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Why am I taking this so hard?

1K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  Saddlebag 
#1 ·
First let me say that I'm not an overly sensitive person. I have a pretty thick skin from years working customer service and from working as a rental car agent for several years.

So here's the situation.

I have worked at a local car dealership for seven months. I haven't sold very many cars, but that's been my fault. I've realized sales aren't for me and have been looking for something else, but this is a small town.

So today I get to work and one of the managers (not my sales manager, but one of the managers that no one is quite sure what his function is entirely) calls me into one of the offices and shuts the door. He then goes on this long schpeal about how sales aren't for everyone and they've given me so many chances and I'm just not cutting it as a sales person. Ok. I already knew this. I've been at three different dealerships within the company since I was hired and every time they moved me, it was supposedly for a reason other than my sales. Then the manager basically says I have two options: quit or go to the back and work in the wash bays (the only position available within the company right now, apparently). Since I can't be without a job, I chose the latter.

After I walked out of the office, I thought I was ok. I mean, at least I still have a job, right? Yeah, well, I'm not ok. I barely made it outside before I started crying (not hysterical or anything, just tears). Any time one of ky coworkers asks me what's wrong or what the manager wanted to talk to me about, I start crying. My sales manager came up and apologized and said that he didn't know this was going to happen until the other manager showed up this morning and told him. I couldn't answer him because if I had, I would have started crying again.

I just don't know what to do with myself today. I start as a washer tomorrow. Do I still pretend like I'm a sales person and try to sell a car? I can't go to my sales manager and ask him because he's busy working deals for the other guys.

I just don't understand why I'm taking this so hard. It's not the end of the world, I'm not losing that much money (same base pay, just less hours), I'm definitely not above "manual labor," and at least I still have a job.
You can bet I'm going to be actively searching for a new job, though. I'm 30-years-old...I want to move forward in my job/career, not backward.
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#2 ·
Even though we can admit to ourselves that certain things aren't a good fit, when someone else, especially someone in authority points it out, it's a blow to our egos.

You're feeling like a failure right now, so of course are depressed. As you said, you still have a job. You're much luckier than so many other people.

Keep sending out your resume, and next time don't take a job if you know going in it's not going to be a good fit.
 
#3 ·
SR, I honestly thought car sales would be a good fit when I was hired. I love cars and I like helping people (it's what made me a good rental car agent, too).
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#6 ·
SR, I honestly thought car sales would be a good fit when I was hired. I love cars and I like helping people (it's what made me a good rental car agent, too).
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Renting and selling are two completely different animals, and I wouldn't exactly call car salespeople warm and fuzzy. They're in it to make money, and if that means using some pressure tactics on the consumer they can't let their conscience get in the way. I have a feeling you don't have enough of a shark mentality to do that to people, which is why you stink at sales. :wink:

I HATE vehicle shopping. It's supposed to be fun and exciting, and for me it's just annoying and stressful. Which is why finding out that Enterprise sells their fleet vehicles and uses No Haggle Pricing worked wonders for me!
 
#4 ·
You take a deep breath, chin up, smile, and spend the entirety of today selling cars. Make it fun because you have nothing to lose today. Nobody died and you still have a job. I would go to the bathroom look myself in the mirror and say something like that outloud. In this situation, for the rest of today, what is the worst that could happen? You don't sell a car - ok well you already have a different position. OR... You sell a car - go out on a good note and let them see your value as an employee.

Sales and negotiations are hard. It sounds simple, but the subtle tactics and ability to read people takes much more training than you realize. Some people have that ability inherently and some don't.

What was hard and emotional about the meeting was having someone actually tell you that you weren't "good enough". Honestly, it sounds like they were kind in finding you a different position when they could have let you go entirely. It is really hard to hear things out loud from someone even when you know it is true.

Just think the manager who had the talk with you, it was probably pretty hard for him to say those things. Nobody like "firing" someone or having to tell them that they need to work on certain skills. That can be stressful too. Don't take it personally. The managers must like you or you wouldn't have another option.
 
