re: Just Dreaming

[Dwight Varnes <mxbreed@lancnews.infi.net>]

Having worked for several dealers over the years (and blessedly am no
longer) including a Porsha Audi VW dealer, I've developed a few
conclusions:

1) Salespeople aren't from the same planet as you and I. We aren't just
a sale, we are a conquest. We aren't talked about as customers behind
our backs, we are something worse than a mere number. We are a stupid
consumer who deserves to be ripped off.

2) Parts & service people hate salespeople, and vice-versa. Often, parts
people hate service advisors and vice-versa. This is because service
advisors often aren't car people. They are PR people hired to handle a
technical job. Parts people aren't liked because when they don't have
some obscure part it's the service advisor who takes the heat. Then
there's the parts dept that doesn't even have common parts. They are
hated by everyone (and rightfully so).

3) The General Manager of any dealership was once a salesman. He
oversees the entire dealership operation. Draw your own conclusion.

4) AoA, while far from perfect, doesn't have the control over the
individual dealerships like you may think or hope they do. Unless an
idiot dealer does truly stupid or illegal things that will get AoA in
legal trouble, they are pretty much left alone, though they don't get
any special favors from AoA like allotments of high demand vehicles.

5) 99% of the people in car dealerships aren't "car people". They often
don't drive the product they sell, and if they do, it's usually because
it was purchased used as a trade-in and they can get the parts at near
cost.

The stuff previously written about warranty work is true...you don't
make much on it, and you have to wait to get paid after doing a lot of
paperwork. Used cars over 6-8 years old are considered junk, a plague on
the service department as "those people don't have any money; that's why
they're driving that old thing" is the prevelant attitude. Also, they
don't plan on making their profit in the 'back end' after the sale as
dealers believe owners are fickle and will take their car to Pep Boyz to
get it serviced anyway once the warranty expires. The vicious circle
here is that the only reason they go to Pep Boyz is because of the
crappy treatment they get at the dealer as a result of this attitude! 

I've worked at 3 different dealerships in my time, and they are all
eventually the same, even if they start out differently. What is so
ironic is that it is so easy to make money and keep customers at a
dealership, but the martians from the sales dept./general management
refuses to treat its customers or employees like humans. 

Which is why my Coupe is going to an independent garage on Tuesday for a
wheel bearing, even though the dealer I worked at would give me a
discount.
-- 
"Life is too short to drive boring cars."

Dwight Varnes, insurance appraiser and car nut
1970 124 Spider (restored, mostly)
1986 Audi Coupe GT (bigger engine at machine shop)
1989 VW Jetta GLI 16v (the wife's ride, needs restored)
1984 Nissan 4x4 Pickup (rust never sleeps)
1965 Buick Skylark conv. (more fun than you'd think)