GM loses a sale to Ford thanks to dealership

[90503]

Originally Posted by MiracleAces

Hey 90503 - definitely not trying to get into it with you, but I promise you I am not wrong. I am the Internet Director/ Sales Manager for a Ford and Chevy dealership (separate locations of course) and I am privy to the 37 current agreements Chevy has with various buying services. The only real agreement is that we must not sell to the client at a price higher than the agreed to pricing structure or add in frieght (no smoke and mirrors). There is nothing stopping us from selling for less than the agreed upon pricing structure. Dealerships do it all the time - otherwise there would be no competition. We just did a deal last night on a Spark where we practically destroyed the price the client received from their credit union's buying service.

The only reason the buying services exist is convenience and perception.

lol...all good, brother...I have no problem with folks making money all the way around....and the service isn't just for the "rich and famous"...lol...at some point all the running around and shopping for a deal has a negative cost as well...not to mention the emotional aggravation...I think most of us just get soured by not being able to "trust" every salesman we run across, and don't have the time, inclination, or motivation to try and win some sort of game...lol

[MiracleAces]

Originally Posted by 90503

lol...all good, brother...I have no problem with folks making money all the way around....and the service isn't just for the "rich and famous"...lol...at some point all the running around and shopping for a deal has a negative cost as well...not to mention the emotional aggravation...I think most of us just get soured by not being able to "trust" every salesman we run across, and don't have the time, inclination, or motivation to try and win some sort of game...lol

I absolutely agree. I've been lucky in that my dealer principle allows me to run a completely transparent department and we do not use ridiculous tactics to get people to come see us. Quite often we have people come to us AFTER they get pissed at another dealership. That being said, we still have sales people here I do not care for and I personally don't supply them with the 'leads' that come in because I know they will ruin their buying experience. I believe buying services are valuable and offer a great service especially when someone is trying to avoid the hassle of a dealership.

It's funny. GM touts excellent customer service and vehicle knowledge, but I would say this is where it ends. I've heard of dealerships 'buying' a perfect survey from their customers as well as not putting in email addresses so the survey never gets to the customer. As long as dealerships arent held truly accountable people will continue to experience awful customer service.

[Wantconvertible]

Originally Posted by oldfriend

He was going to get the Rousch anyway , i don't buy the story that he told you , if someone [really ] wants something he will find the way to get it .

Agree

[JWoj3540]

why would anyone go to this dealership??....Becky...duh

[kmarshall2121]

Remember a dealership is just that - a dealership, whether it be GM, Chevy, Dodge, etc... salesmen come and salesmen go (many times to a competitor) - In the end, a Camaro is ALWAYS a Camaro! no changes, just proudly driven!

[Caitlin&Caroline]

Originally Posted by MiracleAces

A good saleperson is quite valuable (if you can find one). If they are good they can tell you a lot more about your car than a biased review online (I'm including the favorable reviews as well. BTW - it is stated that over 60% of online reviews are fake. Be careful.). they can also facilitate a lot of the buying process and take car of your concerns for you. Same goes with a good dealership and it's management. Defintely leave the ones that don't appreciate the opportunity you a presenting them to earn your business.

Personally I would never buy a car, house, TV, cloths and a few other items online without first going to see them in person. Don't forget, EVERYONE WHO OFFERS YOU A PAID SERVICE/ PRODUCT IS A SALES PERSON. That includes doctors, care givers, dealerships, lawyers, etc... If you paid money for it, you were SOLD on it.

I have purchased computers, a TV and much of my clothing online. The TV cost significantly less than at a "Best Buy" or other brick-and-mortar sea of salesmen. Reading the manufacturer specifications also told me significantly more about the product than the salesman knew.

By "salesmen" I mean the people who stand around waiting to tell you things that you already know and collect a commission for this "work." They are not service providers. Service providers such as an attorney are getting paid to wade through case law. An electrician to safely work on wiring. They have value.

Salesmen do not create value. Their job is to convince someone to buy something. Technically, the marketers should have already done this.

Sara Lee hires people to do sensing and create ads and packaging. They don't expect a salesman to stand in front of the freezer section of the grocery in a polo shirt and khakis, shake your hand, and ask, "what's it gonna take for you to take this pound cake home today?" or purport, "it's much sweeter than Value Village's and 15% bigger than last year's model!" or, "No, ma'am, I believe this one is gluten free..."

I don't know. Maybe I just don't like polo shirts.

[MiracleAces]

Originally Posted by Caitlin&Caroline

I have purchased computers, a TV and much of my clothing online. The TV cost significantly less than at a "Best Buy" or other brick-and-mortar sea of salesmen. Reading the manufacturer specifications also told me significantly more about the product than the salesman knew.

By "salesmen" I mean the people who stand around waiting to tell you things that you already know and collect a commission for this "work." They are not service providers. Service providers such as an attorney are getting paid to wade through case law. An electrician to safely work on wiring. They have value.

