Ford advice and general car sales stories

[finn's mom]

Hey, everyone. Ok, well, my friends pretty much know that I'm not still in the insurance business. I may go back to it at some point, but, I just couldn't keep plugging money into it, and, getting nothing out of it. It stunk walking away from it, though, because I was really enjoying the actual job.

But, I'm attempting something new again. There's a Ford dealership here in Columbia that had an advertisement on the radio for salespeople. They were to be paid salary, and, no commission. So, I applied. I got hired, along with another girl, who's quickly become a great friend, it's fantastic. The pay scale, if anyone's confused, is set up so that we don't try to sell a Mustang to someone who can afford a Focus. The salespeople don't actually negotiate price, it's pretty nifty. And, just makes it more customer service out there on the lot. Customers really respond well to it, from what I've seen. I know my parents loved it, that's why they bought their Mustang from this place, and, not somewhere else.

Anyway...my request now is that I'd like to hear what you guys like about your Fords, and, what you think makes them better than other vehicles. I just want some different perspectives. If you hate Ford, that's fine, too. Everyone has their loves and hates. I'd rather not hear about the one Ford you drove that was a lemon, and, therefore all Fords suck. But, if you feel the need to share that, that's fine. Y'all can be as general or as specific as you want...and, I'm learning the lingo, so, if you wanna throw things out there like torque, MacPherson struts, AWD, ABS, etc...I either will know what you're talking about or I'll find out.

I'd also like to hear about car sales experiences, good and bad. I really want to hear from the consumer side of it, what would make it a good experience, what would make you turn your nose up at the dealership.... And, obviously, leaving you totally alone isn't going to happen. I'm always going to at least greet people on the lot and let them know that I'm there.

So, there it is. Just asking for a little insight...I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read all this, truly I do. I don't expect many responses, but, sometimes, I'm surprised, even in Pet Talk. If I get one response that will help me make a customer more comfortable or if I learn a new way of saying something, than it's all been worth the time it took to type this.

[NoahsMommy]

How cool that you wanted to learn more...that makes me believe you're a good employee. Most people would just go to work and come home. The end. That's great.

UM, I've never had a Ford, so I can't help you with that part.

But...I can share car buying experiences:

*I HATE when they don't acknowledge you...especially when you're young. LOTS of people have been working since they were 16 and can afford a car. I remember going to an Acura and an Audi place and was TOTALLY ignored. A salesman walked by, looked at us and kept walking. We could have afforded a car there but were so offended, we went to Honda!

*We went to two dealerships when we got my latest Civic. At BOTH places, our salesperson showed us pictures of his family/life. It was painfully obvious that was a sales tactic. Know that people shop around and will notice that stuff.

*When its a first car, make a big deal about it! My friend's first car was a new Saturn. They took pictures of her...made a big fuss...she...and I...will never forget it.

I think that's it. I LOVE the idea of a non-commission car salesperson. I wish you lots of luck and success!

[finn's mom]

Wow, Kelly, thank you! I especially like the idea of making a big fuss about the new car by taking pictures and everything. That's a great idea. I'll have to put something together. We have lockers at work that I can put a padlock on, so, I'll have to keep some things there. Like I said, I will never ignore anyone, even if they want me to. I won't bug people, I will always acknowledge, though. If you've read any of my pet peeves ever, you'll know how I detest not even acknowledgement. it's truly the worst insult, in my opinion. Thank you so much for responding so quickly!

[Samantha Puppy]

My parents have been Ford people for as long as I remember. Months after I was born, they got an orange Pinto wagon with wood paneling on the side (QUALITY). That thing lasted from 1978 until my brother ran it into the ground after getting his license. I think it died in 1991.

In 1982, my parents got a Granada. That lasted until 1997. The one problem I had with that specific car was when it got older, it leaked some sort of carbon monoxide smelling odor into the car (we started calling it the CMM - Carbon Monoxide Mobile). It was a good car though and my parents got over 300K on it.

In 1987, my parents got a Ford Ranger pick-up. My dad is STILL driving it. It needs to retire very soon but it still gets him where he needs to go.

In 1997, my parents got a Ford Contour. My mom still drives it and it is doing very well. They have the occasional not-too-big-a-problem issues but what car doesn't once it hits 6-7 years old? It's got almost 200K on it and it's doing just fine.

My first car was a Cavalier (Chevy) and my current car is a Tribute (Mazda) so I can't help you as far as MY cars go. Fords are good cars if you take care of them - my parents are proof enough of that.

