CAR-SALESMAN

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by foxman

If you have had a bad experiance or 12 then do your homework next time, but not all car salesman are that way. In fact in my 13 years I have met 100 times more sleezy customers than salesman.

I have to admit that I find that hard to believe. What are some examples of sleazy customers?

[Simplex3]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I have to admit that I find that hard to believe. What are some examples of sleazy customers?

Customers like me who don't pull their pants down and hand over the check book when they walk through the door.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Simplex3

Customers like me who don't pull their pants down and hand over the check book when they walk through the door.

d00d you're supposed to just pay sticker price plus all the BS fees.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I have to admit that I find that hard to believe. What are some examples of sleazy customers?

I bet if you do a search on "bwana" and "ditch pig", you could find a good one.

My dad has sold lower-end used cars for 20 years, and he's got some very compelling stories, though I never ask him for them because it just makes him mad when he starts reminiscing.

The whole carbuying process is nothing but trouble. It puts everybody in a position of distrust with each other. The next time I buy a car, I'm going to import some sort of arabian rug salesman to negotiate the deal for me and pay him 20 percent of what he saves.

[RJ]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I have to admit that I find that hard to believe. What are some examples of sleazy customers?

About 25 years ago, when I first started in sales (not cars), I had a customer who was a car salesman. For no apparent reason he said to me, "people say salesmen lie, but the customers lie a lot more". As time went by I gradually learned what he had meant. The lies vary but common ones would be about prices or services offered by competitors. Interestingly, most people will recount tales of their lies to salespeople, often even exaggerate them, to show how shrewd or clever they are in negotiating and purchasing. Of course, if a salesperson were to do the same to them they'd be (rightly) incensed. The point is that honesty in business is a two way street.


Personally, I've found that honesty in selling is far more profitable in the long term than lies. Lying to customers, in fact, is the quickest way to a short sales career. It catches up fast. And as someone mentioned in another post, the easiest sale is the repeat customer who was happy with your products and services before. As to customers who lie, when a salesman has a good trade built up he can afford to broom the people he isn't comfortable dealing with......which takes time but is kinda nice when you get there.

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by RJ

About 25 years ago, when I first started in sales (not cars), I had a customer who was a car salesman. For no apparent reason he said to me, "people say salesmen lie, but the customers lie a lot more". As time went by I gradually learned what he had meant. The lies vary but common ones would be about prices or services offered by competitors. Interestingly, most people will recount tales of their lies to salespeople, often even exaggerate them, to show how shrewd or clever they are in negotiating and purchasing. Of course, if a salesperson were to do the same to them they'd be (rightly) incensed. The point is that honesty in business is a two way street.


Personally, I've found that honesty in selling is far more profitable in the long term than lies. Lying to customers, in fact, is the quickest way to a short sales career. It catches up fast. And as someone mentioned in another post, the easiest sale is the repeat customer who was happy with your products and services before. As to customers who lie, when a salesman has a good trade built up he can afford to broom the people he isn't comfortable dealing with......which takes time but is kinda nice when you get there.

From someone who has been in sales 25+ years I couldn't have said it better myself.

I learned a long time ago there's a very fine line between being a great salesman or a great con-man.Learning to be a great salesman will keep you in the business as a career.

[foxman]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I have to admit that I find that hard to believe. What are some examples of sleazy customers?

First thing to understand is that in life you get out of it what you put into in generaly speaking. I decided early on that the Car business had it's reputation and that did not have to define me. As was said previously, if you treat people the way you would want to be treated then they will respect you. Respect will not in and of itself sell cars, but it helps. Respect is what has kept me in the business for as long as it has. I have served in this business in many capacities and am currently dealing with commercial customer's who are no less demanding, but much easier to deal with.

At any rate, it is because of the reputation that most people are jerks when they come into a dealership and I understand that, although that doesnt discount the fact that even though you are simply trying to earn their business by being upfont and honest they continue to act like idiots.

I have even heard it said that when buying a car even a preacher leaves his Bible at home. I doubt that is true for all, but I know the majority will do anything just short of selling their own grandmother to get a deal. So, my statement was to that buyer, which represents no less than 50% of the retail customer's, who will tell you anything or do anything to save a buc or two.

