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Thanks for the advice though, its something she can take with her the next time she decideds to take another swim in the ocean :P
I think you are afraid to have a car that has outlived its warranty. That is the main reason you can't wait to get a new car.
Since you asked about both a Honda Accord and a Ford Escape, I think you don't really know what you want.
So what do I think you should do? You should get rid of the Murano, get a cheap, reliable car like a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic, and drive it for at least ten years. Then you will be out of debt.
Do I think you will take my advice? Heck no. I think you will still keep borrowing money and buying new cars every couple years. Unless you come into a good amount of money or get lucky and marry someone rich, you will always be making monthy car payments.
And, at this point, I am done thinking.
You just answered your own question. And past situations??? Where I am in central Florida, there are still plenty of sleeze balls. There's a few honest and decent sales people, like where I bought two new Toyotas last year, but all the other Toyota dealerships I've attempted to deal with are, well let's say, less than stellar.
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IMHO until the industry can get rid of these types of dealers, making a decent living will always be difficult for folks like you.
Current payments for the MO...
519.46/month car payment
215/month insurance payment
about 734/month total payments
05 Ford Escape XLS
16,500 + taxes + fees + negative equity = 22000 total @ 5.35% = 420/month car payment
140/month insurance payment
about 560/month total
a drop of about 175/month
The 22,977 is the edmunds trade in value.
what do you say Mark?
I don't want to be fooling myself thinking its right, I want to know if am seeing "it" correctly.
I am pushing for a sedan, but my wife (she isn't rich :P ) wants a suv.
I am just playing with the finance and insurance rate numbers.
I rather save money now by getting into a lower monthly total payment car then wait for the negative equity to go down while the trade in value also goes down with it.
**Also, the dealership did not have a single brochure or piece of paper work regarding this warranty. Therefore we were TOTALLY unaware of the cancelation policy! (As far as the cannot get it again on that car - he told us we could cancel in 30 days...really it is 60 days) We didn't know about it until we recieved the paperwork in the mail, already in effect. Don't we have to sign something agreeing to the terms and condidtions?
Here's the thing, GMPP told me that I cannot cancel it from my dealer and get it from Blacks...they say once you buy it, you cannot ever get it again on that veichle! I called the Buick Company and all they could do was note the complaint about my dealership.
Does anyone know what to do? Are their any loop holes in the GMPP warrenty? We really want to stay with GM and switch to the $ 0 deductible. The dealership will not help us as of right now....but I have messages in to alot of people there.
If not, what are other warranties that are equally as good as GMPP?
Thanks, I appreciate any and all advice...........
I want to say this politely as possible but you have only yourself to blame in this situation. You signed up for a $2900 warranty without seeing any paperwork or asking questions about the deductible?
Furthermore, $100 deductible is not outrageous. For the life of your car, if you have 3 claims that is only $300, which is fairly standard amount. Then again, for $2900 (which is a ripoff), they should come to your house and pick the car up for you.
My dealership goes through the same thing. We have extremely high CSI scores, but we're really nothing but a test drive center a lot of the time.
Many customers are thankless and cheapskates. They will take up to 2 hours of one of my salesman's time on a hot Saturday but when it comes to buying a car they'll not give him a single dime and buy a car from another dealership so they can save $100.
Car salesman become bitter, angry, and corrupt because they are constantly played like a flute by these "champagne on beer-budget" customers.
Keep in mind that those same people who will sell you down the river over $50 after working with you for hours are probably not the kind of customer you want in your book of business in the long run anyway. I have many of my customers who I've worked with 2, 3 and in one case 4 generations of the family. Every day I go into work, I get to look forward to seeing at least a couple of them in for service and sitting and chatting when it's slow.
That's the part I love about this business. Making an honest living, and enjoying the process while making alot of friends in the middle of it all.
Keep your chin up.
Ken
The industry will get rid of those crooks as soon as foolish customers stop buying cars from them. It's simply amazing to me how so many people can be so clueless about the process of buying a car. It is the second most expensive thing you will ever buy. I really don't have any pity for grown adults who get "took" by those crook dealerships. I bought my first car without any help when I was 20 years old and even then I knew when I was being lied to and cheated.
