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Smart Shopper Stories from the Sales Frontlines
48044 messages, Last post on Dec 03, 2009 at 7:19 AM
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Most of you are probably aware that used suv's are taking a beating on trades. This next story is called: "The fall of the SUV" After I was done with the Camry hybrid customers I went inside to update my data base and also to get a bottle of water. The "huddle" was standing right outside the showroom door so I went out by the side door to see if I could find me another customer. I see a gentleman walking by the 4runners and not a single salesperson in sight. I walk towards him, greet him and start showing him some vehicles. He tells me they own a Camry that they bought at my store a year ago. I ask him who the sales person was and he tells me it was a green pea and he probably doesn't work there anymore. Couldn't remember his name so I went ahead and continued with my vehicle presentation.  Ended up looking at a base Highlander and really liked it. Asked for my card and told me he would bring his wife back.  By this time it's around 5:35 in the evening and I'm looking at a 3 and 0 count. Nothing but tire kickers. The first one was an elderly lady that was shopping for her sister that lives in DC.  Showed her all the economy cars and then she gives me her phone number and asks me to call her when the 09 Prius comes in.  She says she will be getting some money then so she will pay cash for it.  I think she was just lonely at home and decided to waste some time.  So by this time I figure I'm probably not going to sell a car today. Oh well. I go to the front of the showroom and a family of five pulls up in a Ford Expedition.  They have two little girls and a little boy. I don't pay much attention to them until one of the guys gets a phone call from another salesperson that's at our off site used car sale. Apparently he helped them during the week and is asking if someone will help them as he can't leave the used car site. Everyone looks at each other and says "I'm not helping them" the family is no more than 15 feet away looking inside a Sequoia and I say "I'll help them, I need a half deal."  I walk up to them and start talking to the husband. He doesn't look familiar until I look at his wife. I sold her a Tacoma truck back in 2000. "Hey! I know you! I sold you a truck back when we were in the old building!" I exclaim "You sure did." Kim replies."I told you that was him." her husband Jim tells her. "They tolds us you didn't work here anymore." Kim continues. "Really? Who told you that.?" I ask. "The guy that helped us. We drove the Tacoma that day. He asked if we bought it here and who was the salesperson. I couldn't remember your name until I saw you just now. He did look in the computer and there was a Darryl or something like that listed as the one that sold me the truck." she says. "We have had so many different customer data bases that some customers are now showing in other salespersons data base. We don't have a Darryl though. That's strange." I tell them.  The kids are now gathered around us and staring at me. "Wow you have three kids now!" I exclaim. "Yeah, Kelsey was about two weeks old when you sold me the truck." she responds.  So we start looking at the Sequoias and Jim tells me what they are trying to accomplish. "I want to get 15k for my Expedition, and with the 9k off you guys are taking off the sticker that will put me around 20k to finance. That'll will get my payments around $350.00 a month. I really want them at $300.00 but I don't know if I can get them around that." he tells me. (I wonder who was his math teacher.)  "9K OFF!!???" where did you come up with that figure? We are doing the 2 + 2k rebate and the $5k gas card promotion. Not 9k off MSRP, and that's only on the Limiteds." I tell him. "That's not what your website says. Kim let me see that paper we printed off the website." he tells her. She gives him the paper and he shows it to me. Sure as heck, it does say 9K off ALL Sequoias! "That's not the way they explained it to us but if that's what's on the website than that's what we'll do."  So I ask him if he read the article about falling suv prices both new and used and trade ins.  "Yeah I saw that but Ford will give me 15k for it." he tells me. "Ok, let's find the Sequoia you like and we'll go from there." .............................. TO BE CONTINUED. |
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Replying to: obyone (May 18, 2008 8:45 pm) As far as your question on Tundra/Sequoia sales. They are in the dumps right now. Only thing selling is Corolla, Camry, Prius (sold out) Yaris, Matrix, and small Tacomas, A few Highlanders here and there. No Landcruisers. We didn't even bother getting some for the store. Last year we probably sold two. Plus with the new "re-design" they made it "sale proof". Not very many people like it. Mack
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Replying to: richard64 (May 18, 2008 5:34 pm) |
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Replying to: mackabee (May 18, 2008 9:40 pm) Yup thats the truth. We have had several former Land Cruiser owners come in to look at either LR3 or Range Rovers. None of them have liked the new Land Cruiser at all. My office is probably about 20-30 minutes from New Britain so yeah I could go catch a Rock Cats game sometime and that would be good. |
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Replying to: laurasdada (May 18, 2008 7:22 pm) In 34 years I have been to aboout 15 Red Sox games. I have never paid for a ticket. I have not sat in the green moster seats yet. My favirite seats so far have been roof top. No long lines for beers or the bathroom. Instead of parking I always think it is alot more fun standing on the Green Line  GP |
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Replying to: mackabee (May 18, 2008 7:43 pm) LOL.... Haven't we all GP |
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Replying to: mackabee (May 18, 2008 7:47 pm) Best Pizza in the country is at Santarpio's in East Boston!!!!! The place is "old school" Italian. They only take cash. No checks or credit cards. Ther menu only has Pizza, Lamb, and Sausage. The service is thick skinned. They place still uses the original plates, silverware, and glasses that it used when it first opened. And it still has "wood paneling" I love this place. Laurasdada... Have you ever been there? If you haven't you absolutely must go!!! GP
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Replying to: mackabee (May 18, 2008 7:47 pm) Play nice now Mack! And don't get me started on the Billecheat team, that's for another day. Yeah we should save that converstion for another day also  GP "Toyota is the superior import"
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Replying to: mackabee (May 18, 2008 9:20 pm) "I want to get 15k for my Expedition, and with the 9k off you guys are taking off the sticker that will put me around 20k to finance. That'll will get my payments around $350.00 a month. I really want them at $300.00 but I don't know if I can get them around that." he tells me. (I wonder who was his math teacher.) That warm fuzzy feeling I had (from them being previous customer) went as cold as Alaska Yeah I saw that but Ford will give me 15k for it." Must have been looking at used car or doing a trade allowance  Good luck with that one Mack. Maybe you could send them a email with lots of cool pics and win them over that way. GP Starting to sound like this will be a practice up.
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Smart Shopper Stories from the Sales Frontlines
