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Customer Satisfaction Surveys

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Comments

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Oh, here comes the "key" story again....
  • andyman73andyman73 Member Posts: 322
    Some one please pass the popcorn...
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    It was on Oct 31, 1998 in Alexandria, VA. It was a warm day for that time of year and the trees were vibrant in multi-color shades of red and yellow.

     

    Yes, we are so lucky to have such a large variety of beautiful decidious trees instead of having only dull conifers like the poor unfortunates in the Pacific NW. But I digress.

     

    The missus and I drove into a car dealer to make an OTD take-it-or-shove-it offer to buy a new car, and were delightfully surprised when they accepted.

     

    However, the mood inside the showroom soon became very tense and menacing when the salesman ... (to be continued).
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Dad gum, I forgot the rest of the story. C'mon guys, help me out.

     

    I do recall the pleasure I had filling out the survey and giving them a bunch of zeros, but that's about it.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I guess you've never been up here since your tree knowledge is lacking.
  • crkeehncrkeehn Member Posts: 513
    They promised you a solid gold key and gave you gold plated instead.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Oh yeah, they were going to give me the extra keys just like I had specified in my TIOSI offer, but the keys could not be used to drive the car. Have you ever heard of anything so silly?

     

    Trying to pull a trick like that sure warrants a CSI zero in my book.
  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    I just purchased an 05 Maxima SE and have mixed feelings about the whole experience. I'll try to give you guys the Reader's Digest version of the story, but I need some advice.

    I called ABC Motors and told them I saw, from NissanUSA.com, that they had the exact vehicle I wanted in their inventory. I wanted to verify its existance and work out a price. The salesman said he was looking at the car out on the lot and that he could give me 1% over invoice plus a $100 doc fee. I told him I'd discuss the price with my wife and call him back. I called 5 minutes later and told him I was on my way.

    I packed the kids up (6 months old and 18 months old) and the wife and I took a 25 mile drive. When we got there, I found my salesman.

    “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Mr. Customer... someone just sold your car!”

    I didn’t buy this for two seconds. Anywho, to make a long story short, I found another vehicle in my second color choice. The rest of my experience with Mr. Sure I’m Staring Right At It was pleasant. The process was smooth, though a little slower than I would have liked, given how it still took hours even though there was no negotiating.

    F$I is a different story. This guy, despite my politest and forthright efforts, was bent on pounding the extra warranty, GAP, etc. He walked me through 5 or 6 warranty offerings, and I declined all of them. On the last one, he said “here, I’ll add this in there and the price of the car will be $20 less”. “How did you make it less?” I asked. “Through the structure of the deal.”

    I’m irritated now.

    “No kidding. HOW?”

    This goes back and forth and he finally gives up and drops the whole issue, but only after saying “okay, well if you want to pay extra for the car...”. I get the price we agreed on with no mop ‘n glow.

    Well, the CSI arrives yesterday and I’m in a quandery as to how to fill it out. I’m a pleasant person and tend to give folks the benefit of the doubt. In my Salesman’s case, I’m fine with giving him all top marks. The F$I guy, on the otherhand, is getting “Very Good” across the board, with the exception of “Good” for “Treating you with respect”. Franky, I feel that my marks are quite generous, even though anything less than “excellent” is a failure.

    Now, my CSI specifically asks if it’s the Salesperson or a separate F$I guy who handled the financing. This leads to believe that he, the salesman, won’t be penalized for his F$I guy’s wrongdoings. Is this correct? How do the salesfolk out there feel about this?
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    I remember your purchasing story from another discussion. If you felt you weren't dealt with honestly, then you're not doing anyone (except the F&I guy) a favor by giving them high marks. Did you have a chat with the manager to let them know how displeased you were with the F&I manager? You should at least do that, and maybe they'll do something to make it right.

    I didn't respond to your other story, but this bit concerning the power of attorney cracked me up:
    I don't know what this thing is, but we don't take these here."

    "What do you mean you don't 'take these'? It's not a coupon for a free car. It's a legal document giving me the right to act on my wife's behalf."


    I think of that every now and again, and it makes me laugh.

