Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    :sick: Apparently the salesman was new on the job too, just started acouple weeks before. :sick:

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,168
    I'm really kind of surprised that the dealership let the 19-20 year old take any type of test drive in a high performance, $50K car.

    I used to read stories all the time in here about some teens Mummy/Daddy buying them expensive cars, but usually the parent is present.

    isell....I know civics are big with the teen/tuner crowd. What do you do when a teen comes in wanting to test drive? My guess is the vast majority don't have the cash or credit to afford one on their own. Since you know you probably won't get them through F&I, do you just refuse a test drive?
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    They have to be 18 and we do keep a pretty tight leash on them.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,724
    They caught the guy in Cinci using his own driver's license and test-driving cars then dropping them at next dealer. Dealers association had faxed description to all dealers. A Ford dealer caught him.

    I'll have to check the Enquirer pages to see what they say.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Wait, this guy would test drive a vehicle, drive it to another dealer test drive a car at that dealer and drive it to a third dealer and so on? I gotta say I like how the guy operates. :blush:

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Guess if you really need to get across town and you don't have cab fare that is the way to do it.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,249
    He gets an "A" for creativity, but you gotta wonder... why?

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  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,724
    If a salesman has a person drive a car onto the lot that's dealer tags from another dealer..., and they let them test drive one of theirs....?

    Talk show host wasn't clear about new car or used cars involved...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    but you gotta wonder... why?

    A prank?

    A publicity stunt?

    A salesman who finally lost it?

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 268,454
    Hey.. it's what we do for fun around here.. :surprise:

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  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    Well I guess it beats cow tipping. :P

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,168
    The problem with "Cow tipping" is WHAT, exactly?

    :surprise: :surprise: :):)

    It's considered a sport around these parts.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    The problem with "Cow tipping" is WHAT, exactly?

    Well the first thing to come to mind is cow pies. :P

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 268,454
    Perfect solution....

    You tip the cows with that demo that you are test driving.. (very gently, of course).

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  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    I don't know I have seen the results of a car meeting a cow. Usually the cow walks away and the car limps home.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 268,454
    True... but, it isn't your car...

    Man.... now they get someone else's demo... with a clean-up job needed.. this is getting ugly.. ;)

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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 268,454
    Anyone else have a Sales story?

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  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    This past saturday I sold a used rover back to the original owner...

    About a year ago this guy traded in his 2004 Freelander for a 2004 Discovery. Less then a week later the car was bought by a couple for their daughter to use for some kind of internship where she would be driving to kind of remote places and needed a AWD vehicle with decent ground clearance but no low range.

    She drove the car for a little less then a year and put about 9,000 miles on it. When she finished her internship program she also graduated college and her parents bought her a Range Rover for a grad present. Very silly yes I know but what are you going to do. They traded in the freelander for it.

    Well on thursday morning my client who traded that car in for a Disco was having his car worked on. Since it was a nice morning he was walking outside and saw his old freelander.

    He asked me what was up with it and I told him the story. After thinking about it for a minute he offered me 15,000 for it, the exact same tradein value we gave him a year ago, because he always liked that car and kind of wanted it back.

    We wrapped everything up the next day and he picked it up saturday morning.
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    ...she would be driving to kind of remote places and needed a AWD vehicle with decent ground clearance but no low range.

    You mean like a mall on the edge of town?

    Sorry, couldn't resist, that's just the image that sprang to mind.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yeah I know. The freelander is surprisenly capable considering it has no low range. I didn't sell her the car so I don't know the whole story. I think she was doing something with horses or something and so would be driving in fields a lot and over rutted roads. A Freelander is fine for that assuming it doesn't break down :sick:
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,788
    so... the guy lent you his car for a whole year completely free of charge.

    what a nice fellow. ;)

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    It wasn't even a whole year more like eight to nine months.

    He was happy and that is all that matters.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,788
    well, sure, as long as he's happy.

    i wish i could be happy making poor financial decisions. ;)

    He actually didn't do that bad, considering. The mistake only cost him 9k miles and some fees. It could have been a heckuva lot worse.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • cluedweaselcluedweasel Member Posts: 150
    "The problem with "Cow tipping" is WHAT, exactly?"

    I never know if I should tip them 15% or 20%.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Yeah and he kept his disco too just bought the Freelander for an extra run around car.

    Took Land Rovers 2.9% APR on certified pre-owned vehicles for 24 months.
  • gogiboygogiboy Member Posts: 732
    "Are you aware this dealership sold earlier this year?"

    Bolivar--No I wasn't aware that it sold. They've kept the same name on the dealership, was that part of the sales contract? It does look like the ne owners are keeping the same pricing policy on the website for now--at least on everything but the Fit and Civic. Don't they keep all their cars on the lot housed inside a large building?

