New Annoying Dealership Tactic

On the rare occasions I'm waiting on service, typically recalls, I've not been approached by sales. Well, apart from saying hi to the tag team that sold to us. Hope it stays that way.

 

Dealers want to move metal. I have received emails saying they are looking for good used cars. Also they send emails telling me what my payment would be on a new Prius. One thing I like about emails is the delete button.

 

"How much can you afford each month?" Erm, no. You tell me your BEST deal over 3 years and I'll see if it's good or not.

 

I despise both the sales and the service departments of my local dealership. Individuals seem okay, but as a whole, they leave me nauseated. I am not able to do my own maintenance and would gladly go to an independent, competent hybrid shop for upkeep and pay out of pocket as opposed to the "free" maintenance from the dealership.

 

I never used my free maintenance
Mike

Wanderin around on my phone...

 

Same here. My trusted independent Garage gets all my work (2 cars) as well as in excess of ten family and friends, due to his great service over the years. I have referred over 10 people to him and he looks after about 15+ cars for them.

 

I was asked what it would take for me to trade my Prius in for a new model. I told them when they could place a PiP on their lot I might then be interested in discussing this

 

Weirdo.

 

It seems that his Prius has done 1500 miles in 2 years, so probably no need....

 

Oh, I understand that part...

 

I changed the oil at 1200 miles
Mike

Wanderin around on my phone...

 

It is a mistake to let the tactic slide, if you want it to stop.
You would have been much better off telling the sales guy "Hold on. I have just been alerted to scummy sales tactics at this dealership. Please go get my car NOW. I am leaving."

 

I have to say that the dealer I go to has never tried any of these stunts and they are very reputable. I know they are an anomoly but, they are good. They have never tried to pull a stunt on me (even the cabin air filter stunt).

 

This is my first experience of this type at a dealership. This is also my first Toyota.

The guy that approached me seemed to be a sales guy whose job was to approach customers in the service department waiting room. I guess they figure if they have a captive audience they need to take advantage !

Like you I have received many flyers from Honda's and others but never approached at the dealership.

 

It is well known that the service centre is the place to scour for new customers. You already have a dwindled pool. Instead of trying to sell everyone, the sales team knows that you buy/service at a dealership are generally that means you are ripe for the picking. Also you already drive the make that they sell most-likely. Your car is in for service, so there is a chance there is something wrong with it. Play on peoples' fears of safety and being stranded. And of course they are captive and already in the door which is a huge part of the problem for car sales.

For such a high pressure industry, it makes perfect sense. I hate the practice, but I fully realize why it has to be done unless the car sales culture changes. Around here it is easier because I can send them on a wild goose chase. I enjoy walking car lots for fun because sometimes there are good deals and I like to window shop cars, used and new. I don't take up their time, and if anything having a body walking around is more likely to attract other people. Nobody wants to be "the only one" walking around. If they come bother me, I just tell them I am just looking. But if they won't leave me alone I tell them I am looking for a model they don't sell in the state. For Toyota that would be the PiP or Rav4EV.

 

At lunch I picked my Prius up from my dealership after it's 20K service. They had a whiteboard on an easel with my full name on it (along with other people's names) and it advised I needed to go speak with "Rodger" in the showroom.

I had this happen before with my Camry when I brought it in for servicing so I knew what was up. I walked over to the white board and wiped my name off.

 

Oh I know why they do it, but it's usually the 22 year old junior apprentice sales person. You know the type, The Simpsons portray them nicely;



"Look here Pal. I don't want a new car, right?"

 

Hmm, never had that happen to me thankfully.

I do remember getting email spam every few days from them after having bought my Prius c. I replied to the email stating I already bought a car from them, and didn't need another one. But they kept sending me emails asking me to come in and look at their cars, so I ended up having to email the sales guy who sold me the c and ask them to stop spamming me. The emails immediately stopped right after that.

The worst I saw was when I got a postcard from them shortly after my first 5k maintenance saying my cabin air filter was bad and needed replacing, which they would gladly do for $60. I did have a moldy smell coming out when I turned the a/c on, but then I found out that turning on the air without a/c will help kill the mold, and the smell went away after a few days. Then I checked my air filter and it looked brand new still. I have since replaced the air filter around 17k miles on the c, though I bought the air filter on amazon for I think $15 or so, and put it in myself.

 

It may be fairly common practice to rip off customers whenever they can, but good dealerships do exist. I suggest Google and DealerRater as online remedies to such tactics. Although every dealer has their share of both good and bad reviews, a little light-reading can usually reveal the patterns of their behavior. Nowadays with most people going to the internet for information instead of using yourself as a guinea-pig and learning by trial-and-error, dealers are getting tuned-in to the importance of treating their customers fairly.