Stories from the Sales Frontlines

isellhondas

Richard, you are a smart guy but you are dreaming if you honestly think anything will change one twit because of these tea parties.

The people able to make changes DON'T CARE! We have democrats running our country, remember?

Remember the Vietnam war protests? Total waste of time.

But, if this gave you a chance to blow off steam and be heard, I suppose that is a good thing.

fezo

No. Not yet. tidester and imidazol97 are giving good advice. Kepp going. You'll get it.

imidazol97

Driver,

After you select a picture link and put it into a post this is what it will look like:

driver100

OK Tidester and Imidazol, I am going to try this for the 25th time. I know I am getting close but it is after 11 pm in London so this is my last attempt. If it doesn't work I'll try again tomorrow after a good nights sleep.

This is supposed to brighten Oldfarmers day;



I think I did it! You guys are genius's. Do you two also do wills and that kind of stuff.

driver100

One more, I just gotta try it again;

snakeweasel

Did anyone have to walk out to get their return filed?? lol

I had someone walk in at about 7:30pm to get their taxes done. It was not a complicated return and she could have had it done many weeks before. I don't understand people who wait until that late.

Anyway I was 1 return shy of 150.

tidester

Yay! You did it.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

sterlingdog

Congratulations Driver! I could never have done it. You are a quick study. Now we'll get to see those wonderful London cabs, buses, and other choice vehicles.

Richard

jmonroe

I don't understand people who wait until that late.

You TALKIN TO ME ? :P

jmonroe

jmonroe

...both parties are equally to blame for this mess

You got that right and because of this I refuse to register as a member of either party. :mad:

jmonroe

sterlingdog

I read the link---responses and editorial with great interest. There were no surprises in the editorial since we know that the media controlled the primary and general election of '08. The pleasant surprise was in the tone of the responses. Our local paper today did an accurate and fair appraisal of our Tea Party (Taxed Enough Already for those of you who may not know). I agree with you that there is a fire storm. I believe that it will continue.

My students and thousands of others made a difference during the Vietnam Era---though they were called ugly names like "pot heads", "fags", and "acid brains". Name calling and biased media coverage will never negate the voice of the American people. It was the voice of the people that created the events between 1776 and 1783.

JUST LIKE CARS---people laughed at and ridiculed Henry Ford and others regarding those "horseless carriages". Fortunately, those with dreams pressed on and made things better. When Martin Luther King, Jr. said that he had a dream, he realized that good things happen only when people bring their dreams into the face of reality.

Richard

sterlingdog

Ok King of Wax. Tell me what brand of wax to use on my new wheels. And no, I'm not going to polish it every morning like some posters I know.

Richard

cdn_tch

Here is a forum that is all about waxing and polishing your new ride...

Auto Geek Online

fezo

Anyway I was 1 return shy of 150.

HAd I known I'd have sent you mine....

jmonroe

Ok King of Wax. Tell me what brand of wax to use on my new wheels.

OK, since you asked. I’m not a believer in some of the theories a lot of people have about how great the wax or wax substitute products they use happens to be. It’s almost as bad as all of the “snake oil” stories that people talk about.

Years ago I tried various waxes that were the ‘new kid on the block’. I would wax one half of the hood (you could actually do that years ago because hoods had a chrome strip that ran smack down the middle of the them) with lets say Turtle wax (any commoner type wax will do) and the other side with the ‘new kid on the block’. After several months I could not tell the difference between the two half’s. Therefore, after a few years of these experiments, I used whatever I had and just let all the stories about waxes go in one ear and out the other.

Now, having said that, I had a chance just last summer to talk to a crew from a professional detail company that went around the country removing paint over-spray from cars as a result of mishaps when painting crews spayed paint on buildings, when highway departments painted stripes on roads, when sound proofing was sprayed on road barriers, etc. These guys used various grits of clay to remove the over-spray then used Meguiar’s Carnauba wax (in the beige colored bottle vs. the red) to finish off the cars so they were nice and shiny and smooth. I asked them why they used that brand and they said because it was easy to put on and rub off and they never found anything better and the price was right. Very interesting because that’s the brand I have been using for the last few years. I guess you could say I’m a pro and didn’t even know it.

