neurotic

hello

Anyone had any experience with this dealer. I've talked to a friend who owns several classic P cars and has advised me to stay away from this dealer. I stopped to check out some cars here on two occasions & I feel like they don't really care; maybe because I pulled in at the dealer with a 3 series. I stopped to talk about a GT3 or possibly a 911 GTS. There was a blue GT3 there that the owner was picking up at the time. Looks amazing BTW. Anyways, the sales rep couldn't give a hoot about me. He sat down with me & it felt like I was wasting his time and seemed very disinterested & almost rude. I asked him once he gets more info about the GTS to call me & I would come in & discuss opinions etc. So far I've heard nothing. I've called the dealer in Ohio & now will be heading over this weekend to place an order for a GTS. Anyone have similar experience at auto palace?

Larry Cable

sounds like you shouldn't waste any more time or effort on these losers. Give the business to someone who wants to earn it

hinckley

As a business guy, I've never been able to figure out the "business" of car dealerships. In general, their sales people are clueless. And in the case of Porsche, these guys (mainly) are selling to a high end, sophisticated market. And you have to wonder - assuming each rep only moves a handful of cars (gotta assume one or two a week on average), what do they do??? I know I'd be climbing all over the cars in stock, reading the owners manual, getting intimately familiar with the configurations, reading every review I could.

I dunno. I guess there's a reason that I'm not a car salesperson.

911sccab

I think it would be difficult to be a Porsche salesman. I'm sure they spend countless hours with dreamers who couldn't finance a used Kia but seem very serious.

Also, some of their serious clients are very serious. While we might spend countless hours studying the new GTS they may be preoccupied with Macan business until they have an actual GTS to sell. Finally, some could be of the "I'm spending $xxx,xxx so you better throw in the moon and the stars". Let's face it, we all have high expectations of what a P-car should be and sometimes the experience we expect is unrealistic.

I'm absolutely not meaning to imply your experience in Shadyside was your fault, or even acceptable. I am trying to say I've heard passionate complaints about every high line car dealership I know of... Could have been a fluke occurrence a decade ago, but buyers can carry a grudge for years!

That being said, there's a dealership just downstream in Sewickley that I've found to be very accommodating for many years... you might give them the opportunity to help you. I'd call to set an appointment, brief the salesperson on what you're interested in, and try to go on a rainy weekday when foot traffic is slow.

Good luck!

disden

It doesn't matter, they should treat everyone with respect. The old saying about not judging a book by its cover. My closest dealer won't give me the time of day. When I'm not working I'm dressed down and don't look very special. 8 Porsches later, they haven't earned a dime.

I was also reading an article that said internet and out of state phone callers tend to be more serious about buying then floor customers. Perhaps that is why walking up and looking doesn't get you very far.

Sharm

I think every dealer is different. There are 6 dealers in my area and I visited 4 of them and they all had different approaches. One was a little on the snooty side but not outright dismissive and essentially made you feel like if you don't buy one someone else will (which was probably true) but that was in a wealthy area where that was the norm. Another took a more sedated approach and almost seemed like they didn't care (much like described above post). One was more energized and humble and made me feel welcome, but they were straight and to the point. Finally, the last seemed completely clueless and was in complete disarray. In general, they all didn't "hound" me as soon as I walked in the door but were overall friendly once they knew you were serious and not just wasting their time.

rnl

I visited e v e r y dealer in my region. Drove a bunch of cars and listed to a lot of sales bs. What spoke to me was the money and as at turned out the dealer with the lowest price had the nicest staff and best service folks to deal with.

I visited yesterday to have some recall work and to have the winter shoes put on. Balanced installed and summer tires stores for $100. Great place to sit and read a book and really good coffee and cappuccino machine.

AndrewP

The process of buying a Porsche should be fun so avoid dismissive sales people. Also avoid sales people who know less about the model in which you are interested than you.

Vetsky

I guess it comes down to the actual sales person. My fist visit to my dealership I was wearing ripped shorts and a t shirt. I was on my way back from helping a friend move. Anyway, the sales guy didn't mind at all and spent almost two hours with me.

If the dealership is close, and convenient. I would call the sales manager and set up an appointment. I bet the service will be better.

RO.

talk to some local pca members and give the dealership a second chance. the salesman may have been having a "I don't give a s*** moment".

fast1

I wonder if it's an age thing. Being an ole timer, I've never had a problem. As soon as I walk into the dealership, I immediately get attention and they do everything in their power to get me to test drive a car. So my experiences have all been positive, and the sales guys very professional. Maybe age = money in their eyes.

ggreg911

I'm a younger guy and had a great buying experience with my 911 a few months ago. So good that I went back two weeks ago to order a Macan. I don't think it's age=money.

It doesn't hurt to look like you can afford it.

Scottish Pete

"Also avoid sales people who know less about the model in which you are interested than you."

Face it, most of us know more about a Porsche 911 than even a seasoned salesperson could ever know.

rnl

These days there are few salespersons selling consumer goods with anything more than a modest knowledge of their products. The problem - as I see it - is the commission based sales structure. Perhaps it would be preferable to employ real product specialists.

pitt911

i live in pittsburgh, I find sewickly porsche to be much friendlier for test drives and the staff are very passionate about the brand and very knowledgeable overall. Auto palace is ok at best. Though both are difficult to negotiate with reference to discount. Porsche of Beachwood is the most aggressive in the area and they are decent to deal with. Build your car and talk to a couple of these dealers and see how much discount you can get, and if you do't have a trade in , this can be done by email