Why don't dealers know what they're talking about?

A lot of salesman acted dumb in order to see what you know and what they can and can not get away with. It personally annoys me as well but that's the way it is. They do it because a lot of people are stupid and they can blindly rip them off.

 

You're talking to someone (salesman) who has spent WAY more time in sales seminars&training sessions than reading anything about the specific product they sell.

Buzzwords and tactics are more important than product knowledge, after all

 

I don't think salespeople don't take the time to know the details of each models. They know about basic features like A/C, cruise, etc... Some of the ones I've met hardly speaks english.

 

I bought my truck used. The previous owner had removed the TRD off road decals from the bedsides - dealer had no idea it was a TRD truck. I got the truck for a steal.

 

The highlighted portion hit the nail on the head... In my hometown all the major new car dealerships are located on the same street and next door to each other/across the street. I think this is very common for most communities anywhere.

Just two days ago I was at my Toyota dealership's parts dept. buying some "Genuine Toyota" coolant for my truck. As I'm walking out I recognized the salesman that I had to work with to buy my wife's Chevy Suburban back in June 2012 at a Mazda dealership. Please note: The Suburban had been traded in earlier that day. Funny part is that I later realized that I recognized the Suburban and it turns out a co-worker had traded it in. Fortunately I was able to find out what he got in trade-in credit and twist their arm for the sale (paid below KBB for dealer but more than KBB value for personal sale). We kick ourselves because he could have been paid more and I could have saved more.

Back to the main topic; it's very true that most salesmen are uneducated about the brand and product they sell and bounce around from place to place like hobos at a bum camp. However, it pays off to educate yourself as a consumer and not fall prey for their shenanigans.

 

Salesmen are salesmen. Their talent is getting you to open your wallet, not to educate you.

 

lol similar thing happened to me. The dealer priced the truck as a 2wd and didn't realize it was 4x4. I ended up getting a 4x4 for the price of a prerunner.


The fact that these "sales people" know nothing about what they're selling can work out to our benefit.

OP, you should be hunting these retards down when browsing dealerships.

You might get a better deal because of the mistakes they make. Just make sure the mistakes always work out in your favor.

 

Agreed.

Agreed. I once sold Nissan's for less than 3 months while unemployed. I sold 18 units in 7 weeks, but ty then I knew I had to go back to Accounting (thank GOD for college!).

Life in car sales, unless you are selling premium brands is HARD! That's why the vast majority of sales peeps goes from dealer, to dealer. What incentive do they have to learn "Yota's product line, when next week/month they'll be selling Mazda's?

 

A salesman's primary goal is to eliminate objections. The more he tells you, the more likely you are to hear something you would object to. He's also focused on selling what he has, not what you want.

Never do your research through a sales person for anything.

Aside from that, a general lack of professionalism is pervasive in our society now. 50 years ago even the guy who pumped your gas had a passing knowledge of mechanics. They wore a uniform, took a shower and combed their hair before they came to work. They took some pride in what they did. I had an uncle who sold shoes at Sears, and he could tell you every model and every size they offered for the last ten years. He could just look at your foot and know your size. It may sound quaint, but it was part of a mindset that is totally foreign today. Finding a professional who takes pride in knowing his trade now is truly rare.

 

because there are like 10 models of Toyotas with 1000's of combinations combined with it changing constantly so how can you expect a salesman to remember everything on top of his head?

 

Yup. 100%

 

This. Just like the guy hawking the 40 piece knife set for $39 in the aisle at the mall (and very succesfully at that). He probably doesn't know much about knife quality and construction, or at least he won't discuss that subject with you.

 

Interestingly, if you go to Toyota.com, it shows a 6 speed as an option, but in the build your own application, there is no 6 speed to select. WTF?

 

Fist time I test drove a Taco a few years ago the salesman told me "you can push this here over from drive to this side one for the more power option. It'll really get up and go!" haha oh you mean downshift?

 

When I bought my Tacoma back in 2010 I wanted a MGM SR5 dbl cab 4x4. I was told they did not make that combination, and I was a "uneducated buyer" at the time so, I ended up with a silver that had been just pulled off the truck, but about a week later I see the same exact combo going down the road. I wanted to choke that salesmen out,

 

Yes!

I took my truck in for the spiral cable recall recently. While I was waiting I wandered over to the Priuses (sp?) and waited for someone to approach me. The guy was actually fun to talk to, he pointed out his lifted 86 4x4 parked in the employee lot. He spends a lot of time in the sand dunes with it.

So, the conversation turns to the Chevy Volt that I recently had a chance to drive. He stated to me that the problem with the Volt is that once the battery is depleted, you are stuck on the side of the road. In fact, the big selling point on the Volt is that is has a gas engine to fall back on once the battery is depleted after approximately 40 miles in all electric mode. I didn't have the heart to correct him. He seemed to know the Prius well, but what good is that if you don't also know the competition? Features, benefits, and "why should I buy this car instead of the one on the lot next door?"

Another perspective on taking pride in knowing one's trade: While I know my trade well, and make a point of keeping up on it, it's only because I increase my value to my employer that way. Accuracy and efficiency translates into profit. When 90% of the general public treats you with suspicion and tries to discredit anything technical that you say, you stop taking pride in your job, and just focus on getting through the day, staying safe, staying employed, and earning that paycheck. Learning a trade used to be considered an honorable way to earn a living. I run into people from high school all the time, and it's always "what happened to college? You're so smart." Now your time and knowledge is only valued if you went to college and sit at a desk. Where's the motivation to take that pride in one's profession, if people just roll their eyes and assume you're full of shit every time you speak?

 

That's because those "build your own" tools are really just searching for available inventory in your area with the configuration you choose.
If there are no 6 speeds in your area you won't be able to build it that way.

.

 

It's true, no one knows what is what. Granted, I bought my '10 DC off road V6 from a Nissan dealer, but when I first saw it, there was a big "5-speed" written on the window in shoe polish. Of course I knew better, and didn't hold it against them.

 

I was looking another tacoma at this dealership in my town, (I brought mine with me) and the saleperson walked up to me and says, "this tacoma gets close to 25mpg". I said really now? He proceeds to pop the hood of the truck and points at a K&N CAI, he said "the truck has this new CAI that cools the engine, and the previous owner added a chip that increased the mpg by 5. lol i just chuckled.

Stealerships, i swear.