Weird experience at the dealer today

[PROJECT321]

I decided to purchase a 2010 GT500 this year. Not quite sure on the color yet so my girl (Sam) and I decided to swing by the local Ford dealer to check out some of the new colors. We stood around the few 2009 GT500's and KR's they had on the floor for about 10 minutes pointing and looking at different angles with nobody approaching us at all. (there where about 6 sales people huddled together at some sort of desk). I did have a few questions regarding colors and options so I finally approached the desk.
Then one of the salesmen asked me if he could help me (with very little enthusiasm I might add). I told him that I was looking at 2010 Shelby's and I wanted to see something the torch red. He walked us to the end of his floor and pointed out the window at a stripped down pickup across the lot. Then let us walk out the door across the lot to find it. And that was the end of our interaction. He didn't ask to quote the vehicle, offer us a brochure, a card, or anything of the sort. It was really weird. Almost like he wanted to get rid of us. Then while walking around the lot another sales guy walked by looked right at us and didn't say a word.

Maybe I looked too trashy in my work clothes to look at gt500,s?:lol
Was it too close to the end of the day at 7:30pm? Any xplanation? Is this the new "low pressure" sales technique I keep hearing about:biggrin

 

[HHGT]

It's the make you feel guilty approach. Seriously, I do not know how any automotive sales person can be motivated in these times.

 

[SYCO GT]

I agree with Sam. (Wait a minute, did I just write that...)

Part of it is probably that they get so many lookey loo's on these types of cars, that emotionally they just give up on a sale. Plus they get so many bank and finance credit rejections for applicants, that they stop trying.

I'm not saying it's right, and it's no way to sell a car, but also saying I can understand.

 

[spddmnjay]

The biggest mistake a salesperson will ever make is assuming that a customer is not serious and/or doesn't have the money. Never judge a book by its cover. And I'm not saying that 321 was dressed down.

Sales is sales...sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but if you always give it your best you will be rewarded. I'm not saying it is easy to be enthusiastic to every customer that walks through the door but it is their job to help customers. Otherwise they will be eating Kraft Dinner for the rest of their lives.

To give you an idea, I live in a small oil town that has many, many multi-millionaires. But a large majority of these millionaires don't dress up. Instead they are comfortable in the dirty blue jeans and greasy baseball cap. That is who they are.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Maybe I looked too trashy in my work clothes to look at gt500,s?:lol
Was it too close to the end of the day at 7:30pm? Any xplanation?

This is very likely the, "judge a book by it's cover", syndrome at work. The severity of the symptoms is directly related to the customer's AGE as well as manner of dress. Usually, the younger you are the MORE likely all that will be in play.

I've been on the receiving end of it too for this or that reason...and have on occasion made a special POINT of revisiting the salesman who afforded me that experience to show him the new car I'd bought elsewhere. :devil

That said, I've made that syndrome work FOR me as well. Though I don't own one now, I use to always own a "beater" car or P/U...usually a P/U. And, when I wanted to just "check out" a specific car to see if I really wanted to order one, I'd put on the grungiest work clothes I had, jump into my beater, and THEN go check the car out! And that pretty much always did result in my being left th' heck alone!:biggrin

 

[GT38]

This reminds me of something my Dad used to say, "I treat you the way I do because of who I am, not because of who you are."

July 25, 1988: Team Jeff and I had just finished working on the E-Type roadster and we took it out on a late evening test drive wearing t-shirts, cutoffs, and sandals - and still grubby from wrenching. We wound up making an unplanned stop at Scottsdale Jaguar to see if we could get on a waiting list for the proposed mid-engine (V12 or V8?) F-Type. It was just before closing time and the salesman (Tino Ferrulli, impeccable in tweed slacks, shirt & tie) looked at us like we were from another planet. Although Tino was very courteous, at the time I wondered if the only reason he talked to us was because of what we'd pulled up in! In retrospect after getting to know Tino, I believe he would have treated us the same if we'd pulled up in a ratty VW Beetle.

