I thought I'd share this with the Honda community. As you may know, I bought my 04 Accord about 3 months ago. I stopped back into another dealership that I was previously working with to simply sit in a 2008 Accord. I hadn't been inside one yet, so I figured I'd stop by since the salesman was such a nice cool guy.... so I thought.

Background: Prior to buying the Accord, I'd probably been looking at cars for about a year trying to be sure I was picking up the perfect vehicle at the right price. Not really knowing what I wanted, I cross shopped a lot of vehicles, but always came back to the Accord. This Honda dealer had a particularly cool salesman who seemed to know everything about the Accord, and even owned a manual trans sedan, like I was seeking. He took me on 2 test drives, though I'd kept in touch with him for probably 6 months. Even though the sales manager was an ass, this guy was very pleasant, and seemed to be a bit of an enthusiast. I came real close to buying an 07 sedan from him, but backed out after realizing what I wanted was still a bit too expensive for my bank account. At the time, I really wished they had the used car I was looking for because I truly wanted to buy from this character, regardless of the history with that dealer, or the sales manager which I never was too fond of.

Story: Last weekend, while my lady was shopping, I decided to stop by the honda dealer to sit in a 2008 that was sitting on their showroom. When I pulled up, I spotted my favorite salesguy wandering around the main building, not with a customer. He immediately recognized me, and saw that I picked up a new car. The conversation begins:

me: Hey xxx! how have you been! :wave:
salesdude: Bought a car huh :thumbsdow
me: Yep, I ended up getting an 04 EX-L for $14K
salesdude: ........
me: Sorry man. I really wanted to buy from you, I was just a cheapskate, and had to buy something that better fit my budget. I'll go to you when I get a new one in the future :yes:
salesdude: how many miles
me: 42,000
salesdude:.......
me: but its not certified. I know your cars are all certified
salesdude: :rolleyes::mad: well that's your f***ing problem. If you just bought a car, what are you doing here?
me: I wanted to look at a 2008, for fun
salesdude: they're out back *points blankly in the distance without looking*
me: but I want to sit in one, I already know what they look like on the outside. I want to get a feel for the interior, as I could get one a couple years from now
salesdude: :rolleyes: well, when you go inside, just make sure you tell the sales manager that you are just looking, and are not buying.
me: ok, no problem. I won't waste your time, or anyone else's.
salesdude: right.


I came in and sat in the car, to get a comparing feel, and left. No one else said a word to me. Now I'm not expecting the guy to be overly enthusiastic about his customer buying a car elsewhere, but I wasn't expecting the complete opposite personality that I encountered that night. My lady later advised it was probably a good thing that I didn't buy from this guy. They can be the nicest people in the world when they want to be.

That is the type of story I would immediately share with the dealership owner! I can't stand that type of person! You definitely managed to keep a cool head about the deal (kudos to you), which I certainly would not have done. What an a**!

He didn't really use the f word did he?

I mean your convo doesn't call for that at all...

Same experience here with many different sales people, i don't kid when i warn people that all they want is your sale, then your just an annoying person to them after that...:thumbsdow

That is the type of story I would immediately share with the dealership owner! I can't stand that type of person! You definitely managed to keep a cool head about the deal (kudos to you), which I certainly would not have done. What an a**!

judging from other stories about their service department, I don't think the owner gives a rats ass. This salesperson has been with them for years, and I think the owner lives 900 miles away.

He didn't really use the f word did he?

I mean your convo doesn't call for that at all...

he did use the F word believe it or not. I was a little surprised, but then remembered that we both used whatever language during the good conversations, so I figured he knew it wouldn't offend. But still, I wasn't expecting the complete change of attitude.

I can't stand people like this either...but the exist, and they exist in large numbers where jobs are commissioned. In the end, it comes down to if the person wants to sell cars, or wants to make a lot of money (and dealerships tend to look more for the latter than the former, sadly).

