We JUST began our search for a new diesel truck today & hit up the two Ford houses in our area because we are fond Ford owners. The gentleman at the entry gate asked what we were there for & after explaining we came to look, advised us that someone would be waiting for us when we parked. We met a lovely man, Mike Neder, who was new to the sales staff. He was closely followed by sales manager "Joe", who told Mike to take us to the truck area. So we walked to one truck, which didn't meet our requirements. Checked a couple of others, also not meeting specs. We were heading toward the office (where it was cooler!) for Mike to take notes on what we are looking for, when a golf cart with "Ron (from Persia)" pulled up. He'd been sent by Joe to take us to the trucks -- and, honestly, take over any sale! We drove to the back lot, where there were some F350s...none of which, again, met our reqs. And Ron was PUSH PUSH PUSH!!! My husband watched me go from zero to b*tch in less than 5 seconds (I become quite aloof & disdainful to the unsuspecting person), because I don't like to be pushed!!! (I also have over two years in the auto repair service & know my stuff, so don't tell me it's a flipping 8-foot bed WHEN IT'S NOT!!!) So Ron was pushing to sell the truck and I wasn't biting. DH & I did have a very nice test drive with Mike before heading back to the office -- where we were met by Ron. We sat at a table near the door & while Mike went to get some paper, Ron asked for the keys to our truck so he could have it "appraised". I flat-out said, "No, you will not get the keys because we are not buying today & we'd made that abundantly clear when we arrived." He looked a bit taken aback, saying "You aren't?" to which I replied, "We are not." Ron walked away, Mike came back & we left our specs with him. We didn't see Ron again.
(Hubby had a similar experience with his keys at a dealership in WA -- and had to threaten the salesman with the police before he could get his keys back. Wasn't happening again on my watch! :P)
Even though Mike was totally agreeable to work with, Earnhardt has lost our business -- simply because they disregard what the customer wants. (BTW, it is not your place to supersede us in that respect!) We emphasized more than once to Mike that we really don't want to be bothered with sales calls, and he assured us this will not happen, so we'll see how that goes.
It's a shame, though, that a potential customer loses interest in a business because their wants are forfeited to that business' needs. It's also a shame that a person simply can't look without being pressured by an overzealous salesperson -- even when that salesman recognized we were very specific about what we want. Sorry, Mike, but it was nice meeting you.
If this is the way Earnhardt trains his employees to be high-pressure salespeople, then Ron did a good job. If he is training them this way, we won't be doing business there. The fact that this behavior also runs people off should be telling. And that ain't no bull!