Reputation Management: Shopping malls with automotive retail therapy

For this episode of Reputation Management, we will deviate a bit and tell a story about a fictional person living in a far away land.  Well, far away from where I live in Texas, anyway, and he’s fearing another bout of cabin fever this winter. There’s a place of respite, if only he can convince himself to travel there. And there’s the matter of his credit rating being able to handle the impact from what he’s about to do.

So let’s dig into his brain and see what’s this would-be consumer is thinking:

It’s getting cold outside. Miserably cold, in fact. I am terrified of another winter being stuck at home. I’m alone now that the kids are gone and whatsherface is outta my life. Social media and streaming services aren’t gonna cut it this winter. I am so done with trying to meet people on Bumble, probably because Boydminister is just too small of a town for me. And being smack dab in the middle of the larger Sashatown and Reddminton means I gotta travel long distances just to experience something different. Anything different.

Maybe I can also get a new truck when I go out of town? I did get that promotion at Muskel Petroleum, so maybe a weekend vacation might mean I get to come home with something better than a lousy T-shirt and a hangover. But can I do all of this in one place? Under one roof?

Oh right, the Reddminton Galleria. I hated going there as a dad, but maybe I’d have fun traveling solo. I’d get a hotel room onsite and enjoy the more adult activities they offer in the evening. Maybe I’ll even relax on the indoor beach?

I could use a weekend at the Reddminton Galleria! And I almost forgot: There’s a Toyota dealership there! I think someone deserves an all new TRD Pro 4Runner or Tacoma without ever having to leave the building. They will take my trade, maybe even sweeten the deal if I clean it up beforehand.

I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna spend the weekend at the mall and buy a new truck!

Hold up … maybe I should look at the dealership’s reviews before making my decision.

The perils of being inside a shopping mall

That person is just being vindictive in the review, because the staff proved they reached out via showing the call in their system. Cell phone signals can easily fade away in parts of a building, and you can’t have a signal booster to cover every part of a building as massive as the Reddminton Galleria. Nobody can say that every cell phone will work all the time in this place. I am still confident in my plan to visit the mall and this dealership.

Hmm. If I had to work at the mall and wear some corporate uniform all day, I’d also capitalize on a second source of income to improve my life. There’s a lot of money floating around in designer sneakers, and it’s unfortunate that an employee’s irrelevant actions can negatively impact a store’s online ratings.

Maybe I could call and schedule an appointment beforehand. Or use the chat feature on their website, with any luck the BDC will take me seriously that way. I know how busy that mall can get, and Reddminton’s population has nearly doubled since I last visited!

Wow, this place is so special that Toyota Canada just leaves vehicles in the showroom for them? I hope they have cool stuff for me to look at when I’m visiting. Maybe they should put a big sign somewhere saying “Property of Toyota Canada” as that’d keep reviews like this from happening.

I wonder who was the irritant here, the customer or the salesperson? Either way, this is more reason for me to start a chat with someone on their website. Do I want a TRD Pro version of a Tacoma or 4Runner? Or a Tundra … that could be fun!

I bet this person just walked in from the mall and didn’t talk to anyone. You don’t get service unless you ask for it. And asking nicely wouldn’t hurt either, eh?

It’s too cold to sweat the details?

The car looks pretty clean to me. Judging by the old reply to the amended review, this is a loyal but nitpicky customer.  Are people in Reddminton this picky about everything?

Maybe I’ve already lost my faith in humanity, but I know not to leave anything valuable in my car when it goes into a dealership. I wonder if this person just wants to extort the dealership for something nice. Maybe not, but my valuables are never entrusted to anyone but me!

Yup, people in Reddminton are too picky for a small town Boydminister kid like me.

You aren’t worth our time?

That’s not a good sign. I might need to wear something nicer than I normally do in Boydminister if I want to buy a Toyota in Reddminton.

If it really went down like that, what on earth will these people think of me?

Big Data at the big shopping mall

Ya know, the tire shop down the street that installs my winter tires doesn’t need my email address either! No biggie, I am not going there for maintenance, just for a new truck.

Ugh, you mean the person at the other end of their online chat tool is going to want all my personal information too? I haven’t even seen a new Toyota yet and they will want to know everything about me?

Those pesky free oil changes

So you can’t just come in for a free oil change? Why do dealerships do that?  Well, good thing I live far away from this place!

So it looks like Toyota recommends this inspection, but not making a multi-point inspection a free service while letting the oil drain seems a bit silly to me. No wonder people in big cities talk up their stress-free experiences with Teslas. (Or not.)

A clash of cultures?

Wait, some people won’t shake hands with other people? So, after a little Googling I’ve learned something, but she was the one buying the car! Car sales require making the customer feel comfortable about the transaction, if they feel disrespected you aren’t gonna get the sale. What a shame.

Packs/Markup is still the worst thing ever.

Why do dealers pack things onto their vehicles? Why don’t they tell anyone beforehand? What a terrible way to do business, and I guess they can get away with it because of all the foot traffic they get from the mall.

Well I am glad the market shortage isn’t that bad anymore, but these guys are gonna see my interest in a TRD Pro Toyota as a good reason to screw me over. So much for a relaxing mini-vacation in Reddminton!

Devauling your trade

How rusty is the underside of your trade-in, eh? Then again, maybe I should take a bus to Reddminton and sell my current truck locally. The more I read these reviews, the more I think my purchase isn’t gonna be as fun as I’d like.

Trust but verify

Yup, you always gotta read the fine print in the whole deal. I never trust anyone who’s gonna make money off of me to act in my best interest. It’s a shame that happened to this person.

One hand not knowing what the other’s doing

I wonder if the same thing will happen to me when I look at a TRD Pro in their inventory? Or maybe they will do the opposite, and pressure me to buy because they will tell me there’s a buyer even if one doesn’t exist? I’m gonna set my expectations real low—that way I can still enjoy my time in Reddminton.

Where did that other hand go?

Heh, I remember telling HR where they can put their request for any “ongoing concerns” I had with customers after they fired me. I wonder if that happened here, and I wonder if the person I chat with online will actually be there when I arrive?

Should I come back for service?

Well I guess they aren’t obligated to service anything that was never sold in Canada. And I guess this type of issue will never come up in someone’s training. If only people who worked at car dealerships were passionate car enthusiasts like me!

I always get a second opinion when big expenses are involved. Good for these folks, I wouldn’t trust this service department either. Too bad the ones in Boydminister aren’t much better, though.

The manager never came for such a modest request? Oh boy, that’d never happen in Boydminister. We know we can’t blow off our neighbors like that!

Well, I can’t say I’m terribly thrilled with my idea for a mini-vacation to Reddminton. Maybe chatting with someone on their website will change my mind. They better reassure me, otherwise this snowbird is spending his cash in the Dominican Republic! Let’s see, what all-inclusive resort looks the best on this website…

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