Qualifier: If you have a black car (like the one you didn’t buy) extra care has to be taken to avoid swirls so all bets are off regarding using any old cleaner/wax combo products. However, a top coat of a good Carnauba wax will still provide a durable/lasting shine.

And no, I'm not going to polish it every morning like some posters I know

Then you will never get to know your beauty like I have gotten to know mine.

jmonroe

sterlingdog

Thanks for the tip on the wax. That was interesting and informative.

"Then you will never get to know your beauty like I have gotten to know mine."

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

Richard

sterlingdog

I was driving to town this morning on a five mile stretch of four lane. I was riding in the right lane. Ahead of me in the left lane was a car carrier with five cars on it. Then I noticed that a car had pulled along side of me in the left lane just behind the car carrier. To my surprise, the lady driving the car was reading a book! She had it sitting on the steering wheel. We went through two green lights, but she hardly looked up to notice. The third light turned red and the car carrier stopped. Unfortunately, the lady did not stop. She plowed into the back of the truck. The front end of her car was smashed. Fortunately, the lady's rear end was fine. Yes, I mean her. I pulled over and waited for the cops. Yes, I did report that she was reading a book while driving. Otherwise, she would have gotten away with it and used some other excuse. Naturally, she denied it. I told the cop that he could decide that issue for himself. Why do I feel that I am going to be called to court?

Talk about your entitlement issues. Imagine putting the lives of others in danger because you want to read a book while driving!

Richard

sterlingdog

"Remember, we are all taking this journey together..."

That was beautifully stated.

Richard

driver100

Yay! You did it.

It took awhile, but what a great sense of accomplishment.
One day I'll send something worthwhile.
I am not really swift with the computer, and I am not that good with change, but the instructions were clear and concise....so made it doable.
Thanks, as you have heard, can give a man a fish, which will last for a meal, or you can teach him how to fish and he'll eat for life. In this case you have taught me something that I can now do whenever I want...a gift of knowledge.


This is fun.....

driver100

. Now we'll get to see those wonderful London cabs, buses, and other choice vehicles.

Thanks for the encouragement Richard. The instructors were excellent, just like you were, and that made the difference.

Talking about car sales. Yesterday we were in Sevenoaks, it was a half hour southeast of London by train...went to see a supplier. It is a cute town with narrow streets and lots of shops and lots of people around shopping, and right downtown was a Bentley dealership, and around the corner was Mercedes, BMW and Lamborginni. Maybe some guys could get transferred to there.


Richard, you have to give it a try! What a sense of accomplishment, and you were doing that for your students all the time!

driver100

Here is a forum that is all about waxing and polishing your new ride

A forum on polishing and waxing your car :confuse:
I wonder how often they go off topic :confuse:

driver100

Then you will never get to know your beauty like I have gotten to know mine.

Intimately it seems. And in all those cracks and crevices like the door jambs

driver100

One more....a street scene in London;



This is called reinforcement!
To some it is called overkill :sick: ">

imidazol97

I'd recommend buying a clay bar kit, any brand, at your local aps (auto parts store) and a bottle of Mother's carnauba wax without cleaner. Perform the clay bar cleaning which will remove a roughness on the paint and make it smooth as a baby's bottom. The clay smoothing is not as muscle intensive as it seems. Try a small area first to prove its efficacy.

Then wax with Mother's carnauba wax; because of the clay bar having made the finish smoother than any you ever had, the wax will go on so easily you won't believe it. Do the clay bar about once per year. Wax as needed to suit your garage.

If you have leather seats, choose a cleaner/conditioner for them. Be careful of scent in the bottle because it will linger in the seats after use, so pick one you like.

Mother's also makes chrome polish for those wheels.

You do not have to buy the fanciest, lastest technology wax to have the best looking car. Of course you'll want to read Edmund's discussion on waxes and here is a link to one, Waxes, cleaners, and no Zaino posts

oldfarmer50

"...This is supposed to brighten Oldfarmers day..."

Mission accomplished! LOL

oldfarmer50

"...I refuse to register as a member of either party..."

