A Real Customer Dispute That Escalated Fast

This is a real letter from a real dispute involving a real customer who was genuinely upset.

The content is real. (The content inside the parentheses is not.)

“Good Day, Mr. Sales Manager (Who every car dealer has had at one point or another),
I am writing concerning the white 2014 Hyundai Sonata that I own with my wife. Throughout this whole situation, I have remained silent. (He had not been silent at this dealership, as I later discovered. He had complained to multiple managers who failed to escalate or resolve the issue.) I can’t anymore as I feel you and the dealership are giving my wife and me the runaround. (This appeared to be accurate.) It’s my opinion that Deangelo, a salesman, and possibly the service department perpetrated a fraud and now you are perpetuating fraud. (Not exactly, but I listened carefully to the full story.) I do not need to go into details. We all know them. Not only has it ruined our credit — I’m driving a 1994 vehicle, with no expectation of being financed for a newer one — it has also placed us under severe mental and financial strain due to carrying two car payments. (Mostly true.) While these actions were taken by individuals, they were employed by you, making you equally responsible and liable. You leave me no choice. If this matter is not resolved amicably very soon, we will refer it to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for investigation and possible prosecution. (He was very serious about the criminal aspect.) We will also consider retaining an attorney for possible civil litigation.”

How Poor Sales Management Creates Unnecessary Risk

In short, this dealer had recently sold the customer the Hyundai. The customer was approximately $7,000 upside down and had a blown transmission with an estimated $5,000 repair (adding insult to injury). He attempted to trade the vehicle at multiple dealerships but was unsuccessful.

Remember Deangelo? He “helped” the customer purchase an additional vehicle from the same dealer based on further promises. (This was presented as “the fix.”) Those promises were unrealistic at best. Let’s just say he did not act in a straightforward manner that most dealerships would expect or tolerate.

They called me in.

I ended it.

Always with courtesy and kindness.

Money was spent, but ultimately money was saved.

The customer later emailed me and said, “Thank you, Mr. Kline. I have nothing but respect for you as a man and a businessman.”

Using Reviews and Oversight as Risk Management Tools

When a sales manager consistently puts your dealership into situations like this, it is time to find a replacement. That is risk management in action. That is mitigation. That is how you prevent costly issues from repeating.

The next time will cost more. Then more again. Eventually, you will be spending real money resolving problems that were entirely avoidable. (And it happens more often than dealers care to admit.)

If you take an honest look at your dealership’s online reviews, you will often find complaints pointing directly to a problematic sales manager. Smart dealers use online reviews as a self-policing tool. When read with an open mind, reviews reveal what is really happening inside your operation.

Best practices call for responding to every review courteously and inviting the customer to call. Then, a reliable senior resource should follow up by phone to resolve the issue.

(This approach dramatically reduces the number of claims — both real and imagined — that can otherwise cost your dealership significant money.)

(And that is the truth.)

Tom Kline is based in Virginia. He may be reached at 757-434-7656.