DealersEdge Professional Forums

Just venting a bit here. I'm not even angry. I feel sad more than anything.

Four times in the last 6-7 months I've had negative experiences with service mangers at other dealerships.

The details are not important and would take me hours to write but let's just say that I used to count on a certain sense of "brotherhood" from other SMs....where I never had to question motive or integrity.

After been thrown under the bus a couple times in customer relations type problems, the retelling of something that was supposed to be held in confidence, and just today being intentionally deceived during the course of a conversation I am starting to lose confidence that things will ever be "like the old days."

I can remember when it used to be "I've got your back". Now its more like "watch your back."


DD

I remember, back when I was a Service Director in Chicago, we had a group of area Service Managers who would get together once a month and share ideas, brainstorm, vent, etc. It was great! Yes, we were all competing with one another, in a sense, but why not utilize the experience in your area and take it and grow?
I work with a lot of large dealer groups and it amazes me how often they do NOT utilize the resources they have. Your people are one of your best resources, so use (don't abuse) them!

Good posting, by the way!

Linda

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Linda Graham Hansen
Auto Dealer Focus
www.autodealerfocus.com

I agree with Old Irish, it seems that some of the managers in other stores are trying to make other managers look bad for their benifit. What happened to the "Brotherhood"?
In MS, where I'm from, we had 4 Chevy stores in the area. We all knew each other, we had a club and got together 2-3 times a year. Yes we sent "bad" customers to each other to get rid of them, but we did not cut each other or make each other look bad. We supported each other. Must be the new generation...? No offense new guys.

I feel your pain...I had a dealer that I "thought" we had a good relationship with, & boy was I wrong...all this just came about in the last couple of months also, & I am still trying to get all of the knives out of my back.

This business has become dog-eat-dog. Loyalty, whether it be customer, competitor, or employee is slowly becoming a thing of the past. I have lots of examples where customers have walked to another store 35 miles away over $50. Then they want to come here for service. Brand loyalty? Forget it! In the past, if a dealer had a customer come in bad mouthing another dealer, we would call each other and give them a chance. Not today. Hell I don't even know who the other managers are. Part of this is to be placed on the factories. Everything is done via satellite or the net. There's not much interaction amongst humans anymore.

I know with my car lines(Lamborghini and Lotus) there are not area managers to deal with since we are so spread out BUT I do stay incontact with them via email so we can check parts, new bulletins, gang up to take on corporate.

I think some GMs don't like SMs or PMs gettign buddy buddy with other dealers because they dont trust them .

I think the old "Keep you friends close BUT your enemies closer" is perfect for this.

We need to stay in contact with each other. No reason to cause trouble.ITs a small world. You never know when you may work with or for that person down the road....or vise versa.

I am simultaneoudly glad and sad that I am not alone with my feelings.

I have an absolutely firm policy that we don't bad-mouth other shops or other dealers. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

We've all had to deal with the others guys foul-ups and comebacks from time-to-time. I always make a point to try and smooth things over with the customer so the other dealer doesn't look quite so bad in the customer's eyes.

For one thing, bad-mouthing other shops hurts the whole industry.

And, if one of my problems ends up at another dealer I *appreciate* when the other guy trys to smooth things over for me.....and that's what I have always done in the the reverse situation. That's how I would like to be treated, so that's how I treat others. I guess that sort of thinking is going out of style.

I guess I can deal with that sort of thing but when other managers flat-out lie to me, and deceive me....well that's a different matter.



Thanks for you support, gang. Its Friday...I have the whole weekend to mend myself.

DD

[This message has been edited by Old Irish (edited 06-08-2007).]