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Comments
Re-read the story...it isn't lying if you have your fingers crossed - LOL
Forget about it in Chicago.
I expect to hear back from her today or tomorrow.
Oh there are a few (mind you few) places in and around Chicago that you can do that stuff. The Sheridan Road Ravines comes to mind.
I would love to see one of those BMW's go though the intersection of Green Bay Rd and Lake street in the north burbs going west on Lake street at say 65 MPH
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I would be hesitant to sell that Audi privately. I would want a lawyer to look over the bill of sale to make sure it was an iron clad AS-IS sale. When that engine blows, and it will blow very soon, the replacemtn cost is around 8,500 dollars.
No, if you READ what I write, the whole idea is to NOT let someone treat you like one. I do just fine, and am quite happy with what I do (especially when it involves dealing with customers management approves of me kicking out lol).
I don't "take it out for a spin" with the sole purpose of bumping the customer. I don't do it for "control" either, despite what you may think (I may do it in a roundabout way to show that I WON'T be controlled by you though, just because you think you know more than I do...).
We test drive our cars first because:
1) It allows us to make sure it's what they want FIRST, before we waste even so much as a minute negoitaiting.
2) It allows me to inspect the job the PREVIOUS salesman had done. Let's just say that they had driven it "umpteen" times. What if "umpteeen" salespeople told them that they couldn't get it with a specific option, and I knew you could? Might not ever be a benefit for people like snake who think they never could be MIS-"informed" (even by a magazine or *gasp* Edmunds), but hey, we'd never get that far anyway because they'd have taken their ball and gone home (or some other dealer to waste THEIR time lol)...
3) Most importantly, it's our JOB. It's what our OWNER wants us to do, so we do it. It's not drawing blood, or pulling teeth, and if it's THAT big of a deal to them that they don't spend 20 minutes of time making sure of some basic things first, FINE... take the ball and go home. We really were in no danger of selling them a car anyway...
The arguments against it have been as follows:
1) They don't wannnnnnnnna... They KNOW everything already. If you don't want to let them have their way, they'll find someone who will, and therefore you should just and cave in.
2) If it ends up being not what they want AFTER they've wasted everyone's time, they'll switch the deal THEN.
T
PS: Camry's DO have digital odometers btw, so if you looked at it first, then it means the salesperson was there, with you AND the key. Why on earth wouldn't you pacify me with a spin around the block???
Because you don't wannnnnnnna :P
I am such a person of my word in negotiations, and if someone did what jim did to me. I would just get up and say "We agreed on this # and now you want lower. I was fair to you and worked hard to get to this price, but now I feel as though you are not taking this negotiation or me seriously, so when you are ready to be serious and buy a car, call me." And I would know already he would never call nor would I call him.
I am never that desperate to sell cars to people like him.
It allows us to make sure it's what they want FIRST, before we waste even so much as a minute negoitaiting.
As I said before the test drive was already done and I know I want it. Why waste time doing it again if I don't know that I can buy it.
Why on earth wouldn't you pacify me with a spin around the block???
Because then I would have to go home and wait another three days (see a previous post on euphoria). Why on earth won't you pacify me my discussing a deal?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Because if you're that exciteable, I don't want you to see how LOOOOWWWWWWWWW my prices can go! :P My discounts might kill you if we jump right into negotiations! Better to ramp it up slowly:
So let's have a test drive
T
EEK!! Someone tell this guy Halloween is over.
I am not that excitable (and you don't have to be that excitable for that tactics to work) I just know sales, the tactics that are used and that I should avoid any pitfalls.
So let's have a test drive
No thank you, I already have test driven the car lets drop the bull and talk prices.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I have dealt with MANY customers that knew as much if not more about the car then I did. And you know what? EVERY ONE at least spun it around the block first.
In all seriousness, I've been debating what I'd do if I ever really did encounter someone so bent on not taking a test drive that they'd throw a mini temper-tantrum and demand to speak to someone else.
I can't honestly say that it's happened in almost 10 years (and I've met some CRAZY folks lol).
Again, not HOURS we're talking about here. Just a cursory inspection of the ACTUAL car you want to buy, and a spin around the block to make sure everythings reasonable.
