If you were buying a new car tomorrow...

[dmc]

I had lost control of the TV remote was stuck with The View on the tube for an hour uke:

Wow... i think I'd rather watch a redneck tooth pullin' on youtube then the View...

 

[andyzee]

Interesting. That's one of the reasons I wouldn't shop for a Saturn. I feel that, from the beginning, I'm being cut of of potential savings.

Same here

 

[drjeff]

Wow... i think I'd rather watch a redneck tooth pullin' on youtube then the View...

Believe me, if I could have opened up the youtube website I would have!

The chevrolet website was fun to play with for a few minutes, but the excitement of changing the colors of the vehicle in the "build your own" section wore off pretty quickly

 

[campgottagopee]

I hope the wireless in your service area lounge (atleast that's what they call it at the dealership where I get the service done on my car) is less website restricted than where I go I was in there about 3 weeks ago having some routine stuff done, and when I went to fire up the laptop, practically the only websites that weren't moderator blocked were chevy.com and the dealership's own website That was actually the only negative comment I had when the company that does followup consumer satisfaction monitoring called and asked me about my visit for service. Here I was expecting to be able to do a little AZ surfing as my car was being taken care of, and because I was the third person in the customer lounge that AM, I had lost control of the TV remote was stuck with The View on the tube for an hour uke:

Ours is open, well, not like porn open, just open

 

[mondeo]

Funny you say that because my dentist is a customer of ours too. I always know when he's ready for a new car, because the "pain" threats always come out. You know what, they work!!!!

Sounds like you've got a good dealer there.....actually, most are in todays market. Each customer is too important not to take the ALL serious.

I had a few dealers sorta brush me off when I was buying, and my brother had one brush him off.

I guess they expect 22 year old males asking to test drive STIs, Evos, and 350Zs to be just looking for a test drive, not to buy.

 

[campgottagopee]

I had a few dealers sorta brush me off when I was buying, and my brother had one brush him off.

I guess they expect 22 year old males asking to test drive STIs, Evos, and 350Zs to be just looking for a test drive, not to buy.

That sucks, salesmenship is a lost art..............

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

I had a few dealers sorta brush me off when I was buying, and my brother had one brush him off.

I guess they expect 22 year old males asking to test drive STIs, Evos, and 350Zs to be just looking for a test drive, not to buy.

That sucks, salesmenship is a lost art..............

Yeah, salesmenship probably is a lost art, but, with the point being to make sales, I can't really blame a salesman for brushing off a 22-year old looking to test drive (joy ride?) an STI, EVO or 350Z.

It sucks, but wouldn't showing up with an older person/parent at that age make a difference if you're really looking to make a purchase?....The dealer will take you more seriously and neither person will feel like the other is just wasting their time.

Don't know too many 22-year olds that can buy new cars, let alone "the fast and the furious" cars....

 

[campgottagopee]

Yeah, salesmenship probably is a lost art, but, with the point being to make sales, I can't really blame a salesman for brushing off a 22-year old looking to test drive (joy ride?) an STI, EVO or 350Z.

It sucks, but wouldn't showing up with an older person/parent at that age make a difference if you're really looking to make a purchase?....The dealer will take you more seriously and neither person will feel like the other is just wasting their time.

Don't know too many 22-year olds that can buy new cars, let alone "the fast and the furious" cars....

I understand why you think that and honestly 75% of the time you'd be correct. BUT it's that 25% where a salesperson will get a customer for life. Example: it's you senior year in college and your dad has told you pick a car out for your graduation present. You go from dealer to dealer looking at cool cars getting broomed by all the salespeople you meet except for one. One dude takes the time to show you the car, get to know you a little and just plain gives you customer service. Where do you think you'll by the car. I know where I would. In sales you can never, ever tell.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Absolutely ON target ! Treating folks really well like THEY are teh MOST iimportant person in your life at teh moment - can pay HUGE dividends ---Exemplary Customer service like good human relations is CRITICAL to success

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

One dude takes the time to show you the car, get to know you a little and just plain gives you customer service. Where do you think you'll by the car. I know where I would. In sales you can never, ever tell.

Absolutely ON target ! Treating folks really well like THEY are teh MOST iimportant person in your life at teh moment - can pay HUGE dividends ---Exemplary Customer service like good human relations is CRITICAL to success

Maybe, for products with short life cycles....

But, there's still the next four/five years with the car! I'd say that informs the buyer's choice a lot more for the next car then whether the dealer was nice to him....

I guess I'm not really brand driven....I care more about my needs and what car matches my needs more than sticking with one brand/dealer just cause he/she was nice to me....

Then again, if I have a good experience, I will tell people about it....Maybe that's worth more to the dealer than thinking I might come back four to five years down the line....

 

[campgottagopee]

Maybe, for products with short life cycles....

But, there's still the next four/five years with the car! I'd say that informs the buyer's choice a lot more for the next car then whether the dealer was nice to him....

I guess I'm not really brand driven....I care more about my needs and what car matches my needs more than sticking with one brand/dealer just cause he/she was nice to me....

Then again, if I have a good experience, I will tell people about it....Maybe that's worth more to the dealer than thinking I might come back four to five years down the line....

MOst people aren't brand driven, they're people driven. People want to do biz with people they know and trust, nit because someone was nice to them. I've told EVERYONE of my salespeople that the easiest part of there job was selling the car, and that there true test would be when one of their customers has a problem. How they handle that call 2 minutes before closing where somone's car wont start, have locked keys in etc. If you say no prob, I'm on my way, people remember that. If they say, sorry we're closing (not only will they get fired) they will have lost that customer for life. In today's market too many dealers try and generate to much "new" traffic and don't spend enought time on the customers they already have.