I agree 100%. When my guys tell me that their customer bought elsewhere, I tell them it is a blessing in disguise. Penny-pincher customers usually give bad surveys and we all know how important that is. They become a hassle to the salesperson, the service department, and the management. It's just better to let them deal with Joe Crook Dealership.
For the price you're expecting, I hope that thing is optioned to the gills including leather, Nav, and sunroof. You do know the market on SUV's is in the toilet now, right?
Doesn't your wife realize that a Murano is an SUV?
Mark
I've been having nearly this same conversation on one of the other boards for 3 days now. Unfortunately, it kind of spontaneously erupted on the Honda Accord Pricing thread and was kind of out of place.
The answer to your question is...there will never be enough. No matter how big the discount is, the customer wants more. No matter how much time you spend trying to sincerely help a customer figure out what their needs are, they will always cut your throat for a nickel. The customers will brand you as the crook and then lie to your face about how many miles are REALLY on their trade, mislead you about their credit, tell you they have ridiculous offers down the road, and generally treat you like a pack mule there to bring them brochures, numbers, and information. Why shouldn't they? After all, you're not a human being, you're just a car salesman. I hear people complain constantly that they've been lied to or deceived by the salesman. Sure, there are crooks in our business just like every business, but the fact is that most salesmen are honest. The reason people feel like they are being lied to stems from two reasons.
1. Most people hear what they want to regardless of what was said. I tell a customer on the phone that "discounts could be as high as 4 thousand dollars" They hear "You're going to get 4 thousand dollars off any car you pick". Then, when the discount off the 18 thousand dollar economy car they pick is only $1500, I'm a liar.
2. People prepare to negotiate with a car dealer. They prepare for hours, days, or even weeks and months. The go in all puffed up and full of pi$$ and vinegar. They put on their best game face and negotiate for all they're worth. Then, when they discover that they allowed the dealer to make a ridiculous $600 of profit ( a 2-3% markup) they are usually so full of themselves that they believe the only way they could have been beaten is if they were lied to or tricked. They fail to recognize the fact that no matter how much time they spent preparing to negotiate toe to toe with a sales professional, we spent sooooooooooooo much more. That's our job.
The manufacturers certainly don't help. They're constantly catering to the mooches of the world by unveiling new and more outrageous ways for the customer to demand more. I'm a finance manager, and I routinely have customers become offended and even enraged when they're told that the best rate they can get on their financing is 4%. "4%!!! That's highway robbery! I heard from my mother's boyfriend's next door neighbor's hairdresser that you all had 0% financing for 96 months...What are you crooks trying to pull!?" Employee pricing is just the newest gimmick the manufacturers are going to get the public hooked on, take away, and then leave the dealers holding the bag. 6 months from now, we're going to be dealing with the customer that throws his or her hands up in frustration and yells "300 dollars below invoice!? What do you think I am, stupid? I'm not paying a penny more than my aunt's dog groomer whose ex-husband worked for Ford" And you wanna know the truly ridiculous part? If that idiot yells loud enough and long enough, he's gonna find a dealership that is a big enough whore to give it to him. Then, we're all screwed.
It's funny, but there was a comment in a recent post to the effect that a vehicle is the second most expensive investment they will likely make. I presume a home is the most expensive (let's leave kids and spouses / significant others out of this).
The thing as a consumer which has always bothered me personally is that cars are the only major consumer product where you don't know (or objectively determine) the price you will pay based on what is advertised. People's defenses are naturally set off by the fact they cannot know or predict a priori what the final cost will be before comming to the lot because the advertise price (your initial offer) is of dubious value.
The name of the forum is any questions for a car dealer right?
As consumers, we aren't all born deal makers and negotiators.
We are raised as consumers to read the label, respond to the adv, comparison shop, seek the competitive price, then go and make the purchase.
Couple these facts and you'll understand consumers are hesitant to believe what they see or are told at a dealership because the transaction model does not fit all the other purchasing / transaction models we are more familiar with. Be patient with us - you have the upper hand and we know this (and when we as consumers don't know this - we see evidence and hear horror stories of the willingness by those in your profession to take great advantage of this fact for large and blatently inappropriate gains).
