Dealership Knowledge vs. Forum

[GrandPrixGXP]

I don't really expect all car sales people to know every move of every model and model year they sell, but I find it interesting that I know so much more about what's going on with the Camaro than my dealer, thanks to this forum.

My dealer told me they would keep me up to date on every step in the process of ordering and receiving a 2012. I hadn't talked with them since ordering 5 weeks ago. I figured why bother until production starts?

But yesterday I stopped by to see when mine would be made. The guy said well that depends on whenever they start production on the 2012s. I informed him that that happened 3 days ago.

Oh, also, for some reason, they won't give me my order number. I explained to them that I could update myself online if I had that, and I told them about Becky's helpfulness. Wonder why they're guarding that number?

He finds out it will be the 1st week of August. Then he says it may sit wherever it's made for a week or two until G.M. has other cars to send my direction..due to gas prices. GRR!! Anyway, I informed him that it was being made in Oshawa, Canada.

He said they may get it out quickly since it's special order, and not just going to the dealer, but again, it could sit there for a week or two.

[BigRed585Lbs]

Ignorance is bliss.

Wonder how many people selling Camaros have actually driven one?

[10forty2]

Sounds like your salesman handed a line of BS.... just sayin...

[Mick]

Like you, I knew more about my Convertible (pricing, ordering, availablity, production tracking) than anyone I found at the dealership. I found out through the forums. An enthusiast has more interest in knowing everything about their car than most people who are just selling it as one of several models in their showroom. Of course there are exceptions...

[Camaro45thAE]

It is very rare to find a car salesman who is a car enthusiast. A large majority of salesman are there solely for the purpose of moving cars and making their commission not because they like the world of cars. They are limited to the information they are given by either video or paperwork for them to get updated on new models and get cars sold. I cant recall a time where I have ever walked into a dealer and the salesman schooled me on anything.

This might offend, but most real car enthusiasts realize that being a car salesman is a scumbag job due to the lies and manipulation involved in the process of car buying and wouldnt dare take that kind of job.

Truth hurts, and if you are a salesman that doesnt fit in this category, sorry....but you can thank the rest of the morons out there for stereotype and I wish there were more of you out there. I know there are individuals from dealers who come on here and post and support the forum by answering questions and giving information....THANK YOU to those of you who do, youre a rare breed.

[CamaroSpike23]

and this is why we have this smiley

[seminolejon]

Funny you mention this. I happened to be at the dealership for my free tank of gas a couple of weeks ago and I asked my salesman about Sport mode. He hadn't heard of such a thing. He told me you HAVE to use the paddle shifters if in M. He found it hard to believe you could just drive the car around in M6.

Also, I asked what he thought of the 2012s coming out soon, particularly the new steering wheel. He had no clue what I was talking about.

Things that make you go hmmmm.

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

If they don't want to give you the order number, they don't have it. Meaning, they probably don't have an allocation to order. There is no other reason not to give you the order number. At this point I would look for another dealer as they are showing your right now they are not trustworthy. Bottom line, your car has NOT been ordered yet.

[Angrybird 12]

He wasn't BSing you about it sitting until more cars are coming their way, but usually your car will be transported to a holding facility where it will meet up with other cars coming your dealers way. When they get enough for a full truck it will be loaded and shipped. That being said, not all the cars have to be going to your dealership. But usually they are all bound for dealers in the same general area.

I can usually tell within a few minutes if the sales person knows what they are talking about or is just saying what he can to sell a car. With the Internet anyone wanting to buy any car can find out just about everything just by searching for that car. Many cars have their own forums like Camaro5, many have several forums. I am a member of the HHR forum and. Chevy Tracker forum. The best places to go to find out all you need to know.

[NYJets77]

Originally Posted by GrandPrixGXP

I don't really expect all car sales people to know every move of every model and model year they sell, but I find it interesting that I know so much more about what's going on with the Camaro than my dealer, thanks to this forum.

My dealer told me they would keep me up to date on every step in the process of ordering and receiving a 2012. I hadn't talked with them since ordering 5 weeks ago. I figured why bother until production starts?

But yesterday I stopped by to see when mine would be made. The guy said well that depends on whenever they start production on the 2012s. I informed him that that happened 3 days ago.

Oh, also, for some reason, they won't give me my order number. I explained to them that I could update myself online if I had that, and I told them about Becky's helpfulness. Wonder why they're guarding that number?

He finds out it will be the 1st week of August. Then he says it may sit wherever it's made for a week or two until G.M. has other cars to send my direction..due to gas prices. GRR!! Anyway, I informed him that it was being made in Oshawa, Canada.

He said they may get it out quickly since it's special order, and not just going to the dealer, but again, it could sit there for a week or two.

Also, they don't seem to want to give me my order number. I explained to them that I could check online what's going on, and I told them about Becky's helpfulness. Wonder why they're guarding this info?

As you go through life, you'll learn everyone has an agenda.

You want some information? Does it conflict somehow with the sales guy's agenda? Will he have extra work to do if he gives it to? If he gives you a date and it turns out wrong will you bust his balls?

Expect the absolute minimum from people and you won't be disappointed. Sad, but true.

[BlueDragonVT]

Tell him that if he can't give you your order number, you will cancel the order. Simple.

[HDRDTD]

In my case, as soon as the car was ordered, they sent me an acknowledgement notice that included the order number.
Once I had that, I could start tracking the process (I learned how to from this forum).
Several times during the waiting period, I'd stop by the dealer to see how things were going and ran into the same situation as many of us have, we know a LOT more about our cars AND the order tracking process that the sales guy does.
I even tried to educate him by showing him this forum and how I learned about tracking from this site, but unfortunately he probably won't remember it for more than 10min after I walk out the door.
In all fairness, there are a LOT of different models of vehicles any one saleman is expected to sell. Knowing all the information on every one of them is an impossible task, especially when the min you learn all those models, the manufacturer has the gall to bring out NEW models for the new year.

However, the tracking portion should be fairly universal for the models he sells, so he should know at least a little about that.

Maybe they just don't expect the average buyer to be that knowledgeble?

The one thing I look forward to and expect the most is simple honesty.

No matter if the news is good or bad, or you just don't know the answer, just be honest with me Mr. Salesman.

In my case, from tracking my order I knew the car was built on 3-22, and left the factory grounds on 3-24.

from that point on, it sat in a lot near the factory without moving for more than FOUR weeks.

All I was trying to get from the dealer is a simple answer to a simple question, "WHY is it just sitting there"?

I asked the dealer to start going up the chain of command, since 'somebody, somewhere' must know why it hasn't moved, bu no, I could never get an answer for anybody.

I told the dealer I was tired of waiting. If somebody could just tell me a reason it was still in that lot, I could contue to wait, but nope. never did get anybody to give me a clear answer.

So I did a search, found a car very similar to what I wanted in a local dealers showroom, and bought it the next day.

The original dealer was indeed very concerned about me and my order because he was afraid of me filling out the customer satisfaction form they would be sending me.

Evidently (at least this is what they told me) the dealer was hoping to expand their building, and GM could/would help with the financing IF the dealer had outstanding responses to the customer surveys.

I did explain to him that the dealer/saleman did in fact do everything I asked of them, it was just the chain of command within GM's shipping division somewhere that was frustrating me, so the survey would reflect that.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please just give me honest answers, that's all I ask.
Don't try to BS me, or I'll take my business elsewhere.

Is that too much to ask?

[cmore]

Sounds normal to me. Its a job to them, to us, it is much more.

[Todd3544]

If its not in the vehicle brochure 9 times out of 10 they don't know the answer.