Luckily my sales guy has always been nice...The actual guy I bought my car from was let go before I took delivery, but the one who closed the sale still comes over to see me whenever I stop by parts to pick something up. Probably going to see about test driving one of the new 6MT coupes once they reach the dealership, because if I ever did buy another Honda, it would likely be from him if he is still around.

Really, its too bad more dealerships don't get that concept...the people really do sell the cars. One of the reasons I always go back to that dealership too is because the part's manager always comes over to say hi and see what I've been doing to the car, the part's desk always helps me with whatever I am trying to do (even if they wouldn't recommend what I am doing...lol). The only department I have had some issues with was service, and thats solely because of the fact I opt out of inspections which means less money for them (but aside from 1 guy there, they are always nice enough about it).

I swear that the majority of car salespeople are the same type of personality. Must be in some sort of profile requirement for hiring a salesperson. I always wondered if someone who actually offered good customer service and genuinely cared would be successful in car sales.

What are you telling us for? We can't do anything useful for you!

Send a complaint letter to the owner of the dealership, AND CC the same letter to Honda America.

This type of attitude/behaviour/language is inappropriate and unacceptable, as I often say:

I don't get mad, I get even!

What are you telling us for? We can't do anything useful for you!

:rolleyes:

Your "friendship" ended when he lost the opportunity to make some money in the near future off you. But, unfortunately, it does happen.

I say burn down the dealership!! But, just dont get caught!

To the OP:

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html

It's sad what they do really. I hate fake people...

that is a great article... i ahve read it before, and have it sved in my bookmarks.... :yes: :notworthy

that is a great article... i ahve read it before, and have it sved in my bookmarks.... :yes: :notworthy

lol same here...this thread was just begging for it to be added though. (esp the part where the salesman is polite and friendly until the guy says he doesn't want to buy a car but instead would like a sales job at the dealership...lol)

Interesting read. It makes me think that I wasn't such a sweetheart during my sales experiences. :lmao:

The waiting thing in particular is a sore spot with me. As soon as the sales rep went to "talk to his mgr" . . . I would leave his desk and go wandering around the showroom or even outside. They usually had to page me 1/2 the time. One dude even asked me to sit still and he promised to be back right away. I gave him 10 minnutes and went to pester the parts guys. :D

Not surprising, looking back on my experiences, the dealerships at which I did go wandering were the ones that ultimately were the worse to deal with. They also tended to be the ones that wanted to talk monthly payment instead of vehicle pricing. Coincidence? Maybe. Just an interesting note.

Though ultimately none of the NC dealerships even came close to the price I wanted, I have to admit there were one or two that were decent to deal with. They were devoid of the stereotypical tactics and were in general professional and friendly while being firm on their pricing. I can respect that.

To the OP:

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html

It's sad what they do really. I hate fake people...

wow thanks for the link

I know it's like a self-award to them , but considering it is based upon customer reviews (I filled one out for my dealer already and got a follow up email/review request since then) ...


'The President's Award is awarded by Honda to the top Honda dealerships denoting superior customer service. '

but does the President's Award hold any weight ?

The dealer I went with for has won them 5 times in the past 5 yrs and maybe it was just my own experience, but it def showed why they might have won such award with no pressure, giving the space to confer and ponder financial decisions and being really up front about all the angles... as well as awesome follow up from service manager, sales mngr and others from the dealer... heck my sales guy sent me a happy holidays card from his family (i prob helped pay for some of the presents , haha) and I got one from the dealer (small thing, I know...but hey, its pts with me lol)

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but here goes any way.:paranoid:

. He took me on 2 test drives, though I'd kept in touch with him for probably 6 months.