We rarely hear the stories of your good deads to minimize a consumer's true cost to own nor turn those with poor credit away from deals and vehicles that will spell financial bondage. We as consumers tend to naturally distrust you.
Therefore, I believe consumers view salesman and dealerships as intermediaries between them and what they want - motivated with incentives to "increase profits".
You're challenge (I think) is to change that impression to one of being facilitators and advocates for the consumer. Ask yourself - what value do you add (as salesman) to the consumer and the transaction? Why should we trust you?
Just read your posts and found it to be very interesting....and I would like to ask you a few questions if that is alright...I have asked some previous questions concerning this profession and have had many good responses by a few car dealers who I notice are on this site allot...and for the most part they seem very sincere about what they are posting...
My first question is fairly simple, what is CSI?
I also noticed you work at a mazda dealer...can I ask you if you work there because you believe in the product? Or do you work there because you like to work as a car salesman in general? To clarify, is there any make of vehicle that you would not want to try and sell?
Do you think that if your a car salesman you should know the product you are trying to sell? The reason I ask that is because it has been my experience that majority of time when I walk on a lot I seem to know much more about the product than the guy trying to sell it to me does.
How important are those surveys that get sent to us after a sale? Or those phone calls that we might get? Most salesman always have reminded me before I left the dealership about these surveys...Can you explain to me how these actually affect you as a salesman...What type of payment plan do you work for? Straight commission? Salary + commission? Does the dealership put a minimium number of units that you must sell each month?
I think I will stop there for now...don't want to overload you!
Thanks in advance for your response....
If you're counting on market forces to weed out the crooks don't hold your breath. I deal with a car salesman once every few years and you deal with foolish customers every day.
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I agree with you about dealing with consumers. I tried starting a tree service business last year, but gave up after dealing with people. They think a 3 hour job should only cost them 50 bucks or less, anything more then I'm ripping them off.
All you gotta do is calculate the OTD price that you are willing to pay before you go visit the car dealer. Then you know eactly how much the car will cost you.
By the way, the last few posts by you and Goodfella demonstrate beautifully the difficulties in the relationship between car dealers and customers. My guess is that it has gotten worse for the dealers because so much information is now available to the buyers. I wonder if it will ever get better?
As always, anything is worth what someone will pay for it on any given day.
-Dan-
However, the very scale of the automotive purchase, and the fact that cars have never been commodities has resulted in the current negotiated sale model. If people want to have fixed prices, they will have to settle for fixed products, and give up the flexibility of custom ordering. Toyonda have moved in that direction for years. Toy shows a full options list, but limits what you can actually order, reducing the variations to a manageable (for them) few versions. Honda did away with factory options altogether, going with the DIO model. If these trends continue, cars might very well become commodities, and pricing can become more fixed.
Then all we'll have to argue about in Smart Shopper will be trade-ins...
Honestly, I hope cars never become a fixed price product. Maybe I'm just sick, but I LIKE the negotiation involved in purchasing a car. I do it with other things too, even items that most folks won't consider negotiable. Especially jewelry stores, which is why my wife has so much of it. If I paid straight retail all the time, she would be unhappy since she wouldn't have as much bling. Can't have that, right?
Now, arguing about trade-ins is a whole other thing. I sell them myself and keep the profit. Ergo, no worries. Life's too short.
-Dan-
Bingo.......Well said.
But once a price is agreed to with a house, there's no more fees added in by the seller. And I'm not talking about tax, tag & title govt. fees. I can't tell you the number of times I've bought a vehicle only to find there's extra fees added on at the end.
Now, that's brand loyalty.
I do have a question regarding: "when they purchase their vehicle, they get me as part of the package. With over 10years of experience under my belt, it does make a difference on occasion."
Please let us in on how loyalty to a salesman can help.
If we really find that to be the case, maybe our buying habits will change.
What does a salesman do two years after a purchase that has a bearing on satisfaction with the vehicle?
Here's something I notice about the local dealers--when I go back to buy the next car, the salesman I dealt with before is no longer there. Maybe I'm not buying often enough to get close to a salesman. The salesman at the dealer where I bought my last new car is not there any longer, and I don't know where he is. I felt I was treated fairly, and would deal with him again. I did go to talk to him when I was having service done, but now he is not there when I go.
