MME Turns Heads of Salespeople

[Jimrpa]

Same experience as the OP. I believe I’ve told the story previously. A buddy of mine is in the market for a new car (won’t consider a Mustang Mach e because he wants a four door sedan and won’t consider an EV because “the technology is not mature.” ) The staff raves about the car at every dealer we’ve been to (except the BMW and Tesla dealers, where we were totally ignored).

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[Bayviews88]

Great story I enjoyed it but... how much $$$ did Ford pay you to start this thread?

I’m guessing 22,000 FordPass rewards points.

 

[azerik]

They had no intention to buy a vehicle. It’s okay to look if you are in the market for anything. That’s what the showrooms are for.

So, how does one look at vehicles at a reasonable time a day anymore. I've gone to lots at 9 at night trying to avoid sales guys. But there they came. Is the test drive a thing of the past? Any and every time I walk onto a lot I tell them I'm not buying but want to look, if I like I might buy. Why is it I can't look without giving them a phone number anymore.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

So, how does one look at vehicles at a reasonable time a day anymore. I've gone to lots at 9 at night trying to avoid sales guys. But there they came. Is the test drive a thing of the past? Any and every time I walk onto a lot I tell them I'm not buying but want to look, if I like I might buy. Why is it I can't look without giving them a phone number anymore.

If they don't want to have to deal with losing their ups because I need to know if I am even interested in the car, then they should just leave the keys in the car and let us check out the vehicle at a kiosk at the entrance to the dealership lot. Then we can take the car for a test drive (or to go grocery shopping, you know whatever we need to do), and then bring it back and not "waste" their time.

 

[azerik]

But then they couldn’t text you for the next 3 months randomly about a car you didn’t actually end up liking. And somehow that’s your fault…

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

But then they couldn’t text you for the next 3 months randomly about a car you didn’t actually end up liking. And somehow that’s your fault…

Yeah, I almost swore off Ford entirely in 2018/2019 because of a barrage of texts and calls from a Ford salesman after I test drove an F-150 Raptor. I hated the truck and told him that I was not at all interested. He badgered me for a week before I got fed up and blocked his number and every other number that this dealership made public.

The attention the non-Ford salespeople give to the Mustang, though! That's fun.

 

[RKinWA]

Yeah, I almost swore off Ford entirely in 2018/2019 because of a barrage of texts and calls from a Ford salesman after I test drove an F-150 Raptor. I hated the truck and told him that I was not at all interested. He badgered me for a week before I got fed up and blocked his number and every other number that this dealership made public.

The attention the non-Ford salespeople give to the Mustang, though! That's fun.

I popped over to MY Ford dealership last week because I was considering swapping my GT wheels for GTPE wheels and wanted to see them in person (I will definitely keep my GT wheels, I actually like them more now), but while there the flock swarmed me, because they knew I bought recently. I made the mistake of saying "I'm considering an ICE vehicle to have as a backup" (actually when I said that exact statement, the salesman said "The Mach-E IS a nice vehicle!" I had to clarify. I digress, since then, I have had 6 calls and texts from him asking if there was anything he could show me (one just an hour ago, after his partner called me 2 hrs ago). I finally said "I decided to go with a KIA Optima". He said "OK, sorry I couldn't find anything for you."

 

[Hammered]

You wasted the salesperson’s up’s. You had no intention of buying. The sales staff takes turns (up’s) and they go to the back of the pack after waiting on you. I was a salesperson. Not a good thing to do to a commissioned person.

Those poor sales guys. They had their tiktok youtube'n interrupted.

Given the last 2 years of all but robbing everyone that came in the door, gosh, I just really feel for them. I just built the world's largest collection of violins so small they're invisible, and they're playing a somber tune for those poor souls.

 

[Jimrpa]

Ok, I’ll ask the obvious question: what he heck is an “up”?

 

[Cm12]

They had no intention to buy a vehicle. It’s okay to look if you are in the market for anything. That’s what the showrooms are for.

The salesman doesn’t have to go talk to anyone. They lie, cheat, and sometimes outright steal with little or no remorse. I really couldn’t care less about car salesmen.

And that’s coming from someone with numerous close friends and family members who worked in the car dealership sales industry. The salesmen know it too, even if they won’t openly admit it. We’re just walking paychecks that should be exploited and lied to so long as we sign a deal.

They’re the ones who choose the job that relies on commission. Were they complaining when they were getting massive bonuses on markups the last few years? What about the lies on holding back points and stuff like that? No tears for any of them coming from me.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

I have a google voice number and a specific email I use for these types of experiences. I end up putting the number on “do not disturb” while they burn the phones trying to reach me. Takes about a week and they lose interest. The salesman I ordered the car through had my “retail” contact info till I bought the vehicle and I gave him my actual number. But he continued to call the other one .

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

They’re the ones who choose the job that relies on commission.

My experiences agree with all of the things you said that I'm not quoting.

I will say that I'm not going to treat someone badly just because they happen to have a crappy job. Sometimes people take the crappy job they can get. If they behave badly in that crappy job, that's different.

That said...there's no reason an "ups" system has to exist at all. And there's certainly no reason it has to work in such a way that if there's a looky-loo on the lot someone loses their spot in the dumb, unnecessary line. That's basically designed to make salespeople behave badly and to create high turnover.

I'll continue to go to lots to look at cars if I have even a passing interest in the vehicle. And maybe I'll start bringing my Mustang just to get the looky-loos in return.

 

[RKinWA]

My experiences agree with all of the things you said that I'm not quoting.

I will say that I'm not going to treat someone badly just because they happen to have a crappy job. Sometimes people take the crappy job they can get. If they behave badly in that crappy job, that's different.

That said...there's no reason an "ups" system has to exist at all. And there's certainly no reason it has to work in such a way that if there's a looky-loo on the lot someone loses their spot in the dumb, unnecessary line. That's basically designed to make salespeople behave badly and to create high turnover.

I'll continue to go to lots to look at cars if I have even a passing interest in the vehicle. And maybe I'll start bringing my Mustang just to get the looky-loos in return.

As I mentioned I sold Chevys back in the early 90s, we didn't have an "ups" system, it was every man for himself, first to the kill gets to eat. A lot of newer people were always left out and ultimately moved on. So maybe an ups system isn't all bad.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

As I mentioned I sold Chevys back in the early 90s, we didn't have an "ups" system, it was every man for himself, first to the kill gets to eat. A lot of newer people were always left out and ultimately moved on. So maybe an ups system isn't all bad.

As I was writing my post I knew I was talking way outside of my experience. I've never had a commission job. That said, an ups system could be simply modified that if a looky-loo says they're just looking, the person whose up it is just keeps it? Seems logically non-problematic to me, but I don't and haven't worked in such a system.

 

[RKinWA]

As I was writing my post I knew I was talking way outside of my experience. I've never had a commission job. That said, an ups system could be simply modified that if a looky-loo says they're just looking, the person whose up it is just keeps it? Seems logically non-problematic to me, but I don't and haven't worked in such a system.

Agreed 100%, they shouldn't lose a real opportunity to a looky-loo.

That being said, the dealership mentality (at least in my day) was, "People don't come into the lot unless they are wanting to buy, and if you can't sell them, you suck and deserve the loss."

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