Concealing Prices from Customers
The training seminars also taught salespeople to focus customers on monthly payments and avoid discussing or disclosing the cap costs of vehicles. Numerous strategies and tricks were taught that were designed to conceal the actual prices that customers were paying.
For example, page 3-30 of the 1989 manual says, “Customer Response: What are you charging me for the car?” It then explains how to deceive the customer into thinking the deal has a big discount: “Salesperson: Mr. Customer, are asking me what kind of a discount you are getting?” Salespeople were then taught a deceptive strategy to add up the monthly payments (and any down payment) on the lease, comparing the total with the MSRP to trick customers into thinking that the price was a lot lower than suggested retail.
No mention was made of revealing the actual price (or cap cost). And that was important, since dealers and salespeople were also taught how to cheat customers on discounts and secretly increase the prices of cars.
Tags: Technology