Please don't misunderstand, I realize that there are bad apples in this and every other business, but to assume that more than 20% of the selling industry is that way would be rediculous. As I said originaly, the sleaziest people I have met, have almost always been the customer, who as I said are almost willing to do anything to save a buc.

[PastorMikH]

When shopping for a replacement van for our '98 Safari, we had some interesting experiences.

We started off heading out for OK City. We stopped off at a dealership in Yukon at a GM dealer that had 2 Astros sitting on their lot. I was kinda surprised that a salesman didn't chase my van across the lot as I drove over to the vans. I looked the 2 vans over for quite a while before anyone ventured out. Finally, about the time I'm thinking they must not want to talk to us, out comes a salesman. I asked him about the Red van with Gold trim () and he tells me they want $12.9 for it and it's a '01 has 34K miles on it. I talked to him for a bit to see what his best price was (I wasn't getting carried away Foxman, after having a cousin that manages a dealership, I know there is usually a lower price than the first one stated). He said that was the best they could do and after visiting a bit more told us if there was anything else he could do for us to let him know. He handed me his card as I climbed into our van and waved as we drove off.

We headed on into the city. And made quick circles of lots, managing to escape the dealership property before the salesmen running after us could catch up. One lot though we were driving through, the car in front of us stopped. THEY STOPPED!!!! There wasn't room to get around them. Not only did they get hammered by salesmen, we had one on each side of the van, one trying to talk to the wife through her window and one trying to talk to me through mine. Luckily they didn't have what we wanted and when they heard what I thought about Chrysler products they surrendered and walked off.

One dealership actually had an Astro. As we pulled up to it, here comes the guy. He's really helpful. We go for a test drive. Then he wants me to take a spin with him in mine. He notices all kinds of things wrong with it - it's odd that the only problem it had other than high mileage he didn't catch. He takes us inside, keeping my keys of course, and starts talking to us about the deal he could offer us. The van was a 2004 Astro 4wd loaded with about 8k miles on it. They want 18k for it. I tell them that's more than we can afford - we were looking for something between 10k and 13k. He crunches numbers, gets us down to taking our van in trade and 17K. When I told him thanks for his time, he told us to hold on, and slips back out. He brings his sales manager in. That guy starts talking. They talk, show me a "deal" to which I say no to, head back out, talk and come back in with another "deal". After a while, I divulge to them that I had found another van, told them the deal but not where, and the salesman flat out called me a liar and that if such a van really existed he'd buy it so he can make 4-5k on it. That's when I had it. We'd been there for 2+ hours at this point. The manager realized the salesman crossed the line with me and the price dropped considerable. He offered us the van at 15K and would give me an aditional 2k for my van. By this point though, I had made up my mind that if they gave me their van for free I wouldn't take it. We got up and asked for our keys. They stalled, left the room, came back, tried another pitch and I had to speak in a loud, forceful tone "I WANT MY KEYS NOW!". They were really, really mad at me for not taking their deal. The first salesman was glaring angrily at me and his tone had changed completely from when we first met - he told me we had wasted his afternoon and he could have been selling cars to people that wanted them. I told him we tried to leave an hour sooner and he wouldn't let us. We were both glad when we got back into our van and pulled out.

We ended up going back to the first dealership. I went inside, found the salesman I talked to, and told him we were interested in his van. We test-drove it and bought it at $12.9.

When I get ready to buy again, if he's still selling at that dealership I will go back and talk to him again.

[trndobrd]

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

We got up and asked for our keys. They stalled, left the room, came back, tried another pitch and I had to speak in a loud, forceful tone "I WANT MY KEYS NOW!".

That is unlawful restraint. Next time call 911.

[Fairplay]

Ok, i read some of the comments that not all of car dealers dishonest and sleazeballs and such.

But to me they are like puppets. The make a deal with the customer/customer shoots back a price. Then they go talk to the manager. Manager tells the salesmen what to say.
Repeat story until a deal perhaps is reached.

Aren't there times though that the customer is taken to the cleaners and by seeing their income you think "That poor bastard, maybe i'll help him out he is getting the screwing of his life with not even the courtesy of KY for gods sake?"

