Andrew McDermott, GRI

About a month ago, I decided I was going to car shopping. I figured I can get an idea of what is available, and get an idea on where my budget can be. Doing my homework, I felt was the best thing, so I would know what to expect.

My cars are usually leased. In case you don’t know what a lease is, you make monthly payments and get to keep a car for a specific time frame. Generally two to three years.

A few years ago I was introduced to a Ford Fusion. I was really impressed with the styling, power, and even better the price. Now I had a new toy.

Since it is getting close to the end, I am deciding on whether to keep the car, or get a new car. After much research, I am leaning more towards purchasing the car, since it works so well and is so strong. Ford is making an impressive car.

However, I’ve been speaking to many dealers, of various makes. In my opinion cars are pretty much the same size, and it really comes down to name, features, and price. All I need is for a car to get to point A and B and back. I don’t need a rocket ship.

Island Ford closed probably about a year ago due to the economic standards. Dana Lincoln Mercury bought the Ford dealership and moved it in with their other brands.

When I went to go get my buyout price, I knew and was right that I was going to be sold a new car. I was suppose to meet this girl, but she wasn’t in. The manager was. She then told me to take a sit and would be with me.

A gentleman then approached me asking if he could help me. I said I was waiting for the woman (manager) to come give me my buyout price. He then proceeded to bath mouth the idea of buying out the car, and telling me why I shouldn’t do it. I couldn’t believe that he would badmouth the very car that he sells. If I was the salesperson I would be like wow, you really like the car. I would offer the suggestion of a new car after giving the buyout price, and maybe the customer can afford to have a second car.

So then I agreed to listen to what he had to say about getting a new lease. I figured that I would consider getting a Focus instead. In an effort to keep the payments down and possibly less out of pocket. So then we proceeded on the lot to look at the cars. I find that too overwhelming, and don’t know why they don’t have an idea of the inventory in their head or a computer to reference. So we then found a Focus. It would do the job for what I wanted. The salesman insisted that we test drive the car. I said I didn’t need to, as long as we see the inside.

The inside was fine, the car was fine, so now it comes to the magical price. So when he sits down at the desk, he asks for my information, and then went to the sales manager for a monthly price. The monthly price he came back with was unreasonable, and I tried to see if it could be lower.

I did have some remaining lease payments, so I know somehow they were incorporating them, but the price was too wacky. Then I said how about a Fusion for around the same price I am being quoted, or lower. Magically, it was agreed that I could do that. Yet again, we were on the lot looking and found a Fusion. It wasn’t the same as I had, but would do.

So when we went back, I guess the sales manager agreed to the terms, and the salesman want a deposit. When I said I didn’t bring money with me, he seemed really annoyed. He then asked me to go home get it, and come back. I had another place to go, and wasn’t going directly home. So very sternly he said he wanted me to call him tomorrow. He kept on talking about how it was going to take two hours to prepare the car.

When I said I wasn’t in a rush, and that is fine, he really seemed to be annoyed. The sales manager was calm, and didn’t force me and gave me my freedom. He was mentioning all the bad things about my current lease, and being really negative about it, and making me feel like garbage.

I’m in sales also. I want to have people’s respect. I don’t treat people like garbage, and I don’t want them to treat me the same. Real Estate and Auto industries have the worst reputations, so therefore it is important that you have your “A” game on, and treat people the way you want to be treated and have customers for life.

The next day, I was busy at work. It happens. I did get a voicemail from the salesman looking for my credit card for the deposit. The tone of his voice was like he was annoyed that I didn’t answer. At the end of the day I ended up getting five calls.

I personally thought it was obsessive. Each call seemed to get nastier and nastier. If the phone messages were nice, I would have been polite and took his call the second time, and politely told him to hold on, and that I would call him when I was ready. If he was a gentleman salesman, he would have respected it. It’s happened to me, and I’ve politely called a few weeks later or a few months, and earned their business.

Now I am so turned away, and really don’t want to do business with Dana. A ton of their cars can be seen driven all over Staten Island, but thank’s to that one salesman, he totally lost my trust and support. I figured that since you see Dana cars all over Staten Island that they would be doing the right thing, and have customers for life, especially myself.

Each dealership has it own story and reputation. The car manufactures don’t seem to address or care about it. They just produce the cars, sell them to the dealers, and the manufactures just cross their fingers that their product will sell.

The economy is rebounding. So why now work together, do the right thing each and every time. Putting pressure to someone is not the way to do the sale or to make them feel like garbage. You want your customer/client to feel important, appreciated, and like a human being. Not a number or a robot.

It will be interesting to see if I find another Ford dealership, and can work something out, or leave Ford and go to another car brand, all because of this bad experience. I have many years left of driving. Let’s build a nice reputation early, and not leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Andrew McDermott
Licensed Associate Broker
Clove Lake Realty, Inc.
1267 Clove Road
Staten Island, New York 10301
Office: 718-556-7797