September 16th, 2011
Legacy Toyota: Getting it wrong is their business.
Posted by
Michael Calienes in
branding
I’ve never seen any car dealership get it any more wrong than Legacy Toyota. Today doesn’t mark the first time I was there, but it will be the last. After a 10 minute test drive and a 20 minute unnerving stay in their lounge, I walked away knowing this:
- They’re overpriced by about 15%. A 2010 Toyota Venza with 16,000 miles doesn’t hold a $32,000 value — I know, I was using their free WiFi to check.
- The sales manager who came out from his air conditioned hornet’s nest when my salesman couldn’t close a deal right now this instant, couldn’t subtract. I had to correct him as he performed an unimpressive feat of second grade math. Subtraction is always a littte tougher on salespeople than addition.
- After my car’s appraisal, they parked it in one of their own disabled spots. To park your own car in a disabled spot without a permit is offensive, but mine?
- Five minutes after I left, the salesman had the cojones to text me.
- They failed to deliver a counter-offer via email before close of business as they promised they’d do.
On the bright side, however, they made our decision a little easier.
A couple of my favorite lines the salesperson lobbed toward me during the experience:
1) “I want the opportunity to earn your business.”
I’m on your lot. This IS the opportunity.
2) “I don’t like telling people what to do with their money.”
Ironic, because as a salesperson, that’s your whole reason for being. If you were any good, everything you do would lead me to put my money in your pocket.
3) “I want the opportunity to earn your business.”You just said that. If that’s something you feel you have to repeat once every couple of minutes, I’m thinking it’s something you don’t really believe.
4) “I respect what you do with your money.” Really? Well thanks, Kimosabe. Appreciate that, because I’m taking all of it elsewhere.
Oh, and the several pages of prinouts “proving” how much better your Venza is than the other cars I’m considering were a bit much, especially when you hand them to me saying, “It sounds like you already know this, but…”
Do paper a favor and go plant a tree.
This whole car selling business has been broken for a long time. Someone needs to fix it.