He spent the time for at least two test drives with you, which means you should enough interest to come back a second time. You also showed enough interest to keep in contact with him over a six month period. I'm assuming through phone calls and conversations that took some of his time. Remember commision sales people are only paid if they sell something, which means that everything they do is to work toward making a sale, it is how they earn money to live on. You took up some of this time and through repeated interest this would lead him to believe that he had a good chance of making a sale. Which by your own admission you were seriously considering. You have to remember that time literally is money to a commission sales person. If he spends time with someone who doesn't buy then that time is completely lost and he has been paid nothing for it. Worse he could have been spending that time with someone who was buying, so in essence he has lost a sale that he could have made while spending time with you.


. They can be the nicest people in the world when they want to be.



From what you wrote I am guessing that you didn't tell him prior to showing up at the dealership that you had bought a car else where. Think about this. He has invested time, therefore money, in talking to you and taking you on test drives over a six month period. The end result, the person he spent this time with shows up in a car that he bought somewhere else with no warning and just wants to look at the car he is not going to buy from him. Honestly this is like a slap in the face of any sales person. You are telling him, hey I wasted your time and bought somewhere else and want to waste some more of your time. Never expect a sales person to be happy and friendly when this happens. You have just taken away money that he was hoping to make to earn a living. Think of it as going to work, spending your whole day doing your job and then being told by the boss that he is not going to pay you for the time you spent. Consider it in this light.

Now, I'm not condoning some of the practices that happen in car dealerships or saying that this guy might not have been a total fake but there are two sides to everything and if you look at it from the opposite side you can be surprised at how different it can look.

For those who have never done it, commission sales is a very steressful and a lot of times unrewarding job. It takes many years and a lot of practice to become good at it and not take it personally. I know because it's what I do. In this guys case, yes he reactly badly, but from the sound of it he seems to be young or a little inexperienced at it. In my case I probably would have still shown you the 08 and been friendly, but a little cold and givin you another car for hopeful future business. But I have the advantage of having been in sales for 20 years so I don't take it as personal. Once you were gone though I most likely would have cursed you out for wasting all of that time with me. Honestly, nothing is more frustrating that having a customer who has shown a good amount of interest come by and say, hey buddy I went and bought it from someone else. It's almost as bad as the customer who comes in and staight out says, "Help me choose the right product so that I can go and buy it on the web for less than you can sell it for because the company has to pay for you for your knowledge."

OK sorry I'm getting off topic here so I'll get off the soapbox and put my flame retardant suit on now. Fire away!:nuts:

You do have a point, and I have gone out of my way to deal with salespeople who had helped me when I know they are on commission, and they appreciated it.

Flip side of the coin is for the salesperson who didn't get the sale to be a gracious "looser", more likely than not the customer is going to feel at least a little guilty and may in the future come back to the dealership and to the same salesperson who have demonstrated courtesy and professionalism by ALWAYS treating the customer with, guess what? COURTESY.

It's likely that by doing this, the salesperson may actually get referrals from even those who didn't purchase the car this time from him/her.

You never know!

Now I'm off the soapbox as I don't do commission sale but can appreciate time is money concept............

^^I agree with Greg S. I don't work in sales but I'd be ticked too if you came back in a new car that you bought elsewhere.

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but here goes any way.:paranoid:



He spent the time for at least two test drives with you, which means you should enough interest to come back a second time. You also showed enough interest to keep in contact with him over a six month period. I'm assuming through phone calls and conversations that took some of his time. Remember commision sales people are only paid if they sell something, which means that everything they do is to work toward making a sale, it is how they earn money to live on. You took up some of this time and through repeated interest this would lead him to believe that he had a good chance of making a sale. Which by your own admission you were seriously considering. You have to remember that time literally is money to a commission sales person. If he spends time with someone who doesn't buy then that time is completely lost and he has been paid nothing for it. Worse he could have been spending that time with someone who was buying, so in essence he has lost a sale that he could have made while spending time with you.