I also get the feeling at times as though the salesman is not being treated fairly by the dealer.
One other point about competitiveness--
When there are 4 dealers within 15 miles of one another selling the exact same vehicle and the price is not fixed, why wouldn't I shop for the best deal? Why do the manufacturers franchise so many in such a small area?
Thanks.
Ed
Now for 2005, my brother recently checked the sales operations in the metro DC area for possible employment as was offered by an acquaintance. He exclaimed, "Boy, what a difference 25 year's makes!" In his contact with several major dealerships in the area, he was informed that they employ a couple of professional sales personnel who run the sales floor in shifts. They oversee the floor operation but but do not perform appraisals, F&I, etc.
The dealerships then hire a number of, what are called, "phone-jockeys" (so you want a career in sales?) with the required college degrees. The tasks of these usually presentable candidates who are capable of following simple directions include: calling potential customers, service walk-ins, provide for customer test drives, and then turn only those confirmed as true purchasers over to the professionals to close the deal. Trade-ins, appraisals and F&I is conducted by others in the organization who do not venture onto the sales floor from their closed cublcles. The dealership provides these "phone-jockeys" with a small base salary only and maybe an occasional Mickey-D's lunch. This provides for a major employee turnover in these positions but, the cost to the firm is extremely low (no benefits). There is a tight control of all employes and no one is permitted to perform all aspects of a given sale.
My brother asked each firm how they would employ a "seasoned" sales rep? The reply is that they rarely come across these types of individuals. Professional sales positions are usually filled by friends, or long term acquaintances who have a good track-record with the firms' owners. The only positions for those rare individuals who come off the street are as sales managers. The firms questioned added that they usually employ "floaters" in these sales manager positions. They informed my brother that these "floaters" are sales personnel who travel from firm to firm usually one step before their termination either through office politics or personal issues. These "floaters" are hired to baby-sit the "phone-jockeys," freeing the professionals to perform other important temporary duties. The "floaters" are under a tight rein by the firm and usually don't last past 6 months due to the re-occurrence of some possible past bad habits or failure to take instructions from the firm.
My brother was amazed by the quality of the sales staff in a number of dealerships in the metro DC area. He said one salesperson approached him at a mega-dealership holding a chicken leg in one hand and inquiring if he was "just-looking" or buying. He then stopped chewing long enough to say "We're dealing!"
My brother also found interesting changes in area the used/pre-owned vehicle sales area. A
He noted a large firm providing a commission of just $200.00 per sale and no benefits. I guess one would have to sell a large amount of vehicles to make a fair wage without benefits. Under these circumstances; I could see where some of the problems noted in this site can occur.
Is the experience of my brother's an industry-wide situation or just a ,ocal metro DClocalurrence?
As for the added benifit that I bring to the table. With the experience I have with both the vehicles and the processes in the dealership (been at the current for 4 years after moving across the state to get married), often if there are questions, I am more available than service or parts or I can facilitate some of the go-between with the departments and the customer. They also have an advocate with departments or with Toyota if there are things that are questionable for coverage on warranty work, etc. I certainly work with my customers to get discounts through our parts/service departments whenever possible.
Part of what I do with all of my customers is that I send out a newsletter on average 4x per year going over what new is going on with Toyota, our dealer group, and the industry. This is partly just so I keep my name and face in front of them, but also many of my customers have expressed thanks for information they may not access through any other means normally. With sales consultants that you've worked with in the past not being there any longer, I would fault them more than anything else. There is alot of change and turnover in the business, unfortunately, but they should be able to send a note to tell you they moved and where they moved to so if you wish to continue working with them you have that choice.
There are, without a doubt, sales consultants who don't have the best support from their dealer. I would like to think that's the exception rather than the rule, but I can say that my first experience in the car business was like most. I started at a Nissan dealer, they put me in a conference room with brochures, books and videos for a week, after numbing my mind for a week doing all of the reading and watching, they put me at a desk, gave me a worksheet and told me to start talking with customers. I lasted a week before going to a smaller, but more reputable Toyota dealer where I was actually trained, coached and mentored. I worked there for 9months, with the last 5 being their top sales consultant before going to the larger, more reputable Toyota dealer across town who wouldn't hire me without experience.
