Breaking Up with a Vendor...

[craigh]

On the scale of 1 to "offensive things I've read on DealerRefresh," I'd probably give this a kcar.

such a good reference.
I miss kcar.

 

[Alex Snyder]

Side note: I can't believe I've been contacted several times directly, asking me to remove this post due to its "sensitivity."

Election year has us watching mass media channels telling us we're guilty Americans who need to be politically correct

 

[ryan.leslie]

I miss kcar.

"miss" is a strong word @craigh

 

[ryan.gerardi]

Coincidentally, my 11-year old son was telling me the other day how he and his friend were doing homework together using FaceTime. I asked him if that was helpful for him and he literally said, I kid you not, "yeah we got good phone." When I questioned what he said he responded, "yeah we got mad phone skills." Oh if only he knew...

 

[SSLaine]

I had to “break up” with a vendor recently. The recipient of the “Dear Jane” call... she sounded young and cute. By the end of the call, I was ready to say, “No, baby…listen: It’s not you, it’s me.”

When I hung up, I thought – Damn! I’m a businessman. That shouldn’t have been SO hard!

I haven’t had the chance to research further, but maybe she a has a face for radio, but she SOUNDED so nice!

In this business, we all know that "good phone" can get you far. You draw more bees with honey, right? But sometimes you have to break ties with a vendor. For whatever reason, it happens. This particular call made me question, “Is it better or worse when they give good phone?”

When was the last time Breaking up with a vendor was so hard?

Gosh. Wish I wasn't so late in this thread. That being said, I just HAVE to ask:

Have you ever had a guy give you good phone? And if so, what did his imagined face look like? Was it a smooth, metro-sexual kind of face? Or do you prefer more on the thick, hairy, gruff side? C'mon, we want to know.

All kidding aside, this was a pretty offensive post. My dealership would never tolerate talk like this in a meeting, let alone on social media. Most professionals would be fired for such pissing in the wind. I realize you're immune.

What was this post about in the first place? Is what better or worse when they give "good phone"? I was kinda wondering before I saw this if there would ever be anything really relevant on this forum, besides just a big advertising site. This just settled that question. You can do better than this.

Oh, and it's probably not you, baby. It's just me. Nah, on second thought, I truly think it's just you.

 

[Caleb Twito]

Hahaha I'm a "noob" here and can already see I'm going to love this forum. Honestly, being on the vendor side when I get broken up with I'm not trying to give "good phone" This is a business relationship and if what we're offering isn't a good fit or you're just paying for something (especially software) that you're not using, no hard feelings it's most likely for the best. @SSLaine I'm definitely the gruff, hairy image lol!

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Gosh. Wish I wasn't so late in this thread. That being said, I just HAVE to ask:

Have you ever had a guy give you good phone? And if so, what did his imagined face look like? Was it a smooth, metro-sexual kind of face? Or do you prefer more on the thick, hairy, gruff side? C'mon, we want to know.

All kidding aside, this was a pretty offensive post. My dealership would never tolerate talk like this in a meeting, let alone on social media. Most professionals would be fired for such pissing in the wind. I realize you're immune.

What was this post about in the first place? Is what better or worse when they give "good phone"? I was kinda wondering before I saw this if there would ever be anything really relevant on this forum, besides just a big advertising site. This just settled that question. You can do better than this.

Oh, and it's probably not you, baby. It's just me. Nah, on second thought, I truly think it's just you.

YES @SSLaine. You are late to the thread but late can be better than never.

The first time I heard the term "you give good phone" was from a woman complimenting me for my phone skills as she listened in on my phone conversation with a potential customer/opportunity. I didn't get all worked up over it. I said "well thank you, I got the appointment too" and moved on.

"Someone gives good phone" = they have great phone skills. It's that simple. It only goes past that if you want it to. Like my 6th grade science teacher would say "get your head out of the gutter." Some people... make it a point to go out of their way to seek out a reason to be offended. Everyone's offended by something nowadays, at least it seems.

What was this post about in the first place?

Exactly - and we're all guilty, because at one point or another we've jumped to a conclusion on an article before we've even finished reading the headline. But that's the purpose of a headline, to bring the reader into the article. Make you question, what's this about? It works for many but not for all. You still have "Skimmers". They never actually absorb the content as it was intended and often become fixated on one term, purposely taken out of context and hoping to be offended.

Have you ever had a guy give you good phone? And if so, what did his imagined face look like? Was it a smooth, metro-sexual kind of face? Or do you prefer more on the thick, hairy, gruff side? C'mon, we want to know.

I've had some of the best phone from men. Phone skills as smooth as silk. The proper usage of tone and inflection at all the right moments. Questions of sincerity and patience of an oyster. I said yes before I knew what I was saying yes to.

