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Smart Shopper Stories from the Sales Frontlines
47410 messages, Last post on Nov 11, 2009 at 6:43 PM
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Mar 02, 2008 9:12 am)  ), or maybe borrow the rusted Geo Storm that I handed down to a friend couple of years ago  .
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Replying to: sky23213 (Mar 02, 2008 11:21 am) Perhaps you should. I can think up a number of excuses for not paying all the money for a BMW which would have me pointing to the old beater in the parking lot and saying "You see that old car out there..." 
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Replying to: mackabee (Mar 02, 2008 9:07 am) I sold cars for 7 years mostly at a straight sale store and sometimes helped my managers close deals for the greenpeas when they were busy with other deals. I was taught to always defend my position (regarding price) multiple times and always ask questions to get to the root of the objection in order to overcome it. So with regards to that first salesman, I have to admit that I was a bit embarrassed by my error and I was not ashamed to admit it to him a couple of days later when he called. So why did I not go back. As I mentioned previously, while I was "in the box", the manager came by and within his 30 second visit: 1. said no can do, impossible, not reality 2. made a snide comment about me having my computer with me (yes, that's where I had my lease worksheet that an old customer gave me years ago when he worked me on a car deal - it can be found online still) 3. left without asking questions or working the numbers and then left the dealership entirely right after since his shift was off. Where I worked, we worked till the deal was DONE even if we had to stay till after midnight. The salesman gave up and in the callback didn't try to get me back in since they didn't have the car I wanted anymore and actually recommended a list of other dealers for me to go to. I ended up getting a more expensive car than I originally wanted. I ended up paying $1K over invoice which I felt was a good enough deal (I was not going to waste time grinding for a few hundred more dollars off) and still quite reasonable for any dealer. The one I bought from took the time to work the numbers with me, confirm my information or corrected it. I told him HONESTLY what I did before, admitted my error with the first dealer, what other offers I had and I expected him to be straight with me. I am not completely a payment buyer. The only reason I hemmed a bit over the payment was whether I felt that particular BMW was worth it to me or not since I am not a diehard BMW fan. I was ready to spend over $1K a month on an LS lease. All I wanted was a good deal and decent service. I wasn't going to waste time and quibble over a few hundred bucks more off. As a matter of fact, when I closed that deal with the dealer, another dealer I had emailed at the same time called in and I told them I had already committed and wasn't going to shop anymore. As a former salesman, I worked hard for what I earned and don't respect those that don't show the same work ethic. It's not my job to earn your sale, it's your job to earn my purchase.
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isell will probably get a kick out of this tale. Son #2 wanted to replace the rear brake pads on his 05’ Mazda 6 with a little over 40K miles. He has done the front pads on several of his cars over the years but always wants to come over to my garage for morale support and the use of my tools should something out of the ordinary pop up. I don’t have a problem with this and sometimes I learn something new and sometimes I might even be able to pass on a few pointers. Well, to back-seat the piston into the caliper on this car can’t be done with the traditional method of using a C-clamp. Once I saw machined V-grooves in the face of the piston I knew a special tool was needed. It wasn’t too difficult to envision that the tool had to have a couple pins about 1/8 of an inch in diameter about 3/4 of an inch apart to fit into the machined groves, but I didn’t have anything that would do the job without tearing the rubber boot on the piston. I knew better than to try to grab the 1/16 inch edge of the piston that protruded from the boot, with a pair of channel locks,. Years ago I heard of pistons on European and Japanese cars that had to be screwed back into the caliper and when I saw this piston I knew this had to be one of those types of cars. I said to my son we’re going to need a special tool to do this brake job and tried to explain to him what had to be done. He agreed but since it was mid day on a Sunday he said, “where do we get one of those today”? I told him that the auto parts close to me loans tools with no charge and since he bought the pads at that place on his way over, I told him to call and ask if they had what we needed. We must be living right because they said they have one loaner tool kit and it was just returned about a half hour earlier and it was available. When we got to the auto parts I asked the guy if they had the tool we needed for sale. He said that the single tool we needed only cost about $15 dollars (the kit had many pieces for doing brake work on many types of cars and costs about $120) but they were out of stock and they probably wouldn’t be getting one for a few days (maybe we ain’t living right after all). So, my Son left a deposit on his Visa that was fully refunded when he returned the kit. This job could not have been done without this special tool and even with the extra time spent going for the kit we still had the brake job done within an hour and a half. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because my Son said, “it’s still more convenient for me to do this job myself (he already forgot about my help  ) than to take it somewhere to have it done and then go back to get it”. I wonder where he got that type of thinking? I just thought of this, jipster has a Mazda. I wonder if he’s listening?  jmonroe
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Replying to: bruiseraex (Mar 02, 2008 3:15 pm) No not customers on the lot but the delivery company. Mack |
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Replying to: jmonroe (Mar 02, 2008 7:03 pm) It's not as easy being a do it yourselfer as it used to be! |
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Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 03, 2008 6:36 am) |
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Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 03, 2008 6:36 am) It almost makes you think that the auto parts are out to get the dealers service dept.  With the tool it was really easy. Without the tool someone would be running to the dealer to have the brake job done which would have included replacing the boot. A lot more bucks when you try to force something.  rover is right about the loaning of tools. My Son went to Advance for his pads (he bought Bendix not the store brand) but he was still entitled to free use of the tool kit. jmonroe |
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Feb 29, 2008 3:40 pm) Leave it running and pop the hood. Problem quickly apparent. The EGR valve has broken and is dangling behind the engine. This particular valve is an assembly held together by three bolts. All three bolts are broken. The engine runs without it, just not very well. All I have with me is an emergency kit that has a screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and a lug wrench. I open the kit for a look anyway. Hey, there is a roll of black electrical tape. I surveyed the situation. Yes, I think this just might work. Waited about thirty minutes for things to cool off. I wrapped that sucker with that entire roll of tape back in place on the exhaust manifold. Ran a little rough, the gas mileage was horrible, but it got us the last eighty miles to Wilmington. Had to wait until Monday to get a new valve. Ten minute replacement. Had the vacuum lines checked when we got home. All ok. Tape. Don't leave home without it.
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Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 03, 2008 6:36 am) 
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