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Test Drives & Dealership Promotions

144 messages,  Last post on Mar 10, 2006 at 9:02 AM

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#93 of 144 Re: [Sylvia] by bp3959 Sep 27, 2004 (4:17 pm)
Replying to: Sylvia (Sep 27, 2004 3:48 pm) Are you sure, it might just be sleeping?
#94 of 144 by andyman73 Sep 27, 2004 (5:33 pm)
Kick it a few times to see. If it moves, it was just sleeping. If the flys take off, then settle back down, in a cloud of noxious fumes, it's dead. Replies to this message: bp3959 (Sep 27, 2004 5:53 pm)
#95 of 144 Re: [andyman73] by bp3959 Sep 27, 2004 (5:53 pm)
Replying to: andyman73 (Sep 27, 2004 5:33 pm) I wish I wouldn't have visualized that.
#96 of 144 by andyman73 Sep 27, 2004 (6:04 pm)
About 20 years ago, I stumbled across a dead horse, and did just that, to see what would happen. Kids will be kids. What a smell!
#97 of 144 I'm with Juice by stickguy Sep 27, 2004 (6:56 pm)
on this one, being a serial looker myself. Note that I browse a lot, but only drive if there is a chance that it wil lend up on my short list, or I'm helping someone else shop. I also go at off times (like a Tuesday at 11:00), and I'm often the only customer in the place. There are a few dealers where I know some people, and they just toss a tag in and let me go, so it really doesn't take them any time.   I have also gone in just to look out of curiosity, and ended up buying the car (either that visit or later), even though I wasn't really planning to at the time.   The problem , to me, is that the manufacturers and dealers have a different agenda than the salesperson (and remember who does the advertising). The $ folks want as much showroom traffic as possible, but the salespeople prefer to have only a few people wander in, and only the true "buying it now ones", since in a perfect world every up leaves in a new car.   I think it might have been Macabee that had a saying about turing lookers into buyers was the mark of a real salesman, otherwise they are nothing but order takers.
#98 of 144 Devil's advocate here: by alfox Sep 28, 2004 (4:15 am)
<Devil's Advocate Position> Why is it of any concern at all to a customer how the sales person is compensated? As a customer (whether I'm buying a car, furniture or an ice cream cone) I figure it's not my business, and I could not possible care less. It is not in my interest - nor even on my radar - whether or not a sales person is able to economize the time spent per customer.   If a sales person's compensation fails to adequately cover the time spent with potential future customers, that is an issue between the sales person and his management, and does not involve the customer in any way. </Devil's Advocate Position>   I really don't feel quite that strident about it, but I'm guessing it is a fair summary of how about 90% of customers feel about it. I agree that joy-riders posing as customers are a nuisance that needs to be weeded out, but someone who is truly interested in the car for whatever reason deserves an opportunity to drive it whether he is buying today or not.   I think sales people have to constantly resist the natural tendency to become quite jaded about their product. To them a car is the merest commodity, one inventory item of many, and of very little interest other than WRT a sale. To customers it is an expression of themselves, a place where they will spend a great deal of time, and a major financial transaction. Few people buy more cars in their lifetime than a sales person sells in a good week. Replies to this message: bp3959 (Sep 28, 2004 5:42 am) kyfdx (Sep 28, 2004 6:17 am)
#99 of 144 Re: Devil's advocate here: [alfox] by bp3959 Sep 28, 2004 (5:42 am)
Replying to: alfox (Sep 28, 2004 4:15 am) Well said.
#100 of 144 Re: Devil's advocate here: [alfox] by kyfdx HOST Sep 28, 2004 (6:17 am)
Replying to: alfox (Sep 28, 2004 4:15 am) I'm not that strident, either, but...   I think you hit the nail right on the head.
#101 of 144 Test Drive Events by ateixeira Sep 28, 2004 (8:01 am)
wasting a half hour of a straight commissioned salesperson's time   Not if I send them referrals later. And like I said, it already has happened.   The Subaru salesperson I usually go see is actually on salary, not commission. He's happy to show me whatever car, and I've sent him about 2-3 referrals.   I prefer hosted events like the Love Mercedes Tour and the BMW Ultimate Driving event but those aren't always available. Volvo has Fire & Ice, GM has their tour, Jeep also, Mazda had that autocross competition. I go to as many as I can.   Example: Chevy hosted one for the Malibu, so I said "what the hay". Surprise, the 3500 pushrod engine really impressed me, now I wouldn't turn friends away from choosing that engine, whereas I might have before, and still do for the coarse 3.4l V6.   But manufacturers do want showroom traffic, that's why they offer all the freebies. Volvo gave us $100 gift cards to Dean & Deluca to bribe us into a showroom.   I'd go for free anyway, but if they are going to bribe me I'll take it! Actually, my wife spends the money, I do the test drive.   Hey, wait a sec...   :o)   Honda seems to be the exception. I don't recall any freebies or test drive events, have they ever done that?   -juice
#102 of 144 by ateixeira Sep 28, 2004 (8:04 am)
isell: out of curiosity, don't they send you to dealer training events, where you can sample the cars?   I'm not sure what your position is at the dealer, but Subaru does that for their sales staff.   Think of it as an extension of that event, only you invite potential customers instead of dealership employees.   I doubt Mercedes and BMW would do it if it didn't create some sales for them.   -juice

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