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Comments
Tim Hortons CT
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Very nice Richard. I can appreciate the work you do. I taught elementary school for a few years and I thought controling little kids was pretty difficult. Now, with 12 employees, it is even worse. We give the people great working conditions, lots of freedom, try to vary their work, flex hours, - and many came from terrible working conditions at their previous employers (about 60% of the employees are really good, but there are some trouble makers). What we are just realizing is how much petty fighting goes on, and game playing, when we are not around.
We have a plan that we are going to try. However, if that doesn't work we might have to call you in. I know you would be great, you do a lot of excellent mediating around here, and I hope you stay for a long time.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
the one near me is in Plainville, not far off I-84 west of Hartford.
Vernon is also off I-84 east of Hartford.
Wetherfield is south of Hartford off I-91.
I'm off to help set up for the high school crew team fundraiser tomorrow.
over 5000 rubber ducks will be floating down the farmington river tomorrow!
they sold for $5 a piece.
Isell,
I couldn't agree more. Is it me or do consumers feel like the auto business owes them something. If you go to a furniture store, do you get to take delivery of your new furniture that day? No..... You have to wait. And you are only spending $1000 - $2000.......
We are talking about a $20,000 purchase. Some people don't even make $20,000 in one year......
Anyway I am with you on this and how frustrating it is. Chances are you already know that it is going to be bad survey when they start the I have to be out in a hour game. People like that are never satified.
GP
I guess thatis why they call you the King!
GP
Plainville MA? I love how the name of that town sounds.... And it is very plain....LOL I drove through it once and ifrst heard about because I had a customer that bought from me. I just remember thinking wow what kind of own is that....
GP
GP
Duck Race is in Farmington followed by the regatta.
Hope the weather holds out.
We go up to New Hampshire pretty much every Memorial Day weekend for a friend's party and this sends us right up 84 in Connecticut. Maybe I'll get a cup of Tim's coffee while passing through.
The AC has stopped working on Mrs. fezo's 00 Accord. If it's a pricey repair it may be time to find something a bit younger... I'm betting I just fox it though.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Fezo stop by and visit me I am half way up there!!!! You can get a new Nissan Altima....
Mike
At least beept the horn when you drive by my dealership on 93 north.... :shades:
Richard
What a great bit of insight. I like that thought.
Think of these pin up girls.... we would all like to be seen with one of them when they look good. But how much do you really want to deal with there craziness?
Also, a great thought. Dr Scott Peck said one reason too much television is bad is because you see all these happy people having a great time in beer commercials etc. What you don't see is when they go home after the shoot to their crumby little apartments and have to try to figure out how to pay their bills.
In life, things usually aren't as great as they seem - or as bad as they seem.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
over 5000 rubber ducks will be floating down the farmington river tomorrow!
What a fantastic idea for a fund raiser. Sounds like a lotta fun!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
BTW, congrats on your new purchase. I know that you and the Mrs. will enjoy it.
Richard
What I don't like is like you said things shoved down our throats because a dealership signed a two year $10k/month consulting/training commitment, so now everyone has to be on board, even people that were good at what they were doing before.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I always had this ridiculous dream that if I was the boss I would be fair, try to give people pleasant but challenging work. Work should be enjoyable. Against all odds, I have the work place, but I am shocked at what people are capable of.
The worst one was moving about 20 miles away and she said she would quit unless we paid her more money as a gas allowance. So, we gave her an extra $1 an hour but said it has to be kept confidential and it was only because of the cost of gas. Now, we find out about a year agoshe told the others she makes more than they do so she is their supervisor. I only found out by accidently overhearing a conversation.
"A real piece of work" is the right phrase to cover someone like this. We try to accommodate her special situation in as fair a way as possible, and she uses it like this......and you are right, it really has had a bad affect on morale.
Another trouble maker accuses people of stealing her pens if she can't find them on her desk!
We are going to straighten this out right away. Rule #1 is everyone has to be addressed and talked to in a pleasant and respectful manner.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
She violated the agreement so you must rescind her "gasoline allowance."
so she is their supervisor
She is impersonating a supervisor so you must fire her.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I'd also say that it validates my theory that no good deed goes unpunished.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Divorce is kind of radical. Maybe just repair the Honda?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
And you are only spending $1000 - $2000.......
I wish that's all it was. Now she's talking counter tops and back splashes and...
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I would bet that if we fired her, and she went to a lawyer, she would win. I say that because all we have is what we have been told. It has to be true, but there is nothing in writing. The next problem is we would have to give her at least one big warning, in writing, and have her sign it. Keep in mind also, she is knowledgeable in her department and she would be hard to replace, from that standpoint.
