Dariusx

I believe what he meant was that some buyers are more concerned about the cost than whether the car fits their needs.

Penforhire

Oh yeah, I forgot just how insulting the "4 square" worksheet is. They love to try and get you to finance even if you're set at your credit union. "Dude, just tell me how much the car costs."

coquinn

That's exactly what I was trying to say. I'm not trying to throw out any mumbo-jumbo as you would call it - I'm simply stating a fact that I see on an almost daily basis.

Concerning dealer markup - some do and some don't. We don't have any dealer markup except for accessories.

hauniii

You all sound like babies. Put the shoe on the other foot. When you sell your house, someone makes an offer that is too low, will you accept or decline? Decline right. You want market value to maximize the return on your investment. All of you are no different than any other business. A good deal is only a good deal if both parties involved are happy. The cars on the lot are for sale, not to sit there and look pretty. If the buyer is serious, in most cases the dealer will do anything they can to make a deal. Remember business is business, and everyone has a profit margin to cover.

johnR

I've been in the business for almost 6 years. I can honestly say that this is one of the toughest jobs to have because customers usually don't trust you at first. Also as a consumer, you always want to get the best price.

Now I look at selling cars whis way. Sell Volume. I mean a customer is already there and know exactly what they want. As long as it's reasonable for us and it's reasonable for the customer, just DO IT! Why keep going back and forth for 2-3 hours to finally just give in to what the customer wants in the first place. I would rather sell them the car, be done with it, and go on to the next customer.

Of course, if you are a real salesperson, you would also do your follow ups, etc. because if the customer felt he was treated with respect and trusts you, not only will he buy from you again, but his friends and relatives may also. How many times have you reccomended your friends to a nice restaurant or a shop if you get good service? I do it all the time.

So I would say to anyone trying to be a salesperson, please treat customeres with respect. As long as they like you, they are willing to purchase from you rather than some snake at another dealership.

Chris S

Dell started direct, which was a big advantage. Look at all the channel conflict HP and IBM have dealt w/, and their lack of progress, in trying to go direct.

Manufacturers would be screwed w/o their dealerships supporting their sales and service.

s2kpdx01

So a company as large as GM or Toyota couldn't put together a network of shops that can fix your car? There is a lot of money in service/support. IMO, they are missing out.

lukemc01

I don't really care to "screw" a dealership completely out of a profit. As long as we come to agreement I assume the dealership and I are satisfied.

You are right about about return customers. I've bought 3 of my last 4 cars from the same dealership. We couldn't agree to a price on a new S2000 - (I ended up buying used anyways) Even in the case of the S2000, there was no animosity. When a friend needed to buy an Accord, I recc'd the salesperson I dealt with unsuccessfully on the S2000. He was courteous and knew what he was talking about. I later bought another Accord from him. I always refer people to that dealership. Although the finance manager is difficult, the rest of the experience was positive.