Dealerships far behind the times
Unfortunate experiences with sales reps
Ben McAllister
Gas Money | 4/2/08
I've approached car shopping from every angle, including questionable used-car dealerships and questionable Joes selling cars on eBay, and the only grief I've ever gotten is from inept sales reps at big name-brand new car dealerships.
The first run-in I had was with Toyota. Our sales rep was a man in his mid-fifties, with a receding hairline and a bristly red moustache. When we settled on the Corolla, he locked in and waxed lyrical. I don't know if these people are born with the gift of gab or if it's part of employee training, but once you single out a car on the showroom floor, they talk it up to high heaven until you either produce a checkbook or leave the dealership.
In any case, my father and I were escorted out on the lot and steered towards a beige Corolla, fresh from the port in Baltimore. Having examined the car in every other capacity, we sat in the back seat. It came as no surprise to us that it was cramped.
"Tight squeeze," I remarked. My father and I are both big men.
Then sales rep made a politically incorrect remark about the manufacturer of the car.
I have my own personal peccadilloes with mindless adhesion to what is politically correct, but there's a line, and the sales rep crossed it that day. We took our business down the road.
At a Ford dealership, much more recently, I was informed that Ford "stopped making" the Freestyle crossover, a car-based SUV. I know for a fact that the Freestyle, so-called through 2007, was simply re-badged as the "Taurus X". It is still very much a part of the Ford line-up. My knowledge of the automotive industry was insulted by a man who was sure he knew more than I did.
Silly Ford sales rep.
A friend of mine had a similarly bad experience at a dealership. About a year ago, she discovered she had $23,000 burning a hole in her pocket, and was taken with the '07 Civic Si coupe. So she parked in a Honda dealership lot, ready to buy one, that day, up front and in full.
She took a silver Si for a test drive and told her rep she liked it enough to buy it.
"Wouldn't you rather have the pretty blue one?" he asked. Apparently that was the best he could do, given the circumstances and her gender.
This sort of behavior is not going to fly. We're eight years into a new millennium, and dealerships will have to start training the people they employ accordingly.
Until I have an experience with a dealership that is neither overtly racist nor belittling, I'm going to continue to buy used cars over the intertubes. Dealers, domestic and import, you have been warned.
The first run-in I had was with Toyota. Our sales rep was a man in his mid-fifties, with a receding hairline and a bristly red moustache. When we settled on the Corolla, he locked in and waxed lyrical. I don't know if these people are born with the gift of gab or if it's part of employee training, but once you single out a car on the showroom floor, they talk it up to high heaven until you either produce a checkbook or leave the dealership.
In any case, my father and I were escorted out on the lot and steered towards a beige Corolla, fresh from the port in Baltimore. Having examined the car in every other capacity, we sat in the back seat. It came as no surprise to us that it was cramped.
"Tight squeeze," I remarked. My father and I are both big men.
Then sales rep made a politically incorrect remark about the manufacturer of the car.
I have my own personal peccadilloes with mindless adhesion to what is politically correct, but there's a line, and the sales rep crossed it that day. We took our business down the road.
At a Ford dealership, much more recently, I was informed that Ford "stopped making" the Freestyle crossover, a car-based SUV. I know for a fact that the Freestyle, so-called through 2007, was simply re-badged as the "Taurus X". It is still very much a part of the Ford line-up. My knowledge of the automotive industry was insulted by a man who was sure he knew more than I did.
Silly Ford sales rep.
A friend of mine had a similarly bad experience at a dealership. About a year ago, she discovered she had $23,000 burning a hole in her pocket, and was taken with the '07 Civic Si coupe. So she parked in a Honda dealership lot, ready to buy one, that day, up front and in full.
She took a silver Si for a test drive and told her rep she liked it enough to buy it.
"Wouldn't you rather have the pretty blue one?" he asked. Apparently that was the best he could do, given the circumstances and her gender.
This sort of behavior is not going to fly. We're eight years into a new millennium, and dealerships will have to start training the people they employ accordingly.
Until I have an experience with a dealership that is neither overtly racist nor belittling, I'm going to continue to buy used cars over the intertubes. Dealers, domestic and import, you have been warned.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
JLG
posted 4/03/08 @ 10:31 AM EST
Good for you Ben. Car salesmen have been lacking for some time. I just bought a new car, the car sold itself not the salesman. It is a shame that they all get the same idiotic training. (Continued…)
Valley Motors
posted 4/03/08 @ 5:04 PM EST
I bought my used Audi A4 from Valley Motors on York Rd and I have to say, if that wasn't THE car (perfect mileage, color, model, interior), there is no way I'd ever buy there. (Continued…)
Post a Comment