dealers are a joke

[OneOfOne]

went to one of the local dealers to see what was on the lot. lia hyundai has had a 5.0 on the side lot for about 3 months now not even having moved literally. this is in the enfield location. in the hartford location the sales douche told me they had one but the general manager was driving it. 'he sold one he had driven before with 10 k miles on it for 40 grand'. when I asked if they provided loaners he said 'yes! altimas! we dont have many gennies sitting around'. I really detest that name by the way. when I asked about ordering he kept saying that it usually only took a week to locate one if I wanted or about 2 weeks to order one they way I want. it took all the control I have not to laugh at the guy. hopelessly clueless. didnt have a brochure or even a business card since 'Ive only been here 3 weeks. I asked to come here because its a higher volume dealer...' . the experience in the enfield location last december wasnt any better. looked like a scene from a bad movie. its really too bad that this car has such spotty support.

 

[ksoze]

Car sales has become the entry level sales job once relegated to copier sales decades ago. The difference was copier sales usually included rigorous training. It has high turnover and is generally very dependent on the actual dealership as far as quality and longevity of the staff. The internet has changed the way we research and buy autos and the sales person is no longer the expert who guides us through a purchase but a required step in an antiquated system of purchasing. This trend is not a Hyundai only problem - it is everywhere, with exceptions.

There are exceptions and in nameplate stores, the level of staff can be higher and the store more receptive to actual informed assistance. The best advice is to know what you want and be prepared to simply use the sales staff as a cog in the wheel of buying. In your case, it sounds like you are best off trying somewhere else and knowing exactly what you want and for how much.

 

[Pahaska]

Both my purchase dealer and my servicing dealer not only have plenty of Genesis, but the salesmen are knowledgeable about the Genesis. Even the new salesman I had (I bought the first new Genesis he ever sold) knew the car well.

BTW, I call the car a "Genesis." "Gennie," to me, is the female voice in the navigation system. Just like "Maggie" is the Magellan GPS voice in my truck. These are the only two females in my life that I can totally ignore or talk back to without repercussions.

 

[jarred52]

You should not paint all dealers with the same brush as the crappy shop that you visited. My small local dealership (Hyundai only) is excellent while there is a huge multi-car dealership about 20 miles away that is terrible. I found it best to check the websites of all the Hyundai dealerships in the area that you would shop. They should have their current inventory listed and the price, usually with current discounts, listed. Avoid the dealers that don't post prices. After you find a dealership that you like it can get the car color and options that you want.

 

[kn5owa]

Use cars.com to search inventories - you can specify the radius of the search.

And - yes they all have "manager's cars" - these are called "used cars" - or maybe, "demos" if you want to be kind.

 

[amartz]

Genny, Genny, Genny! Git over it!!

 

[kn5owa]

One of my favorite dealer stories:

Took a car in (a Ford, actually) to get a door lock code retrieved from the onboard computer - minor thing - new car.

Unbeknownst to me, the dealer did a "100 point safety check" on the car - remember, this is a new car. But, I did notice the car was up on a lift, the wheels were pulled, etc.

When I got home, suspicious me, I checked, and 7 or 8 wheel nuts were loose, the dipstick was missing, the clips on the air filter housing were unsnapped, and a few other things that I honestly can't remember were wrong.

Moral: Watch out for "50 point, 100 point checks, etc." Or, maybe, just watch out for car dealers.

 

[zielritter]

I've got a good one. I had a dealer drive my significantly modified Elantra into something unknown (maybe the life arms) which snagged and severely bent a tie rod. I was having a routine check-up done and they managed to take the car off the lift and drive it back to the service garage all without noticing it was completely jacked up. It was immediately apparent to me after driving it about 10 feet.

The worst part - none of the service technicians would fess up and their manager took their side. Obviously the dealership paid for the repair and redid the alignment. The fact that the service manager was unwilling to accept responsibility on behalf of his team and apologize was staggering to me. Luckily the GM of the dealer stepped in and was very accommodating.

 

[Bill K]

Some dealers just don't "get it". You need to find a dealer who does "get it".
If the sales people are idiots, look somewhere else. If the service department are idiots, look somewhere else.