Stories from the Sales Frontlines

fezo · March 2013

"If a convention were to come into Orlando, cars get moved there. During the Daytona 500, cars get moved to up there."

Wow. They run rentals at the Daytona 500? :P

mako1a · March 2013

Happy birthday to me! Fezo, you're one of these guys that

in the year 2030 somebody will say "where's Fezo" and someone else will say

"He's out celebrating his 18th Birthday". Congrats on the hardest year.

fezo · March 2013

stick - the restrictions are still on because they want better t cell and platelet counts. I can live with that. Been a good day. Went out to dinner with my wife, the younger daughters (the older ones couldn't make and felt bad about it) and a good friend who is one of the people I mention who took up a great deal more than her fair share of seeing me through this. Got a few little presents. Nice.

nyccarguy · March 2013

I'm a little confused about the top options. Maybe you could shed some light for me. Jeep comes with the soft top, standard. The hard top is optional (black or body color). If you get the hard top, does it delete the soft top unless you get the "dual top group?" What's the difference between the standard soft top & the sun rider soft top?

houdini1 · March 2013

I told you when all this started that you were so tough you would outlast all of us. Wonderful news fezo !! You 'da Man !

verdugo · March 2013

That makes sense. I wonder how much more expensive it is to ship them 8 at a time (or whatever number) on a car carrier.

verdugo · March 2013

Congrats Fezo. You better stick around for many years to come.

verdugo · March 2013

Jeep comes with the soft top, standard. The hard top is optional (black or body color). If you get the hard top, does it delete the soft top unless you get the "dual top group?" What's the difference between the standard soft top & the sun rider soft top?

You got it correct.

Standard: Soft top
Option: Add hard top, delete soft top
Option: Dual top group: It comes with the hard top, and the soft top is rolled up/folded inside.

"Sunride from Bestop is a Jeep soft top that allows you to peel the top back and let the sun shine in - perfect for those days of constantly changing weather conditions."

I guess it's like a cloth sun roof. :P

Sandman6472 · March 2013

They move the vehicles to where they have reservations. Miami is a large airport and they always need vehicles there. Ditto for Orlando and Tampa and we are cheaper than a car carrier and more efficient. Like yesterday, we did 4 runs from West Palm to Miami...now that's 40 vehicles and we did it in about 10 hours as we can't tell how traffic will be. Much cheaper and more efficient. Today they needed less vehicles so they only had four trips between two groups. I suspect this weekend will be quite busy with folks coming down and going back up so many vehicles will be needed.

We have a Versa SL with the CVT and it is a very good vehicle. Once the sound of the CVT is understood, it really is no problem. It's just that the noise bothers folks used to a traditional slushbox but really, the CVT is more efficient and has plenty of power for anything it needs to do. I'm so used to it now I never ever notice it. Once I get back into the other vehicles, I miss it actually.

Our house is 1900 under air and the perfect size especially now that the kids are all gone. Cheap to keep and not to bad to keep clean...we have the service come in every six weeks now instead of every three weeks. Since we paid it off back in '95, life just seems so much better as we don't have to worry every month anymore, so I guess all those years of scrimping and saving and driving older vehicles did pay off. We decided long ago to never have more house than we needed and this size still fits us. The oldest is coming down tomorrow night and sleeping over as she's meeting her friends on Saturday for brunch. It's nice to have the room for her to do this whenever as I miss hanging out with the kids now that they really have flown the coop. But am very glad when they do go home...we have the best of both worlds!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Have been working now for two months and they've been the best months of my life actually. Hard to believe that just over a year ago I was so depressed about my constant pain and never thought I'd ever work again. But thanks to G-d up above, I learned that I had to incorporate my pain into my life and stop letting it run my life and now when I have a really bad day, like yesterday, I just acknowledge it and move on. It's the mindset that makes all the difference!

tjc78 · March 2013

Haven't been posting much lately, it's been a sad week for our family. I didn't say anything but my Stepdad had been in the hospital with unexplained respiratory issues for the last month. Two different hospitals actually. In the end it was determined he had respiratory onset ALS. This is the worst form as all the late stage symptoms attack you first. He had been complaining about breathing / swallowing issues for six- eight months and was to many doctors but all tests came out normal.

