Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: sales people?

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Posted by Melanie Loggins (Member # 6454) on 12-02-2014, 10:59 AM:

I had an experience yesterday with a film company sales person that shook up how I perceive that part of my job. He wanted me to hold his movie, clean, for a third week, which I had explicitly said when I booked it that I wouldn't do and still wasn't willing to do. When begging and then threatening me didn't work, he doctored an email and sent me a screen shot of it to convince me I had agreed to hold his movie. I sent him a screen shot of the actual email he sent me and he backed off. But it was so childish, obvious, and deceitful... I was reminded of that hilarious Comcast call that went viral a couple of months ago. I guess I hadn't realized until that moment that our sales people are just that. Some sell Cadillacs and some sell used Hondas, but they're all sales people. Am I the only one who's had that kind of experience?

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-02-2014, 11:06 AM:

I think there is an honest way to do sales, and a slimy way.

The best salesman that I personally know is a chap at the local hardware store here. He's a truly nice guy, he's instantly everyone's friend, and he could sell sand in the Sahara Desert.

He doesn't try to rip you off and does his best to obtain and sell you what you need. (But he makes darn sure you have brushes to go with that gallon of paint, and do you need sandpaper to prepare the surface first? This primer is on sale this week too!)

I've always wondered why he sells hardware instead of cars or real estate or something where I'm sure he could make a lot more money.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-02-2014, 12:17 PM:

I have mixed feelings about salespeople -- I can tell right away when I'm being "sold up" just for the purpose of getting me to buy the bigger one or whatever. I hate it when they won't back off and just want me to spend more money. But I like it when they suggest something that would be a really useful addition to what I'm buying.

The real gem of a salesperson is the guy who will suggest something cheaper if there is a better, less expensive alternative to the original thing I was looking for. People like that are rare indeed.

I've never dealt directly with distributor salespeople because we've always used a booker, but our booker has definitely had his favorite and least favorite studio salespeople over the years. Although I've never heard of one of them doing something as underhanded as what Melanie experienced. I'd report that person to his/her superior. A person like that gives all salespeople a black eye.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-02-2014, 12:35 PM:

That salesman may not realize it, but he really put his nuts out there on the chopping block big time.

Technically speaking, what the guy was pulling actually fits within the definition of mail and wire fraud. That's a federal level crime, and a felony at that. Add in a count of forgery to go along with it.

That salesman probably won't get so much as a reprimand from his employer for such unethical actions. But if anyone wanted to follow through on prosecution that salesman could be looking at far worse than merely losing his job.
[evil]

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 12-02-2014, 01:47 PM:

I had an experience recently that was quite disturbing. There is a Movie Theatre POS System out there. They are fairly new to the market, I won't mention their name. I am assuming they got my e-mail address from the last N.A.T.O. meeting I was at. So, on and off, for about a year, I've been getting cheesy sales e-mails from them. I don't mind straight forward "buy our stuff" e-mails from companies. I usually glance at them and move on. Well, last week, I received an e-mail in my work e-mail box that looked like a reply to a personal ad (?). It was from an "unknown sender" and was borderline explicit in it's title. It was an ad for this company's POS system! I was floored that this company would send out this type of e-mail. I don't know why they did this.. But they will never get my business because of this.

<EDIT>

I went back into my mail box and found the e-mail. Yes, it is still as disturbing as the first time I read it.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 12-02-2014, 01:57 PM:

Are you sure their email address wasn't jacked and this isn't spam?

Posted by Melanie Loggins (Member # 6454) on 12-02-2014, 03:21 PM:

Oh, this conversation went back and forth all afternoon. The more I think about it, the more disgusted I am. Luckily for me, they don't have anything I want to show for a while. ;-) Cuz I don't have it in me to talk to him right now.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-02-2014, 03:46 PM:

There was one guy who went from small distrib to small distrib who screwed us everytime we booked a movie with him. Totally vile person. Years later at a convention I found out he did this to everyone he could. It eventually caught up with him and he is out of the business. At least I hope he still is.

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-02-2014, 04:22 PM:

Many sales people are short a few cards from a Full Deck IMHO. I find this to be mostly True with Car/Truck sales people. I recently was in a GMC/CADILLAC Dealership and was looking at a 1/2 ton Truck. I was telling the Salesman back when I sold Rechromed Bumpers; that the only difference between a CHEVY & GMC Truck Bumper, were the mounting bracket holes were in a different location.