I was a life-long registered democrat until I moved to a town that had been under republican control for over 100 years. So I switched to republican only to learn that you had to be a registered crook to get any special treatment.

Now the democrats are back in control and am so disillusioned by both parties that I've registered Socialist Workers Party just to confuse them all.

You should try it. Now I get e-mails from pretty young radicals asking me to take them to this meeting or that protest. I figure if I showed up in a Prius I might get lucky even at my age.

snakeweasel

You should post that in the inconsiderate drives forums.

percussionist

I suppose she hasn't heard of books on CD (or tape) yet! What an idiot! If you are called to court, you should sue her afterward for lost pay and travel expenses - hope to see your case on Judge Judy! :P

sterlingdog

I wish that I COULD turn her over to Judge Judy. She would probably give her the gas chamber. :P

Richard

sterlingdog

Love, love, love the pictures! Did you notice the convertible in the town scene picture? Sharp! The cab brought back memories. Thanks so much.

Richard

sterlingdog

Wow! You're as good as jmonroe. Thanks for all of that information.

"Wax as needed to suit your garage."

I love that statement.

Richard

sterlingdog

Thanks! That was an interesting forum. Join us more often. We like people who have brains.

Richard

sterlingdog

"You should post that in the inconsiderate drives forum."

Or perhaps on the notice board at the local mental hospital.

Richard

driver100

To my surprise, the lady driving the car was reading a book!

Did you notice what the book was she was reading? We are in the book business and it would be good to know what book could be that interesting you would smash up your car for. :sick:

driver100

Did you notice the convertible in the town scene picture?

Yes, I noticed the convertible and I think it is an Audi. Surprising the Skoda was voted best overall new car in England this year. Made in Chekloslavakia.

Someone should start importing these.">

These cars have the most satisfied owners;
The drivers were asked to rate their own cars on everything from reliability to build quality and running costs.

Skoda won the award for best manufacturer and also had two cars in the top three individual models - with the Superb second and Octavia third.

The company overtook luxury brand Lexus after finishing second last year in the poll by Auto Express.

Robert Hazelwood, Skoda's UK director, said: "The firm were delighted but not surprised by the award.

"We put customers first in everything we do from design to quality and the reliability of our cars."

Jaguar's XF saloon was voted overall Best Car.

Last place in the list of 100 cars was the previous version of the Land Rover Discovery, built from 1998 to 2005.

The top five brands are: 1 Skoda; 2 Lexus; 3 Porsche; 4 Jaguar; 5 Honda.

Top five models: 1 Jaguar XF; 2 Skoda Superb (pre-2008); 3 Skoda Octavia; 4 Land Rover Discovery; 5 Lexus RX.

They should start importing them into the US if they are that good. Maybe GM should look into it?? :confuse:

dino001

There is no more Czechoslovakia. Actually, it's been almost 20 years now since the split. It is Czech Republic and Slovakia. Skoda is from Czech Republic.

golic

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/04/17/aa.bills.shut.engine.down/

I've read about this before. Devices that will "shut-off" the car after your auto payment is late. What is surprising is how this used to be used solely by the mom and pop dealerships, but the article states how these devices are now making there way into regular dealerships.

fezo

Did you notice what the book was she was reading?

Remedial Driver's Ed.....

driver100

There is no more Czechoslovakia. Actually, it's been almost 20 years now since the split. It is Czech Republic and Slovakia. Skoda is from Czech Republic.

Thanks Dino, that's information that I should have known.

Some interesting info about Skoda follows. I thought of them as Ladas, but VW but the company awhile ago and really made reinvented the nameplate. Now VW get's ideas and plans for new models from Skoda

In a 2003 advertisement on British television, a new employee on the production line is fitting Škoda badges on the car bonnets. When some attractive looking cars come along he stands back, not fitting the badge, since they look so good they cannot be Škodas.[5] This market campaign worked by confronting Škoda's image problem head-on — a tactic which marketing professionals regard as high risk. Before the advertising campaign, it was common to hear tour guides in Bratislava making jokes about the Škoda, saying "How do you double the value of a Škoda? Fill up the gas tank!"

cdn_tch

Actually, after using the clay bar to clean the paint use a Sealer/Glaze, wait 24 hrs+ and then a coat or 2 of wax on top.

