Stories from the Sales Frontlines

fezo

richard - I think you're about as cold as we are! At least we are relatively used to these things (which does not mean we like it).

sandman - Dang! I was in grad school in Tallahassee and it went down as low as 8 one night! That was NOT what I went to grad school in Florida for! I will say though that I was back swimming in the gulf by mid-March and and I really really liked Tallahassee.

fezo

isell - say it ain't so!

isellhondas

Steve,

I just edited my post and added a sentence.

Sometimes the pot just needs to be stirred and I do think I'm pretty good at pulling my punches. Not every HOST would agree I'm sure!

cdnpinhead

Some wonder why I spend as much time as I do on the internet.

The last 40 or so posts on this board go a long way toward an explanation.

Happy New Year to you all!

sterlingdog

Happy New Year to you as well!

Richard

Kirstie_H

I'm not hugging a bunch of sweaty old guys.

Hey!! I'm not sweaty.

As for arrogance isellhondas, well... we've all got egos. I like to remind people that my ego is self-inflating for your convenience.

Kirstie_H

A visit from a long-lost beloved member may brighten your day.

I'm not saying who, and I make no guarantees, so don't bother guessing. :P

isellhondas

I've heard that you are quite the opposite of a sweaty old guy!

houdini1

I have lived in the KC area for over 30 years so I am used to the cold. I visited a friend of mine in Ft. Myers a few years ago. We were playing golf one day (shorts and golf shirts, etc.) when a cold front swept thru and the temp dropped down into the 40's within minutes, with a cold misty rain. It was, and is, the coldest I have even been in my life !!

isellhondas

Try Fairbanks AK in January.

I was on a business trip in it was minus 25 degrees.

Next week I had to fly to Oahu and it was in the 80's.

fezo

Next week I had to fly to Oahu and it was in the 80's.

HAD to fly to Oahu? You lead a tough life...

houdini1

That is indeed cold, but cold is relative. It was -4 here this morning and we are expecting as low as -13 later this week. I have been out and about this morning and if you are dressed properly there is no problem at these low temps...if you are not dressed properly you can die of exposure when the temps are in the 40's.

Kirstie_H

I'm in the KC area too, and my car hasn't moved out of the driveway since sometime before Christmas. Snow shovels sold out everywhere, and it keeps freakin' snowing!! We've been using the 4WD pickup for the past two weeks.

If I have my way, I won't be seeing the outdoors at all today.

houdini1

Roger on that. I live out in western Lenexa. Get ready for that next storm due on Wednesday.

HOW BOUT THEM CHIEFS !! :shades:

isellhondas

Yeah, I used to get that a lot.

A six hour flight only to end up in a hotel room or in a lawyer's office or putting on a meeting.

It wasn't like I was lying on the beach or anything.

It did beat flying into and working in Oakland.

fezo

Gee, hard to beat Oakland....

My brother has had trips like you describe. I remember him going to Brazil and with the exception of one night in town he might as well been in a conference room in Hackensack.

Kirstie_H

I'm on the way eastern Mo side. I plan to take my sorry RWD vehicle and flee to the other side of the state on Wednesday morning. They've got cold, but no snow. I am so OVER Winter!

michaellno

To all you people living in and around KC, all I've got to say is:

PPPPPFFFFTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!

(can you guess I live in Denver?)

And, I don't wanna hear about cold and snow. I think I've seen the grass in my backyard for maybe two weeks since October -- the rest of the time, it's been covered in snow.

My mini dachshunds are not too fond of it, let me tell you.

To keep this on topic, the snow / ice on the roads, coupled with all season tires that are in need of replacing, means that I've been doing a lot of slipping and sliding whilst driving the past few weeks. Surprisingly, I've been getting oversteer with my FWD car, which means the rear tires are particularly lacking tread.

But, it makes me feel like Seb Loeb or Mikko Hirvonen at times.

houdini1

Lol, as it turned out you guys would not have made the playoffs anyway. There have been some squirelly games here toward the end of the season. Some teams just lost on purpose to save their players, etc. Messed up a lot of fantasy players picks.

