Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

mackabee · February 2006

Golic, if you want to pay a premium to avoid coming in to the dealership how's this sound? Full MSRP plus ttl, I bring the paperwork over to your house or job, or Fed ex it. Bring the vehicle detailed and tank full of gas go over the vehicle's owner's manuals and features with you and the wife and the kids! And there you are! How's that sound?

Mackabee

mackabee · February 2006

Also, you have to understand where they came from. It's been my experience that most F&I "managers" royally sucked* at selling cars (at least at the stores I've worked at) with very few exceptions. Some have moved up the ladder to General Manager but they still *sucked at that position too!

It does help if you are of the opposite sex, smile a lot and show lots of cleavage!*

Mackabee

p.s. *this is only my opinion and does not reflect the experiences you may have had when you purchased your car.

bobst · February 2006

Hi Victor, I hope you are doing good these days.

Well I am of the opposite sex (opposite to women, that is), I do smile a lot, and if I turn around I can show lots of cleavage. Could I be an F&I guy at your store?

Bob

mackabee · February 2006

Hey! And sometimes it works! *Snicker, snicker*

Mackabee

mackabee · February 2006

Hi Bob! How've you been? Did you change internet providers? I have sent updates on the status of my health and yours came back. I'm doing ok for now. Lots of aches and pains, and lots of follow ups with the oncologist. Got another CT scan scheduled for March 7th. Wish me luck!
Vic

mackabee · February 2006

Fred, you're out of luck. You may be able to have your dealer "locate" something close to what you have in mind. It's too late in the model year to do one.
Mackabee

waw40 · February 2006

Will someone working at a dealership tell me why it is that while most TV, internet, and magazine commercials show cars in red, when I want to find a red manual TSX, I can't find it in any western state dealership?

bobst · February 2006

Yeah, Victor, we changed from aol.com to verizon.net. All of us are glad to hear you are doing better. Maybe you will even get some snow so you can go sledding down Mt. Trashmore.

mackabee · February 2006

I didn't understand your post either.
Mackabee
:lemon:

golic · February 2006

Yeah, but would asking for premium gas be too much *snicker*

Mack- if money was no object, sign me up. Although, when I bought my last Ody for MSRP, The dealership had me convinced they were doing me a favor. *sigh*

Go BLUE!!!

golic · February 2006

Wife has the mini-van, but often we get caught in a bind only having one car that can handle 4 carseats *see my safe-sex book* *rattle*

I need somthing that can handle that car load every now and then, and safety is a concern which is why I was thinking the XC90.

What would you recommend ole' wise one *headtilt*

B
L
U
E

mackabee · February 2006

A Sequoia! seating for eight, Toyota's five star safety system. Or better yet! How about a Landcruiser?

Mackabee

mackabee · February 2006

Well, I'm glad you're still around the boards. We did get some flurries this morning but nothing sticked.
:shades:
Mackabee

golic · February 2006

Why not both *scowl*

Out of my price range. *sob* Nice car though, in my next life I will marry better *grin*

I need to stay on the left side of the 30s *shrugs*

mackabee · February 2006

I didn't intend to monopolize the board tonight. I just finished reading all of the over 120 posts I missed and felt like replying to some of them. Sleeepy time!

backy · February 2006

About a dozen posts ago, someone actually asked a question for a dealer.

rroyce10 · February 2006

... **Not very trusting are you? Do you count the change in your vehicles coin holder before dropping it off at the dealer? ...**

Obviously you know even less about reading and answering posts than you know about sports history ..... if you can't contribute then don't bother posting ....

Terry.

jipster · February 2006

"if you can't contribute then don't bother posting..."

Thanks for the advice Howard...but don't get angry. Not everyones opinion coincides with yours. I know....lifes not fair is it? I was perfectly content ignorning your "opinionated" posts ...until you called me out with that childish remark you made. I suspect antagonistic remarks like yours is why this topic discussion will be closing.
(no winkey eye emotorcon for you)

golic · February 2006

I guess does every price below MSRP have to be approved by the sales manager?

Or does each individual salesman get limits on how low they can go based on experience and volume?

I am just curious, that as a customer should we seek out the "more" seasoned salesman since perhaps they may have a larger window to negotiate a deal before getting approval from the sales manager?

british_rover · February 2006

Why a Land Rover LR3 of course. Seats seven 6 feet and under adults and is probably safer then the Volvo.

thebill · February 2006

Be backs raise skinny children

audia8q · February 2006

I can't speak for other dealers but I don't set a limit for my salespeople...That said, we push for offers instead of us lobbing numbers at the customer hoping they will say yes. All offers get ultimately approved or declined at the sales desk....

