Stories from the Sales Frontlines

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Comments

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Now THAT is interesting! The car factor would make a fascinating study. It shouldn't be too difficult. You could collect the sales figures of the Big 3 and the imports by states; go back over the last ten years; and then plot the results on a map of blue and red states. This would be a nice homework assignment for our Hosts. :P :shades:

    Richard
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    there are plenty of sebring convertibles where i live.
    lots of people enjoy them.


    Actually, that is true. it is a big seller because you are getting a lot of car and a convertible at a very good price. They seem to be the car of choice in Florida and California, even for rental car companies. Reviews are pretty good to, considering what you are getting for the cost, and a lot of fun.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    You provided some good open liners yourself. :D

    Richard
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,593
    Educators are poor? Could have fooled me. Did a sampling of public school teachers here in IL and the average salary was close to 50K. More than the average overall salary for this state.

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

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    They are poorly paid as professionals in this state. Compare to the salary for Judge Judy, e.g., realistically compare to judge's salaries.

    My son has been threatened with his life if he dares think about going into education like his mother was. He needs to go into a profession where he will be appreciated. Right now he plans to major in physics.

    I don't believe the average salary in a state is relevant to what the professionals should be paid. I know that won't work with my dentist, doctor, or financial consultant.
    I'll bet most car salespeople are making far north of 50K.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    But you have to admit that both of mine are domestics. ;)

    Richard
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Oh, I give you points for that. Are they both actually made here as opposed to those snow merchants up north? ;)

    3 out of our 4 vehicles are American made but Japanese branded.

    My last couple of American branded cars were made in Ontario (Windstall) and Mexico (Sebring convertible).

    I think my last American name car that was built here was a 78 Nova.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,593
    I don't believe the average salary in a state is relevant to what the professionals should be paid.

    It is relevant to what the market dictates. In other words supply and demand determine the salaries. I know a lot of doctors don't make nearly what some people think (malpractice insurance alone is north of what most car salespeople make).

    In this state a teacher with a Masters degree averages over 56K, not bad for long summer vacations.

    On a related note my sister used to teach med school. She said it was the hardest 10 hours a week she ever worked.

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

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    Without Japanese cars GM and Chrysler would probably be fat and happy today.

    The downside is that we would all be driving around in $50,000. Chevettes or Neons and wishing we could afford that $100,000. Cadillac with the 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty. :)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Educators are poor; judges are rich."

    Not all educators make poor salaries. An administrator---principal, assistant superintendent, supervisor, etc.---can make $150k per year easily. If the spouse is also an administrator, you're looking at another $150k. With $300k between them, they can afford a pretty big boat. My superintendent was making $250k per year when I retired four years ago. That didn't count bonus money for high test scores or employee retention or a lower drop-out rate. When I first went to the board of education, I negotiated my salary annually. Since I was a personnel director, I also got bonus money for employee retention. Also, your advanced degrees play a part in the salary picture.

    The public only thinks about teachers when it comes to salaries. Some of them do pretty well after an MA and 20 years of experience. All of this depends on the state, local district, degrees, etc. It can get pretty complicated if you aren't in the business.

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    You made an excellent point. Because of malpractice insurance, office staff salaries, equipment and building upkeep, my sister only makes $200k per year as a doctor. Fortunately, her husband is in the same clinic and makes about the same. The point is that not all doctors make millions. As stated before, my former school superintendent makes more than my sister.

    Richard
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 53,827
    Not a lot around my area. I'm in the heart of the NE corridor, in NJ just outside Philly (a fairly upscale suburban town).

    My 1 neighbor has matching his/hers sables (wagon and sedan) + a newer Buick 4 door that I believe is a company car. They are ~50ish.

    Other than that, the usual domestic SUVs, and foreign cars (like our 2 hondas and an Acura)

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • ventureventure Member Posts: 3,183
    I simply walked to the microphone and told the guests that I had missed them because I thought that they understood that the speech was to be given in Stall #3. They loved it.

    I've found, as you probably have too, that you "get" your audience with your first sentence or two.

