Just talked to the dumbest dealer

[Evergreen6]

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

isn't part of the dealerships job to get you to buy a car? If you aren't a serious buyer, but contact them, shouldn't it be their job to make you become a serious buyer?

It's amazing the low standards some of you have.

edit: maybe i'm way off, but that phone conversation is pitiful, on the dealerships part. if I were the owner/manager of that dealership, something would have to be changed.

Your assumption about my "low standards" is assumed, not real.

My quip is more about the boneheadedness of the OP rather than the dealership. Sending an unsolicited email asking if someone will sell you something for $50g's is so passive. Hideously passive, and it shows inexperience.

Also know that expectations <> standards. For a Chevrolet dealership, I have LOW expectations. Most of the entry level sales staff are kids trying to turn a buck. But, I like some of the cars, so I know I might have to wade through some BS in order to buy one.

That said, buying my 2014 1LS was not my typical experience. The sales guy was young, he didn't know everything, but you could tell he wanted to learn and he wasn't going to lie or make something up. Those kinds of guys don't stick around long...they move up...or they move on to something that pays better because they have real skill.

[CamaroCracka]

I know that internet savvy companies get a lot more of my business these days. Why do I have to go down to dealer and argue with some peckerhead who can't make the call anyway.

When I bought my car, I checked the local dealers and test drove a V6 because no SSes were available anywhere and then waited until my search turned up the exact SS I wanted in another town. I still paid too much because nobody was selling SSes below MSRP at the time, or at least I could not find one, but I also got the bazillion "wow, is that a new SS comments."

None the less, by the time I showed up to sign the paperwork, the deal was done. No peckerheads invited. That is why savvy dealers have a smart internet sales guys. I dealt directly with the manager.

[PoorMansCamaro]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Your assumption about my "low standards" is assumed, not real.

My quip is more about the boneheadedness of the OP rather than the dealership. Sending an unsolicited email asking if someone will sell you something for $50g's is so passive. Hideously passive, and it shows inexperience.

That may be true about the OP, but makes no excuse for the sales person on the phone.

[zogster]

Let me clarify some things here:

1) I emailed the dealer about the car - I gave them info on how many GM Card points I had, what vehicle I had and with how many miles, and what I was offering on top of the points and my car.

2) I received an email back from the Internet Sales Manager about an hour later. He asked me to please call him to discuss further and gave me his cell phone number. I did not call the main number or even the sales number listed on their website. I was talking to the Internet Sales Manager, not a receptionist.

3) I called him back 15 minutes later and told him my name, which he had from my inquiry.

4) This dealer is about 2 hours drive away. I'm not driving 2 hours both ways if they don't think they can swing the deal I want.

5) This dealer has a total of 60 vehicles in stock. Only 37 new Chevrolet's. How hard is it to remember that 15 minutes prior what he had emailed me about? I think it's safe to assume they don't sell more than a vehicle or two a day, how many inquiries can they possibly receive that it is that hard to keep it straight on what cars they have received inquiries about?

6) It is a freaking $50,000 car. Not some $18,000 run of the mill Cruze. You would think if they did not have a good idea what they were selling, they would do some homework before asking me to call to discuss the vehicle.

[Evergreen6]

Originally Posted by PoorMansCamaro

That may be true about the OP, but makes no excuse for the sales person on the phone.

Some of us are willing to afford others a little bit of grace in situations like that--the guy picked up the phone and he tried to help. I might have provided the VIN and a few pictures and waited to see how things unfolded from there.

And you?

[zogster]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Some of us are willing to afford others a little bit of grace in situations like that--the guy picked up the phone and he tried to help. I might have provided the VIN and a few pictures and waited to see how things unfolded from there.

And you?

The Internet Sales Manager asked me via email to call him after I had given him the outline of what I was offering. I was expecting him to be prepared with some details about whether they thought my offer was acceptable. I was not calling him out of the blue and expecting him to know every little detail - he had it in the email.

I could totally understand if he needed more details about my car (VIN, pictures) as he finally asked for at the end of the conversation. But he could have at least had some idea on where he thought they would be at (high, low) if he was asking me to call him. Instead he just completed wasted my time by bumbling about an Equinox, Camaro 2LT with a V8, and ZL1 with a turbo.