He had many complications in the hospital needing to be put on a ventilator three times and progressed to the point of not even being able to swallow or eat. The only option was a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. He declined this treatment as he would never be able to talk again and would only suffer longer. His message to us was to "get me the $&@? home". On Friday 3/22 we got him home with hospice care and on Sunday morning 3/24 he passed away. He was 65.

We miss him already and the amount of support from our family and friends was nothing short of astonishing. There was close to 400 people at his viewing.

robr2 · March 2013

I wonder how much more expensive it is to ship them 8 at a time (or whatever number) on a car carrier.

Probably a whole lot more than using a bunch of guys that don't have to load, unload, haul back empty, et al.

mako1a · March 2013

it's been a sad week for our family Sorry for your loss. At least you had a large support group.

My mom (85 years old) is coming home from 2 weeks in the hospital today. She had a nosebleed which originated in back of the sinuses which turned into a gusher. She likes to keep quiet about things that happen to her and do more than she's capable of. We found her trying to stop the bleeding herself and had filled a trash can with two boxes of blood soaked kleenex. When paramedics got there she didn't want to go with them. A minute later she fainted. She went from critical to guarded to stable in 3 1/2 days and has been living well as the happiest old person in the hospital. She got 4 units of blood and got rejuvenated. The nurses have been fixing her hair. Who knows what's next, but our house is what I offered and that's where she wants to be. I just wish she would stop trying to be 75 again and walking unaided as it scares my wife and me when we see her doing that.

We have workers building a wheelchair ramp on the front side of the house so we can get her to hair, eye and doctor appointments. She's a trip. She's not rich, but one of her get well cards was from her bank. It costs us nothing out of pocket so whatever she wants she gets.

nyccarguy · March 2013

I'm so deeply sorry about the untimely and painful death of your stepdad. 65? Jesus!

The amount of people who showed up to his viewing should give you and your family lots of love & support during your time of grief.

bwia · March 2013

it's been a sad week for our family.

I am so sorry for your loss. At 65 your step-dad was at the stage where one begins to look forward to the golden years, but that was not meant to be. He is in heaven now and may his departed soul rest in eternal peace. Please accept my condolences and be comforted by the knowledge that your friends here on Edmunds grieve with you and your family.

Remember it is okay to cry and we know that you will eulogize him in a way befitting of the dad he was to you.

driver100 · March 2013

I just caught up with about 25 posts...our input is back up to the proper quota levels;

Fezo, Glad to hear about your progress, you are a trooper

tjc, Sorry to hear about your loss, your Stepdad must have been a very special person for you and so many other people to care so much........and 65 is much too young for this to happen.

Mako, I admire elderly people who can keep a positive attitude....they make the world a better place.

Sandman, Thanks for your comments about your real world experience with CVTs, I found your comments interesting. Also, for explaining why it is more cost efficient to move cars around the way you do - very interesting.

graphicguy · March 2013

tjc....so sorry to hear of your loss. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

On a brighter note....fezo.....so happy to hear of your "birthday/anniversary". As always, I (as I'm sure plenty of others around here do) love having you around here.

On another note....my younger sister has a 2011 Camaro SS 'vert. This last snow storm has put her in a tizzy because her car was immobile and she had to rent a car for a couple of weeks.

As I told her, that's not a bad way to go,....rent a car when you need one.

She loves the Camaro. So, that's not going anywhere. However, she's had me tromping through every Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Honda dealer looking for a 2nd car. I think she's looking at an Accord as the best option.

Gotta admit, Honda did a very nice job with the newest iteration of the Accord. Even the 4 cyl/CVT is a nice performer....especially for the price.

robr2 · March 2013

...she's had me tromping through every Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Honda dealer looking for a 2nd car.