I'm still good friends with many at both of my previous two Toyota stores and this has come to help me many times as well for both my and my customer's benefit. With having worked for and with many of the managers at these other stores who have also spread out and work for other local stores there, if we need a dealer-trade for a vehicle, I can often obtain vehicles that "are not available" in their inventory.
With my experience as a Financial Services Manager, I still have good relationships with the Credit analysts at many of the banks. Not that my FSM's don't also, but there have been occasions that a call and some schmoozing with some of these bank representatives that I have known for quite a while have helped move a deal along or allowed them to look at an application in a different light.
And lastly, while I don't claim to know everything about every Toyota ever made, I try to keep myself as informed as I can. At least I try to be more informed about my own product than my customers certainly. This means I don't limit myself to just what Toyota gives us for training(sometimes propaganda), but to outside sources. When I don't know the answer to a question, I admit it, but know where to go to get the answers.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions you have.
As for your last question, I don't, and I don't think most sales consultants have a problem with you shopping for the best deal. But as I say to many of my customers, the best deal is not always the best price. And certainly if you've had someone spend hours of their time and effort to work with you, answer questions, and service you, give them the opportunity to earn your business by giving them the chance to meet or at least come close to the price you get from the dealer who spent 5mintues with you who isn't as focused on service. Maybe if more customers did this, actually the good sales consultants whould still be there a couple of years down the road. It's a double edged sword, when you're customer focused, you don't pressure, but you may lose sales to the high pressure dealer across town. The difficulty that most new sales consultants have though, is that you can still ask for the business without being pushy or pressure people by doing so. Most just can't figure out how to do one without the other.
Ken
First what does the owners religion have to do with anything?
Second, There are some good dealers in the DC area and some bad ones. I suspect your brother looked at the bad ones. The good ones a probably not always advertising for people, though.
Every place is different... It's a combination of one or more of the following: salary, commissions, bonuses.
Salary can range from $0, to a draw (basically a "loan" to the salesperson if they don't make enough sales) of a couple hundred dollars, to a small salary of a couple hundred dollars.
Commissions can range from 10% to 30% of gross profit. Some dealers do commissions on only vehicle sale profit, some on finance/warranty profit, as well.
Bonuses can come in many forms: unit bonuses (sell 12 cars in a month, get $500 bonus), gross bonuses (sell $15,000 of gross profit, get $500 bonus), etc.
CSI = Customer Satisfaction Index.... As you can probably guess, CSI is vitally important on many levels. Dealers with the highest CSI scores will usually get special recognition in the form of an award from their respective manufacturer, bonuses paid to the dealer from the manufacturer, etc. Some dealers that win these bonuses have managers that just pocket the cash, some distribute it among employees. Some dealers have bonuses for individual salespeople based on the CSI scores of the people they sold cars to. If the customer gives them the top rating, they get paid a bonus.
An important point to make, though, is that CSI in almost all cases only consider the top rating (5 out of 5, 10 out of 10, "completely satisfied", etc) to be a satisfactory score. If the customer gives their salesperson a rating of 4 out of 5 because they thought he was "pretty good," they essential gave him a grade of "FAIL." I know it's crazy, since most people would think 4 out of 5 is a good grade.... Car manufacturers don't see it that way. If the customer doesn't give the dealer and salesperson the top score, they didn't do their job.... As you can see, this can lead directly to loss of pay to both the dealership and salesperson.
I have had 2 salespeople actually not want to show me the vehicle, and explain features to me, so guess what, I won't buy from them. Take that Nissan and Toyota!!!! The salespeople who have been pleasant, and accomodating, even offering to let us take the vehicle home overnight, are on my list to go back to. I even just called one salesman, and told him I am still looking.
I even made my first stop at the dealership I have been dealing with for 12 years, 3 cars, and I had such a bad experience, I left and told them to never call me or write me again. I had never ever left that dealership without a vehicle, and I am surprised at the bad treatment we got from them.
