Female Friendly Prius Dealership

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusPenske @ Oct 21 2006, 03:05 PM) [snapback]336190[/snapback]</div>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Danny @ Apr 16 2004, 07:35 AM) [snapback]11885[/snapback]</div>

 

Frankly, I am offended at the idea of a female friendly dealership. I always buy my vehicles by my self. I secure my own financing, in my own name, before I begin shopping. I don't need nor want any special treatment because I am a woman.

I walked out of my first Prius deal because I felt I was being taken advantage of because I am a woman and I was shopping alone. The dealership low balled me on my trade. I told them they were ridiculous and walked out. 2 days later I got $9,000 for my trade at another dealer and my prius was on the lot. I felt I negotiated a great deal.

And as for the loaner strollers and play areas....come on...you are shopping for a car not making a play date for your kids.

 

Buying a car is a big decision.

Can you make it yourself, or do you need to ask your husband...?

 

umm...No, I don't ask my husband...

 

I'd prefer to go to Longo Toyota, also owned by Penske. I felt like I was treated fairly during the entire process and didn't have to deal with slimy salespeople. Although my husband did insist on coming with me to the dealership while I purchased & picked up the car (I think he was just as excited as I was that it was finally here) the salesguys I dealt with didn't pay him a hardly any attention as I was the one doing the buying. I loved that! It was my first car-buying experience so I didn't know what to expect but it was pretty straightforward.

Other dealerships I've been to in the past as "just looking for a car for me" the salesjerks honed in on my husband even though we both made it clear that I was the one doing the shopping. At those other dealerships I'd have to clear my throat and say, "Hey, he's not the one looking, stop talking to him about the car's features, I'm the one that's interested in it, remember me, over here? Nevermind, we're leaving".

 

Female friendly? Puhlease. Whatever happened to basic respect? This works both ways, though. I used to visit the bank with kids in tow, either in a snuggly or a stroller, and I was inevitably asked if I was babysitting. I'd say 'uh..no. Parenting. These are my kids.'

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renocat @ Oct 23 2006, 08:39 PM) [snapback]337124[/snapback]</div>

Uh oh, that didn't come out right. I'm still learning protocol and forgot that if I just reply then it looks like I'm replying to you.

Please accept my apologies; what I was trying to do was be the obnoxious salesperson, asking a stupid and belittling question.

--Natalie

P.S. Roger Penske is known for running top tier, professional organizations; this sort of rudimentary affinity marketing is a bit surprising in that light. Wondering if it's a single salesperson trying to generate business somehow.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Oct 24 2006, 01:32 PM) [snapback]337581[/snapback]</div>

LOL...you should have added "You really think someone else would trust me to babysit for them? Nope, they're mine! At least that's what my wife tells me...". :huh:

 

I agree with you to a point, PriusPenske, that dealers who provide buyers with a positive experience are to be commended. Not to nitpick, but car buying remains a hassle for most people, male and female. Just out of curiousity, are the poll results any different for men than women?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 24 2006, 05:47 PM) [snapback]337627[/snapback]</div>

I thought maybe you weren't really talking (writing) to me but was feeling a little snarky after a long day at work.... no worries...

 

I feel like adding just a little touch of snarkiness to this by saying that I very much wish this thread had been titled Family friendly instead of female friendly. I am very much a female, but I am also very much without children--and men have children too, you know. I think it does a disservice to females for anyone to assume that only females take care of children, or that every female has (or even wants) children. Personally, I think a female-friendly dealership is one that deals honestly with its customers and provides good service. Hmmm...maybe that would be a man-friendly dealership too. What a concept! BTW if someone can't afford a baby-sitter to take care of the kids when doing something as important as spending thousands of dollars on a car, they probably shouldn't try to stretch their budget to afford said car. JMHO. [/snarkiness]

 

Call me a pesimist, but I'd avoid the female-friendly dealership like the plague.

