I’ve been missing in action on my blog. My last blog post was January 28th. I was in a car accident on the 30th of January. Thankfully I have no broken bones and didn’t end up in the hospital. The back of the insurance company card says not to discuss the accident, so all I will say is I was incredibly blessed. I am grateful to my chiropractor and medical massage therapist.
Life happens.
Even when you blog. I had to stop stressing about it. I didn’t want my blog to look abandoned, but hey . . . looks can be deceiving. Between doctor visits, dealing with both insurance companies, the rental car, dealing with the old car, searching for a new car, handling my client load, being a caregiver for my disabled brother . . . added on top of all that goes with life and living, I had to let some things go. I was more mad at the young girl that drove into the back of my car while I was stopped at the light because of all those time consuming activities. (I’d bet my last dollar she was texting, since there were no skid marks to suggest brakes were used.)
Car Shopping
Does anyone really like car shopping when you need a car as opposed to when you just want one? Looking for a car proved to be almost as painful as being in the accident. I was going for a “previously loved” vehicle. I found out quickly that when you’re looking for a specific car, that makes it even more challenging. Since I use social media, I was so hoping that the company I purchased my car from would provide me with such a wonderful experience that it would warrant me shouting how wonderful they were from the social media rooftops of Facebook, Twitter, Google Places and Yelp. It was not to be so.
Here’s why I couldn’t.
Lies of Omission –
I am well aware of Caveat Emptor . . . Buyer Beware. After looking over the car and taking it for a test drive, the salesman shook my hand. Is it a deal? “Yes,” I said, “It’s a deal”. He kept shaking my hand. He shook my hand about 3 times before I signed the paperwork, which I felt was kind of odd. At the end of the test drive, he had me pull the car up in the “buyer’s circle”, a spot in front with stripes painted on the pavement, a way to announce to the showroom that he sold a car. Whateva.
As he walked inside to start the paperwork, I decided to walk around the car one last time to marvel at my find, and discovered two cracks on the lights in the back. I called him back to the car to ask him about them and he started going on about how we would have to start back over from the purchase price and re-negotiate our way back down, and that it might be more money, yada yada yada. Then he started talking to the guy who was taking the car to detail it and let it slip that he had a discussion with the previous owner who told him it would cost $170 to replace each one and he decided not to. You even know how much it cost? Oh yea? Ya don’t say?!
A few days later, it hit me. He was trying to hide the cracked tail lights.!!! While he was showing us the car, he kept the trunk open the entire time we walked around the car. On top of it, the trunk had soil in it, as if someone bought plants or sod. I thought it was so strange that he never closed the trunk, that I whispered something to my mechanic about it.
Forgot to mention
Just as he was about to bring the paperwork to be signed, he stops to tell me that there is still a lien on the car and that I would have to get temporary plates until the lien was satisfied. Forgot to mention that earlier, did ya? OK. No problem. Mind you, it was 5 days including numerous emails and text messages between the time I test drove the car and picked it up.
About three weeks later, when I realized we didn’t get the new registration, I sent an email to the sales guy. I haven’t heard back from him yet. A couple of days later, I called the office and was transferred to the correct department. Of course, when I was purchasing the car, he answered every email, phone call and text message right away. At this point, even if it was no longer his responsibility, he could have sent an email back saying who I should have contacted or forwarded my email to the right person. They ended up having to overnight a new temporary tag.
Not only did this salesperson ask me to refer my friends and family, but to add insult to injury – I received an email from the company asking me to “like” their Facebook page.
Fact is I knew it was good car. I had to remove the salesperson from the equation – imagine that. I did my due diligence – saw the Carfax, brought my mechanic with me, took it for a test drive it and searched online for reviews about the year, make and model.
BACK TO MY POINT – People may not remember what you did, but they remember how you made them feel.
I felt like I had been taken for a ride. I felt like I had been duped. What else was he hiding from me? This wasn’t one of the cars I found on Craigslist or off some “no name” used car lot. This was a major dealership, whose brand is about cars that retain their value, great on mileage, repairs, etc. I was so uneasy about the deal, that I started looking for another car to buy and wanted to cancel everything. But by now I was worn out. The thought of driving miles and miles to look at another car, almost brought me to brink of insanity. I had another car in my sights, but lacking the time and stamina, I reluctantly gave up the search.
To all you business people and sales folks out there . . .
- Before your customer leaves your establishment they are taking photos and commenting online.
- If you have a brick and mortar business, whether you “get” social media or not, your customers are checking in on Foursquare, and leaving reviews (glowing and otherwise) on Yelp, Google Places and online forums.
- The review they leave can be found by a potential customer. Positive or negative, it will influence someone’s choice to do business with you.
- Don’t judge a book by its cover. You never know how many Twitter followers they have, if they have their own Facebook Fan page or will share with their hundreds of Facebook friends.
- Don’t be shortsighted and miss an opportunity to be good to your customers. They just might become your best salesperson. Remember, it’s easier to keep an existing customer, than it is to find a new one.
- One “Google” search can either garner you a new customer or lose one, without you ever knowing.
One of your greatest assets is a returning client. Treat us well.
This blog post could have been all about you!!
Photo credits: Missing
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