Professional Grade?

[ocnblu]

I stopped by the local GMC dealership this evening after work, went into the showroom and started leafing through that gigantic tablet they have, showing all the different models. A salesdude approached me, so I asked if he had any info, especially pictures, of the interior changes for '07 on the Canyon. He gave me an '06 Canyon brochure. Nice move. So I asked him to mail me an '07 Canyon brochure. We sat down at his desk while he took my info.

I casually said, "I understand they're bumping these up for '07"

He said, "Yeah, they have more horsepower, but I'm not sure the displacement is any bigger."

I said, "Uh, yeah, the 4 is going to 2.9L and the 5 is going to 3.7."

He said, "Oh."

I said, "Hey, when do you think you'll be getting a 900 Sierra?"

He said, "What's a 900 Sierra?"

I said, "Uh... the GMT900 '07 Sierra, the new pickup."

He said, "Oh, uh, January or February."

I said, "Really? That late?"

He said "Yeah."

What a dingus. He won't get any more attention from me when it comes time.

Edited August 9, 2006 by ocnblu

[Northstar]

Most sbalesmen are idiots. I know more than all of the salesmen combined at my dealership.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

A local TV program that a local dealer shows off every weekend branded a GTO as a, and I quote, "2006 Pontiac G6 GTO."

Listen, dealers, if you don't know $h! about the product you sell, I'd like for you to quit your job and sell something else. Vaccum cleaners maybe?

[Flybrian]

Yeah, we've established the role of the salesman is to sell you the car, not know about it.

I'm still waiting for my Mercedes CLS brochure 6 months after I left my contact information for them. That is poor salesmanship.

[ocnblu]

Yup, we've already had a thread about this some months ago, but it always amazes me. Maybe I'm the dumb one, for expecting better from the people who are on the front lines of customer contact to the company they represent.

[Drew Dowdell]

My salesman <of my CTS and Avalanche> sends me letters, service coupons, and business cards every month. He is knowlageable and friendly even though he *looks* like a typical slimball salesman.

I recommend him to anyone in the pittsburgh region looking to buy a Cadillac.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I normally don't even interact with the salesman, other an a simple "I'm just looking" until I find what I want. If they don't have it, I might inquire about it, or I might take my checkbook elsewhere.

[DetroitNut90]

Salespeople are a mixed bag. You have the knowlegdeable ones, like the guy who sold us our Sonoma (he knew stuff about it that I didn't, and I researched it extensively). But then you get ones like these:

Salesmen: "The Honda Odyssey has segment-leading horsepower."

Me: "Yeah, I know, the 3.5L V6. We've (my family) tested one, and didn't like the way the V6 sounded, and aren't too fond of the outside."

Him: "V6? This doesn't have a V6-it has a V8. Who told you it had a V6?"

Me: "Honda did. They told me on all of their commercials."

Him: "Honda lied. The Odyssey has a V8."

Me: "Would you mind popping the hood?"

Him: "That won't be necessary."

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Salespeople are a mixed bag. You have the knowlegdeable ones, like the guy who sold us our Sonoma (he knew stuff about it that I didn't, and I researched it extensively). But then you get ones like these:

Salesmen: "The Honda Odyssey has segment-leading horsepower."

Me: "Yeah, I know, the 3.5L V6. We've (my family) tested one, and didn't like the way the V6 sounded, and aren't too fond of the outside."

Him: "V6? This doesn't have a V6-it has a V8. Who told you it had a V6?"

Me: "Honda did. They told me on all of their commercials."

Him: "Honda lied. The Odyssey has a V8."

Me: "Would you mind popping the hood?"

Him: "That won't be necessary."

178133[/snapback]

Please tell me you're kidding.

[76ChevyTrucker]

He's not. I've seen similar happen before when I was just out and about at a couple of dealerships. A salesperson will tell you anything you want to hear to make the deal, doesn't matter if its true or not. They are there to make a deal, nothing more, nothing less.

