A Porsche Tale

[Dottore]

Originally posted by bigchillcar
try again, supe...would like to see the car.

search "janis jolin porsche" in google images.

lots of pics.

[gaijindabe]

Had the opposite experience. Suit and tie on I strolled into the Ferrari dealership on Park Avenue. They could not have been nicer. I could not afford the parking on one of those things...

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by Ronbo
This thread reminds me of what happened to me at a Lotus/MB dealership about 10 years ago. It was on a weekend, so I was casually dressed in jeans etc. but not grungy. I was in the showroom looking at their lone Esprit. Mind you, I had my hands clasped behind my back and I was looking in the driver's window. I had no intention on getting in the car or anything. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, this greasy little salesman in a shiny suit and slicked back hair runs over, locks the car door, and runs off without saying anything. I'd never been so insulted at a car dealer before or since.

That wouldnt happen to be Silver Star MB would it?

If so, I know the salesman you are talking about. He is indeed an ass

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by Milu
A clever salesman should recognise my brand x pocket knife and brand Y watch dangling from my ears, not to mention the latest kitchen gizmo I wear around my neck

The really clever salesmen have been keeping an eye on your PPOT activity, and already know about your watch, your knife, and your kitchen toys. They then used your user profile and a public records search to find your home address, and they have already sent the sales literature to your house. You should get it any day now.

As we speak, the credit department is preparing special financing that you are already pre-approved for.

[notfarnow]

I sold new cars at a Suzuki dealer for a year, back when I lived in Montreal. I loved it... it was a great little dealership with many repeat customers... You started out selling 2-4 cars a week easily. You didn't make a pile of money on each car, bought if you sold a lot of them you did OK, and it was a lot of fun for a 26 yr old car nut.

Pete was a snide little SOB who sat beside me, and he pretty much fit the description you guys are talking about. Condescending and belittling. I always thought it was a bit much... I mean cripes, we were selling Suzukis... but he maintained it was important to be IN CONTROL. I liked meeting people, and liked talking cars, so the sales came pretty easy.

There was an Asian guy who worked at the textiles factory up the road. Every day after work, he caught the bus right in front of the dealership. One slow, rainy day he came in after work.

It was Pete's "up" and, he had been waiting 3 hrs for someone to come through the door. He said "you take him, I'm not wasting my up."

I spent an hour and a half with him, his english was bad but I walked him through the whole thing, options, price etc... on the fully clapped out Grand Vitara with v6 , bushbars, leather. Offered a test drive but he had to catch the bus. Pete taunted me afterwards, saying the guy just wanted to keep out of the rain and was always wasting our time when it rained.

Next day after work, he came in with $5000 down, in cash. All old $20 and $50 bills... took almost an hour to count. He wanted to pick the car up the next day, so he could drive to his son's university graduation in his first car. THAT was a good day. The guy even wrote ME a thank-you letter.

[creaturecat]

Joplin Porsche:

[bigchillcar]

thanks creaturecat. woahhh..a little high just looking at it.

[Noah930]

Nice story, Jake. Both for you and for your customer.

Here in Boston, probably the biggest new car dealer is a guy named Herb Chambers. IIRC, he got his start as a copier salesman. Apparently he did very well for himself, but was quite unassuming. He walked into the local Porsche dealership wearing very plain-looking clothes (jeans?). Didn't get the time of day...so he wound up purchasing the entire dealership.

[LakeCleElum]

Originally posted by Dan in Pasadena
My Dad custom ordered his first and only brand new car in 1955. It was a black '55 Chevrolet two door hardtop with cream and red-orange interior. He didn't want one of those unproven "new" small block V8's (!) he wanted a "reliable" engine; bought the 235 straight six cylinder with three speed overdirve. I dont know what the price was brand new but it wasn't cheap for those days.

Now, my Dad was a construction worker. A journeyman union "bricklayer" in the parlance of the day. Since we are Hispanic and he worked in the sun all day he was brown as could be and wore a work cap (like a baseball cap but with no writing on it in those days) so he had a white tan line across his forehead. He went to pick up the car one night after work. My uncle who also worked construction dropped him off at the dealership in his work truck, a 40 Ford - just a ratty truck in those days.

They directed him to the part department! He said he was there to pick up his new car and they re-directed him to the service department. He couldn't get anyone to take his money. He took a cab home, called the dealership and when he said he wanted to talk to the owner they asked him his name and when he said "Estrada" they hung up on him! Of course they took his money when he ordered it but they didn't want any trade with "one of THOSE people". It took him a long time to get them to talk to him and that was after threatening to sue them for his deposit.

Dan - That's a good story and I know it's true. But your Dad will be proud to know things have now gone full circle:

Last April, I stopped for a drink in a bar in Pacific Grove to take in the scenery out over the water. Started talking to the bartender and turned out he used to sell cars at a Ford dealership in farming area just north of there.
Said he couldn't compete with the Hispanic salespeople. He said when the Hispanic population came in to buy a car, they didn't trust the white guy, and went to seek out one of their own.....

[varmint]

here's a link to the blog of some guy working at a motorcycle dealership.


http://lazyk.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=35