I suppose everyone I've dealt with that HASN'T bought a car (what with the overwhelming euphoria of the test drive and all) is just sitting at home recovering :P
T
PS: For another true story, I had a customer about 2 weeks ago that was petrified of driving an unfamiliar car in the city (so what did I do for a test drive, you may ask???). I drove them around the block myself. On the test drive, two salespeople from a Ford store down the street were trying to get a Mustang off a car display ramp. You can guess where this one is heading: It fell sideways off the ramp LOL.
I had to pull into a parking lot I was laughing so hard (so was my customer). In hindsight, I guess I would have hoped that the person who bought it was one of those "I don't need to see it" folks... lol.
The real story, I suppose, is that they didn't end up buying the car from me (despite my stellar demonstration... of the SRS... j/k).
I still haven't heard from them. My thought is that I must have done such a great job that they needed MORE than 3 days to recover.
Thoughts? :P
he's giving legitimate reasons why a test drive should be done, and you just keep saying...
"i dont wannnnaaaaaaaaaaa!"
-thene
Suuuuuurrrre you're not...
Don't those commercials say that if you haven't calmed down in three days to see a doctor???
Oh wait, those aren't about test drives
T
Not one person has walked in today.I hate November.
I am not saying don't do it, I just want to know if I am doing it I will be buying it. To me its totally meaningless to test drive it again not knowing if I am going to buy it or not. But you keep saying don't tell me how to do my job, and I don't want to be a door mat (all the while expecting me to be one).
But thats just fine someone else will be making money off of me.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I had a customer buy a car with hail damage once (a used one of course), completely unaware of it (despite popular belief, we don't have to disclose it...).
They came back in a week later, irate, and spun up (I would be too).
While they were yelling at my used car manager, one of the newbie salespeople walked by the car and asked:
"WAS THAT CAR PARKED ON THE EIGHTEENTH GREEN OR SOMETHING??? IT LOOKS WORSE THAN THE MOON!!!"
Now keep in mind, he was just strolling by, and had no clue as to why the customer was going ballistic.
My manager couldn't help but laugh, and believe it or not, so did the customer!
We helped them committ a little insur... I mean... file a claim the next time it hailed, and all was well for the world.
That salesperson went on to become one of the most talented guys I know, and we still joke about that car "parked on the eighteenth green".
T
PS: The car looked awful, and to this day I'm STILL not sure how they didn't notice it.
Ahh euphoria
Gee my neighbor will be glad to hear that. But that just begs the question, just what is that rust colored stuff on his Audi?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yup. The guy that let's you boss him around will be making TONS off of you I'm sure....
No thanks, you can take your "business" elsewhere
T
funny story tj! i have one i have to share, but as i am at work, i will try to post it tonight when i get home...
-thene
Who (other than you) said anything about bossing someone around? All I want to do is talk price.
No thanks, you can take your "business" elsewhere
I will since I don't want to be pushed around by you. I will deal with someone who is more respectful and not pushy.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
There are trolls just sitting in the dark clutching a keyboard to their chests saying, "Yes, my precioussss. It's alwaysss right, yes it is, my preciousssssss."
There are some evil elements here. Just let it ride and keep telling your awesome stories.
On a busy Saturday, a salesman and his customer returned from driving a Z convertible. While they were driving along a back road, a deer had jumped OVER the vehicle. It scared everyone to death. A hoof had barely missed their heads. Somehow the customer didn't buy...... :sick:
Let's see... you want to tell me how to do my job, yet don't consider that bossing me around.
"Informed" as you may or may not be, that makes about as much sense as... well... I'm sure you get the point :P
T
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
yeah, they'll be gratefull if not just to get out of the building!
-thene
It's 100% ok for people to NOT buy cars after a test drive you know?
We may still ask you to buy anyway (again, our JOB), but for Pete's sake, have a little self control :P, and you'll be fine!
T
Customer controls where they spend their money. So, why is this control thing so important to the sales person? Customer can walk at any time, for any reason. Control is always in the customer's hands (I don't care what all the fancy sales training says).