[razoredge]

Ive had this too, too many times. I know more about the new and old GMs than the salesmen. I attribute that info on the new stuff to this site. As for the old stuff not many here seem to know much except us old fogies but some of the younger guys know stuff we never even dreamed of...................

When I checked out the Lacrosse it was the same sad situation as you have described. When I checked out the Cobalt the guy was a car guy but I was still more on top of things, when we checked out the G6 he (same guy) was more on the ball but I still needed to give him some extra info. This time I did buy a car from him, he is an excellent man.

This is one of the points about dealership training that BUICKMAN had on his list that I knew was NEEDED. GM's dealerships in many instances are killing them. This one I bought the G6 from is not listed in the yellow pages under Buick, nor Pontiac, nor GMC nor even Chevy which they also sell. They are listed as Gable Auto & Truck Center........thats it ! You cant find them under anything other than G . Their sister store on the other hand.......Gable Dodge Chrysler Jeep has multiple listings, in large add size under Chrysler...................Dodge...............Jeep.............................IDIOTS !!!!!!!!

real friggin brilliant

[DetroitNut90]

Please tell me you're kidding.

178135[/snapback]

Nope, he did try to get my parents to bite on the Odyssey. We wouldn't have, even if it did have a V8-it was used and we wanted new. It just happened to be sitting in a spot on the way to the new Windstars (we looked at Ford before we looked at GM).

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Nope, he did try to get my parents to bite on the Odyssey. We wouldn't have, even if it did have a V8-it was used and we wanted new. It just happened to be sitting in a spot on the way to the new Windstars (we looked at Ford before we looked at GM).

178144[/snapback]

I don't know what's more pathedic: the salesman, or the idea that a Honda-f@#king-Odyssey has a V8.

[FAPTurbo]

I don't know what's more pathedic: the salesman, or the idea that a Honda-f@#king-Odyssey has a V8. 

178148[/snapback]

Honda made a FWD biased "truck"... A V8 Odyssey isn't too crazy now as it would've been a year or so ago.

Then again, they don't have any V8's in their arsenal, so I doubt there'd be any chance of that happening. ...

...Allah Willing...

[CARBIZ]

Sigh. You'll get a mixed bag of talent when you walk into any company, whether it is Sears or a TV repair shop. Keep in mind that the dealers aren't paying these guys anything so a lot of times the dealers take the attitude that they will throw 3 or 4 guys on the floor and see how they sink or swim. Dealer principals like to pay lip service to the concept that they understand everyone who walks through the door is a potential customer and should be treated like gold, but at the end of the day will the dealer put their money where their mouth is and train their guys/gals to be the best or pay them to be their best?

Look, at at Chevy store we have 12 cars and 7 trucks to sell - that isn't even splitting them into their subcategories. Then there are the rates and programs for every single one of them, which change weekly. Then there is keeping track of the main competition and what they are up to, also with their models and rates/programs. You could spend all day at your computer, just trying to keep up, but then you'd miss the next customer walking through the door.

Then there is the pressure of getting to whatever goal has been set for you that month, and that can drive salespeople to saying or doing whacky things if they are one deal short.

I am not trying to defend these lugs - some of them would be funny if they weren't so earnest in their ignorance; however, with GM's market share sinking and dealers being pitted against each other AND with platform sharing getting silly again (Colorado/Canyon comes to mind), things are only going to get WORSE.

Remember: most of these guys don't even LIKE cars and could as easily be selling appliances.

[mute]

just frequenting this site probably does make you a bit ahead of the dealers . . . in response to the first post . . . i did have the time to read the rest tonite

i can go and tell all the guys at my dealership about the new arrivals theyll hear about in a certain amount of time and they sit and stare like its story time every time i go in now lol

[Charger4U]

The salesman for our Mega Cab was so fake, i had corrected him on a few things about the truck, he just kinda rolled his eyes, thats pretty bad when i being 13 has to correct him ya know? only one of the dealerships that day had knowledgable salesman, they had recognized me too from previous times, they said i knew more about theyre product then they did.