My son was in a league where the winner would get $3500. Going into yesterday there were 17 guys tied for the lead...but 11 of them had Denver over KC...he would have done the same but that game was not available to him.

You other guys, I am still waiting on the Green Hornet !!

isellhondas

Yeah, I know.

I once got stranded when they shut down Stapleton because of snow. No hotels available so I slept on a conveyor belt at the airport.

jipster

what are you thoughts?

And the law says, "Bust a deal and face the wheel." :mad:

Keep the car, keep the extra money, send the dealership a nice thank you card... and keep that shiny new car locked in your garage for the next 3 or 4 months.

explorerx4

nobody came by and claimed that fine piece of luggage?

im_brentwood

Did I miss this place!

Speaking of weather... I'm flying to Orlando Wed night for 2 days, going to MAYBE hit 60.. YUCK! It's not car related, but if anyone knows what the FUN Show is, that's why I'm going.

I just had the most amusing story here at the store...... This one takes the taco. Customer lands themselves on a used 4Runner. An 07 with 37k or so on it, Think I was asking $23995 or something for it. Customer has an 02 Elantra with 150k on it as a trade, it's a pig, $500 car.

"I'm looking to be around $200 a month and I was told not to finance for more than 36 Months"

Customer has $500 down. Umm.... no.

If they had Tier 1+ Cerdit, and were previous Toyota Finance customers and put enough down to put us in an equity situation I could do just shy of 4%.

No problem Sir, with tax and DMV that's $750 a month or so.

"No, Im not paying over $200 a month!"

"Sir, no problem, that will be about $19,000 down"

"Im putting $500 down THATS IT!"

"Well, if the bank offered a 165 Month term then we could get there but they don't"

"No more than 36 months!"

"OK Sir, then we need to look at a much less expensive car"

"No I want THIS CAR!"

The guy literally did not get it.

snakeweasel

I knew a guy who would spend on week in Brazil, a week back home in Chicago, a week in England then another back home then it would start all over again. He said after the first few trips when the novelty wore off it was just a hassle.

tidester

LTNS. Welcome back!

It's amazing how someone can have so little number sense.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

mikefm58

Speaking of weather... I'm flying to Orlando Wed night for 2 days, going to MAYBE hit 60.. YUCK! It's not car related, but if anyone knows what the FUN Show is, that's why I'm going.

I'll be there as well, never been to that coin show but I hear that's a good one. All I can say is, dress warm, low about 30, high in the 50s, cold as all heck for me, but you'll love it.

jipster

I'll admit something, too. You did give me hell and I thought that you were arrogant and opinionated. Then it finally dawned on me. You were being professional and stating sound arguments

Hey richard, you have a link or post # for that old thread? Sounds like a fun re-read.

explorerx4

i thought about going back to find those early posts, but decided i will remember him as Dr Jekyll, not Mr Hyde. :surprise:

snakeweasel

So basically he wanted to pay only $7,700 total for the car, license, taxes, doc fee and three years worth of interest payments.

"OK Sir, then we need to look at a much less expensive car"

Yea maybe something 1/4th the price.

cdnpinhead

Did I miss this place!

Not nearly so much as it's missed you!

To the person who started the well-respected "real-world trade-in values" board, THANK YOU. Others have filled in there since you created it, but. . . They've been missed as well, but it was your idea.

In any event, welcome back.

im_brentwood

Thanks!

I can't believe that's still going lol. What got me back posting was a customer coming in with a TMV trade-In number that was, I dunno, $3,500 over reality....

I did suggest RWTIV thread to him but who knows.

Geez guys... TMV is getting way off base.... an 07 Prius, no matter how nice and how loaded just isn't worth $18500... heck, I was offered an 09 Prius 5 with leather and Navi and 6k miles in Black for that much!

I figured the car for $15k...

fezo

About time you showed up! We'd written you off as dead. :P

Got a nice Solara convertible for $200 a month? You could have my Celica. No more than 36 months though.

im_brentwood

Fezo,

How about this 99 that's coming in tonight..... :P

Missed u man!

fezo

99, huh? I have a remarkable coincidence to report involving 99 Toyota convertibles.....

