trying to find ZL1 at dealer is amusing

[Stephen12ZL1]

I did a chevrolet.com search and found a few ZL1s but few dealers knew they had the cars or had the cars in transit. A South Carolina dealer told me that they had never heard of a Camaro "ZR1" and said I was mistaken...LOL! Seriously, I was underwhelmed with their complete lack of knowledge. Shew, it has been hard work to educate the dealers that they will be receiving a 580hp Camaro ZL1 not "ZR1".

[Buzz6290]

I've also had problems trying to acquire a ZL1 as well. Dealerships show on their website that they have one only to find out that they "may" have one on the way. Eventually when it shows up it's immediately sold. It's been a major tale of frustration for me.

This is why I'm ordering a 2013 ZL1 instead.

[SSMickey]

I know the frustration. I was in Georgia last year about this time and asked the salesman if he had any information in the "new ZL1 that is coming out?" With the straightest face I have ever seen, he said, "I have one on the floor, let me show it to you!" Then he wanted to argue with me when I told him it was imposable for him to have one because production has not even started yet. Just where do they find these people?

[pincoin]

Truly amazing how uneducated some sales people are

[2ndCamaro79]

At this point if you don't buy one of the ones off Autotrader, getting a 12 is next to impossible. I can't even catch a glimpse of one going down the road.

[gedixon]

Have to search and watch autotrader, cars.com, and ebay. I have found that autoTrader seems to be the most up to date and that is actually how i found mine. I was stuck in status 1102 and started checking those 3 every morning. Took me about 2 weeks but I found a Rally Yellow that just hit a dealers lot and wasnt sold.

[sspddmn]

Tell me about it. I just want to see one in person but the dealer's I call say yes they have one on the lot but when you get there they say that they were mistaken and that it was sold. Just to get you down there to try to sell you on a different car. What a big waste of time.

[gm_joe]

Years ago sales people we car people. They had a love of the auto. Now, its just a job.

[Z4me]

I would not use the word amusing as much as annoying tbh. I have been in contact with my dealer on and off over the past couple of months and
I'm getting no where fast. I just checked there web site this weekend and
guess what another ZL1 in transit to there location. This time its a crystal
red mettalic, I was tempted to get in my car and drive there and ask what
happened to me being first in line blah blah blah. The thing is its a 5 hour drive to get there, and I figure it would just be a waste of time anyways. I'll get another story and so I'm at the pont of not calling anymore. I going to sit tight and hope to get my 5k deposit back. I signed a contract that they had up to one year to get me a 2012 ZL1 so that will be up in October. Like I said I would call it more annoying then amusing at this point.

[collins motorsport]

Originally Posted by Stephen12ZL1

I did a chevrolet.com search and found a few ZL1s but few dealers knew they had the cars or had the cars in transit. A South Carolina dealer told me that they had never heard of a Camaro "ZR1" and said I was mistaken...LOL! Seriously, I was underwhelmed with their complete lack of knowledge. Shew, it has been hard work to educate the dealers that they will be receiving a 580hp Camaro ZL1 not "ZR1".

When my car came in and I went to get it one of the dealers still called it a ZR1 even after he had saw it in person

[Cristoff]

Originally Posted by gm_joe

Years ago sales people we car people. They had a love of the auto. Now, its just a job.

The Auto Industry as a whole has changed to help detract from that.

What I have seen in the past 20 years in the business is that most new sales consultants still get into the business because of the love for the cars, but are quickly beaten down by several factors:

1: Poor Management Training and poor managers in the business as a whole. This is the number ONE problem.
2: Customers that are VERY abusive to this profession. You would be amazed at the level of sheer abuse that many customers spit out from the minute that they walk in the door.
3: getting lied to constantly by Clients. if I lie to you, I lose my license and may go to jail - when you lie to me, it's just good business.
4: Commission only sales is a nightmare for your day to day stress level. It generally pays better than an hourly job OVERALL, but try coming to work for a couple of 11-12 hour days, not sell anything, and go home to your wife and kids and tell them you haven't made a penny to support them. Stress and pressure to pay the bills are the main reason salespeople sometimes walk that "grey area" of sincerity and honesty.