Edited August 10, 2006 by Charger4U

[Intrepidation]

That's retarded salesmanship. The local Dodge Dealer is pretty good, and was helpful to me when I asked about the Dakota when I was doing a report last year.

[daves87rs]

I think a lot depends on the dealership is run.

The one I go to has a decent sized staff-and the owner(pretty cool guy) expects

the salespeople to know a decent amount about the products themselves.

They even have classes for new/updated products...I like the fact the they actually

take the time to properly train the people...

The local dealership tends to be quite clueless on many different levels....

[Drew Dowdell]

before I bought the CTS, I stopped in at a Chrysler dealer to check out the 300M

this was before the 300C

I had the salesman tell me that the 300M was german engineered and came with a supercharged 3.5 litre v6.

I make him open the hood and point to the supercharger.

[pow]

I once had a Ford salesman tell me that the Suburban's frame was made from two separate sides welded together, whereas the Expedition's was extruded into one piece. This results in greater safety, as an Expedition won't split apart in a crash and a Suburban will. Only Mercedes, Volvo (we showed up in one), and Ford have this technology.

I'm dead serious.

Edited August 10, 2006 by empowah

[NOS2006]

I once had a Ford salesman tell me that the Suburban's frame was made from two separate sides welded together, whereas the Expedition's was extruded into one piece. This results in greater safety, as an Expedition won't split apart in a crash and a Suburban will. Only Mercedes, Volvo (we showed up in one), and Ford have this technology.

I'm dead serious.

178582[/snapback]

[CARBIZ]

That is what I find so frustrating about selling the best pick up in the world (Silverado) when Ford trumpetted their improvements (like hydroformed steel frame sections in their last go-round 2 years ago) when GM already used that technology in 1999! Ford plays catch up and Ford loyalists think it is all new.

The easiest way to sell a Silverado is to park a F-150 beside it!

[Satty]

And the easiest way to sell an F-150 is to have the customer sit inside a GMT-800.

[pow]

And the easiest way to sell an F-150 is to have the customer sit inside a GMT-800.

178941[/snapback]

Or crash one into a deformable offset barrier at 40 mph.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Today's Experience:

Well, as you can tell, I'm looking for a car. So, what the hell? I'll go look at a nice, used Charger. (Finding a B-Body Caprice in this area of the state is like, to be blunt, finding a hooker that's a virgin. Same for the B-Body Imp SS. I'm actually getting to the point on giving up on finding one.)

I walk onto the lot and find a nice base Charger in black with very, very low miles going for under twenty grand. I want to see what it drives like (same for my old man) and, when the salesman gets to the lot, I ask for the keys.

It sort of irks me that the salesman has to tag along for the ride, but I decide to be a good guy here and let it be. He gets in the backseat, I get behind the wheel, and my old man gets in the passenger side (he drives it back to the lot).

I'll have to say that the car is f@#king great -- handles great, has great git-up-n-go for a V6, it's teamed up to a decent automatic, and has features I wouldn't expect in a base-level car. I'm interested and the old man approves.

But let me point out somethings that made me raise an eyebrow during the drive.

Point one: this guy stressed the feature of fuel injection on the high-brow SRT-8. Now, c'mon here guys, fuel-injection is standard on all cars today. We all know that. Hell, it's getting to the point where it's standard on ATVs. That point doesn't impress me.

Point two: he also made issue of the fact that the Charger had four-wheel disc brakes. Yeah. That's common on most cars today, too. He also made an odd comparison to the Vette here as well.

Point three: This joker jacked the price up near the end of the drive. Like I said, the price was under twenty grand. At the end of the drive, he made the price twenty-seven grand. Fishy. It also freaked me out, although I don't know why.

Of course, I wasn't ready to buy today -- I don't have a down payment and need to worry about securing a job first. But the salesman starts turning up the pressure after the drive for us to buy ASAP.

