Vehicle salespeople

[Monello]

Why is it so difficult for them to give you a price for a vehicle? They hem & haw. They want to know if you have a trade in, etc. before they will say the price. OK, so why is that? ANy current or former salespeople out there?

I'm a bottom line person, they seem to be more focused on the monthly loan payment amount. If I ask how much a vehicle is and they don't give me a straight answer I want to walk away for good. Why do they make it so difficult?

 

[vraiblonde]

The short answer is because they're unethical unprofessional hustlers. We used to call them the "slam dunkers" because there's no finesse - they will literally harass you into buying something you probably will be sorry for later.

 

[glhs837]

The short answer is because they're unethical unprofessional hustlers. We used to call them the "slam dunkers" because there's no finesse - they will literally harass you into buying something you probably will be sorry for later.

No, the short answer is that they need to make sales to make money, and the science shows that this way makes more money. See, I've always approached it from the "Here's the price I want to pay for that vehicle withthose options, can you do it? Cash sale, no trade. If not, send me a number, maybe I'll bite." I highly recommend reading "Confessions of a Car Saleman" for a good insight into the process.

My last three new cars, the price was set before I walked in, I singed the papers, let the F&I guy pitch his wheel etching and paint coatins, said no, and drove away. Once you sit in a room with a foursquare, your doomed to 3-4 hours of hell. Screw that. 20 minutes from walking in to driving out. Maybe 3 emails each deal.

I mean, you know the MSRP, you know the price of the opitions, you know the invoice. Unless its brand new and hot, you shold be shooting for 400-500 over invoice to give them some profit.

 

[Kyle]

My last three new cars, the price was set before I walked in, I singed the papers, let the F&I guy pitch his wheel etching and paint coatins, said no, and drove away.

Same here.

I worked with area dealers via email and phone for a week before the last two purchases.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I never sold cars but I had a summer job selling vacuum cleaners and they teach things like after asking "where do you want us to leave your new vaccum cleaner?" the first person to talk loses or it is more important to have an answer immediately than the correct answer.

Last time I bought a car I brought a stop watch with me, said you have one hour, after that hour any deal is off and it worked.

The time before that I gave them an offer on a car they would not accept, called me three days later to accept for me to tell them "Oh no that was my price three days ago, today its $200 less."

I really enjoy messing with them. Most of the sales people are low on the totem pole so are just doing what their boss is telling them to do, and most will not be doing the at in a few years, so don't blaame the pee-on too much.

 

[glhs837]

I really enjoy messing with them. Most of the sales people are low on the totem pole so are just doing what their boss is telling them to do, and most will not be doing the at in a few years, so don't blaame the pee-on too much.

This. One thing I didnt expect to come out of reading the Confessions a Car Salesman was a better understanding of exactly how little power they average salespeson has, and how sucky that job is. I dont mess with them at all.

 

[vraiblonde]

I never sold cars but I had a summer job selling vacuum cleaners and they teach things like after asking "where do you want us to leave your new vaccum cleaner?" the first person to talk loses or it is more important to have an answer immediately than the correct answer.

Yeah, I remember my "sales training" well. I threw that crap out the window and focused on building relationships instead. Listening to what the customer wants and actually helping them to get it, or making suggestions if in the course of the discussion it becomes clear something else would suit them better. When they said, "Here's my budget," that's what we worked with. It was a source of pride for me that when I came calling, I was greeted warmly instead of them hiding and telling whoever was up front to get rid of me.

Funny, but all my slam dunk cohorts are gone and I'm still here, doing business with people I've had a relationship with since my Tester days because they followed me to Ch10 and then to Somd.com.

Car salesman is typically a temporary position - you take that job because you can't find anything else and it's readily available because turnover is high. UNLESS you're good at building relationships. Then you have a slew of happy customers who refer you to their friends and family, and you have a successful career. And if the boss is a shortsighted dick who only cares about immediate numbers, you have a clientele that you can take with you when you go.

I have zero tolerance for the slam dunkers and will happily dress them down for sullying the sales profession.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

One of my favorite comedy movies ever is called 'The Goods: Live hard, Sell Hard" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092633/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4

 

[Clem72]

My last three new cars, the price was set before I walked in, I singed the papers, let the F&I guy pitch his wheel etching and paint coatins, said no, and drove away. Once you sit in a room with a foursquare, your doomed to 3-4 hours of hell. Screw that. 20 minutes from walking in to driving out. Maybe 3 emails each deal.

I had negotiated out the door prices prior to showing up to purchase for my last two vehicles. Still had to sit through 3-4 hours of BS waiting for the car, waiting for management to agree to price (come on now, it was pre-approved), finding "issues" that they forgot that impacted the price, etc.

Each time I got out for the price I was pre-quoted (well one time I actually got out cheaper by a couple hundred dollars) and they waisted several hours of both of our times. It would have been better for all involved if they just said "thanks for the check, here's your keys". But I guess it costs them little to have you sit and stew, knowing you just might agree to one of their BS upsells if it gets you out of the building.

 

[vraiblonde]

Last time I bought a car I told the sales guy what I was looking for, he tossed me a set of keys and told me to go drive this brand new 2006 Rav4 and let him know what I thought. I came back and said, "Yep, that's the one" and left with it maybe an hour or so later. I kept his card for years and told everyone who'd listen to me how great he was.

No pressure whatsoever. I told him what I wanted and he listened, then gave it to me.

 

[glhs837]

Hmmm, in all three cases, I made sure that I had management sign off on the price also. Exact list of options, run by the window sticker showing the VIN, no "extras" like sealcoating, scothchgaurding, window etching allowed unless thy were giving them to me. Hell, this last one, they literally had me over the barrel, as I had flown out to Ohio to get the Jeep and they had picked me up at the airport. But there were no shenanigans. The pre-sale detail and fueling took about 10 minutes longer than the paperwork.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I have to buy a new vehicle very soon that is easier to get into for an old person that recently had a stroke. I think I will make the dealer out up with them while there. That will be far worse than anything I could do to them.

 

[MiddleGround]

Best advice is to have a dollar value in mind when you walk in. No matter what... be willing to walk away if that value is not met or it is exceeded in any way.

 

[glhs837]

Best advice is to have a dollar value in mind when you walk in. No matter what... be willing to walk away if that value is not met or it is exceeded in any way.

Walk in? I wouldnt even walk in unless I had a deal already settled via email. You have to remove the incentive to stuff you in a small room and torture you with numbers.They have an entire science devoted to twisting you in a pretzl. the best way to win, like global thermonucelar war, is not to play.

 

[GWguy]

I always walk in, because I like to see in-person what it is that I might be getting. Visually seeing this trim vs that, this seat vs that...... Looking at it online can only show you so much, and talking with a salesperson can reveal things you won't hear/see online.

 

[glhs837]

I always walk in, because I like to see in-person what it is that I might be getting. Visually seeing this trim vs that, this seat vs that...... Looking at it online can only show you so much, and talking with a salesperson can reveal things you won't hear/see online.

I do that also, but I cleanly separate those two purposes.

 

[MiddleGround]

Walk in?

I always walk in...

I do that also...

 

[glhs837]

Well, I mean you have to walk in to buy the car, unless you buy a TEsla or a used one thruough Carvana, right ?

But I bought both SRTs without having test driven one, although I did test the 300 SRT on a couple of tracks.

 

[GWguy]

As opposed to driving your car into the showroom??

 

[frequentflier]

As opposed to driving your car into the showroom??

Well, there have been a lot of people driving into buildings lately. Jus sayin.