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Where have the standards gone? Dealer complaints etc.

Dqban

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Is the dealership privately owned or ran by Tesla though?
There are no private tesla dealerships. Thats the whole point of why they can sell cars themselves. Manufacturer's cant sell themselves because it would undercut dealerships but, Tesla never opened a franchise or had independant dealers, hence yhe rule doesnt apply. No one to compete with.

Ford dhould have made bronco a new brand and not offered it to dealers at all.
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spectre6000

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I know when I went to buy my Jeep, I already know what features I wanted and (due to this site and the JL site) what things to look for. To me, the salesman was just someone to haggle the price with and fill out my paperwork.
This is what I'm talking about with the first part of my response above. You already have the information. You are at least as capable as any salesperson of clicking checkboxes on a website. Why would you pay someone thousands of dollars for this? There is zero value added. Money absolutely wasted on market inefficiencies that exist solely due to crooked politicians and lobbyist dollars.

And you described a best case scenario! Buying a car is extremely stressful for a lot of people because of my second point up there: rote abuse. "Market adjustments" (or whatever they're called) are a classic example that's been in the news lately with the Ford BS.
 

DirkG

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I've enjoyed your realistic and pragmatic responses.

Death throes of a dying industry.
This is spot on. I don't think the average person realizes the revolution that's going on in many of our large, impacting industries. Battery capability, reliability, and performance are revolutionizing the auto industry. Electrification is here. Mass amounts of people working from home has sped up this process. Tesla is the model for future automotive commerce.

Myev.com, "...an EV owner avoids having to pay for things like tune-ups, oil changes, cooling system flushes, transmission servicing, and replacing the air filter, spark plugs and drive belts. Sources suggest electric vehicle owners spend roughly a third of what conventionally powered auto owners do for regular service."

The services listed above are basically what keep dealerships afloat. Sales cover the paychecks; service keeps the lights on. Dealerships are big dinosaurs and they all know it (example article).

Now, I say this as I happily drive a thirsty Gladiator. This revolution will be a slow transition as dealers and automakers adjust, but your local brand-specific dealership may not be around. Routine service will more than likely be at your home (mobile oil changes, etc.) and service centers supporting several makes and models will pop up. Flushing a tranny in a Jeep or a Ford is not that different.

So hang tight and keep your patient hats on as dealership service (as it exists today) is not going to improve any time soon.
 

Jefe1018

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There are no private tesla dealerships. Thats the whole point of why they can sell cars themselves. Manufacturer's cant sell themselves because it would undercut dealerships but, Tesla never opened a franchise or had independant dealers, hence yhe rule doesnt apply. No one to compete with.

Ford dhould have made bronco a new brand and not offered it to dealers at all.
That was my initial point which I don’t think the guy understood, a dealership is different from a store.
 
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AmishMike

AmishMike

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After a couple of decades in dealerships, let me tell you what I have seen.
Dealerships, like most businesses, were started by someone who had a passion for the business. They liked cars, so they opened a dealership. It went well and being a passion driven business, it made money and was successful. If they were lucky, they passed that passion on to the next generation and things continued more or less the same. At some point the next generation wanted more. They went to collage for business or law instead of tech school. When they entered the dealership things changed. The owner no longer walked in through the shop and looked under vehicles talking to the mechanics on their way to their office. Now they walked in the clean side and right to their desk. It was business, nothing more. Eventually those multi-generational businesses give way to conglomerates and investment companies. There everything is about bottom line; this month.
One of the best salesmen I have ever known only sold a handful of cars (Jaguars) his first year. He made a lot of contacts and they remembered his 'no pressure' but knowledgeable attitude. After that his list of customers and high profile customers grew rapidly by word of mouth. He became one of the top 10 salesmen in the world for that maker. He was a great guy; again he had a passion for cars. By the way, I hate salesmen.
Yes, 'fixed operations' -parts and service pay the bills and sales makes the profit.

My point is that it is not just dealerships, it is everywhere you go. Go to a mom-and-pop restaurant and they have a passion, go to a chain restaurant and that store manager only cares so much. Unless, that store mgr. is just gaining experience and is trying to move up and get into a better restaurant or even learn the ropes and open their own. Then they have passion.
 

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OrangeTJ

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This is what I'm talking about with the first part of my response above. You already have the information. You are at least as capable as any salesperson of clicking checkboxes on a website. Why would you pay someone thousands of dollars for this? There is zero value added. Money absolutely wasted on market inefficiencies that exist solely due to crooked politicians and lobbyist dollars.

And you described a best case scenario! Buying a car is extremely stressful for a lot of people because of my second point up there: rote abuse. "Market adjustments" (or whatever they're called) are a classic example that's been in the news lately with the Ford BS.
I agree wholeheartedly with this. In my experience, the "sales" people at the dealership have added precisely zero value any time I've purchased a vehicle. In fact, they are destroying value to the business because I simply don't want to deal with that headache enough to buy a new vehicle as often as I otherwise would. The behavior of dealerships keeps me away. If I could simply order online and skip the dreadful dealership experience, I'd likely purchase a new vehicle at least twice as often.

I have to say that buying our Tesla really drove this point home for me. I literally ordered it online and only had to go deal with a person at the Tesla store (not dealership) to hand over the check, fill out a couple of forms, and get the car. In and out in 20 minutes. If I could buy a Gladiator this way....well....I'd already have one!
 

869 KPH

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I have to say that buying our Tesla really drove this point home for me. I literally ordered it online and only had to go deal with a person at the Tesla store (not dealership) to hand over the check, fill out a couple of forms, and get the car. In and out in 20 minutes. If I could buy a Gladiator this way....well....I'd already have one!
Sounds like you gotta get to Gupton. Closest to this kind of experience I've heard or seen of in the non-Tesla world.

Picked her up this morning!! Great experience and with everything done ahead of time only spent about 45 minutes at the dealer before heading over to St. Louis tonight.
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CFLgladiator

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I agree wholeheartedly with this. In my experience, the "sales" people at the dealership have added precisely zero value any time I've purchased a vehicle. In fact, they are destroying value to the business because I simply don't want to deal with that headache enough to buy a new vehicle as often as I otherwise would. The behavior of dealerships keeps me away. If I could simply order online and skip the dreadful dealership experience, I'd likely purchase a new vehicle at least twice as often.

I have to say that buying our Tesla really drove this point home for me. I literally ordered it online and only had to go deal with a person at the Tesla store (not dealership) to hand over the check, fill out a couple of forms, and get the car. In and out in 20 minutes. If I could buy a Gladiator this way....well....I'd already have one!
Yep use gupton and you will have that experience
 

joeym7

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Anytime you are dealing with a Sales-Person, they will do 10X more talking then listening.

Also, most people with a title with "Customer Service" in it have very little technical knowledge, they are there to be half-butt phycologist to blow smoke you know were so you think they are doing something for you, or you just go away.
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