Industry Language.....Really,why do we still talk this way??????

  • An "Up" is someone who walks on the car lot.  A customer!

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  • A "Beback" is a customer who leaves without buying, and comes back at a later date.

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  • A "Laydown" is a customer who buys at whatever price the salesperson quotes.

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  • A "Roach" is how car salespeople refer to people with bad credit!

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  • A "Get-Me-Done" is somebody who has borderline credit at best, and will take almost any vehicle at any terms just to get financed.

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  • The "Bump" is where the Sales Manager sends the salesperson back out to get a higher price, or to "Bump" the customer for more money!

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  • A "Lowball" is an unrealistically low price that the salesperson gives the customer before the customer leaves to shop price at another dealer.

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  • "Upside Down" is when a person owes more money on their trade-in then the vehicle is worth.

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  • "Negative Equity" is related to Upside Down above.  It is the amount that you still owe on your car loan after subtracting how much you are actually getting for your vehicle.

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  • "Positive Equity"  This is when your trade-in is actually worth more than the amount you owe on it.  Needless to say, this doesn't happen very often!

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  • "Croak and Choke" pertains to the Finance Manager selling Credit Life Insurance and Disability Insurance on the car loan!

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  • To "Brick" somebody, or to "Spot Deliver!"  Car salespeople are so worried that you'll change your mind once you buy a vehicle, that they want you to take it NOW!  Very often, the dealer will have the customer sign bank papers before the loan is officially approved, just to get the customer down the road.

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  • "Buyers are Liars!"  Every car salesperson is instilled with this belief!

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  • "The T.O."  If one salesperson can't close you he or she will T.O. you or turn you over to a Manager or a Closer, who in turn might T.O. you to someone else, and someone else again until you buy.

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  • "A Packed or Loaded Payment!"  Packing or loading payments is a slang term used to describe a practice used by the auto industry to get customers to agree to purchase additional products, such as credit insurance, service contracts, chemical protectants, and security devices, without revealing their true impact on their monthly payments.

     

    Packing is played out when a customer finances their vehicle through the dealer.  A customer agrees to a purchase the car at a monthly payment that is much higher than what is needed to cover the price of the vehicle.  That creates a "pack" or room in the payment to add in the optional products....of course without the customer knowing he's actually paying more for the extra stuff!

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  • "Buyers Remorse!"  This is when a car buyer starts having second thoughts about the car purchase.  Once the euphoria of getting a new or different vehicle wears off, a person begins wondering if they got ripped-off, did they do the right thing, can they really afford the payments and on and on it goes.  There are countless reasons a person second-guesses themselves.

     

    Car sales people call this "Buyers Remorse" or "Coming Out of the Ether!"  This is the sales person's worst nightmare, because this is when the buyer starts looking for ways to back out of the car deal.

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  • "A Today Buyer!"  This is a customer who is prepared to purchase a vehicle the same day they enter the dealership.  The large majority of buyers are not in this category.  Most people want to think it over and look around before making a decision.

     

    However, it is the car sales person's job to turn you into a "Today Buyer!"  They are trained in techniques that do just that.  They have a Selling System in place that is designed to take control of you, culminating in you taking delivery of your new or used vehicle before you leave the dealership.  They will go to great lengths to put you in that vehicle "today" including doing a Spot Delivery!  BEWARE!

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  • "ACV"  This stands for Actual Cash Value.  This is what dealers use when referring to the amount of money they are actually putting in a trade. They have to differentiate this number from what they tell the customer. Very often the customer is led to believe that he is getting more for his trade than what the ACV is!

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  • "Quarterback"  Car salespeople hate it when you bring someone with you to to the car dealership to help you negotiate a deal.  For example a young woman may bring her father to help her.  Or she may bring another relative or even worse...a boyfriend.  They call these people "quarterbacks!"

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pete Grimm on August 10, 2011 at 4:46pm

I completely agree with the sentiments of Mr. Brown's posts. Voices carry. Your momma probably taught you, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything." That rule covers 95% of all business communications too.

 

However, with the publishing industry is in chaos right now, I may be poking an open wound, but I can think of at least a few pejoratives regularly bandied about in the publishing world. Have you heard the expressions "vanity press or "slush-pile rejects?" With a little effort even publishing industry outsiders might come up with many more. I think most professions create jargon that puts an insider's twist on unique frustrations.

Craig Lockerd said:

Good "vent" Mr. Brown,appreciate your input

Michael J. Brown said:

I became a "green pea" after a 17+ year career in publishing.  My experience in that field was devoid of jargon that can be viewed as offensive, condescending or just inappropriate.  I appreciate Mr. Kelly's response about creating a shortcut lexicon for the business, but that certainly has to be tempered with common sense.  If your Rhodes Scholar daughter has bad credit due to an error in judgment, due you want anyone calling her a Roach?

I believe that we can live with terms that are industry specific: ACV, T.O., Buyer's Remorse, an Up, etc.  But let's work to eliminate the negative ones.

I read several comments about these being "OK to use when not around a client."  I challenge all to take a look around you and see if you can ALWAYS be SURE that a client isn't walking by your desk, your sales office, sales tower, service entrance, etc. etc. and COULD hear you even if you think no one's around.  It happens all the time.  Voices carry.

  OK, I've vented ...

 

 

Permalink Reply by Thomas A. Kelly on August 10, 2011 at 5:40pm

Michael, Henry...... I am with you both 100% that there is never a time where a customer should hear our slang....of any type....I do not use an acronym or initialism for "actual cash value" when I am in a discussion with a client. As far as working to eliminate the "negative ones" from our internal discussions, I wont be one who will. A credit bandit will always be referred to as a credit bandit in my private conversations. It is part of our culture in my neck of the woods. I will remain diligent and keep my conversations away from the ears that could be offended.

Respectfully,

Tom

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