[SCOTT GILCREST]

i have a question

Why is it that customers alway attribute a bad experience at a dealership entirely to the dealership personnel?

Is it possible that customers create their own agony in certain situation.

Is it possible that acustomer is lying? for example, there is a thread about a gray market vehicle that was not disclosed at time of sale, but the dealership called the customer the next day and offered everything within their power to make amends, including buying it back.---My question is---where did the dealer get that vehicle?

Likely answer- A customer who did not disclose that it was a gray market vehicle.

Do customers ever go to dealership and say they have a price at another dealership that is lower, when they really don't? Of couse they do.

Just a little something for all of you on your high horses to think about.

 

[xinnek]

Hidee Ho Neighbors, it's me...Ken

This is the real Ken Nix. I wasn't planning on ever coming back to odyclub. I received a post on my forum about this thread this morning. Felt I had to reply, and answer a few questions, just to set the record straight.

I didn't leave odyclub, I was removed. You know, deleted..... I don't know why. But, that's okay. There were a lot of rumors that are unfounded. I don't believe that Odyclub or it's sponsors were out to get me because of some conspiracy theory. But, you know, everyone loves a good conspiracy. I think it was just the fact that I may have been too outspoken for my own good and of course alot of people came to my site from here. Odyclub is not in business to bring customers to my site or our dealership. I just made a mistake somewhere along the way.

Yes, I was transferred to our Kia dealership. But not because of Honda, it was that a very close friend that I respect very much asked me to help him with the Kia dealership. So, no, I wasn't canned.

Yes, I still work for Honda and I am still Honda Certified.

No, I'm not a slimy salesman that disappears after a few weeks with a dealership. I have been with my present dealership for over 4 years and have a 96.8% customer satisfaction score. And I monitor this forum every week even though I don't participate.

Yes, I do like Odyclub and think it is a great service. Actually I repect Odyclub alot. They helped me start my site, took up for me, and the admins helped me alot. But formost it is Odyclub's members who are the greatest. You have banded together for a common goal, and that's what makes Odyclub great. Each and everyone of you are Odyclub. I've said it once and I'll say it again.



ALL HAIL THE POWER OF ODYCLUB AND IT'S MEMBERS
Sincerely,
Ken Nix

 

[arvinthsiva]

Most people know what they want when they come in to a dealership and don't like being forced to buy stuff they don't want. Also, it would be nice if paper work gets done faster.

 

[xinnek]

PS Thank You

By the way, I want to say thank you to everyone who posted to this thread. I did learn alot and hopefully other salespeople will benefit from it. And please don't flame intel bunny, I'll have her edit her post.
Again, THANK YOU!
Ken Nix

 

[egads]

Keep in mind, that during this period when many were posting about the new Ody, that our Webmaster was required by Honda corp to remove all threads and posts with information about said Odysseys. And the site rules do not allow any dealers or salesmen to post anything close to advertising unless they are sponsors.

 

[05MAody]

Auto dealers generally fear internet sales, so much so that in some states, laws have been enacted recently to prevent manufacturers from selling directly via the internet. I believe that consumers should fight these laws. Maybe it is time for auto sales to join the 21st century. Dealerships would become delivery and repair shops only.

Regards,

Maugham

[[

dismounting soapbox

]]

I like it the way it is. If the price was more regulated I would have never gotten my EX-L for $27,234 + destination. For me to get that deal some one else paid sticker.... (Thank you who ever you are)

 

[janthony]

Ken,
What can you quote me for an EXL Res/Nav? I've got one for a little below MSRP, but not by much. Most in the SF Bay Area still want MSRP--or more!

 

[xinnek]

Good Bye Honda

Well, after selling Hondas since 1994, I have to say farewell. I received 3 bad surveys in a row.

