ACF

I see from another post that Boardwalk Chevrolet has a ZR1 in the showroom. My brother and I go over today to look at the car and the first thing we notice is the "Not For Sale" sign on the windshield. Next to that is a dealer sticker that shows the base price of the car plus a $150,000.00 markup for a grand total of $268,000.00. What a deal! A salesman (Bill?) is watching us and finally asks if we like the car. I say yes and he just keeps watching us, he never walks over to us. We then go over and look at the ZO6's they have on the showroom floor. My brother walks over to the brochure rack and can't find one for a Corvette. The same salesman then asks my brother what he's looking for. My brother answers "a Corvette brochure". The salesman says "we don't give those out unless you buy the car, they are to expensive to give out"


I now understand why GM is in trouble. I also understand why dealerships are closing all over the bay area. I didn't expect red carpet service but I thought getting a brochure for a car I'm interested in was an acceptable thing to do? With customer service like this, why go anywhere else!

Good luck Boardwalk getting that $150,000.00 markup. Oh I forgot,it's "Not For Sale"

doje

Clearly the salesman approached the situation poorly, but I know of NO / ZERO / NONE / NOT ONE dealership that leaves Corvette brochures in the literature rack. They are expensive - so what? Well, people come in and take them just to take them. This rarely happens with the Aveo and the Cobalt, but people want to take the Corvette brochures just because. A good sales person would have approached you earlier and evaluated whether or not you were really a potential buyer. Then they would give you the brochure if it seemed like you had any potential at all. Clearly this guy just dropped the ball.

P.S. - I know, someone will tell me about a dealership in Pawtuck, Romania that has the brochures on the floor, but like I said ***I*** have never seen them out to just take one.

Z51JEFF

They have the brochures in the back,he could have givin you one.I stopped by there last week just to look at the car,a black one,beautiful car.Was the guy you talked to seemed like he didnt have a clue?The guys over in the C6 section think God lives at Boardwalk Chevrolet.Last year before I bought my Z I wanted to buy a new 08 but these guys wouldn't deal anymore than the next dealership.Business must be good for Boardwalk Chevrolet.

GoFast908Z

You sound upset that he was watching you.... I hope I missunderstood that though.

.....

As for Boardwalk's prices, they are very very good. But if another dealer is losing money just to sell them, don't expect every dealer to do that. I'm sorry, but you can't argue with selling them at NET cost! *edit* you said last year. Business was good for them last year. It was good for a lot of people cuz the economy hadn't tanked yet.

Sunnyvale Dave

I planned on going up there this weekend to see the ZR1. I will see how my experience compares to yours.

Mikeceli

If they don't want to give away Corvette brochures, they should not have them on the rack.

Sounds like they PO'ed a possible customer and saved $5.00.

ACF

I was not at all upset about being watched. I don't understand why a salesman who has nothing going on (only one other customer on the lot looking at a used car with another salesman) can't walk over and talk to a potential customer to see if he can answer any questions.

doje

That was the point - they DIDN'T have them on the rack.

FWIW I have always had good dealings with Boardwalk.

FredSM

Sorry you had a bad experience there. Mine was different, but that was 2 years ago when Carl was the sales manager and there were 15-20 C6s (no kidding) on the lot. Like the yellow C6Z that was in the showroom back then and significantly marked up, the ZR1 is probably some of the best marketing they have. As surprising as that may seem, they probably really don't want to sell it right now.

I understand your irritation, though. When I enter a showroom I want a salesperson to politely ask if I need any help and if not, where they can be found . . . then go away. I don't expect to have to have $100 bills hanging out of my pockets to get attention.

I think most folks who are serious about a C6 already know what they want when they walk through the door. I would certainly not encourage anyone to purchase based on what they see or hear in a showroom, including the sales literature.

FM

Sidney004

This is too much!!!! No brochures anymore!! I am writing my senator and congressman today to draft stipulations in all GM bailout legislation, that brochures are mandatory and non taxable to US citizens. Furthermore, congress should allocate $1,000,000,000 from the bailout for a training program for all Corvette salesmen.

FredSM

I heard about that "contingency" money congress was giving out. Gotta get in line for some 'O dat!

FM

vetterdstr

GM should have brochures online for people to look at. It would save everybody lots of time, money and trees.

Seriously, I wouldnt even go to look at anything without looking at all the specs online first.

GotCorvette?

Tim Boone is one of the best people I've met in the car business.

Nick@Newtech

Exactly, anyone that needs a car should go talk to the internet manager at any dealership. The sales floor will always be full of douchebag salesmen, that have no skills.

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

The reason we try not to give out brochures is because it gets very expensive. We spent over $9,000 on Corvette brochures for 2007. We aren't going to do that again especially with the way everything is right now. Also as far as the markup goes for the ZR1, we don't want to sell them. That is why there is such a high mark up. The owner wants to keep them. I doubt you can even afford the car anyway and you are complaining. Also keep in mind that the rest of my entire inventory of 2009 Corvettes are at my net cost. I am not even making a penny on them.

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

I am sorry that you didn't buy your Z06 here. I usually have the most competitive prices out there nationwide.

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

Thanks! Exactly my point. All my 2009s except the ZR1s are at my net cost. It is funny that people complain when we try to make money, but it is okay when we lose money. How does that work?

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

Thank you very much for that comment. I try to be as helpful as possible.

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

Thanks for the post. I try to do my best.

0Jason.ServiceSpecialist

There are online brochures on chevrolet.com with all the specs and options on the cars.