I mistakenly allowed my brother to use my phone number while he was in town looking for a truck to take back with him to the Naval base in San Diego.
He visited Van Chevrolet in Scottsdale AZ and was told by Duane, a salesman there to wait until the following weekend to buy because a tent sale was coming up. The salesman was rude and overbearing but that's unfortunately what we as consumers have come to expect of car dealers, so we didn't think much about it.
My brother did not purchase a vehicle because he had to report back to the Naval base in San Diego. I had no involvement with this deal whatsoever.
About a week later on 10/16/03 at 6:15pm to be exact, I get a call from Duane, the salesman at Van Chevrolet, who was ranting mad. He told me he was, "Pissed off that he allows assholes like me to take advantage of him and he was even more pissed off that we dissed him like we did and that we had better not do it again. Do I understand?"
I was confused and said I didn't know what was going on. The salesman told me someone from my house told him that my brother didn't want to put up with his bullshit and bought a Dodge.
I said I had no idea what he was talking about because my brother had been gone for a week but I don't respond well to people calling my home at 6:15 pm during my dinner and threatening me.
He said, "for all I know you're the one who called me." I asked to speak to a manager and the salesman then said, "Why don't you just come down and say whatever it is you have to say to my face."
I was appalled at the manner in which he said this and again asked for a manager. He said fine! Then slammed the phone receiver onto his desk. I was not placed on hold because I could hear noise in the background.
After several minutes I heard a couple of men's voices laughing and then one picked up the receiver and identified himself only by his first name Brock, then said very rudely, "What can I do?" I asked for the mans last name and title and he laughed and said, "well give me your last name first. I did, and then the guy proceeds to slowly spell out his last name for me like I'm stupid. When I asked his title he told me he was the assistant general manager for the dealership.
I explained what had just happened in between his stifled laughs and over those in the background. He said he was sorry I felt this way but he had been listening to the entire conversation and never heard Duane say any of the things I was "accusing him of doing." He said Duane was their finest and would never dream of upsetting a customer. I told him that's exactly what he had done and again I heard laughs.
At this point I was becoming upset so I asked for another manager. I was told that there were no other people on the sales floor who would help me. I said, "So at 6:15pm on a clear night in a busy city there is not one manager on the floor above you who will talk to me." He said, "no."
Then I asked for the name of the one general manager that he does apparently answer to and was told that Mr. Jeff Mullins was on indefinite vacation. Brock repeatedly assured me that he was the only authority figure on the lot and he answers to no one except Jeff Mullins.
When I asked if he knew a return date for his only superior he said no. I then asked for the number to Chevrolet's corp. Office. He said he didn't know it but I could look it up on the net, He went on to say that obviously his salesman was simply inviting me down to buy a car. I said I don't take threats and invitations to childlike brawls as an effective marketing technique.
Brock told me that Van Chevrolet was #1 in the western region for customer service so he didn't know what I was talking about. Apparently good customer service is based on sheer volume, and not taken into account on a case-by-case basis.
Once again I made my words calm and clear. I asked the man, "are you telling me that you are in charge of this entire dealership and answer to no one until such a time that the owner mysteriously returns?" adding the question, "do you know when that will be?"
He said the general manager is on indefinite leave but he would be more than happy to put my name on their don't call list and we can all act like adults and walk away from this." I again said, "Is there absolutely any other manager who is working tonight at 6:15pm on 10/16/03 that can help me?" Again I was told no. I told him that I would call every morning until I got to speak with a manager and the gentleman laughed and said, "well, that's up to you. Good Luck." Then he hung up.
Still enraged I called back to the dealerships main number and asked for a manager in used car sales to help me. The operator immediately transferred me to Noyse Hanscom. Once again I explained the situation to him and he gave me the standard cover-up, "Duane and Brock are great guys and I never had any complaints about them." I said that unfortunately they had to put me in the position to be the first. I could tell that Mr. Hanscom was annoyed with the situation because he kept cutting me off.
I finally asked who the real manager was and he told me Chuck Mullins is the owner and would be back from vacation tomorrow. He said there is no Jeff Mullins, as Brock told me. So I asked if that was public knowledge and he said yes. Meaning Brock lied when he said his boss was on indefinite leave. I also asked Brocks position and was told he's an Asst. Sales Manager.
Confused I said I thought he was the Gen Mgr for Van Chevrolet and answers to no one because those were his exact words to me. Mr. Hanscom said Brock is most definitely not but he cant understand how such a nice guy could do this. I told Mr. Hanscom that I don't make it a habit of answering calls from Dealerships in the middle of my dinner as I'm preparing for school later that night to be pulled into a fight and be harassed and threatened by the sales staff.
I also told Mr. Hanscom, Sales Supervisor, that I felt unsafe knowing a person of this caliber has my phone number and any other personal info about me. I felt as though my personal safety was being attacked. Mr. Hanscom assured me Duane and Brock were fine boys but then I said it only took one upset day to push someone with sociopathic tendencies over the edge.
He told me he would give this to his boss, Chad Hubler, the general sales manager tonight and would have him call me right back. I explained I had class that night and was off all the next day. Mr. Hanscom said Chad would call me tomorrow morning, but I could rest assured that disciplinary action, maybe even a termination would result.
I called back at 7:23pm on 10/16/03 because I was to upset to go to school and be able to concentrate so I would like to talk to Chad tonight. Mr. Hanscom said he would brief him first then let him call me back.
A few minutes later my phone rang. I asked to whom I was speaking. The man identified himself as Chad Hubler, General Sales Manager. I said, "With all do respect, are you sure you're the manager. I already talked to Brock Jefferson who claimed to have your position." Chad assured me he was the real thing and asked to speed things along. I proceeded to tell him again what had happened throughout the night, about the outrage I felt over being physically threatened and invited to a fight at a major place of business.
I said I work in sales and have heard horror stories re: car dealers but never have they included physical violence. He said if you look at the comment from every angle its easy to misconstrue.
I said it seems perfectly clear to me that when someone says to me, "You better not do it again or else!" That it was pretty cut and dry to see that as a threat.
I further said I find it greatly troubling that you allow your salesman to miss-represent their positions and authority to the public. Apparently any salesman that has angered a potential buyer can have one of his buddies pose as a non-caring member of management and send the potential buyer on their way.
Lastly I found it astonishing that not one employee of that Chevrolet dealership could or would supply me with the phone number to Chevrolets corp. Offices after my repeated requests.
Chad Hubler said he would have Chuck Mullins, Owner & Gen Mgr call me tomorrow on 10/17/03.
I again asked for Chevrolets corp number number to no avail.
Annon
scottsdale, Arizona
U.S.A.
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