• Delivered a CRV to customer's home and his dog bit me, 4 times, Customer said his dog didn't trust me.
• Delivered Customer Hybrid to Scapoose, about 45 min drive one way. arrived 20 min early, Customer's daughter claimed I was late. Gave me a 2 for delivery. (This was a courtesy to the customer as they didn't have an extra driver.) again
• Customer doesn't give anyone excellent scores. 'nuff said.

I bent over backwards to please customers. I did as Honda asked and didn't mention the surveys. I guess I should have broken the rules like everyone else. Just because I have integrity and do things the way I'm suppose to, I get ripped. My score was a 70 for the month. I was told last week there was no way to get my score up in time and that I would be terminated on the 30th. So today I quit. Adios Amigos. From now on I'm just a Ody owner like everyone else. Think I'm gonna do something other that sell cars.
P.S. If you care about your salesman. Give him 5s
Sincerely,
Ken Nix
ps. I hope this thread help other salepeople understand and fulfil your needs.

 

[lumpy39]

Know something about car seats

You are selling mini-vans. Understanding LATCH systems, where the teather anchors are, and the correct terminology are key factors when selling mini-vans to families. I understand that not all dealerships want to take on the liability of car seat installation but the knowledge should be there. I recently bought an Ody and the salesman didn't know where the teather anchor was. I specifically asked because some friends also bought an ODY and their salesman had not idea where it was either. I found it absurd that 2 salesmen knew relatively little about securing safety seats in MINI-VANS. (the quintessential family vehicle)

In my research, I found that Nissan took it one step further and tried the car seats out in the Quest and listed the car seats that fit properly. This was neat but the fact that Nissan thought Orange Leather was a good choice for an interior dropped them off the list of candidates. (the vehicle was also weird to drive)

I hope you are still checking this thread, because my recent experience was less than spectacular. If one more person insinuates that these vehicles are so hot that they don't need to try and sell them, I will lose it. I walked out of 3 dealerships because I couldn't stand the arrogance any longer.

 

[xinnek]

dealers don't care

The dealers don't care if you are helped by someone with knowledge anymore. They cut the salespeoples commissions, increase paks (monies the dealer doesn't have to pay comm. on) and rob the salespeople. Any guess why your salespeople don't know their latch from a trunk release? There is a new breed of salesperson coming..... the internet. (oops, already here) Buying a vehicle from a competent, well informed salesperson is becoming passe'. Customers want to pay the least, get the most and dealers want to make the most and pay the least. Someone has to suffer. It won't be the dealer, so it has to be the salesman and the customer. Dealers seem to be more worried about quantity and the surveys than hiring and training qualified educated salespeople. If they suspect you are going to give them a bad survey.... your phone # or address gets changed so the survey people cant contact you. Surveyors are just as bad, they lead the customer to believe that lower scores are ok. So the really bad guy gets to stay ( they reroute their surveys) and the good salesperson gets lower scores because they don't reroute any of theirs. Of course it is usually the bad guy that is making the huge gross profits for the company. so they cover for them.
sorry I got off topic a little. LOL Dealers just tick me off!
here are some places to find safety info.

Car-seat.org - Child seat safety

Car-safety.org - Safety and Tether info


Hope this helps.
thanks,
ken

 

[nathana]

When I bought my truck in 1999 (2000 model year), I really liked the dealer.

We just happened to stop by on a trip across the state (1.5 hours from h ome). We looked at several vehicles and a man came and stood nearby us while we poked around. After a minute or so, he told us if we had any questions, he'd be happy to answer them. Then he left us alone!

This has NEVER happened to me at another dealership, before or since (including buying my ody).

When we were actually ready with a question, he answered it. When he didn't know, he went inside and found out.

Later on, when I decided to buy the vehicle I wanted, I got the Consumer Reports price guide and made my own price sheet, listing the options I wanted, their invoice prices, and adding a line item at the bottom "Dealer profit" of 600$. I faxed it to nine dealerships with their names on the cover sheet so they each knew who else got it.

