A tale of two Lexus dealers

A few weeks ago, a couple of friends - K1 and K2 -  picked me up to go visit another old friend. Even though I am most decidedly a non-car person, I couldn’t help but notice that they were driving a very nice, very comfy, very shiny red Lexus.

Their purchase saga is an excellent example of why it really doesn’t pay to lie to a customer.

K1 is the primary driver of the nice, comfy, shiny red Lexus, so she was the one who went shopping for it.

After K1 found a car she liked, she reported back to K2.

K2 asked whether K1 had negotiated a deal.

No, K1 told K2. After all, the salesman had told her that Lexus, like Saturn, had gone to a non-negotiation method of car purchase.

This sounded plausible to K1, but not to K2, who is a partner in a big Boston law firm - and a litigator, at that. K2 smelled a rat. K2 made inquiries. K2 was pretty teed off - as was K1, once she realized that someone was attempting to dupe her because she is very sweet, hates to negotiate, and is - as the French say - une dame d’un certain age.

K2 researched what the going rate was for the Lexus apple of K1’s eye, and set out to find a dealer who could accommodate. Didn’t take long to find one.

Win-Win: dealer happy (made the sale!); K1 and K2 happy (saved thousands of dollars).

K2 called the original salesman, who started to back pedal, and even offered to shave $200 off of the price that the honest dealer had offered.

Needless to say, no way in hell.

The honest dealer - I think it was Lexus of Northborough (Mass) got: K1 and K2’s business; and likely have gotten and will get additional business, as K1 and K2 spread the word.

The dishonest dealer - I think I know which one, but I’m not certain, so ‘nuf said - got: no business, word spread that they are not folks you want to do business with. Some of that word was spread to folks like me, who will never be in the market for a Lexus. Plenty was spread to folks who would be in the market for a Lexus, especially after they saw the nifty one that K1 is now driving.

Sure, the dishonest dealer could have made the sale, pocketing a few thousand bucks extra with a bigger commission in the salesman’s pocket. But that was a short term gain, I’m betting, as word spreads that they’re not a company you want to do business with. (Let’s face it: K1 can’t be the first person they’ve tried to screw, and K2 can’t be the first person to figure out that they were being screwed.)

Sure, caveat car buyer and all that. But it’s really hard to believe that there are people out there who think it’s a wise business decision to lie to your customers.

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