Torn between two dealers

[Blue Ridge]

I have been test driving the heck out of Jeeps at my local dealership since December and I really like the salesman. However, their pricing wasn't as good as I could find elsewhere on builds. I've bugged Travis at Tri Cities for many quotes and questions, while driving various Wranglers and Gladiators with my local guy to decide what I wanted. I felt like I was going to have to make my local guy sad when Travis gave me a price, but today I found out that his sales manager will let him match.

Now I feel like a jerk for having Travis do all that work and buying elsewhere, especially when he's the reason I'm saving $3000 on my build. Without his quotes to bring back to my local guy, I'd be getting a far less well-optioned Gladiator for my budget. Trying to do the right thing, so thinking about giving Travis a $100 gift card or something for his time. I know car salesmen work for their money and people ask questions and don't buy all the time, but I'd rather not be that guy. What do you guys think?

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[JWGladiator]

Thumbs up! Love that idea.

 

[Jason Oliver]

I have been test driving the heck out of Jeeps at my local dealership since December and I really like the salesman. However, their pricing wasn't as good as I could find elsewhere on builds. I've bugged Travis at Tri Cities for many quotes and questions, while driving various Wranglers and Gladiators with my local guy to decide what I wanted. I felt like I was going to have to make my local guy sad when Travis gave me a price, but today I found out that his sales manager will let him match.

Now I feel like a jerk for having Travis do all that work and buying elsewhere, especially when he's the reason I'm saving $3000 on my build. Without his quotes to bring back to my local guy, I'd be getting a far less well-optioned Gladiator for my budget. Trying to do the right thing, so thinking about giving Travis a $100 gift card or something for his time. I know car salesmen work for their money and people ask questions and don't buy all the time, but I'd rather not be that guy. What do you guys think?

I understand where you are coming from. I went with Travis because he made such a good deal so easy - including trade in. I would have had to fight with my local dealer for a deal like I got. The traveling was worth every penny for such a no-hassle deal. @Travis@TriCityJeep earned my business. BEST dealership experience I have ever had.

 

[Blue Ridge]

He's awesome and I never thought my local guy was going to be able to match -nor did my local guy. But either way I would go, somebody who has been very helpful and great to work with isn't getting a sale since I'm only buying one vehicle. And my local guy has probably never had to deal with this many test drives and such to sell a car in his life. But Travis' pricing is why I'm getting this deal. Hopefully a modest gift will be appreciated and offset his time. I'd normally go with a nice steakhouse like Ruth's Chris, but not knowing him personally maybe an Amazon gift card would be more easily spent.

 

[iadslgladiator]

It sounds to me like you being more than fair. The gift is far more than most would even consider doing let alone actually following through with.

Travis sounds like a pretty stand up guy......good for him and I'm sure he'll appreciate your token of appreciation, but still be disappointed he didn't get the sale.

Personally I've never been to a dealer that I felt put in any appreciable work to earn my business so for me it's always been simply about the numbers.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Personally I've never been to a dealer that I felt put in any appreciable work to earn my business so for me it's always been simply about the numbers.

Both these guys have. Travis has probably quoted me 10 Jeep vehicles and Charles has let me test drive more than that. And I've hooked up my phone to the Uconnects, taken tops down, ridden down roads filled with speed bumps, everything I wanted to do to decide on what I want to buy. Both have cleared up questions I have via email, etc. and both deserve the sale.

 

[Rex3rd]

Buy a gladiator from each of them and give me one. Problem solved

 

[kevman65]

In the end, you can't get emotional. You have to purchase from where it makes most financial sense for you.

But the gift card is a great gesture and keeps the door open there for future transactions.

 

[Blue Ridge]

Wish I knew if Travis liked steak. I just assume everyone does, but I’d hate to get a gift card for the wrong thing.

 

[shyoung1]

Solve this by giving him an Omaha Steak Gift Card!

You are very fortunate, I tried to buy local, but they wouldn’t come near the deal a dealer an hour away made me.

 

[danielspivey]

I have been test driving the heck out of Jeeps at my local dealership since December and I really like the salesman. However, their pricing wasn't as good as I could find elsewhere on builds. I've bugged Travis at Tri Cities for many quotes and questions, while driving various Wranglers and Gladiators with my local guy to decide what I wanted. I felt like I was going to have to make my local guy sad when Travis gave me a price, but today I found out that his sales manager will let him match.

Now I feel like a jerk for having Travis do all that work and buying elsewhere, especially when he's the reason I'm saving $3000 on my build. Without his quotes to bring back to my local guy, I'd be getting a far less well-optioned Gladiator for my budget. Trying to do the right thing, so thinking about giving Travis a $100 gift card or something for his time. I know car salesmen work for their money and people ask questions and don't buy all the time, but I'd rather not be that guy. What do you guys think?

Don’t get pulled into the salesman sob story. Yea he let you drive 10 jeeps, but his ass was also going to charge you 3k more. I’m sure he would have let you buy it for MSRP if you would have.

There’s a local Honda and Toyota dealer near me and they hardly ever offer decent discounts on their vehicles because there is 3 super large scale elderly communities that are upper tier, and they come in and buy and trade it vehicles likes it’s nothing. All their trade ins are 1-2 years old with 4-8k on them it’s comical. A friend of mine who used to work there said they used to come in and pay msrp all the time.

back to your guy.... yes he let you drive 10, but he didn’t EARN your business with the sales price. That’s on him. Salesman and dealers are good with the guilty sob stories, and say they are loosing money. It’s all a numbers game to them. I bet it’s not the first gift card this guy has received!

 

[MR GRANITE]

This one is pretty simple-buy local when you can!

 

[Membrain]

Either way - the dealer still makes a profit - your money / wallet, your choice.

 

[danielspivey]

This one is pretty simple-buy local when you can!

Buy local... even if they are charging MSRP and have a crappy service department?

I don’t know about y’all but I don’t had over an extra 3k to a dealer just because I like them.

 

[Blade1668]

Follow with what you feel is right. The salesman "that made the sale" to me had transferred from a different branch of the dealership I bought from. He possible transferred after all the work and hell I put him though a few years before and then I decided not to buy the Jeep Renegade. I moved and the branch he is working at now became my local one. So when I went to buy my JT a different salesman tried to make the sale, I said I wanted the sale to be the guy I put though hell and prior cancel my order on. It might not been the best deal but better than at least two other dealerships I checked with on price and service.

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