You may have seen my other post asking for feedback on an idea I had today. This thread is a little different. I want to know if there is anything I can do with my dealership that all you Scion folks in the area would like to see. Any ideas will be welcomed. Its my goal to become the premiere Scion dealer in the area. I never see any other dealers from the area on here so I figure Im at least a few steps ahead already. I will need all the help I can get from anybody willing to offer it. I figure there is no better place to look for help than in the Scion Owner Community. If you have an idea that ends up working out maybe I can hook you up with some Scion Junk. Have at it!! Totally open forum for input...

 

- have 5 Speed's available for test drive

- I know it's how you make your money, but is it really necessary to install every possible accessory on every car you have on the lot.

- Don't ask me to put down a deposit so that in a week or two when the car comes in I can test drive it

I've never been to your dealer, so maybe you don't do these things, but I went to six different dealers and 5 of them did these things.

 

I only hook up one car at a time with accessories and only if there is another one in the same model available to keep at base. My GM and I get in fights about that all the time. He always wants to put everything possible on a car.

I would never ask for a deposit to take a test drive. Thats ridiculous.

I only have what I have to test drive. I havent seen an available xA come to the dealership in weeks. Nothing I can do about it...

 

Just the fact that your on here asking for feedback puts you a step ahead in my eyes. It all comes down to how much you (the dealer) want to take advantage of high popularity and low supply. When I bought my tC I went to 6 different dealers, so I have seen it all. The general feeling is that some dealers seem to think that the supply/demand situation will always be like this so they can dick people around like this with no effect.

I totally understand that if you get a car in, your going to sell it, rather than keep it around so people can check it out and maybe buy it. But I had two different dealers tell me that if I even wanted to test drive a 5 speed I would have to put a deposit down on one they had coming in sometime in the future. Another dealer tried to get me to order one without driving it (it's just like an automatic). I'm glad that you don't do this, but I have a feeling this is the rule rather than the exception. And it really left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

Other than that the lack of haggling and straight forward optioning makes buying a Scion pretty simple. Basic things like not treating me like an idiot, calling me back after I order my car to let me know the status of it and not talking down to me like I'm some kind of idiot go a long way.[/quote]

 

yeah, I don't require a deposit to test. I give a client the option of first refusal. My problem is if I had a vehicle inbound and it's available they can test drive when it comes in, but most times someone comes in and places a deposit on the vehicle. Once there is a deposit, we can no longer test drive. So I offer them first refusal with a small deposit (fully refundable) if they've never test drove a Scion. Get this, no one refused yet

Just be honest with your clients. Some people will understand, others won't. You can't please everyone, but still be yourself and honest with everybody and you'll go a long way. If you need any assistance, holla back via email or call me at the dealership 401.438.0350 x102

foxSCION in da house

 

This is a good point, I had that issue when I got my scion. I basically bought the car with only testin the automatic and not being satisfied with the tranny on that. But luckily I was extremely happy with the 5-speed when I got it.

Basically another point I would do is no BS. I personally don't know everything about cars but I know enough to get by and know when a dealer is feeding me BS.

For example my dealer said "This engine has no break-in period"
When I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy a 5-speed after I test drove the auto "(Angrily) Why did we test drive the vehicle today then?"

^^^ That one ____ed me off.

--Just be straight up--

 

I agree 100%
I try to explain to people that if they wait for me to call them when a M/T xA comes in that is available for a test drive they may be waiting a VERY long time.

 

^^^ thats funny cause I just had to explain that to a guy looking for a M/T xA. He didnt really get it until I told him I havent seen one come in available since July. I dont know why people are so hesitant to go with the first refusal program. Its a great Idea and doesnt cost them anything if they dont want it...

 

because people do not trust the dealers to give them their money back. You may not be like that, but there are plenty that will turn that 500$ "first refusal" deposit in to a real deposit.

Perception = reality in this case

The first time I went to drive a tC I had come from a Mazda dealer that was pulling some real BS and putting on the real hard sell (it was my first day out and I was hitting various dealers to test drive cars en-route to a final decision) After walking out on the BS spewing clown at the Mazda dealer I just about lost it - right or wrong - on the Scion guy when he said I needed to put down a deposit to test drive a 5 speed. Looking back, and knowing what I know now, I understand his position, but I can guarantee you that most other people would have reacted the same way I did or worse...

My advice to you would to be very careful in how you explain it to customers.....because I don't think many of them will understand that it is a wide spread situation and they will go to other dealers....and who knows, maybe one of those dealers will have one they can test.

One other thing.....never tell anyone that Scion is intentionally keeping the numbers of Scions down so that it is "exclusive" and does not lose it's "cool factor". It's not a Ferrari...it's a Toyota and sooner or later they will pump enough of them off the production line.

 

I always tell people that. I tell them it appreciates off the lot just like an Enzo ferrari. Ok, I dont really tell people that. I do tell people they will make more friends in a Scion. Not really either. Im not sure Scion will ever be a Civic as far as production numbers but I do agree they will eventually increase production and they will be more readily available...

 

[quote="wibblywobbly"]Unfortunately for our customers, this IS the case. I have total projected production numbers's through 2008 and it is not going to get better. As a matter of fact, production is scheduled to go down by 10,000 units for model year 2007.
I understand that Scions arent Ferraris. Scion was not designed to be a juggernaut to take down the likes of Honda. It is a small supplement to the Toyota line up to help lower the averege buyers age. (Toyota currently has the oldest averege buyers in the Automotive market)

 

Know your cars inside and out. Be aware of any future releases/changes that
may happen to any Scion.