[finn's mom]

Originally posted by Samantha Puppy
Fords are good cars if you take care of them - my parents are proof enough of that.

Yeah, my parents have been Ford people for as long as I can remember. My dad has never kept cars for more than three years, though, so, I can't relate to the having cars forever thing. He pays them off and gets new ones. Dork. My escort hasn't been very well taken care of by me, and, is doing just fine. I feel bad for not taking better care of it, and, considering that...it's got 115,000 miles on it, and, it's a '99. It'd be in even better shape, though, had I not run it so hard. Poor little thing. I love my car, though...I really want to check out either an F150, Ranger, or an Escape. I'd like something I can carry a kayak or a bike in, and, of course, Finn.

[JenBKR]

Congrats on the new job! That's exciting, and I agree that it's great that you want to learn more. I think it's great that it's non-commission too. My only advice really is not to be phony or pushy. I have had both. Be nice, but don't go overboard - does that make sense? Good luck, let us know how it goes!

[Ginger's Mom]

I initially didn't think I would have anything to suggest, but Kelly's post did make me think of something. I remember one time I was looking for a new car, I was in my early thirties, and I was talking to the salesman about a particular car, and he said to me, "Do you need to discuss this purchase with anyone else?" (i.e. a husband). To be honest I was offended and decided right then and there that I was not going to buy a car off of that man.

[catnapper]

I had a Ford once a long long time ago. I loved the car and still ache inside when I see one just like it on the road. There was nothing I hated about it... it just died and I had to get a new one.

What I also liked when I bought it was the salesman. He seemed to really listen to what I had to say and thats about all I remember from the experience -- too long ago!

My current car dealer - my Saturn dealer, Clarence, is AWESOME! He knows me when I walk into the dealership and remembers our past conversations. When we ran into each other in a store, he remebered me outside the dealership and said "hiya Kim, how are things?" EVERYONE at the dealership is like that. They are friendly, down to earth people who genuinely love their job and love the people they get to meet. No slick sales tactics. No slimy feelings from any of them. No pressure. Just a person who's willing to answer your questions and help you make the right choice for you.

Best advice for you? Go visit OTHER car lots and pretend to be a buyer. Watch them... see what they do that you DO like. See what they do that makes your skin crawl. Learn from them.

[Logan]

Congratulations on the new job. This sounds like it is right up your alley, Kari.

I have always purchased my cars from people I know (lots of friends and family in the auto business), so I've not had to deal with salespeople that I didn't already know very much.

When I lived in Lexington/Columbia, we bought our first Ford from Ben Satcher Ford in Lexington. It was a 1992 Crown Victoria. We knew the dealer well, went to church with him, went to Clemson with his sister and she married one of our best friends, yada yada yada. Even after my divorce, I continued to deal with them. They were always so helpful when I had repair issues, they knew me by name and always took good care of me. I traded in the Crown Vic for a 1995 Contour with a stick shift and boy did I love that car! I even ordered it just like I wanted it, sunroof, leather interior, etc and I drove it for 4 years. By that time, I had moved to Greenville and dealt with a family member who owns a Chrysler and Ford dealership in Clinton. I have purchased a used Ford Taurus from him that I drove for work for several years, as well as two Jeep Grand Cherokees (had to have something to haul all those dogs in ). Even though he sells Ford cars, he more highly recommended that I try the Jeep and I did love it and ended up buying that second one about 4 years ago.

My husband traded in an older model Jeep Cherokee for a 2002 Ford Expedition after we got married. Biggest complaint I have about that car is the lack of space for storage when all 3 seats are up. It certainly is spacious, otherwise, and really has given us no problems. It has close to 90,000 miles on it now (he drives a lot for work), and I love it when he has to fly somewhere and I get to drive it!

Be yourself when dealing with people, and I would suggest studying up to be as knowledgeable as possible about the various models you are selling, how they compare to similar cars offered by other dealerships (Chevrolet, Chrysler, Honda, etc). I'm sure you will be trained to learn more about features on cars that you might not normally know. If you aren't offered that training, ask for it! Might even be good for you to spend a day in the service dept to see what kind of issues come up on cars, how the warranties work, etc. The more you know and understand, the better you'll be.

I wish you the BEST of luck!

Logan

[DJFyrewolf36]

Wow, you've gotten a lot of great advice!!

I have to admit though, I used to H-A-T-E Fords. The saying "Fix Or Repair Daily" was common with the majority of Fords I had delt with. Then I got my Festiva...