#5 ·
I tried my hand at car sales a million years ago. It wasn't for me. I had a hard time jacking up the price of a car knowing that the person I was selling to was working with a budget (It was a used dealership). I did however enjoy being a title clerk.

I think you should go into work holding your head high and do the wash bay job. It will feel good to do something physical and you won't have to get all prettied up which is nice. Keep sending your resume out and the right job will come.

I think you are taking it hard because no one wants to be told they "can't" do something which is sort of what they are saying to you. That you "can't" do it. That's probably not the truth, the truth is probably more that it really isn't your thing. I mean, you have to be kind of a pushy, in your face, butt kissing type of person to make it in that type of sales. You probably are a little too polite and curteous for it. That's NOT a bad thing.

You'll be fine. It just sucks right now.
 
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#7 ·
go be the best wash rack person you can be keep a positive attitude, you'll need the reference. Think about that phone call. The managers gonna say, Well wasnt real good at sales, but had a positive attitude and did anything we asked. The manager didnt tell you anything you didn't already know.
Sales blows, seems you constantly get blamed for things beyond your control.
 
#8 ·
I don't want it to seem like I'm upset with the manager or the company, because I'm not at all. Yes, I would have preferred a different position in the company (like receptionist), but they put me where they had an opening. I appreciate that more than I can say.

I guess I'm upset because I feel like a failure. I've only ever gotten one negative review in the 14 years I've been legal to work (and even now no one is entirely sure how/why I got the review I did because it was so far off the mark). I ran an in-town agency rental car location for almost four months on my own. I trained all the new rental car agents on the counter that started after I was hired.

And now I just talked to the guy who is supposed to be my new manager and he has no idea what's going on. Also just found that apparently I threw a monkey wrench in the GM's "grand scheme" by accepting the wash bay position and not quitting. From what my sales manager said, the GM was immensely surprised when he was told my acceptance of the wash hay position. They fully expected me to quit.
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#9 ·
I agree with the first response about it being a blow to our egos when someone criticizes us, even constructively/nicely. The only real way to get over it with your head held high is to humble down and forget about your pride. You yourself knew it wasn't for you, so the way to deal with it is to become humble and accept it. See it as someone agreeing with you and being in rapport. He could have said, "what is your problem; you're fired!" but he offered you another job, indicating to me that he still values you as a person.

Not every quiet man is humble, but every humble man is quiet. - St Isaac the Syrian

:) Hang in there.
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#10 ·
So, you surprised them-nothing wrong w/that. Now, be the best wash bay person you can. Those cars need to look good,so do everything you can to get them shining. Will there be any training on detailing? A good detailer can start their own business. My friend got a clay bar & waxing done to her truck as a gift-it made it look brand new!
 
#11 ·
I highly doubt there will be training provided. The guys back there barely do a half-a$$ job most of the time.

Tomorrow should be interesting. Apparently I was supposed to quit so that they didn't have to pay me unemployment. They totally didn't expect me to accept the wash bay position. The GM even asked my sales manager why I don't just go to work for my boyfriend (he runs a vending machine business and has machines in three of our five dealerships). Simple answer to that one is because he doesn't get paid, so neither would I (he works for his mom and she says she can't afford to pay him). The guy who is supposed to be my manager starting tomorrow had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen and said that he was told that after Robbie (his manager and the owner's son-in-law) gets out of the morning meeting, that they'll "decide what to do about [me]."

Again, to clarify, I was never upset about the demotion, if you could call it that. I've done a lot worse jobs in my time, so I'm not above doing anything. In fact, with this new position, my pay goes from $7.65/hr to $8.00/hr, I actually get paid for overtime (right now sales people don't get paid overtime), and I get a uniform supplied to me (which will probably come out of my check, knowing how this company works).
 
#12 ·
Well, I would have to say you aren't seeing the forest for the trees. There are a lot of people that would have quit vs take the offer. That is a positive in your court. And, then there are people like me that would have taken the washing job before taking the sales job b/c they just can't even try to do sales. Another positive in your court.
 
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