I've related before, I'm not a salesperson. My career started out as a "techie" in a tech firm. I got thrown into sales, against my will. Did very well in a very short period of time. Then, found myself in a namagement role for sales, marketing and support. It's a "bone of contention" with my sales people and my managers that I only have enough sales experience to fill a thimble.
Not once have any of my sales people or managers tried to "push" their customers into something they didn't want to do. I insist that the sales people and their managers disclose everything to the best of their knowledge. That's just the right way to do business.
Do my people think they control the sale? They say they do. I always remind them, until I see money changing hands (or a P.O.) the only control they have is to make sure they've done everything they can to make their customer delighted to do business with us.
Granted, there are some things that are none of the customer's business (having a car with hail damage is something I'd definitely disclose, though). Some of those things include intellectual property, cost structure of how we do business, processes of how we do business (among many others).
I don't expect any dealership to share their cost structure with me...how much they have to make on every car to open the doors....what their commission structure is. That's none of my business.
However, if you're competing with every other dealer within a reasonable distance, you're going to have to expect your customers control the sale....since they can drive away from your store, to another store, and make a deal you won't. The customer has the checkbook. They decide when the deal is right for them. In the end, the customer always controls the sale.
"Informed" as you may or may not be, that makes about as much sense as... well...
Well I have never in the past 15 years have had a salesperson tell me something about a car I was seriously interested in that I already didn't know. As a matter of fact I have caught many with erroneous "facts". FWIW I have taught a few salesmen some things about cars I was just stopping by to take a quick look at.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I agree with snake. If I have a customer who refuses to drive a car, I will drive it around the block with him in it!
This has probably happened twice in almost 12 years!
the only control they have is to make sure they've done everything they can to make their customer delighted to do business with us
This is a large part of the control we're talking about. It's definitely a spin you can put on your words. You can keep people in your office, not have them running around the dealership and looking at all kinds of different things. By keeping them focused on the task at hand, we 'control' them. By keeping them on a road to a sale, we 'control' them. A test drive is part of that 'road', but as we've seen mentioned countless times here, all customers are different. Salespeople adapt to different folks.
I see control as a way of showing the customer that we know what we doing and that their experience is going to be an excellent one. Part of that for me is doing my job as a professional. If I must adapt, I must adapt. I don't think you'll find a bunch of sales guys on this board who don't take their job seriously. What greenpea would be posting here?
In the end, graphicguy is right. We ain't got crap until the customer hands us some moolah.
:shades:
We helped them committ a little insur... I mean... file a claim the next time it hailed, and all was well for the world.
It's because you are all such honest people.
i know, i know...we started this mess...but two wrongs don't make a right do they...
for pete's sake this forum is for SALES STORIES!!!!
can we PLEASE stop with the criticisms of salespeople and let them tell their stories? why does everything a salesperson says always get followed by 15 snide backhanded remarks...gee whiz!
-thene :mad:
I just lose all interest and respect for people when they post stuff like that.
I just lose all interest and respect for people when they post stuff like that."
No lying, no cheating, no stealing.
If the customer, in their anger of buying a car that had damage, takes it upon themselves to wait until it hails again to file an insurance claim... ugh...
If you honestly believe you've never insinuated something that could be against the rules, I have a HEAP of stones for you to throw my man.
I lose all respect for people who call the kettle black...
T
FYI, in saying that, you are DISAGREEING with snake...
T
Why?
I suppose you think customers who trade cars in with problems should be "decent" enough to fix them if we discover them after the sale too???
This guy SAW the hail damage (it was impossible not to). It was most likely the first person he showed it to after he bought it who somehow convinced him it was somehow our fault.
Total double standard, but whatever...
T
PS: This is the REASON why so many people are hesitant about sharing stories, just FYI...
You may get less bickering about test drives and more of your precious "stories" if they didn't involve getting name called afterwards...
I know I'm a decent, honest, hardworking person, and I don't need your reassurance. But thanks anyway
I suspect this was sarcasm, but just in case it wasn't I don't want you to be in any doubt that I was commenting on your lack of integrity.
Don’t you just love how control freaks don’t like to be controlled?