The Washington times., 1912-11-09
BOOSTING OWNER
IS BEST SELLING
FORCE TO DEALER
Keeping Buyers Satisfied
One of Points for
Statesmen.

Those who are identified with the au-
tomobile trade are beginning to realize
that a boosting owner IL the biggest
active selling force that any dealer can
possess. Up to the present many sales
men-dealers are meant-went on the
assumption that when the car was de-
livered the work was done. TINS ~
short-sighted salesmanship. Keep the
buyer satisfied Is the great aim. Give
him service and he will be satisfied.
Giving him service need not mean CIV
ing him now clutch bearing after he
has burned one out due to sheer care
lessness, giving him service does not
mean selling him gasolene at cents n
gallon under the price II can be bought
at other places: but service means
starting the owner out right with his
machine. and giving him that rational
advice and attention which his case
warrants.
Situation Tied UP.
The situation is accurately sized up
by Motor Age, which recently said:
More repeat orders In pleasure cars
are lost by poor attention by the dealer
to the car owner than by faults In the
car. Hundreds Of cases are on record
where the car owner liked the car. but
| refused to have anything TO do with tho
| dealer. Such dealer has to make
| o. new sale every time he disposes OF q
car: his old customers rarely come bach
and place a repeat order. They do moi
come back to tell why they simply &c
| their way, preferring to do business
with the dealer who.gives them the ser
vice they want.
| What Is the service they want? 1
| Is difficult to answer this question. Th'
! answer depends on the individuals VIII
| own the cars. Where the owner drive!
the car he wants that service which
| will make him a competent driver, ca
! Fable OF getting the best possible ou
| Of his car. He wants to drive his ca
| as II ought to be driven. He wants I,
give IL that attention that 1t ought Il
/ be given. In "A word, he wants L
know how to handle and care for /
nationally.
| properly by the new purchaser. IL
gets his first car and has to becom
IL miliar with all OF the many whims o
K. According to many statesmen moth
ing Is wrong with 1t, and. more nothing
carbon In the cylinders: 1t will go NIFTY
I Ave miles per hour on high; it will ru
1OO0 miles on "A gallon OF oil. II wi
r AXE twenty miles per gallon Of gasn
lcre. and you hardly ever have 1
bother with the other parts.
! Finds Bearing Trouble.
"Often the buyer takes the salesma
literally. He does not put any lubrican
into the front wheel hubs, and afte
running 5.Cpl miles he finds some bear
ing trouble. The same salesman tell
him this who volunteered the II
formation at the time of sale that
: did not require lubricant He Is tol
, by the salesman to turn certain greas
, Guns up every two weeks, but the rcpai
| man SAYS they should be turned u
, every week. and In heavy running ever
100 miles.
. The dealer with statesmen giving sue
| advice is going to lose out IN tho sci
I irg business. The merits Of his produ,
. may carry him for time, IN spite
: lis own poor organization and po'
methods. but the lane Will turn and Il
dealer giving little cheap. ration
| service In the way OF common sense a
vice will win out.
Service to the car owner means 81
! ing him rational advice when he asl
for II. II means when he takes his q
in to have II looked over and that tho
c | who do the work are competent to
II Il, so tfat the car Is not rendered wor
. instead Cf better. Service means sale
D men who know what advice to give
n the operation and care Of car VIII
4 they are making a sale. instead
I. salesinen who are entirely ignorant
q the operation Of the machine and 81
II the buyer false impressions.
a "The dealer should constantly Ike
the pleased owner in mind