direct007

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...o-enthusiasts/

Our friends at Kerbeck got an honorable mention.

"If you can find an enthusiast-friendly dealership, you should work with them, even if it costs you extra time and travel."

mschuyler

PERFECT description of an enthusiast. Thanks for posting. Every person here who gets upset at how salesmen treat them should read this.

Foosh

Yes, well done!

Al@MatickChevy

This is why you'll see me at the NCM HPDE events. We work closely with John Heinricy (who has taught me a significant amount about driving fast) to optimize the setup's for our Corvette customers. I don't know of any other dealer that you'll see that with. This stuff is in my blood and I wouldn't change a thing!

Stop by and say Hi if you see us!

Vetteman Jack

Good article and I’ve been through that routine before.

Cosmo Kramer

Excellent article from the sales persons point of view. Good advice!

Bill Dearborn

Not all salesman are that way but the ones weren't probably are fewer nowadays than they used to be. The upstate NY dealership that I purchased several cars from had a sales guy who sat with you took down what you wanted, checked to see if it was available or if it had to be ordered and then wrote out a price on sheet of paper and told you to go to other dealerships and see if they could beat his deal. None could or would. He worked at that dealership for years until his retirement and the back wall of his office was lined with Salesman of the Month plaques for years in a row. The only time he didn't win the plaque seemed to be when he took vacation. He moved cars, took special orders and knew the best way to keep his Customers was to give them a great, quick sales experience and the best deal they could find. He also knew the facts about every Chevy made so he could talk to you about them without digging through a bunch of paper work.

The one thing that was interesting about the article is when to go to the dealership. Go when they aren't busy. I got my best deal one time when I went to a dealership on a Monday evening in late January during a heavy snow fall when temps were in the low teens. I was the only Customer in the place and there were three sales people sitting around twiddling their thumbs.

Bill

George Washnak

Excellent read. I have personally experienced the brush off when attempting to buy a new car. And when I talked to my salesman about trading in my C6 I had the salesman tell me "we don't like taking these in on trade because the people that will come in to buy it are a PITA gripping about every little flaw in a used Corvette. I just isn't worth it to us." I have never worked in auto sales, but I can see the salesman's point of view from the article. Thanks for sharing it.

red62vette

This is why all the car manufacturers are quietly rooting for Tesla to win more rights to sell cars directly to the consumer. Other manufacturers, like Porsche, have tried it before, because they know the dealers for the most part do such an enormously bad job at representing their brand and product.

Jeff V.

Last spring, I had a run in with a used car salesman that stuck with me. My sister in law was in some pretty tight circumstances and needed a replacement car. She found something that fit her price and needs at a decent sized local used car place. I came up to check the car out for her before she closed the deal, and in the course of that we were chatting with the manager (maybe owner, not sure) of the store. It came up that my wife and I had bought a few cars from CarMax. He says "CarMax has order-takers. Not salesmen".

Maybe that's why I like them. I do not want to deal with a sales person who is, more often than not, an impediment to me getting the car I want. I don't want someone to "sell" me a car. I want someone to take my order so we can both move on with our lives.

Now of course there are more than enough people who do need a sales person to lead them around. I'm not against that. But it'd sure be nice if informed customers and/or enthusiasts could just order direct from the manufacturer and cut out an extremely wasteful middle man.

I've got a lot of animosity towards Tesla and their cult-like fan base, but I applaud what they're doing to up end the franchised dealer market. The sooner that goes away, the better.

MSG C5

Excellent read and spot on from the dealership and salesperson's perspective. I've learned over the years from prior Corvette purchases that I basically know more than the sales person and/or sales manager. That's not bragging, just common knowledge across all Corvette enthusiasts and probably the majority of the members on this Forum. Chances are that since I've already read through the 2019 Corvette price and order guide, I'm ahead of 95% of the non-Corvette enthusiast, Chevrolet car sales people currently working the lots.

Last year I got into to a friendly "discussion" regarding the difference between Long Beach Red and Spice Red with an unsuspecting sales manager who insisted that Spice Red is no longer available and that Long Beach Red replaced it. I corrected him and told him Spice Red is an interior option that is still available and that Long Beach Red had effectively replaced Crystal Red. He told me I was wrong and then tried to sell me on the showroom Watkins Glen Gray Grand Sport vert when I told him I was looking for an Arctic White Z06 coupe. Fun times! Even while window shopping, I knew going in what I was in store for, so similar to the information shared in the article, I download my required or requested build specs and then send the information over to the Forum dealership sponsors and other local dealerships and strictly work with the internet sales manager. It's a lot easier that way.

I get the fact that it's faster and easier for them to sell other models that are on the lots, rather than work with a PITA Corvette guy like me who wants to place a custom order and already has the price guide loaded into his smartphone.

Iconic

That waa a good read. I've bought 4 Vettes from 4 different dealers/salesmen and 3 of my salemen own Vettes themselves so Ive been lucky since these guys are enthusiasts as well.

FunDriver

We're so lucky to have some great Corvette dealers on this forum.

Skid Row Joe

There's actually many more negative ingredients that I've found present in many car dealerships I've visited to buy a new vehicle. This article doesn't come close to hitting all of them. An incomplete stencil/snapshot.

MikeyTX

Gotta agree. In fact, I'd bet that most of us on the forum have.

red62vette

The one that always takes the cake for me is the F&I guy. When I bought my Vette he told me that since they gave me such a good deal, I should give a little back and finance through him at a high rate. Then he closed the door and asked me for a job. Complete slime ball.

Jeff V.

I bet some of this same logic can be applied to electric and hybrid cars as well. It's easier (and more profitable) to sell someone on an SUV or crossover than to take the time to explain how something like a Chevy Bolt works. On the flip side, the electric car enthusiasts are going to be a pain in in ways similar to performance car enthusiasts.

Jmhornz71

When I was looking for a C7 in Orange or Yellow I first asked the salesman at the local dealer who I have bought several vehicles from. They dont keep many Corvettes in stock . He wrote down what I was looking for and would talk to their guy that goes to auctions. That was Dec 8 still have not heard from them. They dont like Corvettes on the lot to much money tied up in one car. They have 2017 they have had for over 1 1/2 years.

NashvilleGrandSport

The new Corvette I traded for in November came from a dealer (Serra Chevrolet in Nashville) that has a "Corvette guy", Ken Hayes. The salesman I approached first turned me over to him immediately.

He's been at the dealership for over 19 years, personally orders the Corvettes they have in stock (they had 29 the day I was there), and was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was knowledgeable, very friendly, not pushy at all and answered all my questions. A real gentleman as well when I went back three days later after my initial visit with my wife and the '13 GS I traded in.

This dealership also hosts the Nashville Corvette Club's meetings each month.

AORoads

I'd also say there are "kernels" of truth in the article. For all those who argue loudly when someone claims a "bad dealer experience," this article discusses a few of one person's dealer perspective. It is very
simplistic.