Dealership Quality Auto Repair at Independent Shop Prices

Dealerships spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on diagnostic equipment each year to ensure they can interpret the data stored on these computer machines. How in the world are you expected to understand and keep up with this technology as a consumer? As a retail consumer you already work a full time job and sometimes two. Your wife or husband works to maintain your own household. After spending a significant amount of your hard earned money just to purchase the car, now you have to learn auto repair. It is not really fair. It is, however, life, as we know it. Cheating the Dealer will arm you with the top secrets to overcoming this unfairness. Cheating the Dealer is going to give you the secrets to saving money while utilizing the dealership’s own staff for your benefit.

SO WHY DID I WRITE THIS BOOK? TO ENSURE I WOULD NEVER WORK AT A DEALERSHIP AGAIN? HARLDY!

I have spent most of my career as a director and consultant at a new car dealership. Through education, experience and on the job training, I developed my own style and purpose. I created my program that I successfully teach and train at dealerships.

I learned many years ago that people love their cars. When cars break, people sometimes break too. Can you blame them? The automobile is typically the consumer’s 2nd if not 1st largest purchase in their lifetime. Not only the monetary significance of the purchase, it is widely understood that most people identify with their cars. Many times, the car is a representation of our personalities.

Cars are one of the most valued possessions we have. But the hard reality of it is, whomever the driver, at that moment when the car breaks down, that situation takes over our lives. It instantaneously becomes the single most important crisis.

Good car people recognize this simple truth. The business is about people more than cars. It is easy to “fix cars” – “fixing people” is the key to any car dealership success. And with this knowledge, I take my position seriously. As a service manager and consultant in the car business, I can think of no other job as rewarding as what I do. Yeah I am sure there is plenty of more important work to be done, doctors, lawyers, brokers, hell the President of the United States, but fixing people in their time of need ranks right up at the top. Especially, when the chips are down, even the really important people need their cars fixed.

I teach and train service advisors and managers in the business how to be great sales people. I teach my peers how to make you so happy that you want to spend money on your cars. I have never once sold a customer something that their car did not need. I will never teach anyone to sell anything that is not above board and necessary for the repair, upkeep or maintenance of the car.

I want you to know there are great men and women in the car business, however I am going to arm you for the worst while looking for the best in them and the best of them.
When you are done reading Cheating The Dealer, I want you to be able to fully understand and be able to ask the dealership questions like these: I want you to understand why these questions are going to become the standard of the industry.

 Can you itemize my repairs with parts and labor listed separately?
 Can you offer me a free courtesy inspection with my repairs today?
 Can you please review my repair order with me before I leave so I thoroughly understand what repairs are being looked at today?
 Can you provide me alternate transportation while my vehicle is being serviced?
 Can you call me at a time convenient for me so we can review the work that is necessary?
 Can you please explain the technical jargon in my language so I will understand the work that needs to be performed?
 Can you please give me an accurate promise time when the car will be completed?
 Can you please review the final charges of my repair order to ensure that they are what I authorized?
 Can you wash my car so it looks as if I just left a new car dealership?

As a consumer you understand that the business of buying and servicing a car is not about the car itself. It is about the relationship with the salesperson and the service person. Consumers have the ability to choose where to buy and where to service the car. Dealerships have just done a poor job in the past of getting the message out that they provide a better service to the customer than everyone else. Dealerships have lost the battle about customer service and prices in the marketing and media arena. Its time to change all that.

Now it is time to understand how a dealership really operates…so you can CHEAT THE DEALER.

Steve Shaw

Author

Cheating The Dealer

An Educated Consumer...Awesome

I received this today: Awesome! Thanks so much Steve. After reading most of your book, I did look at my manual and, as you indicated, it says I am due for an oil service on my BMW 330i, so I will go ahead and schedule that with him. I think what he was trying to sell me was an oil change and a full inspection, which I am not due for. Wish me luck.

Guess What, the dealership was about to lose a customer. Now the dealer retained its customer and performed the service.

She is now an educated consumer. She saved over $200. Everybody WINS.

Steve Shaw
cheatingthedealer.com
cheatingthedealer@gmail.com

The Problem With Dealerships

Imagine walking into a gleaming car dealership and being taken aback by the wonder of it all. Truly envision those new cars on the showroom floor. Picture that Mustang convertible sitting in the center of the marble tiled floor. Just visualize the little red Chevrolet Corvette. Maybe a Ferrari Dealership -- dream of that bright red 430 Ferrari Spider with black interior with red hand sown trim and just a touch of accent to make you know how fast this car can go. Do not forget the scent of the brand new leather seats. Breathe again. Smell the aroma of a room packed of new cars and the rubber of those Goodyear tires. The taste of money permeates the whole place. Whose money? Your money!

You are here to get the car of your dreams. Before you even walk in, you are fantasizing about driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, or Main Street of your hometown. You dream of yourself winding down the road, hugging the curves, your fantasy date (or your spouse) by your side with your hair blowing in the breeze. Feel the wind and hear your radio as it drowns out all of you cares. Crank up your favorite tunes and make this your ultimate road trip. You are in love with your new car. You are now going to make your dream a reality and go get that sweet ride!

You suffered through the purchase process. You made the purchase! Your even more in love with yourself. You outsmarted the car guys and have your baby.

Now….

You go by the neighbors’ house. You must show of this prize. You drive everywhere!
The first day that you buy a new car is the only time errands are fun. You park your new love in the furthest parking spot from the entrance. As you walk to the entrance you turn around at least 10 times just to admire her. Nah, you are really admiring yourself. Congratulations, you outsmarted that car salesman. You stole this one. This time it’s going to be different. There will be no scratches, dents or dings – EVER. This amazing piece of machinery was hand built just for you.

And you live happily ever after?

Sorry, but it’s time to WAKE UP! Wake up from your daydream. Of course, the darn thing breaks down! Of course it breaks down at the worst time too.

Now what?

What do you do? This is when the proverbial rubber meets the road. Open the glove box, find the service guy and call ahead for your appointment. That is if the dealership introduced you to the service guy already. That is if you bought the car from your hometown dealer. Or were you the one who outsmarted everyone and drove miles out of your way to save a few bucks.

Either way, you finally get your magical time slot to meet the car guys, the so-called doctor of the car. Anxiety is probably what you feel as you drive your brand new car into the service department. There they are, the service guys just standing there waiting to rip you off. What will they try to sell me? YOU THINK: “I just want them to fix my car!”

Kind of blows your mind doesn’t it? I am here to tell you it does not have to be overwhelming. With just a little knowledge and some inside tips or Top Secrets you can outsmart the service guy all day long.

Don’t you believe the guy behind the service desk is the former auto mechanic or just a good guy hired to take care of you. He is a salesman. He gets paid to take care of your car. In a well-managed dealership, he is professional. He is a service consultant. His job is to keep you informed of your needs. These needs do include selling you things on your car. Most service people get paid a lot to sell. Believe me; I pay my service salespeople very well. When you come in for an oil change and tire rotation, I want you to be prepared for certain things. Items like flushes, fluid exchange, tires, brakes, spark plugs, gaskets, rods, pistons and maybe a valve or two, the dealer maintenance package and the manufacturer recommended packaged services are on the menu for your money. What is a flush anyway? What the heck is a U-Joint service and when do you need it?

I am going to tell you what to buy and what to stay away from. I will reveal the ins and outs of the maintenance game and you will walk away from this read an educated consumer. You will have your own masters’ degree in saving money.

Or as I call it
Cheating the Dealer.