Tell her a set of snow tires would be a lot less expensive and take up much less room....

nyccarguy · March 2013

Interesting business model. Give the consumer something (soft top). Charge consumer for something optional (hard top). If consumer wants the original (no charge soft top) as well as the optional hard top, then charge for both. They must be doing something right.

robr2 · March 2013

It's like when you get the dealer installed rims and tires - they keep the old ones.

abacomike · March 2013

Haven't been posting much lately, it's been a sad week for our family

My deeepest condolences on the loss of your step-dad. ALS is a nasty ailment, to be sure, and it takes from us dearly beloved ones with no mercy.

May he rest in peace in the arms of the Lord!

graphicguy · March 2013

robr....we're on the same page. Snow tires would help immensely on her Camaro. But, she's my sister. Our genes dictate that we must always be looking for our next car...

isellhondas · March 2013

Amen to that!

isellhondas · March 2013

So sorry to hear of your loss. 65 isn't old anymore.

I know I take my own good health for granted and storeis like this only make me realize just how lucky I am.

Steve, good for you!!

Sandman6472 · March 2013

No work today and heard that the weekend will be slow but next week Hertz is gonna "abuse" us...lol! Bring it on I say as I'll work as long as they need me. My record is 14 days in a row and they made me take a day off! Got a feeling that the Tampa, Orlando & Jacksonville runs are going to start up again which would be great. The West Palm to Miami runs are only like 75 miles so just when I get comfortable, it's time to exit the vehicle. Also the traffic here is horrendous right now and the addition of all that construction can be a nightmare. like yesterday afternoon, we creeped down I-95 for over 25 miles which was so annoying...and then my lower back went out a bit so I was a very unhappy camper for a bit. Luckily I carry my meds and that finally eased the pain.

Drove a Ford Focus wagon yesterday and then a larger Edge. Ford is going to capless gas fillers which is great...no more cap to lose or set off a bad code, just open it up, pump the petrol and close again. Works for me! Must admit, that Edge was a pretty smooth driver though it is large. Still, I prefer the imports and doubt I'd go the domestic route except possibly the Buick Verano, for some reason this vehicle calls to me. The few I've sat in have been extremely comfortable and the spine seems to love 'em. Much nicer looking than the Cruze and I could actually see me purchasing a Verano at the right price of course and a new one...doubt I'd want a "pre-loved" domestic at any price...rather get a brand new one and break it in myself. A "pre-loved" import doesn't scare me though and if I ever do decide to go upscale, the local Lexus, MB & BMW stores are so close and have plenty of inventory. But if I do go that route, I'd have to give Mike a shout & meet up with him as he's just so darn close to my house...under 8 miles i suspect as I pass his place when I go to work.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

gogiboy · March 2013

Sindelfingen is the city where they produce and assemble the new 2014 E Class Sport and Luxury sedans.

Is the E class not considered a luxury sedan?

Gogiboy

abacomike · March 2013

Is the E class not considered a luxury sedan?

There are two models on the sedan - the Luxury Sedan and the Sport Sedan. The Luxury model has softer shocks and a softer suspension as well as a completely different grille and look compared to the Sport Sedan - the Sport is firmer riding, has larger wheels and tires, handles sharper on turns, is a little lower in stance, has ground effects and different grille and bumpers. Both models are the same wheel base and size.

Both are priced from $53,000 to $70.000 depending on options. There is no additional charge for the sport sedan over the luxury sedan. Mine will MSRP at about $65,000.

Hope that gives you an idea of the differences.

verdugo · March 2013

TVM for the explanation. One last question. When you go down as a group, how do you get back? Do you have a minivan that takes you all back at once?

driver100 · March 2013

Just did a 300 mile round trip to see my wife's mother....she's 100 and a half years old.

Turned to Siius channel 17 and they had a song that I had never heard of which made no sense, tried 50s on 5 and that was a real garbage song, so tried 60s and 70s....they were also terrible.

Listenned to the hard drive on the trip there, and to the USB stick on the way back...every song was a good one - that I selected!

verdugo · March 2013

Interesting business model. Give the consumer something (soft top). Charge consumer for something optional (hard top). If consumer wants the original (no charge soft top) as well as the optional hard top, then charge for both. They must be doing something right.

