Death Of The Car Salesman.

Mary Cerani has been selling Pontiacs and GMCs in Wilmington, Del., for seven years. She is one of Union Park Pontiac's top salespeople. Rather than alienating buyers with the hard sell, she listens and finds what customers want. That approach, not to mention a congenitally upbeat attitude, wins her plenty of referrals. Her sunny disposition wasn't much help, though, when a customer showed up recently looking for a Pontiac G6. The man proved difficult the moment he called the dealership, Cerani recalls. He didn't believe the sedan got 27 miles per gallon, as advertised. He wanted interior wood trim and special wheels--a custom order. And after taking delivery of the car, he said he didn't like the ride. Although mechanics could find nothing wrong, Cerani got him a replacement.