Cadillac Build Sheets

[Dave Smith #17592]

Unfortunately this is how the system is designed for the Dealerships salesmen at all dealers.

Salesmen are on commission.  They dont get paid a salary, so they cant afford to waste any time with tourists.   The manager on duty spots any person walk into the place.  Those are "ups".   The salesmen take turns getting the next "up".  This does not include a scheduled appointment by a repeat buyer.    So once you arrive, they are quickly assesing your status and whether or not you are buying a car TODAY.  

Being on commission, the "average" new car sale earns them about $100.  Yes, thats it.  More if they get you to buy an extended warranty or 100mph paint sealant and that kinda stuff.   But with todays bottom-bottom blow out pricing,  the days of big commissions are gone in the domestic car industry.

Gone are the days were you could stop by your local Cadillac dealer just to chat and have a cup of coffee with your favorite salesman.   These guys are pressured to make their monthly quotas.  If they dont, they get blown out and replaced with another salesman who might be better.  That is also why you see a revolving door when it comes to personnel.

When I was a young man, I went to my local Cadillac Dealer for a sales job.  All the salesmen knew me.  They all joked that I knew more product knowledge than any of them.   When I sat with the Salesmanager, he told me to forget about it.   That his guys all had long lists of repeat buyers that they survive off of.   Any new guys who think they can survive off of walk-ins will starve.   He suggested that I go to an import dealer where I can build up a clientel before coming back.   I pointed out that there are always a few newyoung faces on the floor selling.  He agreed, but admitted that those guys are expendable.  We bring em in, squeeze every new sale we can out of them, friends, relatives, neighbors, then when they run out of customers we replace them with more young guys.   Only the seasoned veterans can stay as long as they meet their quotas.   Needless to say,  I was extremely disappointed.

There are still alot of good, decent people out there selling cars.  Unfortunately, the system is designed to chew them up and spit them out.   Long hours, no weekends off and poor pay plans.   Heck, most dealers dont even give out demo cars anymore because they cant afford the car insurance on all the staff.

Im not trying to excuse rudeness.   If the sales staff see that you are "just looking", they should just politely excuse themselves and tell you that you are free to look around all you want and ask if you have any questions.

[Brian Daum, 18809]

How do they know if I`m  a tourist or a buyer? I don`t even know myself!

I have on two occasions walked into a new car dealership as a "tourist" and walked out again with a new car! I purchased these cars a lot on impulse, and because the sales people were polite, seemed knowledgable about the product and service minded. Of course they wanted to make a sale, that`s their living!

No matter what I buy, if I get impolite, indifferent treatment I go somewhere else, period. I guess a lot of people are like me, and if I was the sales manager in some car dealership, and I cared about making the numbers, I would tell all of the sales people to treat everyone as potential customers.

If people get a negative impression of a Cadillac dealership when they are browsing chances are they will never return there again.

Brian
Norway

[Fred Garfield 22310]

I wont waste my time negotiating directly with these people, not by phone, not by e and certainly not in person. Ill let a broker bulk e my requirements to all the dealers in the state. Each of them can take it or leave it. Those who saddle up can put in their best offer to my broker. If my requirements arent met, nobody makes the sale.

Brokers are definitely the way to go. Their commissions are reasonable and they wind up saving you time, money and aggravation. They arrange delivery and, if needed, pick-up of your trade-in. Bottom line is that the dealers have contempt for you and me, but they fear the brokers who can cut them off at the knees if they waste their time or make them look bad with their clients.

[Dave MacGregor #189981]

Ill never forget the time while in my 20s that I went into Chevy Dealer to look at S-10 Blazers and they practically told me to leave!!! Get Out!!!  They didnt want to be bothered with me for whatever reason.

Subsequently, I bought a new fully loaded two tone black over silver S-10 Blazer with the Tahoe package with CASH I had saved up for it at another dealership later that week who treated me with respect.

I then drove it out of my way to the other dealership that threw me out and showed them my truck and in front of their customers right on the showroom floor I DEMANDED an apology from them for how they treated me and told them I would NEVER recommend anyone to them based on my experience.  The sales manager was speechless!!!

I got an applause from a few of his customers who then walked out behind me.

Revenge can sometimes be sweet!  It certainly was that day!  :-)

Dave

[Tim Coy #11513]

I had a pleasant experience last year with a Cadillac dealer. I bought a four-year-old (at the time) Eldorado from an all-GM dealer in a small Nebraska town and was treated quite well by the salesperson and the finance manager. They even allowed me to contact the previous owner and ask him questions.

No sales pressure (even at the closing table when they try to sell you add-ons). The negotiations went on for three days over e-mail (I test-drove the car first and had it checked out). The wheeling and dealing was actually enjoyable on my end, as they were anxious to get rid of a car that had sat on their lot for a year and a half. Cant complain too much about buying a car for about $3,000 below book value.

