Over the last few months, I've visited a number of dealerships looking for either a Mustang, Challenger, or Camaro. What I've found interesting is that with most of the dealerships I went to, they pretty much just blew me off and acted disinterested. When I informed the Chevy dealer salesman that I was interested in ordering a Camaro, he acted like they didn't know when or if they would get any Camaros. Then later in the conversation, he talked about some of the Camaros they had on order. At the Ford dealership, it was like pulling teeth trying to get any information or get a conversation going, and the salesman was completely ignorant about Mustangs, often feeding me information I knew was incorrect (like saying the 2011 V6 would have 400 HP, and calling the used GT500 on their lot a Cobra). He didn't even offer me a business card.

I don't know, maybe it has something to do with how I look, but I think it may have more to do with where I currently live (central PA at the moment). Their is only 1 of each dealership in my town, and they almost never have muscle cars on the lot. When I went to Chevy they had only a single Camaro on the lot, and it was one someone had ordered. I've been by the Chrysler dealer multiple times (because we have Jeeps) and they have never had a Challenger on the lot. And of the several times I've been to the Ford dealership, this last time was they only time I saw a new Mustang for sale, and it was behind the glass. Perhaps lack of local competition is an issue. Perhaps I'm in truck country. But the dealerships seem to be doing their darndest to not sell their cars. I find this odd given that I can easily afford a car these days now that I'm in my 30's with a solid career and mostly debt free, whereas when I bought my Cobra back in 99 I was young and should have been met with more skepticism, but it was a lot easier to get the salesman's interest and participation back then.

I did briefly check out some lots in the Kansas City area when I was there recently...lots of Mustangs on the lots and my first impression was that they were a lot more interested in talking to me, though I didn't waste their time because I wasn't really interested in buying at that point...I was just looking for a glass roof Mustang so I could see a glass roof in person.

What stories do you all have?

 

Scott every dealer saleperson I've ever met and had dealings with was a complete and utter idiot. And when they find out you've been researching on the web they usually just blow you off. I'm not saying all are morons just the ones I've dealt with personally. I find it easist to just get my ducks in a row and walk in and say I want to order (insert car here). Just use them as a paper pusher.

 

Now that I've got some grey whiskers in my beard the salespeople will take me seriously. When I was younger, though, the salesmen could hardly stand to pull themselves away from their coffee and doughnuts to answer a few questions. One time in my twenties a salesman told me not to even touch the 300ZX in their showroom because a doctor was looking at it.

Salesperson knowledge is all over the board. You might get someone who knows as much as you do or you might get someone who doesn't even know that the car he's trying to sell is actually available with a manual transmission. Thank DARPA for the Internet. It's so much nicer to have the ability to have practically all your questions answered online than try to find out from a guy who three months ago was selling John Deere tractors. This forum in particular has been extremely useful to me.

 

I have to agree with both of you...in most cases.
I worked in the car biz for over ten years, starting in sales and ending in management. The amount of salespeople that knew more than the MSRP for a sports car, I could count on two hands. And that's being generous! The reason is quite simple, they don't make anymore money for a sports car than they do a mini-van in most cases. Unless they are truly "car guys", like Jeff or Brian, it isn't worth their time to learn all of the ins and outs of the mustang, camaro or challenger. They would rather concentrate on the actual selling process on vehicles they sell the most, ie. trucks, minivans, compact MPG cars, whatever they sell the most of.
It doesn't help that most jerks in management don't care how good your product knowledge is, its "HOW MANY cars have you sold for me?" mentality. Sales is about selling first, knowledge second.
Luckily, its not like that everywhere, but that is the exception, not the rule.

 

There are good dealers/salespeople out there. But, for the most part the above post is true. As evidenced by my experience with the saleswoman yesterday. See my Glass Back thread if you care to read.

 

the 2011 model..clueless..i told him im not interested in the 10 model because i want a 5.0..5.0 huh? was the look!! why do they hire these people? i hate going into any dealership and i know more then they do about there products..THEY SHOULD BE UPDATED ON OPTIONS AND ALL NEW PRODUCTS COMING OUT EVERY 3 MONTHS OR SOMETHING.

 

Thank you for the kind compliment, Torr. Some of us dealers actually strive to know everything we can about our products. Some of us are true enthusiasts who frequent these forums. The vast majority of car salesmen out there are a real disappointment, though.

If you're searching for a good dealer, you may want to check out www.DealerRater.com, which is a public website for consumers to write reviews about car dealers. You can search by brand and locality. It's fascinating to read how horrible some of the reviews are, and nice to see some good reviews, as well. But, it's painfully obvious that most dealers aren't into customer service. Glad that guys like Jeff & I are lucky enough to work at dealers that value long term relationships with their customers.

 

No problem Brian. I remember what it was like trying to be the best at what I did, only to get lumped with and treated like all the slimy, slicked back hair, no-nothings.
Or like the post above yours, expect that we should know more than they do. Even though we get more information from forums and info sites than the manufacturers ever release. Not just every three months! By the way, if we had been updated every three months and our last update was in November, we STILL wouldn't know that much about the 5.0.

 

I've bought several NEW vehicles over my life span, 7 in the past 16 years. But it wasn't until 1984 when things changed. I used the AAA buying program where they set a price before you go to the dealer, X amout over invoice. (I bought an Eddie Bauer Edition Ford Explorer) But since then, the internet is really the only way to buy a vehicle. Go find a showroom to test drive what you want, forget asking questions about the vehicle, they are mostly all clueless. Then go online and find your best price. Then if you still want to go to a dealership near your home, walk in with the quote and tell thme you'll buy the car today if they can beat or match the price.
Been doing that for years, and couldn't be happier.
LJS

 

Thanks Brian for posting the Dealer Rater. The dealer my Dad just got his Taurus and i'll order my 2011 Mustang from, got very good rates.