First...I don't have kids. So the stollers and playground would just be annoying. I don't deny that many women have children (although they may not go car shopping with them, *I* wouldn't if I had any.) But plenty of women don't. I find that unless the staff is very well trained, their approach to women will often still be condescending. Or they trip all over their pre-packaged sales pitch trying to remove the children and husband references. And quite frankly, I would expect a car dealership that specifically caters to women to pull some fast ones, or at least try. Targeting women as their customers doesn't mean they're more fair, they're just working smarter and using different bait.

I'd rather be treated like an intelligent person and not messed with. Not treated like a woman and offered a pink upholstered chair and a latté. (I don't drink coffee either.) And an extended warrantee at the bargain rate of $4,995.

 

uh... yeah.

i find this a bit insulting as well. who's to say that any woman who goes into a car purchase knowing what she's talking about can't nail down a good deal and walk away from a bad one? if you don't know what you're talking about you asked for it anyway. seriously. do your research, find out what the car's worth. this happens to men too ya know.

dealers lowball trades, they jack up prices, and it's work for anyone, male or female, to actually get a satisfactory deal.

why should we females get special attention? all that's doing is promoting the image of us as people who need others to cut us a break. no thanks.

 

If you ask me, it sounds more like a marketing gimick gone wrong - Instead of attracting customers, it's p*ssing off all the females :-p.

Perhaps a better way to advertise the exact same features of the place (kids play area, strollers) would be to market it as family friendly - take the hassle out of looking for a new car with the kids in tow!

Cause lets face it - a decision like buying a new car is generally a mutual decision made between both partners, and it's difficult to do that with the kids nagging you or one person staying home while the other is out looking.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Oct 23 2006, 05:29 PM) [snapback]337069[/snapback]</div>

lol, uumm.... I have to ask the wife if I am allowed to buy a car. Hence, my F250 request was denied.

Maybe they are trying to do something similiar to that car that was designed exclusively by women for women. I think it was a BMW. It turns out that more men liked it for all the ideas they put into it. :lol:

 

A number of years ago (lot of years ago), my wife and I went car shopping. Since the kids were small and we did a lot of hauling and carpooling, we had decided to buy a station wagon ( remember the kind that could swallow a 4X8 sheet of paneling with the tailgate closed). After visiting a number of dealers, we thought we had a good deal at a local Ford dealership. The price was negotiated and agreed upon. The dealer extras were offered and turned down. Finally the salesman stood up to his full height of 5 feet 2 inches and with a big smile on his face, turned to my wife and said: "Now what color would the little woman want to pick out". My wife, who is 5 feet 7 inches also stood up, looked at me and headed to the door. I smiled, and followed her out. To this day I don't think the salesman has any idea what happened. I was semi-hysterical, laughing, when we got into our car. My wife asked me if I was angry. I said "angry - no way", I'm proud of you.



Automotive people " car sales (men and women), Mechanics, Service advisors, etc, regularly disrespect women customers. The only way to stop it is for the women to just say: " Cut the crap and stop treating my like a moron". Or more diplomatic words to that effect. Some people will say that women don't have a clue about cars and that's why they are taken advantage of. There are just as many men who couldn't find the dipstick in their cars if their life depended on it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Oct 25 2006, 09:55 AM) [snapback]337929[/snapback]</div>

Ah yes, but that's the gimmick. It got people here talking, didn't it?

I agree and am not surprised that most people here - both male and female - find this sort of business model offensive, but that is to be expected, since most people who frequent messageboard such as PC to be among the more 'informed' segment of society and know how to do proper research on their own rather than be coddled by someone who definitely does not have their interests at heart and therefore can see through these schemes for what they are.

It is just like Saturn and their "no hassle" policy they have on their vehicles and the whole champagne and applause when you buy a car. They want to project the image that buying from them is easy and fun, not stressful and irritating. Personally, I see "no hassle" as "no dealing", since you basically pay SRP no matter what. But that's me. <_<

Bottom line is, this is a controversial idea that will get them noticed, and there are a lot of naive people in society who like the easy way, and would jump on this sort of promotion. A smart marketing scheme, really.

To each their own....