He proceeded immediately to tell me how much better a GMC was over a Chevy Truck.After he babbled on for 10 minutes;I reminded him that outside of Badges and a few tiny trinkets;they are the same Vehicle. This is typical of a Dealership Salesman. I'm sure if he was Working at the CHEVROLET Dealership;the stories would have been reversed... [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-02-2014, 05:07 PM:

I specifically bought my current car from a guy who was low-pressure and answered my questions without trying to sell me stuff that I didn't need or want. We need more people like that.

I deal with salesmen all the time in my regular job (IT). There are lots of sleazy people in sales, but there are also some good ones who actually know the product that they are selling and work with the customer to meet his needs without trying to sell him something that is either too expensive or too cheap to meet those needs. Those are the ones who get my business. The others just get forwarded to my voicemail by the receptionist (and I delete the messages without responding to them (which I normally consider rude, but I make an exception to that for slimy salesmen)).

edit: spelling

[ 12-03-2014, 12:58 AM: Message edited by: Scott Norwood ]

Posted by Michael Putlack (Member # 6523) on 12-02-2014, 05:43 PM:

I probably have a few guesses on who this guy might be....

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-02-2014, 05:55 PM:

The Sales People that I loathe the most and should be Locked up;are the ones that Prey upon the Elderly and uninformed Senior Citizens. In my own situation; A Roofing Contractor Salesman talked my Mother into Putting a New Shingled Roof on her Home in JANUARY.Telling her if she didn't do it now that they would be too busy in the Spring and Summer.January in Montana is one of the coldest Months in our State and usually has a foot of Snow during that Month.Everyone Knows that the slowest time for Roofing Contractors are the Winter Months;but this Sleazy Clown used my Mother's Naivety to con her into a Roof she didn't need and also the wrong time of year to put it on. Of course she never bothered to Call me or my Brother before she proceeded;thinking that she better act immediately from the Crap this Salesman was telling her.

Although after getting 1/2 the money back from this Con Outfit;I know this Goes on Constantly and the Elderly are easy Targets for Fraud and Deception.In other words like taking Candy from a Baby in most Cases. if I had found this Guy at the time;he would be needing some immediate Medical Attention. [Mad]

Posted by Tony Ratcliff (Member # 1196) on 12-02-2014, 06:03 PM:

This is why I keep all the e-mails back and forth from the reps. They sometimes forget the deal they made on terms and I have to send them the booking confirmation email back. But I believe they have always been forgetfulness and they have always complied with our agreed upon terms.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-02-2014, 07:45 PM:

Auto dealer service departments are good for this also - to bait and snag the senior citizens and the ignorant.

Example: My mother drives a KIA Spectra and bought it new. She takes it there to do her oil changes. One day, the shop told her timing belt needs changed .. on a vehicle that had only 23K miles on it?!?

She even had the app't setup for the change and I stopped her in time that belts are good for 60K miles and told her the above story..and this was during the wintertime..which business is slow at this time of year and that dealership wasn't pushing out KIA's too well.

She cancelled the app't in a quick.

-Monte

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-02-2014, 09:00 PM:

Monte: The Local NISSAN Dealer here sent out a Customer Flyer offering 3 oil changes for 60 dollars. My Friend who has a newer Altima bought the Package. I went with him for the 1st oil change. While we were waiting in the Customer Lounge;I said you watch;someone will come out in a few minutes with a list of items that need replacing or repair.

Sure enough after about 10 minutes,the service manager comes out and gives us this concerned look about the Car. According to him we needed a new timing belt,new shocks/Struts, and he said that the rear tires need replacing. I immediately spoke up and said; Boy is that a coincidence;we were over at NAPA just the other day and bought the same items you described us needing. We were planning on changing the parts out this weekend.

He didn't know what to say and had this Dumbfounded look on his Face, like were not gonna make any money today on these Guys. Oldest Trick in the Book by Car dealers offering a good deal or free inspection on your Car and always finding something that needs replacing or additional Servicing at extra cost.They always hope a Women brings in the Car because they are the most Gullible and easy target at believing what the Service Manager tells them.

If this happens to you when having your Car serviced,use my little Senario above or just say Well were really in a hurry today; I'll just call you in a day or two and set up an appointment,OK! [Roll Eyes]

BTW: Sent you an Email & PM about a Video at Jay Leno's Garage
on a 1950 NASH AMBASSADOR CUSTOM....Really Cherry Car and the 2
Dollar Story Jay talks about will crack you up...