 

Most of Ford dealers in my area are ok, some are more pushy than others, but overall I'm happy with them.

But there was one that I will never forget, Latham in Twin Falls, Idaho, that used to sell all type of cars. As soon as he heard my bad English (this was about 6 months after moving to the USA) with a heavy accent he tried to take a big advantage. We were looking to purchase a 1996 Dodge Intrepid for $10,000 (this was in a late 1999). He claimed he could get us a low 3.9% rate and our monthly payment would be "only $550/month for 60 month". Even worse, he wouldn't let us walk out of his office, and when I asked him for a calculator he quickly changed his story.

 

Hey, scotty if you are in PA then you NEED to see Jeff (05fordgt). He's a salesman in PA and he is an avid mustang fan! I'm sure you've seen some of his posts on here. He'll take care of you for sure!

 

Hey Torr, thank you for the very kind words. Like Brian said, him and I are VERY LUCKY to work for places that value earning a long-term repeat customer rather than selling 1 person one time only. My boss learned years ago, that my surfing the net was actually being on here helping people with questions that can turn into sales. I will post on here as long as I am able to. I love helping people on here. This site means ALOT to me and I enjoy it every day I wake up. Thanks again Torr.

 

Hey Jason, I got your PM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the kind words. I love helping everyone on here I can. Even if I don't physically sell them a car. If my advise helps them get a good deal, then I feel I did a good thing.

Scotty, if you live anywhere near PA, give me a call at the number in my sig, or send me a PM. I'll be happy to help you with any questions you have on the car. Let me know buddy.

 

yep some good people and some uninformed sales people out there. I wonder if the sales person doesn't know anything about mustangs maybe they know about minivans. Maybe ask when you go into a dealership, hey who knows the most about (insert car of your choice here). I have to say when you sell cars for ford or chevy... there's a lot you would need to know about all the car/trucks they sell. Most know a few tidbits about each one but nothing in depth. like stated above get as much info online as you can so your well informed before you ever hit the dealership floor.

 

Glenn, I sold new Fords for a couple years about 10 years ago. I have always been the resident Mustang nut, having owned Mustangs since 1982. To your point, I used to tell my Mustang customers that it was a good thing they didn't ask me about a van as I would have disappointed them with my lack of van knowledge.

I knew so much about Mustangs because they are my passion. But to survive as a salesman, I had to know a lot of my volume sellers (at the time that was Explorers and F-series trucks). I always thought I had a well-rounded knowledge of all Ford products, and I am master-certified in my position through Ford, but I've had 10+ years to keep up on my training.

Lots of dealers have revolving doors with new salesmen coming and going weekly. Those new guys are the ones that shouldn't be turned loose on the sales floor until they've completed product training, IMO.

 

Skotty, where do you live? I am in KC, but bought my Stang in Omaha. The jokers at my local place don't know squat, but they sure try and sell you something!

 

I think the problem goes beyond car salespeople or car dealerships, and I also don't think it's anything new. A lot of salespeople in general are so ridiculously incompetant, and now people are so much more informed because of the internet than ever.

When I bought my TV at Best Buy recently, it was the same thing. I had done my research and knew pretty much what I wanted but asked for some clarification in the store between two different models, and rather than say "sorry, I'm not actually sure, but I can look into that for you"...he just decided to lie and make something up that I knew wasn't true after 15 minutes of research. It is incredibly insulting.

I don't think people ever knew how ignorant salespeople were because they were so ignorant themselves. Now it is easy to research any purchase you make and cut through a lot of the BS.

I think the problem is that most people selling you somthing don't really care about what they are selling and it shows. Fortunately as other have pointed out, it's easy to find the ones who do care about their product and are passionate about what they are involved in.

 

Having had a successful career in sales & sales mgmt, I agree with you about the incompetents - both in knowledge and desire. The stuff coming out of our schools these days where people can't write, spell, much less present themselves properly to get thru the interview process is amazing (and I've been out of the interview side since '93).

However, a large part of the problem lies with management. Very few have proper training programs. Even though it gets old training greenies, the sales field has high turn over and you have to hold classes on a regular basis. And although some sales skill should be taught, the classes really need to focus more on product knowledge. It seems that now mgmt teaches you just enough to get out on the floor and then funnel them to the 'closer'. (Which is frustrating because the salesperson the buyer was dealing with proved to be just a waste of time with no authority to make the sale.) You don't have to close if you know your product well enough where you can clearly explain the features and benefits, handle objections and concerns, and help the customer buy. But that takes effort on the part of mgmt to hold regular classes and keep your staff up to speed. And mgmt is just about as lazy as the sales staff these days.

IMO of course...

 

You're welcome, both of you. I wasn't saying it to butter you up, but I will be getting a mustang next spring.
Seriously though, if there is one thing I learned in the biz, it was the value of a good employee. Whether it was in sales, service, parts, cleanup or wherever, there were certain individuals who stood out from the rest and contributed in a way that made the dealership shine and the sales process flow.
Unfortunately, at my second dealership, there was a lot of dead weight, butt kissers, drug addicts, alcoholics, adulterers and nepotism running around too. It was a very hostile, unhealthy situation where people were taking drugs out in the open, in public areas and basically trying to hide from all of their shortcomings and insecurities.
Its very easy for me to see both sides of the coin and understand what its like for someone to deal with a horrible salesperson.
But its even better knowing there are guys out there who approach their job like a professional. Keep up the good work!