A bribe?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 285
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From: Ohio
2003 E320
A bribe?
I brought home my new black/ash E320 this week. My 1st Benz! As I was leaving the dealership, the salesman offered "help" with evaluation form MB sends to customers, and promized a present if I let him "help" me.
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced
can advise.
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced
can advise.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: SoCal
MB
Re: A bribe?
Originally posted by Gethen
I brought home my new black/ash E320 this week. My 1st Benz! As I was leaving the dealership, the salesman offered "help" with evaluation form MB sends to customers, and promized a present if I let him "help" me.
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced can advise.
I brought home my new black/ash E320 this week. My 1st Benz! As I was leaving the dealership, the salesman offered "help" with evaluation form MB sends to customers, and promized a present if I let him "help" me.
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced
can advise.
this also happened when we bought our 98 civic
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 633
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From: NY
14 'E550
Re: A bribe?
Originally posted by Gethen
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced can advise.
Mighty strange, isn't it? Not that I have anything bad to say about the guy anyway, but being new to the concept of bribery I'd hope someone more experienced
can advise.
Also, if salespeople maintain a high CSI, they can get perks from Corporate.
That's cool, he's offering to give you something in return for a solid CSI survery (excellents across the board), since you have nothing bad to say about the guy.....go ahead and give him a killer survey.
It pays to be nice anyway (unless the buying experience was a complete nightmare), because those surveys "do" get back to the salespeople (they aren't anonymous).
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 285
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From: Ohio
2003 E320
No, I don't have a problem complementing the salesman. He did mention the value of this gift - nothing spectacular mind you, but at my company receiving a similar kickback will get you in trouble up to termination. I guess I am suffering from pathological honesty or something
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Jul 2002
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Sometimes (in my experiance) the younger the salesman he seems more knowledable and he'll be more willingly to throw in extras and stuff while the older guys can do it all while only speaking five or six words! But then, thats what i've personally experiance. My dad prolly has the exact opposite.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: South Orange Co., CA
'03 W211 aka E-500
Yep
I got ours (both of em) also, but I'm waiting on all the service repairs to be finished before I fill em out. I want to be able to honestly rate their performance.
EDJ
EDJ
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 636
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From: New Jersey, USA
W211 & Q7
if he or she does a good job, please give him/her excellent (5 stars)
MB tries to make all sales does an excellent job for their customers so MB sends out a survey to each buyer.
if you give him/her an excellent (5 stars) review. after he or she gets more than 20 excellent in a year, he or she can have a company paid vacation for his/her family. if he or she gets 30 bad reviews in a year, he or she loses his/her job.
Otto
if you give him/her an excellent (5 stars) review. after he or she gets more than 20 excellent in a year, he or she can have a company paid vacation for his/her family. if he or she gets 30 bad reviews in a year, he or she loses his/her job.
Otto
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From: Richmond, BC, Canada
2010 Prius & Miata MX5 PRHT, 2010 Toyota Venza AWD, 05 C55 AMG, Yamaha 1100 Custom, Honda 250 Reflex
The CSI reports are very important to the salesmen. If they do a good job, help them. Usually give them the report blank to fill and most likely, they give themselves a perfect score!
Never had a problem with my salesperson and he always takes good care of me.
Never had a problem with my salesperson and he always takes good care of me.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 664
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From: Ft. Lauderdale
2015 C300, 2025 GLC300 4Matic
Re: if he or she does a good job, please give him/her excellent (5 stars)
Originally posted by Otto
MB tries to make all sales does an excellent job for their customers so MB sends out a survey to each buyer.
if you give him/her an excellent (5 stars) review. after he or she gets more than 20 excellent in a year, he or she can have a company paid vacation for his/her family. if he or she gets 30 bad reviews in a year, he or she loses his/her job.
Otto
MB tries to make all sales does an excellent job for their customers so MB sends out a survey to each buyer.
if you give him/her an excellent (5 stars) review. after he or she gets more than 20 excellent in a year, he or she can have a company paid vacation for his/her family. if he or she gets 30 bad reviews in a year, he or she loses his/her job.
Otto
I too was coached on my report, but not offered a bribe. It's too bad we cannot fill out reports on their maintenance service. I guess they just don't care if we are not happy about that. They delivered my new 'E with over 40 PSI in the tires. I wonder what that dealer prep charge was for?
Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 194
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From: Southern California
2003 E320
common
this is very common practice. the salesman can lose some of their commission from bad reviews and the dealership can lose kickbacks and status (e.g. if they want a lot of new high demand cars shipped, etc.). the dealerships pride themselves of their ratings and if you threaten to give them a bad one, they will usually try to do whatever necessary to get you to give them a good review.
with that said, bribes are obviously not a good thing. the salesman that i worked with thought i didn't know anything about these things so he told me that when i get the CSI in the mail, i should just bring it over to him and he'll fill it out and send it to HQ for me. he said he'd give me a free gift like a t-shirt or hat or something like that. usually dealerships give a free tank of gas.
i didn't want to get into a moral argument with the guy and he was an otherwise nice salesman so i just played dumb and said something like "ok, sure."
i had a few minor problems here with delivery and a slight miscommunication regarding options (they got me the leather packages when i didn't order it) and there but i'll probably just give all excellent if it means i can get something good out of it. but a t-shirt or hat isn't going to cut it...i'm talking about a $200 car cover or something along those lines.
a sneaky trick that i would never do (b/c it puts me at the same dishonest level as them) is making a photo copy of the CSI sheet and filling out the photo copy and sending it in along with an explanation of how the dealer offered a free gift so you gave your original to the dealer but here's how i REALLY feel, etc.
i didn't get mine yet so we'll see when i do get it.
Rock.
with that said, bribes are obviously not a good thing. the salesman that i worked with thought i didn't know anything about these things so he told me that when i get the CSI in the mail, i should just bring it over to him and he'll fill it out and send it to HQ for me. he said he'd give me a free gift like a t-shirt or hat or something like that. usually dealerships give a free tank of gas.
i didn't want to get into a moral argument with the guy and he was an otherwise nice salesman so i just played dumb and said something like "ok, sure."
i had a few minor problems here with delivery and a slight miscommunication regarding options (they got me the leather packages when i didn't order it) and there but i'll probably just give all excellent if it means i can get something good out of it. but a t-shirt or hat isn't going to cut it...i'm talking about a $200 car cover or something along those lines.
a sneaky trick that i would never do (b/c it puts me at the same dishonest level as them) is making a photo copy of the CSI sheet and filling out the photo copy and sending it in along with an explanation of how the dealer offered a free gift so you gave your original to the dealer but here's how i REALLY feel, etc.
i didn't get mine yet so we'll see when i do get it.
Rock.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 343
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From: UK
E320 CDI Elegance auto
Hi
They send mine in the post with £165 voucher for family portrait at Venture Studios. I thought great about the voucher but it felt like a bribe. Anyway I filled it in honestly.
Went for the family portrait, £50 for the session, that left £115 towards the photos. got the prices, one 10x8 photo in frame = £195 (approx $300). Now I am thinking that what looked like a great free gift is turning out to be a con, or is the dealership in business with these guys. I checked out the studio website and they have an offer on - £25 for a sitting plus free 7x5 photo. Not impressed!
They send mine in the post with £165 voucher for family portrait at Venture Studios. I thought great about the voucher but it felt like a bribe. Anyway I filled it in honestly.
Went for the family portrait, £50 for the session, that left £115 towards the photos. got the prices, one 10x8 photo in frame = £195 (approx $300). Now I am thinking that what looked like a great free gift is turning out to be a con, or is the dealership in business with these guys. I checked out the studio website and they have an offer on - £25 for a sitting plus free 7x5 photo. Not impressed!
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 454
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From: NC
'03 Mercedes E320
A day or two after delivery, I have gotten a survey directly from the dealer that goes back to them, then a week or so later I simply get a letter from the dealership general manager, personalized to some extent, thanking me for the purchase and advising that MB will be sending a survey that is very important to the dealership. They ask that if there is anything that would prompt me to give them anything but the best marks, that I contact the general manager so they have an opportunity to resolve any issues.
I think that's a good way to keep it professional, yet gives them a chance to do their best. I would not like the "bribe" tactics of some dealers that have been described here.
I think that's a good way to keep it professional, yet gives them a chance to do their best. I would not like the "bribe" tactics of some dealers that have been described here.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 636
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From: New Jersey, USA
W211 & Q7
I just got 2 bottles of wine from my dealer for Christmas gift
Is it nice? Of course.
It is like you go cruise and find that your travel agent sends a bottle of compliment champagne to your stateroom.
Merry Christmas for all
Otto
It is like you go cruise and find that your travel agent sends a bottle of compliment champagne to your stateroom.
Merry Christmas for all
Otto
