Another Angry Car Salesman Alert
Gosh, my recent article about buying a car touched a nerve. I got this email from a "car salesman" this morning:


So you don't think I didn't take this seriously, I've already sent e-mails to the papers which print your column and expressed my disgust with you. To say your column is a complete disservice to many quality, professional men and women is an understatement.

After having read your story I discussed it with a number of coworkers and one in particular commented on how she couldn't understand what purpose it served except to show the ignorance of the author. With that in mind I remind you of the old adage "Ignorance is bliss" you sir must be a VERY happy man. Your comment that salesmen must be offended by the perception most consumers have of them would be offensive if it wasn't being delivered by a man, trying to, in a pathetic attempt bolster his own questionable worth. Now I'm not saying that you didn't experience the salesman you describe, but frankly you get what you deserve by going to THAT dealership and not choosing more wisely the make of your new automobile. But to paint with a broad stroke all salesmen being guilty of the behavior you describe is a repugnant as saying all Irishmen are drunks, all Italians are in the mob, all Jews are cheap, all African-Americans are stupid and lazy.....get my point. Perhaps I could right a column Titled "Stupid Polish car buyers and why salesmen abuse them" surely I can conclude based on your performance all of you are equally inept. Damn good thing the salesman wasn't black, would have hated to see what you would have said then, undoubtedly you would have felt he was a racist and treated you poorly due to the color of your skin. You go on to say that its understandable that car salesmen are the way they are because we have been at our jobs for a minimal length of time, we don't know our product, etc., well I will, as well as any of the other salesmen I know in this business, pit my knowledge of what we do against any topic you chose to debate. For your information I've sold cars for about 8 yrs and I work with gentlemen that have better than 40 yrs experience, does that qualify as long enough? Sure there are dealerships where the salesmen have to rely on managers to guide them in offering a purchase price and trade-in values but from what I see of your skills you could do with some guidance yourself. But again sir at my dealership you would have dealt with a salesman that negotiates his own
deals and only refers to a manager for final approval, ah but you see you chose a Japanese car, we do sell American. Oh by the way I sell the highest rated family sedan on the market the one rated the best overall value, yes again its a domestic, and you chose foreign.

And it keeps going on from there, but you get the idea. What I like most about the letter is that even though he is incredibly angry with me he still keeps the presence of mind to mention that he sells "the highest rated family sedan on the market, the one rated the best overall value."

God bless him, he's the kind of guy who'll have his business cards out at his own wake.