staticlag

Any buisnessman knows that having the customers fart around with merchandise and not buy is diminishing the value of the test merchandise and costing you money by having the salespeople occupied.

I have worked at family owned stores and learned what kind of books they had to keep to keep their profit margin up.

And it still rings true to what I just posted. Being a buisnessman, the more people you can get thorugh the door, the more chance you have of someone buying. You want people to touch your items, you want people to be impressed, why have the impluse items by the cashregister? Why give out coupons for little crap items? Why outlay your store so the big ticket items are in un-noticable out of the way places, and the mainstream consumer items are more likely to catch a passer-by's eye. You need people in the door.

This is capitalism!

Bringing age into this is pretty low. Just because I am younger than you doesn't mean you are smarter than me, or by any means have more gained experience than me. If by anything it means you are dumber than me.

Whats that smell? Oh, early onset alzheimers?

xeon

You let them run a credit check on you? Why?

staticlag

Depends, if it is friends I usually do it for about $25 per roll film or 40-50 pics digital + expenses.

For people I don't really like but still want me to photograph for them I usually charge $100 per 30 pics reguardless.

I like doing it so I don't charge per hour.

I have done weddings, corperate events, and senior pics for multiple people though.

I am also a 17 credit hour/semester bio premed student, so don't think I'm a slacker.

So, on the grand scheme of things, its a hobby with slight benefits. As I am selective in what I fit into my already busy schedule.

Dima26

I had a very nice experience with Mitsubishi, except for the fact that the salesperson told me that Eclipse had 225 horsepower. I went for a test drive, then they checked my credit history, gave me some numbers and I said: "Thanks, I will call you back if I want this car". I did not buy the car at that time but I liked the experience. On the other hand, I had terrible experience at Ford dealership later. They were very "rude" and tried to press me into buying the Mustang at 4K over the MSRP (the original asking price was MSRP + 10K). I was very tempting at saying: "F*ck you all" and so on. I did like the car and was actually thinking about buying one but when somebody tries to press me into buying it, I normally do not like that. The Mazda dealership I went later was very nice. The salesperson went with me for a test ride and after it was finished, I had plenty of time to think about it without all these salespeople running around, offering you a cup of coffee, telling me some b*llshit about this car and so on. Unfortunately, that was the only thing pleasant at that dealership. After I bought the car, I had quite a bad experience with them. On the other hand, when I went to another Mazda dealership looking at Miata some time ago, I did not like it one bit. They always kept repeating me: "tell me what we need to do so that you buy this car now". I was telling them that I would not buy this car before thinking about it and discussing it with my relatives but they kept repeating the same questions, offering me coffee, soft drinks, and belly dance (just kidding) so that I buy the car. I was very happy when I was able to get out... So all dealerships are different.

Dima26

Double that. Doesn't it lower your credit history for a couple of months?

staticlag

Anyways, if any are intrested, here is a nice undercover article about an edmunds.com staff writer getting a job at various car lots.

He gives a pretty decent look at the underbelly of car sales.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying...2/article.html

j_s2000

yes, they do, the advertisement said to just test drive their car with NO obligation to buy and get the free trip. of course, their intention is for me to test drive the car, and is confident that i'll buy it. for more information, you can call "norco mitsubishi" to verify this fact.

and please DO NOT tell me u hv never in ur life got a free burger coupon (w/o purchase) ........

but it seems like u never have.....next time, try peeling off a sticker from a supersized frech fries at mcdonald

PaulieWalnuts

You sound pretty smart and motivated. So if somebody took up an hour or two out of your busy schedule asking you a bunch of photography questions, had you take a bunch of sample pictures, and then said "I already have a photographer and don't need your services. I just didn't have anything better to do" your response would be...

Rhawb

Well, Mitsubishi just lost several potential customers within their "target" age range for their heavy-hitter, the Evo. I'm never going to look at a Mitsu again and you damn well better believe I'm going to do my best to drive all my friends away from them as well. I don't need their low-quality vehicles and garbage warranties. I'll happily stick with Mazda for higher quality cars that are much better driver's cars AND I'll actually have a warranty that MEANS something.

Honestly, I've thought about getting an Evo, but their questionable future was enough to steer me away at the time. Now, regardless of their future, I have no interest in looking at any of their products (especially that Eclipse...ugh). I've heard plenty of stories about dealerships being douchebags with the Evo. If you aren't going to take us seriously as customers, then you can take your jacked up econobox and shove it up your ***.

Also, I hardly think he was wasting their time. If I ran a Mitsu dealer that was right next to a Mazda dealer and a kid who owned an RX8 walked over, you'd better believe I'd be doing everything in my power to try and show that kid why he should be in an Evo. I'm sure that dealer was hoppin' too. Making announcements about a contest over the PA and having the MANAGER leave his post so he can "babysit" a potential customer tells me that they had nothing better to do and were just a bunch of dicks. Eat me, Mitsubishi.

j_s2000

i was using mcdonald as an analogy to counter ur 'qualified' statement. now u r telling me, it doesnt matter anymore??? u said '....chances are if they can get you in the door you will drop at least 99 cents" ..well, chances r, since i am qualified by their 'financial standard' , i can drop 30g and buy the car. so what r u talking about?

and for ur analogy, i walked up to the counter to redeem my free burger, after i got my burger and about to leave, they threw me out cuz i didnt buy anything. does that sound right to you?