For all the pounding that car has taken (Close to 112k HARD miles on it, its a 93) it's been nothing but reliable. I've had to replace parts on it, but nothing that you wouldn't replace on a normal matainance schedule. She's given her heart and soul for me, and has saved my butt a few times too. I LOVE that darned car! Everyone I know who owns Festivas has said the same thing, that they just go and go and go and never really give you any c**p about it. The only thing I don't like about the car is that it runs GREAT unless it isn't running at all. It doesn't warn you when it breaks, it just simply stops working

My husband has a 78 Ford Currier pickup. This thing has almost 400k on it and is still up and running. It's taken a pounding too, but it keeps coming back for more!

The Ford dealership in town is a bunch of jerks though, at least their parts department is. I called to see about pricing on my Festivas clutch and they told me I should just come in and get another car, as the Festiva is a "throw away" car. Not to me! And really not to anyone else...I know someone who has a 80 Festiva with its original motor and it still is used as a commuter car.

Hey, maybe you can suggest bringing the Festiva back? Great gas milage, it isnt TOO ugly lol and they're really cheap.

[finn's mom]

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate all the great advice! This dealership is all about honesty, so, that is the only reason I agreed to trying it...only because I'd heard all car salesmen are sleazes. I never want to be sleazy. I'm learning all I can about the cars, and, about cars in general. I hope it is where I should be right now, as I could really use the stability. I haven't had that in a job in a long time.

[finn's mom]

Originally posted by Ginger's Mom
"Do you need to discuss this purchase with anyone else?" (i.e. a husband). To be honest I was offended and decided right then and there that I was not going to buy a car off of that man.

I can totally see how you could be offended by that...but, let me ask for some more advice, then. Because that is a question that we absolutely have to ask. It was the same in the insurance business. There's no point whatsoever in talking to a husband or wife without the other one present...or talking to a 19-year-old without their parent. There are exceptions, but, for the most part, people don't make decisions like that without consulting the other person first. So, my question to you is what would you be more comfortable with, as far as the salesperson finding out if you're going to be the one paying for the car?

[Ginger's Mom]

I am not sure that the question does have to be asked. But let's just say for the moment that it does. I think it may have been better to ask if I was going to be solely responsible for the payment, period. That may be pertinent in working out any type of payment or price range (but not necessarily). But when I go in to buy a car, do not pat me on the head and ask me if I need to check with my husband first. It may be something that needs to be discussed between two people, but I am the one who is here now getting the information we need to make a decision. If you do not want to provide that information to me alone, than that is your loss. Sorry Kari, that is obviously not directed at you, but let me just say that the next time I was looking for a car, I did not go to that dealership.

[Thandi]

Firstly, I'm not a ford lover. Had one in South Africa, nothing but trouble, bought one in the USA, a taurus, had 2 transmissions replaced before I decided it wasn't worth it to get a third!

My very worst was car shopping here, as a 45 year old I'm on the lot and some sleezebag comes up and says "so what can we do for the little lady today?" and another asks where my husband is. Now, I could be some major rich single lady executive who wants to buy a few cars or whatever, and I am treated like a second class citizen of about 5 years old. Car shopping is my very worst thing. I feel filthy by the time I'm away from the clutches of the lying scumbags.

Sorry, that's just the experiences I've had.

[prechrswife]

My dad was a car salesman for years and spent most of that time in Ford dealerships. My first car was a 1989 Escort. The first car that I bought myself was a 1995 Probe. Both of those were great cars. We recently sold the Probe just because it wasn't practical for us anymore (great single person's car), and it is still going strong for its new owner.

I think the best advice I can give is to know your product. My husband and I were shopping for a car several years ago, and we went to one dealership and were working with a salesman who seemed to have no basic knowledge of his product. This was a GM dealership, and we had driven an Oldsmobile Alero rental car several months earlier which we really liked. Because GM had recently announced that they would be phasing out Oldsmobile, we decided that we would be more comfortable with something else. My husband asked the dealer, "Does Pontiac make anything that is comparable to the Alero?" Valid question, considering these are both GM companies. The answer, "What do you mean by that?" Later, we were looking at a Pontiac Grand Prix. My husband asked, "What kind of maintenance record do these cars have?" The salesman asked, "What do you mean?" Eventually, we did decide on a Grand Prix, found a dealership in a neighboring town, and made our purchase from a much more knowledgeable salesman.