One of the people to call back was the man we had dealt with some weeks earlier on that trip. He said he'd meet the price. I asked that there be no funny business or attempts to jack it up since I was driving 1.5 hours to come talk to him and place the order.

We walked the lot and singled out the few items I was not sure of, like specific fabrics, seat types, wheel types, tires, etc.

Once that was selected, he made up the order and much to my PLEASANT surprise, it was EXACTLY what I had faxxed around. Not one cent more.

I put down my deposit and went home with an estimated delivery date. The truck was a tad late, but it was in good order.

While I was waiting the few days to go get it (time from work), he called me and had another customer who had ordered a 12 disc changer but that wouldn't fit in their vehicle. He had tested the fit in mine (I had ordered a 6 disc) and it fit, and mine fit in theirs, so he asked for them if I would trade straight up. I did, and both his customers came out well.

I picked up my truck and have been happy ever since.

He's the only dealership experience I've ever enjoyed.

If you can emulate him, you might not make as many sales, since he used no pressure, but you will have happy customers, 100% of the time.

 

[plymouth]

Honda SWAT team at MM

Want to really "wow" your Honda customers, come closer and I'll tell ya...
Have a Honda SWAT team at your ready!
My poor 05 Ody Touring got the garage door closed on it after having it for less than 3 weeks. I also had the wireless head phones go out, have a "clunking" in the sliding doors when they open, a "rumble" at speeds between 30-50mph and a dent problem that all needed to be fixed and fixed now.
I called my salesperson (Mike Boyar @ Melton Motors-MI.) and told him that I was bringing in the Ody now to be looked at. When I got there, he had gathered a Honda SWAT team that came out to the parking lot to check out the problems in my Ody.
And these were the "big guns". Steve Szabados (service manager) went directly into the middle seats to check out the headphone and door problems. Jacquline (I wish I could remember her exact title, but she is the bright star of the body shop) came out to look at the damage sent out a fine gent to start writing up my est. All of this activity was going on with Mr. Boyar in the front seat of my car, sitting there to make sure all ran smoothly. Each member of this "SWAT" team seem very interested in my problems and went out of their way to make sure I knew that they would move heaven and earth to make sure my Ody will come home in fine shape. It was wild to see Mike and Steve in the Ody (as the both of them could make up one half of an offensive line on any football team) bending over the inside of the cabin looking for any problems that might be causing the headphone trouble.
Bottom line...anybody can sell you the Honda, but it is the after the sale service that keeps 'em coming back to you.
Word of mouth is a wonderful thing...

 

[plymouth]

Honda SWAT team at MM

edit

 

[xinnek]

Swat Team? Hmmmmmm........

Like the Swat Team Idea. I was talking to Paul Cummings last year and he was telling me about his years selling before becoming a motivational speaker. He networked within the dealership to have his own team. Sales, Service, Parts, and Body Shop. He had hats made up that said "Team Paul". Everyone worked together and had a sense of pride to make sure everyone was happy. I thought it was a great idea. Sounds like your salesperson Mike Boyar @ Melton Motors-MI is a great guy. We need more people like him and the service people at Melton Motors. I'd really like to go back to selling Hondas but the nearest dealer that I would consider working for is and hour away from me. So I'm stuck working for a terrific and honest dealer and managers, selling a lot of USED hondas at a Ford store. LOL
Thanks for the support guys, It really means alot to me and I hope this thread has helped alot of salespeople understand their customer better. I think all salespeople would be much better if they would just realize one thing. "a customer's perception is their reality". Most salespeople don't get it. Sometimes (and the Lord knows I've been guilty of this myself) they just don't understand what the customer is perceiving. To coin a phrase from an old saying, "they cant see the lasting beauty of the forest for the money they can make cutting down the trees".

