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Helped to sell a new Prius C today

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by dubit, Feb 3, 2018.

  1. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    850
    538
    23
    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Have been at the dealerships nearly all day today. First it was at the Honda dealership where my son works. (Speaking of which, have you seen the Civic SI? Holy crap what a beautiful ride. Love it!!!) Chatted with my son for about an hour back in the service dept, and also spoke with a couple old friends there. (If you've ever been in the car business, then you know one or two people at every dealership in town!) Then I drove over to the Toyota dealership where I used to work. Needed to get a service appointment for the weather strip on top of the car because it keeps coming out. (Car wash keeps blowing them up)

    Anyways, while I was there I was chatting with a few friends up front that I used to work with. A typical February is busy in the car sales business especially on the weekends. As I was chatting with the sales manager a couple walked in, but all the sales staff was busy. Told my friend I'd help keep them busy till someone could make it over. We exchanged pleasantries and so forth then chatted a bit about what they were interested in.

    Over the years in the business I was told & learned long ago to let the customer tell you what they want, don't force them into something they don't need or like. It never works in the long run - they end up hating the car and the brand... Following that golden rule, we walked the lot.

    They peeked at nearly everything of course, all the while I'm keeping an eye out for an available sales team member. We chatted about Corolla's and Prius' - looking at both. Eventually one of the sales team made it out and he took over. I retrieved the keys for a C and a Corolla they wanted to look at and went back out on the lot. They asked me to go with them on a test drive but I reminded them of my story just a few moments before that I wasn't an actual "employee", but rather had basically grown up in the dealership and was friends with the owner and had many old friends in the sales & service department. (I think my jacket kept throwing them off because it has the dealerships logo on it)

    I watch them take off for a drive in a Corolla so I went back inside, grabbed a cup of coffee and got back to chatting with friends who were by then back by the parts department. A half hour later I'm being paged over the intercom to come to the sales floor. I walk up to the sales desk and I'm told the customers were asking for me. A little confused, I turned and they waved and smiled. I walked over and they tell me they were really interested in the C and wanted to know more about it. Where the sales guy was I haven't a clue.....?

    All I could really tell them were my own experiences with what I know of the Prius C I drive myself, but we had a good time. I didn't know if they had filled out any customer information paperwork, but the tablet was there so I gathered that info and the info for their trade. Sales guy wanders back over and the gentlemens wife says "we want to work with this person, but thanks for hanging around". I lost it laughing.... Actually all 3 of us did. After a few more minutes of chatting I needed info on financing, rebates etc, so I excused myself for a moment and walked up to the sales desk to inquire. Sales guy chimes in and says he'll go ahead and take over, but the sales manger says "No, he's got this one (pointing at me) you go get the info off their vehicle so I can do an appraisal."

    Chuckling to myself I walked back over and sat down. Sales manager goes out, takes their car for a spin, and we chatted for maybe 10-15 minutes about the C. Sales manager comes back in, sits down and it was then time for me to excuse myself why they talked about numbers. (I didn't need to know that stuff and I'm not an employee.....)

    After a few minutes, they all stand up, and Sales Manager asks me to escort them to the finance office. As we were walking to the back I picked them both up a coke and diet coke from the machine. Went back out to the showroom floor and grabbed the keys to the C to get it washed/gassed for delivery. But as I found out, those guys already had went home. So now I'm washing a car for delivery.

    Ahh, just like the old days I thought to myself.

    Anyways, got her up front, and waited on them to come out. They walk around the corner and I tossed the gentlemen the keys to their new 2018 Prius C two. We sat down inside, I paired up her phone, made a hands free call to her husband all the little things on how to do this and that on any daily routine. Did grab a sales team member though to run them through the rest of the delivery as I'm in no way qualified or knowledgeable enough on the delivery of a new Toyota anymore.

    When they were finished, I once again thanked them for their time and apologized for my ingorence on many of their questions. I told them again about Prius Chat and hoped they would stop in to say hello and maybe get to know a few of us here.

    Was a good day - and hopefully a good day for a new Toyota owner as well. I did my best - with a bit of help of course. Makes me wish I was still in the business....
     
    skayaks, orenji, Prodigyplace and 2 others like this.
  2. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2008
    2,763
    2,250
    13
    Location:
    Chesterton, Indiana Another third world country.
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Good story, why did you leave in the first place?
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    funny you mention the civic, people have been killing it over in the 'new ugly design' thread. go figure.:rolleyes:
     
  4. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    850
    538
    23
    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    It was 2008 and the economy had tanked. People weren't buying cars or getting them serviced. We were laying people off right and left and we were already down to a skeleton crew. (2 sales people, 1 service manager for a GM/Toyota dealership) So yeah, bare bones.

    Things continued to spiral down and 2 more had to go. This time it was the Service dept's turn to take the hit. But when I found out who they chose.... well they both had a couple kids each. So I volunteered to be the one to go. Leaving them both with jobs - for a little while at least.

    It ended up getting so bad they sold off the GM franchise. Bad times indeed.
     
    Prodigyplace likes this.
  5. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2008
    2,763
    2,250
    13
    Location:
    Chesterton, Indiana Another third world country.
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    It's funny how the twists and turns in life work out. I really like your attitude, it is admirable.
     
    Prodigyplace likes this.
  6. dubit

    dubit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    850
    538
    23
    Location:
    Indiana
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    No, it's not admirable. There were a lot of people let go way before I volunteered.
     
  7. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
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    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Be sure to collect your commission on the sale. ;)
     
    ztanos, padroo and Raytheeagle like this.