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  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    Hehe... yeah, that was actually a rather amusing moment at the dealership. On the second trip out there (after sleeping on the decision to still buy from them), I wasn't about to haul my kids out there again (and my wife hates buying cars, so I didn't want to drag her out there again, either). About a year ago, we each gave the other PoA (her stepfather is a probate attorney - yay for us). It's real nice when one of us can watch the kids while the other deals with legal/financial matters. The PoA makes life a lot more convenient with kids... of course, it's a bit useless when the other party doesn't acknowledge it ;) .

    Oh well, it makes for a good story!
  • manamalmanamal Member Posts: 426
    Of course another alternative is to put the car in the name of the person at the dealership alone. If you alone can qualify for the loan, there is no need to have the spouse involved. Now, if you do it without consulting your spouse in advance, you might still need legal representation of a different type.

    Recently, I was looking at a car and the salesperson was pressuring me to buy then (did not work). I pointed out I need to show the car to my wife first. The sales person said that she does not need to be a party, as I qualify for financing on my own. I asked if they would cover any legal fees and other expenses.
  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    True, and that's actually what we ended up doing. It turns out that I qualified for the loan on my own, but I didn't know that going in. Nissan was running 2% and my wife and I each have good credit (750 and 760, respectively), but we've always applied for auto loans together. I'm not sure why, but we just did. Anywho, long story short, it all worked out great... I was just baffled when the F$I guy told me "sorry, we don't take these here", like I was trying to pass Monopoly money or something. Good stuff.
  • blh7068blh7068 Member Posts: 375
    Recently I purchased a Dodge Magnum, and the entire experience was great.

    While I declined all of the various warranty packs, I liked how the F&I guy went over it. He had a printed sheet of each available warranty type, cost and what it my payment would be based on my amount financed. It also showed(which I already knew) the monthly payment based on the note alone.

    While it was already predetermined that I would not get the warranty, I listened anyway, figuring he was just doing his job by going over all of the options. Plus he was no nonsense and quite polite to boot.

    They also asked me to bring in the survey and they would fill up my tank. Heck, I plan on giving them the highest marks anyway, so why not get some free gas?
  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    While a free tank of gas sounds appealing, I really question a dealership that would do such a thing. Maybe I'm not as nice as I thought, but if they offered that to me, I'd probably ding them on integrity and thank them for the offer. Frankly, I think it's a little sleazy.

    Maybe I'm reading too much into these surveys, but I guess I see them as the one thing we - the buyers - are actually in control of. It's the one chance you have to penalize/reward the dealership for their performance. It's the one thing that keeps them 'in check'. In my case, I'm happy to reward my salesman for a decent experience, while I'm also happy (and feel somewhat vindicated) to highlight the F$I guy's wrongdoings. It's a chance to tell the dealership, "hey, if you want peddle these add-ons at all costs, then fine... but it WILL cost you".

    Maybe it's a bit juvenille, but I can tell myself, "hey, he didn't get away with treating me like a fool, afterall".
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Will sell themselves out for a lousy tank of gas. They were treated poorly but they will cheerfully hand over their blank survey for a gas fillup.

    Happens all of the time. We have never done this buy we are measured against other stores that do.
  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    ... and that's part of the problem. Dealerships who are actively trying to turn the general image around get penalized for playing nice.

    They're penalized for not "buying" their CSI scores. The result? You can count on a better experience there, but ABC Screamin' Motors gets the inventory.

    They're penalized for not lowballing their customers. The result? Customer shops their price to ABC Screamin' Motors, gets lowballed, decides to buy, gets slammed with $1k in fees, but doesn't walk because he's too tired and worn out by that point.

    I could go on and on, but what's the point. I've had two bad shopping experiences, two average ones, and one slightly above average one. I have a great deal of respect for the shops and salespeople who put forth the effort to do things the way they're meant to be done. The guys who are buying CSI scores are just undercutting their efforts. To make matters worse, the same customers who complain about salespeople in general are oftentimes the same ones rewarding shoddy practices.

    End rant.
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    ...... will continue their practices because THEY WORK!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    You hit the nail on the head. I guess the almighty dollar (tank of gas)outweighs the opportunity to tell the parent company how you were mistreated.