I explain clearly what I have to do first, but it's sort of like he doesn't hear me. He keeps pushing and pushing and I, and my old man, have no intent on giving in.

The whole experience leaves me walking off feeling a bit annoyed. I don't know if I'll return to the dealer again.

[zhawk]

I have a problem with salespeople hounding me. I always like to look around and see what a dealership has. When someone asks me what I am looking for, I ask for the chance to look around alone first. If they won't leave right then I get in my car and drive away.

When I do have a question, I usually know most of what I am looking for. If they try to feed me a line, I walk.

I have left behind a couple of cars I was interested in just because of the salespeople at the dealership. Most cars I can find all over the place. Although, a third generation Camaro convertible seems rare around here. And don't get me started on trying to find a 1989 Turbo Trans Am.

I want a salesperson to sell me the car not to try to convince me to buy something I am not interested in. Around here, we have some VERY good ones and some that should be holding up a sign at a road construction site.

[Drew Dowdell]

I walk into the dealer already knowing more about the car than the salesman does, the only thing I ever need a salesman for is to write up the paperwork once he's accepted the price I'm willing to pay.

If they'd install self checkouts, I wouldn't even need a salesman.

[zhawk]

Somehow I just got an image of you trying to drive a car over a barcode scanner and it won't read. Forward, reverse, forward, reverse, etc.

[ocnblu]

..."customer needs assistance in lane 3..."

[76ChevyTrucker]

Now THAT'S a funny mental image *you poking head out window "If it won't ring up, its free, right?"*

[Newbiewar]

I stopped by the local GMC dealership this evening after work, went into the showroom and started leafing through that gigantic tablet they have, showing all the different models.  A salesdude approached me, so I asked if he had any info, especially pictures, of the interior changes for '07 on the Canyon.  He gave me an '06 Canyon brochure.  Nice move.  So I asked him to mail me an '07 Canyon brochure.  We sat down at his desk while he took my info.

I casually said, "I understand they're bumping these up for '07" 

He said, "Yeah, they have more horsepower, but I'm not sure the displacement is any bigger."

I said, "Uh, yeah, the 4 is going to 2.9L and the 5 is going to 3.7." 

He said, "Oh."

I said, "Hey, when do you think you'll be getting a 900 Sierra?"

He said, "What's a 900 Sierra?"

I said,    "Uh... the GMT900 '07 Sierra, the new pickup."

He said, "Oh, uh, January or February."

I said, "Really?  That late?"

He said "Yeah."

What a dingus.  He won't get any more attention from me when it comes time.

178053[/snapback]

Hey... GM doesnt tell us anything... let alone do the salesman read what they have when its avalible to them, but... as a salesperson i can tell you never does GM ever... provide training or education for the saleforce... besides GMTraining.com which your dealership has to enroll you in, which most dealerships choose not to include the sales staff in that...

I can tell you there is not a person at my dealership besides me that would understand GMT900 or would know the changes in power or displacement in such areas...

You've got to remember... I, as a salesperson, must know every detail that every customer that i talk to wants to know... I must know the packages and avalible options for each chevy model we have, AND I must know the basic price range for each vehicle... this way I have to know 15 different, everything from base price, to wheel base, overall width, rear leg room, gas tank size, fully optioned price, packages, horsepower, torque, fuel ecconomy, tow ratings, weather the car will flat tow...

And RELEARN IT EACH YEAR MODEL?

Give me a F'n Brake...

and do you honnestly think he's going to tell you when the next year model is going to come out... he makes no money if you walk away... personnally i'll beat around the bush about future products until i see the consumer is only interested in that... in which case i'll be straight forward and try to be as helpful as i can regaurding their future sale... also many times we just dont know when the next models are coming out... the only reason i know 4th quarter is because we hire a guy from GM to tell us everything, and from here... but most dealerships dont have that luxuary... we are the 2nd largest dealership in the western reigon... and most of the guys here couldnt even tell you anything regaurding the new silverados... nor would they have even known that the colorodo has a new engine... PLEASE DONT RAG ON SOMEONE UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR POINT OF VIEW...