Her co-workers are up for their reviews so they will get increases and they will be at her pay level. She isn't going to get an increase this time so she can't walk around like she runs the company any more, that should solve that.
We have an IT guy who is a genius but is "different***". Our fantastic sales lady abuses him when we aren't around. Calls him names, yells at him, accuses him of stealing etc. If I am there she is as sweet as can be. He was ready to quit from all the abuse. I don't want to lose either one of them, but since she is creating the problem she will go before he will. I am going to tell her, that if our IT guy leaves for any reason, she will be gone too. This will all be documented and signed.
You guys are tough. I am way to soft on people, but I think we can make this work.
Firing is a last resort for me. I have done it twice in about 8 years, but I'd rather make this work if I can. I feel I am looking after a Grade 4 class again :mad:
***by different, I mean nerdy, quirky, eccentric, but probably has an IQ in the top 2%
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We all told you there would be a price to pay for letting you have the Jennie!
We suspected this with your recent violent posts and mood swings.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I hope you succeed but her track record suggests it may not be surefire. Good luck.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I have fired probably a hundred people in my time. Not a pleasant thing to do but in every case, I was respectful and I was well documented.
I don't ever think anyone was surprised when I let them go.
That woman sounds like a Prima Donna and she will erode your operation if you let her.
That woman sounds like a Prima Donna and she will erode your operation if you let her. isell
I really do appreciate your thoughts guys. I am sure I am too soft on these people but I don't want to be too harsh. The lady who is abusive separated from her husband, she has 3 young kids, she has just had a lot of chemo-treatments (we paid for all the time she was off), and she is an incredible sales person, so I would rather not lose her.
But, once I was managing a retail store and my supervisor told me to fire this poor fellow. My supervisor said you will be doing him a favor. I fired him and I think he was relieved, I really think I did the right thing for him, maybe he found something he would like to do. I've been fired, a few times, but it all worked out in the end. All the knowledge I gained was more valuable than the jobs.
I am going to try to make this work...and if I do have to get rid of people I will. I'll give you a progress report.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You never spoke truer words! I once hired a talented teacher who admitted a previous 20 year old drug conviction. Since he tested negative on our drug test, I decided to overlook the 20 year old conviction. One year later, during a random drug testing of educators, he tested positive for cocaine. The policy was immediate dismissal. He challenged the firing. At the closed school board meeting he said, "What's the big deal? Mr. Richard hired me knowing that I was a user." If I didn't have to do some fast talking, then you have never seen a race car go 160 mph!!! That was early in my personnel career. After that, I became known as the "hard [non-permissible content removed]" of personnel. Give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile!
Richard
Richard
Richard
Funny thing on the Accord. I have tow $400 repairs in two weeks - two different check engine lights in two different cars (Celica and daughter's old Camry) so one more repair is killing me but the Accord has earned its place in high esteem and I really need to call it a separate issue. My wife says "Oh, it's only a comfort thing. Don't worry now." I know better. It'll be one hot day and..... When she wapregnant with daughter number one it was an insanely hot summer. Her car wasn't air conditioned. By the next summer she made sure she had one that was. Too bad. I offered to take the old 78 Nova that wasn't and let her have my Sentra but she wasn't interested in a stick. When the replacement for the Nova turned into a lemon all of a sudden a stick looked better,
Next, it will be time to have a meeting with all 12 of your employees together. The meeting is NOT intended to be a gripe session. It is to be structured as a brain storming session on sensitivity, feelings, individual talents, and what your company means to them as a group and as individuals. Encourage lots of participation by EVERYONE. During this meeting, feed them. It helps. When the meeting draws to a close, let them know that they will meet again in two months. At that meeting, they are to bring in writing the POSITIVE things that have been observed during the eight weeks of working together. They are also invited to bring in "suggested improvements". They may NOT bring in gripes or complaints involving individuals. The idea is to force the 12 to work together as a team for your company, without realizing that they have actually done it. They need ownership in solving their own company problems.
Keep us posted here. Send me private emails at CarSpace if you have a need. We don't want to bore people here, but it is an interesting topic that does relate to our working guys. Good luck.
Richard
sounds like a lot, and it is, but one shell costs 35k!
of course, most of the shells are carbon fiber Resolutes.