    Full page screamer ads continue because some shoppers flock to these places. And, you are dead on. Even after realizing they were tricked they are too tired from the ordeal. They simply cave in and buy the car.

    Just like my friend, Prophet said.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    The car buying process is what it is. I suggest you accept it as it is and find a way to enjoy buying a car.

    You might as well rant against the weather being hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It ain't gonna change, so buy a bathing suit for the summer and a coat for the winter and enjoy every day of life you have.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    .. **so buy a bathing suit for the summer and a coat for the winter and enjoy every day of life you have** ...l..o..l....

    Can I use that.? ........ ;))

    Terry.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    I would be honored to have you put my quote right under the "No Whining" sign in your office.

    Bob
  • tylerjb1tylerjb1 Member Posts: 39
    I guess I ranted because I see a problem that is feeding itself. I see good salespeople being penalized for being good, and bad salespeople rewarded for being bad. I see some of the people who complain about this little paradox as the actual source of the problem.

    There is much reason to rant! I know I could accept it, but I derive a bit of pleasure from crying about it ;) .

    But in all seriousness, I used to be a salesperson. I was pretty terrible at it. I sold computers and was pressured by my boss to sell extended warranties. While I'm certain that sellings PC's is far different from (and easier than) selling cars, I do feel for the good guys...
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    We hear ya, tylerjb1. That's one of the reasons this board exists - we hope to help consumers identify tactics that are poor and/or shady, and dissuade consumers from rewarding dealerships who use these tactics.

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  • cadillacmikecadillacmike Member Posts: 543
    I got a Survey on my 2005 CTS a couple weeks ago, and while I didn't have any issues with the sales & delivery process, there have been some other "issues" with my car purchase - which is actually a "Cadillac certified pre-owned" car (6 month old car).

    I don't want to hammer the sales person, he has been informative and helpful, as was the sales mgr. The F&I person apparently learned quickly from my prior purchase in Aug and didn't try to sell me anything at all, not didn't even try to pass a bougus finance rate on me.

    BUT, We bought the car Jan 4, It's nearly 2 months and we don't have out license plate / tag (this was an additional car). That's way too long, and my wife can't get on the base with a temp tag. So that is frosting my keyster. No explanation, other than they had some problems with their "tag person"

    Then, there was the 3 weeks the car spent in the service dept because GM apparently mis-wired all the spare parts headliners (this car had a headliner replaced with the 1st owner) and the service dept actually tried to blow off a very obvious indication that something was wrong. This problem SHOULD have been noticed by the dealer in pre-delivery inspection by the way.

    Then there was the scratch in the door when I picked it up, and of course the OnStar that was no longer working too. then there was the amatuer buffing contest that they held on my door when they refinished it. Then the excuses about how it only needed waxing, ect.

    So, buying experience, largely fine, service experience largely a nightmare (coupled with overcharging me on one of my other cars at the same time), where the heck do I go on the CPO survey, they have specific questions on survey regarding service.

    I let the svc manager have it, and he never even apologized, so I took it to the General Mgr, told him a couple of simple apologies would have gone a LONG way (on the CTS) and blasted the service folks for overchagrging me on my Eldorado.

    They got the headliner wiring corrected (turns out EVERY GM spare was miswired) and the broken OnStar (that they broke) fixed. The amature buffing was also supposedly corrected, but I'm at FT Belvoir and can't verify yet - and I'm still torqued that the door was messed up in the first place). I made sure the svc mgr saw the hatchet job on my door before I left - he was shocked, I really think he didn't realize how bad it was initially. At least he had NO doubt as th what was wrong.

    My wife got free loaner cars (this is her car) for all this, so that's a plus. We were also offerred 2 complimentary oil changes (CTS' require synthetic oil so these will be costly) as well as a credit for the difference in overchaging on my other car. So I appreciate their trying to make things right, it's just that this would have been a whole lot simpler if the service folks didn't try to argue with me like I didn't know a certain body part from another certain body part as far as cars go.

    What I guess I'll do is wait to see that door when I get back home. If I can't tell it was refinished, I'm inclined to give them excellent marks because od their efforts to correct iytems that I brought to their attention.

