Car Salesmen - OMG

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

I prefer any industry just put a bloody price on the item you are selling. Period. Cars, guitars, it doesn't matter to me. I am not interested in having to 'research' the given price on a product. Nor do I wish to 'haggle' with some salesperson in order to buy the item I want.

IMHO

You ain't one a them there durned communists are you son ?

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

I prefer any industry just put a bloody price on the item you are selling. Period. Cars, guitars, it doesn't matter to me. I am not interested in having to 'research' the given price on a product. Nor do I wish to 'haggle' with some salesperson in order to buy the item I want.

IMHO

Didn't Saturn try that? I seem to remember that they claimed no haggling, just an honest price.

Tony

[Nyghthawk]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

You ain't one a them there durned communists are you son ?

I don't think so! What are the symptoms? I am wrinkled, bald, with a mediocre back and some arthritis. Does that sound like a communist?

[Silurian]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

I prefer any industry just put a bloody price on the item you are selling. Period. Cars, guitars, it doesn't matter to me. I am not interested in having to 'research' the given price on a product. Nor do I wish to 'haggle' with some salesperson in order to buy the item I want.

IMHO

I used to feel the same, but about 25 years ago I had a holiday in Morocco. Go to the souks and they can be quite offended if you don't haggle.
It was quite intimidating at first, but by the end of the two weeks I was enjoying the ritual of it.
Since then haggling has become second nature.

[Nyghthawk]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Didn't Saturn try that? I seem to remember that they claimed no haggling, just an honest price.

Tony

They did. And I thought the Vue was a nice little car. But I don't trust General Motors cars based on past experiences. GM didn't put much in Saturn in the way of design and innovation and they died slowly from neglect.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by Silurian

I used to feel the same, but about 25 years ago I had a holiday in Morocco. Go to the souks and they can be quite offended if you don't haggle.
It was quite intimidating at first, but by the end of the two weeks I was enjoying the ritual of it.
Since then haggling has become second nature.

"Won't haggle !?"

[gjd100]

I like to haggle, and think I am better than most at it.

I figure if they did away with haggling, and based the “no haggle” price with the average price of what the good hagglers and bad hagglers paid, why I’d end up paying more ?!

or something like that

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Twelvefret

What you did is not market research. What you did is like going to a music store to look at guitars while expecting the sales person to first know what you want and then be an expert on the model you chose.



How much would it have cost his business to ship a car to his dealership to show a person who had nothing invested?



I agree to a point. For example, older Subaru's have a timing belt replacement schedule, some have a head gasket issue, those with a turbo are expensive to replace. This is what you learn from your research and it allows you to discuss with some intelligence with the dealership.

Research tells you what others are paying for the model. This allows you to know if the dealer is quoting you the best price.



There are many cars that would fit within that criteria. He could have taken your money, but that's not what a reputable professional salesperson should do.




Like I said, you were part of the problem, but not all of the problem.

Dear 12fretter, I am not sure how my English can confuse you so much.

We were researching what was on the market. It was only our second foray into the process. My wife wanted to look around at was was available. We weren't out to buy on that day UNLESS - she found something she fell in love with.

Let me politely as possible tray to remind you of something: - it is the responsibility of a "salesman" to catch the punter and sell them something.

If ANY (excluding the Fiat guy) had carefully listened to what we weer saying, they cold have looked on their network to find one and have it shipped down - within a day or two - Good dealers do it all the time - that's why they have the franchise. Cost? Maybe £50 in petrol plus a day out for some junior .
Dealers swap stock all the time. The Fiat dealer got two from the north in a week. (I'm sorry for him that my wife didn't buy - ce la vie).

I'm sorry that you can't understand that we are potential customers and that a good salesman will do some work to make us actual customers.

Part of the problem? - Maybe if expecting a salesman to pull his finger out and find a way to make a sale? - maybe.

[seannx]

I've encountered a wide range of car salesmen, and over the last few years it seems there are more of the less motivated, not so interested ones.

