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I Am The Walrus
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Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the parts and labor departments make more money than sales?

If so, wouldn't it make more sense to sell with minimal ass pain if they can get the customer in for service? After all, if you screw the customer so bad with the sale, it's likely you will lose their service income.

Sales should be a means to get customers to spend money at the parts and service counters.


_____________

 
Posts: 13148 | Registered: March 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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I’m fortunate I found a Toyota Dealer deep in the LA Bayou who is more concerned about customer service and selling cars than all the other BS. The GM and I had communicated on a Tacoma forum board previously. He remembered our conversations when I sent him a direct email

I bought my 2020 4Runner Pro from them. I knew I was going to pay MSRP. The GM deducted all the GST port addon costs. I was pre approved for financing. Yes there was some BS at F&I but that was expected. Typical stuff… we can beat that rate, maintenance plans etc. I’d already negotiated a 7/125k factory platinum warranty (wasn’t the cheapest I could have gotten but only $200 difference) . Negotiate car, negotiate trade in, negotiate everything else. All separately. Lessons learned from dad. Pay attention to the “shell game”. I’ll go back when I need another vehicle. Easiest, least stressful car buying experience I’d ever had. Still have to do the research before walking in


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Live today as if it may be your last and learn today as if you will live forever
 
Posts: 6239 | Location: New Orleans...outside the levees, fishing in the Rigolets | Registered: October 11, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
I Am The Walrus
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snwghst,

Your experience reminds me of something I read years ago. There was (is?) a Toyotda dealership out in the northeast who specialized in selling the extended warranties. They would do it for quite cheap, something like cost plus $100. They obviously made money selling the extended warranties but where they really made money was hitting bonuses from Toyota for the extended warranty sales.

I believe other dealers bitched about missing out on big money and Toyota changed their policy to where you had to buy the extended warranty within your state. Buyers were coming from all over the country to buy the extended warranty.

Over on a Corvette based forum, there was a guy who worked at a Chevy dealership and sold parts at cost plus 10%. I'm sure he made a pretty good buck doing so.


_____________

 
Posts: 13148 | Registered: March 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of smlsig
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The easiest vehicle purchase I’ve ever done in over 30 vehicle purchases was the Tesla I bought last week.

Yeah I know people here, for the most, part are anti EV, but you can’t beat the process…

1. Went online and configured the car exactly how I wanted it. The price was clearly stated including the mandatory state fees and taxes. Put a $250 deposit on it.

2. Send in the paperwork with electronic signatures from the comfort of my couch.

3. Get a delivery date from Tesla.

4. Wire transfer the funds (could have applied for a loan but didn’t)

5. Show up at the appointed time, do a walk around, sign 2 more pieces of paper and drive off. I was in and out of the delivery center in 20 minutes.


That is how the transaction should be…


------------------
Eddie

Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
 
Posts: 6344 | Location: In transit | Registered: February 19, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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BigSwede, be interested to hear your comments on this guys video. In 2-3 years, maybe sooner I’ll probably be handing my truck off to my son. I just really like the ease (lower rpm power) with how my v8 tows. Chevy’s 6.2 in a 1500 really appeals to me in this regard.

 
Posts: 3603 | Location: Texas Hill Country | Registered: July 24, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Page late and a dollar short
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Edmond:
Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the parts and labor departments make more money than sales?

If so, wouldn't it make more sense to sell with minimal ass pain if they can get the customer in for service? After all, if you screw the customer so bad with the sale, it's likely you will lose their service income.

Sales should be a means to get customers to spend money at the parts and service counters.


Rule of thumb and as was taught by GM training for staff and dealers, parts, service and if applicable body shop were called Fixed Operations. And Fixed Operations were always considered a constant source of revenue, these paid for salaries, expenses, real property, utilities allowing at minimum break even if not more income while sales of new and used vehicles were considered pure profit.