So, loyalty sometimes isn't repaid, I am still looking, and I have cash to spend, but not enough knowledge to spend it correctly, yet.
I guess if it bothers salesmen to be flyer deliverers, test drive helpers, or whatever else was noted on this board, maybe that attitude shows, thus the lost sale.
Just my thoughts....
i can see an advertised price for a home (generally an appreciating asset by the way), and i can purchase that house for that price or less (generally, but sometimes in a bidding war, we may end up being forced into paying more).
we have an inspection period, and the home's truer value can be assessed based on condition.
houses are not commodities in the same way a vehicle is (or should be).
the initial advertisement for a vehicle means about nothing and appears non-binding. there are rules against this in other retail contexts, but evidently dealerships are exempt.
tags, title and taxes (and financing) aside, if you advertise a new vehicle (i'm not talking used), then i personally expect at a minimum for you to have one or more for that price (or less), and if you don't have one for that price, you can get one for that price (or less). if that can't be done, you shouldn't be advertising the product.
why should automobiles be allowed to be advertised under rules any differently than for any other consumer product? this is where the distrust starts. the opening offer is not credible.
OK, so tell me what dealership is going to maintain 5 or more years worth of videotaped F&I transactions, and index them by date and person so that they can pull one up in the event of future ligitation when people can't even find the last microsoft werd document that they just "lost" on their winblows computer. :confuse:
I don't believe it for a nanosecond (as opposed to a nanoo nanoo second).
Either be different from everyone else or be satisfied with what you are doing now. Being an average salesperson is fine and you can make a decent living being average but I assure you that there is someone in your store, district or region that you know that is selling a lot more cars then you and making it look easy. My friend, it isn't easy. They work very hard, are dedicated to their profession, and do not carry a 99% CSI. For the past 10 years I ran between 93-95% CSI and I still get my feelings hurt with a bad survey but learn from your mistakes and move on.
Times have changed but you have to adapt. If you are confident in yourself and have the skills it doesn't matter what the market is doing because people will always buy cars. It is just a question of whether they are going to by from you or not.
most important advice: never lie, never mislead, never strong-arm a customer but do not be afraid to ask for their business. They came to your dealership for a reason. Find out why, take care of their needs. help them with their purchase and be there for them in the future.
So inflating the loan rate (Mr Smith, great news, your 750 score finally paid off - we approved you for your credit with 8.99% APR), pushing life insurance with a car, or all that junk paint sealant/scotchguard/seat protection for 10 times for $599 (dealer paid $50), lowballing trade, or inflating price of extended warranty, adding $500 fees for carwash/paperwork is OK? Why? Because it is done by YOU, not by Truth is it is DEALER WHO ALWAYS WANTS MORE. Tell me truthfully, Mr. Dealer: I am coming to you and say: "I am buying for your asking price, I believe it must be fair because such a nice guy would never rip me off if" Would you stop there and not ask for all that junk I just mentioned?
So please don't give me a grief about those terrible customers (probably 10%, which are known as bottom feeders) asking for too much. Because the truth is that on the other hand probably 99% of you guys would always ask for more if you only could. It is us who has to start screaming before the F&I manager let go idea of "service value package" for $399 (5 oil changes and air filter).
Most of us customers would gladly stop at any point as long as we start believing it is good enough and Jensens from across the street would not get anything significantly better at this moment. Those 10 percent bottomfeeders have no concept of fair deal anyway (everthing should be free anyway). Probably there is some percentage of people attempting to make unreasonable demands just to "test the waters", same way as those dealers lowballing the trade. When they see resistance, they back off quickly.
As I was told the other time, life is tough. When I asked about "one price for all", as it is in the local SEARS or JC Penney, I was quickly shut out with all that "it would be boring" stuff. You don't wan't that, it looks that employee pricing deals not good enough for you (too clear cut, too little to play). The old system must be working for you better. My guess is there is still enough of working class minority single mothers (probably poster child for the most vulnerable customer - no time for research, no real interest in vehicles at the first place, not so great credit, I do not mention income etc.) out there to milk...
