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Smart Shopper Stories from the Sales Frontlines
48090 messages, Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 5:45 PM
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Replying to: jmonroe (Mar 30, 2007 1:30 pm) I hear ya on that. But, at least it appears both GM and Ford, and to some degree Chrysler, have finally been improving reliability of their domestic vehicles during the past few years. A little late? Yes, very. But at least there's no more of that "Quality is Job #1" idle lip service. Now, if only they could make more cars that are actually fun to drive, with interior appointments to match the imports. Also, I question whether the Big 3 are prepared for the strong possibility that gas could rise above $4/gallon real soon? Perhaps a few less $$ will be earned on Escalade and Expedition sales? They compete with their trucks and larger SUVs, but not as well with sedans. (Edit: Well, I may be speaking too soon. With models such as the CTS, 300, and the Fusion, they've made some decent strides.)
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Replying to: cotmc (Mar 30, 2007 1:50 pm) People will want to trade in their "tankers" and nobody will pay us any money for them. " But...but, the internet says it's worth XXX" Wait until summer when the prices REALLY go up! |
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Replying to: jmonroe (Mar 30, 2007 1:30 pm) Not gonna argue that. Sometimes however, things go wrong that are outside your control. There are plenty of well run nice Ford stores that can't make ends meet and plenty of Toyota stores that mistreat their customers and are making money. In the end, the dealer is held captive by the product. If you have a desireable product, people will buy from you even if you don't have the best rep. If you don't have a desireable product, all the CSI in the world won't save you.
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tomorrow, i got volunteered to drive some kids around who will go house to house to request donations for the crew team. the deal is, you buy a duck for $5, it gets put in the water and somewhere downriver the top few to cross the finish line get prizes. we will be given 100 tickets to be sold. my own kid ditched me, and i have to drive around some boys i don't know from 10 until 3. it looks like a pretty good day weatherwise, but all of us would rather be doing something else. so here is my strategy, i'm going to make 2 teams, assuming 4 kids(they must go house to house in pairs). team 'resolute' and team 'vespoli'. these are the shell(crew boat) manufacturers. the team that sells the most tickets will get $20 each and the other team will get $5 each, and i'll get to feel like the 'king of cars' for a few hours. 
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Replying to: volvomax (Mar 30, 2007 9:17 am) I used to audit dealerships. |
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Replying to: volvomax (Mar 30, 2007 12:34 pm) I don't know if you have seen or experienced the fallout from a dealership closing. A lotta people become unemployed, a lotta debts go unpaid. It isn't pretty. It happens when any business goes out of business. But the simple truth is there is no right to make a profit. Companies go out of business all the time and new ones come up to take their place. If that wasn't the case we would still be going around in horse drawn wagons.
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Replying to: cotmc (Mar 30, 2007 1:50 pm) Ya that and the fact that a couple Foriegn have more recalls PVB (Per vehichle Built) then the domestics over the last 6 months will really make it fun. Some of them are learning what happens when you get up into the top 3 range. Well, I may be speaking too soon. With models such as the CTS, 300, and the Fusion, they've made some decent strides.) I can't speak for the CTS or 300 because I have never drove one, but the Fusion is as fine as any car in its class, and the 500 is the best car never talked about. It is the finest car I have ever owned. |
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Replying to: volvomax (Mar 30, 2007 2:21 pm) I agree with that but herein lies one of the "wrong" things that domestic manufactures have done; namely, over saturating the market with dealerships. Toyota seems to know not to do this and they were relatively new getting into the US market. However, the dealerships that really pay attention to the details of how to do it will survive. jmonroe
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Replying to: jmonroe (Mar 30, 2007 4:38 pm) Amen, there are way to many in a metro area. Nashville is not that big yet we have I belive 13 or more dealers in the area. |
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This woman comes in with an Acura MDX and wants to trade it in for a LR3. It is a 2006 with only 9,000 miles I have a pretty good idea what it is worth but you always need to go through the motions. I am getting the registration out of the glove box and something falls out of a little box landing on the floor. I get the reg out set it to the side and start looking for the "something that fell out of the box." I see and go to pick it up and it is a FREAKING razor blade   that cuts half inch long, nearly to the bone deep slash in my pointer finger. Now I am bleeding all over the place but amazingly have not gotten it on her car. I grab the reg holding my pulsating finger away from my body as I drip a crimison trail across the parking lot. I walk into the shop and call out to the service manager holding up my hand. His eyes go because by now it looks like ripped someones heart out of their chest. I have never had a finger cut bleed soooo bad. I get myself cleaned up and wrap a tight bandage around my finger. I get all my stuff together sit down with the woman after I put her razor blade back in her car.  Tell her the numbers I worked out for her car and the LR3. Afterwards I need a Razor blade to cut her off the ceiling. We are apperently offering her 8,000 dollar less then BMW is for her car. She leaves saying how BMW is going to sell her the X5 for 55,000. The X5 she wants would sticker for over 60,000 dollars compared to a LR3 with more equipment for 54,000-56,000 dollars. I am going to call her everyday to see when she buys this imaginary $60,000 X5 for $55,000, the biggest discounts on the new X5 are 2,500 dollars in my area, and when she gets $40,000 for her $33,000 MDX. Edit: Exuse any typos it is very hard to type with part of your finger missing and a big bandage on it. |
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