Community Forums

vb · 09-04-2005, 06:57 AM

Thats just sad and utter stupidity on the part of the sales person. I spent one summer working in a garden centre/diy store. One day an old boy and his wife came into the store looking for lawnmowers. I gave him a hand showed him the line we offered then took the lawnmower to his car...he bought the dearest petrol powered self propelling lawnmower we had. Gave me a £5 (nearly $10) tip in a country where tipping is not common practice (well maybe in restrants but thats all). He drove a 11 year old Vauxhall (Opel) and wasn't dressed very well. I later found out the last time he was in he bought a ride-on lawnmower at £799 ($1400)...just as well it wasn't common practice for us to judge people...

Timetraveler · 09-04-2005, 05:05 PM

Just the other day my beloved and I stopped in to look at a new high-end fiver and the salesman gave me such a load of c--p that I walked back into the office and asked in a load voice "is there any salesman here who thinks customers should be treated with respect and migh even know what they want?" Two salesmen looked up from their desks but didn't say anything. The sales manager came out of his office and asked "is there a problem?" I said "Not for me, but you have a guy here who just cost you the sale of a $77,000 trailer."

Jerks.

Gus Weber · 09-06-2005, 05:10 AM

This reminds me of buying my first new car, near 50 years ago. I wanted a certain convertable that was on a showroom floor, and I happened to have a pair of trousers which matched the color exactly. So I went to the dealership and asked the salesman "Do you have a convertable to match these trousers?" I think his jaw is still dropped.

Gus Weber

Dutch Star Don · 09-06-2005, 10:03 PM

We stopped at Mike Thompson RV in Santa Fe Springs, California, to look at a Winne Vectra. He only had Journeys in stock and we told him we wanted to see a 36 Quad slide Vectra. He (Dean Chance, aka Jerk) checked and said he had a 36 Vectra that had been sold at his other store (20 minutes away). we asked if we could see it because there were none available in L.A. to view. He asked when we would be buying....I told him in the next few weeks. He then told us that he needed to know if we were ready to buy today. I flat told him that we were not buying anything we hadn't seen. He then told us that he made a mistake and the coach wasn't there anymore and left the room.

Guess what DEAN...we bought a Monaco Diplomat 3 weeks later. I'll never set foot into Mike Thompsons' again and I'll discourage everyone I know from buying there. What a dispstick!

For any futher motorhome shoppers. If the salesman is a jerk, ask what type of motorhome he drives!

lightkeeper · 09-10-2005, 04:55 PM

My late Dad wasn't rich, but he made a more than decent living being in the jewelry business and owning his own store. His wardrobe consisted of slacks, a two-pocket white shirt (some with a few small cigar burns), bowtie and hat when he was outside. One day he drove down to neighboring Tuscaloosa and a new Mercedes on a lot caught his eye. Stopping in, he asked a salesman who finally came out after Dad looked around the car and in the windows for about ten minutes. Dad asked the price and got this reply. "Sir, if you're interested in buying and have the money, I'll be happy to assist you...otherwise, I'm busy". With that, he turned around and walked back in the office and Dad returned home. A day or so later, a diamond salesman was in Dad's store and was told about the rude experience. Seems the salesman was a golfing buddy of the car dealers owner, so he told him the next time he saw him.
The owner got on the phone and called to apologize. Dad however, had flown to Germany, bought one over there and had it shipped down to Mobile, Alabama! Incidentally, he actually saved money! Guess that goes to show the old saying "you can't judge a book by the cover" is true. As for the rude salesmen, I never did hear if he was looking for another job, but maybe he learned a lesson. Sorry this post is long.

FatDog · 09-10-2005, 07:19 PM

I wonder why it is that some people feel more comforatable in casual clothing even if they are 'of means' (as many of these posts talk about), and some people feel so much more comforatable in suits with a manicured finish?

Surely someone who wears jeans with holes in the knees who is walking around a Porche dealership knows that he will probably not be catered to with the same enthusiasm as a more regal patron?

Is that casual portrayal intentionally done for that result, or is it for comfort only?

JayC · 09-13-2005, 10:59 AM

My late Dad told me a similar story about pre-judging someone. Daddy was in the automobile business. One Saturday morning, a man in overalls and a tee shirt came in with his rag-tag looking family. The salesmen had all argued between themselves over who was going to wait on this man, since it would be an obvious waste of time. Daddy agreed to talk to him, and the man picked out a pickup truck-which, back in the 50's, was bought only by poor people who couldn't afford anything better, or a workman as his work truck. The man also picked out a nice mid-level car for his wife. Daddy took him inside and not believing the man could get any financing, he asked him how he intended to pay for the two vehicles. The man asked if Daddy would call his banker in a little town near Beaumont Texas. He said that his banker would probably be able to take care of financing them for him. When Daddy called the banker, he was told that the bank would honor any check this man wrote because he owned about 100,000 acres of rice land and was a multi millionaire.

We have chuckled over this story for many years.

Jimmy Jam · 09-30-2005, 11:10 AM

This entire thread simply amazes me...

Folks who "feeds the salesperson's family" are REJECTED because of their duds of the day...

I was in a car delearship one day visiting with a salesman friend of mine when a middle aged man drove up in a fairly new luxury type vehicle. When he got out, I assumed him to be a dealership employee, maybe a lot jockey, but my friend simply told me to sit back and to watch this when the man approached him.