While I was helping set up for the 'Duck Race' tomorrow, my wife was overseeing an AmeriCares project in the next town over.
shortly after I got there, when the house was all painted, 2 newspaper photographers showed, then the mayor, then one of the local tv stations.
a couple of days earlier, all the windows in the house plus one of the exterior doors were replaced. the same construction guys also painted the peaks and all the high trim in the color the homeowner wanted.
the benefactor of all this was lady with 3 kids. a few years ago her husband was taken away in a motorcycle accident. shortly after that, she was diagnosed with brain cancer, which was treated and went into remission. then it came back and is remission again. she was pretty overwhelmed.
one volunteer had a brand new F350 and brought about a zillion power tools. he doesn't use them for work and told me only brought what he thought was needed.
i would like to see his tool shed/garage!
Richard
I had you figured as a "softie" as well. That's not an insult; it's a compliment.
Richard
In other words, since you are paid more, we expect more.
maybe you could add a bit more on the 'sales' side but make the 'plays well with others' a bit larger factor.
that way, you also don't have to feel obligated to upgrade everyone else to the same pay level, since their expectations are not the same.
I'll meet you for a cup of joe @ Tim's.
I told her as a manger she was repsonsible for making sure the working environment is fair and free of abuse. If certain employees are making others' lives at work difficult then they need to be let go. Employees that get abused or find themselves in an uncomfortable situation, where nothing is done by the management, will grow to be unhappy at work and more likely to leave. The way I look at it, and what I told my wife is that you can do nothing to correct the situation, and by doing so retain the abuser while the victim will leave due to management's inactions, or you can set an example and fire the abuser, and retain the victim, who didn't do anything wrong in the first place.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
We also actually have a bit of traffic in the showroom.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I had put in a request as to what trim and color I wanted and gave the time frame for my purchase.
This is the exact email I recieved from this dealer and also the response I sent.
[names deleted for obvious reasons]
From the Dealer::
" Dear ABC,
What is more important to you, convenience or $500* in savings? We find that many customers have driven an extra 10 to 250 miles to buy at XYZ Honda and save up to $500* on their Honda purchase. Over 70 years in the business has taught us one thing.....pass as much savings as possible to our customers and always assure them the lowest price.
So when you have done all your internet price comparisons bring us your best offer from any other dealer and we will beat it by up to $500.00*. Buying a vehicle should be "hassle free" and that is what we offer all our customers.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. :sick:
Sincerely,
MMM.
My response was :
"Hello Mr.MMM,
It is absolutely not fair that other dealers do the hard work of giving their best price and then you simply try to match or beat that offer.
Even though the other dealer has a higher price of $500,I would still shop at his place as he was upfront ,honest and forthcoming with no gimmicks.
Also,sales is only part of the deal.He would also have my service commitment to him.
So,please quote me your price upfront for the trim and color and if it is acceptable to both of us,I would be glad to buy from you. " :P
And the reply I got back from him was--"Based on the dealership`s floor plan,our prices keep changing almost every other day and hence I can`t give you a quote or estimate but I will beat any printed offer you recieve by 500.Just get us the emailed quote and we will beat it.We pass on those 500 to you!! "
Well,tough to believe your prices change daily but u can beat another guy`s offer!
Needless to say,I sent him an email thanking him and declining his offer when the hard work has been done by other dealers and he wants to just snatch a buyer with absolutely no effort .
I thought this was very unethical and sleazy.And I do hope folks avoid such dealers! :sick: :sick:
The other guy does all the donkey`s work and u just make a profit on his effort.
If this is not unethical,then a customer pitting a dealer against a dealer is also not unethical!! : :shades:
Maybe the fact that you received no price quote might have been upsetting, but there was nothing unethical about a dealer not wanting to disclose pricing over email.
We can give out email pricing, and 90+% of the time, you, the customer will take our price to shop it at a local dealer close to them and not us. That's why we prefer not send out "best pricing" via email to someone we've never met.
"We will beat other's price" is not sleazy or unethical. The dealer just wants to earn your business, and that kind of price beating appeals to many customers who do shop around, and probably worked for the dealer who got a few deals that way.
The argument that you will buy at a dealer that has a higher price doesn't hold up very well and doesn't make sense.
After all you're requesting quotes because you'll buy from whoever gives you the best price and who's location is more convenient to you rather than who's email has a nicer sounding email response.
If you really do care about servicing, and about where you might get good customer service, that is not something you can judge by a response you receive via email to your quote request. That would be something you'd have to find out by actually going to the dealership and meeting the staff there, and walking through the facilities.
His last response was just an excuse not give you pricing, whether it was true or not. But you have 4 other prices already to choose from so I wouldn't worry about it.
Sleazy and unethical? I don't think so.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Yes,I want a decent price but atleast I want to buy from a guy who has put in some effort to send me a written quote.
But if this is how things are accepted,then I guess it is a very viscious cycle to break!! :P
Just MHO.