TonySinclair

I'm in Florida (USA). I see Dodge Sprinters everywhere (FedEx, UPS, plumbers, electrician's, etc.).

Drive Train = Mercedes
Chassis = Freightliner
Assembly/Marketing = Dodge

Coldburn

I used to do Internet sales only. It was nice no haggle / no pressure environment. Quoted over the phone or email and was usually around invoice at the time which was a deal. Now people can get wholesale and still think they're getting ripped off!

Coldburn

I stand corrected then. I dont remember ever seeing one. If it's new, I wouldnt have, since i've been out of the industry for several years. I also didnt work for the Fleet end of things either...

Oh! I just remembered, they wouldnt keep those on a regular car lot.. Most likely they'd have them at a distrubution site to get 'upfitted'.

Federot

These are common in Europe, and also VERY hated!! I even saw some documentary once where people were complaining about the white vans (and their drivers).

TonySinclair

Saw that too. The (delivery) driver's were like kamakazi's. Truck was "guilty by association".

The owner's I've spoken with are satisfied with reliability & economy of the turbo-diesel. My only complaint is the price.

theandies

I was in a Chevy dealer yesterday to tell them that my company found me another leased car and I would be out of the new car market for another 6 months. I've been working with them for a few weeks. They were great guys. I do live in a smaller market so they have that down home feeling going on. It did help that I drove the Vette and everyone was drooling over it. They have a new C6 convertible and I stayed there for an hours or so going over every inch of that car. This was the first C6 convertible I've seen and I love it. It looks a lot better that the Coupe IMO and there is a lot of C3 styling in it. I was very impressed. If they would give me $25,000 for my Vette I'd trade it in and get a C6 vert.

lebvette

City of 200,000 people.... should be around $100,000.00 If there're any good. Chevy dealership.

TonySinclair

$100k? No wonder they wouldn't give me the time of day...

page62

You can buy those at a Freightliner dealership, too. The only place you can't buy them -- and where they SHOULD be sold in reality -- is a Mercedes dealership.

PRNDL

TonySinclair, What do you do for a living? I find your topic title offensive (and I am not in sales).

SHAKERATTLEROLL

Sad to say but many will go by how you dress and some even go with the shoe bit as well. Short story on this. A Rice Grower that we know always wears old overalls and drives a beat up truck so he does not have to worry about hurting it. Shows up at a dealership and not one single person talked to him so he went down the road to another Ford dealership and one lucky sales person walked up to talk to him. And he purchased 15 One ton duelly crew cabs on the spot from him. Now he did get them cheap but the sales person said he would get $100.oo for each one which is what they call a mini. They were nice enough to call the dealer he was at before and asked if they remembered him and they said yep they noticed him walking around for about 45 min before he left and then the sales person dropped the bomb lol. For some reason they dropped the phone at the other dealership lol. .

TonySinclair

High-tech sales/installations (Computer networks, telephone systems, VoIP, Video over IP, fiber-optic connectivity, data/voice cabling, "smart home" devices, etc.)...I also re-model homes, re-finish furniture and wrangle cats.


Saleshole = salesperson with an attitude.

TonySinclair

That's what I discovered. The Dodge website directed me to the local Dodge dealership. Sent 'em an e-mail and received no response (other than a form letter telling me they'd send me a response). So...I was in the area and stopped in. After rousing one of the over-paid salespersons from their circle-jerk, I received a card/brochure from the local Freightliner dealer.

TonySinclair

Yep...don't judge a book by its' cover. I learned that lesson a long time ago. My biggest client is a land developer. I was re-wiring their third floor offices and some "dude" in jeans and a wrinkled shirt stops by and starts talking with me. He's about 10 yrs. my junior (I'm 43). We talked about the job and eventually got into a heated discussion about real-estate. He prevailed in the "argument" and left. As he left, my contact arrived and said "Oh...I see you just met the boss!".

Kilroy1024

My short story. This is from a friend of mine who has been in the car business for years. Was visiting a friend working at an upscale lot in Vancouver many years ago. Teenage Kid walks into the show room and wanders around this Lamborghini they had inside. Its pretty slow, so my friend tells his friend to go talk to the kid. Let him sit in the car. It won't hurt anything and you never know. The Boss sees this and ain't too happy, he reams out the salesman after the Kid leaves. Anyways the Kid comes back the next day with his mom and BUYS the darn thing.

True story? I don't know. I know this guy pretty good and he says its true. I have no reason not to believe him.

68/70Vette

After several negative experiences with car salesmen, I generally avoid them. I've never bought very many new cars, but I generally order them from the factory. That way I get the colors and options that I want.

To make my last factory purchase, I went to the Southern California Automobile Associatiion and obtained a list of new car dealers that would sell to SoCalAA members at a discount. I selected a dealer and soon found myself setting before a woman with a computer terminal. I was ordering a 1997 Thunderbird for a DD. She typed in the color and option codes, gave me a $2000 discount off of dealer sticker price, and a $2000 factory rebate. I was told the car would be deliverred in 6 weeks. Actually I received in in about 4 week. No hassle whatsover and I got everything I wanted.

John Ulrich

I spent a year in car sales years ago. Had fun selling something I loved...cars. No money in new cars unless you're selling the high end imports. Used is where the action is. Everyone can find cost on a new car and cut a good deal. Used cars put the money in the pay check.

The guys on the lots are funny. High end dealers have the "real" pros who know how to coddle and work with the "moneyed" crowd....go buy something from a luxury car store to experience how we were ment to be treated!!! Your joe six pack dealer run a "track system" where young salespeople run you around and then pass you off the a more "experienced" rep to try to close/slam you into a car. More dealers pay a wage + small spiff in order to keep the good ones to see if they develop. Turnover is very high in "beginner" dealerships.

Later,
JU

kettererhouse

I loved customers...... woops, guest like you! oxoxox

Federot

My father-in-law is like this. He drives around in a REALLY beat up old truck, stained clothes, etc...and makes way more than any CEO.

bryan27

why is it offensive? does anybody look forward to buying a car from a car salesman? every one that i have dealt with so far has given me the same bad vibe. i personally think it simply comes from them trying to make as much money off of us as possible and us resenting it. ...and ALL sales tactics that are visible make salespeople seem slimy. am i wrong?

i don't think that he was trying to be either offensive or politically correct. he seemed to be re-stating the obvious facts.

not to mention, in this case specifically, the fact that they all were so ignorant that it cost them a nice sale immediately speaks of their stupidity.