More $tealership shenanigans. Forging surveys!

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
I just purchased 2 new Honda's, both times the sales guys begged us to please fill out the survey that we were 100% satisfied. They said if we didn't they would get fired. They said that Honda requires 100% on each one.

Well, guess what, we didn't give either dealership perfect ratings...sorry guys.


Sounds familiar, a few guys got the boot for bad surveys, but they were the exception. They did lose their bonus if they didn't get 100% of the people replying with a perfect survey though. That's why you'll hear stories like the one you heard, or other creative stories. A few guys would tell the customer to bring the survey in and they'd handle it, one guy offered to pick it up from the customer's house or job. It's a great way for management to create a nice bonus structure, and pay out on that bonus less. It's also another great way to stick it to a sales person you don't like.

 

[Smoky14]

I told Ford about a dealer that was stealing from customers by not performing services and charging for them. They promoted the service manager and the mechanic involved.
SEE surveys do get results.

Smoky the disgusted.

 

[Cutehumor]

I would magically not getting surveys. I even went to an IHOP that had bad service. the cashier threw out the survey on the receipt, when she gave me my credit card back. she must not know I have eagle eyes.

 

[ffhdriver]

I bought a Buick and had excellent service and buying experience. Salesman said bring him the survey and I'd get a free tank of gas. Got the gas.

 

[ottomatic]

Well I started selling VW's 2 weeks ago.
Sold my 1st car last week. The customer came in late & was in a hurry. All that I could do was go over the basics. I am supposed to fill out a survey.
I guess I will be canned because I am honest & there will be a lot of No's in the survey.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: ffhdriver
I bought a Buick and had excellent service and buying experience. Salesman said bring him the survey and I'd get a free tank of gas. Got the gas.

Well, I've never gotten that. But my local Buick dealer has been excellent, and the one from whom I bought the Regal was good too. The dealership is located on the north shore of the lake, about 35 miles from my home. When we made the deal on a Friday, the salesman gave me a Nissan Altima loaner while they detailed the Regal; and then he brought it to me at my work on Tuesday.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: ottomatic
Well I started selling VW's 2 weeks ago.
Sold my 1st car last week. The customer came in late & was in a hurry. All that I could do was go over the basics. I am supposed to fill out a survey.
I guess I will be canned because I am honest & there will be a lot of No's in the survey.




Does the internal survey allow you to comment in writing?
It should so you can explain why the delivery process was abbreviated, they can't blame the salesman for the requirements of the customer.

 

[Oily_hair]

Back in 2008 I was given 4 free oil changes to let the sales person fill out the survey for me. He really didn't have to do that as my experience was excellent and would have been noted on the survey but I wasn't going to argue getting free service.

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: john_pifer
Took me all of a few hours of research and sending e-mails before I was getting offers of new WRXs for hundreds below "invoice" price.

The problem is that you will never really know what the invoice price is. Like so many other things related to a dealership the invoice price is easily tweaked and there is manufacturer hold-back money and the like that skew the whole thing. It is amazing that car dealerships still exist in this day and age as it is one of the last "old world" sales types remaining.


Actually it's pretty easy to determine approximately what their cost is. Just as an example, while I was doing my research, I ran across a post on a Subaru message forum (NASIOC) in which a Subaru dealership employee posted an internal document showing "invoice" as well as "holdback" and "floorplan" money...the latter two are paid to the dealer at the end of the year and equate to about 3-5%.

Doesn't matter anyway... Do enough research and get enough bids and you start to figure out what a good deal is...and isn't.

My point is that a good, or even great deal can be had on most vehicles, with a little legwork.

Heck, like I said - with only a few hours of calls and e-mails, I was getting offers hundreds below invoice (yes, I knew what invoice was because I saw multiple internal Subaru documents detailing cost info...).

I decided to hold off anyway...

 

[gizzsdad]

The whole problem with this is "top box" scoring. Not sure who came up with the concept, but they should be horse-whipped.

Some alluded to this above. Basically - a "10" is satisfactory, 1-9 is fail - completely. The worst my dealers do is ask that if there is any issue that would keep me from giving a 10, to give them a chance to make it right.

The worst problem with whole concept is that there is absolutely NOTHING to be learned from these surveys. Add to that the possibility of holdbacks being withheld pending survey results, and one can at least fathom why dealers would pressure buyers.

There are usually questions now asking the survey taker if they were in any way pressured to give "top box" answers. I always play the game for dealer's benefit, because he treats me very well.

But, if manufacturers would allow consumers to score the surveys with some nuance, perhaps much more could actually be learned to improve the sales/service process.