    I was the first speaker at a Sports Hall of Fame Induction dinner last year. The organizers of the event were harping on the speakers to keep their remarks short. They kept saying to keep it to 4 or 5 minutes at the longest - 2 or 3 minutes would be better.

    My first sentence was "I told Mr. Jipster that I wasn't sure I could tell everyone about my project in 45 minutes, but when I saw the horrified look on his face I realized that he said 4 or 5 minutes".

    I had them.

    2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    Are they both actually made here as opposed to those snow merchants up north?

    We'll remember that when you guys run out of water ;)

    The reason the D3 manufacture cars in Canada is our lower dollar, and our government health insurance - that reduces cost. Also, most of our plants are more efficient with fewer problems. So, at least the D3 can compete to some degree.

    Also, the state of Florida would become a 3rd world nation if it wasn't for us :)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    As 789 Chrysler dealers are closing and they have 44000 in inventory and of them about 4000 are 08 models. :sick:
    So how do folks buy these?Especially the 08`s.Will the dealers really discount them a lot?What if u are not close to a dealer shutting down?How do u then get a deal?And where to look for this excess inventory?Do they get listed on Chrysler website/edmunds/autotrader?
    Also is their a link where u can find a list of Chrysler dealers shutting down according to each state or each city alphabetically?
    The dealers that are closing--the link I have seen is listed alphabetically based on the dealership name and not city or state wise?that makes it difficult as to know which dealer close to u is shutting down?
    If the deals are really good,then I would certainly buy any Chrysler product right now. :surprise:
    Yes,I am even willing to buy 08 PTcruisers or Dodge calibers. ;)
  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    Oh! a follow up to this.I just found the dealers listed state and city wise on the Edmunds new cars webpage.Thanks Edmunds!! :shades:
    So,are the deals smoking hot now and will the TMV show that for specific zipcodes if indeed folks are buying for great discounts?
    Thanks.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,593
    I am wondering how much of a discount you will get from the closing dealerships. If they start with deep discounts it will affect the dealers that are staying open. I wonder if closing dealerships will get some sort of assistance is disposing inventory to keep the bottom falling out of the market value of Chrysler products.

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

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    Oh, I know. I just have to make a comment here and there to remind folks of the presence of Canadians among us. I've had three cars from Canada that I can think of.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    I've had three cars from Canada that I can think of.

    Good boy, we are a very friendly neighbor, better hold on to the few you have left. :D

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    I heard that cars will have to be radically different if we are going to be able to achieve 35 miles per gallon by 2016. We would all have to drive Smart Cars to do this. If car makers can do it, we will be driving cars that are very different than what we are driving today.

    On the CBC news last night they had a segment on car buying in the near future. The guy from zag.com said there will be no need for dealerships. The main thing that differentiates dealers is price. With zag they find the lowest price in your area for whatever car you are shopping for. You might just need one depot in major cirties to view possible cars, or maybe have them on display in a mall. Or, you could have a few models on display at the service centre, but according to the zag guy, there isn't much need for dealers competing against each other on price, when you can use zag and get the lowest price in your area (unless your the Jipster and prefer to do it yourself).

    Other points made is that there are lots of projects to make electric cars. China seems to be a leader in making electric cars for the near future. I don't know if the D3 or many traqditional car companies can keep up with the technology.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,288
    I've had three cars from Canada that I can think of.

    The last 5 cars that my parents had in Mexico, 3 of them have been from D3 built in the US. The other two are French.

    There are no borders! :shades:
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    The last 5 cars that my parents had in Mexico, 3 of them have been from D3 built in the US. The other two are French.
    There are no borders!


    Explain that to JMonroe ;)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    First, I want to apologize to everyone for my earlier posting without checking the reference. It was an email that I received several years ago from a co-worker. I guess you can't believe everything you read on the internet!

    Nevertheless, I feel that the comments are worthy and should be shared with every high school junior and senior.

    Second, my wife works for a small school district (on the border between being part of the suburban Denver area and the rural schools on the plains of eastern Colorado). I know that the teachers don't make huge amounts of money -- starting salary, I believe, is around $25-30K. Many teachers spend 2-3 years at this district then move to a larger, suburban district where the salary increase is quite large.

