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Smart Shopper Smart Shopper-Archives Any Questions for a Car Dealer? 
16377 messages, Last post on Feb 11, 2006 at 4:59 AM
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Replying to: bobst (Feb 10, 2006 8:18 am) |
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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?
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Replying to: qbrozen (Feb 10, 2006 8:23 am) |
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Replying to: mackabee (Feb 09, 2006 6:35 pm) 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...... |
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Replying to: biancar (Feb 10, 2006 8:26 am) 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.
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Replying to: danf1 (Feb 10, 2006 8:38 am) |
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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.
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Replying to: biancar (Feb 10, 2006 8:45 am) 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. |
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Replying to: biancar (Feb 10, 2006 8:45 am) 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? |
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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. |
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