Tino quickly realized that despite our appearance we were for real. We couldn't get on the F-Type waiting list because there wasn't one. Long story short, we wound actually ordering the car that very night, with the assurance it would be one of the first five produced, and the first delivered to the US. A bit later when Tino was in Coventry, Sir John Egan had some stern words with him about the order (Sir John was in a foul mood because a part of his castle wall had fallen on his XJS earlier in the day). Ultimately Tino's salesman's skills prevailed on Jaguar's Chariman, and Sir John personally approved the order - with the admonition to NEVER do something like that again! That was one of many false starts for the F-Type, and of course that incarnation of the F-Type was never produced. But our grubby visit was the beginning of an interesting couple of years!

As I'm sure many Forum members have experienced for themselves, a good salesman will never judge a customer by their initial appearance, but will use his people skills to ferret out whether or not the guys in dirty blue jeans and greasy baseball caps for real! And whatever treatment you do receive, it's because of who the salesman is, not who you are!

 

[Kingman]

..........Sales is sales...sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but if you always give it your best you will be rewarded............

+1

ABC = Always Be Closing

The old saying - 'Never Up, Never In'.

There is no excuse whatsoever.
One, they are paid to sell cars.
Two, they can always be practicing their trade.
Three, what the hell else they gotta do while on the job but do what they were hired to do - sell cars.
Four - Why else show up? (It ain't the Hot chicks working the phones???)

 

[Kayvan]

Unemployment needs to hit 15%

Consumers who cant afford the product, didnt know bad customer service, and accepted shoddy service perpetuated the rise of this dead-wood.

The U.S. economy is saddled with this dead-wood in every industry. Anyone who has sat thru bad waiters; rude hotel managers; kremlin healthcare; airline prisons or dealer service dept. gulags knows the score.


The first 5% of unemployment was the last in, first out
The next 5% of unemployment was the politically un-connected
The next 5% will be the ass-kissers/brown-nosers & inept

What will be left will be scared straight and the core hard working people.

I am not cynical, pessimistic, bitter or unpatriotic.

Just know good product, salesmanship and business when i see it.

I have seen the massive decline of customer service in almost
every industry; and was astounded that there was no recourse.

Today is payback.

Work is a privelege.

ps, the good Saleman at this Dealership was probably hand delivering the Owners Manual to a Shelby owner or going cross town on his own lunch break to get that backordered part thru his own connection at the distrbutor......

 

[Empty Pockets]

But a large majority of these millionaires don't dress up. Instead they are comfortable in the dirty blue jeans and greasy baseball cap. That is who they are.

This reminds me of something my Dad used to say, "I treat you the way I do because of who I am, not because of who you are."

And whatever treatment you do receive, it's because of who the salesman is, not who you are!

I DO like the way you two think! :banana :thumbsup:thumbsup :cheers

 

[GT38]

The first 5% of unemployment was the last in, first out
The next 5% of unemployment was the politically un-connected
The next 5% will be the ass-kissers/brown-nosers & inept

What will be left will be scared straight and the core hard working people.

:thumbsup

(...and I'm looking forward to those in the third category getting the heave-ho to make room for those who really do understand that the company they work for - and the job they have - exists to serve the customer, not the other way around!)

 

[Indy GT]

Reminds me of a tail I love hearing from from some of our well-to-do friends in Santa Barbara. Retired early and lived in London but wanted to move back into the States. Had left drive Mercades in London which would not have been acceptable here so sold all vehicles and moved to Santa Barbara sans autos.

Friday afternoon, hot outside and near closing time they get a ride to the BMW dealership to look at some cars. They wander through the lot being dropped off outside the permiter and no one comes out. Too hot out, too near closing time, etc. etc.

Finally the low man on the totum pole saunders out. Young guy who strikes up a conversation. "What cha looking for?" he says. "Well we need some car(s)" they say, "and this just happens to be your lucky day".