Prior to buying my Accord last year, I did a lot of research and test driving. There was a Mazda model I really liked, and I made three trips to the dealership. The same salesman I saw each time, never got back to me, never returned any of my calls, and lost any chance of making a sale.

In contrast, the salesman I worked with at Toyota, made numerous, polite, follow up calls.

A few weeks ago I went to the Honda dealer to have my car serviced. My needs have changed, and I asked the salesman on duty about trading my Accord for a CRV. He couldn't have been more lethargic, less helpful, or ineffective, didn't appear at all to care, and was the complete opposite of the salesman who helped me with the Accord.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

They did. And I thought the Vue was a nice little car. But I don't trust General Motors cars based on past experiences. GM didn't put much in Saturn in the way of design and innovation and they died slowly from neglect.

It was a sad story. However, if Saturn had been able to survive, I think they could have started a trend that would have greatly simplified the buying process.

Tony

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by seannx

I've encountered a wide range of car salesman, and over the last few years it seems there are more of the less motivated, not so interested ones.

Prior to buying my Accord last year, I did a lot of research and test driving. There was a Mazda model I really liked, and I made three trips to the dealership. The same salesman I saw each time, never got back to me, never returned any of my calls, and lost any chance of making a sale.

In contrast, the salesman I worked with at Toyota, made numerous, polite, follow up calls.

A few weeks ago I went to the Honda dealer to have my car serviced. My needs have changed, and I asked the salesman on duty about trading my Accord for a CRV. He couldn't have been more lethargic, less helpful, or ineffective, didn't appear at all to care, and was the complete opposite of the salesman who helped me with the Accord.

i worked at a Nissan dealership for 10 years partime as cashier in evenings. Every other month, 10 new sales guys started to work and the sales manager expected that just 1 would last more than two months.

they all got a living wage for the first two months, and were supposed to fine tune their skills in that time, and develop a pile of leads that would turn into sales at some point. After two months, their wages went down because their commissions from sales were expected to fill in the gap.

The good car sales guy keeps in touch with prospective buyers , and stays in touch with buyers after the fact; that sales guy will get repeat business if he keeps in touch and maintains a relationship. That sales guy is also rarer than hen's teeth, and probably got promoted to manager a few years ago.

There are a lot of would-be salespeople that really don't appreciate how hard it is to hear "no" ten times for every one time they will hear "yes". Those are the salespeople that generate the miserable experiences we share here. Those guys are on their way out, they know it, and could care less about you or I.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by gjd100

I like to haggle, and think I am better than most at it.

I figure if they did away with haggling, and based the “no haggle” price with the average price of what the good hagglers and bad hagglers paid, why I’d end up paying more ?!

or something like that

If there is a common trait among hagglers, it is that they each think they are better than most at it.

There are times that I enjoy haggling. Music equipment of any kind is that way for me. However, I can't honestly say I am better than most because I am just one of thousands or millions who do it every day and I have no idea how the fare. I am usually satisfied with how I fare and that is what is important to me.

Tony

[Wengr]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

I prefer any industry just put a bloody price on the item you are selling. Period. Cars, guitars, it doesn't matter to me. I am not interested in having to 'research' the given price on a product. Nor do I wish to 'haggle' with some salesperson in order to buy the item I want.

IMHO

Who is barring you from paying the advertised price?

[Fogducker]

There must be some but I have never encountered a dissatisfied SATURN owner. Maybe if they would have made more dealers but then again, they joined PONTIAC, OLDSMOBILE, PLYMOUTH, STUDEBAKER (My favorite, boy, that dates me), CHECKER etc.

Whatever you do, DO NOT get a RENAULT! The French are great at food and wine but they really suck at making cars------as a former Renault Dauphine owner, I gag even typing the confession!

Fog

[Wengr]

Saturn was an interesting idea. Appeal to those who are intimidated by the process by pretending that it is all pre negotiated for them.
Problem is, it was still typical GM junk.

P.s. Also, it was fake. I was got the price down by a few hundred on a saturn that I was negotiating for a friend.