 

[WhtEX-LNav]

EASY (for me to say at least)

Don't bull**** or lie
Be patient and sincere

I don't even care if you know your product; because chances are I know more than you and so will most buyers now a days. Because when one is spending this much money on one car we better know what we are getting into. You as a salesperson as less likely to be passionate about knowing all the models and details. We on the other hand only needs to know one(the one we are buying) so the worse you can do is to pretend you know, when you lose your credibility you lose my trust and unless you are giving me the deal of the century I could care less to do business with someone I can't trust.
I've learned things the hardway by "enduring" just over 18 deals now with my family and my own cars and each time I came out stronger and tougher if not wiser.
I don't mind you play that saleman game when you have to run back and forth when all you talk about is bull****. Everytime you guys do that just make me laugh. But if you want to be a clown thinking you're convincing us you are making our money worth so be it. Most of the sales know the bottom line and what pushes your manager so be sincere about it and really be there to help us.
Like I say, easy for us to say. But your bottom line is your pocket as our is ours. So the game will continue; all you could do is make it at least painful as possible.

 

[big_mosquito]

Hey Ken,

I just checked out this thread for the first time so your departure from Honda dealer is ancient history. FWIW, however, I am sorry that things ended up the way they did. Life is definitely not fair. I hate to see an honest sales guy get treated that way.

I have to comment on the surveys and how the expectation of 5 (out of 5) ratings seem out of sync. In my mind a 4 would be pretty darn good and a 5 would be extremely outstanding and warranted only when the salesman does something unexpected and out of the ordinary. If I hadn't been made aware of the importance of the survey results on a salesman livelihood I would have given my salesman - who I liked and who did a good job - all 4's. Luckily for him I was aware and I gave him all 5's.

Maybe I am unconsiously (and incorrectly) equating the rating scale of 1 to 5 to a grading scale of F to A where a B (4) is above average. But I wonder how many other buyers shy away from giving 5's to good sales people.

EDIT: My comment on the survey refers to the car companies expectation of 5's (not the sales persons). It seems that they punish any sales person that doesn't receive 5's on the survey - when the general public may be giving 4's to good sales people. I am glad the car companies are pushing for excellent customer service but there are some flaws in the way they are doing it.

 

[egads]

Most of us do not leave dealers feeling all warm and fuzzy. The survey is pretty ridiculous if you have to get all fives all the time with, as a salesperson, so little control over the whole experience. It's so bad, that at several dealers buying Hondas I have been implored to give all fives.

 

[wild willy]

Most of us do not leave dealers feeling all warm and fuzzy. The survey is pretty ridiculous if you have to get all fives all the time with, as a salesperson, so little control over the whole experience. It's so bad, that at several dealers buying Hondas I have been implored to give all fives.

Every time I felt warm and fuzzy about a dealer or a salesman....I calll back a few months after the sale.........The salesman no longer works with there..... Every time......

 

[Guest]

Every time I felt warm and fuzzy about a dealer or a salesman....I calll back a few months after the sale.........The salesman no longer works with there..... Every time......

Agreed - I got an altima two years ago and i liked the sales person. I have my choice of 3 dealers at the same price. I shoose this guy because there was 0 BS. Wish there were more like him. The only BS was my trade in value and in the end I got what I wanted so I was happy (we only went back and forth twice). So I get a card about 3 months ago and he has moved to another dealer......

 

[wild willy]

Agreed - I got an altima two years ago and i liked the sales person. I have my choice of 3 dealers at the same price. I shoose this guy because there was 0 BS. Wish there were more like him. The only BS was my trade in value and in the end I got what I wanted so I was happy (we only went back and forth twice). So I get a card about 3 months ago and he has moved to another dealer......

I loved my Altima salesman..he was the ****!! He did what he said he was going to....No questions. I got mine in VA....I tried to get the dealer to tell me where he went..because I would have bought from him again no matter what he sold. He took care of me. That is important. I would have gone back to him year after year.....But..they would not tell me where he went. I was sad..he was about 6ft 9.... Probably about 400lbs.