Action Against GM...Go GM car shopping this weekend.

[Atman]

Go in to the dealership and waste their fucking time. Sit and talk with the salesman (who works on commission), look at cars, test drive. Take LOTS of time. When they get to the "sign ze papers" point, just laugh at them and tell them to call the home office and let them know that you will NEVER buy another GM product as long as they have FOX NEWS whoring for them.

This will WORK, people. Salesman work on commission, and they don't want to waste their time on non-sales. Imagine how pissed they'll be if they spend their entire day with two or three people who finally tell them to PISS OFF! They'll complain to their sales managers, who'll mention it to their regionals, and it will work its way up the chain to the home office. Writing GM will do nothing. They'll automatically assume an "organized e-mail campaign" and ignore us. But waste their time -- waste their money -- and they'll notice.

I know going to a car dealership is only slightly more pleasant than a root canal, but this is an action that I think will see results. I urge you all, if you had the slightest inclination to car shop anyway, or if you just want to make your point, this is one of those golden opportunities. Sorry for the innocent salesmen trying to put food on their families, but this is fucking war at every level. This is a small battle we can can win, as all the dealers are pushing to clear their lots of 06 inventory.

.

[Atman]

1. Kicking...because DU was down when I posted

I wasn't even sure this post went through. Now I know.

:kick:

[RC]

2. Yeah, like a car salesman has any say on where GM advertises.

Let's put our energy in getting the criminals out of the peoples White House.

[hatrack]

3. What do you suggest - wriring letters to Congress? How quaint!

:eyes:

If it takes metaphorically kicking businesses (and, regrettably, yes, the people who work for them) in the balls for their political bullshit, fine.

Marching in the streets doesn't work (as we've noticed in the last three years), voting can't be protected and if you just can't get enough (a) boiler-plate non-responses or (b) pissy underpaid staff member hangups, by all means, you go right ahead and write and call your senators and representatives.

[Atman]

5. HEY! You don't get it AT ALL!

You sound like one of those crazy republicans who can only respond with extreme examples..."Democrats want to coddle terrorists!" WTF? Who the hell said the salespeople have any say in the advertising of GM? Not me!

The salespeople sell the cars for the home office. And they work almost entirely on commission. Believe me, they DON'T want to waste their time with people who have no intention of buying. If they have half their day wasted with people who laugh at them and walk out, while explaining to them why they are walking out, that message WILL filter up the chain of command. The Sales Manager will demand to know WHY they can't close. When they say "People keep telling me they will never buy GM again because of our new spokesman!", that message WILL make it up the chain of command.

What field do you work in, anyway? Sheesh! :eyes:

(ON EDIT) PS: My career field is marketing. I wrote sales manuals for the home office of the second largest specialty retailer in America. I'm not making this shit up as I go along. I know what the "home office" responds to. They WANT happy managers and productive salespeople, and they demand to know WHY when they aren't productive.

[Ksec]

13. Oh They listen to their salespeople. Guarunteed.

[tammywammy]

4. Sales people and individual dealerships have zero input

on national marketing campaigns.

This is a stupid idea. It only hurts the people at the bottom of the totem pole.

The majority of sales people that I know, are democrats. That's who you'll be hurting.

I suggest writing a letter to Detroit, not wasting a sales persons time.

[Atman]

6. Read the post, dammit.

No one is claiming they have any direct input. THEY SELL THE PRODUCT. Who the hell is going to sell the product if the salespeople can't? The execs at the home office? I don't care if a few sales people get hurt here. WE ARE ALL HURT. And we will all be hurt a lot more if this shit continues to happen. A letter to detroit will land on a secretary's desk, who will read it and file it. You don't seem to have a clue how commerce works.

[tammywammy]

7. No, I understand a lot about the car business

I know how many hours they work. I know how hard they work.

Not selling cars is not selling cars. Wasting their time is pointless. Just don't go.

BTW, a decent salesperson will know within a few minutes if you're buying a car. On a Saturday, and more importantly tomorrow's the last Saturday of the month, a sales person won't let you waste their time. They'll put you aside and concentrate on those who are buying.

[Atman]

8. You seem to HALF get it...

"a sales person won't let you waste their time. They'll put you aside and concentrate on those who are buying."

So go do it. Be "sincere." You haven't bought anything until you sign the papers.

BTW, what dealership does your husband/brother work for?

[tammywammy]

16. I work at a dealership

You know they do let us women work here too. And it's not a GM one either.

[KAZ]

17. I'm sorry, you're flat wrong.

I pull up in my '99 Corvette, looking to buy a new one, and I'll have someone getting me coffee for hours, all day, on a fn Saturday.

And this crap that dealers have no input on national campaigns. Volume dealers have plenty on input. They don't always get heeded, but they're heard.

That said, it's probably not worth an hours-long effort. Write the emails to GM, and your personal GM salesperson.

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. Thank you!

The dealership where my husband works as a used car manager, most of the employees are democrats from the GM to the porter. They loathe ** and republicans in general. No rush or sean listening/watching going on in that dealership. It's hard enough to sell a car in this economy without someone wasting the salesperson's time.

[tammywammy]

19. I remember you telling me that your husband is in the business

There are quite a few dems here, and a few repubs too. But all in all, to punish a salesperson that has no control over who's hired for a promotional advertisement, is just ridiculous.

[Kingshakabobo]

21. I agree. I spent 11 years as an F&I Mgr/Sales Mgr.......

There is VERY little upward flow of opinion from the sales floor to the district managers..

The relationship is usually quite adversarial between the dealerships and the manufacturers. People need to realize dealerships are franchises and the manufacturers don't much care what the dealerships customers think UNTIL they purchase a car - THEN the name gets in the system and the buyer becomes the manufacturers customer.

I think the OP's goals could be met by responding to national add campaigns and THEN voicing the opinions.

I think doing what the OP suggests will have a 50/50 chance of hurting a Dem. get you laughed at AND MAYBE get you a 3am "piss call" for weeks to come(if you are dumb enough to give your real phone number).

[LeftCoast]

9. What'd GM do?

And how'd I miss hearing about it?

[Atman]

10. Hired Sean Hannity as their "all American" spokesman.

Fuck 'em.

[LeftCoast]

14. Oh. This'll be an easy boycott for me since GM hasn't made a car I'd want

in about 20 years. Your scenario is pretty good, but why not also spend 5 hours with the finance folks and THEN walk out the door? >:)

[burythehatchet]

11. HIred Shithead Hannity

[Ksec]

12. Now thats a good idea.

As much as I hate wasting my time this would be worth it. Send GM a wake up call. I cant believe those people get paid to make those decisions. No wonder theyre damn near bankrupt.

[LSK]

15. if you have that much free time, you could instead canvas for dems??

:shrug:

[Magrittes Pipe]

20. Let's steal from people who have *any* connection to *any* Republican!

Because that's what you're suggesting, and if you deny that, you're being dishonest not only with us, but with yourself. These folks work on COMMISSION. You are advocating fucking with their livelihood. Stealing their money.

Hannity is a fucking douche. GM shouldn't have hired him. But you know what? I am 90% certain they also have more union employees than any other American company. I KNOW they have more vehicles that the EPA rates at 30+ MPG than any other American car company (I mean, they're no Honda, but still) and more flex-fuel vehicles on the road than anyone else.

I'm not defending GM's decision any more than I would defend their decision to close American plants and send those jobs to other countries. But you are advocating throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

And stealing from salespeople.

[Libby2]

22. What a stupid ass idea.