Frostee

you let them do a credit check in order to test drive it?

i would have walked away right there...

hamsta

May i add to your quote, Mitsubishit.

staticlag

Honestly I wouldn't care, if I was in their same position(the consumer) and got a better deal, I would sure as heck take the better deal. I mean, its the risk you run of being in buisness, you can't force your customers to buy from you, its like trying to force someone to love you. You can INTIMIDATE them, but good fair people shouldn't do this, it never works out in the end, for at least one of the parties involved.

But beside the point, even if I didn't understand the nature of capitalistic freedom in buisness, I still wouldn't care, I like talking about photography I like taking pictures, I like informing others. I would enjoy it. In fact this same situation has happened a few times to me.

Pretty smart, I guess people have said that about me before. But motivated? Certainly not.

Actually, I just read your comment with a bit more scrutiny. And actually people who have met with me just to "waste my time" have ended up appending me as auxillary photographer. So, it really goes either way.

But besides this, I grow weary of this childish arguing.

I resign, you win. Bravo.

j_s2000

to answer ur question, i did them because they offer me a free 2 days trip to las vagas just for test driving their car....why wouldnt i do it?


i maybe young and dont understand much, but i understand integrity. if you open a check to someone, they better be able to cash it. you advertise free gifts for every test drive.....and you bounce it and cuss them out for trying to cash the check.......is this ur attitude of doing business?


btw, that's right, i am 20, i go to USC...go trojans!!

truemagellen

I don't know why Paulie is busting J_s2000's Walnuts for...I mean seriously F_ck Mitsubishi

I didn't even know this promotion is going on...just to spite the company that has the gull to release such a large selection of ugly *** cars I think I'll go this weekend and compare the experience and get the free goods :D

staticlag

Seconded.

I can understand the logic of trying to complain about wasting an honest dealership's time.

but como'n this is MITSUBISHI!

j_s2000

....Norco mitsubishi's sales told me that in the last 4 days, they did not hv a single customer....sold 0 cars.....how else do you think the manager with their other 5 salemen have the time/energy to cuss me out?

wasting their time?....i was merely keeping their company!

with the joke aside, i hv to test drive 4 different car before i justified spending 30k on the rx8....i mean who here hvnt?

paulie....when u intent, almost 100% sure to buy the rx8 did you NOT drive the 350z just so that you wont hv any regret?

nzarnow

Hmm well come to think of it I only test drove an Acura RSX before I bought the RX-8. The looks alone and its reputation that it carries was enough for me to pull the trigger. The first time I drove one was on the way home from the dealer and it sure did not dissapoint!

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to hear about your Mitsu experience. Those bastards. Nothing more annoying than pushy car dealers who then proceed to curse you out.

A close second for annoying is when you consistently saying "hv" instead of "have" in every post...

Aseras

i'd never let them check anything on me before buying. hell when I bought my rx8, i didn't even let them pull my credit until about a munite before I had papers printed up.

the dealers work for you. not the other way around.

Battousai

LOL Amen to that, you beat me to it Mugatu :p

Yeah seriously dude two extra letter's aren't gonna kill you

But I agree with you here, the dealership is guilty of shaddy advertising, even though common sense dictates that no one in their right mind was going to be giving away a free trip for just taking a test drive, but still they should have advertised that clearly.

And I don't agree with everyone who's going on that j_s2000 was wasting their time, he 'fell' for their promotion, wasn't that the point of the whole thing by the dealer to get people in the door? So I don't think he did anything wrong, and its no surprise they have no sales over there.

Spyder_doo

Just dont go asking questions about the performance and price of the new Eclipse. They tend to get real edgy when you start asking about it. I was just wanting to drive one and get a general understanding of what the car has, but instead I got the whole " I'll show you the power this thing has" deal. Then when I wasnt impressed he started talking trash about the 8 until he realized it was turboed that is but it still pissed me off to say the least.

Jamie

Dinhx8

how did this post get changed into mcdonalds and photography? js2000 seems to write in his post that he was innocently seeking a test drive, with no mal intent, out of genuine interest in the evo...thats what test drives are for. bottom line, you shouldn't have to buy every car you test drive, which is obviuosly what the dealer was giving him...i dont' think he was wrong or wasting anyone's time. If a dealer think thats a waste of time, then the salesmen need to find new jobs. Granted, there are some who abuse this and just go out and test drive for fun, but doesn't seem like js is this guy.

And he certainly sounds like he's a qualified buyer, and you don't need to buy to be a qualified buyer. When you get prequalified to buy a home, you don't have to put a contract in on the first house you look at, but you're qualified, and deserve to look, thats all this guy was doing in my opinion.

Sorry for your bad experience, based on your first post, sounded like you were genuinely interested, and got some seriuosly bad treatment....

BigOLundh

iTrader: (1)

And that is when I would of knocked him the F out. I'd like to see how many cars he sells with a broken jaw.

Elara

So js2000, did you file a complaint with Mitsu? if so, what was the outcome? I would have been seriously pissed off as well- it doesn't make a damn bit of difference whether you actually plan on buying or not (how do they know you weren't going to buy the next day or week?) if you were qualified, that's all that matters. Look at all the people that fell for the Onstar promotion the GM had going on- they swore up and down they weren't trying to make anyone buy.

Okay, so some people are just going to drive the car for the hell of it. That's why you have sales people go ON the test drive- but you sure as hell don't ABUSE a potential customer just because you have decided "they" aren't going to buy. You never know.