From what you wrote I am guessing that you didn't tell him prior to showing up at the dealership that you had bought a car else where. Think about this. He has invested time, therefore money, in talking to you and taking you on test drives over a six month period. The end result, the person he spent this time with shows up in a car that he bought somewhere else with no warning and just wants to look at the car he is not going to buy from him. Honestly this is like a slap in the face of any sales person. You are telling him, hey I wasted your time and bought somewhere else and want to waste some more of your time. Never expect a sales person to be happy and friendly when this happens. You have just taken away money that he was hoping to make to earn a living. Think of it as going to work, spending your whole day doing your job and then being told by the boss that he is not going to pay you for the time you spent. Consider it in this light.

Now, I'm not condoning some of the practices that happen in car dealerships or saying that this guy might not have been a total fake but there are two sides to everything and if you look at it from the opposite side you can be surprised at how different it can look.

For those who have never done it, commission sales is a very steressful and a lot of times unrewarding job. It takes many years and a lot of practice to become good at it and not take it personally. I know because it's what I do. In this guys case, yes he reactly badly, but from the sound of it he seems to be young or a little inexperienced at it. In my case I probably would have still shown you the 08 and been friendly, but a little cold and givin you another car for hopeful future business. But I have the advantage of having been in sales for 20 years so I don't take it as personal. Once you were gone though I most likely would have cursed you out for wasting all of that time with me. Honestly, nothing is more frustrating that having a customer who has shown a good amount of interest come by and say, hey buddy I went and bought it from someone else. It's almost as bad as the customer who comes in and staight out says, "Help me choose the right product so that I can go and buy it on the web for less than you can sell it for because the company has to pay for you for your knowledge."

OK sorry I'm getting off topic here so I'll get off the soapbox and put my flame retardant suit on now. Fire away!:nuts:

I definitely see your point of view, but most times when I've visited dealerships... a good number of them are just standing around talking and/or smoking. "Keeping in touch" with a potential customer takes little to no time. The test drives could definitely take some time, but again, it would only make a difference if there were other customers at the dealership.

In the end, the salesman didn't get the sale because he didn't meet the customer's needs. With his attitude, he's now lost any future business from the OP. This is basic common sense... doesn't take years of being in sales to realize this.

In addition, that's the nature of working at a job that is commission-based... sometimes you get the sale, sometimes you don't. Being rude to the customer doesn't help one bit. If he's not able to handle himself professionally in that line of business, he should find another job.

There's no shortage of car dealerships or salespeople... so I have no problem going somewhere else if I don't get good customer service.

And since you mentioned it... because of the fact that buying things on the internet is less expensive, sales people need to realize that they cannot compete on price alone anymore. They need to show why a customer should buy something from them instead of over the internet... one big factor would be service. Show me excellent customer service, and I'm willing to pay more than just ordering it online.

^^I agree with Greg S. I don't work in sales but I'd be ticked too if you came back in a new car that you bought elsewhere.

Being ticked doesn't mean that you don't behave in a professional manner to a customer.

The end result, the person he spent this time with shows up in a car that he bought somewhere else with no warning and just wants to look at the car he is not going to buy from him. Honestly this is like a slap in the face of any sales person. You are telling him, hey I wasted your time and bought somewhere else and want to waste some more of your time. Never expect a sales person to be happy and friendly when this happens. You have just taken away money that he was hoping to make to earn a living.

I guess you missed the part where the OP said he wanted to buy from this guy but they didn't have the right car he was looking for.

I came real close to buying an 07 sedan from him, but backed out after realizing what I wanted was still a bit too expensive for my bank account. At the time, I really wished they had the used car I was looking for because I truly wanted to buy from this character....


Honestly, nothing is more frustrating that having a customer who has shown a good amount of interest come by and say, hey buddy I went and bought it from someone else.

So, what should the OP have done then, buy a car from this sales guy that was more than what he was willing to spend or buy a used car he didn't want or like? Doesn't make sense to me.

Knowing what an ass this sales guy is really like would definitely turn me off from buying any future car(s) from him and possibly even the dealership.