Posted by Randy Pryde (Member # 7488) on 12-02-2014, 09:33 PM:

Melanie,

Not to excuse the salesperson, but often the problem starts at the top.

National sales v-p demands that the branch managers keep "x" number of prints dated. Branch manager then tells the lowly salesperson that those prints stay on screen or he will be demoted or worse. Happens with many studios, but most often it is the struggling ones.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-02-2014, 10:04 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Auto dealer service departments are good for this also - to bait and snag the senior citizens and the ignorant

There is a dealership in these parts which shall remain nameless. I could write a novel detailing their unbelievable service charges, but for just one example, they once quoted my wife $45 to replace a rear turn signal bulb. The bulb in question costs $2.99 from O'Reilly; replacing it takes all of three minutes and the only tool required is your right hand (unclip rear of housing inside trunk, twist and remove dead bulb, insert and twist new bulb, refitting is the reverse of the above).

Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-03-2014, 02:08 AM:

Well you know Leo,those Service Techs probably had to take a 4 week course on learning how to replace a Tail Light Bulb. Sounds like they wanted your Wife to pay for the Course in one Shot.

I have gone rounds with incompetent Mechanics,Parts People,etc. so many times over the years I've lost Count. They seem to believe everyone out there will swallow their BS on what your Car/Truck needs and should have. And Con you on Parts prices also.I think there must be a Course these people take in Deception and Fraud 101 because it isn't isolated. This Stuff is Rampant and they get away with it much of the time. I love tripping them up or making them look Stupid;it makes my day [thumbsup]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-03-2014, 12:35 PM:

On a related topic: Few months ago, took my Laser in for oil change since I wasn't doing too well where I didn't want to crawl under and do the change myself and let a "Q-lube" similar joint to do my change.

Got the right oil in but they installed a FRAM knockoff, being a "MicroGuard" from O'Reilly's on. Usually they use WIX filters..and I use NAPA's "GOLD" filters...and still charged me the same price

Just gotta do your own work at times.

-Monte

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-03-2014, 01:36 PM:

Monte - Just an FYI, Napa Gold filters and Wix filters are the same product, just different packaging. Carquest Blue filters are also the same, although Carquest is switching over to Baldwin filters for auto/light truck after the first of the year. (Wix will still supply heavy truck filters for Carquest.)

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-03-2014, 03:19 PM:

My local O'Reilly gives MicroGuard oil filters away with every five-quart bottle of oil. My first instinct was to conclude that they can't be much good, but on second thoughts they must be OK, because there are probably a lot of them in vehicles being driven around this area, and if they were causing problems (short-term problems at least), they would come back and bite O'Reilly in the rear pretty quickly. I've been using them for quite a while with no leaks or oil loss issues; but there again, I do change the oil and filter every 3K miles per Honda's recommendation for that model (a '99 Civic, D16Y7 engine), and it might be a different story if I left it longer.

Vaguely related to which, I've noticed that the auto parts stores have recently started selling supposedly special "high mileage" oil filters, usually Fram or Bosch, costing $2-3 more than the regular ones. The boxes have high-fallutin' claims about how they release special chemicals into the oil to improve MPG and extend the life of older engines. Is there anything to this, or is this just a way of making money out of the gullible? Opinion seems to be divided on high mileage oil, with some believing that it does make a positive difference, especially in extending the intervals between head gasket replacement, while others believe that it's basically a scam.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-03-2014, 04:07 PM:

We don't sell any "high mileage" filters but we do have a lot of customers who use the cheap-line filters. The key is changing the oil frequently if you use the cheaper ones. Some guys do it every 3000 miles no matter what kind of filter they use, so for that type of person the cheaper filter is fine.

Personally I change the oil every 5000 miles these days. The recommended interval on my pickup is 7000 but I do mostly short trips in town so I figure more often is better.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-03-2014, 04:22 PM:

(Not to drift off topic, but to make a closing comment below..)

Always been recommended for more frequent change periods if doing a lot of short drives, and stop and go driving. Oil needs to get hot where it doesn't get hot as quick as the coolant does and oil picks up junk and moisture when not fully hot - why the more frequent changes.

And agree about the cheap filters: Been a FRAM user for years, but do the oil changes on a regular basis - between 3k to 5k miles and never had issues.

But, vehicle hobbyists will flame a user if they had a FRAM filter attached to the motor.