Salesmen do not create value. Their job is to convince someone to buy something. Technically, the marketers should have already done this.

Sara Lee hires people to do sensing and create ads and packaging. They don't expect a salesman to stand in front of the freezer section of the grocery in a polo shirt and khakis, shake your hand, and ask, "what's it gonna take for you to take this pound cake home today?" or purport, "it's much sweeter than Value Village's and 15% bigger than last year's model!" or, "No, ma'am, I believe this one is gluten free..."

I don't know. Maybe I just don't like polo shirts.

I actually agree with most of what you said. And I'm not trying to use symantics to continue the conversation, but...

Sales people are service providers and vice versa. Absolutely a sales person must show value in the product (in this case a vehicle) you are about to buy. It's all perception. A service provider is selling you their services and you are making a judgement to purchase those services based on the sales pitch they give you. Even a top notch lawyer is selling their services to you because they may not plan on using their entire legal staff to oversee your case. They may just dump it off on the new 'grinder' earning their way into the firm, but they tell you about the entire firm to get your business.

You're absolutely correct about how Sara Lee does business. But in the end there's no sales person there because they can't afford someone to stand there in a grocery store selling something that costs $5 after the grocery stores' massive mark up. A dealership on the other hand is selling cars worth thousands of dollars. The cars are not neatly packaged in a box on a shelf. The consumer doesnt get to say, "Well, if I dont like this Camaro it only cost me $5 and I'll just buy something different next week."

If a person comes in to buy a Chevy Cruze because they are looking to get great gas mileage, then that sales person SHOULD be letting them know why they are choosing the Cruze over all others. They need to show value beyond just the MPGs.

I do purchase many items online as you do, but I do like to see that item in person before hand. Oddly enough, I do buy food online without seeing it first. My priorities may be out of whack...

[90503]

Originally Posted by MiracleAces

... As long as dealerships arent held truly accountable people will continue to experience awful customer service.

...and as we all know, bad news travels fast...It's the problem that even "good" dealership people still have to work alongside those that aren't...and this contributes to the big unknown of walking onto a car lot...Human nature and past experiences automatically have you assume that you will get screwed over by the salesman...It's a sad thing to have to "prepare" for and takes a lot of the joy of buying a new car right out the window...

...With this survey business becoming a new field of operation for the un-scrupulous, the prospects of dealerships over-coming their shady reputations is not very bright....

Having to be on the defensive to go spend 30-40K isn't very inviting...And once a customer finds out he got a lousy deal, or didn't get as good a deal as the next guy for whatever reason, it's too late...A one man crusade to improve things after the fact, is an exercise in futility....

[MiracleAces]

I agree 100%. My first goal is almost always over coming the defensiveness almost every client has when they first meet me (whether in person or on the phone). I can never blame them for being this way of course. It's the nature of the business I've chosen to be in.

Ironically TrueCar made a massive effort to rid dealerships completely of the sales person and the company actually ended up proving exactly why dealerships still need sales people and their entire business model back fired. Unfortunately most dealer principles are still of the old school mindset so the awful dealership experiences will still be around for quite a while.

[GearheadSS]

Sounds like a customer that couldn't get what they wanted and then got mad.

Dealer could have said that they couldn't get one because they didn't have an allocation for a ZL1. It's also almost impossible for a dealer to get a ZL1 from another dealer if they don't have one to send back. The car is still limited and there are dealers out there that have not received one yet.

[ParisTNDude]

Originally Posted by GrabberB5.Slow

You guys are really downing the Roush, not Rousch. There's nothing wrong with either car. I'm sure the Stage 3 is just as fast or faster than a stock ZL1. The guy obviously really wanted the Roush to begin with anyway, he didn't even try to get a ZL1 judgeing by your story.

Based on the prima facie evidence, the buyer wanted a ZL1 first but settled for a Roush as a second choice...I dont' think that's "downing Roush", just commenting on the issue. Roush is a great Ford tuner, but not for everybody.....hmmm, not just great, but awesomely good.

[The IOM Ninja]

Originally Posted by ParisTNDude

Based on the prima facie evidence, the buyer wanted a ZL1 first but settled for a Roush as a second choice...I dont' think that's "downing Roush", just commenting on the issue. Roush is a great Ford tuner, but not for everybody.....hmmm, not just great, but awesomely good.

The Roush is a great car, there are thousands at my local dealer. However you're really only buying for the name..

[Xedes]

Originally Posted by The IOM Ninja

The Roush is a great car, there are thousands at my local dealer. However you're really only buying for the name..

Pics? I'd like to see a 1000 Roush mustangs at one dealership as I'm sure others would too.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Xedes

Pics? I'd like to see a 1000 Roush mustangs at one dealership as I'm sure others would too.