    Hey, I just went to their website and they have changed their name--I might not have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.

    Gogiboy
  • zodiac2004zodiac2004 Member Posts: 458
    Everybody writes 4-year loans on 3-year-old cars, and nobody has ever explained to me why a new-car loan at 84 months is any worse.


    Here are some reasons.

    Lower amount financed, hence lower interest and lower payments
    Lower term, hence lower interest.
    The only similarity is you are probably upside down for the entire duration of the loan.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 11,424
    ...she also graduated college and her parents bought her a Range Rover for a grad present. Very silly yes I know but what are you going to do.

    Sounds like a nice graduation present to me! I guess the "silly" part was referring to the idea of buying a car to use for nine months...
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Well both are kind of silly...

    1. Buying a car for 9 months.

    2. Buying a 22 year old a 80,000 dollar vehicle.
  • jlawrence01jlawrence01 Member Posts: 1,757
    2. Buying a 22 year old a 80,000 dollar vehicle.

    But I am sure that YOU see that at least once a week ...
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    Lower amount financed, hence lower interest and lower payments

    At my credit union, the new car loans are always better than the used car loans, lower interest rates, less of a down payment required, and longer term allowed.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Nah it only happens about once a month.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,592
    she also graduated college and her parents bought her a Range Rover for a grad present.

    Gee all I got was a steak dinner. :cry:

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    Yeah, that's all I got too. Well, I also had my first (and last) Scotch on the rocks.

    While in college (this was in '74) I sold a '64 GTO (tripower with a 4 speed) to the kid across the street for $480. He drove it for four years, wrecked it, fixed it, had the motor rebuilt, and sold back to me for $300.

    Six months later, I sold it for $600 and laughed all the way to the bank, tickled that I'd doubled my money (and kept the PMD stainless steel spinner wheelcovers).

    That car today, well restored, is worth only about $40,000 or so....
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,890
    a grey hse?
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    If you want to REALLY hear a bunch of dumb questions, try working the Auto Show sometime!

    Being an avid auto show goer (both the NAIAS and the Cleveland Auto Show) I'd like to hear some good auto show stories!
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,168
    My late Father shared a beer with me upon graduation....making me feel all warm and fuzzy about how proud he was of me.....until he got to the part about me paying him rent.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • madmanmoomadmanmoo Member Posts: 2,039
    Ok, so sometimes I'm not the best, most well-behaved salesperson. This is another story from when I was working at the local Nissan dealer in Roswell, GA.

    Roswell housewives tend to make me a little ill. There is alot of old money in this area. That coupled with the old South mentality sometimes gives one the impression that we are slaves working on the ol' plantation.

    (Disclaimer for you flamers: I know we all have a bad day every now and again. This is extremely rare behavior.)

    Mom and daughter step out of their Lexus. They are dressed in matching outfits of green and white linen. Mom is wearing a billowy hat and daughter is towing a small dog behind her. Unfortunately, it appears by the look on both of their faces that neither find a lot of joy in life. I look over my left and right shoulders to see if there is anyone else around to help them and realize I'm the only one.

    I greet them heartily and welcome them to our dealership. Mom states that she would like to look at our Pathfinder and then maybe the Z. I ask if they are going to be buying 2 cars today and she replies that no her husband takes care of that part. She doesn't know when they will be buying something but maybe in the next couple of months.

    Hurray!!! I become elated because now I can educate two extremely haughty individuals on the value of our cars and then watch as their husband goes and shops me all over town.
    Hurray, I say.

    I force a smile and tell them I would be happy to help out.
    I start out with the Pathfinder. I gave an incredible hood and trunk and then asked if they would like to take a test drive. The hood and trunk had taken a bit longer than I expected because of all the questions that they asked. And to my ear, they were silly unreasonable questions. We go on a test drive and they decided to depart from my normal route. Not only that, but they both are wanting to drive the whole route.

    Overall, the Pathfinder escapade took around an hour. I was exhausted, irritated, and I don't know if I mentioned, but I sincerely dislike Roswell housewives with their daughters. Especially with daughters who were disciplined with beatings by an ugly stick.

    We get back and I tell them thanks for coming by and prepare to give them a brochure and card. Mom states they would now like to take a look at the Z. I tell her that I've run out of time today, but I would be happy to schedule a time during the week when I wasn't as busy.

    She scowls and says that perhaps another salesperson could help her. And this is when I snap.
    "No, I'm not letting you waste another salesperson's time."
    "What did you say to me?"
    "Ma'am, all of us are commissioned salespeople. That means that we don't make any money unless someone is buying something. If you want to pay me $50 per test drive then we can drive all over Atlanta all day. But I'm not test driving anymore cars with you because you are wasting my time."
    "I HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED LIKE THIS BEFORE."
    "I bet you haven't. Thanks for coming by. Here's a brochure."

