Rudest dealer ever

[campigloo]

I usually don't post negatives about a business unless I feel it is extremely warranted. We have all delt with the ocassional jerk, and normally I just let it go. To me, this one is over the top. I went in last Saturday to Miller's RV in Baton Rouge. Yes, I saw the parts dept closed sign on the door. I also saw three guys standing in the store so I went through the unlocked door. I was looking for exterior light fixtures for my trailer and thought they might have something on the shelf. I was greeted by one man who seemed to be a RV salesman. He showed me where the lights were stocked. Then here comes the enforcer. He must have been management because the first guy went silent. He explained to me in a near screaming voice that the parts dept was closed, had been closed on Sat for over eight years, the cash register was closed and if I wanted to buy anything it would have to be exact cash. After telling him of my simple need, he informed me that I would have to find it elsewhere because they were closed, just like the sign said. He then ran out the door and sped off in his car. Moral of the rant, if you live in BR and want a motorhome or Airstream you might want to think about using a different dealer. If a simple inquiry is responded to in this manner, what is their customer service like?

[Homer1]

Been there done that just as you did.

[dennislanier]

Although I am not a politician, I think I would have to agree with BOTH sides in this issue. If the OP was complaining about rude treatment, then I think he has a valid point. The "enforcer" could certainly been more "gentle" in telling him that the parts department was indeed closed that day without insulting him. However, the dealership was also correct (in my humble opinion) in not making an exception in this case. I have worked in retail many years ago and remember the times when a potential customer came in AFTER closing hours and wanted service. On the other hand, I had been there all day and was ready to go home and be with my family like everyone else. If this had been some kind of emergency situation that changes everything, but in this case it could have waited. Bottom line is, both sides could have handled it better with no hard feelings.

[mockturtle]

pitch wrote:
And people wonder why there are no main street retailers any more!
You will shop Mon thru Friday between the hours of 9 to 5.
I am doing you a favor by allowing you near my store
Get out and come back when I say so!
Welcome Wal-Mart, Lowes, HH Gregg,and Best Buy!

Yep!

[cdlaine]

Mike,

I have a tale that absolutely does not relate...but does....

Years ago the Princess and I were in the market for a new
SUV... being young and naïve we stopped in at a local Scottsdale
Mercedes Benz dealer... were led into the Manager's mahoghany lined office
(should had been a clue), were offered coffee in China cups,
and seated at a huge leather topped desk in over-stuffed leather chairs.
(smaller then the Managers... and lower.). After more then appropriate delay
the Manager (God) arrived (suit,tie,Rolex,humidor). Polite enough, but it was
clear we were out of our element... when I tried to price offer ...was met with a terse...
"we don't haggle". And, the interaction promptly (uncomfortably for us)ended.
Wife and I drove home in silence... appropriately embarrassed. Now that we can
afford their gilded offerings we have never returned ...remembering how we were made to feel.

morale to the story... wrong place , wrong time. But worth remembering. We have
voted with our wallets and choose not to give them our business...ever.

Doesn't effect them in the least, but makes us feel better.

I suggest you do the same.

Charles

[pitch]

And people wonder why there are no main street retailers any more!
You will shop Mon thru Friday between the hours of 9 to 5.
I am doing you a favor by allowing you near my store
Get out and come back when I say so!
Welcome Wal-Mart, Lowes, HH Gregg,and Best Buy!

[n7bsn]

Wow, what an attitude.
One of the local RV places I deal with wants their parts person to have two days off, so they are closed Sunday and Monday. That way they make the Saturday sales to people that work Mon-Fri

[Homer1]

I think they should have sold him the part he wanted, cash. Saturday is a prime day to do maintenance on RV's. Anyone that assails a customer is a fool, regardless of whether they are closed or not. I would return to that dealership on their next open day and have a talk with the manager.
I walked into my bank on MLK day, I forgot about the holiday, they had left the doors unlocked. Two cops and a manager greeted me about half way through the lobby. They did not holler at me or threaten me or try to belittle me. They calmly explained the bank was closed and apologized for the open doors. Why the cops were at the bank I have no idea, don't care. I left the building, they locked the doors episode over. It could have been a serious situation.

[peaches_cream]

This reminds me of a incident that happened to my dad in the 1960's. He was in the Service Station business (some people don't even know what this is). He was closing up, had the lights turned off, and was locking the door. A fellow and his girlfriend drove up and seems they had broke a fan belt. The fellow begged my father to help him out. Dad opened back up, turned the lights on, got his tools out, and located a belt to fit the auto. After he got it installed, the fellow ask dad what he owed him. Dad said $4.95 for the belt and $3.00 labor. The fellow went into a rant about how this was "highway robbery" and he could have got it done at least $2 cheaper elsewhere. Dad never said a word. He just reached into his pocket, pulled out his knife, cut the new belt into, and then said "you owe me nothing". Get out of here. Some people are so special they stink.

[fla-gypsy]

The business would have been better served to politely inform you they were closed and couldn't help you but I suspect you barging through the closed sign was taken as a sign that you thought you were special.

[Geocritter]

The first thing you learn in sales is you're in business to make sales. Keeping that in mind you should never argue with the customer because you'll end up losing, even if you win the argument.

[Halmfamily]

I manage a retail business and I instruct my management team to open the doors for a customer if we are in the building. We are in business to sell items and if someone is willing to give me their money I am willing to take it.
The manager needs an attitude readjustment as he is in the wrong business.

[peaches_cream]

Dtank wrote:

Mountain Mama wrote:
If they thought the door was locked all they had to do was say, "I'm sorry, we're closed. Our mistake the door was open." How hard would that have been to do?

Bingo!

And...OP -
for about the same amount of effort as posting your rant here, you could send a polite letter to the dealer - with a cc to the local chamber of commerce and the BB.

Relate your experience, and why you won't be crossing their threshold again.

They probably won't care, but you *might* feel better(?)..:@

.

Doing what some of us feel is the proper way, is not anywhere as much fun as coming on here and ranting. It took me about 30 sec. to find the email of the Dealership. I did forward the "rant" to the Dealer. The OP profile has his name and city in it so I feel the Dealer can contact OP if they care too. They probably feel this is not the kind of customer they prefer to serve. After all, they have been there many yrs. and seem to be thriving. Some will say Dealer should bend over backwards for OP because they will return later and purchase a $1 million RV. Very doubtful.

[Dtank]

Mountain Mama wrote:
If they thought the door was locked all they had to do was say, "I'm sorry, we're closed. Our mistake the door was open." How hard would that have been to do?

Bingo!

And...OP -
for about the same amount of effort as posting your rant here, you could send a polite letter to the dealer - with a cc to the local chamber of commerce and the BB.

Relate your experience, and why you won't be crossing their threshold again.

They probably won't care, but you *might* feel better(?)..:@

.

[Travelon]

What was the OP expecting..."Welcome Sir, though we have never been opened this day for the last 8 years, please come in, we will open the register with the proper amount of money (if you need change)so look around, take your time, we are here to accommodate your every need because you are a very special person"...Ya right, you poke the bear and sometimes he snaps...you were in the wrong on this one.

Travelon

[SARGUY]

That would be the last time I ever set foot in their building, that " manager" was anything but a representative of that business, which should be a major part of his job description. If he worked for me he would be fired the minute I knew of this type of behavior.