Why Has NOTHING Changed in the Last 30 Years?
Chris Collins describes a frustrating car dealership experience: misleading online inventory, a $15,000 market adjustment negotiated down to $8,000–$10,000, and the same old sales tactics that have plagued dealerships for decades. He's now considering a Tesla instead.
Chapters
Now let's go back and talk about my experience of going into the. The. The dealership. So I'd emailed, I'd gone back and forth. I'd made an appointment. I show up at the dealership, and you walk in the showroom, and then all of a sudden you get that feeling of, like.
What. What a really attractive girl in the summer, scantily dressed, might feel walking by a construction site.
Like that piece of Kobayashi beef.
Yeah. Like you. You instantly get that feeling. Right? So then you. You say the name of the salesperson that you're there for, and then they get that salesperson. That salesperson comes out, and then.
Then you. You know, you sit down, and then they don't have the models there that they have on the website.
They've got a whole pile of cars with not the one you want.
Well, it's just interesting that on the website they say they have them, but they're not. So if you wanted a specific color combination and you went there, those aren't available. Those don't exist. Yeah. So even though there's a VIN number, in fact, one of the. One of the ones that I was looking at, the color. Because the nation of autos is so organized, they don't put actual pictures of the vehicles up their stock images. Yeah. So the stock image of the vehicle might be silver, but the description says that it's white or whatever. And so literally, if you go and look a day later, the same car that you've saved the link for will have a different color and different options.
Impressive.
No, it's maddening. Why is that impressive? Because, like, if you're like me, like, I have a specific color, like, I wanted a specific thing, and I thought I was going there to see the specific thing. No, those don't exist. And they literally. I don't know if they're doing it on purpose for. I don't know. I don't understand how you load up a car with a VIN number. So say you have it and you don't know the color. There's no pictures of it. Like, it is a disaster.
Like, it's. It's false advertising in a sense. Right.
Maybe the nation of autos is too big for it.
So then you're like, well, can I just drive when it doesn't matter what color it is, Whatever. So you drive one. Right. And during the test drive, I tell the sales guy go, hey, you guys got some. You have some pretty bad reviews.
And he goes, oh, yeah, yeah, that's us.
Oh, yeah. Our service department Sucks. Great. Basically. I mean, in so many words, like, yeah, good. He said, we. We have. The demand exceeds our ability or something. Something in an attempt to be politically correct.
Me, want to buy a car.
And then, you know, I was like, well, how much do these break? And he goes, well, you know, some do, some don't. He said, I had one and I never had any issue, but I have clients. And, you know, it's kind of like if you get a bad one kind of a thing, you know, that was the conversation. So we do the demo route, which is interesting. We get back to the. To the dealership, you know, then you trying to pull back into this. This postage stamp, like, to park to, like, it's just funny, right? Like, you can't even get in. And. Because it's so. There's so many cars on the. On this lot, and it. It just looks like chaos, like. And I imagine this is what it feels like for people pulling into service drive sometimes. Like, it just looks like chaos and like nobody knows what they're doing. And, you know, it's. It's just nuts. But that. That feeling is for. For the customer is like, you just want to get out of there. You. You naturally want to get away from chaos and disorganization, right? Yeah. And so you, you know, you, You. You park, you come back from the demo, and then still, like, I'm still concerned that the color combination that I want. And so now I'm looking at other color combinations, you know, because I've realized that this isn't. What is it? Isn't what I thought it was going to be.
Yes.
Right. So now I'm going to have to figure out very quickly what are the colors and what, you know, what would. What would be. Okay. So then they have one on the showroom floor that is close to what I. What I thought, but different, but cool. Like, it had. It was. It had elements of it that were blacked out. It had black wheels. It was. It was cool. And I could see myself doing a vinyl wrap on that one. So I told. I told the salesperson, I go, I want that one. So I said, here's the deal. I am going to write you a check for the. For the vehicle. I understand that you're going to have to wait for the check to clear, so when it clears, I'll come pick it up. And, you know, this. I'm thinking, this is how stupid and naive I am. I'm thinking I'm going to be the easiest customer you've ever had, because I'm going to write you a check. When it clears, let me know. I'll send somebody to pick it up. We're done. I'll sign like. Right? Yeah. Ends up Christian. That's not how it goes. Weird. Yeah. So then he says, okay, well, do me a favor. Let's. Let's sit. Come sit at my desk. And I'm like, oh, no. So then he goes away and he goes to the sales office, to the tower. And then what do you think happens when he comes back from the, from the tower?