[Skip Towne]

Originally Posted by PastorMikH

When shopping for a replacement van for our '98 Safari, we had some interesting experiences.

We started off heading out for OK City. We stopped off at a dealership in Yukon at a GM dealer that had 2 Astros sitting on their lot. I was kinda surprised that a salesman didn't chase my van across the lot as I drove over to the vans. I looked the 2 vans over for quite a while before anyone ventured out. Finally, about the time I'm thinking they must not want to talk to us, out comes a salesman. I asked him about the Red van with Gold trim () and he tells me they want $12.9 for it and it's a '01 has 34K miles on it. I talked to him for a bit to see what his best price was (I wasn't getting carried away Foxman, after having a cousin that manages a dealership, I know there is usually a lower price than the first one stated). He said that was the best they could do and after visiting a bit more told us if there was anything else he could do for us to let him know. He handed me his card as I climbed into our van and waved as we drove off.

We headed on into the city. And made quick circles of lots, managing to escape the dealership property before the salesmen running after us could catch up. One lot though we were driving through, the car in front of us stopped. THEY STOPPED!!!! There wasn't room to get around them. Not only did they get hammered by salesmen, we had one on each side of the van, one trying to talk to the wife through her window and one trying to talk to me through mine. Luckily they didn't have what we wanted and when they heard what I thought about Chrysler products they surrendered and walked off.

One dealership actually had an Astro. As we pulled up to it, here comes the guy. He's really helpful. We go for a test drive. Then he wants me to take a spin with him in mine. He notices all kinds of things wrong with it - it's odd that the only problem it had other than high mileage he didn't catch. He takes us inside, keeping my keys of course, and starts talking to us about the deal he could offer us. The van was a 2004 Astro 4wd loaded with about 8k miles on it. They want 18k for it. I tell them that's more than we can afford - we were looking for something between 10k and 13k. He crunches numbers, gets us down to taking our van in trade and 17K. When I told him thanks for his time, he told us to hold on, and slips back out. He brings his sales manager in. That guy starts talking. They talk, show me a "deal" to which I say no to, head back out, talk and come back in with another "deal". After a while, I divulge to them that I had found another van, told them the deal but not where, and the salesman flat out called me a liar and that if such a van really existed he'd buy it so he can make 4-5k on it. That's when I had it. We'd been there for 2+ hours at this point. The manager realized the salesman crossed the line with me and the price dropped considerable. He offered us the van at 15K and would give me an aditional 2k for my van. By this point though, I had made up my mind that if they gave me their van for free I wouldn't take it. We got up and asked for our keys. They stalled, left the room, came back, tried another pitch and I had to speak in a loud, forceful tone "I WANT MY KEYS NOW!". They were really, really mad at me for not taking their deal. The first salesman was glaring angrily at me and his tone had changed completely from when we first met - he told me we had wasted his afternoon and he could have been selling cars to people that wanted them. I told him we tried to leave an hour sooner and he wouldn't let us. We were both glad when we got back into our van and pulled out.

We ended up going back to the first dealership. I went inside, found the salesman I talked to, and told him we were interested in his van. We test-drove it and bought it at $12.9.

When I get ready to buy again, if he's still selling at that dealership I will go back and talk to him again.

What do you consider high mileage for an Astro Van?

[PastorMikH]

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

What do you consider high mileage for an Astro Van?

When it reaches enough miles that stuff is starting going - the old one had 120k. When driving for longer periods, the transmission would slam from first to second like I was speed shifting a standard. The front end was getting really loose too - I guess they aren't made for driving through fields and such to shoot prairie dogs. Also had a number of little things going on it. We wanted one with rear heat and air so we upgraded. This one may stay in the family a bit longer.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by foxman

As I said originaly, the sleaziest people I have met, have almost always been the customer, who as I said are almost willing to do anything to save a buc.

Like what?

[foxman]

Originally Posted by patteeu

Like what?

I have literally had a customer pee in a vehicle before....

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by foxman

I have literally had a customer pee in a vehicle before....

Wow. On purpose? What was their angle?