[Ed Dougher]

I would have stopped payment on the check.

[John Tozer #7946]

Fred,

To a very large degree the situation being discussed in this post is a real "chicken and egg" job. My wifes family is in the car dealership business (continuously and successfully since 1965) in Australia and is now confronting the effects of the new car brokers on their business.

It is only a matter of time before their business becomes our (the buyers) business because it is the dealer who is being squeezed at both ends - the manufacturers/distributors are the ones insisting that, for example, my car gets a wash every time it is serviced (New car wash with all the environmentally friendly bits? $300,000 AUD), that I receive a follow up call every time it is serviced to check that I am happy, that I get the marque magazine when I buy a new car etc. etc.

The manufacturers/distributors, however, are quite happy to deal through brokers who provide none of the above - and who send you off to one of the "full on" dealers anytime you have a warranty claim to have the problem fixed because they dont have workshops. The manufacturers/distributors really dont give a rats who sells their cars for them.

I guess it depends on what we want from a dealer - if you want the attention and the car wash and the service then you go through the local dealer....... but dont be too surprised if, in 5 or 10 years time these simply dont exist because the brokers have taken all the cream out of the industry. Wonder where we will get our new cars serviced then?

Regards,



John Tozer

[Fred Garfield 22310]

John, Im sure there are many decent people in the automotive dealership business. Im also sure that they are in small towns and rural communities where nobody tolerates insult and dishonesty.

But I live in a major metropolitan area where dealers have gotten used to skinning their customers alive for decades. Now the tables have turned and I, for one, am jubilant about that. All I want from a new car dealer is an offer through my broker. I dont want his grossly overpriced and unwanted "services" anymore than I want to know him or his people. And dont worry about how were going to buy new cars. The auto industry has always found a way.

[Paul Zanetti]

Got my Build Sheet today. Great stuff! Highly recommended. Lots of supporting info and documents. More than I expected, and info pertaining to my car was carefully highlighted with a yellow marker. Good ol fashioned service.

Many thanks.

Paul Zanetti

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

Paul, have you asked Craig (of McVeys) about that "Compass" option on your Biarritz. Ive scoured all the bummfff I have on the 59 Cadillacs, including the "Bible" [the 59 Dealer Data Book] and cant find any reference to it.  Let me know if you have found anything.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Well, this is an old problem.  My dad (a 1907 model) told of an oil wildcatter in Houston in the 1930s who came into town from the oil fields and went to Meador Motor Co., the Houston Packard dealer, to buy his wife a new car.  The floor salesmen glanced with disdain at this customer and continued smoking and talking to themselves.
The man wandered around the showroom for a few minutes and none of the salesmen ever approached him, so he walked a couple of blocks down to the H. B. McDaniel Cadillac-La Salle Co. where he was immediately greeted and taken care of.  The man picked out a car for his wife and was asked how he would like to finance it and was told hed just pay cash...which he did from a rubber-banded wad in his overall pocket. Gene Meador, owner of the Packard agency, told Dad this story including the Cadillac half that Mr. McDaniel related to him since the customer told his salesman how he had been treated at Meador.

[Paul Zanetti]

Yann - the build sheet shows C for Cruise - Compass.

I have seen a couple of 1959 Cadillac compasses listed on ebay and was a bit dubious. I asked Bill Refakis about it and he says the C stands for cruise control, which makes me wonder why the word compass is also included. The cruise control option is certainly not a compass, so I am still left wondering..??

Paul Zanetti

[Yann Saunders, 12588]

Im only guessing here: Could it be on account of the shape of the control knob and housing on the dash?  

To be effective, a magnetic compass [in an oil bath I guess, like the one you usually find on pleasure craft of various shapes and sizes] would have to sit up on top of the dash.

Anyway, let us know if you find out anything.

[John #22631]

Paul and Yann,
I emailed Yann a copy of the spec sheet that shows the compass as an option.
At the risk of being chastised...if the software used by the CLC was updated I could have included a copy with my post.

Hope I didnt step on any toes!!!!
John

[Yann Saunders]

Thanks for the print-out John.  It confirms that the "compass" was intended to be a standard or optional item on the 59 Cadillac.  

But how many were actually delivered with cars? Was it scrapped before entering production? Im hoping someone in the group has actually seen one in a car and can get us a snapshot.

[Joe Meneghin 22407]

Need I say more?

[Wayne]

 In 1974 I bought a 20 yr old Oldsmobile in Mamaroneck NY. I figured that since it was my first car (which I still have today!), I should take it to an Olds dealer and have it gone through. I drove into the local dealership and all the salesmen came out for a look. The car only had 33k on the dile so I told them I was there for my 50k checkup. Turns out it was the same dealership that sold the car and the actuall salesman was still working there! They treated me like a celebrity. Gave the car a complete check up and lube job, took pictures and wouldnt accept any payment from me.
 I guess Im one of the lucky ones.