Ohh and about selling a F-150... Try test driving an F150 compared with a GMT800 and then we'll see your reaction... the interior might suck but the ride is so much better then fords...

Edited August 12, 2006 by Newbiewar

[Satty]

I've been a passenger in both laden and unladen F-150s and they've always ridden better than many sedans and Dodge Neon minivans (PT Loser) I've driven.

[ocnblu]

But Newbie, don't you get paper copies of the Ordering Guide for each new model year, outlining the changes? Hopefully, you have a reference you can go to somewhere close to your desk with answers to some of those obvious and (sometimes) obscure customer questions.

I've never worked in the front of the dealership, so forgive me, but on some of those slow days, I'd be reading order guides and checking spec sheets. Not to try to remember every little detail, but so I'd know where to look up the answers to some of the questions you're bound to get hit with.

Does GM still do a "Ride & Drive", where they send a bunch of sales people to a central location to familiarize them with a new product? If you've been to one of those, how informative are they? Do they make you feel ready to present the vehicle to a potential customer?

Maybe my Canyon questions were too inconsequential... I asked about the larger engines and interior changes, two areas of criticism for the GMT355s. I guess it's just too early for him to know. I forgive him for that. But the GMT900 pickup is only the hugest program for GMNA, he should have a clue what it is... maybe he just hasn't heard the "900" reference, but has only heard it as "all new", I dunno.

I will say, though, that GMC, with relatively few models, should be easier to remember than Chevrolet.

Edited August 12, 2006 by ocnblu

[Drew Dowdell]

If we can memorize it... plus a good amount of details of the competiors, why can't the sales men?

[CARBIZ]

First of all, in this area GM offers all kinds of training. They pack us off to Markham (north of Toronto) two or three times a year for hands on training with the competition. They have live satellite broadcasts of upcoming models and changes, plus comparisons with the competition. They even have a new system that archives past shows on a hard drive connected to the satellite.

The dealers literally pay THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars for these toys.

Most salespeople don't use them.

The average customer is even more stupid than the average salespeson we are talking about here. I've seen guys on the floor totally make things up, using BS language like "this car has the new Beukanheimen seat package with Pamela Anderson twin turbos" and the customer nods knowingly.

I think it is safe to say that most people on this board are quite a bit more informed and knowledgeable about all things car related than the average person on the street. Walking into a dealership and using "factory-speak" (GMT-800s and all) is like mugging an old lady: no challenge at all. Why would any salesperson know this, or care?

Jerks aside, there is no way in hell a customer is going to go for a joy ride in a vehicle at any dealership that I know. With all the thefts going on, we'd never get the cars back! And have you ever seen a car with dealer plates going side ways on a turn - would you buy a car, knowing it may have been treated that badly?

Guys, a dealership is a place of business. Not a place to hang out and joy ride on the car of the moment. Rent one, if you must. Those salespeople out there who are trying hard to be professional are becoming a-holes because of customer's attitudes. Our training tells us NOT to pre-qualify a customer by asking about their financial status, budget or if they are ready to buy today, but as salespeople become more abused and cynical they would be crazy not to pre-qualify their customers.

Unfortunately, this has been turned into an adversarial game by many on both sides and I wish it weren't that way. The most rewarding sales experience for both sides is when the customer is seriously ready to buy, does not lie or mislead the salesperson and just treats the salesperson as a human being. Try it, you might be surprised.