    OTOH, my wife only has an AA degree and is making more as the director of early childhood programs than a friend of hers who has taught 1st and 2nd grade in Cheyenne, WY for 20+ years and has a masters.

    Third, there have been posts on other forums here at Edmunds outlining new PT Cruisers at $8K! So, it looks as if the fire sale is on for the 800 dealers that are closing. Who wouldn't want a 300C, Sebring convertible or Ram pickup at 30-50% off MSRP?
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    The dealers that are closing--the link I have seen is listed alphabetically based on the dealership name and not city or state wise?that makes it difficult as to know which dealer close to u is shutting down?

    The list that ‘michaell’ linked in post 43048 is in pdf format so you can search to narrow the list to whatever state you’re looking for. The result will be an alphabetical listing by dealer name for that state.

    I haven’t seen a list of the GM dealers that are closing. Maybe you can find this for me, since I helped you. :)

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 14,196
    Don't know how many caught this last night, but I came in the middle of a "Greta Van Sustern (sp?)" interview with some high ranking Toyota official. The theme to the interview was the current administration's new MPG and emissions guidelines.

    In general, the conversation surrounded the new Prius, which easily beats any of the MPG guidelines, now or in the future.

    At one point, the 'yoda exec stated that there's a $3K delta between their regular, gas only cars and their hybrids. And, that all hybrid Toyota products are in their 3rd generation of development.

    Greta, at that point, asked why there was a $30K premium delta between the Lexus LS gas only and the LS hybrid, if there was "only" a $3K difference in the production costs. The 'yoda official did a little 2-step dance around the issue restating what he'd already said about the Prius getting rave reviews in Japan (allegedly pre-sold 80K units) She let him off the hook at that point.

    That brings up a good point, though. I'll assume there are some economies of scale since Toyota is the biggest producer of hybrids. Why the cost differential? And, in the case of the Lexus LS, why the huge differential in cost between the LS versions?

    If we're going to scrutinize GM and Chrysler under a microscope, let's do the same with Toyota, Honda, etc. if they're selling their wares in the U.S.
    2024 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long Range
  • lrguy44lrguy44 Member Posts: 2,197
    The GM List has not been made public as the circumstances involved (no BK) are different from Chrysler. Many dealers have come forth disclosing the fact that they will be disenfranchised.
  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    Nevertheless, I feel that the comments are worthy and should be shared with every high school junior and senior.

    That may be too late. I'm for doing this when they start going to school and the parents should be leading the way on this. The kids should have a target to aim at. It's never too early to start the process. This reminds me of something Son #1 told me when he was a junior at Penn State. When I get a chance I'll post it.

    FWIW, although I've seen most of what you posted at one time or another I never saw all of those points at one time.

    You get an 'A' from me.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    The GM List has not been made public as the circumstances involved (no BK) are different from Chrysler.

    Thanks Captain.

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • jmonroejmonroe Member Posts: 8,989
    The following is from an article titled GM Looking for Orderly Wind Down of 1,100 Dealers, on May 15, 2009 by Michelle Krebs (an editor here at Edmunds).

    “Of the 1,100 dealers notified, as many as 400 to 500 sold a scant 35 GM vehicles a year, making them "not economically viable," at those sales levels, LaNeve said”

    35 cars a YEAR? This has to be a typo. 35 cars a MONTH, I could understand. :confuse:

    jmonroe

    '15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    >-principal, assistant superintendent, supervisor, etc.---can make $150k per year easily

    Sounds like schools have the same problem that GM has. Overpaid administration. In this area the administrators tend to have all the answers but can't carry through because they don't really know what they're doing; the teachers are the ones in the classroom who should be receiving more money for actually doing the job. Dayton City Schools has gone through one know-it-all after another with no real solutions to their parent and community problem to solve the low test scores of their students. Indeed, they blame many of the problems on the UAW I mean teachers instead of lack of proper management at the top. Last guy just left a year ago on a buyout--I think he went to some new victim school in North Carolina.