Being ticked doesn't mean that you don't behave in a professional manner to a customer.

yeah, but at this point he is no longer a customer. He already bought a car elsewhere. He is now wasting the salesman's time yet again just to sit in a 08 Accord that he can't afford. The OP admitted they were already joking around and using curse words during past conservations, so the salesman may have been just joking around with him like a friend rather than a professional this time.

Maintaining customer relationships should be important regardless of a sales outcome. Just because the OP didn't buy a car from him this time, doesn't the sales person realize he needs to grow a client base to ensure long term success in sales?

If the sales person was busy, he could have at least been courteous.

If that sales person truly didn't have anything he was doing at that moment, he should of spent time with him and at least tried to learn when the OP might be in the market for a car next.

By reasoning of some of these responses about wasting the sales person's time, does that mean a consumer should not cross shop? . . . either among Honda stores or other makes? If customer buys the car at dealer A, that means they've wasted time at dealers B, C, & D. That pretty much negates shopping around for the best deal. And it doesn't mean the customer might not go back to dealer A in the future.

Some rough math . . . I've purchased about $150,000 in cars and service over the years from my dealer. That has to be worth something to some one. And that figure doesn't include the dozens of referrals I've sent to them.

That sales person was a dumb@$$ for acting the way he did.

That sales person was a dumb@$$ for acting the way he did.

Yup!

^^cross shopping around is totally different Trip.

Man, I would post the dealership and the first name of the sales rep. I can't stand fake people and they should be called out when found.

Man, I would post the dealership and the first name of the sales rep. I can't stand fake people and they should be called out when found.

I agree completely!

yeah, but at this point he is no longer a customer. He already bought a car elsewhere. He is now wasting the salesman's time yet again just to sit in a 08 Accord that he can't afford. The OP admitted they were already joking around and using curse words during past conservations, so the salesman may have been just joking around with him like a friend rather than a professional this time.

An attitude like that makes a salesperson very short-sighted. Everyone is always a customer. He may not be shopping for one at that particular point in time, but who's to say that next week his car doesn't get totalled, and he needs a new one? How about a friend/relative of his needs a new car and asks for a recommended dealership?

Wasting the salesman's time? The guy's job is to sell cars. That includes greeting anyone that comes into the showroom and being professional. Like I said, his behavior is very short-sighted. Also, what if another customer was within earshot? I'm sure they would've been really impressed with the language the guy was using.

Please explain where in the first post that the salesman was "joking around". The OP was there, and if he didn't think it sounded like a joke, then it wasn't.

A true professional salesman would always provide the customer the utmost courtesy and customer service. He knows if he is negative towards you, you will tell 100 people, if he treats you well, you may only tell a few, but they may buy.
Those types of salesman are few and far between, most are just do whatever it takes to get the money and on to the next schmuck. I have gone and bought things for more money elsewhere just because the salesman was an idiot.

I've been in customer service and sales all my life, I was taught the old fashioned customer service, where you actually did what was best for the customer, not the company, because, in the long run the customers always came back because you honestly cared. That is no where to be found these days, companies care only about the bottom line, the hell with the customers. Whats worse, we as customers take that crap and so why should they change? We have the money, so we have the power, problem is......nobody cares......

^^cross shopping around is totally different Trip.

I don't see how it's different. Cross shopping would still involve going for a test drive and/or require the assistance of the sales person to answer questions, have them show the car(s) to you, etc.

Before I bought my Accord, I looked at several other cars (Acura TSX, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS300, BMW 328, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, VW Jetta) and went to several Honda dealers to see what they had. I test drove several of those cars and spent a bit of time with the sales person asking them questions and such. I guess I wasted their time since I didn't buy a car from them, huh? And yes, I have gone back to some of those dealers just to look around with no intention of buying anything.

Not everyone who walks through your door is going to buy a car from you. If you don't realize that, then you're only fooling yourself. It happens all the time.

