The difference between dealers is amazing...
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 891
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From: Lost some where in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
Originally Posted by CrAz3D
Is 6 a large number of customers?
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 113
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From: Central PA
Originally Posted by lees99f150
what were the two Toyota dealers you went to?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Western Massachusetts
I've generally had good experiances at dealerships.
The Ford dealership that I've been going to for years lost my business this year though. I took the Lightning that I had in for an inspection sticker and an oil change. It took the usual hour and a half. Then I go up to the window to pay and they tell me that my '04 Lightning with 12k on it failed inspection. I was floored. They failed it because the exhaust was too loud and the window tint was too dark. I've bought several vehicles from this place. Referred several people who also bought vehicles, and taken in all of the vehicles I drive (work trucks, good trucks and winter beaters) for service. There is a national spec for the window tint, but the sound of the exhaust is subjective. I think, for all the business I've given this place the service advisor could have told me that the truck wasn't going to pass before putting a rejection sticker on. As far as I'm concerned, he threw me under the bus and I wont be doing business with them any more.
After trying several different ways to remedy the situation with the Lightning with out spending a bunch of money, I traded in the Lightning for the '06 Expedition that I have now. This dealership was good. I knew them because our company had bought a van from them a couple years ago. I know what I want to do and all I want them to tell me is if it can be done. That's all they did and I was out the door. I didn't lose a thing on the Lightning, which was my ultimate goal in this deal.
Now, I've had the Expy for four months and I realize it's a POS. It's got 20k but feels like 100k. I stopped in at a local Chevy dealership and asked about the Trailblazer SSs that they had. I knew what I wanted to do and they took the time to play with the numbers. The conclusion was that I'm upside down in the Expy and they can't do a deal on the Trailblazer with out money down. They were nice, treated me decent and I appreciate that.
Based on the responses here bad dealerships aren't just Ford dealerships. It shouldn't be that hard for these sales people to understand that what people want is a little respect. If they give a little respect they can earn some too, and are more likely to earn some business. Also, the dealerships that have already earned our business should realize that it's a give and take situation. If they want to throw us under the bus, we will probably want to take our business elsewhere.
The Ford dealership that I've been going to for years lost my business this year though. I took the Lightning that I had in for an inspection sticker and an oil change. It took the usual hour and a half. Then I go up to the window to pay and they tell me that my '04 Lightning with 12k on it failed inspection. I was floored. They failed it because the exhaust was too loud and the window tint was too dark. I've bought several vehicles from this place. Referred several people who also bought vehicles, and taken in all of the vehicles I drive (work trucks, good trucks and winter beaters) for service. There is a national spec for the window tint, but the sound of the exhaust is subjective. I think, for all the business I've given this place the service advisor could have told me that the truck wasn't going to pass before putting a rejection sticker on. As far as I'm concerned, he threw me under the bus and I wont be doing business with them any more.
After trying several different ways to remedy the situation with the Lightning with out spending a bunch of money, I traded in the Lightning for the '06 Expedition that I have now. This dealership was good. I knew them because our company had bought a van from them a couple years ago. I know what I want to do and all I want them to tell me is if it can be done. That's all they did and I was out the door. I didn't lose a thing on the Lightning, which was my ultimate goal in this deal.
Now, I've had the Expy for four months and I realize it's a POS. It's got 20k but feels like 100k. I stopped in at a local Chevy dealership and asked about the Trailblazer SSs that they had. I knew what I wanted to do and they took the time to play with the numbers. The conclusion was that I'm upside down in the Expy and they can't do a deal on the Trailblazer with out money down. They were nice, treated me decent and I appreciate that.