    Amazing the parallel in this region of the country between overmanagement expense at GM and in schools.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    No,I dont think that`s a typo....Some dealers really performed poorly..35 a month is very acceptable.
    A GMC-Buick local dealer --well,,,he has been having those huge trucks since God knows when...Just no buyers for those and most of them are loaded versions...No one wants to buy a loaded truck now,,,let alone a base model.
    Still 5000 GM dealers vs 1200 Toyota for the same % of market share..That is gluttony and a disaster waiting to happen! :sick:
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    "Overpaid administration."

    You are so right. The schools work just like GM, AIG, etc. The ones who do the real work, teachers and auto line workers, make the least, while the administrators do nothing and make the big bucks. I put off going into administration for 28 years because I loved teaching and I knew that the board of education administrators did nothing and had no answers. Then one day I began to think about my retirement and the Golden Years. If I became an administrator, my salary would practically double and so would my retirement. My superintendent had been pushing me for years to come to the board of education. I gave in and called him. He found a teacher to take my place and I was at the new post within two weeks. In order to catch up money wise, I had to stay there 12 years---total career came to 40 years. I actually became an administrator when many of my friends were getting ready to retire.

    During those 12 years, many administrators actually laughed at me for working hard. So many of them took two hour lunches, delegated the work to underlings, and never provided an answer to a teacher or a principal in need. I didn't live my life that way as a teacher, and I sure as hell wasn't going to live my life that way as an administrator. When I retired, the guy who took my place lasted a year. He complained that it was too much work and that Mr. Richard had not set up a network of people to do the job! :sick:

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    You peaked my curiosity, so I looked at the door sticker on my '08 Sebring convertible. It was made in the USA.

    Richard
  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    How do you like your Sebring Convertible? I'm seeing an 08 Touring model with just under 15K miles advertised here on autotrader.com, for about $16K.
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    GM Canada is going to close down 245 dealers. Since we have 1/10th the population of the U.S. that is about the same as 2450 dealers in the U.S., if my math is correct. But check out the cost of closing down a dealership - $700,000!

    One dealer pointed out, however, that if he is forced to shut down and let his 60 employees go, legacy costs will be between $700,000 and $800,000.

    “Who is going to pay that?” the dealer asked at the time.


    U.S. dealers who sell less than 35 cars a year were among those notified in the first round of cuts.

    Yes, some dealers only sold 35 cars! Probably rural dealers that wanted the franchise more to sell used cars...or as a nice little hobby business.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    Mike, I just love the car. That is about what I paid for mine and it had 10k miles. It is a Touring model, cobalt blue with a black top. It has a smooth ride, great gas mileage, handles really well, and looks fabulous with the top down or up. We really get the stares when we go out with the top down. I've only had it two months and put one thousand miles on it. We took a short trip in it and the rest has been town driving. I traded in an '06 model. There is a world of difference between the two. You can't even begin to compare the two. The '08 is so much better and a little bigger. The top needed a little adjustment at first, but works fine now. It has been in two heavy rain storms and we experienced no leaks at all. So far, I am really happy with the purchase. Also, I have a great dealer and service department.

    Richard
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,630
    Piqued?
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    He complained that it was too much work and that Mr. Richard had not set up a network of people to do the job!

    Just read an article on why people quit their jobs. Surprisingly, money was #2.

    Why do people quit?

    A Canadian survey of more than 1,600 respondents to be released Wednesday suggests a lack of trust in senior leaders is the main factor behind their departure.

    Insufficient pay was the second most common reason to leave, followed by an unhealthy or undesirable workplace culture. More than half of respondents quit more because of job dissatisfaction than due to a new job opportunity.

    If interested see; Why do people quit?
    why people quit

    Richard, check your carspace to see how we made out with our employee problem.
    Hopefully it worked, it's my 1st try at carspace, now that I have the Images almost conquered.

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    You peaked my curiosity, so I looked at the door sticker on my '08 Sebring convertible. It was made in the USA.

    Piqued? Arouse curiosity

    Peaked:
    peak⋅ed2  /ˈpikɪd/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pee-kid] Show IPA
    –adjective pale and drawn in appearance so as to suggest illness or stress; wan and sickly.

