Wilde Toyota Experience

http://www.wildetoyota.com

I sent this to our sales snake (Terry Dies) and also anyone on their website with the title of "manager" for used cars.  Not expecting anything out of them on this because it's too late.  Too bad they won't be able to truly appreciate how angry at them i am.

terrydies@wildetoyota.com
randy.dunn@wildetoyota.com
eric.schoessow@wildetoyota.com
dougbuer@wildetoyota.com
cwalczak@wildetoyota.com
j.ploeck@wildetoyota.com

On the evening of August 1^st around 6pm my girlfriend and I arrived at Wilde Toyota with the intent of purchasing a new or slightly used vehicle for her in the coming weeks.  We were hesitant to do so but we were keeping our options open.  Andrew and Safro Toyota were already looking for her.  We had both purchased our cars from there in the past and neither of us were very “warm” on the idea of going there again.  Simply put, we went to view the selection and cross our fingers that we would have a more positive experience.

Her criteria was pretty straight forward.  She wanted: Toyota Rav4 (new or slightly used), four wheel drive, moon roof, and almost any color but red.  We initially walked towards the used vehicle side for obvious reasons (saving money).  We met Terry Dies (a 17 year veteran at Wilde we were told) along the way.

My girlfriend has 12+ years sales experience for the largest mobile provider in the country and knows a thing or two about sales.  I’ve got a sales/service background but nowhere near as impressive.  We were very open about our experience to keep the playing field even.  It was our way of politely saying “Don’t BS us you snake”.  We’ve had fantastic experiences with sales people in the past with being honest.  At one point we dealt with a guy named Robbie at Wilde and he was a fantastic person but that was about a year ago and we didn’t get a chance to look for him.

There were a couple of prospects for us and we decided to take a 2010 charcoal gray Rav4 out for a test drive.  There were some cosmetic blemishes and minor issues with the vehicle which we found during the post test drive inspection.  We had plenty of time to inspect and nit-pick the car because Terry was nowhere to be found when we got back.  Items of note were the scrape on the passenger headlight (1/4” wide and 4” long), scuffs on the front bumper and a corner where the bumper was no longer flush with the quarter panel (broken clip and easily fixed we were told), scuffs on one of the rims from someone improperly mounting the tire, 5-6 small ¼” splash stains on the inside roof on the moon roof slide out, dog hair between the seats in the back when you fold them down, and a nail in the driver side rear tire.  The car was clearly used and most of these issues are cosmetic and won’t matter in a week but they’re still fodder for the negotiation phase.

As we went inside someone had just arrived and was going out with a salesman to look at that same vehicle.  We were first there and so we got priority we were told.  Numbers and estimates were given.  He stepped away a couple of times for us to discuss.  I could see that earlier customer near’ish the vehicle in question.  One way or another, that vehicle was being sold that night.  No budging on the price.  The price is what it is and there was no attempt at negotiation on Terry’s part.  Can’t budge.  The blemishes would be addressed but no movement on the price.  I bet Terry would have loved to know what we truly had budgeted for a down payment (I’ll give you a hint… there’s a reason why we were also looking at NEW vehicles).

My girlfriend asked “what’s the price on a new one”.  Terry’s response was “I don’t know, I only deal with used ones and you’d have to talk to one of the other guys.”  Let me put this exchange into context for you…  By this time it was after 7 and Terry had left us a couple of times for privacy.  I also spotted him slipping out a side door.  I saw the customer and sales person hovering near the vehicle in question.  This was the 3rd or 4^th time he stepped away.  He was visibly agitated with our attempts at negotiation.  After that exchange, he stepped away again and we agreed he was being an asshole and we were ready to walk away.  When he came back, he said the price wasn’t budging and so we got up and said we were done.  We walked out one door.  He walked out another door.

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Never have I been treated that way by a sales person.  I’ve dealt with some smarmy and smug sales people at car dealerships.  I’ve also dealt with some awesome people who are just trying to help and not looking at me as though I’m a piece of meat.  I love everyone’s reaction when we mention Wilde Toyota.  That is the hands down best ice breaker for them.

Wednesday night, there was no attempt was made at retaining us as customers.  No attempt was made at keeping us on the lot.  No attempt was made at getting us involved with a sales person who deals with new vehicles and “knows how much they cost”.  There was no negotiation.  We were an inconvenience getting in the way of another sale.  No apologies were made.  No attempt at keeping us on the lot.  No attempt at finding out what we were looking for so we could come back and buy like other dealerships.  It was very clear that if we did not buy that night, we were garbage to this person.

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Understand this:  Regardless of what your sales quotas are, customers are people and retention should be one of your priorities.  WE have the power.  WE expect to be catered to at some level.  Without US, YOU are nothing.  There’s no excuse for us to be able to walk off the lot feeling dejected.  I ask that you take one of your vehicles and drive around the surrounding area of your dealership.  Look at how many dealerships there are nearby.  Seriously.  Look around.  That is where WE as customers have the power.  Clearly our business wasn’t wanted at Wilde that night but it was very much appreciated elsewhere.

Tonight we’re picking up her new Honda CRV from just down the road which was found later that night.  It has everything we were looking for (4wd, moon roof, not red, and a fair price).  I should thank you Terry because if not for you, we’d not have found a vehicle we both instantly loved which is in immaculate condition and a sales rep who was an all-around awesome person (notice the use of “person” which is to denote the traits of humanity which were absent elsewhere that night).

I want no fake apologies.  I want no assurances that things will change because I’m far too cynical to believe otherwise.  I just want someone somewhere to learn from our experience.

Oh…

I would hope that someone removed the nail from the tire of that Rav4 for the new owner…

Sean Paczesny

2001 Toyota Solara SLE purchased at Wilde in 2004

Jennifer Cable

Ex - 2000 Toyota Camry SE purchased at Wilde in 2004