What We Can Learn From Stupid Car Sales People

This blog entry has been deleted and rewritten three times, not because I had a better way to make my point, but because the situation goes from dumb to dumber to dumber-er. Let me ‘splain...

His name was Rickie* and he met me at the door of the car dealership, quickly guiding me to a few models to try on (I say try on because at 6’6” I treat cars like clothes, trying them on before trying them out). Fast forward: Blah, blah, blah...car selection. Blah, blah, blah..negotiation. Blah, blah, blah..contract signed for a White VW Jetta Diesel.

Let the stupidity begin.

With the contract signed, all that was left to do was to register the vehicle and pass in my trade for the new car. However, with the contract signed, there was also no incentive for the dealership to do anything right. I was now legally bound to paying three years’ worth of lease payments. Thus, the bar was set low and the dealership set out to clear it. It would fail miserably.

What came next was a series of mistakes, lies (remember, these are CAR salesman I am talking about here), and a lot of blame pointed the customer’s way. That would be me.

From my end, I’ve gone from understanding to frustration to disbelief. I have left a loud voice mail message advising the sales rep to park the White VW Jetta Diesel in a place that is anatomically impossible, though he’d never again have to worry about hemorrhoids. I have asked the sales manager if this was the first car he’s ever sold. And I’ve spoken to the dealership owner himself and suggested (correctly, I might add), that improved communications was required to which he replied, “Yeah, we’re not very good at that.” Simply pick up the phone and call me to keep me informed. Don’t make it so that I call over and over again due to a lack of information, only to uncover the aforementioned lies. When that happens, Mr. Bigglesworth gets angry. And when Mr. Bigglesworth gets angry….