More Trouble Ahead For Big 3

harry54

Here we go again.....

Ford posts 5.8 billion loss fro the 3rd qtr. Going to restate last 5 yrs of earnings.

Unknown

Recently, a friend tried to order a new Explorer E.B. with black interior. He was told that it was not possible and that he'd had to buy the more expensive model. He said that he didn't liked the exterior trim on the top model but would pay extra to get the interior on the model he did want. Ford in Detroit refused. When he called a dealer and asked the question, he was told no. Jokingly, when he said that foreign makes offered the black interior without question, the salesman said to go buy one and then hung up. And Ford wonders why their sales are in the toilet!

[Deleted User]

To "reduce costs", the automakers offer options as "packages". You might have four or five real choices. Otherwise, the options are chosen FOR you. There is no real choice like there was in the '50s through the early '80s. Now, if you want car or truck "X", you have to take what few choices that they offer or move on.

[Deleted User]

My Brother in Law is a top 5 Star salesman for Dodge. He told me that to get this distinction he did one thing... make the customer number one. He constantly outsells every other sales person at his dealership. Besides the shoe traffic, he sells trucks and cars on the INTERNET. So the old adage of the customer being right seems to work for him... the part about Ford sending folks elsewhere is true... at BIL dealership they have lots of Ford truck referrals... disenchanted folk who tried to get a deal on a Ford and found out that was not possible...



Need to weed out the bean counters and get back to business... reports are fine ... but paper always is a good thing to put infront of the poor performers.



Buy and drive a classic ... more fun and potentially profitable



Cheers

Unknown

To try and help my friend, I talked to the people at Ford about his request. Regardless of what logic or analogies I tried to use, like asking if they would spend their money to buy purple shoes that I wanted them to have as opposed to the black ones they wanted, there was no logical response. No was the response I received when I asked if I could appeal to a "Higher Power." Good thing Ford doesn't run grocery stores, God knows what they'd have us eating!

Unknown

I think it depends on where you shop. We recently looked at new Honda and Toyota's. Neither would deal on 2006 models even tho I was making cash offers. They were asking for 2007 prices on year old cars. We bought a new Jeep Liberty. The Mopar dealer in Coralville, Iowa was happy to work with us.

rambos_ride

tombia wrote:

I think it depends on where you shop. We recently looked at new Honda and Toyota's. Neither would deal on 2006 models even tho I was making cash offers. They were asking for 2007 prices on year old cars. We bought a new Jeep Liberty. The Mopar dealer in Coralville, Iowa was happy to work with us.

For myself at the end of the day when I make a major purchase I just want to feel like I walked away with getting a decent deal, not great, not a "steal" or "super bargain" (although those are fun to run across...)

I feel this way because I understand that these people have to make a living too - so give me a little price break and I'm a happy man!