They made the perfunctory greetings to each other and when my friend inquired as to how he could help the gentleman, I then noticed what I initially thought to be a softball or baseball in the man's back pocket. The man informed my friend that his wife liked the new car that he had so much that she had decided that she wanted a matching one for herself..

The man informed my friend to go ahead and order her one and reached in his back pocket and out came the largest wad of cash that I had ever seen. Said he was going to the business office to pay for the car and would be back in a few..

When I asked my friend who it was, all he would say was that the simple, casual dressed man, in the blue jeans, a dirty polo shirt was actually one of the richest people in the entire state---and it was all LEGIT money $$$...!

It also all reminds me when I met my wife's family (while still dating) at an outing once. I was introduced to Uncle Jack and Aunt Peggy...Wife had teased me that I would have to definately pass "muster" with Aunt Peggy in order to get "approval" to date her fav neice

So later in the week, I was informed that I had, indeed, passed muster with flying colors with them! Things progressed from there and here we are now..

But my point is that when conversing about simple, good ol' country folk Auntie and Uncle, who drove a 10 yr old car, dressed in last decades attire and was some of the easiest going you would ever meet......

Were actually multimillionaires!!....You would never in a million years thought that by their calm, friendly country folk demeanor...

Never judge a book by it's cover is the saying I've always heard...

Nell · 10-03-2005, 04:37 AM

It seems to happen quite a bit. You have to wonder at who does the training before they put these people on the floor!

When we were buying a camcorder when expecting our first daughter, we went out dressed very comfortably.(tie dye tees). We couldn't get a salesperson to wait on us at ALL in one store(we had the cash in hand too).

I've gotten plenty of salespeople that tend to treat me as the "little lady of the household". Can't stand being told "bring your husband back", "what will your husband want to do" or "gee this one will be better since it's cheaper". It makes MY blood boil! I don't need his permission to buy a car that I will drive. And don't show me something "cheaper" because of the way I dressed that day.

I was always taught, dress the way that makes me comfortable-not dress to impress. You don't have to show off money. Keeps them one their toes in dealing with me. I LOVE to bargin.

Nell

Stan Kohagen · 12-17-2005, 12:17 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Diplomat Don:
We stopped at Mike Thompson RV in Santa Fe Springs, California, to look at a Winne Vectra. He only had Journeys in stock and we told him we wanted to see a 36 Quad slide Vectra. He (Dean Chance, aka Jerk) checked and said he had a 36 Vectra that had been sold at his other store (20 minutes away). we asked if we could see it because there were none available in L.A. to view. He asked when we would be buying....I told him in the next few weeks. He then told us that he needed to know if we were ready to buy today. I flat told him that we were not buying anything we hadn't seen. He then told us that he made a mistake and the coach wasn't there anymore and left the room.

Guess what DEAN...we bought a Monaco Diplomat 3 weeks later. I'll never set foot into Mike Thompsons' again and I'll discourage everyone I know from buying there. What a dispstick!

For any futher motorhome shoppers. If the salesman is a jerk, ask what type of motorhome he drives! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Stan Kohagen · 12-17-2005, 12:24 PM

Don,
I recently purchased an '05 Itasca Meridian diesel from Mike Thompson RV, Colton, CA. It was the biggest purchasing mistake I've ever made--from the purchase through warranty service. Their service is totally incompetent. It has been one of the most frustrating experiences that I've ever had.

bldrbob · 12-17-2005, 02:10 PM

Many years back we went into a music store to buy an organ.The salesman ignored us and when another customer came in he went to them.The other woman said she thought we were there first.His reply was Oh thy're just looking they can't afford anything.I then went next door and bought our organ cash and went back and showed him the receipt.
BOB

Horsevoice · 01-21-2006, 04:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FatDog:
I wonder why it is that some people feel more comforatable in casual clothing even if they are 'of means' (as many of these posts talk about), and some people feel so much more comforatable in suits with a manicured finish?

Surely someone who wears jeans with holes in the knees who is walking around a Porche dealership knows that he will probably not be catered to with the same enthusiasm as a more regal patron?

Is that casual portrayal intentionally done for that result, or is it for comfort only? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think that the casual portrayal is done to be casual! After 30 years in a coat and tie (no day can be good when it begins by tying a noose around your neck), I opt to wear casual clothes. I hang around with horse people so I am usually in jeans and pendletons - sometimes the boots are clean and sometimes they're not.
However - if a salesman of mine ever pre-qualified on appearance, I'd fire him (and did several times). Customers pay the bills - I don't care what the business is - customers pay the bills. If the personnel don't understand that - shop elsewhere!

rebelsbeach · 01-23-2006, 10:57 AM

I'm with horsevoice.....After all those "coat and tie" years it's very seldom I put one on anymore....I usually only deal with one certain dealership/salesman if I'm buying a Ford or Chevy,so no problem there....Recently bought the wife a new 2007 Tahoe,she and I both in jeans and sweatshirts at the dealer....When it came time to write the check,noone cared what I was wearing....

As far as rude RV salesmen....if you're ever in the Ashland/Richmond VA area.....stop in at McGeorge's RV....They TAKE THE CAKE FOR RUDENESS!!

Not sure why Winnie lets that go on year after year.....