Confessions of a Car Salesman - Page 2

02-16-2005, 03:13 PM

Im a car salesman if anyone needs advise let me know. (Im from fresno by the way california)

larchmont · 02-16-2005, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KIYOSHIS_CL7

Im a car salesman if anyone needs advise let me know. (Im from fresno by the way california)

Great to have you -- BTW is it Acuras that you sell?

P.S. If you feel like saying anything about some of the things in that story, it might be interesting........

rayyu882 · 08-02-2005, 12:17 PM

It is an interesting story, I haven't finish reading yet but some of the things in it aren't true everywhere though!

I was a car salesman before in a Acura and a Honda store, now I'm a part owner of a dealership.

More comments later on!

larchmont · 08-02-2005, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayyu882

It is an interesting story, I haven't finish reading yet but some of the things in it aren't true everywhere though!
I was a car salesman before in a Acura and a Honda store, now I'm a part owner of a dealership.
More comments later on!

Looking forward to them!

Of course those things aren't true everywhere, and we're glad about it.
For one thing, I would have walked out of any dealership where it was like that.

rayyu882 · 08-02-2005, 03:29 PM

This is a very enjoyable article, it pointed out lots of good and bad things about car dealerships.

I must say that there are dealerships that are high pressure, which in their books there is no such thing as be-back customer, the moment you walk out of those dealership, they don't expect you to return, therefore they will hit you with all tricks that they know how before you leaves. Some of them even keep your trade-in car key and refuse to return it to you for a long while just to try to make a customer give up and make a deal happen.

However there are dealerships that are much more easy going, off course they still need to generate their profit, but the way that they do to get it will be so different, as the article pointed out, they have less management involved in the deal, it won't have that many processes a salesmen need to follow thru. The key to those dealership is referals and return customers, which many cases it works pretty well... If you have a wonderful car buying experience, you definitely will share that with your families & friends, and parhaps buy your next car from the salesman that you trusted the most.

larchmont · 08-03-2005, 02:47 AM

Of course I lean toward the latter.
It's the only kind of place I would ever do business with, in ANY field (unless somehow there was no choice).

There ARE both kinds of dealerships, and maybe it varies somewhat by the community.
I don't think the 1st kind would do well right here where I am, for example.
In other places nearby, including Manhattan, maybe it's a different story.

TSXFreerider · 08-21-2005, 01:45 AM

Alright, I read the first page of this post and nothing else so excuse me if I repost any other ideas. I had a brief (3 month) stint as a new car salesman a couple of years ago at a local Toyota dealership here in Cincinnati. After working there I understood what everyone meant when they talked about how all car salesmen are "shiesters". I saw plenty of underhanded tactics there....nothing technically "illegal", but most salesmen there would openly lie to you knowing that you wouldn't find out the truth until it was too late (or so it would seem). Salespeople will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get you to want to buy the car. The actual selling of the car is handled by the finance manager (who gets their own commission based on their own sales). They're always going to quote you more than what the salesperson quoted and then tell you that it's because of a credit descrepancy. ALWAYS.....ALWAYS secure credit for the vehicle prior to the purchase if possible. Doing this will almost always save you money! The only time this doesn't apply is when dealer incentives are invloved. Just make sure that the terms are the same (early payoff ok, etc.). All dealerships are different so use the internet to your advantage. Get quotes from as may dealerships as possible and then use those quotes to get them to try to beat each other. The more resources you have, the better your chances at getting a good deal on a new car are! Hope this helps everyone out!

TSX 'R' US · 08-21-2005, 01:03 PM

Joker · 08-21-2005, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSX 'R' US

^^

Agreed, great reply TSXFreerider

raheel616 · 03-20-2006, 03:20 PM

very interesting

larchmont · 03-20-2006, 03:53 PM

Yes it is.
It's a great read, if you have a few extra hours.

(Not quite that long, but it does take some time.)

ralphymacchio · 06-14-2006, 06:30 PM

Why don't they make a "Confessions of Frank Carney" article. To get inside the mind of the man who founded Pizza Hut.

I say this because, people view dealerships as being evil empires built on the foundations of corruption and deception. Where salesmen and managers highfive eachother when they send a customer home after making a profit on them.

***NEWS FLASH***

Dealerships were formed to make money.Thats right! just like every other retail business in the world. You and I, "the consumers" are the ones that make the car purchasing process harder than it should be. If everyone based their purchasing decision on customer service alone, alot more cars would roll at sticker price. Since that isnt the case, and hasn't been for eons, we now resort to negotiations...

If you really want a "no hassle" car buying experience, then save up for a car you can afford and purchase it, at the sticker price. WAIT?? whats that?? Im crazy?? maybe so, but the worst thing in the world is, a consumer who suggests that a dealership isn't giving them the "Best Price" or enough of a discount <--what is that??... Incase anyone is wondering, their is no Best price book, hidden in the bottom left drawer of a sales managers desk. The best price is the price the dealer is willing to sell the car for and the price you are willing to pay.

back to Frank Carney. Why do I bring his name up in this?? Simple.. how often do you use coupons on your pizza hut pizzas?? for me, I'd say 1 out of 3 times. Have you ever called and handed the coupon to the girl and said this coupon isn't enough of a disount for me?? probably not..
Frank Carney makes roughly 400% profit when you buy a pizza from a Pizza Hut. If you buy a 35000 dollar car for $500 over invoice, the dealership is making ..... you guessed it 2% profit.

