Hijacked at Jenkins, your experiences
 

I brought my Honda in for a recall to Jenkins. This is the only reason I set foot there. While waiting as a captive audience we got the pitch how nice our vehicle is and how they would love to buy it. Clearly this is part of having work done there.

This got me thinking, for those of you who go there for service, does this happen routinely?

Yes.

The preferred floor plan arrangement of new Dealership facilities, is to have the "Service Customer Waiting Area", open to the showroom or in a location that requires customers to traverse the showroom to ge there.

It's no different than the way marketing people setup department stores and force you to walk past as much merchandise as possible, on your way to your destination.

After all, "service customers" are already customers of the business (in most cases), what better prospects to buy a new car than an existing customer?

It has little or nothing to do with Jenkins, it has to do with manufacturers' standards and good marketing. (Honda facility standards are a touch stricter than most others.)

Seems like there is a shortage of late model used cars so dealerships are trying to push people into selling them and presumably sell them new one at same time.

Courtesy Toyota whom I bought our newest car from two years ago sent me a wonderful offer to sell my car which I carefully files in my circular file

Jenkins VW sent me a message where they would buy my VW Golf for several thousand over Market Value but, in fine print the set forth a schedule of reductions which would be applied to mileage and car condition. Got to love your local car salesman. Wonder how many get Christmas Cards from satisfied customers.

At least, they have figured how to make you pay them tips. Dealer markups.

No.

After we tell the service manager what we want done, we put on ear protectors so we cannot hear anything a salesman says to us.

We own a 2017 Honda, and thanks to others' reports of Jenkins' tactics, we refuse to set foot in that place, and won't unless absolutely necessary.
When that day comes, thanks to you and others' reports, we will be well prepared for the hard sell.

Thank you for the warning.

If they want to buy my car the price is $1,000,000. Not a penny less!

Maybe it’s just FL, had our oil changed at our dealership in MI. Sat down in the guest lounge next to the mini restaurant, nail salon, gift shop, and accessory department. The sales floor is 10 feet away.

2 different sales people, stopping asked how we were, and can I get you something, coffee, breakfast sandwich?

In 15 years, We have always approached sales department, not other way around. We do get occasional email asking if they could buy our car, and new models available.

With all the negativity about Jenkins here, if they don't change, it will bite them bad over time.
Keeping with the subject of bad business practices, this Frank Gay Plumbing outfit will not be getting much of the Villagers dollars either.

Seems like a way to pass the time while waiting for the car to be ready.

Do you do that at a restaurant, when you're asked if you'd "like another drink" or "would you like to see our Dessert Menu"?

Or when you buy a home and the Broker asks if you'd "like a Home Warranty or Title Insurance"?

Or maybe when you buy a pair of shoes and the clerk asks if you need Shoe Trees?

Jenkins probably has $10,000,000 invested in a facility, so you can actually look at automobiles before buying one, unlike someone like Tesla, who wants to sell you one, sight unseen. Everyone bemoans the "lack of personal service at retail establishments", but when you get it, you don't like it?

There are plenty of things to complain about when buying a car, someone trying to sell you one when you're in an auto dealership, is taking complaining to a new level.

Sending an offer and paying two totally different things.

They really don't want to buy your car, they want you to buy a NEW car, so they can really rob you !

We have no complaints about our car buying experiences. We learned how to properly buy a car in 1994 and it has been a true pleasure ever since.