These things just wring the soul out of most people. It's not that salespeople don't care or have no knowledge, but there is more on the plate than most people know.

I'm not justifying lying or poor customer service in any way, don't get me wrong. If one of my consultants got caught doing some of the things that I have heard happen here, they would be gone that day.

I LOVE educated clients that walk in and have all their information ready and in hand. If you are honest and accurate with your information, I can get you the car you want and get you back on the road in about an hour.

If you have your information and then lie to me - or want me to discount my car thousands below cost - or pay thousands more than your trade is worth - or throw thousands worth of "freebies" in - or just generally BS me, then it's going to be a grind and no one will walk away satisfied.

This is not a war, it's a partnership between a client and a dealership - but it takes both parties to be on the same page.

[Blue Menace]

^^ Great post!

[strych9]

Originally Posted by Cristoff

The Auto Industry as a whole has changed to help detract from that.

What I have seen in the past 20 years in the business is that most new sales consultants still get into the business because of the love for the cars, but are quickly beaten down by several factors:

1: Poor Management Training and poor managers in the business as a whole. This is the number ONE problem.
2: Customers that are VERY abusive to this profession. You would be amazed at the level of sheer abuse that many customers spit out from the minute that they walk in the door.
3: getting lied to constantly by Clients. if I lie to you, I lose my license and may go to jail - when you lie to me, it's just good business.
4: Commission only sales is a nightmare for your day to day stress level. It generally pays better than an hourly job OVERALL, but try coming to work for a couple of 11-12 hour days, not sell anything, and go home to your wife and kids and tell them you haven't made a penny to support them. Stress and pressure to pay the bills are the main reason salespeople sometimes walk that "grey area" of sincerity and honesty.

These things just wring the soul out of most people. It's not that salespeople don't care or have no knowledge, but there is more on the plate than most people know.

I'm not justifying lying or poor customer service in any way, don't get me wrong. If one of my consultants got caught doing some of the things that I have heard happen here, they would be gone that day.

I LOVE educated clients that walk in and have all their information ready and in hand. If you are honest and accurate with your information, I can get you the car you want and get you back on the road in about an hour.

If you have your information and then lie to me - or want me to discount my car thousands below cost - or pay thousands more than your trade is worth - or throw thousands worth of "freebies" in - or just generally BS me, then it's going to be a grind and no one will walk away satisfied.

This is not a war, it's a partnership between a client and a dealership - but it takes both parties to be on the same page.

+1

To add to this, the dealer service departments have changed for the worse as well. I am an ASE Certified Master Technician, +L1 advanced (I have maintained my certification even though I stopped wrenching 12 years ago). I got into the management side of the business because I got tired of the technician politics. Then I got tired of the dealership politics and got out of the business altogether. The most highly-trained and concientious technicians, like myself, get out of the business to move on to other types of jobs because we have the capability to do so. What's let behind are the techs that have no other choice but to be techs. How great a job do you think they will do on your car, knowing that they no longer love what they're doing?

Don't get me wrong...they aren't all like that. But you get the point.

[Z4me]

Nice post Cristoff, I agree with what your saying its a two way street for the buyer and seller. I have my own company and have run it since 1974 and I can tell you stories about customers and there BS also.

But I have never had such a difficult time trying to buy a car in the past 40 years of buying them. Heck my grand national back in 1987 was a difficult car to find also but I dealt with a great dealer and we had things worked out and done professionally.

All I can say is this has been the most difficult time ever for me to spend around 60k.

PS: For me if I'm treated fairly the deals are done quick. I took my son out for a car 8 days ago and after he decided what kinda car he wanted. We were in and out of the dealership in less then two hours, no BS from either side and the deal was done .