GM realized that dealership service departments of The Big Three had a perception problem with the general public of high prices, poorly trained staff in all Fixed Operations departments and poor workmanship, not entirely unjustified by the mid 70’s. As a result, GM introduced Mr. Goodwrench. In fact, some of the real early promo photos were taken in a dealership I worked at, Roger Penske Chevrolet in Southfield Michigan around 76. I stayed and worked with the photo crew and may have been in one of the photos without my face appearing though. (Probably best for all involved!)

Anyhow, this was a successful program for many years, aggressive pricing and marketing regionally and nationally of both parts and service. Improved warranties, replacement engine, transmission and transfer case programs and seamless nationwide warranty coverage of parts from light bulbs to engines including “No Hassle Core Returns”, throw a rod, punch a hole through the block and still full core refund.

Seems that over the last few years there has been less emphasis at least in GM of keeping the customer in the fold, as a result of the bankruptcy, the “new” GM, less brand loyalty, etc.


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————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman)
 
Posts: 8148 | Location: Livingston County Michigan USA | Registered: August 11, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Unapologetic Old
School Curmudgeon
Picture of Lord Vaalic
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Here's a tip.. Dont make it a 6 hour nightmare trip to hell to go drop $50k on a new car.

The dealer experience is dreaded by all. Not a great business model.




Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day
 
Posts: 10733 | Location: TN | Registered: December 18, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
quarter MOA visionary
Picture of smschulz
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Here's a tip.. Dont make it a 6 hour nightmare trip to hell to go drop $50k on a new car.

The dealer experience is dreaded by all.

Not a great business model.


Nothing wrong with a Retail Business Model, the problem is how the car business implements it.
High pressure and sales tactics make customers uncomfortable, that is a fact.
 
Posts: 22967 | Location: Houston, TX | Registered: June 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
quarter MOA visionary
Picture of smschulz
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quote:
Originally posted by smlsig:
I was in and out of the delivery center in 20 minutes.

That is how the transaction should be…


You mean this is all wrong?

 
Posts: 22967 | Location: Houston, TX | Registered: June 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
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quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
Nothing wrong with a Retail Business Model, the problem is how the car business implements it.


The business model of the retail automotive industry is based upon preying on the ignorance of its customers. I'd say there is something very wrong with that.

Would you tolerate similar behavior out of a doctor, mechanic or plumber? You expect experts to provide expert guidance, not try to screw you over every way possible.

There are companies out there trying to change the model. They essentially act as an agent representing the buyer. It's a similar model to what you see today in real estate, the buyer and seller each being represented by someone knowledgeable in the field to negotiate the transaction on their behalf.
 
Posts: 6631 | Location: Virginia | Registered: January 22, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Page late and a dollar short
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Here's a tip.. Dont make it a 6 hour nightmare trip to hell to go drop $50k on a new car.

The dealer experience is dreaded by all.

Not a great business model.


Nothing wrong with a Retail Business Model, the problem is how the car business implements it.
High pressure and sales tactics make customers uncomfortable, that is a fact.


EXACTLY!

These in many cases dealer mandated sales training classes do nothing but piss off many customers especially me. The premise overcome a objection by an objection, (object to object) until you’re beaten down doesn’t work with me.

Case in point, took my Wrangler to a closer dealer for minor service work. I bought it when I worked at another dealer group instead of a GM product. Once I got into their system it was mailers and emails of sales events that I discarded due to a service incident. They were more than happy to refuse to intercede with FCA on a beyond warranty issue so I stopped going there. The matter was handled by a different dealership with no arguement.

So I received a voicemail call which I responded by a polite at the beginning requesting to be removed from the call list. I was immediately transferred to an alleged sales manager who would not identify himself. I repeated my request, he questioned why. I responded that I was not interested at the time nor did I even know if I would buy another Jeep. Didn’t even get into how I was blown off when I requested them to open a out of warranty case, just let that go but that was my reason for ending that relationship with that dealership.

His response was, in his exact words “Oh yes you’re interested, you just don’t know it!”

That lit me up like a nuclear mushroom cloud to say the least. My response, “So you’re telling me I need you to make up my mind for me? Remove me IMMEDIATELY from your ******* call list!” as I ended the call.

