After a potential deal was purportedly ruined by a coworker, a car salesman shared what he describes as \u201cthe number one golden rule\u201d for all dealership employees: \u201cZip it and go on about your business\u201d when it comes to other salespeople\u2019s customers.<\/p>\n
Salesman Costa (@costacreatescardeals) is clearly peeved in his TikTok. He starts the video by saying, \u201cWhen someone is working a deal with a customer, do not ever, and I mean ever, go talk to that customer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Costa says that a receptionist essentially snatched a sale from the dealership at the last minute.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a receptionist today go up to a customer\u2014after they signed at the desk, ready to go into finance\u2014telling the customer that she was able to lower her payment when trading out of her vehicle with $12,000 of negative equity,\u201d he alleges.<\/p>\n
Anyone who\u2019s rolled a car loan with negative equity into another car loan knows that the outcome of that is usually, but not always, a higher monthly payment.<\/p>\n
This was apparently the case with Costa\u2019s customer. \u201cHer payment went up,\u201d he says. \u201cNot down. And then the customer decided not to do the deal and left while waiting for finance.\u201d<\/p>\n
He notes that the new payment after trading in a car with negative equity will be determined by multiple factors.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery case is different,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it also depends on credit. It depends on many factors.\u201d<\/p>\n
His bottom line is that if it isn\u2019t your sale, you need to butt out.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t ever go and talk to another customer while another salesperson is working a deal with that customer,\u201d Costa says.<\/p>\n
His advice has people coming for him specifically and car salespersons generally.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that car salespeople\u2014perhaps especially used car salesmen<\/a>\u2014are widely reviled. A list<\/a> of the most hated professions describes used car salesmen as \u201c fast-talking liars who do it all with smiles on their faces.\u201d<\/p>\n While this is just a stereotype and, as with any profession, there are good and bad actors throughout, Costa\u2019s TikTok put the taste of scummy car salesmen in many viewers\u2019 mouths.<\/p>\n “Seems like the receptionist was honest with the customer,” wrote one user. “Who in their right mind is going to roll $12k negative equity into another loan at probably 10-12%. She did them a favor.”<\/p>\n “Man, car sales people really do get on here and tell the world how shady they are,” wrote a second user.<\/p>\n “Wow, an ethical employee working at a dealership! Good for her! She is probably too good to work there,” a third user said.<\/p>\n In response to the commenter who claimed that the receptionist was simply being honest with his customer, Costa explained why his colleague may have led the potential buyer astray. It\u2019s actually inflation.<\/p>\n As he explains in a follow-up TikTok<\/a>, the increased cost of living due to inflation is making it harder for people to make ends meet on one income. This, he alleges in a text overlay on the post, is \u201cindirectly\u201d wrecking the car market.<\/p>\n