Based on the responses here bad dealerships aren't just Ford dealerships. It shouldn't be that hard for these sales people to understand that what people want is a little respect. If they give a little respect they can earn some too, and are more likely to earn some business. Also, the dealerships that have already earned our business should realize that it's a give and take situation. If they want to throw us under the bus, we will probably want to take our business elsewhere.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,196
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From: Trempealeau, WI
The biggest problem that I have had when going to dealerships, is the salespeople judging me buy my age. Since I was 16 I have bought everyvehicle that I own in cash, but one:
in 95 bought 89 Ford ranger,
in 97 traded the ranger and bought my 94 F150 4X4,
in 01 bought 00 Chevy Cavilier(sp?) got totaled in accident 6 months after I bought it
in 02 bought 01 Chevy Monte Carlo
in Jan of 06 bought my 04 F150 (I had to take out a loan)
in March of 06 traded Monte Carlo in on an 05 Ford Focus.
But most salespeople thought that since I was just young kid that I would be just a waste of there time. It has changed since I have gotten older, but I still don't think that at 27 I get the respect that a 50 yo would.
When I go to buy a vehicle if the sales people don't even bother to give me the time of day, I figure that they don't want my business and I refuse to even look at the vehicles that they have on the lot. But now that in the past 2 years I have found a very mod friendly and also just plain friendly and helpful dealer both salesmen and the owner (they sell Ford, GMC, Pontiac, Buick) I couldn't be happier!
The time that still sticks in my mind the most was when I was 20 and had to go pick-up my dads new truck, 99 F350 XLT, SC longbox dually, 7.3LPSD/6spd, 4X4. Dad had ordered the truck and put a down payment on it, he was going on a vacation so wasn't around to take delivery of it, so I had to. We get to the dealership and the truck is sitting right out in front, i walk up and look at the truck and while doing so I see a couple of salesmen just standing in the showroom looking out at us, no one even bothered to walk out and see if we needed any help. So I walk into the dealership with one of my buddies with a check in hand for the truck, one of the salesmen walks past and just looks at us, then another. I stopped the 2nd guy and told him that I was there to pick-up a vehicle, so he goes and get his sales manager. The manager comes over and I tell him that I am here to pick up that white F350 in front, and tell him who I was and then everyone was nice as they could be. The 1st salesman that just walked right past us and gave us a funny look took use out and showed us all the options, how to use them, ect. When they saw two 20 YO's out looking at a $40,000 truck they didn't want to have anything to do with us, but once they knew the whole story they did a 180 degree turn....
in 95 bought 89 Ford ranger,
in 97 traded the ranger and bought my 94 F150 4X4,
in 01 bought 00 Chevy Cavilier(sp?) got totaled in accident 6 months after I bought it
in 02 bought 01 Chevy Monte Carlo
in Jan of 06 bought my 04 F150 (I had to take out a loan)
in March of 06 traded Monte Carlo in on an 05 Ford Focus.
But most salespeople thought that since I was just young kid that I would be just a waste of there time. It has changed since I have gotten older, but I still don't think that at 27 I get the respect that a 50 yo would.
When I go to buy a vehicle if the sales people don't even bother to give me the time of day, I figure that they don't want my business and I refuse to even look at the vehicles that they have on the lot. But now that in the past 2 years I have found a very mod friendly and also just plain friendly and helpful dealer both salesmen and the owner (they sell Ford, GMC, Pontiac, Buick) I couldn't be happier!
The time that still sticks in my mind the most was when I was 20 and had to go pick-up my dads new truck, 99 F350 XLT, SC longbox dually, 7.3LPSD/6spd, 4X4. Dad had ordered the truck and put a down payment on it, he was going on a vacation so wasn't around to take delivery of it, so I had to. We get to the dealership and the truck is sitting right out in front, i walk up and look at the truck and while doing so I see a couple of salesmen just standing in the showroom looking out at us, no one even bothered to walk out and see if we needed any help. So I walk into the dealership with one of my buddies with a check in hand for the truck, one of the salesmen walks past and just looks at us, then another. I stopped the 2nd guy and told him that I was there to pick-up a vehicle, so he goes and get his sales manager. The manager comes over and I tell him that I am here to pick up that white F350 in front, and tell him who I was and then everyone was nice as they could be. The 1st salesman that just walked right past us and gave us a funny look took use out and showed us all the options, how to use them, ect. When they saw two 20 YO's out looking at a $40,000 truck they didn't want to have anything to do with us, but once they knew the whole story they did a 180 degree turn....
