quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by weiser09:
heck, most cars all you're going to see is the plastic cover over the engine.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
99.9% of everyone out there wouldn't even know what they are looking at under the hood of a modern vehicle anyway so I don't see it as a negative for the dealer.
What are you looking for anyway? IAC motor, MAP sensor?

This, on most cars all you see are plastic covers and cannot even see the engine.

Yeah but it's a great spot to point out where and how to check fluid levels,mention that a tune up isn't required for 150k miles, crumple zones, the hooks that hold the back of the hood down in a crash so it doesn't go through the windshield. You could even mention the engine mounts that are designed to let the engine drop away instead of going in to the passenger compartment. There is all kinds of neat shit under there.

After that I'm going to win over the decision maker (wife) and sell you my wares.

I don't do that (retail sales) anymore, moved on to greener pastures

quote:

Originally posted by maxwayne:
I sold almost 4,000 cars in my 20 years and most of my clients were repeats or referrals so I must have done something right.

I remind people all the time that there are still exceptions to every rule, and I for one am glad that also applies to vehicle sales. Unfortunately, those exceptions are sometimes few and far between, but they are still there.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
This, on most cars all you see are plastic covers and cannot even see the engine.

Why would most buyers need to see the engine? Hell, few of them will ever raise the hood themselves during their ownership of the vehicle as most have no knowledge, or desire for said knowledge, of what goes on under there. Simply a sign of the times.

I know car engines pretty well. I've never actually looked at the engine when purchasing a car either. All I need are basics about it, and I do that when I'm researching the car before I buy.

I have no need for the salesman to show me an engine and it wouldn't have any impact on me purchasing the vehicle.

When I purchased my 2003 Corvette, the salesman told me I knew more than him "Have a nice day". I don't remember any salesman from that point on going over a vehicle with us. That would be two Pilots and two Wranglers.

I'm guessing that my wife's next Pilot will be a little more techy, she'll need a little help! Do we want to see the engine? No.

quote:

Originally posted by 7 Zark 7:
I may be misinterpreting, but some of the responses in this thread seem to imply that some of you buy a vehicle based on whether or not the salesperson, whose turn it just so happened to be, knows as much about a specific model as you do.

Who gives a shit what the salesperson knows or don't know?

If I want a Toyota, I'll buy a Toyota. I'd never go buy a Chevrolet, for example, just because the random Toyota salesperson wasn't as well informed as the random Chevy salesperson. You don't drive the salesperson home.

I do, it shows professionalism. I reward those who act professional and deliver more than expected. If I like you, and you take the time to accurately answer my questions, than you get the sale if it's small difference in price $3-400, anything more, I pick lowest price. So a knowledgeable, competent salesperson is worth about $300 to me, and not asking "what can I do to get you into this car" is worth $100.

Be professional and make my transaction easy, you get first call when I want to trade in.

I'd rather have an honest, competitent service department. Which will probably make the decision for our next car.

Nowadays, why bother opening the hood, the engine is probably covered with a giant plastic cover anyway so you won't be able to see anything cool and mechanical.

I’ve known people that have never opened the hood of their car. A light comes on and says “change oil” or “check engine” and they have someone else do that. They’re as interested in their vehicle as they are their washer and dryer. There could be a lawn mower engine or a Saturn V rocket under the hood, they have no idea.

There’s so much information available now for car buyers, I’m not even sure why car salesmen are a thing any more....oh yeah, they’re going away (carvana).

I can literally find out everything I need online in regard to a car I’m buying. I don’t have any need to give some poor sales schmuck a shit test for him to prove what he knows.

I can walk in knowing what car I want, play the stupid haggling game, maybe get some money taken off, and leave.

As I previously mentioned, I know my way around cars (recently rebuilt a 67 stang engine, and up to a few years ago, I always did all of my own work).

We recently purchased our first ever new cars a few years back (We had a baby, need something safe). I can’t say I’ve ever looked under the hood of my Mazda3, or my Jeep Sahara...ok, maybe I put some windshield fluid in, but that’s it.

Car salesmen are dinosaurs serving no need other than keeping me company on a test drive.

I see no reason to open the hood. No point in wasting time. Car salesman are kinda like realtors. They are the middleman in a transaction. If I could walk into a dealership and sign the keys out myself it would.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by 7 Zark 7:
I may be misinterpreting, but some of the responses in this thread seem to imply that some of you buy a vehicle based on whether or not the salesperson, whose turn it just so happened to be, knows as much about a specific model as you do.

Who gives a shit what the salesperson knows or don't know?

If I want a Toyota, I'll buy a Toyota. I'd never go buy a Chevrolet, for example, just because the random Toyota salesperson wasn't as well informed as the random Chevy salesperson. You don't drive the salesperson home.

I do, it shows professionalism. I reward those who act professional and deliver more than expected. If I like you, and you take the time to accurately answer my questions, than you get the sale if it's small difference in price $3-400, anything more, I pick lowest price. So a knowledgeable, competent salesperson is worth about $300 to me, and not asking "what can I do to get you into this car" is worth $100.

Be professional and make my transaction easy, you get first call when I want to trade in.

I agree with you IF the choice is simply deciding from which Honda dealership I buy an Accord.

But I wouldn't run to a Ford dealership to buy a Fusion just because the Honda salesperson was ill-informed about the Accord.

I guess the only point I'm making is that I select a make/model vehicle to buy based on factors I've learned through my own research, non of which include a random salesperson's competency.

Granted I need to work through a salesperson to complete my purchase, but he and the dealership are just a means to an end.