Bad treatment by Dealership

[dbradhstream]

The only thing I find offensive about Internet Sales Director's first email is that he wouldn't give you a quote without first knowing other dealers' quotes. That tactic always ticks me off, whether on a car, trailer or anything else. I always say something to the effect of: "Why would I give you an advantage over other dealers? Give me your best quote and if it is in the ballpark I will give you an opportunity to sell me something. If you won't give me a quote I will cross you off the list right now."

No reason to correct his grammar - it may be unfortunate, but it's commonly accepted that emails are generally not held to the same grammatical standards as letters and other more formal correspondence.

By not showing us the 'middle' email, you have to wonder whether his response wasn't at least a little bit deserved.

[dbradhstream]

Following up ... I would have crossed him off my list immediately anyway upon learning that he was willing to make an offer that was "nowhere close to what another dealer is at." In other words, he's saying, "I'm going to charge you as much as I possibly can so I'm not going to give you a reasonable figure until I absolutely have to."

.I think that this is confusing. Obviously you took offense at what the dealer emailed you and he took offense at your reply. You've only provided his response and not your emails to him so it's almost impossible to give fair and balance advice.Email etiquete goes both ways. His response does sound unprofessional but you may have been communicating with a 21 year old with little or no real life sales experience or someone who just that day was hired as the internet sale director. It's impossible to know but if i were offended by an email from an Airstream dealer, I would call the dealership directly to sort it out. Dealers are in the business to make money and you want to get the best price that you can for what ever your buying. If the first quote that you got was a low ball, his best price may still sound to high and you would have walked away. The price on the 75th Anniversary Edition is going to be closer to list price than any other Airstream model simply because it's a true limited edition.If you search the archives you can get a pretty good idea of what you can expect to pay for a new Airstream.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by lynnhughes

I simply was floored by the way I was treated. I don't know weither I want to cry or am just burning mad.

hi lynn and welcome to the forums....

3 things
---if the above quote captures how you really feel...you best avoid buying anything.
buying is a contact sport and salesman are part of the process
save the crying for when you discover the floor creaks or rivets start falling out.
be burning mad when the cabinets fall down or the roof leaks!

---since you failed to share any part of your emails
(initial request or reply with counter productive grammar lesson)
i can only assume your words wasn't pretty either...
(yes i intended to write like that)

---email is a lousy first step to shop dealers or airstreams...
i drove to several dealers just to visit; get to know the folks and
determine IF i'd want to do business with each.
each knew we'd complete the selling/buying experience via email...

---anyone can send email...you could have been another dealer checking prices or a factory person or any sort of crack pot...

---IF you really are trying to buy an airstream...just get on with it.
there are many other dealers with 75ths in stock....

---the 2 sentences of yours i quoted above need work...they don't read well.

ok, that's more than 3 things but i couldn't resist...

cheers
2air'

[moosetags]

Whenever a salesman asks me what he had to do to "earn" my business, I'm out of there.

When we bought Lucy, we got prices from five differnt Airstream dealers over the phone without a problem.

[Mike Lewis]

lynn--i hesitate to respond as I might mispell a word and have to be corrected. In my opinion the saleman took the grammer comment just as you ment it--an insult. if there is any thing that "ticks" anyone off its for those who have it to point out that those who don't --don't!!! Flaunting ones education or financial statis is one of the rudest things you can do. The salesman was kind compared to how I would have responded---pieman

[airdrmr]

OK, I just have to chime in here. We all know it's a game of cat and mouse to buy from a dealership. Personally, I have NEVER walked away from a transaction at a dealership and said "wow, that was fun" (or easy, or pleasant, etc.) The experience always rattles my cage.

It sounds like the person you were communicating with was young and inexperienced. If I were you I would call the dealer, ask to speak with a manager and tell 'em what happened. Or, if you're uncomforable with that, send a letter. No sense in trying to teach them a lesson using these Forums.

I hope you find your trailer and then come on back to the Forums for some great ideas and advice.