    Still waiting on the permanent tag though...

    Do you guys thin I'm being too easy, or too harsh???
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ....... Mike .. for what you paid for that dude, they should have been at your beckon call with drivers, dinners and details ........

    Terry.
  • cadillacmikecadillacmike Member Posts: 543
    Well, I got back from DC on Friday, looked at my wife's car Sat, still swirl marks galore.

    Took it to my body & paint friend, he confirmed that it's not my imagination, also noticed some overspray too!

    I asked if he could do it right, he said sure, so I'm going to talk with Service Mgr, General Mgr today about their demonstrated lack of ability to correctly refinish a black car door.

    I'm still carrying around the survey in my briefcase!
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    I recently had a very pleasant interlude with my local Mercury dealership. I got a recall taken care of, and another minor problem corrected, both under warranty. All went well. I received a notice from the dealership some days later, stating that Mercury would be asking me to fill out a satisfaction survey. They "pled" with me to give them a perfect score, and if I felt I could not do that, would I please contact the dealership so that they could "fix" whatever would stop me from awarding the perfect score. They actually claimed that any score less than perfect was the same as failing. I have not yet received the questionnaire by mail, but intend to certainly give them a perfect score so that my future engagements with them will also be to my liking! I have been successfully bribed.
  • spec5spec5 Member Posts: 15
    I recently purchased my Kia Spectra 5. I had purchased a Suzuki Forenza last year and just wasn't satisfied with it. My credit isn't great and I had some negative equity so I wasn't expecting a GREAT deal, just hoping to get a car I believed I would like better for a reasonable price. So we get down to the nitty gritty of the deal and my payment is going to be about $75 more a month than I had allowed myself to go. We discussed and was able to get the price of the car down which adjusted my payment by $25 less, still leaving me at $50 over what I was wanting to pay but I knew my credit sucks and was gonna have the high interest rate which was creating this problem. I agreed. About 30 minutes later I went in to sign off on all the paperwork and the finance guy said I think I have good news for you. I didn't understand exactly what the reasoning for this was but the result was good so I took it. If I didn't keep the $1000 rebate, they could go with one particular lender and drop my interest rate by 5% and even though I'd be financing $1000 more,my payments dropped $50 a month. Not sure how that all worked or what they did, but the long and short of it is, I got the payment I wanted but it cost me an extra grand on the selling price. Pay more to pay less? I figured hey, I'd rather pay principle than interest and it put me on the payment I want. I'm thinking it will hurt if I go to trade the vehicle anytime soon because I'll owe 1000 more.
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ..... What sounds weird is, you traded a Suzuki for a Kia -and- financed $1,000 more .... now that's weird ..l.o.l.....

    I bet you would pay $500 for a Timex ....... ;)

    Terry.
  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    I've never had a dealer even mention the survey when i buy. I did have a small survey issue with some warranty work on my mitsu a couple of years ago.

    I had the convertible top replaced (under warranty) and the dealer farmed it out to a top shop. When I got the car back, the back windows had been scratched BADLY. I picked it up late, after hours, so I had to call them back the next morning. I wasn't mad about it at that point, I was just calling to find out how and when they were gonna fix it. The service guy tells me that he didn't see any scratches and that any damage that the car had must have been done by me before I dropped it off. I can't stand car damage and I fix the bad things that happen and that car had no damage when I left it.

    I live about an hour and a half from the dealership, he knew that and probably suspected that I would drop it. Not a chance. I locked my shop and headed to the dealer the moment I got off the phone with him. When I get there, he decides that he had seen the scratches but he remembers them being there when I dropped the car off to him a few days before. I reminded him that I had used the after hours drop off for the car and had not dropped it off to him or anyone else. How exactly would the average driver scratch their back windows like that (inside and out)? I went in to the parts guy and told him I needed new back windows for my car because the top shop had scratched them and he agreed to take care of it.