 

[Philpug]

So true, it is a people business. If sales training was simply chapters out of "How to win friends and Influence people" it could be a much better business. Unfortunately, 95% of the business (from the dealer principal on down) riun it for the rest, and frankly, it is just getting worse. If you are good and can get two or three dealers bidding against each other, it wil get ugly, but you will win jsut by them dropping their pants more and more,

 

[deadheadskier]

MOst people aren't brand driven, they're people driven. People want to do biz with people they know and trust, nit because someone was nice to them. I've told EVERYONE of my salespeople that the easiest part of there job was selling the car, and that there true test would be when one of their customers has a problem. How they handle that call 2 minutes before closing where somone's car wont start, have locked keys in etc. If you say no prob, I'm on my way, people remember that. If they say, sorry we're closing (not only will they get fired) they will have lost that customer for life. In today's market too many dealers try and generate to much "new" traffic and don't spend enought time on the customers they already have.

agreed

....at the end of the day, in sales, people buy from who they trust and who they like. I have plenty of customers that buy from me even though they now they can get a better price on a product elsewhere. I have even more potential customers who don't buy from me even though I can offer them a better price or product than a competitor. The latter fact is because I'm going up against Reps who have been working the territory for years. Relationships are everything in sales.

 

[campgottagopee]

So true, it is a people business. If sales training was simply chapters out of "How to win friends and Influence people" it could be a much better business. Unfortunately, 95% of the business (from the dealer principal on down) riun it for the rest, and frankly, it is just getting worse. If you are good and can get two or three dealers bidding against each other, it wil get ugly, but you will win jsut by them dropping their pants more and more,

I'm going to assume that at one point you were in automotive sales, or maybe still are. I fully understand where you are coming from, BUT with that outlook (if you're still selling) you're getting in your own way. Just hate to see salespeople with that kinda thought pattern. It will cost you money.

 

[campgottagopee]

agreed

....at the end of the day, in sales, people buy from who they trust and who they like. I have plenty of customers that buy from me even though they now they can get a better price on a product elsewhere. I have even more potential customers who don't buy from me even though I can offer them a better price or product than a competitor. The latter fact is because I'm going up against Reps who have been working the territory for years. Relationships are everything in sales.

BINGO!!!!!!! People will pay more for good customer service, there truly is value in it and people know that.

 

[Philpug]

I'm going to assume that at one point you were in automotive sales, or maybe still are. I fully understand where you are coming from, BUT with that outlook (if you're still selling) you're getting in your own way. Just hate to see salespeople with that kinda thought pattern. It will cost you money.

I was in the industry for 15 or so years. I had bad years and great years, mostly had to do with dealer's outlook vs. product. What I posted as a tactic was if I was to be a customer and was going to be as hardassed as possible looking for the last cent. Personally, I could not and would not do it that when i was to purchase and I really feel that there is more of a cost to a vehicle than just the price, I look for a relationship with the dealer if possible, If I need a favor on a warranty situation that could go either way, I want it to go my way and I don't want to be known as "that b-buster". Reading your posts here, i think we will agree on 99% of the way we do business. I will say that when I sold cars and saw my clients in the store or on the street, I held my head high and never had to run the other way because I "took advantage" of them.

 

[campgottagopee]

I was in the industry for 15 or so years. I had bad years and great years, mostly had to do with dealer's outlook vs. product. What I posted as a tactic was if I was to be a customer and was going to be as hardassed as possible looking for the last cent. Personally, I could not and would not do it that when i was to purchase and I really feel that there is more of a cost to a vehicle than just the price, I look for a relationship with the dealer if possible, If I need a favor on a warranty situation that could go either way, I want it to go my way and I don't want to be known as "that b-buster". Reading your posts here, i think we will agree on 99% of the way we do business. I will say that when I sold cars and saw my clients in the store or on the street, I held my head high and never had to run the other way because I "took advantage" of them.

Gotcha---15 years is a long time to invest in the industry to give it up---burn out??? I see it a lot. I've been at this for 18 yrs and see getting out anytime soon, it's in my blood. Was on floor for first 5, SM for the next 5 and now GSM w/ % for the past 8. One thing you pointed out is soooo true, good years, bad years, but isn't that true with everything??

 

[Philpug]

Gotcha---15 years is a long time to invest in the industry to give it up---burn out??? I see it a lot. I've been at this for 18 yrs and see getting out anytime soon, it's in my blood. Was on floor for first 5, SM for the next 5 and now GSM w/ % for the past 8. One thing you pointed out is soooo true, good years, bad years, but isn't that true with everything??

absolutely. Quality of like was one of the reasons for change.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Gotcha---15 years is a long time to invest in the industry to give it up---burn out??? I see it a lot. I've been at this for 18 yrs and see getting out anytime soon, it's in my blood. Was on floor for first 5, SM for the next 5 and now GSM w/ % for the past 8. One thing you pointed out is soooo true, good years, bad years, but isn't that true with everything??

What kept me from selling cars was the long hours..all the dealers I know are working like 9-9 and Saturdays..that's alot..

 

[campgottagopee]

What kept me from selling cars was the long hours..all the dealers I know are working like 9-9 and Saturdays..that's alot..

Hours are tough but that's just the nature of the beast in this biz. My guys/gals work a 5 day week, 2 x 8-8, 1 x 12-8, 1 x 8-6 and 1 x 8-5. It is a lot of hours but you need to make hay when the sun shines ifin ya know what I mean.