(If you don't watch Carlos Mencia you might not get the dee reference)

Had the Gooser in for some 36K warranty stuff...I'm not one to sit on my duff in the waiting room having to watch Suze Orman yak about womans financial health on PBS so I cruise the lot looking at new wheels to chew up time. As usual the snakes are waiting in the grass until you spend more than a minute looking at a vehicle..in this case it was a 2009 HHR.

Here comes the dee and he greets me with " Wazzup buddy! I seez ya checking out my wheels here" I just stood there for 20 seconds staring at him trying to figure out 1) Wazzup buddy??? What the hell kind of greeting is that? 2) The whole blue shirt, red tie and brown pants combo had me a bit speechless and 3) I'm going on 44 which is not really "old" but why is this guy talking to me like I'm Enienem or one of his "homies"?

After I snapped out of my trance I told him that I was just killing time as my HHR was getting some work done on it.."Oh..ok..what year is yours? 2005?" No it is a 2007... "Oh cool..well the 2009 is really neat..it is pretty much the same as yours but has bluetooth or something like that" Oh that is real neat..well just killing time thanks..."Ok bro...I'll be around if you decide to buy something" You got it

So I proceed to look at almost every car on the lot and then decide to cross the road and look in the Toyota lot...I really dig the new Matrix so wanted a closer look..this time I didn't even get 3 steps onto the lot and Yota salesguy ambushes me.."Hey Pal...what can I do for you today?" Fill in the blanks here people Held my tongue and told him killing time and at least he said "Have a nice day and vanished" Almost got finished there until salesguy #3 of the day approaches "Yo Chief..you being helped??" No I'm killing time, my car is in the shop..."Wow that sucks..did you buy it here?" No it is a Chevy and it is across the street at MacMulkin "Oh wow..hey do you want to buy a Matrix?"

Again just stopped and stared at this clown with my mind going a million miles an hour trying to process everything this knucklehead is saying. Finally...No, again, I'm just killing time waiting for my car. "Oh...well ok..that's cool I guess, have a great day Chief"



OK sorry for the rant but I have to ask...how the hell do these guys make it as salesman???? Not 1 or 2 but 3 salesman addressed me as "Buddy, Pal and Chief" What the hell ever happened to " Hello sir..is there anything I MIGHT be able to assist you with today?" Is that asking too much? Am I an old fuddy duddy man at 43 going on 44?


Between the screwups in the service dept and lack of attention to detail to the goofballs they have trying to sell cars.....holy moly

Maybe it's me


Goose

 

I would imagine most car salespersons are chomping at the bit for a sale right now. Just sitting in there staring at the lot waiting for someone to enter on to it so they can run out there. Man, glad I don't have a job like that!!

TomR

 

hey im 24 and i dont want to be called buddy. its general unprofessionalism that is plaguing our society. its not just you

 

Most people in car sales are trained to relax the customer by being overly friendly, even to the point of annoyance. It puts the customer in the position of feeling like they are in control of the situation and the salesman is willing to do anything for them. A lot of people expect a hairy confrontation, but the whole "buddy" thing puts people at ease. Kinda like if Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation was your car salesman--except underneath the facade he's really Michael Douglas from Wall Street. The sad thing is that it works on 99% of the car buying public.

That's why Saturn only has about 1% market share.

 

I don't think much can beat it when "Ringo Wong" was trying to sell me a jeep. Seriously that was his name, i have his business card somewhere. Loved how he asked me why i wasn't buying that day 5 times as i tell him over and over i don't want a car for 6 months. Good thing he had answers to all of my questions i had, oh wait, he didn't have any and was confused when i asked him anything technical about the car. Look where i didn't go back to get a car...

 

on wall street, the word is one of the big three will be out of business by years end. then, the sales persons will really say "dee dee dee"!!!!!!! watch carlos all the time!!!

 

Now you know why I shop online or visit the lots on Sunday.

 

Ha, I am 43 almost 44 as well. Luckily for me I have known my salesman for 22 years.
Got the "buddy" treatment at another dealer; after a polite test drive, while telling the first salesman just looking around, another salesman strolls by and asks " What do I have to do to get you in a car today?"

 

Well...my ex, was a car salesman for a bit. I also worked at a dealership for a bit way back when. It's certainly a different world.

I remember one of the guys telling me about this time some guy dressed rather ragged was wondering through the show room and happened to sit in one of their top of the line models. Not being to impresses, the sales guy went to usher him out only to have the "bum" pull out cash to buy the vehicle...lol.

Oh yeah the other priceless one was the farmer that came in and bought a new car. He then proceeded to bring in several huge glass jars filled with $20s to pay cash for the car. That one was no tale...I had to count out several thousand in $20s. No fun...lol. I don't remember the price, after all it was about 30 years ago..lol.

 

My best car buying strategy was to bring my devolpmentally disabled son with me, and turn him loose in the showroom, tell him to push ALL the buttons, honk the horns, and so on. They can't wait to get me out of there.

One time on a day off, I visited my local Cadillac dealer to try to test drive a CTS. I was in my weekend slob attire of T shirt & shorts. I was completely ignored in the showroom and on the lot. I was almost ready to pull out the money out of my wallet and wave it around syaing "hey, someone wants to buy a car here". Fortunately good sense occurred when I realized that they just don't need my business, and I walked out. I didn't think my attire would count, as this is the way I see almost every Escalade driver.