And if you act like a dick to someone you helped but didn't buy from you for one reason or another, then it's very likely that you're never going to get any future sale from that person, let alone referrals.

"Keeping in touch" with a potential customer takes little to no time. The test drives could definitely take some time, but again, it would only make a difference if there were other customers at the dealership.

In the end, the salesman didn't get the sale because he didn't meet the customer's needs. With his attitude, he's now lost any future business from the OP. This is basic common sense... doesn't take years of being in sales to realize this.

In addition, that's the nature of working at a job that is commission-based... sometimes you get the sale, sometimes you don't. Being rude to the customer doesn't help one bit. If he's not able to handle himself professionally in that line of business, he should find another job.

There's no shortage of car dealerships or salespeople... so I have no problem going somewhere else if I don't get good customer service.

And since you mentioned it... because of the fact that buying things on the internet is less expensive, sales people need to realize that they cannot compete on price alone anymore. They need to show why a customer should buy something from them instead of over the internet... one big factor would be service. Show me excellent customer service, and I'm willing to pay more than just ordering it online.

I agree with you completely sjlee. This salesman made the wrong move at the end because of the lost sale. I posted more so that people can see the other side of the coin and understand a bit of the response. I disagree with the fact that the salesman showed his feeling to the customer, those should be for later bitching to his coworkers not taken out on the customer.

As for the internet, I actually like customers who have your attitude. I sell high end audio video and have to point out continually to people that, yes, you will spend a bit more with me and then go on to show them why. The fact that they can walk in and talk to me most any day of the week with a question, support after the sale, help with a problem with the manufaturer, you wouldn't believe the amount of pull a store can have by calling the manufacturer about a problem on the customers behalf can have. I've spent numerous hours on the phone with manufacturers to get porblems fixed that the 'customer service' departments have said nothing could be done about it. Many times I get the product replaced or the parts for free when originally the customer would have been out hundreds to thousands of dollars. It's the customer who comes in and basically says to my face that he wants my 20 years of experience but wants the price that he can order the equipment on-line for. I've actually had a number of people say right to my face, that price is the only thing they care about and they want the lowest price and don't care about service at all. I have found that these customers are the ones who require the most amount of hand holding and help after the sale because they believe they know more than me about what the equipment can do and how it works and they won't listen when I try to explain that it's not going to do what they want. Having to re-teach and deal with them is honestly not worth the time and effort when they want rock bottom pricing.

I guess you missed the part where the OP said he wanted to buy from this guy but they didn't have the right car he was looking for.






So, what should the OP have done then, buy a car from this sales guy that was more than what he was willing to spend or buy a used car he didn't want or like? Doesn't make sense to me.

Knowing what an ass this sales guy is really like would definitely turn me off from buying any future car(s) from him and possibly even the dealership.

No, I didn't miss the part about the new car being to much. I believe that the OP did the right thing for himself. I was pointing out that driving up to the dealership in a car that he bought somewhere else with no advanced warning for the guy was somewhat rude to the salesman. Since they had been in communication over the past six months I personally would have called and told the salesman, "Hey, I just can't afford the payments on the new car we were looking at, I need to get a used one but you don't have anything on the lot that has what I want so I'm going to get X car at XYZ becuase they have the exact car I want." This at least lets the salesman know he isn't getting the sale but also gives him a chance to find something that meets the customers needs.

Not saying it would have turned out any better from the response of the guy, but it is nicer than shoving it in his face. With the salesman's response I wouldn't buy anything from him in the future either.

A true professional salesman would always provide the customer the utmost courtesy and customer service. He knows if he is negative towards you, you will tell 100 people, if he treats you well, you may only tell a few, but they may buy.
Those types of salesman are few and far between, most are just do whatever it takes to get the money and on to the next schmuck. I have gone and bought things for more money elsewhere just because the salesman was an idiot.

