I have been selling Hondas for three years, consistently performing at the top of the dealership in California. Realizing there are certainly differences in clientele, foot traffic, and overall needs of the customer, Bend Honda was a miserable place to work. I also admit that I only worked here for around three weeks, but this is what you need to know before accepting employment here. The culture direly needs to be addressed, starting with management’s attitude and outdated practices in getting a pencil. Perhaps most importantly, there are not equal opportunities. Only certain favorites get the best internet leads, which is whispered among the less fortunate salespeople.
Another coworker who had previous success selling Hondas noticed this and chose to leave Bend Honda for greener pastures. Management was desperate for me to not let people leave when they are not serious buyers, which invalidates my sales style and the method I built hundreds of clients at my previous Honda dealership.
Secondly, management was adamant that the buyer be ready to purchase today before providing a pencil. The problem here is that we were not selling any cars! Seriously, it only takes a few minutes to provide your salespeople with simple numbers to facilitate a deal. I can close any deal if only given the chance to provide my customer with something to think about.
Finally, there is no BDC department to procure new deals and spread them to the salespeople to provide equal opportunity. Instead, a select few men get all the most recent internet leads, making the remaining salespeople fight for the light foot traffic. I spoke up about getting fresh leads at a meeting, only to get stale leads, including an elderly lady who was not returning calls for months.
If you are an experienced car salesman who already has an in with management, and can procure the best leads, Bend Honda might be the place for you.
If you are inexperienced, or are not willing to suck up to management, Bend Honda is not the place for you. You will not get the training you need, the tools to succeed, or the cars to sell. If you want to experience the thrill of working with coworkers who like their job, who are motivated to sell as many cars as possible, and with management who can support your sales goals, I repeat, Bend Honda is NOT the place for you.