Not quite as bad as it sounds.

Say the soft top costs $100. The hard top costs $150.

So soft top only is $100.
Hard top only is a $50 option
Both tops are a $150 option.

Obviously the numbers are made up, but you don't get charged a premium for ordering both tops.

verdugo · March 2013

Sorry to hear about your step dad.

jayrider · March 2013

Buick makes a great seat. Remember, they have a 4 year warranty and cpo adds a year plus 2 years of maintenance on top of whatever is left on the original warranty. Should be plenty of low mileage Veranos available in the next few years.

abacomike · March 2013

Turned to Siius channel 17 and they had a song that I had never heard of which made no sense, tried 50s on 5 and that was a real garbage song, so tried 60s and 70s....they were also terrible.

That's why I won't purchase a subscription to Sirius. Channel 17 used to be good, as was Classic Vinyl and the 60's channel, but the genres and selections are poorly planned and broadcasted.

I took the 250 songs I've purchased from iTunes over the last year or two and burned them to a DVD MP3. I put the option on to "mix" and it plays the songs randomly. That's over 14 hours of music that I've selected. I can search the disc on my audio system by artist, album, album cover or by genre - then I can call up music when I want.

Definitely lots better than satellite radio. Even my FM HD stations are better. They have a new station down here, WFEZ I believe, which is 93.1 Easy Listening, and available on IHeart radio. 52 minutes of light rock music ever hour. Great station - I recommend it.

nyccarguy · March 2013

I was checking out this spider web top today too. Way cool.

driver100 · March 2013

WFEZ I believe, which is 93.1 Easy Listening, and available on IHeart radio. 52 minutes of light rock music ever hour.

I am listening to WFEZ Easy 93.1 right now.
WFEZ 93.1

It is pretty good.

I like WDUV 105.5 The Duv even better, Tampa Bay area radio;

WDUV 105.5

But, I agree, with all the options available today, I'm not sure Sirius is worth very much, realistically, $25 a year, or if they had ads and it was free!

driver100 · March 2013

I have another thing I want to complain about...maybe they could give me Andy Rooney's old job.

I have been using Gmail for a few years and it is pretty good....I feel I mastered it enough for my needs.

What happens, all of a sudden they have found a way to "improve" it. This usually means mess it up, and that is exactly what they have done. Harder to use, not as straight forward, and they send ads that are displayed right on the page where I am writing. These ads are fairly large and are for advertisers that I may have looked at at one time. So, they are observing my personal information.

Mr Grumpy is extra grumpy today.

bwia · March 2013

What happens, all of a sudden they have found a way to "improve" it.

I am having a similar irritating experience since I switched to FIOS. It seems as though I spend most of my time deleting junk mail. The email program purportedly has a filtering system but unfortunately it does not block unwanted mail. I don't mind the occasional junk mail but to receive the same annoying and objectionable emaisl every day takes the cake.

Any suggestions on optimizing FIOS email filtering system is appreciated.

tjc78 · March 2013

Thanks everyone for your kind words and best wishes!

Driver,

If I were you I would ask your IT guy to set you up on Microsoft Outlook (using your GMAIL info and it's IMAP servers) its much easier to use IMO and you won't have a single ad to look at. It will load faster too.

BWIA, use can use Verizon's email on Outlook too. Their tech support should be able to help you set it up. Outlook is included in most versions on MS Office (Word, Excel etc).

explorerx4 · March 2013

there's a way to get around or minimize that information gathering, but instead of telling you, i'll let you stay grumpy a while longer.

bwia · March 2013

BWIA, use can use Verizon's email on Outlook too. Their tech support should be able to help you set it up. Outlook is included in most versions on MS Office (Word, Excel etc).

Thanks tjc, but I already use Outlook on my desktop computer which does an excellent job of filtering junk mail. The problem, however, is Verizon itself. All that junk mail fills up my storage capacity and when I try to access my mail on my laptop at "netmail.verizon.net" I face the daunting task of sorting out my legitimate mail.

tjc78 · March 2013

Do you have Outlook setup to "leave messages on the server?" If you do adjust that setting to a number of days like 5 or so and then you should never fill up your server.

robr2 · March 2013

Mr Grumpy is extra grumpy today.