The clay bar strips the paint sealant off as well as any old wax so you are down to the paint with no protection. The sealer is a polymer which takes a day or so to cure and provides some extra protection/hardness to the paint.

Have FUN!!!

jipster

Yes, I did report that she was reading a book while driving. Otherwise, she would have gotten away with it and used some other excuse.

Well, she hit a vehicle from behind... not sure what excuse would be valid. It's not like those big trucks can stop on a dime. The lady with "the rear end was fine" doesn't stand a chance in court, so you should be okay with not having to appear.

chikoo

Actually, Skodas are referred to as the poor man's Audi. rightly so. Not expensive, similar looks, and good quality.

boomchek

Good for you that you reported it. Everyone's insurance premiums go up because of dumb drivers like that. What if she ran over some kid runniong across the street?

Yeah Judge judy would throw the book at her :P

verdugo

Surprising the Skoda was voted best overall new car in England this year. Made in Chekloslavakia.

My brother in Norway just took delivery of the car in your post (loaded Octavia wagon). He likes it a lot and says it compares quite well to my loaded Passat wagon.

thx for the info. Do you have a link?

I'll talk to him to see if he has a good sales story Is this what we're coming to? Outsourding our sales stories? :P

oldfarmer50

"...Skoda is from the Czech Republic..."

The Skoda arms works was the main supplier for Hitler's war machine in WW 2.

Just thought I'd throw that in for those still mad at the Japanese car makers.

cdn_tch

The Skoda arms works was the main supplier for Hitler's war machine in WW 2.

But you must add context to that. Czechoslovakia was an occupied country during WW2, not a willing participant.

oldfarmer50

"...you must add context..."

Context doesn't matter to that type of mindset. Just think of how many people swear they will never buy another American car because the one they bought in 1976 gave them trouble.

My father-in-law took "uncle Sam's walking tour" of Europe and to his dying days would only buy American.

roadburner

Then you will never get to know your beauty like I have gotten to know mine.

I used to enter the Concours almost every year at the BMW Car Club's annual Oktoberfest. I won 4th place one year because I had spent 99% of my time detailing the interior and the day of the event it rained so hard that the exterior(and sunroof tracks, etc.) couldn't be judged very effectively. Six years later I went for the top rung; I spent four days cleaning and polishing the interior and exterior(going so far as to remove some of the exterior trim such as the grills and various lights so I could detail them completely.
I didn't even receive an Honorable Mention :mad:
Now all I do is judge at those events(appropriately enough :P ).
'Tis MUCH better to inflict pain than to receive it...
Having said all that, I did enter a car(it's not mine, sadly) in the Display Class(not judged) class a couple of years ago. It's amazing what you can do in just 30 minutes with a microfiber cloth and a bottle of Meguiars Quik Detailer:

driver100

My father-in-law took "uncle Sam's walking tour" of Europe and to his dying days would only buy American.

The world worked ok with that attitude but you can't do that any more. We were at war with Japan and Korea etc but what are you going to do if you need a TV. Guess you could try to find a Phillips/Magnovox, but then that would be German, and they are probably made in Japan anyway. What about fruit and vegetables from Mexico, and the alamo? If any one should have a bias it should be Israel, ever see the taxi cabs they use. 75% of them are Mercedes, as are most of the trucks and buses. I guess you can't by a British car.......there was the war of Independence? No, it's a global village and you have to work with your current friendly nations. Besides, you can deal with your ex-enemies or you can buy homemade products and be overcharged for inferior products, since the unions want the workers to have more pay and benefits than they are worth.
The only solution would be to buy used like my friend has done for 35 years. They wouldn't fix his leaky Chev Nova so he has never bought a new car again, though he could well afford it!

driver100

But you must add context to that. Czechoslovakia was an occupied country during WW2, not a willing participant.

Excellent point...and that does have to be considered in context. However, some people could have been so close to the situation, they still could not buy a car from the country even accepting the workers in the plant were forced to make the equipment against their will.