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Published on GoldenTimes.com on February 20, 2007
The Golden Fleece … and the Perfect Car
By Lynette Loomis

This is the first reader panel issue on car buying and leasing, clearly a topic with which most of us are familiar. (This also will be the topic in the next issue so there still is time for you to share your thoughts.)
The Golden Fleece was the treasure sought by Jason and the Argonauts; for some of us it’s finding the right car at the right price and the best service. Both journeys can prove to be daunting.

It Costs What?
Regardless of body type, readers agree that the purchase of a vehicle is an expensive investment.

“I’m old enough to remember when you could buy a home for less money than what some cars cost today.”

“Our family just went through a very involved car-buying adventure. It’s a hard thing, giving so much of your income away for something that you need, that is going to be worth less every time you touch it. People also tend to buy more car than they need or can afford, so it’s the start of a ‘Love-Hate’ or ‘Positive-Negative’ yin-yang arrangement.”

When you ask someone about buying a car you often hear terms like “battle, ripped off, taken advantage of, dicker and others.”

Why? In fairness to auto dealers, we must remind ourselves that customers tend to be the most verbal when they are unhappy rather than when they are delighted. Some people love the chase of getting the “best price” while others dread the conversation. And we don’t live in a culture where we “bargain” for everything unless it’s a yard sale.

Less-than-perfect car buying experiences have led some readers to become wary.

“I have read that you should not bring a trade into the negotiations till you have your deal in place. The other is find out the dealer’s cost (not sticker price) add a reasonable markup (the percentage escapes me, of course) and tell the salesman, “This is my offer - my only offer,” thus avoiding the haggling. He may say “No can do” and you may have to leave the premises…but a friend who does this routinely (he buys cars like we buy underwear) says you will likely get a call a few days later accepting your offer.”

The Cars May be Equal but the Sales Staff are Different
“I have had 20+ cars in my adult life, and bought a few for/with my kids. I remember every one of those purchases, those cars and the feelings they left me with. They were a big part of my life. I moved into my first apartment with my new bride in one, went to my first job after college in one, brought my children home in a couple. I remember the sales experiences. I remember how those cars treated me — and some I loved like only a male can.”

“Some salesmen lost interest in me completely after I signed the paperwork. Some seemed pleased that I had bought this particular car and walked me out and waved goodbye. The good ones pulled my new vehicle to the showroom door, all washed, gassed, with heat or air-conditioning on, and the radio stations all set to the local stations with something nice playing. One in particular, Brian Robertson I think, sold me a red ‘908 Jeep Grand Cherokee at Patrick, and he remembered all our conversation on the test drive — he had my favorite station playing and said —” I got your music on and gas in the tank, here are extra keys — enjoy her, and why don’t you take your wife out for ice cream in it…”

Brian called me a couple of times to see how the Jeep was doing. He saw me when I came in for service and greeted me — knew my name and what I’d bought. THAT is what a car sale should be. You don’t buy a car — you buy a relationship, with a brand and with a dealer.”

Listen to Me, Not Look at Me
“I only approach the dealership when I am feeling in top form; I know I’ll need all my strength just to hold them at bay. And they don’t listen. They look at me and decide what they think a person my age ‘should’ want. Why don’t they ask me? How do they know I have wanted a red convertible since I got out of the army?”

For many mature consumers, a car is less about image and more about function. The American Society on Aging, AARP, The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. and AAA, has developed CarFit, a 12-point checklist program created for older drivers to evaluate how well a car fits their physical and mental needs. Bill Long, a local auto buying consultant, uses a hybrid of this to help his customers find the right car.

Have an opinion on what makes a car purchase pleasurable and what makes it a nightmare? Do you have a story to tell about an auto rental on vacation? Send me a letter with your opinion to Lynette Loomis at: The Marketing Strategists, PO Box 663, Mendon, N.Y. 14506; or e-mail me at: marketingstrategists@rochester.rr.com. I am glad to include your name with your opinion.

Lynette M. Loomis is former vice president of Preferred Care Gold and is a long-standing advocate of mature consumers.