What is this? The main reason I joined is because not even the dealer knew the answer

[VAMike]

It seems to be actually a larger audience than just auto sales. If you pay attention closely, the attitude of "it's work" seems prevalent all over. Looks like pride in work has been killed off by the PC-ness need to punish any achievement...just say'n.

This is, in my opinion, a perfectly rational response to a business environment where a worker will get fired the moment that helps the quarterly numbers. What's the point in investing hundreds of hours learning something for a short term job when that knowledge will be completely useless in the next short term job? It's far more rational to spend that time looking for the next gig. It would be nice if employers rewarded initiative and long term thinking with loyalty in return, but that's rare these days. For car dealers in particular it's a job that chews people up and spits them out--I went through 3 or 4 sales guys while Ford was building my ranger. ("X doesn't work here anymore, can I help you?") If it were the case that spending time learning the product would make the job last more than a couple of months then of course they should do that, but I don't see any sign that it would make a difference. Their reward structure is built around squeezing as much money as possible out of people as quickly as they can. There are no rewards for the customer thinking you know what you're talking about, and no thought of return sales. (The sales guy will probably not still be there when the customer buys their next car.) I get that some people bought their trucks at some little family place from the same guy they've used since nixon was in office, but that's really the exception these days.

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[dtech]

Its like that movie glengary glen ross thats a good sales movie, most will sell their own mothers and not even include postage. I worked for a new home builder [that the VP of sales was a jerk and used to interview sales folk by saying in the interview, "here is a stapler, sell me this stapler..here is a half drunk cup of coffee, sell me this coffee." I dont get it. Made me thankful for being in construction management and not have to deal with that.

Outstanding movie, some classic scenes like how Baldwin rips into the sales team, depending upon what type of sales and what company one works for sales can be very cutthroat and you always have to watch your back, because there can be big $$ involved and for some that means ethics go out the window and so long as the sales numbers are there upper management is ok with unethical behaviour.

Haven't seen Glengary Glen Ross in a long time but what a great movie.

 

[ryyck]

Chuck Yeager - may he rest in peace. I read his auto biography yrs back and a great read, the guy was a one of a kind and an American icon.

There's a little bit of Chuck Yeager in all of us....his auto brought back lots of memories.

 

[jsphlynch]

There's a little bit of Chuck Yeager in all of us....his auto brought back lots of memories.

A former colleague of mine went to Marshall and was awarded the Yeager scholarship. One of the perks of the scholarship was that the whole group of awardees got to meet and spend some time with the man himself. At one point, Yeager asked them what sort of mischief they get into, and one of the awardees, perhaps anxious to assure him that the scholarship was going to good use, insisted that all the students were straight-laced and spend their evenings and weekends studying hard and not partying or engaging in pranks or anything of that sort. Apparently Yeager was pretty pissed about that, since he wanted the awardees to be having the same sort of fun that he had in college.

RIP.

 

[ryyck]

A former colleague of mine went to Marshall and was awarded the Yeager scholarship. One of the perks of the scholarship was that the whole group of awardees got to meet and spend some time with the man himself. At one point, Yeager asked them what sort of mischief they get into, and one of the awardees, perhaps anxious to assure him that the scholarship was going to good use, insisted that all the students were straight-laced and spend their evenings and weekends studying hard and not partying or engaging in pranks or anything of that sort. Apparently Yeager was pretty pissed about that, since he wanted the awardees to be having the same sort of fun that he had in college.

RIP.

Yeager....you the man!!!

 

[HenryMac]

A former colleague of mine went to Marshall and was awarded the Yeager scholarship. One of the perks of the scholarship was that the whole group of awardees got to meet and spend some time with the man himself. At one point, Yeager asked them what sort of mischief they get into, and one of the awardees, perhaps anxious to assure him that the scholarship was going to good use, insisted that all the students were straight-laced and spend their evenings and weekends studying hard and not partying or engaging in pranks or anything of that sort. Apparently Yeager was pretty pissed about that, since he wanted the awardees to be having the same sort of fun that he had in college.

RIP.

Yeager never went to college. When he enlisted in the Army Air Corp (which was before the US was in WWII) he didn't have the education credentials for flight training. But once the US declared war on Japan they changed the pilot requirements.

 

[wanted33]

I'm in the same boat. I spend so much time researching every aspect of almost any product I buy, or am even considering buying. And the Ranger was no exception. I was researching and learning everything that could be learned about this truck from the minute it was announced to be coming back to the minute before I went into the dealer to purchase one 2.5 years later. haha

And here I thought I was the only one that does that Matt. My wife said I'd probably research a screwdriver before I bought it.

