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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Head to Head????? (http://www.examiner.com/x-4026-Minneapolis-Autos-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Honda-salesman-tells-reporter-to-shop-at-Toyota)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Prius_Head_to_Head_with_Insight.jpgNathan Hook - EXAMINER (http://www.examiner.com) - August 13, 2009

If I were the sales manager at this dealership, it would have one LESS salesman! --Ed.

I was bemused by a story in the Pioneer Press this morning in which reporter Alison Kaplan was reportedly told by a Honda salesman she would be better off shopping at Toyota.


The incident arose during Kaplan’s attempt to apparently trade in her dying Honda Civic for something new but was turned away by ... http://www.examiner.com/x-4026-Minneapolis-Autos-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Honda-salesman-tells-reporter-to-shop-at-Toyota

Dying Honda Civic? It has been my experience with two Civics that they are the least likely car to die. Perform required maintenance, which includes adjusting valves (which I do myself) and these cars are among the most durable and reliable cars available.

Harry

What's up with the 6%. I've never seen that from my Honda dealer.

If I did not know better, it would seem this article was from the humor section of www.careerbuilder.com

Isn't the Civic the leading new car in the Cash for Clunker's program?

Interesting article. Maybe the salesman will get a raise for turning down a sale for a better sale... working at Toyota.

While test driving a VW the salesman let slip that we'd likely be better suited with a Honda from across the road. We're diehard Honda fans anyway, were just window shopping, but that struck me as very candid. The poor guy's business card was another salesman's, with ballpoint editting, LOL.

He actually crossed the road soon thereafter...

My parents were recently at an out of town Ford dealership and after some pretty intense, yet fruitless, price negotiations, were told by the frustrated sales manager that they should go to the local Chevrolet dealership. After that, they went to the local Ford dealership where they found a Fusion they like and got it with the X-Plan pricing. The local dealer had only had the Fusion on the lot for a day or two and was willing to bend over backwards to make the sale (threw in oil changes for a year).

It just goes to show, just like with everything retail, it's always hit-or-miss on the level of service you get. Always shop around when it comes to the big purchases.

Sadly, that's not an isolated incident for Honda's sales team. My previous car was a 2003 HCH and the Honda sales team practically made me beg and scrape just for the privilige of buying it. They were a singularly unpleasant bunch of people. Fast forward six years and 141,000 miles, I needed a new car. Since I changed jobs and only drive 4 miles to work, I didn't need a hybrid anymore either. But I still remembered the Honda attitude.

I headed right for the Toyota dealer and picked up a Scion xD. The saleman there didn't treat my partner or me with disdain for being an openly gay/pagan couple. We paid the exact price -- to the penny -- that was on the Scion website. The salesman didn't even mind that I got the car up to 100 MPH on the test drive (I have a bit of a leadfoot sometimes).

Needless to say, the two car-buying experieces were quite different.

Given the media's penchant for, um, "accuracy" I wouldn't read too much into the story without knowing both sides. I've never been a salesman as such, but have worked customer service where sales was one aspect of the job. Depending on circumstances, good customer service sometimes involved sending someone to the competition--something along the lines of: "Here's what we have, but if you want something else you'll have to go someplace else," then if you can you recommend who can help them. Reading between the lines it sounds like the salesman was trying to send the customer where she could try to work the deal she wanted when he couldn't do it (and Honda's not famous for offering incentives). That would be a good customer service -- help them even if you don't have what they want. Maybe the customer was mainly irritated that he didn't apologize hard enough for not being able to work a deal her way?

I've been on the receiving end of that treatment a couple of times when shopping for compact hatchbacks, but I felt helped rather than slighted when they sent me to a competitor. It makes a better story spun the article's way, though. Maybe the salesman will give feedback to his boss about whatever policy it was that kept him from working a deal?

That test drive would have been over with me, same if you smelled of alcohol before the test drive.

...The salesman didn't even mind that I got the car up to 100 MPH on the test drive (I have a bit of a leadfoot sometimes)....Forget we are a hypermiling site for a moment - in most states if you are pulled for going 95mph or more they incarcerate you and I doubt this was a closed circuit.

This is what a good salesman would do?

Needless to say, the two car-buying experieces were quite different.

I've had less than perfect buying experience at a Honda dealership too. Coincidentally, (are you listening Alanis?) I was buying a used 2003 HCH (maybe yours! :)).

My prior two car buying experiences were at a Chrysler (buying a used Accord) and a Ford dealer (buying a used Jaguar). Both times I was coming in with a cashiers cheque for the car so a purchase should have been easy. The Chrysler dealer even tried to get me to finance it even though I had cash in hand.

Even though I wouldn't consider my Honda dealership experience pleasant, it was darn near euphoric compared to both "American" dealerships.

... Depending on circumstances, good customer service sometimes involved sending someone to the competition-- ...

It can also be a way to unload 'high maintenance', negative profit customers.

But in other sorts of retail shopping, a number of shops that lacked what I needed have been willing to refer me to competitors that did. None of them have lost my future business.

I've been referred to the "shop across the street" before, but the circumstance was a bit different. The Chrysler, Dodge, etc. dealer took me over to the Ford, Mercury, Lincoln dealer across the street.

Both shops had the same owner and the salesmen worked both stores. Right now the Ford lot is getting very empty and the Chrysler lot is still very full.