All kidding aside, this was a pretty offensive post. My dealership would never tolerate talk like this in a meeting, let alone on social media. Most professionals would be fired for such pissing in the wind. I realize you're immune.

I highly doubt that. If you really read the post and what it's about while not drifting down the gutter, I have a feeling you can relate since you're in the position where I'm sure you have your fair share of dealing with vendors - good and some not so good.

I was kinda wondering before I saw this if there would ever be anything really relevant on this forum, besides just a big advertising site. This just settled that question.

DealerRefresh is over 11 years old. I started it on a whim when no one at the dealership quite understood online / digital marketing. Being from a smaller town, I was hoping to get my name out there, find some others that "spoke the same language." Eleven years later - thousands of articles published on the blog, discussions here in the forums, interactions and the opportunity to meet and build friendships with the nicest, sincerest and smartest people in our industry. All that from this "Big Advertising Site."

The ads help pay for the ongoing costs associated to keep DealerRefresh moving forward, updated, secured and "refreshed." All this, while I personally continue to keep my feet on the front line working at a dealership in my home town.

@SSLaine skimming through your previous interactions here in the forums, I see all the way back in 2015, even you picked something up that helped you through an issue with CDK and lead management. That's exactly why these forums exist. No matter what skin color, gender, sex, nationality, religion, left handed or right - anyone in this industry (or has been) on the dealer level doing what we do, doing what you do (helping good dealers become great dealers, while working hard to guide them through an accelerated and complicated change in landscape), with some real time under their belts - are a rare breed.

Suzanne, my apologies for using words that were maybe too easily misconstrued due to individual interpretation.

I believe if you knew me and more of the DealerRefresh backstory, just maybe you would be less offended knowing that there was never an intention to do so.

Either way, I sincerely hope you can move on from this ordeal and continue (or even amplify) your participation with the community here. We welcome anyone with your expertise and years of knowledge at the dealership.

 

[Mspaulding]

I'm not sure if I'm appalled or should feel sorry the the creator of such a distasteful post. Since the election weak people all over the world feel entitled to grap all women by the p@$$y and spew vile foolishness under the mask of attempting to be clever or funny. The view of women as pieces of meat or disposable butt of everyone's jokes is less than amusing and a detriment to society.

While digging and fishing for any real content and attempting to decode the ambuiguity of this post, I find myself wondering how many men would like to hear these same words uttered to their mother, wife or daughter. I'm sure the men wouldn't laugh it off or tell the women in their lives to "suck it up buttercup, put your big girl panties on or blow them better next time honey and you'll be successful."

Giving good phone would be to shove it down the throat of this post and asking the so called men how it tasted. Hope that was politically correct for people that can't buy a clue. For all the haters that can't stand to see a woman succeed, I'll offer you a chair so you can sit down and learn something.

 

[SSLaine]

Wow, gaslight much?

I find it interesting that you would berate me for joining in this forum and being disagreeable to you, then proceed to berate me for not joining in your forums in the past. I'm sorry I upset you, Prince Jeff.

I have not participated much in your forums because they haven't been very interesting to me. There were a couple of posts by Chris Leslie that I found to be informative and spot on.

I am not a "skimmer" (new and edgy insult; congrats on that I actually read that post a dozen times, trying to find something in it that was worthy of, well, anything. I showed it to male colleagues who all said pretty much, "Damn. I'm not even a woman and I'm offended." I won't brag about my accolades and accomplishments, because it doesn't matter to me what you think of me. But let's just say, I read very well.

I'm also not a person who wants to be offended. I've taken a lot of comments in my career to me, individually, and it's never gone beyond that. If it's only me, it's not hurting anyone else, so I don't linger there.

Look, let's get past the insults and get down to the point. You have a responsibility. You have a website that is not private, any person could run across it and the post I objected to would just add to the distrust and dislike that the general public has for dealerships already.

I have a responsibility, too. I have to speak up for women in this industry. The fact is, I have a responsibility to speak up for anyone who is not here to speak up for themselves. My choice. I would hate for a woman working for a "vendor" to read your post and think that they are less than you. Less than any man. "A radio face" or not "young and pretty". You having a radio face has obviously not hurt your career, so why would you fling that out there?

My response is validated by YOU. YOU said, "I can't believe I've been contacted several times directly, asking me to remove this post due to its sensitivity". I am not "in the gutter". Ryan Gerardi backed that up by saying, in his post, "Oh, if he only knew". In other words, your analogy was not lost on any of us. It was gross. And your argument that a woman taught you that? Give it a rest. If a woman smacked you on the butt, would you think it is ok to go around smacking people on the butt? Hopefully not.

Real leaders don't just fling stuff out there like that. And then, if someone (in this case obviously lots of someones) say something, real leaders take action and apologize.

 

[SSLaine]

Oh, and @Caleb Twito lol good for you!