I've been in customer service and sales all my life, I was taught the old fashioned customer service, where you actually did what was best for the customer, not the company, because, in the long run the customers always came back because you honestly cared. That is no where to be found these days, companies care only about the bottom line, the hell with the customers. Whats worse, we as customers take that crap and so why should they change? We have the money, so we have the power, problem is......nobody cares......


Grey, you sound like me. I will walk out of a place that has bad customer service way faster than most people. But I'm used to giving great customer service to my customers and I expect it in return from other retailers. It's probably why I hate shopping so much.:) But there is the flip side that many customers ahve been trained for years by stores that price is the bottom line so they only look for the lowest price. See my tirade above on internet shoppers.

My wife was that way and it took me a few years to re-train her to see why I would pay more for the same thing from one place over the other. She finally saw the light when she had to go out shopping for a washer/dryer combo alone for a condo we were turning in to a rental a few years back. She talked to a unintelligent kid at Best Buy first and then a old experienced sales guy at Sears. They both new that we were looking for something inexpensive, as it was for the renters and not our own house. The Best Buy kid just pointed out the cheapest piece while the older guy at Sears asked a few more questions and suggested a slightly more expensive unit and explained why based upon repair history of both companies. She didn't want to spend the extra $50 bucks until I pointed out that it was well spent because it would save us on buying a new unit for a few years more. Once I got that through to her head she has since realized why I will spend more sometimes, either better quality or better service on the same piece. Of course in the end we flipped the condo for a good profit so the cheaper piece would have been better for us in that case:dunno:, but with the plan we had at the time the better unit was the right choice and the salesman dug enough to see what was right for us based upon what we told him. I have since always gone to him for other appliance purchases that were for our house and he has made some nice commissions from it, as I have expensive tastes.

And if you act like a dick to someone you helped but didn't buy from you for one reason or another, then it's very likely that you're never going to get any future sale from that person, let alone referrals.


Yep - that was basically my point. Regardless how/where/why the OP purchased the car, the sales person jeopardized any future relationship. The OP could have just as easily had bought a brand new Toyota and wanted to check out the competition again



I will walk out of a place that has bad customer service way faster than most people. But I'm used to giving great customer service to my customers and I expect it in return from other retailers.

Amen to that. I do the same thing from both angles also. I go out of my way to help people at my work accounts and likewise, I expect to some degree the same treatment when I'm the customer.

You also went on to mention thats its more about long term ramifications - not only in your case about having access to a better product and long term service, but for the ongoing success of that company to bring back customers that are satisfied

That was one of my original points about long term sales success . . .

Gotta plug my story again . . . :D . . . Even tho I eventually paid less for a V6 at my home town dealer than what NC dealers were offering me a 4cyl for, I was fully prepared to pay that extra money for a 4cyl coupe in hopes of starting a relationship with a new dealer in NC. Tho 1 or 2 were OK, they still did not even come close to the price and more importantly the SERVICE I was accustomed to.

My dealer was able to sell a car to me even tho I had moved 600 miles away. That's ensuring long term business. I'll continue to go back to PA to purchase cars until a dealer in NC gets it thru their thick head they're not only loosing a sale, they're loosing multiple sales - not including any referrals I could bring in. Maybe I should start doing cross state referrals and draining all the new Honda business out of NC. HA!

I don't see how it's different. Cross shopping would still involve going for a test drive and/or require the assistance of the sales person to answer questions, have them show the car(s) to you, etc.

Before I bought my Accord, I looked at several other cars (Acura TSX, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS300, BMW 328, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, VW Jetta) and went to several Honda dealers to see what they had. I test drove several of those cars and spent a bit of time with the sales person asking them questions and such. I guess I wasted their time since I didn't buy a car from them, huh? And yes, I have gone back to some of those dealers just to look around with no intention of buying anything.



It is still different. If you're shopping around, that means you have at least 1% up to 100% intent on buying a car. So you're doing the research, test drives, etc., I don't call that wasting people's time when you might end up buying something.

