Cherry Hill: LAZY? STUPID? or LIARS???

[orngandblack]

I didn't ask. I just waited for them to contact me. It was a surprise when they did.
My experience at CHMB was nothing but good. Can you imagine how many times they must get that question? That is what the DDE is for. At least it gives you a window. I say just sit back, relax and wait for the call.

[stlek]

hi orngsnfblack,
could you tell me how long the wait was for you from your reservation date to delivery?thanks for replying,i guess im just getting anxious.the general manager of sales is ed albertis but if you call you will more than likely get an answering machine.
steve

[rawlus®]

Originally Posted by stlek

hi everyone,
my reservation was made on 5/16/07 #7462801231,my window is 5/10/08 to 8/10/08.this was moved back from 4/28/08 to 7/28/08.i have called the contact number at smart and they said after it is assigned to the dealer all the info goes to them.i called the dealer at cherry hill and even stopped in there to talk to the sales people and they said that they only find out 4 or 5 days before the cars get there.they said if it the car was a mercedes,they could punch in the order #and tell me exactly where the car is.i dont know if they are lazy,liars or telling the truth!!
anyone out there who picked up their smart from cherry hill want to comment?
steve

they are either liars or unknowing of their own computer systems. if your DDE is still showing 5/10 today then it is quite likely that your car is on the eve of being delivered and they could have informed you of that nearly a month ago. have them look up your name on the system and provide you with the VIN# and other details. don't speak to a sales-floor flunky - go directly to management and go IN-PERSON. not over the phone.

you have to remember that many of these people, while they seem cool and hip and all that because of the stylish smart polo shirts, are really just car salesmen underneath it all - and as such are sketchy, untrustworthy, slimy, greedy and lazy.

[rawlus®]

i wish i could instantly electric-shock every salesman who insists that they don't know anything about anything until the vehicle is delivered to the lot. those people should be shown the door and handed their last paycheck IMHO.

[ShoshTrvls]

Originally Posted by stlek

hi everyone,
my reservation was made on 5/16/07 #7462801231,my window is 5/10/08 to 8/10/08.this was moved back from 4/28/08 to 7/28/08.i have called the contact number at smart and they said after it is assigned to the dealer all the info goes to them.i called the dealer at cherry hill and even stopped in there to talk to the sales people and they said that they only find out 4 or 5 days before the cars get there.they said if it the car was a mercedes,they could punch in the order #and tell me exactly where the car is.i dont know if they are lazy,liars or telling the truth!!
anyone out there who picked up their smart from cherry hill want to comment?
steve

My understanding from the Smart manager at CHMB is that, once the car is unloaded at the port, they can get that information (that is, that it has been unloaded). Similarly, once it is on the truck, they can find that out. But, there is no way for them to know, once your car is unloaded from the ship, when it will be put on a truck ... it could be 2 days after it's unloaded, or 2 weeks.

And again, you need to ask for the manager of Smart at CHMB as he is, evidently, the only one with access to the information ** the sales reps don't have it.

[orngandblack]

Originally Posted by stlek

hi orngsnfblack,
could you tell me how long the wait was for you from your reservation date to delivery?thanks for replying,i guess im just getting anxious.the general manager of sales is ed albertis but if you call you will more than likely get an answering machine.
steve

Just under a year. I ordered in May 07 config. Dec 07 picked up my passion at the end of April 08.

[stlek]

Originally Posted by orngandblack

Just under a year. I ordered in May 07 config. Dec 07 picked up my passion at the end of April 08.

i ordered may16,07.i didnt get to config till 1/6/08.that puts me one month behind you for the config.and possibly longer due to the increase in reservations.well,mabye ill have it before the leaves fall off the trees!!thanks for the info.
steve

[PerryA]

My dealer (Bedford, OH) said simply, "You will typically have better access to information than we do." I considered it a gentle way of saying they don't want to spend all of their time chasing information for reservation holders when it won't turn out to be anything more than what we already have.

Once you get inside a reasonable window (30-45 days?) or have a ship notice, they should be willing to work a bit harder. Don't they want to arrange financing for you? Add some dealer items? Talk about your trade? That should be their sales approach for the "done deals" if they want to up-sell us on THEIR financing, dealer add-ons, or the advantages of an extended warranty, they should be trying to build a relationship.

Also, what about a little referral incentive? There's a lot of advantage on their part to getting referrals for those orphans. If reservation holders are getting tired of waiting and buying orphans, their car becomes the next generation orphan, and eventually local interest could start to slow down. They might have to resort to spending money to promote the vehicles and a little "thank you" to a current owner times however many referrals turn into sales is still likely to be less expensive than advertising. Heck, start a contest or something - with one referral, you get a piece of Smart logo merchandise (umbrella, T-shirt) and with three referrals you can get those fog lights you have been admiring.

[PassionforPassionCT]

I had to be a persistent little pain to get the information that I needed out of my dealer. They knew each Friday that I would be paying them a visit, so when they got my information in, they had the folder ready waiting for my John Hancock on the official PO. They haven't been the best of dealerships, but thankfully not as bad as what it seems some are doing.
Somewhere around here is a scan of an R11 status page, print it out and tell them you want to see this. If they don't know what that is, make sure you sit down with the manager and tell them their staff isnt doing their job.
My dealer told me when it was in production and finally a vin.
The funny thing is that my smart center is hiring a new brand specialist. I should seriously consider applying, they stated that no previous experience was needed.

[rawlus®]

and by no previous experience needed they really mean it. no computer knowledge, no idea there's a thing called the internet, no concept that the cars are built then shipped. if you think the smart fairy drops them off in the middle of the night in baltimore port then you're hired!