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Exactly. We are one of 4 Caddy dealers in a 20 mile radius. We serve an area of approx. 250,000 people if you include the surrounding areas. 4 Chevy dealers in that space is prolly too much. For Caddy, it's crazy. There is one dealer for Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volvo, etc. in our area. It is the domestics that have markets saturated.
I compete w/ Lexus, Mercedes, etc. that pick up vehicles at customers homes, leave them a car, etc. They can absorb the cost because they actually make money on the new cars (plus their oil changes are 3 times the cost of ours). Things like that make it doubly tough. I'm sure Caddy would love to drop the lower volume stores to have healthier dealers. But that is easier said than done.
Your credit card has name, etc info and that's all they really need if they want to scan you into a database, etc.
I could have either said ,"oh well" and went on home or I could look up his number, call him back and apologize for my mistake and tell him that he was right and I was wrong. Knowing that first impressions are very important and that I now had just about zero chances of selling him a car I still called him back and let him know that i was wrong and that I made a mistake.
moral of the story: I did that for me, not him. Do all you can do but do it the right way. Will I sell him a car? No chance, but at least I went home knowing that I called him back. At that pont it wasn't about selling him a car it was about providing a service to someone that took the time to pick up the phone and call your dealership for information.
BE DIFFERENT!! Even if it means that you were wrong.
You mean you don't talk to yourself? what are you crazy or something? :P
Mickey D's is no longer asking the super size question... seems the frivilous lawsuits are starting to have an effect.
and I won't but radio shack batteries any more - the once leaked on my Canon Motor Drive MF (a 25 plus year old item that is VERY HARD to replace).
motor and drive in this post so it's on topic :P
A college degree or stellar resume in one of these old established ethnic firms meant nothing. In my quest for employment, I was countered with the standard old yiddish comment "So what are you going to do for me if I take you on?" After successfully convincing the owner that I wanted to learn from the best and that I was willing to work for free on a trial basis, I got this coveted opportunity with a Mr. Rosen. Some of my friends also followed this line of thought in securing really good opportunities in the Jewish community of New York City, where praise was rare and hard work was expected.
The Jewish community in old New York City during my youth was unique in that you had to really prove yourself. Usually, the business owners' kids were in college and did not want any part of the family business leaving an apprenticeship for the right person. If you had the drive and proved your worth, well, you can obtain a great opportunity and learn many real-world values. These values that I have obtained in this environment served me well through-out my life. Believe me, working for my Italian uncles' metal manufacturing firm would not have provided me with the wealth of business experience I obtained working for Mr. Rose. He was a prince of a man!
Mr. Rosen was a Horatio Algier character who pulled himself up from the deep depression to make a comfortable living in the furniture business. He liked my "moxie" in asking for a job and his only regret was that I wasn't Jewish; go figure.
As for the metro DC dealerships, it appears that there is no real need for a large experienced sales-force. My brother was informed in his quest by a half-dozen firms that they would rather operate with a very small number of pros and fill the ranks with these "phone-jockeys." I guess financially it works for them.
I was just curious if this is presently or the wave of the future in auto sales or an aberration here in the DC metro area. In my personal rounds in checking out the new dealership offers, I have come across a number of sales staff comprised of local teachers on their summer break not familiar with their products or former military personnel sharing with me that they are working at the dealership working on their "grub-steak" until their true interests become available.
--Thanks
The majority of dealerships I've dealt with still fall in to the category of your first paragraph. As such I have no sympathy for them.
Now I understand that Giant has been taken over by a foreign company Royal Ahold. With a name like that, you can imagine how they regard their customers.
However, I guess things have turned out OK When we were looking at cars I talked with several sales people, and all of them were very nice. The ones who were gnawing on a chicken bone even offered us a bite.
Other than that, go into a few dealers you're interested in, (I would recommend through service entrance) and ask some of the sales consultants what it's like working there. Explain that you're considering placing a resume' or application but want to get feedback from employees before talking with the GM. I would also ask the receptionists as they are typically the best source of information/gossip at any dealership and can lay it out for you pretty straight in most cases.
Keep in mind that this is a People-driven business, not a techno-driven one. So focus on your relationship skills while getting background and info on the vehicles you choose to sell.
Ken