    Robert, the service guy, called me the next day at work whining and asking me not to "trash him" on the survey I would be getting. I told him my intent was not to trash him but I would be honest and that my priority was to get my windows fixed. My windows ended up being on back-order and by the time they arrived, Robert was mysteriously gone from the dealership. The new service guy mentioned the survey only to ask that I hold it until they got the car fixed to my satisfaction. I obliged. I did trash Robert for trying to lie his way out of it, but I commended the dealership for making it right in the end. I had no further problems with the dealership!!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    That seems reasonable - even good dealerships get bad employees. No matter how much research you do, you can't be sure how someone's going to perform until they get into the job.

    My area phone company has implemented a customer service technique that I like a lot, and think it would be beneficial to auto dealerships rather than begging for a good rating after the work's done. When I call the customer service line and get a rep on the phone, the first thing they say is, "Hi, thank you for choosing ABC phone company, my name is XX. What can I do to make you a very satisfied customer today?" That helps establish the customer's expectations before the service. Now, my expectations may not be reasonable, but they can tell me that, and what I can expect.

    Before the call ends, they ask if I could rate my experience with them as "very satisfactory," and if, not, how can they make it so. If nothing else, it shows me that they're trying to earn the rating rather than beg it off me at the end when I'm irked.

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  • lhesslhess Member Posts: 379
    if he was so worried about the survey, why didn't he just admit to the damage and agree to take care of it when I mentioned it on the phone? I wasn't really that upset about the windows - things happen when you get a vehicle worked on. He would have earned my complete admiration had he called me and told me what had happened to my windows, replacements were already ordered and they'd be replaced when they came in. OK, you messed them up but you're gonna fix them...great!

    He even tried to make me collect from the top shop for new windows. I informed him that I didn't hire them, it was their choice to use them and it would be up to the dealer to collect from them - I was collecting from the dealer. They play their odds in hoping they are dealing with someone who won't make a scene to get things fixed. Wrong odds with me.
  • spec5spec5 Member Posts: 15
    Aren't you funny. At least the Kia hasn't stalled on me and had the check engine light come on already.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Quick question. We're probaly going to buy the Jetta Value Edition between the last week of June and the July 4th weekend. Will the 2006's be coming out a little later, as I'd rather wait for the '06 model as there are no incentives on the 2005.5, only on last years smaller 2.0 liter model which she didn't like. When do the plants change gears for the model years.? Think the Jettas come from Mexico actually.
    A strange thing here, the internet manager quoted me a "higher" price then the floor salesman by almost $400.? What's the reasoning there. I copied the e-mail from the internet guy and have the paper and prices from the salesman that I will bring in when she's ready. Just very curious to me. What say the guru on this particular situation. And are the Jetta Value Editions selling for invoice or less?
    Thanks for your help Terry. I think the wife just wants to trade the '01 Altima GXE Ltd. Ed. into Gunther VW here in Coconut Creek Florida, as we've never sold a car ourselves. I would like to try to sell it, think I could ask $6k and be happy to walk away with $5k greenies, as I will be negotiable if I can save a thousand or so from the dealers low ball price.
    My mechanic also told me many folks are interested in a well maintained Japanese brand around the $5k to $6k range with the 78k miles the Alty has on it now that has all the paperwork saved and doesn't mind 2 scratches on the hood and 1 unpainted side view mirror. I did do all the appropriate maintanance at about the 60k mark and had the mechanic find all the leaks and actually fix them...he's quite the master at that! Just got the a/c fixed 2 weeks ago, a small part that ended up costing $131., but it had to be done. The car rides very well and the interior is not bad really, about 85% clean, but the mats have seen better days. But like I said, will ask $6k and be flexible and would feel on top of the world to walk away with $5k greenbacks in my hand. The person will be getting a nice clean, well maintained ride with good sneakers, 1 brand new also.
    So O Great One, what sayith the Oracle of Car Buying and Selling? No ego involved here Terry, just want it gone for the best price and want to pick up the new ride for a great price with a fair profit for the dealer, as he has to make a living to just like I do. Do me right...and I'll do you right!!!

    The Sandman :)

    (Been having alot of rain down here near Lauderdale. How you fairing up in Orlando?)
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    What mystifies me, is why the Auto Companies don't seem to notice, or care if they know, that the dealers are gaming the surveys with pre-screening calls prior to mailing, bribes and all the other tricks mentioned here. Because my dealer is still doing it, and has been for years.

