Flawless. In a word that describes my recent interaction with sales executive Saeed Anwar at Dick Hanna Honda in Vancouver. He was terrific. I felt no pressure, my questions and concerns were addressed openly and expertly, he presented the vehicle with a professional thoroughness and attention to detail that was refreshing and he was attentive to my point of view during negotiations.
The one glaring glitch in my experience had absolutely NOTHING to do with Saeed. I strongly objected and was incredibly disappointed in the manipulative tactic used by management to attempt to re-negotiate the price after I had struck a deal with Saeed. This is a tired, yet all too predictable, practice that a smart, sophisticated,savvy dealership should not employ.
People...we consumers aren't stupid...we see what you're doing. Stop it and show some respect, not only for us but for your front line sales force. Empower them to make the deal and stay out of it.
Saeed should have been able to take my check, shake my hand and send me away, happily motoring off in my new-to-me Honda Element. Instead, I dealt with smoke and mirrors, slight of hand, hand wringing and lots of paper shuffling...and ended up paying what I had originally agreed upon as a sales price. Why put the customer through such nonsense? I expected more from the management at Dick Hanna Honda after my wonderful buying experience with Saeed. Shame on you big boys for reaffirming the stereotypical car buying fiasco.
more