Javelin wrote:
CLNSC3 wrote:
- No way in hell those trade in keys were leaving my pocket until the guy absolutely was not going to buy.
That's illegal in all 50 states Bubba.
Haha, but do they know that? Clearly if they ask for their keys they are getting them back immediately...but I would never do a trade evaluation and immediately return the keys if they didnt ask for them. Same goes for titles, always stayed up on the sales managers desk.
I may have "muddied the waters" from time to time but there are lines I would never cross. Like telling somebody whatever they want to hear on the phone just to get them down there and then completely catch them off guard. I would never have done that. All the time I would negotiate as far as I could, the customer would want a lower price and I couldn't do it. So they would call a competing dealership who would fill them full of E36 M3 to get them down there. In these situations the customers returned 99% of the time and confirmed that they were being lied to. Which I had told them was most likely the case, but nobody is ever going to trust a salesman.
As far as customers go...I have some that are awesome, still speak with on a regular basis, go riding with, would bring me food when they came in for service, etc.
Others I absolutely never wanted to see again. But being a motorcycle dealership, a lot of customers come back and just hang out or look at parts and accessories...sometimes several times a month. I remember cringing at the sight of some of these guys.
Customers call in all shapes and sizes(literally and metaphorically). I was the floor manager so I had the joy of dealing with all the huffers/puffers, desk pounders, screamers, etc. Some people are out their minds, like being willing to pay no more than $8,000 including TTL for a vehicle the DEALERSHIP pays $7500 for and has no problem selling. The same guy would scream at me and storm out of the building only to return a week later with his tail between his legs because he realized my deal really was the BEST deal.
Most people also don't realize on 99% of powersports vehicles, there is not a whole lot of profit margin.
A lot of customers actually are the ones that make the experience bad for themselves. They will complain about how long it is taking when they spent 2 hours picking the color and another 2 hours trying to argue over $5.
The internet has made the job of a vehicle salesman much more difficult, and less profitable. But from the standpoint of the customer, its awesome.
That being said. I hate dealerships and I hate dealing with salespeople, although these days I end up just laughing at their BS cause I see right through it. BUT I love selling vehicles and love the negotiation process! I am glad I don't work in that business anymore, but sometimes I do miss it!