[76ChevyTrucker]

That's one reason I like the salesguy that I bought my Grand Am from. He was relatively knowledgeable, courteous and when I at first said I was just looking, he gave me a "That's cool. If you've got any questions, just holler" and he more or less followed me around, but at a respectful distance, you know, within earshot, but not hovering over my right shoulder. He's also the same salesguy that sold mom and dad their '03 crew-cab S10. And we leased the wife's Cobalt from him. Basically we've built up a relationship with the guy, and its a good one. I regularly stop buy and cruise around the new and used lots, just keeping at eye on things for when the Impala is paid off, and for when Amy gets finished up with the lease on the Cobalt and wants her mommy-mobile (a damned minivan), that way I'll know what we've got the play with when the time comes. Everytime his first question is "So, ready to step out of the Impala" Its not a nagging question, its an honest one becuase he knows that I more or less got suckered into the Impala by another dealership after my GA got totalled. Normally I give him a "Nah, just checking up on my options" and he moves along knowing that he's already got my business and he'll get it again as long he remains professional and courteous like in previous encounters.

[Newbiewar]

But Newbie, don't you get paper copies of the Ordering Guide for each new model year, outlining the changes?  Hopefully, you have a reference you can go to somewhere close to your desk with answers to some of those obvious and (sometimes) obscure customer questions.

I've never worked in the front of the dealership, so forgive me, but on some of those slow days, I'd be reading order guides and checking spec sheets.  Not to try to remember every little detail, but so I'd know where to look up the answers to some of the questions you're bound to get hit with.

Does GM still do a "Ride & Drive", where they send a bunch of sales people to a central location to familiarize them with a new product?  If you've been to one of those, how informative are they?  Do they make you feel ready to present the vehicle to a potential customer?

Maybe my Canyon questions were too inconsequential... I asked about the larger engines and interior changes, two areas of criticism for the GMT355s.  I guess it's just too early for him to know.  I forgive him for that.  But the GMT900 pickup is only the hugest program for GMNA, he should have a clue what it is... maybe he just hasn't heard the "900" reference, but has only heard it as "all new", I dunno.

I will say, though, that GMC, with relatively few models, should be easier to remember than Chevrolet.

179257[/snapback]

here at my dealership we dont get any ordering guides or spec sheets... it may be different else where because i know they exist... and i've seen a few laying around but they were 2004 YM... I think our fleet guy hogs them...

And the Canyon Question isnt to early because we have 2007 Colorodos with the 3.7 so the product is here...

My dealership kinda has a moto of... The customer generally knows more about the product then you will, because the consumer knows whats important to him...

the last ride and drive there was here in cali was in january on the GMT900 Tahoes... awesome by the way and we got a pamphlet with info about Avalanche Tahoe & Suburban... but so far there has been nothing published that i've seen regaurding the Silverado/Seirra except on GM's website...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

If we can memorize it... plus a good amount of details of the competiors, why can't the sales men?

179260[/snapback]

Simple, car-buying isn't meant for enthusiasts who know how to avoid a 2004 Impala whose sole features are a damn tape deck that's selling for $12,000 big ones.

I'd like to wring the neck of the salesman who sold my parents that car. Save for the nice handling, our Impala is drab and bland and I hate it. I mean the thing doesn't even have a passenger side key slot, which many W-Bodies of the same vintage have.

Damn fleet car.

[The O.C.]

If we can memorize it... plus a good amount of details of the competiors, why can't the sales men?

179260[/snapback]

When I was thinking of ordering my CTS.....I went to a bunch of Caddy stores just to look.....

First of all, today is 8-12-06.....and NONE of the Caddy stores I've been to have '07 CTS brochures.

The car has been on dealers' lots since JUNE....(it was an early '07 build/introduction) and they STILL don't have '07 brochures.

That's inexcusable.....coming from someone that's been in sales and marketing all his career......

Also, I had the sales gal at a Caddy store tell me that there's no way you can get a manual transmission in a CTS unless it's a v-Series. I corrected her....but admitted that probably dealers didn't stock it 'cause of demand....and that I needed to special order it. She STILL argued with me that you can't do it (instead of doing the intelligent thing and going inside and researching to actually see if I was correct....)

Then, another store.....I just wanted to see a Sport CTS in person. When I asked the salesman if they had any, he pointed me out to a lot where there were a ton of leftover '06 models (with 16-inch wheels, etc.) that had plenty of lot-rot on them (dirty wheels, dusty exteriors, yadda, yadda.) I asked where the '07s were, and he said "another lot" and said they don't show those because they are trying to get rid of the '06 models.

