The most awesome thing about being a sales associate at a dealership, and I'm sure my co-workers would agree, are all of the people you get to meet! Dont' get me wrong, some customers are always more pleasant than others :) But every single person who picks up that phone, walks on the lot, or sends in that online inquiry is a person just like we are. Customers have a story, they have a family, they have somewhere they are going, or somewhere they have been; and 9 times out of ten it is always a joy to get to work with these people. I mean let's face it we aren't talking about the nonchalant run in's at the wal-mart or ingles cash register; these customers are making a HUGE purchase! These purchases are life changing, personal, and committed financial purchase decisions! These things take time and commitment not just from the customer but from the sales person as well. We have to get to know these people, know what they are wanting out of a vehicle, and know what they can afford. We have to know what their wants are vs. their needs! Sometimes we will work for people for up to three months before they make a decision, but once that decision is made there is always this feeling of pure awesomeness! Like you have found the lost treasure or something! That high you get when you feel like you have helped someone get exactly what they want, and they are happy! The smiling faces that you see when that new car gets cranked and they start to pull away for the first time.
In my experience, dealing with mostly online customers, I have had the joy of dealing with customer's from all over the place! I have sold a pre-owned Camaro all the way to Canada. I have even helped a soldier stationed in Afghanistan purchase a truck; and not just any truck, a truck that would be sitting there waiting on him to return home, something to look forward to. I'm not going to lie, that was a pretty awesome experience! And it's experiences like that one that make all the not so pleasant experiences worth while.
It may sound corny, but we don't just make sales here, we make friends. We aren't some humongous dealership in a huge city. We are a small hometown dealership, "where everybody knows your name"! And we like the thought of helping people get into the car they dream of.
So remember next time you go to make your car purchase, that you are dealing with a person too, a person just like you. A person that is more than happy to bend over backwards to make your purchase experience the most rewarding experience you have ever had.