The whole idea is rather simple....land a customer on a car they will buy and get a commitment once they make an offer. not alot of back and forth and it can be rather quick and hassle free if you have an educated buyer who is ready to pull the trigger.

bigdveedubgirl · February 2006

It all depends where you are and what kind of store.....

In a large domestic store with closers and towers, the salespeople, other than fleet and internet have no say whatsoever.

In my store which is small with a huge (ha) staff of 4 salespeople. We can sell cars at EDMUNDS TMV and that is about it anymore discount we have to get manager approval.

Someone like ISELL, I would think that he has some authority on pricing vehicles. But that doesnt always mean you will get the biggest discount either. BUT most successful salespeople "know when to hold em and when to fold em" meaning sometimes you can hold gross, but sometimes its better to take the mini and get the metal down the street. Also a seasoned salesperson, will value your time (because if he/she is succesful you are not the only car he/she is going to sell that day) and will determine your needs and get to the point. Happy shopping!

qbrozen · February 2006

well, no, you didn't say you "hate" those folks, to be exact, just that you "really don't like them."

Hey, here's a strange bit of trivia ... I just checked both our profiles and it says we both joined April 13, 2001. That's too coincidental ... maybe we were both around before that, but edmunds didn't start keeping track of us till that date ... (?) ... Aaaanyhoo... moving on.

EDIT: oh, that must be it. Just checked Terry's and Mackabee's profiles and they also joined April 13, 2001. Geez, now I'm really wondering how long we've all been burning our time on these boards.

bobst · February 2006

If the salesman could accept or decline your offer, then you would see him as an adversary.

If the salesman has to go to the sales manager to get an OK on your offer, then you see the salesman as a friend trying to help you get the best possible deal.

The dealers want you to think like that, so that is why they have the salesman running back and forth to the sales manager.

bobst · February 2006

April 13 for me too, gbrozen. Well, the cat is out of the bag. You, Isell, and myself are the same person.

qbrozen · February 2006

arrrgggg... I KNEW it. Its like that movie Identity. Now one of our personalities has to kill all the others.

golic · February 2006

Excellent insight Bobst, never really thought of it that way. *lightbulb*

biancar · February 2006

When do you start calling customers by their first names?

Personally, I don't care for it. I want to be "Mrs. Last Name" at least at first greeting, and quite possibly throughout the transaction. It seems like almost every salesman jumps right in with the first name thing as if I were their long-lost friend, unless it happens to be a young salesperson right out of college. Then they seem to think about it a bit, probably because of the age difference.

Once someone starts calling me "Bianca" it feels rude to say "that's Mrs. xxx," but if someone starts in with the last name, eventually I can say "Oh, do please call call me Bianca," which seems like a nicer direction to go in.

Do the sales manuals address this in how you should greet your customers?

kdhspyder · February 2006

Now... Was April 13, 2001... a Friday?

bigdveedubgirl · February 2006

It does help if you are of the opposite sex, smile a lot and show lots of cleavage!*

Oh GAWD. I am a girl, and I should be offended by that comment, but I have worked with aftermarket girls that perpetuated that stereotype. Now, I am cute and bubblely, but I am smart and educated on my product and never used my *ahem* cleavage to make a sale.(Okay maybe once but he was cute ha ha ) Now I am an anomolie as a female in the car business. And this is all rather tongue and cheek and stereotypical, but we as salespeople are stereotyped all day long in this board.

Women in the car business are either total B-words total man haters. Or they are just cute as can be with cleavage and highlights to boot, and they mess up, like wreck cars on while getting lunch, speaking of lunch, usually its around 2 hours, know nothing about the product, but its okay cause she is just so dang cute......

danf1 · February 2006

Every sales training course that I have ever attended tells you to use first names early and often. Psychologically it has been told to me that one's name is a comforting word. I'm definitely not qualified to argue whether that is true or not, but it is what I have been taught.

As far as how we are trained to greet someone it should go something like this: "Welcome to ABC Motors, My name is Dan and you are?" If you say Ms. Smith, than I would probably refer to you as Ms. Smith until you inform me otherwise.

british_rover · February 2006

Agreed I just use whatever name people tell me when we first meet. If we are communicating over just email then I will probably say Mr. whatever or Mrs. whatever.

biancar · February 2006

Interesting. I usually say I'm "Bianca R...." Maybe that's why they go to first names immediately rather than Ms. or Mrs. R....

I bought my last car from a young salesman who used Mrs. from the start. Maybe coincidence, maybe that I felt I was treated better there.

Didn't hurt that the dealership had exactly the car I wanted, of course.

snakeweasel · February 2006

I bought my last car from a young salesman who used Mrs. from the start.

I think that calling someone Mr. or Mrs. [your name here] conveys a level of respect that you can never get when you use someone first name. I think it is sad that that type of respect is missing today.

bdr127 · February 2006

Interesting. I usually say I'm "Bianca R...." Maybe that's why they go to first names immediately rather than Ms. or Mrs. R....