The OP spent 6 MONTHS in touch with guy, it's not like he just stopped in once or twice to see him. Then he buys a car elsewhere. Now he goes back to this guy with 0% intent to buy anything, how was the salesman supposed to react when he rolls up in his new Accord after trying to help him find a car for 6 MONTHS? Kiss his ass and say "Congrats, I'm so happy for you that you bought a car!".....yeah right....

Gotta plug my story again . . . :D . . . Even tho I eventually paid less for a V6 at my home town dealer than what NC dealers were offering me a 4cyl for, I was fully prepared to pay that extra money for a 4cyl coupe in hopes of starting a relationship with a new dealer in NC. Tho 1 or 2 were OK, they still did not even come close to the price and more importantly the SERVICE I was accustomed to.

My dealer was able to sell a car to me even tho I had moved 600 miles away. That's ensuring long term business. I'll continue to go back to PA to purchase cars until a dealer in NC gets it thru their thick head they're not only loosing a sale, they're loosing multiple sales - not including any referrals I could bring in. Maybe I should start doing cross state referrals and draining all the new Honda business out of NC. HA!

yeah, but what about all your costs for fuel, lodging, food, etc. for driving all the way back to PA just to buy a car for less money. Does it make that much of a difference then when you factor in those costs?

yeah, but what about all your costs for fuel, lodging, food, etc. for driving all the way back to PA just to buy a car for less money. Does it make that much of a difference then when you factor in those costs?

For me, not really. Because I lived there all my life, I have family and friends there I stay with and visit. I go home at least 2x a year so I'm there sooner or later. And this time it so happens I was in town for T-Day already when I picked up my coupe.

And even if this wasn't my home town, savings could still be substantial enough. The cost of a plane ticket from RTP to the NE is $200 and one night lodging up to $150 depending where you stay. Or substitue a tank of gas for the ticket if driving. If the savings is $3,000+, its well worth it.

I know of a few people that have done this. Actually Ignition_Key did this. He flew from Atlanta to the Cleveland, OH area for his new coupe and drove it back.

And just as important as the savings, I talked with my wallet and the local dealers lost business. I'll give them another try in a few years but I certainly won't spend as much time engaging them as I did. I'll walk in with the invoice from my coupe and show them I wasn't screwing around the first time.

Ok, First I don't think the salesman had any reason to talk to him like that. With me changing cars so often I have a lot of interaction with sales people. I have this one person that I bought my first accord from in 2005 and we have been friends ever since. When I go to buy a new car I always check with him first. He always gives me the best price that he can and if I find a car from another place he dosent car. He even gave me the dealership Carfax user name and password. So ther should be no hard feelings if you go else where to buy a car. By the way if anyone lives in or around GA I can get the the best price ever on any honda. He has beaten every price by at leat $600 and if he can't he tells me up front but that has not happened yet.

The OP spent 6 MONTHS in touch with guy, it's not like he just stopped in once or twice to see him. Then he buys a car elsewhere. Now he goes back to this guy with 0% intent to buy anything, how was the salesman supposed to react when he rolls up in his new Accord after trying to help him find a car for 6 MONTHS? Kiss his ass and say "Congrats, I'm so happy for you that you bought a car!".....yeah right....

A professional salesman would definitely do that. I have pitched people a product I was selling and they got a better price elsewhere and came back to tell me about it. I told them I was glad they got what they wanted, I think they were a bit surprised by that, but a few weeks later, they came back because they were having a problem and the company didn't want to take care of them. They ended up returning what they bought from them and bought from me. they were customers of mine for quite a few years and I also got a lot of referrals from them. As a salesman you NEVER,NEVER,NEVER, EVER be rude to your customers. A customer, whether they buy or not, is never a waste of time, because the paying customers are the ones who are paying you for the ones who don't buy. If you can't understand that, then you shouldn't be a salesman.