BeyondExpectations.docx

Beyond ExpectationsBy Milt GarrettIt seems a car dealership in my hometown of Albuquerque was selling, on average, six to eight new cars a day, six days a week. I was also told that 72 percent of this dealerships first-time visitors returned for a second visit. (At that time, the average for all dealerships in Albuquerque for second-time visitors was 8 percent.) I was curious and intrigued. How does a car dealership get 72 percent of its first-time visitors to return? And how can they sell six to eight cars a day in a slumping car market? When I walked into Saturn of Albuquerque that Friday four years ago, the staff there didnt know me from Adam; yet they shared with me their pricing policy, the profit margin on every model, and staff income. They even opened their training manuals for my review and invited me back on Saturday if I wanted more information (an invitation I heartily accepted).I learned that this dealership (like all Saturn dealerships) has a no-dicker sticker policy; that is, the price on the window is the price you pay for the car. Period. You cant even negotiate for a free set of floor mats. Saturn abides by its premise of selling high-quality automobiles for a reasonable price. Furthermore, Saturn sales consultants (their term for customer-contact people) arent paid a commission - theyre salaried. This means when you walk onto the showroom floor youre not bombarded with what I refer to as beyond eager sales people. I expanded my research to other dealerships in Albuquerque. It turned out that Ford Escorts, LTDs and Thunderbirds, as well as the Mercury Marquis, were also sold as no-dicker sticker cars. As Bruce Sutherland at Richardson Ford said, We were losing our market to Saturn because of their pricing and salary policies. He also said, If we all did what Saturn was doing, wed not only make a decent living, but wed also enjoy a better reputation. On Sunday, the day after my second visit to the Saturn store (their term, not mine), my wife, Jane,