Dealers: Why do they always get such a bum rap?

[DOUBLDz@aol.com]

Because they deserve it! Well, some of them. When this thread was running (bad
Porsche dealers, etc.), it brought to mind Saturn's sales techniques and how
much people seemed to respond to it. In my local paper today, there was an
article about Saturn's sales slump. I quote:

"Saturn's success in the early 90's was based in large part on pampering its
customers. It offered set prices, low-pressure sales techniques and made its
owners feel like part of a big happy family. When it had its homecoming in its
Spring Hill plant four years ago, 44,000 owners showed up.

But analysts say that's no longer enough. Everyone's trying to be nice to
customers these days."

I don't think I could envision using the word pampering in a sentence about
car-buying or car dealerships. If customers get pampered at Saturn
dealerships, then they should expect it at Audi dealerships well.
Unfortunately that's not the norm from what I have read here and personally
experienced. Is everyone trying to be nice to customers these days? I don't
think so. Should everyone? Most definitely. Specially when you plunk down 25K,
35K, 60K.

About a week ago, I got a very glitzy Audi magazine and an Audi newsletter.
The packaging was from A of A but I have a feeling it came from the local
dealership that I've been using for service. I was pretty tickled to get the
mag until I saw that it was dated July. I was also somewhat surprised that
there didn't seem to be a subscription form to order it, not that I
would.....I got July Audi news right here in July...but the pictures were
pretty and there was a good recipe for chicken. There was also some kind of
survey to return which was amusing. I wish I could remember exactly what it
said but I think they wanted to know whether I thought receiving this magazine
was going to make me buy another Audi when the time came. Really. A of A
really needs a good PR person running things. I think they are failing
miserably and I might just send the survey back and tell them.

BTW, I was talking to a dealer friend online tonight....(a friend I made after
I bought an Audi darnnit) and he said they were test driving a TT on
Wednesday. They did 0 to 60 in 7.1 seconds with a hand held stopwatch (I
didn't ask the specific specs on the car, and no I didn't ask the color of it
either). He said they had quite a few folk there driving it...a guy who was
6'4" and a woman who was 290lbs, both of whom thought the inside space was
great. Just passing it along.

Happy Halloween (the little darlings had better not touch Baby tonight)! 

Dee
95A6q pearl