    I always give him all 10s, so I get treated well there next time - and it works great. But you'd think the company would catch them in their games....and stop them. The 5 star dealer awards are really quite a joke when the surveys are all rigged...
  • rroyce10rroyce10 Member Posts: 9,332
    ........ It's not really a "dealer" problem .. it's a manufacturers problem .........

    A vehicle comes in with a minor scratch or ding and the dealer pays for the work or the customer wants it repainted .. the new vehicle has an air conditioning switch to goes bye bye in 150 miles and the dealer takes the heat and the outcome of the situation ... a great source of problems for dealers is, the guy with shaky credit and the dealer finally gets the guy done after 5 banks have turned him down and they have to switch him to a less expensive vehicle because he's been "conditioned" by the lender -- or you got the guy that's been to 4 stores and will cry and whimper until he beats some dealer out of another $100, gets perfect service and still sends in a bad survey ...... and the whole time, the dealer is looking to be at $97%+ in customer satisfaction .. there is alot more that goes on in dealerships that "consumers" don't tell their friends and family ..l.o.l....

    The system is broke, and has been for a loooong time ... if they want 100%, then have the manufacturers send us 100% vehicles with no problems and make sure they approve anyone with a pulse ...... Thats reality.!

    Terry.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I totally hear you, Terry - and that was a good answer. You make me recall my friend the dealer, (may he rest in peace) who used to tell me when I'd go in with a complaint about my car, "I don't build the damn thing, Howard, but I'll try to get it fixed". Customers come in all types, don't they??? Here's an example, long winded though it may be:

    My rear air in my Navigator will work intermittantly, sometimes blows hot. I've had it in before, and the tech says, no codes, it's working like it's designed to do, to which I reply, "so it's designed to occasionally blow hot when you call for cold?"

    I have finally isolated the failing switch, and took it in demonstrate it to the service advisor, who agreed, it ain't right. But if you wiggle this one switch, presto, waves of icy air flow freely from the roof. Ergo, I conclude - that switch needs replacement. But the tech maintains, that switch does nothing to control the flow of coolant to the rear unit, so it can't happen. Finally, I put the tech in the back seat, and demonstrated the phenomenon 3 times - he still maintains it can't happen, but he admits is is happening. He's going to do some research for me. I wish he'd just replace the darn switch that I have to wiggle..... I think eventually, he will.

    Anyway, I'll still give them a good survey though - because I understand that machines break, and techs study diagrams, and these are pretty complex issues. As long as they'll work with me, I'm a happy guy. I have a very good dealer - he has taken great care of my sales and service needs for 15 years. Being reasonable and kind to them, because they are people too, has always worked for me.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I got a less than favorable one recently. I remember the customer well and I wasn't surprised since he made the process a miserable one.

    Back three times, driving different cars, endless questions and cold and unfriendly the whole time. Finally settled on a Civic and proceeded to grind me on price for TWO HOURS! One of those guys who thought I should "throw in" accessories, waive our 35.00 doc fee. He made every aspect of the transaction long drawn out and miserable.

    His comment? " the process took too long...I was at the dealership for THREE HOURS!!" Naturally he showed up, unannounced on a busy Saturday.

    I hope I never see him again.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Probably not a businessman himself - feels it's his God-given duty to get every last farthing out of you sons of xxxxx's. But you can bet he's bragging to his friends about how he brought you to your knees.....and stole the car from you.... He sleeps well at night too, doesn't that bug?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Some people are very "small". I'm sure he was feeling very empowered when he got the survey call.

    What a miserable way to go through life...
  • wtd44wtd44 Member Posts: 1,208
    There's nothing really wrong with "hard bargaining" but I agree that some buyers just push too far. Don't you think that if you capitulate and give the jerk his way, you are only encouraging him? You might say that his thinking he has "won" is what winning really consists of...
    In my case, I just want a deal I can live with. All that petty badgering just makes for some very bad feelings during after sale service. I have an old friend of many years that has become one of those awful buyers that most dealerships would like to just send to the competition. I haven't found the careful words yet to answer him when he tells me how puzzled he is at how poorly he feels he is treated after the sale. It's a touchy subject when someone fails to understand the consequences of their own behavior!
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    I've heard this before, from you and others... but there's one thing I don't get.
    If you see one of those miserable clowns, why don't you evict him?

