From: greis@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gayla Ann Greis)
Subject: Re: How Accurate is the Blue Book?
Originator: greis@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Reply-To: greis@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:37:56 GMT

> On 19 Aug 92 20:00:50 GMT, dan@seismo.noname (Dan Hagedorn) wrote:
>>Nntp-Posting-Host: seismo.pnl.gov

>>Auto dealers lying to you ??? NEVER!!! They are THE MOST HONEST and
>>TRUSTED professionals!!!

OK folks, here's the way *I* work, and *I* try to be honest, and give a
good deal while still making a buck to finish college (when I hopefully
won't have to do this anymore.) Remember now, you're buying a retail
product, not wholesale, and every minute you spend with a salesman is
how s/he gets paid. (I make slightly over minimum wage for 65 hours/week,
at least I have this summer.) When you "shop" a saleman, you cost yourself
money, because the worst thing you can let on to is that you have already
wasted someone else's time, and after we're done tonight, you're going
to shop me as well. I give my best deals to customers who come in and are
honest, and want to work with *me*, rather than give me a hard time.

When a customer comes in, the first step is to get to know the person. I
would sooner give a friend a good deal, than slap some crap together and
unload the dinosaur on the lot thats growing whiskers. After and during
that, find out what the customer needs, and what they want. I've switched
customers before from one type of car to another before because it fit
them better, or the car was more suited to their needs. Then show them the
car. If you don't want to drive my car, and just want a number, then I know
I can't sell you a car. I must have the *right* car for you, not the right
payment. Then, most importantly, do you have a trade, and realistically,
friend, if your car was on my used car lot, and you walked in and wanted
to buy it, after negotiations, what would *you* expect to pay for your
car buying it from *me*? (Not sticker, but final price.) From this
number, subtract $1200 because to safety, and cleanup the car, it's
gonna cost (average) $600, and I would expect to make $600 profit from
reselling it. Now take that number from the sticker price, and start
negotiating. Well, you wanted $1400 more for your trade in than what you
came up with when you realistically thought about it. If I can get that
much more into your car, would you be willing to purchase today? Realize,
that no more is going into that trade. That $1200 is *discount*, although
it may show up on the contract as trade allowance. Generally, then I get
the car appraised, and find out that they will pay even less than what
we had hoped initially, and need to discount the car $2000 to reach those
numbers. On the average I leave myself with between $300-600 worth of
profit. Of that I see 30% (My employer pays well BTW). I'll make between
$100-200 on a new car sale in *my* pocket. In a given week, I average
2 cars per week, or around $200-400/week. I work close to 65 hours/week,
and I put up with people who come in tired, and with bad attitudes, and
who want to spend as little time with me as possible. I love people,
but sales is a tough job, especially when you don't have established
clients. When you've been in the business for 40 years, you can sell the
same "friends" cars over and over, and their friends, children and whatever.
At age 22, I don't have that luxury. I work hard for every dime I make,
which sure as hell ain't much. 

Now if after reading this, you still think that I am slime, or that *all*
salemen out there are slime, then you need to have your head examined.
There are some pretty slimey people that I work with, so yes, they are out
there. But not everyone is.
Newsgroups: rec.autos