FINALLY, there was the guy that tried to convince me that I really didn't want a manual (because of traffic, etc.) and tried to shove me into a car he had on the lot.....when obviously a manual transmission was a REQUIREMENT to me and I told him so. I said....."so you mean to tell me that you won't even take a custom order from me for a CTS Sport with a manual transmission?".....and he danced around that saying they are "tough to get" and he doesn't know when the order could even be placed.....

Newsflash....I ordered my CTS MANUAL on 7-10-06 and it was shipped from the factory on 8-4-06 (less than a month....you dip&#036;h&#33;....)

[ocnblu]

Yeah, I had a salesdude tell me the 5.3L with AFM is not available in the Aveo5. Can you believe the nerve? :AH-HA_wink:

[Newbiewar]

Yeah, I had a salesdude tell me the 5.3L with AFM is not available in the Aveo5.  Can you believe the nerve? :AH-HA_wink:

179464[/snapback]

the nerve...

wouldnt that be a cool car tho?

[ocnblu]

Yup, if it were right-wheel drive. A V8 Aveo5 would be unmanageable as a front-wheeler.

[CARBIZ]

The dealer has no control over when the brochures show up! If you think still NOT having brochures for '07s are a crime, how about not having brochures or any pricing information when the vehicle is sitting in the show room? That's what happened to us when the '99 all new Tracker came out: we had the vehicle in the show room and absolutely could not tell anyone how much they were. The pricing stickers for the window had not been printed. We had no order guides (paper system back then) and no invoice yet. How's that for looking stupid?

I had our dealer principle tell one of my customers that the new Tahoe cannot be ordered with a middle-bench seat. Why would he say that? Because he would never order one without the middle row buckets and has never seen one that way. (Keep in mind we only have two on the lot and have only sold a couple so far)

Salespeople will cringe from a factory order the same reason they will cringe from someone who is "buying in a couple months." The guy/gal may be under pressure to deliver NOW or the person is fired. They aren't worried about being around in 8 weeks when your CTS shows up. Short-sighted, I know, but did you ask how long these people have been selling cars? Sounds like they were fairly new. And a lot of times the dealer will have huge "flats" on current model year to clear them out: he may get $750 to sell you the 2006 in-stock, but on the factory order (after you haggle him down to no gross!) he/she will only get $200, for example.

A lot of behind the scenes crap goes on before a customer steps on the lot. It all depends on the quality of the management, like anywhere else. Maybe the guy is in a bad mood because he just got "scooped." (Scooping is when a customer can't be bothered to show up for an appointent or simply shows up and another salesperson gets the deal after the first guy spent 2 hours with the customer.) Maybe he/she needs to deliver one more car (this month!) to get some huge bonus. Or maybe the last customer spent 2 hours haggling and then the salesguy finds out they already have a deal somewhere else (highly illegal in Ontario but some customers think signing a bill of sale is like notes on toilet paper.)

Walk a mile in another man's shoes. I've been in retail all my life. NOthing surprises me any more.

[Newbiewar]

The dealer has no control over when the brochures show up!  If you think still NOT having brochures for '07s are a crime, how about not having brochures or any pricing information when the vehicle is sitting in the show room?  That's what happened to us when the '99 all new Tracker came out: we had the vehicle in the show room and absolutely could not tell anyone how much they were.  The pricing stickers for the window had not been printed.  We had no order guides (paper system back then) and no invoice yet.  How's that for looking stupid?