Heck, q has a line on a 99 Volvo convertible with 49K and a stick..... I told him I didn't want to know the price but maybe I'm wrong.... (this was over in Chronic Car Buyers...)

jimbres

Welcome back!!!

You gonna stick around for a bit?

roadburner

Welcome back!!!
Still have the Vauxhalls?

im_brentwood

I shall stick around indeed!

Vauxhall says Hi, I am down to one.

If Q buys an early C70 I would feel bad at laughing at his misfortune, those are frightpigs, do not buy.

Tell him I said he is not allowed.

fezo

I would be in more danger of buying such a thing than he would. He doesn't want a convertible as a daily driver. Having seen a foot of snow on the Celica a couple of weeks ago (and that's only because I kept knocking snow off of it during a two foot drop) it doesn't bother me. They're noisy even with the top up but you expect that.

Next you'll tell me not to buy a Saab convertible either.....

graphicguy

brentwood....well, my goodness, a true (and welcomed) blast from the past returns. Welcome back! Stick around. It's still fun around here....just a little moreso with you around.

Regarding flights.......in the same 7 day week, I flew from Cincinnati, to Sao Paulo to Boston, to London. Summer in Sao Paulo....winter in Cincinnati, Boston and London. Interesting and diverse set of clothing I had to pack. At most, a day in each city, but I did end up spending the weekend in London to regroup.

Will never repeat that trip. Don't know what I was thinking when I set it up. The only saving grace was I was upgraded to biz class for Sao Paulo, Boston, London and back. And, it was a huge boost for my frequent flier account. Plus, the trip to London was for a job interview, and they actually picked up the entire tab for my weekend there.

driver100

If Q buys an early C70 I would feel bad at laughing at his misfortune, those are frightpigs

I think I almost know, but what is a definition of a "frightpig"?

Any more definitions we newbies should know about?

Haven't formally met you yet brentwood, but glad to meet you now. Nice that you returned, the more the merrier.

isellhondas

Typical response from you!

isellhondas

Hey, welcome back and stick around this time!

sterlingdog

Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again." and I really don't want to go back and read them. It was bad enough the first time. :sick:

Richard

sterlingdog

They killed Mr. Hyde. At least I survived. :P

Richard

sterlingdog

I came on board about a month before you left. Thanks to the guys here, I am a changed man. Welcome back. This is still a great place to hang out and learn things. It has been a great two years for me. I look forward to reading your posts and learning more new things.

Richard

driver100

I really don't want to go back and read them. It was bad enough the first time.

Actually, it is very entertaining and one of the all time classic posts.
Since you began on September 7 2007, I would suggest for any one interested, to check around that date. I did it about a year ago, and it is well worth a look.

Hey Richard, someone else said "If we don't know our past, we don't have a future". I don't know if that's true, but it sounds good.

verdugo

Thanks to the guys here, I am a changed man

Nah, give yourself credit here. Most posters who come here don't want advice. They just want to hear what they want. They don't learn and don't stick around. Case in point, the guy (paxton something?) who was proud of his Dodge Stealth (?) with 200,000 miles.

dtezla

I'm going to agree on this one. My favorite car I ever owned was my 99 C70 High Pressure Turbo Coupe (not a convertible). I absolutely loved it, but if I didn't work at a Volvo dealership, I wouldn't have been able to afford the frequent repairs. The convertible is known to be even worse.

qbrozen

How the heck did I miss all these recent posts?

Brentwood ... in case you check here and no RWTIV, how the heck are ya?? And what are you doing? Working a 'yota dealership?

Was I wrong to assume that, mechanically, the C70 would be as good as my S70? I know the top can be a problem, though, and that's probably what would keep me away (that and, as fezo said, I'm not keen on a 'vert anyway). BUT, if I found a similar coupe, it would be hard to resist ... unless you tell me something otherwise.

tallman1

Actually, it is very entertaining and one of the all time classic posts.

Try post 17113. Sorry Richard, inquiring minds seem to want to know.