    I'm thinking if I had a small used lot and a guy started to grind, I'd dicker for 5-10 minutes and then send him packing... there really is not that much to talk about... here the car, there the $$, it works or it don't...

    And the bad survey on top of a skinny deal makes the whole thing a loser for you. My guess is it s the dealership management that decides if their salespeople ought to have the power to boot people... and I'm thinking while the green pea shouldn't, guys like you ought to be able to drive their own deals, no?

    It's an aspect of car sales that I know is very real, but that has always baffled me.

    -Mathias
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Oh, I've told people.." I don't want to sell you this car if you aren't happy"

    And, I mean that. One sale isn't going to affect my lifestyle one bit. If my customers aren't happy when they leave, I don't want the sale.

    Without fail, every bad survey I've ever received has been from a grinder or from someone who tried to outsmart me and failed at that.

    Just smug satisfaction, I guess, that they "won" in the end.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    Suppose person A is selling a product for $10K. Person B offers $9999.50, and person A refuses to accept it.

    Is either person being a jerk?
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    Person B is a jerk.
    Now if he offered $9800, that'd be different.
    But to "bargain" over 50 cents or $10 on a $10k purchase is silly.

    -Mathias
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    Not ALL, but MOST of these "grinder" types are miserable people living miserable lives to begin with. If you make the deal, whatever you earn will likely be negated by real losses in bonuses and other incentives, not to mention the bother and aggravation to be coming in the future. Some of these people really believe they did you a "favor" by bestowing their business on you.

    I had a similar experience in the insurance business. The company sent me a "lead" from the brother of a policyholder. He bought the policy all right, but beyond the first quarterly premium, he never paid again and lapsed the policy. That affected my persistency for the quarter and cost me $4K in bonuses. If I had the time, I would have been way ahead if I had paid the premiums ($800) for the balance of the year - I'd have gotten 70% back ($560) as first-year compensation, so my net outlay would have been 30% ($240).

    Such a manuever would be improbable these days as many companies do not accept an agent's or agency's check as premium payment. Some don't even accept money orders. Only cashier's checks or the insured's personal checks.

    I don't view dealerships as "the enemy." Consequently, I get a few "perks" - free loaner cars even for routine service, wash-and-vac, discount on parts. And some people wonder why ..........

    The bottom line is that some deals are just not worth it.
  • bobstbobst Member Posts: 1,776
    So person A is not a jerk for refusing an offer that is only 50 cents less than his asking price?
  • kurtamaxxguykurtamaxxguy Member Posts: 677
    I was never contacted by dealers who wanted to "pad" surveys. But in all honesty I would ignore such overtures and just level with Manufacturer or whoever so survey is accurate!
    In my case, One brand got mixed results (A for sales, F for service), another brand got F, period (sales flat out lied, service damaged the car). In either case no grinding was involved.

    Still, very bad that people misrepresent via survey.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    Correct. If I were person A, I would identify the offer as petty due to the tiny difference and either laugh it off and take it or send the person packing. Depending on my mood that day. Wouldn't want to give too much emotional control to the other guy, see...
    -Mathias
  • bill731bill731 Member Posts: 16
    Hello, I read posts here every day,but rarely post.

    Before 1995 surveys did not bother me, but I bought the wife a new 1994 Saturn and filled out all surveys that came in the mailbox..Then I bought myself a 1995 Saturn. When the first survey came, I thought: Here we go again, survey after survey, and I did not fill it out. Instead I wrote across the front page in BOLD PRINT.... Do not send any more surveys.... If there are any problems with this car
    I will let YOU know, if not you will never hear from me.

    I never received another survey, and I never contacted them because I kept that
    car seven trouble free years.

    If the manufacturers would contact new owners and give contact phone # to let them know if you have a problem with the product, or the dealership. This would
    not bother the happy consumer, and let unhappy ones have an outlet. Should make GOOD dealers happy also.

    Bill
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