I give my local dealer credit though. I bought quite a few new cars from them, and they know me well. The sales folks have been with them for years. The gentleman I use understands I that know everything there is to know about the vehicle I'm interested in, and he just sets down and give me the numbers. When I bought my Ranger he ask with a laugh, "Do I need go over anything with you"?

 

[HenryMac]

I'm in the same boat. I spend so much time researching every aspect of almost any product I buy, or am even considering buying. And the Ranger was no exception. I was researching and learning everything that could be learned about this truck from the minute it was announced to be coming back to the minute before I went into the dealer to purchase one 2.5 years later. haha

So, do you have a spreadsheet for quick reference of all that data?

Color me "Guilty". I pretty much have an Excel Spreadsheet for every project / purchase anymore.

 

[wanted33]

Yeah, same. My wife isn't too keen on my research and purchasing methods. haha She's very shoot from the hip and "figure out if I want it once I get it" type of person. Heck I almost didn't purchase my Ranger the day I went in to the dealer to check it out in person. I was about to walk away and overthink it more, but she was like "what more is there to think about?" haha So I bought it and haven't regretted it since. (we get Z-plan pricing so there's no benefit for us to threaten a walk out BTW)

I get my method from my dad. He's always been the same type of person, spending hours, days, months, years deciding on something and researching the crap out of it, which was more difficult before the internet. haha

My brother is the same way. He's actually the worst out of all of us. He's been debating which vehicle to get for the last 4 years! haha Even my dad and I are like "just pick something already!". haha I can't imagine how annoyed a normal person would be with him at this point. haha

I must give my dearest props. She is so used to my researching products she just rolls with the flow. But, like yours she does keep me in check from time to time. I don't where I got this from. Must have been my long lost Great Great Uncle from Uganda who just left me a ton of money.

 

[ryyck]

Yeager never went to college. When he enlisted in the Army Air Corp (which was before the US was in WWII) he didn't have the education credentials for flight training. But once the US declared war on Japan they changed the pilot requirements.

That's true...he was a mechanic. Anybody who's been in the service knows the requirements change. Being over run...you'll be a rifleman. No pilots...ask for volunteers. It's the mission that is important.

 

[HenryMac]

That's true...he was a mechanic. Anybody who's been in the service knows the requirements change. Being over run...you'll be a rifleman. No pilots...ask for volunteers. It's the mission that is important.

I recently read a book about WWI. At the beginning of the war England had strict height requirements for infantrymen, you had to be a certain height. That height kept dropping, over and over again during the war.

Same kind of rules for pilots, the number of required flight hours kept dropping as the war drug on.

 

[ryyck]

I recently read a book about WWI. At the beginning of the war England had strict height requirements for infantrymen, you had to be a certain height. That height kept dropping, over and over again during the war.

Same kind of rules for pilots, the number of required flight hours kept dropping as the war drug on.

The casualty rate forced those requirements. After a few years...everybody was dead that met the initial standards. Some of those kids had only a few hours of flight time. The Russians did it, Germans, English and the Americans. The killing was atrocious, the weapons being developed were incredible at their job. Today...it's horrific.

 

[gfitzge2]

I must give my dearest props. She is so used to my researching products she just rolls with the flow. But, like yours she does keep me in check from time to time. I don't where I got this from. Must have been my long lost Great Great Uncle from Uganda who just left me a ton of money.

Wow! What a coincidence. It turns out I also have a previously unbeknown to me late great uncle in Uganda. I can be filthy rich If only I will turn over all my personal and financial information. ?

 

[gfitzge2]

A former colleague of mine went to Marshall and was awarded the Yeager scholarship. One of the perks of the scholarship was that the whole group of awardees got to meet and spend some time with the man himself. At one point, Yeager asked them what sort of mischief they get into, and one of the awardees, perhaps anxious to assure him that the scholarship was going to good use, insisted that all the students were straight-laced and spend their evenings and weekends studying hard and not partying or engaging in pranks or anything of that sort. Apparently Yeager was pretty pissed about that, since he wanted the awardees to be having the same sort of fun that he had in college.

RIP.

This is a quote attributed to Chuck Yeager

" Unfortunately, many people do not consider fun an important item on their daily agenda. For me, that was always a high priority in whatever I was doing. "

 

[Okanagan Winemaker]

I thought it was a cross modified flux inductor.

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