They bought 3 cars that evening....A Z3 for her to look sporty in, a 4-door sedan for him (can't remember the number) BUT it had to have a good stereo.
"Here, go try this one..."
"But does it have a good streo?"
"Yes, sir a Blapunk, the best".
"I'll take it..."
"But sir, you need to take it out for a spin to see how it feels..."
"But does it have a really good stereo?"
"Yes, sir!"
The salesman finally made my friend drive the car, which he did on the dealership property for 45 seconds to appease the salesman, and told him he would buy the car.
Then they turned to the salesman and said "Oh, by the way we need another car for the nanny and you get to pick that one out....."
It was a good day for that kid.... And goes to show you never know who you are dealing with.

 

[BlackICE]

This is very likely the, "judge a book by it's cover", syndrome at work. The severity of the symptoms is directly related to the customer's AGE as well as manner of dress. Usually, the younger you are the MORE likely all that will be in play...

...I use to always own a "beater" car or P/U...usually a P/U. And, when I wanted to just "check out" a specific car to see if I really wanted to order one, I'd put on the grungiest work clothes I had, jump into my beater, and THEN go check the car out! And that pretty much always did result in my being left th' heck alone!:biggrin

I almost always wear grungy clothes, but I do get a different attitude if I pull up in my old 91 pickup, vs. a 7 series (Sam hate car) vs. a FGT. I use the pickup for most of my shopping. Holds a lot of stuff and the door dings I could care less about. Hell I often take the parking spot that no one wants, because of the shopping cart in the middle. I just push it out of the way with the bumper! :biggrin When I went to a dealer to look at a FGT I used my Sam hate car to shop and got much better service.

 

[HHGT]

I almost always wear grungy clothes, but I do get a different attitude if I pull up in my old 91 pickup, vs. a 7 series (Sam hate car) vs. a FGT. I use the pickup for most of my shopping. Holds a lot of stuff and the door dings I could care less about. Hell I often take the parking spot that no one wants, because of the shopping cart in the middle. I just push it out of the way with the bumper! :biggrin When I went to a dealer to look at a FGT I used my Sam hate car to shop and got much better service.

Ohh shut up:bored... Where where you shopping? The Gay-A-Rama Dept. store???

 

[BlackICE]

Ohh shut up:bored... Where where you shopping? The Gay-A-Rama Dept. store???

I wouldn't know, I have a don't ask policy and I have nothing to tell.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Ohh shut up:bored... Where where you shopping? The Gay-A-Rama Dept. store???

I wouldn't know, I have a don't ask policy and I have nothing to tell.

Boys! BOYS!!! Let's have a lil' DECORUM 'round here! :lol

 

[BlackICE]

We need Bony!

 

[soroush]

this happens to me all the time,

 

[AlohaGT]

Reminds me of a tail I love

That's a great tale but would still like to hear about the tail you love or better yet, photos. :wink

 

[AlohaGT]

I decided to purchase a 2010 GT500 this year. Not quite sure on the color yet so my girl (Sam) and I decided to swing by the local Ford dealer to check out some of the new colors. We stood around the few 2009 GT500's and KR's they had on the floor for about 10 minutes pointing and looking at different angles with nobody approaching us at all. (there where about 6 sales people huddled together at some sort of desk). I did have a few questions regarding colors and options so I finally approached the desk.
Then one of the salesmen asked me if he could help me (with very little enthusiasm I might add). I told him that I was looking at 2010 Shelby's and I wanted to see something the torch red. He walked us to the end of his floor and pointed out the window at a stripped down pickup across the lot. Then let us walk out the door across the lot to find it. And that was the end of our interaction. He didn't ask to quote the vehicle, offer us a brochure, a card, or anything of the sort. It was really weird. Almost like he wanted to get rid of us. Then while walking around the lot another sales guy walked by looked right at us and didn't say a word.

Maybe I looked too trashy in my work clothes to look at gt500,s?:lol
Was it too close to the end of the day at 7:30pm? Any xplanation? Is this the new "low pressure" sales technique I keep hearing about:biggrin

In a word, inexcusable.

Let's see the pix when you get it.

 

[Midnite Blu]

The other side of the coin......

2005 FGT, 2006 FGT, 2009 Mustang and 2010 GT500 on order from Sunrise Ford in Fontana, Ca. If you want straight shooting no smoke transactions, then contact Travis Manning @ SF........GO FORD. GO BLU