If people would stop looking at the bottom line and start taking into account how close the dealer is to them, how nice the service dept is, how well they were treated during the sales process and how much they can actually afford... they will find that buying a car can actually be enjoyable like it should be. Instead, some (not all) will cut another dealers throat for a set of splash guards and spend 80 bucks on gas to drive 200 miles out of the way, to get the car from a dealer who only views them as a chip on a board, nothing more, nothing less....... you figure it out.....

Sorry if this offended anyone, but when you deal with this day in and day out. It becomes your reality. Cheers - Dave

Revenent · 06-14-2006, 07:23 PM

A few of points:

1. While the percentage profit may be lower, the actual dollar amount we're dealing with aren't exactly the same level as a pizza pie.

2. Talking in general, when a pizza place makes a mistake on a pizza, the customer can complain and get the correct order with no extra charge. When a car salesperson says something wrong and the customer buys the car on that mistaken impression, the customer legally has almost no say.

3. A pizza is a one-shot deal - you buy it, you eat it, it's finished. You buy a car for the long-term (at least a few magnitudes longer than a pizza). This makes the investment that many magnitudes larger as well.

Just my thoughts.

ralphymacchio · 06-14-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revenent

A few of points:

1. While the percentage profit may be lower, the actual dollar amount we're dealing with aren't exactly the same level as a pizza pie.

average person buys a car every 4 years, same person buys about 1 pizzas a week... retail cost of pizza $12 x 400% profit = $48 profit 4 years x 52 weeks in year = 208 weeks x $48 =

Pizza Hut making $9,984 profit on you.... your right, big difference in dollar amount..

2. Talking in general, when a pizza place makes a mistake on a pizza, the customer can complain and get the correct order with no extra charge. When a car salesperson says something wrong and the customer buys the car on that mistaken impression, the customer legally has almost no say.

If a dealership delivers a car and something is wrong with it, they fix it, just like a messed up pizza order is fixed, at no charge. Infact the car would be better in this instance since it has a warranty, if you eat the pizza and get really sick from it, the pizza place isnt going to cover your medical bills, are they? Information given from a salesperson to a customer is just that info, just like edmunds.com its info, not everything they post on their site is fact, but its up to the consumer to determine what they feel is the facts. I never claimed there arent crooked salespeople out there, infact I believe in one of my first sentences i talk about a salesman telling my friend she cant afford the insurance on a car...

3. A pizza is a one-shot deal - you buy it, you eat it, it's finished. You buy a car for the long-term (at least a few magnitudes longer than a pizza). This makes the investment that many magnitudes larger as well.

True a pizza is a one-shot-deal but so is any purchase, you dont continue to purchase anything. granted the pizza is a consumable item, but that wasnt the point I was making. Noone thinks twice about paying retail for a toothbrush at stop and shop, or a tv at walmart, or anything else for that matter, but with cars, they want a better price than retail. Which is fine, because thats how the system is, and if it wasnt that way, then I wouldnt have a job. All I'm saying is, stop getting mad at salespeople for trying to retain some sort of profit on a new car sale, it shouldnt come as a surprise, but in order for a dealership to stay open, they need to make money on the cars they sell. As far as the lousy cheap coat salesmen lying through their teeth and telling people their 95 Cadillac Eldorado will get 40 miles to the gallon, well they obviously have an even more lousy manager who isnt getting rid of them. Times are changing and those guys will soon be gone, but my only advice to all, is buy from a place you feel comfortable buying from. A car is a huge investment and where you buy it and who you buy it from should matter to you, not just the price. The saying you get what you pay for holds true even in buying a car.

Just my thoughts.

ralphymacchio · 06-14-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TSXFreerider

Alright, I read the first page of this post and nothing else so excuse me if I repost any other ideas. I had a brief (3 month) stint as a new car salesman a couple of years ago at a local Toyota dealership here in Cincinnati. After working there I understood what everyone meant when they talked about how all car salesmen are "shiesters". I saw plenty of underhanded tactics there....nothing technically "illegal", but most salesmen there would openly lie to you knowing that you wouldn't find out the truth until it was too late (or so it would seem). Salespeople will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get you to want to buy the car. The actual selling of the car is handled by the finance manager (who gets their own commission based on their own sales). They're always going to quote you more than what the salesperson quoted and then tell you that it's because of a credit descrepancy. ALWAYS.....ALWAYS secure credit for the vehicle prior to the purchase if possible. Doing this will almost always save you money! The only time this doesn't apply is when dealer incentives are invloved. Just make sure that the terms are the same (early payoff ok, etc.). All dealerships are different so use the internet to your advantage. Get quotes from as may dealerships as possible and then use those quotes to get them to try to beat each other. The more resources you have, the better your chances at getting a good deal on a new car are! Hope this helps everyone out!

in a "brief (3 month) stint as a new car salesman" you really shouldnt of been taking any clients, if you were, then that says alot about the dealership you were working for. If you weren't then you should of been training.

"Get quotes from as may dealerships as possible and then use those quotes to get them to try to beat each other."

So, you mean to tell me the Salesmen are the "shiesters" ? funny because reading that last line, made the customer seem pretty shiesty.. So you spend all day with a knowledgible salesman, he provides you with a good walkaround and explaination of the car, he gives you a discount on the car and you turn around and cut his throat over 100 dollars? Anyone that would do that is an awfully nice person, I must admit.