Northgate Ford

This dealership was very responsive and quick to my internet inquiry for a 2011 Lincoln MKX. Good. The price quoted online was good and the package on the car was what I wanted. The internet sales internet inquiry for a 2011 Lincoln MKX. Good. The price quoted online was good and the package on the car was what I wanted. The internet sales person was Emily. Very knowledgable and friendly. Good. The following may not be suited for audiences that are easily offended. These comments are not direct criticisms about an individual thus no name of employees given. This critique is a criticism of the company culture at Northgate Ford rather than specific individuals. Here it goes... I get to the dealership and I am switched to another sales person. I did not like this as I had already "developed" a "relationship" with my internet sales person Emily. I started to get a feeling of distrust that was not there before arriving at the dealership. Not good. The car I wanted is at another dealership plus there is no actual car to test drive. This was explained to me online but why would they expect me to purchase that day or at least give me an offer I could not refuse obviously. I explained this multiple times to the sales person and manager. They either did not care or did not comprehend that a reasonable person would not purchase a car without test driving or at least offer something that would compensate that deficit. Or not waste their/my time by having me sit in their dealership for over 2.5 hours. Not good. I did my homework and I knew the facts. In fact, I knew more about the 2011 MKX then my sales person and their sales staff. Not good. My sales person has the usual conference with his sales manager and we find the car I want at a price that is okay. But then after a few minutes (more than a few minutes), the price is now higher... and this happened 2 times. Looks like I will have to pay that extra $950 for delivery from another dealership which I was told in the beginning that I may not have to pay it. But it keeps me in the store longer. Very very bad... The sales person tells me about their free oil changes for life only offered at their dealership but gets uncomfortable when I ask him about the 4 year complimentary LIncoln oil changes good at all Lincoln dealerships that he "forgot" to mention. I actually felt bad since he appeared very uncomfortable during his explanation period. Shawn was trying to make an honest living but it seemed other sales influences were at work. Maybe sales voodoo or something. Anyway, not good. After sitting in their dealership for 2-3 hours and what not, I am ready to go and then I finally get to see him... yes... the big guy... the one all the minions go to have tea with to see what price point the customer will maximize the dealership's profit... And he saids the infamous line... "What can we do to earn your business...." I hate that line... Followed by "What would it take to sell you a car today". Yes, this cliche / mantra is so dull and reeks of unpleasant car dealer associations that it makes me shut down pretty fast. Quite frankly if a dealership has to ask either of those questions then they should not be selling cars. Either the customer is not going to buy no matter what or the dealership can go lower. Why should I offer a price when they can obviously go lower. After stating to them multiple times I want an efficient sales process and they give me this lame sales mantra then I am done. Game over. This line completes the cycle of distrust that built up the moment I was handed off to another sales person. In fact, why do dealerships have sales staff when it is the sales manager who tells the sales staff whether the offer a customer gives is a thumbs up or thumbs down? Why pay that type of overhead? Hiring a "feature man/woman" who can go over the features of a car is far cheaper and probably more knowledgeable as I my sales person was not knowledgeable nor the sales manager. But I digress... The sales manager says he can POSSIBLY give me a lower price on my trade in by making phone calls...yada yada... Why did he not already make the phone calls? To me he did not go the extra mile and the look on his face told me he knew he was not going to make a sale. But gave the obligatory lip service evidenced by the look on his face, maybe it was a long day since it felt like a long day for me. The whole thing was a waste of my time and sadly their time too. You either have a price you will sell or not. If I was a sales manager, why would I waste my time on dickering about prices. There are other customers. Just give me a price I can not refuse or your lowest price that will make a profit for the dealership and saves me money too. I get tired of dealerships trying to "hit a home run". My mistake was I stayed there too long but then again they had the keys to my trade in too.. But they would never do something like that on purpose right?... Not good. Northgate Ford was typical, cliche and only cared about the sale. They did not care about the future sale ie. selling to a potential long term customer. All the negative connotations one would think about a dealership was perfectly text book demonstrated by the staff at Northgate Ford in Colerain, OH. Maybe it is something Ford gives them as the words earn and business seemed to just spew without a thought. You know you need to come up with a new catch phrase else when all the dealerships use the same phrase. In summary, if you want just a car, want to waste your time, unreliable quotes, bait and switch tactics and don't plan on getting another car from them in the future then go here. If you want trust and a dealership you would purchase from again then drive past Northgate Ford. I later emailed Emily as to why I did not purchase a car, which I did purchase later that day at another dealership. I basically emailed what you see above and she said she "planned" on learning from my response on how better to improve. Then she ended by stating, she hoped to "earn my business" in the future. Did I tell you how much I hated the words earned and business in the same sentence? To be fair she did say she "planned" on learning from my response as to why I did not buy from their dealership. I guess the earn your business mantra is so ingrained that one can not actually read an email and figure out that they should not use cliches that annoys a customer in the ending of their message. I do not plan on going to their dealership in the future. More