When I went to Cobb County Scion (GA) in late March to inquire about the
availability of the new yellow xB. I was told point blank that Scion did not
make the xB in yellow. I was then told that They couldn't get me a 5-sp.
When I Directed them to Scion.com and showed them the RS 2.0 specs,
they said that it wasn't available in Georgia and they didn't when it would be.
So I then took my money to another dealer who said he was getting an RS 2.0
5-sp in 5-10 days and I bought mine from him. However he still said that the
Strut brace and CAI where not made in yellow. We once again returned to
the Scion web page. In the end I got my car and my parts and I'm happy
to own a Scion.

 

^^^ I agree. Too many dealers are uninformed. To an extent I can understand why. Regional in my area doesnt send us any information. I have to get all my stuff by doing my own research. Any given dealership should only have 2-3 people selling Scions. Here we have an open sales floor on Scion so any moronic salesperson here can take a crack at it. Im in the process of putting an end to the open sales floor. Its hard to get anything done when the GM and the GSM arent on my side or willing to listen to me...

 

I was lucky that the salesman had a clue. but as far as my input... buying the car is one thing, focus on service. That is the area that makes people unhappy. some of the scion owners much rather do their own work on the vehicle and risk loosing the little guarantee we have than hand it over to the dealership and risk damage to the vehicle, only to have them deny the whole thing.

the sales side of the deal was fine and I am satisfied, but I was held on a(complementary)oil change for over two hours early in the morning. I know enough about cars to change my own oil. there is no justifiation for keeping a car in a service bay for 2 and a half hours. and because of that, future scion owners who come to this site will see the horrible trend emerging among some of these places and may opt for another dealer or worse... another brand altogether.

I'll forward my address for some of that cool scion stuff you were talking about

 

I have no doubt that there is some reason they can't make enough cars to satisfy demand, be it a lack of capacity, whatever, but I seriously doubt that production is going down to maintain the "exclusivity" of a sub-20k entry level brand. I'm pretty sure that if they had the capacity (isn't this one of the reasons the bought Subaru and their plants in Indiana?) they would pump out as many as they could.

Maybe the underestimated the demand and it's too late to increase it, plus they figure demand will go down once the novelty wears off. (plus coupe's tend to drop off in sales as their lifecycle goes on)

Anyways....they lower the age of Toyota buyers (and get them in the Toyota fold, hopefully to trade up to something more expensive later on) by selling cars, not maintaining exclusivity.....and possibly ____ing off people in the process.

 

I agree with some of the other people here. Keep your sales staff informed, and be honest about the allocation of vehicles. The service will kill a dealership very quickly because owners do not want to take their cars in for service and get them back with damage. It sounds like you want to do a better job of treating new SCION owners and I say CONGRATS to you and your dealership. We are lucky out here to have a Regional Manager that cares about the Scion image and about the Scion owners. He takes great care to keep the dealers involved with the owners and clubs.

 

#1 - I know this doesn't really pertain to your department, but Toyota needs to work on their service quality. I've lived in PA, GA, and ME and my parents owned a Toyota in every one of those states . . . and in every one of those states they've had problems with Toyota service. The cars are great; the service sucks.

#2 - Don't push. If I want to buy the car and I have money to buy the car, I'll buy the car. Don't give me an ultimatum, and don't try to talk me into accessories that I don't want or need. I can understand and accept recommendations for certain parts or accessories that I'm not familiar with, but when someone starts spouting about you gotta have this or you gotta have that, (with no reasonable explanation why) that's when you lose me and I'll take my business and my hard-earned money elsewhere.

#3 - Know what you're talking about. My greatest pet peeve is when I know more about the car I'm interested in than the salesman. And I'm a chick with only slight automotive knowledge. It's very easy to go online and get basic (or even very extensive) knowledge about a Scion. If I can do it, so can anyone - especially the guy/gal selling me the car.

#4 - Be personable. I know this is going to sound crazy, but DON'T ACT LIKE A CAR SALESMAN. Talk to me about the car without talking DOWN to me. Don't TRY to be my friend, buddy, pal. BE my friend, buddy, pal. This can be achieved. My father owns a Toyota Tundra, my mother owns a Toyota Highlander, my sister owns a Toyota Corolla, and (of course) I own a Scion tC. All of these vehicles came from Halterman's Toyota in East Stroudsburg, PA. Three of the salesmen at Halterman's are on a first-name basis with my entire family. I truly consider them our friends.

I hope this info helps a little. Good luck with your dealership.

 

have great payment plans...like the one for students....like me

 

i tried to buy my tC at peruzzis and it took like too long to get in.... im in the military and i didnt have time to wait.... i ended up gettin a car i didnt want and then like a month later tradin it in for a tC at thompsons..... its the story of my life...

 

I just want to let people know dc22's situation is in the past. I have taken things over since he was there and things are way different. The last Scion manager there also dealt with Toyotas which is a bad idea cause then good customers like dc22 get lost in the mix. All I do is Scion and I make sure our customers are satisfied. I have been talkin to dc22 and I think he would agree I can be pretty nice and helpful even through PM...