Well, I, I know because I got.
Because I've already yelled about this. You.
You got exposed to the four square.
So it's still the same sort of thing. Right.
He comes out with, with, with the, the Nation of Autos version of a digital foursquare. Right? Yep. I mean, it's just to me that nothing has changed since I bought my first new car when I was like 20. Yeah. So I bought a Nissan Pathfinder when I was a service advisor because I could put my drums in it and keep them out of the rain in Seattle. I remember my lease payment, I think was like 299 or something. Yeah. You can put like a thousand dollars down. I saved my money and I bought a brand new Nissan Pathfinder when I was 20. So that is 30. Jesus, I'm old. Yeah. It's a while ago. 30 years ago. Yeah. Nothing has changed in 30 years in the Nation of autos.
Not a thing.
Nothing. Except for the red Sharpie on the four square. Right. It's a digital.
They just took four square and put it into an iPad.
So then the kid standing up, standing up. So I'm sitting, she's next to me standing up, says so not even sitting down, which is an interesting power exchange thing. Right. Like I'm sitting there standing, and he says, you know, the, the chip issue and the market and this and that. Meanwhile, I see financial statements every week. Maybe I see like, I, I don't know, half a dozen financial statements every week from, from clients across the US And Canada. We got four dealerships that wouldn't have made half a million dollars in a year, making half a million dollars a month right now because of their new car grosses. Yeah. So even though maybe even I don't know what this, this chip thing is, because there are like, I drove by a Honda dealership yesterday. They had no cars. So I know that, that there is an inventory issue, but that was not the issue here. There were more cars than could fit on the lot. Like they, they could use to sell A few cars, so they had room to park other cars, but whatever. So he says to me, you know, the market correction, the chip thing, the whatever.
We'Re adding. This is how he words it. We're adding a parts credit to making it sound like I'm going to pay. And it's $15,000 on top of the price of the car. That then is a parts credit. Now, I didn't get too far into understanding what the f. That means, what a parts credit is, but I'm thinking, how could I possibly buy $15,000 worth of parts for this thing? Like, I had looked. Even the dog. The dog package they have for the back, which is a ramp for your dog in, like, a cage. You can get a land whatever. Is it like, you couldn't. How would you possibly. But I don't think they mean that you're going to spend 15. Maybe they're going to give you 2,000 or so. I don't know what. Whatever it is. So there's a. There's a market adjustment on. On the car. Now, I understand market adjustments. When I. When I ran a dealership on the hot new models, we would have market adjustments. I get it. I get it. So I'm. But I'm not gonna pay. Like, I'm just not. So that's okay. So I said, hey, that's cool. Like, you guys are doing that. I was under the impression that you weren't because the prices were on the website, or I would not have wasted your time. That's what I said, because I'm not paying them the market adjustment. But I. It's their right to do it. If they want to do it, it's fine. Now I'm thinking like, okay, I'm gonna bug Christian to help me get one of these, like, from one of our clients. So he goes, well, hold on one second. Now. What do you think he does?
You got the turn?
I got the turn. So then.
We'Re, you know, we're sitting there, whatever. And.
By the way, one little thing about dealerships is.
Maybe I'm super picky. Am I super picky?
You have your moments, for sure.
The coffee thing.
Oh, it blows me away. The things that people decide to. To save money on that make such a big impression.
They didn't have coffee there.
They had coffee, but they didn't have lids or the.
Like, when you don't have the COVID you're. You people are going to double cup. Yeah. So you think you're saving money costing more. But when the whole thing ended, I had a Cup of coffee with no lid, which was super weird to save money on lids. The coffee was okay.