[Janet H]

OK - Lynn has been dumped on enough about the spelling and grammer...

One of the problems with e-mail correspondance is that you just never quite know what the "tone of voice" is....

That said, there have been some good suggestions and strategies supplied here for buying from a dealer.

Call the owner
Find a new dealer - a big one would be best.
Going to the dealer in person.

One of the things that surprised me when we started looking at Airstreams ( both new and used) was the distance that we needed to travel to look at them. Find a big dealer - take a trip - spend the night and wander around the lot. Call them in advance and tell them you will be there. In the Pacific Northwest, you might try Airstream of Spokane and Sutton RV in Eugene.

Good luck with your hunt and try to have FUN looking for a new trailer.

It's all about the adventure!

[lynnhughes]

Okay to answer the burning question!
I had meant the grammer correction as a joke. I did say that they should be more professional. I was, I thought gently correcting them. I don't want and shouldn't have to allow myself to treated with unprofessional behavior. Then to be blasted that way. Way out of line.
If I'm emailing my family or friends, I might write the same way. I have a boy in college, who text messages me and I still use whole words in my return text. I'm just a product of my age.
Yes, I know the world of computers has changed things and the written word has become more casual. But don't you just expect more from a business.

So, I joked that "ha ha, maybe you should have paid more attention in school, the grammer!" I even miss spelled words (yes that was deliberate!). Then I went right back to a professional request for information on the fees they would be charging me. I told them that I would not require any hitch work and asked when I could set a time for delivery.

Thank you all for the great information
I will find a different dealer outside the Mesa - Phoenix valley. With further reseach I have not found very much good about this dealership, nor it's service department.
I don't mind travelling

an for u all that cant talk rite, lets go get us a bottle of that cheap wine and tel tall tales by the fire!!!!!!!!!!!

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by airdrmr

Personally, I have NEVER walked away from a transaction at a dealership and said "wow, that was fun" (or easy, or pleasant, etc.) The experience always rattles my cage.

Merideth, I'm sorry your's wasn't a pleasant experience. Ours was. I did my research and had eliminated three dealers in person before I called the dealer we purchased from. I made the offer I was comfortable with...one I knew was fair to both buyer and seller (I had done my research and it wasn't some wild, low-ball offer, but a realistic one) and took care of the entire deal over the phone-site unseen. Because I was realistic and fair to the dealer, I was treated fairly and respectfully when we arrived to pick it up.

Not to Merideth:

Too often people are too concerned about getting the absolute best deal...better than anyone else's...that they feel they have to brow-beat the dealer into submission. It shouldn't be that way. If you are fair you should expect to be treated fairly. If you feel you have to play mind games, go play somewhere else. I don't have the time. In the end, I will be in better shape because I won't lay awake at night wondering if I could have gotten a little better deal if I had just...

I think the traditional Airstream dealer isn't used to dealing with internet savy buyers. This is changing, but change comes slow in a market dominated by non-geeks.

Car dealers are a different story. They are used to technofiles and have to respond to today's market demands such as internet/e-mail price quotes or get left in the dust. But Airstream dealers haven't had the pressure to do so. I'm not surprised that a lot of them don't see e-mail price wars as the "wave of the future" in making "real" sales. Lynn may have dealt with one who has e-mail and a web site (with that e-mail address listed) as a novelty or as a way to get low cost advertising, but expecting to still do business with folks who prefer to do business face to face and one who doesn't take e-mail price request as serious customers.

[clancy_boy]

Lynn,

I have a real issue with typing - at my age (and this is not sexist) only women took typing in high school. I pass on to every kid I know that typing is one of the most practical classes that will pay off in the future in more ways than they could imagine. That said, most people become dependent on and rely on word processing software to correct spelling errors. It's not that hard to use and should always be used by a professional in business letters OR emails.

I believe you are correct - the customer is always CORRECT. Again, his reply is only a window to look into the dealership and from what you see from where you are - the picture is not pretty. Walk away. You are a product of your EDUCATION not your AGE.

