Weird buying experence - explain?

[george graves]

I was helping my mom buy a RV today. We picked up a 5th wheel. Small? Yea. But it looks like it had been used 5 times in its lifetime.

Anyways, we go into the sales man's office, and the usual bullshit. Then once the "offer sheet" is made up he has the fucking balls to ask for $20. I was *astounded*. Granted we were not there buying a $250k motor home, but a small 24" fifth wheel. Not a *small* purchase at all.

So I ask him, "Why in the world do you need $20 cash" - he go off saying "we like to make sure people are really interested. (Keep in mind I'm there to make sure my mom gets a good price. I flatly refuse. I said if this is the way you do business....blah blah blah. I go on to tell the sales man how embarrassed and uncomfortable I am that he would ever ask for something as trivial as $20 up front.

My mom, not one to rock the boat, digs out all the cash she has - $11 fucking dollars.

We finally talked them down and had them throw in delivery no charge. Really nice little unit. Got it for $4650. Looks SUPER easy to work on if need be. AC, microwave, awaning, electric or gas fridige/heating, roof antenna, *mint*, plus it's a 5th wheel, I'm looking forward to *borrowing* it (now to find a tow vehicle)

So - question: What was up asking for the $20, is this a new sales tactic I'm not aware of (I know them all, I've edited a 15 hours training video once on how to train new sales people)

What gives?

[browntown]

I'm sure they justify it as an application fee, or fee to run your credit. Had a couple landlords charge me to run my credit back in the day.

Regardless, it's lame. I would have refused as well. Reminds me of a couple weeks ago, I went to best buy to get a new laptop for the girlfriend. I knew what I wanted, and wanted to get out. I was told by three different reps I'd have to wait till they were done helping other customers.

Finally I ask a rep in cd's milling around to go get the box from the back so I could pay for the laptop. He tells me "no". Then he tells me he knows nothing about laptops. I told him, here is the ticket with the model #, just pick the product. He says they have to talk to you about the product, geek squad customization, extended warranties.

I nearly lose it, and say "How hard is it to spend a $1000 in this place." He had to get a managers permission to let me pay for the thing without the upsells from the floor reps who were too busy showing a 60year old woman the cheapest digital camera on the floor, than help me.

Sales isn't the profession it used to be. I just flew to sanfrancisco and back for a sales interview, and was impressed by the team I met. They all make six figures and sell a biopharmaceutical though, so it's not the same.

But the basic customer service angle of sales *should* be the same, shouldn't it/

Sorry back on topic, yeah that sux, pics of fifth wheel / r3v roadtrip beer hauler

[mrsleeve]

Dude you did good on the 5th wheel not bad at all. 1/2 ton will suffice but 3/4 ton would be the best bet. I would have been pissed at the 20 bucks thing too. WTF now sales creeps want a tip for talking to you. I would have told em to "blow it out your ass" I dont sugar coat it.

Brown- I know how you feel I am a nice easy going guy till I get agverated by sales guys (my biggest pet peeve other than stupid people). I was asked to leave a BIG BOX electronics store for wanting to spend 1200 on a new TV an not the stupid protection plan an bigger TV. I knew what I wanted. Dude kept pushing the protection plan an would not let it go after I politely declined 4 times and by the 7th time or so I got pissed an had people looking at me. Customer service has gone to shit every where.

[Teaguer]

The guy was obviously short on lunch money .


I do it all the time to cover lunch/gas . :D

[george graves]

No, they took my mom's $11 bucks and then GAVE IT BACK TO HER after she paid cash for it (personal check, delivered after it clears I was told)

Yea, I've racked my brain...Why risk offending a customer like that?

I've know guys that sell top end cars, and they are all cool as hell with their clients. They *know* how to sniff out a rat on the spot, before the hand shake. We pulled up in a new(ish) ford explorer, and had been at the dealer three days before. Well dressed, ect...

What the hell could the sales guy gain by asking for a measly $20? Weird, I tell you weird....

[Jscotty]

My buddy who was a car dealer for a little while told me that little gimmicky things like this are just little excersizes of getting your mind set into "agreement mode" if you came to "look" even though you are really in a position to buy. So they take you through all of these exercises making you think that you have come too far to turn back if you get to a stage in the process where you start having doubts. But an untrained and inexperienced salesman will do stuff like this even if the customer walks into the door and says, "I have money and I came to buy!"

Something similar happened to me when I went on a dealership lot to buy a used car for my office staff to run company errands. I walked on the lot with $8000 in my pocket and knew exactly what kind of car I wanted. I told the salesman that I was ready to go to the table and do this deal but he wanted to take me for a test drive and copy my driver's license. I was like, "WTF for?" He said that they need some sort of "good faith" agreement that I am going to buy the car. I really wanted to pull the wad of cash out of my pocket and say, "Is this good enough?" but instead I walked. I don't think I made it out of the parking lot before the manager ran after me.

Oh, yeah and you gotta be prepared for those upsales that they hit you with at Best Buy. When they offer me the buyer protection plan or extended warrenty, I politely refuse. But when they refuse to take NO for an answer then I say, "Oh.. so you are telling me that this thing WILL break.. I am not so sure I want to buy it now.."

Then the dork says,"...OH NO No nooo.. Mr. Scotty! We just want you to be PROTECTED". Yeah.. protect me from those unnecesary charges. If you think its so great, spot me the money and I will pay you back in 2 years if nothing ever goes wrong.

[JasonC]

What brand was the trailer?