I don't think it has anything to do with car sales at all. It's just normal every day life.....

If someone introduces themselves to me (no matter where it is, in any situation) by their first name, I presume that to mean they want me to call them by their first name. Otherwise they wouldn't have offered up that information.

If they say "Mrs. Smith", then naturally I'd call them Mrs. Smith. If they "Dr. Jones" then I'd call them Dr. Jones or just Doctor.

Bianca: Conversely, If the salesperson introduced themselves as "David Williams", would you call them Mr. Williams until they told you to "just call him David"? Even if they were older than you?

biancar · February 2006

Yes, if they gave both first and last names, I'd say Mr. Williams until told otherwise. *Especially* if they were older than me.

If I meet someone at a party or social event, that's different, I'd assume everyone is on first-name basis. But in a professional context, if someone wants me to turn over a large pile of money in return for a product, then I like to use last names at least until we've established more than just a passing relationship.

mazda6iguy · February 2006

>>2. If they are new to the dealership, introduce them to the service manager, take a tour of service

The insurance underwriter would have a fit if they saw that.<<

When I bought my car, they gave me a tour of the Service write up area, not the service bays themselves.

isellhondas · February 2006

That is a mistake. I joined in February 1998 and my profile was showing that date as of last week.

Heck, I was almost "fully vested"! I want my seniority back!

imidazol97 · February 2006

>I want my seniority back!

It won't do any good for retirement. Companies will do away with all retirement plans-you're on your own.

audia8q · February 2006

hey...I'm April 13 2001 also. Should I get suspicious that the twilight zone music is playing?

ok...I did my carspace so plz join and add your name to my friends list. I will load more pics over the weekend.

audia8q · February 2006

Anyone on here ever go into a dealership and refuse to give the salesperson your name? even the first name?

When I was a salesperson I always got a kick out of these folks. I immediately would refer to them as Mr. or Mrs X. After two or three times I always got the name and a few chuckles.

black_tulip · February 2006

I read a story right here in Edmunds about a buyer who refused to give his name. Turned out that his name was "Muhammed" and it was right after 911.

biancar · February 2006

Hmmm - no, I never have, but maybe not a bad idea. At least you called them Mr. or Mrs. and not "hey, Joe!"

bobst · February 2006

was the musician formerly known as Prince?

I think the written version of his new name is some kind of odd symbol and the pronunciation sounds like two metal pots being banged together.

biancar · February 2006

I think he's gone back to plain ol' Prince now.

british_rover · February 2006

I haven't had that happen but have had something else interesting.

Everyone has seen someone who is just browsing bolt at the first sign of a salesman. They are too afraid to talk to them or something.

On more then one occasion I have had people who pulled up in serious cars, 750IL-760IL', XJ8's and A8's bolt at the first sight of me.

I would expect that most of the people that have the money to buy one of those vehicles should be a bit more agressive and not so timid around one little salesman. You pretty much have to be in order to make that kind of money unless you were born into it.

I actually saw one guy who pulled up in a 750IL left it idiling with the door cracked open. I was in my office and didn't see him at first but once I did I stepped out side to say hi. My office is about 40 or so feet away from where he parked and he was looking at cars a few more feet beyond that. I had covered about half the distance when he saw me and I waved. He looked at me then looked at his car door and actually sprinted for the car before I was even in talking distance.

Funniest thing I have ever seen just about then threw it into reverse and left. It was not anyone I have ever talked to before, so I could not possibly have pissed him off in the past and not realized it and I was not close enough to offend them with any possible foul breath either.

snakeweasel · February 2006

Anyone on here ever go into a dealership and refuse to give the salesperson your name? even the first name?

Well recently went to a dealer and told the salesman "No thank you I am just looking, I don't want to waste your time". The guy pressed it then coped an attitude when I wouldn't give him any more information other that I was just looking.

jipster · February 2006

"They are too afraid to talk to them or something"

Possibly. Or, it could be the guy already has enough stress in his life.

As a consumer, I was in a similar situation as you described. I pulled into a dealership lot, there were 4 or 5 salesmen just standing around...as if scanning for possible prey. The "up" guy noticed me pulling in, and immediately went into an all out sprint...running towards my car like a lion after a wildebeest(though smiling and waving). I was like, "Do I owe this guy money?". Nope...I do a Jim Rockford half doughnut in their parking lot, and I am out of there. I can appreciate a enthusiastic and friendly salesperson, but come on salespeoples...let's keep it real.

british_rover · February 2006

I didn't sprint and I didn't hop out of my chair right away either. It was cold out so I got my jacket on made sure I had some business cards on hand and then strolled out to meed the guy.

Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

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