[Fyrzowt]

Lynn, Thanks for keeping your sense of humor through all of those responses - Most of them were polite....weren't they?
I found out earlier in the week in another post, how the written word is not always taken in the way it was intended.
Good luck, find a dealer you can keep. (I mean dealership )
Dave

[summerkid]

I agree, definitely, that the wonderful Age of Internet hasn't brought us all closer together by removing boundaries of race, class, age & education. It has only INCREASED the obstacles to effective communication.

And I'm remiss, Lynne, in not offering a welcome to the forums as well! It's always fun when a new member gets a good conversation going in their first try. You'll find a lot of friends here. Some of the forum members are very good typists. Feel free, too, to correct my grammar. It doesn't offend me; to the contrary, given that my living depended on it, I'm always interested in knowing if I'm making a stupid mistake. What cracks me up is when people THINK they've caught me, only to pompously explain that I've misspelled "bated breath" or something.

You didn't deserve the response you got from that punk, but I often wonder what it's like to be a vehicle dealer. Posters today quibbled with the way the sellers phrase their eagerness to sell you something, even. And EVERYBODY & his brother think they need to earn bragging rights of brinksmanship. It would make me crazy. I mean, how low can you go before you show no profit? Do you start dealing in $5 increments? I've never bargained for a vehicle or anything. I know before I even show my face whether they have what I want at a price I'm willing to pay. Occasionally, people try to bargain me down when I'm selling at art fairs but the look on my face usually quashes that tactic.

[thecatsandi]

What was your letter to them? I never correct any elses grammar. SOme find it insulting. I am not perfect either.

[bradk]

I sorta wish I culd add something different to this thread but yeah you wuz treated worse than ever dude.

Our experiences with RV salesmen has been a line of sleezy, parading as professional hacks. We couldn't find a dealer that would actually quoted a price, just that they were the best place to purchase. I simply conjured a number based on 20% off as "what I've been told" and all of them were happy to beat it. You can sometimes use ignorance as a tool.

good luck with the search and stay far away from a dealer that doesn't ALWAYS treat with you and your business with the utmost respect.

b.

[Silvertwinkie]

Had a somewhat similar exp from a dealer here in IL. Bottom line, I bought the first from him and he was the owner.

When it came time to upgrade, he got upset that I was shopping and gave me a somewhat similar song and dance.....needless to say, he didn't get any repeat business and won't if I ever upgrade again.

[PWRSTRK]

I think you also should let customer service at Airstream know that the dealership treats people this way "in the name of Airstream."

Tom

[summerkid]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

When it came time to upgrade, he got upset that I was shopping and gave me a somewhat similar song and dance.....needless to say, he didn't get any repeat business and won't if I ever upgrade again.

Yeah, but why should we expect to be treated like kings if they can't expect loyalty? Customers seem to want it both ways.

[janetb]

I second Fyrsowt: maintaining a sense of humor is the best tactic in life...crying and fuming just don't cut it. And your humor is clearly intact!
It seems important to find a dealer that has good references, is forthcoming and courteous (and hopefully somewhat literate~but let's face it, courtesy and professionalism trump typing skills, and that dolt was neither courteous nor professional...) and, most importantly, you need a dealer who will take care of all the the post-delivery issues. We were fortunate to have such a dealer--with a decent sales manager--fairly close by. The convenience of being able to take future issues to get fine-tuned without traveling long distances is invaluable. A lot of work and patience, but boy is it worth it!
Hang in there.
Janet

[Roscinante]

I second JanetB's comments. I HAVE to. I just found out we are "related."


It kind of reminds me of Ruyard Kipling's line from his poem IF..."If you can keep your head while all around you.." Stay on the high road, ask for what you want, and be gracious/appreciative when you get good service. Remember, just like not all dealers/dealerships are jerks, not all customers are princesses or princes.

The customer is NOT always right. But, they ARE always the customer.

Jerry