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This is a copy of an email I sent to the General Manager at JMK Saab in New Jersey...it's pretty self-explanitory. If the sales person I dealt with today happens to read this, sorry guy, you f'ed up.
Dear Ms. M...,
I was at JMK late this afternoon to begin the process of leasing my next Saab. Notice, I say my “next Saab” and not “next car.” On February 25, 2006, the lease on my 2003 9-3 Sports Sedan ends and I plan on replacing it with a 2006 9-3 SportCombi. This will be my fourth Saab since 1997 and the third one leased from JMK.
Today I spoke to one of your sales people; I will forego giving his name to avoid embarrassing him. As I drove home and thought about it tonight, I was not at all happy with his attitude- especially considering that I have shown rather strong customer loyalty over the past six years. After each new lease or service call, I have dutifully filled out the customer satisfaction forms always giving JMK the highest marks possible. Today was a very different experience.
I purposely came in three months before the lease ends because I know exactly what I want in my next car. I was pretty much told today, in no uncertain terms, that I can’t have it. I understand that the SportCombi has somewhat limited availability, but I figured that 14 weeks notice would be enough time to fill my order.
First, what I want: A 9-3 SportCombi 2.0T with a 5 speed manual transmission, the cold weather and premium packages, and the navigation system; as far as color, either of the two blues or black. Whether or not the car has roof rails and/or a moon roof does not matter to me; I may also be willing to take an automatic transmission.
I was told that JMK will not be getting any SportCombi models with the premium package or the navigation system. The salesperson said that the navigation system is too expensive and said I should get an add-on, like a Garmin or Magellan GPS system. While certainly cheaper, I’d rather not have something sticking up from my dashboard, and have something that needs to be locked up or taken out of the car each time I park. As far as the premium package, I have rather gotten used to the 6 disc CD changer I have in my current 9-3. It seems this is the only way to get that item in the 2.0T.
You may ask why I do not just get the Aero V-6. Well, first off after three years of the sport suspension and low profile tires (that cost $700 to replace after just 7000 miles) my insides and passengers have taken enough banging about each time I drive over a small bump. Let’s not even talk about the larger bumps and potholes that often caused me to believe that an entire wheel assembly had just fallen off. I am looking quite forward to returning to the normal suspension and 16” wheels/tires I enjoyed with my first 9-3. Beyond that, the 2.0T gets better gas mileage, will be cheaper to insure, and is still $4000 less then the SportCombi with the options I desire.
I did not like being told because other customers at JMK do not necessarily want the same sort of car I do, that I can not have it. I didn’t want the sport suspension on my current car, but settled for it because the car was on the lot. I have regretted that choice every time my car has hit a bump. Think of how often that is driving around New York City. I most certainly did not like, in fact I was offended, when this sales person asked me to show him the courtesy of speaking to him when I return to JMK to actually finalize a new lease next year.
Show him the courtesy? He said that in a tone as if I was not showing him enough respect. I was very polite and let this go by without notice. Inside I was seething. The sales person who I had dealt with in the past left JMK a couple of years back. I must say, that was a loss. I never walked out of the dealership thinking I had needlessly taken his time. That’s how I felt today. I sat in the parking lot that is Route 22 on a Saturday afternoon to be told that I can not get the car I want by a salesman who seemed totally disinterested in helping me. Should my next car come from JMK, I can guarantee I will not deal with the same person. JMK may not yet have lost a sale, but he has most certainly lost a commission.
I had hope that my desires would be taken down and some work be done to try and find the car I want, and not try to fit me into a car that you have already ordered.
Of course, I do have a couple of other options. One of them will be exercised within the next week or so. For one, Paul Miller Saab is a more conveniently placed dealership for me and I am sure they like new customers coming into their showroom, and of course there are other dealers in the area. I was not going to bother going to any other dealer as JMK has always done well for me and loyalty is important to me. Yet, I feel I have no choice but to go to your competition and see if they can do better.
I write this hoping you can help keep me as a satisfied JMK customer.
Sincerely,
CSC
posted by 24.168.7...
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