There is another dealer who I am talking to about their leftover 2013 ZL1 who is completely with it on communication and is not making an idiot out of themselves.

[Evergreen6]

Originally Posted by zogster

The Internet Sales Manager asked me via email to call him after I had given him the outline of what I was offering. I was expecting him to be prepared with some details about whether they thought my offer was acceptable. I was not calling him out of the blue and expecting him to know every little detail - he had it in the email.

I could totally understand if he needed more details about my car (VIN, pictures) as he finally asked for at the end of the conversation. But he could have at least had some idea on where he thought they would be at (high, low) if he was asking me to call him. Instead he just completed wasted my time by bumbling about an Equinox, Camaro 2LT with a V8, and ZL1 with a turbo.

There is another dealer who I am talking to about their leftover 2013 ZL1 who is completely with it on communication and is not making an idiot out of themselves.

Would it have mattered if you were able to work a deal that matched your offer?

[PoorMansCamaro]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Some of us are willing to afford others a little bit of grace in situations like that--the guy picked up the phone and he tried to help. I might have provided the VIN and a few pictures and waited to see how things unfolded from there.

And you?

I'm really not sure what you are asking. That conversation needed a lot more than just a little bit of grace. If that's really the car I wanted, I will obviously stick it out and try to get the deal I wanted, but if there are other options, I would have no problem looking elsewhere.

[PoorMansCamaro]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Would it have mattered if you were able to work a deal that matched your offer?

No matter what the answer is, it still doesn't excuse the lack of knowledge of what they are selling. (Especially now that we know it was a sales manager.) You make it sound like it would have been ok if they talked about what his favorite cereal is, but it's ok, as long as he got the deal he wanted on the car.

[Gee]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Would it have mattered if you were able to work a deal that matched your offer?

Dude. We get it you're the ultimate devils advocate. Either that or you're a dealer and are offended by him pointing out how dumb most dealers and reps are. Heres the facts. The person he talked to had no idea about cars/car/camaros/zl1/equinoxs.... dealer shouldnt have idiots answer customer inquiries.... He found a dealer who knew what they were talking about and he feels more comfortable.

He was never asking for your advice, just stating that he had a stupid conversation with "the dumbest dealer" that hes talked to. Im not trying to be a jerk to you, but youre nit picking peoples post to prove your point(which i dont get).

[zogster]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

Would it have mattered if you were able to work a deal that matched your offer?

I'm not sure I really understand this question? Would what have mattered? The bumbling around about everything other than if my offer was acceptable, or close to acceptable?

The way they should have handled it is realized that I made an offer for a vehicle and that they should reply with accepting the offer or a counter offer. If they needed the VIN of my vehicle and pictures, they should have asked me that in the email. Once they had all the information they needed to give me an answer on my offer, they should have either replied via email or asked me to call them to discuss.

If they had taken those steps and said "we think we can either swing your offer or be very close to it but need to see your vehicle in person first" I would be in the car driving there now instead of posting on the internet.

[invaderzim]

I feel kind of sorry for people when they actually take time to type out and post these kinds of threads....

[Team STILLEN]

A lot of Car Dealership websites ( New, Used etc...) will always have email inquires using either info@website or sales@website. They are going to a department of possible assistants or receptionists filtering these emails and usually going off of canned responses of what to say back to you.

It was mentioned that it says Internet Sales Manager. That sounds a lot better than Internet Receptionist.

Unless it had a personal email instead of the info@ or Sales@, it was going to someone filtering the emails for the actual Sales Manager.

Dealerships also get A LOT of these email inquires too!

I know where both sides are coming from.

Not blaming anyone here. Just putting in my 2 cents.

JT

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by DRKS1D3

This X's 100! He was talking to a receptionist or "internet sales associate". Go talk to them in person if you're serious.

No excuse! If I see a phone number to call for more details on a car I'm interested in, I expect the person who answers to be able to answer my questions or directly connect me to someone who can. It's listed on the internet for my convenience and (supposedly) to extend the sales potential of the dealership. If they can't provide someone who knows the product they are trying to sell... I'm not interested in talking to them.