    And I start to walk away. But then I turn around and see she is raising Cain at the receptionist's desk.

    So I tell her, "X is my manager's name. He's right over there." I point to him and his desk. "I'm sure he'll be happy to hear your story."

    And I walk outside and smoke a cigarette.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Well, let's see...

    When the 1999 Odysseys came out, we were mobbed. I was there with another guy from our store. Other stores in the area either didn't show or they sent idiots who knew nothing. I must have answered the same questions 100 times.

    Some 400 pound oaf managed to force the power sliders open and broke it! Rather than try to explain, and make excuses, I called a tech from our store to come fix it. I locked the Odyssey up and walked away!

    Hoards of people were ticked they couldn't open it up and sit in it. They yanked and yanked on the doors!

    Later, I noticed someone had stolen the DIPSTICK of all things!

    At the car shows, people slam doors, steal every knob they can twist off. They let their kids jump on the seats etc.

    At the last Car Show I attended, I wanted to see how Chrysler's "Stow and Go' seats worked. If was the first day of the show and on both of the vans on display, the Stow and Go seats were broken...jammed into the floors.

    A couple of years ago, the crowd THRASHED the S-2000 we had on display. It came back scratched and dented and the interior looked like a ten year old car!
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Nope it was silver.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Sorry but this is just part of the job.

    You got a lousy "up" but your behavior was to say the least, very unprofessional.
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    I gave an incredible hood and trunk

    I'm not familiar with the term " a hood and trunk "

    Also, how long should a test drive take in your opinion?
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    One thing you can take from your experiences....

    You know how these cars will wear over time...and give a heads up to the mfg. where to make improvements :)

    Also, I've learned to go to the auto show on the first day when the cars are 'fresh'.

    Does anything ever happen to the concept cars that are on display? Any stories about any presentations where something went wrong?

    My last question, were the auto shows you've worked at dealer shows or major shows like on the level of the NAIAS?
  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    I guess people think (I was one of them :blush: ) that these cars are "sacrificial" and basically covered by the manufacturers as "cost of business" kind of thing.

    On the other hand, what is the point of a car show if one can't sit inside, twist a radio knob (not steal it of course) or hear the door sound? I'm serious here - my understanding of a car show is exactly to create a sales pressure-free environment for people to let them experience the product. I remember myself being really ticked off by locked vehicles, especially "all-new" models: I come exactly to see them and all I can see is my reflection in the tinted window or chrome wheel. :surprise: :mad: Or, when I saw Lexi (?) without shifter knobs - I thought of it as a sign of disrespect.

    However, if manufacturers do not provide any financial help with these display cars, I don't blame you for locking the doors. But then - what's the point of that event, anyway?

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    However, if manufacturers do not provide any financial help with these display cars, I don't blame you for locking the doors. But then - what's the point of that event, anyway?

    The only locked doors i've seen at the auto shows were the ones for the high priced cars like Ferari's and some BMW's and Porches at the NAIAS and the Cleveland shows, for example.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    These were major shows...Seattle Auto Show.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Our cars are unlocked and we encourage people to open them up and sit in them. No problem with that!

    But some people are SO HARD on the cars.

    The reason that Lexus didn't have a shift knob? It had either been stolen or someone had wisely removed it so it wouldn't get ripped off!
  • dino001dino001 Member Posts: 6,191
    The rods were taped (to avoid sharp edge injury), so my best guess is someone took them off before the display. But all BMWs, MBs, Jaguars had everything intact (and open) - that's why I felt a bit offended, I guess.

    The non-exotic locked cars I noticed in Tampa over the years:
    1. 300C two years ago
    2. Audi S6 couple of years ago, I think
    3. MB S-class three years ago
    4. Lexus IS last year

    First and last really pissed me off - I came to the show specifically to look at them and all I saw was my reflection on the chrome (as I said already). They were placed on rotating pedestal and no one was allowed closer than 3-4 feet.

    2018 430i Gran Coupe

  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    When I mean major shows, I mean shows that the cars on the floor are all coming from the manufacturer, not the local dealers. To give you an example, I went to the Pittsburgh Auto show and the cars there were from local dealers, with relatively small mfg displays and signs. On the other hand there is the NAIAS where most cars are from the mfg with major million dollar displays and signs. If you look closely at the window stickers or sign by the front of the car it will say the car came from somewhere like "Chrysler NE Exhibits" or some such place.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,890
    we stopped at a light sunday, next to one. my jealous kids were commenting on the young looking female driving such a nice new vehicle.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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