Re: Stop the whining. RE:Age discrimination NOT...

[Stephen Lafredo <slafredo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 10/12/1998 at 06:33 PM, owner-bmw-digest@domain.elided (bmw-digest)
wrote:

: Bubba Michel wrote:
: > Stats is stats. Statistics. The exception to the rule can expect to
: > be trampled.  A vast majority of first time new BMW owners are not
: > young. Stat's are one of the reasons fishermen don't go fishing at a
: > water fountain.
: 
: While I tend to agree with Bubba Michel, he's way off base on this  
: point.  In some prominent cases.
: <snip>
: But dammit, if you want to run a business, you need to understand  
: your business environment.

It's called CUSTOMER SERVICE. Just b/c you have a great product does not
mean it will sell by itself. We love our BMWs and I also love my
Macintosh and Newton. When was the last time you heard some one say they
loved their Wintel box. NOT. Will never happen! If you understand this
then you know what I mean.
- ----
Anyway.

I was going to stay out of this but I cannot stand it any more. I have
been dealing with this type of attitudes all of my life.

I'm 36, but nowadays could probably pass for say 25. So here goes...

In '87 I'm in work and this delivery guy brings in a dry eraser board,
drops it off and says he needs a signature. I hold out my hand. He says,
um, a, I need some one, um, a older. I snatch the sheet out of his hand
and say "I ordered the thing, I can certainly sign for it."

In '87, '94, '96 and '97 I am in the market for a new car. So I go to my
usual places, MB and BMW. In that time, I have bought a '87 Audi GT
Coupe, '94 SAAB convertible, '96 328is, '97 M3 (Side note: BMWs from the
same sales guy.) During those times I went to the same MB dealer and BMW
dealerS. Every time I went to the MB dealer I stood in the center of the
floor and waited for 30 minutes w/o any help (same applied for the BMW
dealers, with some exceptions.) Sometimes I asked other times I got so
pissed, I just left. AGAIN.

In '97 I brought my Mom to MB to look for a car. She is let's say...,
retired. Anyway, we BOTH stand in the center of the floor for 15 minutes
before the VOLVO guy asks if he can help. Guess who sold the car to my
Mom. So we go to pick-up the car and the sales guy explains everything
to my mom an asks if we have any questions. Well an evil grin comes on
my face, and I lay into the guy. I tell him how I have been in the
dealership over the past few years and how bad I have been treated, how
many sales they have lost and how if it was up to me, my Mom would be
driving a BMW. You should have seen the poor guys face!

In '94. I'm waiting for my sales guy to fill in some paper work. So I
jump in a new SAAB convertible on the floor, like the one I just signed
for, and start pushing and pulling knobs and buttons. You know, to see
how well this thing is built. Well... over my shoulder I hear this lady
say in her best (where is your father) voice, "Can I hellllp you". So in
my best (kiss my axx) voice, I say "No" w/o even looking at her. It's
about this time that my sales guy catches on and runs interference. He
say "Sue (forget her name, owners wife, finance officer) this is Mr.
Lafredo, he purchasing..." Boy you should have seen the pretty shade of
RED her face turned.

Anyway you get the idea.

Well here's a message for you MR/MS salesperson. I REFUSE to get dressed
up to purchase what I want! I will dress how I like, jeans and a
t-shirt.

I don't have to impress YOU, YOU have to impress ME!

You don't want to wait on me.

Fine.

Maybe it will be you who cannot afford the BMW when keep losing sales to
your competition.

Sorry I just had to vent.

Thanks.
- --------------------------------oOo--------------------------------   
 Stephen Lafredo - 3.2 M3             email: slafredo@domain.elided
 Philadelphia, PA
 DVC, NCC and NJC

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