Three months later to the day another call. This time the general manager got a nice long letter that ended with stating that my first verbal request per FCC rules to remove me from the call list was willfully ignored. As this was a subsequent request made my electronic means I would be retaining a copy and to treat this as an official request to remove me from the call list. And any subsequent contact by telephone would result in a formal written complaint together with copies of this letter and photographic copies of my cell phone’s call logs of the previous contacts.

Problem solved.


-------------------------------------——————
————————--Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even, usually, surpassing knowledge(E.J.Potter, A.K.A. The Michigan Madman)
 
Posts: 8148 | Location: Livingston County Michigan USA | Registered: August 11, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I was looking for a new Ram 2500 diesel truck. The local dealers would not quote prices over the phone. I check a couple, one was high to start with and the other super high. They were shocked that I knew about the Costco buying program.

Made a call to a Grants Pass, OR, dealer, they gave me a great price over the phone. Ordered it exactly as I wanted it, and two months later the truck showed up exactly as ordered. I think it was $4,000 less than the Costco price.

Generally if you are in a big city, you will pay high prices. Make some calls to dealers out in the country and save a lot.


-c1steve
 
Posts: 4069 | Location: West coast | Registered: March 31, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
quarter MOA visionary
Picture of smschulz
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Broadside:
quote:
Originally posted by smschulz:
Nothing wrong with a Retail Business Model, the problem is how the car business implements it.


The business model of the retail automotive industry is based upon preying on the ignorance of its customers. I'd say there is something very wrong with that.



You are WRONG in your assumptions of what retail auto sales is BASED on.
You are CORRECT that many do deploy such tactics.

No business is developed to "prey on the ignorance of its customers" Roll Eyes
It doesn't mean that some will take advantage of it though.
Caveat Emptor applies here and we need to look out for ourselves, get educated.

Not any of that is the real problem.
The problem is high pressure and other sales tactics that erode a purchasing confidence.
That reputation is prevalent which is a shame.
Not all are that way.

It's not just the dealer, we have been accustomed to "haggle" for a deal.
So in many cases we bring this (frustration) on ourselves.

It is obviously a contributing factor of online sales.
 
Posts: 22967 | Location: Houston, TX | Registered: June 11, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shall Not Be Infringed
Picture of nhracecraft
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^^^No, not all are that way, but nine out of ten...Probably!


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Posts: 8991 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: October 29, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
would not care
to elaborate
Picture of sse
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quote:
Rule of thumb and as was taught by GM training for staff and dealers, parts, service and if applicable body shop were called Fixed Operations. And Fixed Operations were always considered a constant source of revenue, these paid for salaries, expenses, real property, utilities allowing at minimum break even if not more income while sales of new and used vehicles were considered pure profit.

That's exactly what I learned decades ago from a family-owned dealership.
 
Posts: 2815 | Location: USA | Registered: June 12, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of smlsig
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I read a news report that starting next year you will be able to order your new Hyundai through Amazon! Then just pick it up at the dealer…that should be interesting…


------------------
Eddie

Our Founding Fathers were men who understood that the right thing is not necessarily the written thing. -kkina
 
Posts: 6344 | Location: In transit | Registered: February 19, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
safe & sound
Picture of a1abdj
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quote:
I read a news report that starting next year you will be able to order your new Hyundai through Amazon!



The world will be a much better place once we can replace every single local business with Amazon and Walmart.


________________________



www.zykansafe.com
 
Posts: 15740 | Location: St. Charles, MO, USA | Registered: September 22, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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You may only buy new cars in Iowa and many other states from 'authorized dealerships'. Apparently the dealers pay (lobby) elected officials to keep it that way.

Perhaps Amazon is big enough to get around those laws. Getting around artificial limits on competition seems like a good thing.
 
Posts: 2372 | Registered: October 24, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by a1abdj:

The world will be a much better place once we can replace every single local business with Amazon and Walmart.
Eek



הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
 
Posts: 30770 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Partial dichotomy
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^^^ Knowing a1abdj, I think that was sarcasm...




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Posts: 38746 | Location: SC Lowcountry/Cape Cod | Registered: November 22, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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