  I had our dealer principle tell one of my customers that the new Tahoe cannot be ordered with a middle-bench seat.  Why would he say that?  Because he would never order one without the middle row buckets and has never seen one that way.  (Keep in mind we only have two on the lot and have only sold a couple so far)

  Salespeople will cringe from a factory order the same reason they will cringe from someone who is "buying in a couple months."  The guy/gal may be under pressure to deliver NOW or the person is fired.  They aren't worried about being around in 8 weeks when your CTS shows up.  Short-sighted, I know, but did you ask how long these people have been selling cars?  Sounds like they were fairly new.  And a lot of times the dealer will have huge "flats" on current model year to clear them out: he may get $750 to sell you the 2006 in-stock, but on the factory order (after you haggle him down to no gross!) he/she will only get $200, for example.

  A lot of behind the scenes crap goes on before a customer steps on the lot.  It all depends on the quality of the management, like anywhere else.  Maybe the guy is in a bad mood because he just got "scooped."  (Scooping is when a customer can't be bothered to show up for an appointent or simply shows up and another salesperson gets the deal after the first guy spent 2 hours with the customer.)  Maybe he/she needs to deliver one more car (this month!) to get some huge bonus.  Or maybe the last customer spent 2 hours haggling and then the salesguy finds out they already have a deal somewhere else (highly illegal in Ontario but some customers think signing a bill of sale is like notes on toilet paper.)

  Walk a mile in another man's shoes.  I've been in retail all my life.  NOthing surprises me any more.

179735[/snapback]

hell they did this to us on the 2007 tahoes...

they sat on our lots for like 2 weeks before we could sell them... the only thing we were holding on to... was GM's going to annonce the price on Jan 10th... well Jan 10th rolled around, Actually they still arent quite sure... January 12th...

I think it was like the 14th or something before GM annonced the price, and still a few days later before we actually got the window stickers mailed to us...

[ocnblu]

I think salespeople should be on salary, maybe with a "units sold storewide" bonus, monthly. Of course, to keep the assdraggers in check, some kind of performance evaluation needs to be done so that the go-getters (of a new definition with no commission to sour the customer experience) don't get hurt. What do you guys think?

[76ChevyTrucker]

yeah, a straight salary for sales people would be nice, but then you'd have all the older sales people bitching because their paycheck just got slashed all for "making it fair"

[CARBIZ]

I've been saying that for years. By definition, commissioned sales sets the experience up for an adversarial one. Especially now that the market is so fragmented and there is so much (mis)information on the internet. Customers are (somewhat) more informed than they were, say, 20 years ago, but they are also more confused. It takes real training to keep on top of things and many salespeople don't see the advantage (or point) to spending 6 hours off-site training for FREE, then having to work 6-8 hours on the floor the same day. To a very large extent many dealerships view salespeople much the way a lot of restaurants view their wait staff: unpaid slaves. They call sales meetings at all wierd hours, talk about nothing and waste everyone's time because they don't have to pay them to stand around. When I managed at a large retail chain I had to pay each of my workers 3 hours pay to call a meeting, whether the meeting lasted 3 hours or not (Ontario law) AND if I had 10 employees standing around that was 30 hours I would lose from my monthly hours budget - you can damned well bet I made those hours count with meetings of importance and content. If sales staff were salaried with a volume bonus or something to that effect, then management would be responsible for their training/upgrading and the sales staff would be paid (and expected) to do it.

[The O.C.]

The dealer has no control over when the brochures show up! 

179735[/snapback]

Uh....I never blamed the dealer for not having the brochures......

GM hasn't shipped/produced any.....

[The O.C.]

The dealer has no control over when the brochures show up! 

179735[/snapback]

Uh....I never blamed the dealer for not having the brochures......

GM hasn't shipped/produced any.....

And, I've sold cars too.....and I've managed sales people as a sales manager.

I understand ALL about "flats" and "minis." If you can present the customer options, and you happen to be in a position to direct them towards a left-over model with a huge flat, then that's great.

BUT, when you have a customer that KNOWS what he/she is in the market for, you need to attend to the customer's needs. If you try to push them another direction, you'll just piss them off.....like that guy did to me.

It's all about reading your customers.....listening to them.....understanding when they need firm consultation from you....and when they don't.

That's all my point was.