these things have happened over the last few months where I live. You could be the best driver in the world, but you can't defend yourself against what other people might do.

My wife and daughter were in our pick up truck...stopped to make a left turn into a gas station. The car behind swerved onto the gravel and went around. The transport truck behind him drove right into the back of the pick up and sent it across the highway into a ditch. They went to the hospital and they were all ok fortunately.
However, we don't mess around any more. I taught driving to high school students so I should be a pretty good driver (if you do a survey everyone thinks they are above average - which is impossible), but I know I have made mistakes, but even worse, there are some people driving around out there who are pretty scary, so I'll take all the protection I can get.