    Maybe he wasn't feeling too good when he was checking to see where his car was made. ;)

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • mikefm58mikefm58 Member Posts: 2,882
    What are your thoughts on not getting the lifetime power train warranty since you also bought it as a used car? I owned Chryslers 20+ years ago and that does bother me a bit.
  • delthekingdeltheking Member Posts: 1,152
    No,I dont think that`s a typo....Some dealers really performed poorly..35 a month is very acceptable.
    A GMC-Buick local dealer --well,,,he has been having those huge trucks since God knows when...Just no buyers for those and most of them are loaded versions...No one wants to buy a loaded truck now,,,let alone a base model.
    Still 5000 GM dealers vs 1200 Toyota for the same % of market share..That is gluttony and a disaster waiting to happen! :sick:
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    >Maybe he wasn't feeling too good when he was checking to see where his car was made

    Maybe he peeked at the door label when his curiosity was piqued one day when he stayed home from work because he was looking peaked. ;)

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • houdini1houdini1 Member Posts: 8,356
    Nice catch !!

    Maybe he just meant that the level of his curiosity peaked at a high level. But then his syntax would be all jacked up !! :)

    2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460

  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    ... I was wrong about my local Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep dealer. I stopped in whilst running some errands at lunch, just to see if they had any of the new Challengers. The nice sales lady I talked to said that they were not planning to add any new stock and that the dealer's lawyers were working on keeping the dealer open.

    (The original list I posted showed that the dealers main location, in a different city, was on the hit list, which I assumed meant that the satellite dealer wasn't - oh, well).

    Anyway, the lot was not terribly full .. this is what I saw:

    -> a couple of Sebring convertibles - both 2008's.
    -> One Grand Cherokee SRT8 - stickered at $50K!
    -> 6-8 of the 4 door Wranglers.
    -> a couple of PT Cruisers (one stick and one auto)
    -> a couple of 300C's
    -> a couple of Chargers (both of them R/T models with the Hemi)
    -> a few Compass' (Compii?) and Patriots - some of them 2WD (?)
    -> a row of Grand Cherokees
    -> 3 or 4 minivans
    -> 8-10 Ram pickups, both '08's and '09's
    -> 4 or 5 Dodge Journeys
    -> 2 Dodge Calibers
    -> 1 Avenger

    And, in the showroom, a Hemi Orange Challenger SRT8. Sales lady said that it was a custom order andthe customer changed his mind. 6.1L Hemi V8 with the 6-speed stick. Stickered at $47K.
  • driver100driver100 Member Posts: 32,638
    Maybe he peeked at the door label when his curiosity was piqued one day when he stayed home from work because he was looking peaked.

    That is good, a triple header. Richard is going to be impressed, you move to the front of the class. :D

    2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    Triple puns are even better according to the editor of Highlights for Children at a speech long ago. He talked about how irritating it was listening to a group of chess players at a convention in NY hotel: "Chessnuts boasting in an open foyer."

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    OMG!!! My homonyms aren't in proper sequence today. Thank goodness I didn't use "peeked"! Perhaps I could use the excuse that I was "peaked' because he lifted me to such great heights. :P No, I don't think the syntax will allow that one.

    You're a smart boy for finding that mistake. I'm flattered because this shows that you take the time to read my posts carefully. :) Actually, I'm a bit pissed at myself. My biggest pet peeve is "your" instead of "you're". My error is just as bad. Will the excuse of a "senior moment" work? I think not. It's more of a "senior screw-up". ;):blush:

    Richard
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    We have a 2008 Siebring Convertable on our lot with 14,000 miles. It's tagged at 14,700. Been here 75 days and not one looker.

    Nice looking car too!
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    I love the triple header. This is one of those days when you become the teacher's pet. ;)

    Speaking of feeling sickly, the sticker search just about wore me out for the day. I was on my hands and knees in the garage with a magnifying glass and a flashlight trying to read the door sticker. My lab was licking my face, and my wife was calling to me to take a telephone call. The professor who called inquired as to what I was doing at the moment. I didn't dare tell him the truth. I just said that I was messing around in the garage. :blush: :shades:

    Richard
  • sterlingdogsterlingdog Member Posts: 6,984
    I'm just curious. What is the color and is it a Touring model? I bet that you don't know the color without having to go and look. :P

    Richard
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