Try deleting your cookies and internet history. The ads should stop.

driver100 · March 2013

there's a way to get around or minimize that information gathering, but instead of telling you, i'll let you stay grumpy a while longer

Thanks, much appreciated, especially since it is Easter/Passover weekend...bah humbug, oh no, that's more for Xmas.

robr2 · March 2013

Any suggestions on optimizing FIOS email filtering system is appreciated.

Stop using their native e-mail and switch over to a stand alone e-mail product like Outlook. When used in conjunction with some sort of spam software, it will catch the spam and put it into a separate folder for you to review.

driver100 · March 2013

Try deleting your cookies and internet history. The ads should stop.

Thanks, but, the problem is, the last time I did that, google etc wouldn't automatically fill in the rest of the address. All, the things which didn't need a password got lost. I had to set it all up over again. I suppose that should be done once a year or regularly, but if I lose those addresses then I will be even grumpier.

If I did that I would take it to our IT guy and let him do it, but he is on vacation, I could lose a lot more than my cookies.

graphicguy · March 2013

Just an FYI, the filter most email providers use to filter out spam was hacked. So, you're going to see a huge influx of male enhancement emails, sure fire ways to get "lucky" with someone in your very own neighborhood, probably get some nigerian millions thrown in for good measure.

I've already seen an uptick in the spam emails I've been getting.

driver100 · March 2013

. So, you're going to see a huge influx of male enhancement emails,

Oh geez, you mean I am going to be getting even more span than I get now.

I am wondering where all those pretty women live who are in my neighborhood that want to meet me....I haven't seen too many around, and if they were that nice they would know I was married and shouldn't be trying to get in touch with them.

robr2 · March 2013

Thanks, but, the problem is, the last time I did that, google etc wouldn't automatically fill in the rest of the address.

Would you rather get spam e-mail and pop up ads?

All, the things which didn't need a password got lost.

Why not bookmark those places instead?

Deleting cookies and history doesn't affect bookmarks.

abacomike · March 2013

If I did that I would take it to our IT guy and let him do it, but he is on vacation, I could lose a lot more than my cookies.

*driver, it sounds like you are about to lose your "marbles" when it comes to you email! Have you ever tried this?

1. Open a two cans of Campbell's soup.
2. Empty the cans of soup and eat the soup
3. Punch a hole in the bottom of both cans, not a big hole, just a small hole
4. Insert the end of a long string through a hole in one of the cans.
5. Tie a knot at the end of the string and pull it through the hole until it stops
6. Put the end of the string that does not have a knot through the 2nd
can.
7. Tie a not at the end of that string.
8. Now, stretch the two cans as far apart as you can, preferrable giving one of the can to you wife.
9. Give your wife a cow bell
10.Give yourself a cow bell
11.When you want to email your wife or she wants to email you, just ring the cowbell, pick up the can and listen to what she has to say.

Now isn't that simpler than losing all your "cookies"?

driver100 · March 2013

Why not bookmark those places instead?

Yes, I could probably do that. I probably have about 60 Bookmarks and I only need about 12, so I should probably clean that out too.

Not to be difficult, but, I am sure I won't remember to Bookmark something, then I will clean up the cookies, and then I won't be able to find what I was looking for. I know, you can't move forward unless you do something.

I will see if my IT guy can do a clean up when he gets back from vacation. As others have said, Spam mail is getting out of control too. If you order something you are on their list....I probably get ads for 10 or 12 things a day.

driver100 · March 2013

, pick up the can and listen to what she has to say.

lol....you went thru a lot of trouble for my smile for the day.

You are talking to a guy who still has a clam shell type of cell phone, who leaves it in the pocket in the door of the car, and who only turns it on if I actually have to make a call, or leaves it on just in case my wife has to reach me. So, in that respect, your tin can phone would suit me fine.

Young people can adapt to changing technology easier, since they are raised on it. I don't like mastering something only to have the technology change on me.

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