Just interesting what they decide to cut.
Yeah. I will tell you, I was, I was in one of our client stores last week, and it was literally like a self serve Starbucks. Cups, lids, sleeves, beautifully fresh coffee. I loved it. And not a Land Rover dealership.
You were a sales manager?
Well, I sold cars, but we didn't really have sales managers.
Oh, I was gonna ask you what you did when you turned.
So we didn't turn. It was our thing from the start to the finish.
Well, there are still dealerships that do that. So. So what the turn means, you guys, is that now the manager is coming out. So now the manager comes out and.
Very, very interesting. Now the manager sits down in the salesperson seat, which is an interesting dynamic psychologically because the salesperson was standing now, now he's. He sits down. So he comes out, sits down. The salesperson isn't right there yet. He's dragging. Right. That is kind of a technique, I'm assuming, to drag. This isn't something I've ever done in a dealership that I would run. I wouldn't, I wouldn't do it that particular way. So the manager now sits in the salesperson seat at his desk and says, how can I help you? Wow.
That's his, that's his petting the dog line. That, that's how he builds rapport. How can I help you? So I try to bring a little levity to the moment and I said, well, we're here for couples advice. We need, we need help. We can't get along.
Did he laugh? Because I think that.
Did not. He did not laugh.
That's funny.
Did not laugh.
Come on.
No, did not laugh. And so then, then, then it's just like a stare down. It was the most awkward, weird thing ever. And so then I just brought it up because I just wanted to get out of there at that point. I'm like, there's, there's no way I'm doing business with these people. And so I said, hey, I'm not paying. A market adjustment. We'll see what we can do. What if we do 12? I said, listen, I'm not. I understand. You have the right to do a market adjustment. If you can sell every one of these at 15,000 over, you do your thing. Like, no, no harm, no foul, whatever.
That in. So I think then he comes back and he says he can do 10. I'm like, no, I'm not doing it. What? I leave. I'M not even on the freeway yet. And the salesperson calls me and says, well, I talked to my general sales manager, and he said, you know, just for you, blah, blah, blah, we can do eight. I'm like, listen, kid. I forget the kid's name. I'm not. I'm not doing eight. I'm not doing anything over. I'm just not. I go, maybe if it was a thousand. But no, I'm. I'm not. Like, he's doing me a favor. It's so funny. Like, they're doing me a favor. It's such a grind. So now I've. I've spent. I don't know. I'm at this place a couple hours, right? I have nothing to show for it except for frustration. I hate them at that point. Like, I literally hate them at that point. Like, they've wasted my time. They don't have what they said they were going to have in stock. They don't. So they're bait and switching to begin with. They.
They have no technique whatsoever or just respect for. For. It's just still that thing, like that Henry Ford thing. Like, you can have it in any color you want as long as it's black. Like, they just don't care about your time or any, you know, any of it. And I. I said at one point, no joke. I said, you guys should look me up because I'm gonna talk about this. The general manager sent me a blank email, like, a week later. Like a template. It had nothing to do with. I think it's a her. If I. If I'm reading the name right.
Yeah, that name can't. It's not Pat. It can't go both ways. And I replied to. And I said, I can't wait to talk about this on the show. Because I said, nothing has changed in 30 years. Like, it's just incredible to me. Incredible. Like that. That's how it goes. And so then.
I'm depressed. Like, I'm really depressed at that point. I don't know what to do. And so I go on the website for Tesla and I'm like, screw it. I'll just get a Y. I'll get the suv. It's not. It's not what I want, but it's so much easier than dealing with all this.
Thanks so much for watching this clip.
Of Service Driver Revolution. We're uploading new stuff every day, so.
Make sure you subscribe and click the bell icon so you don't miss out. If you have a question you'd like.
Us to answer on the show.
Call 8333, ask SDR and we'll answer.
Your question on the show.
That's 8333, ask SDR. For special deals on our books and training, head over to offers.chriscollinsinc.com now that's offers.chriscollinsInc.com I'm Chris Collins and I'll see you in the next video.
