Whoa! Didja get the numbers off that truck?!?


September 08, 2002 - 9:46 a.m.

Porters

So, we did the football jersey thing yesterday. It was a splendid showing. One of the porters actually brought a charcoal grill and set it up by the wash bay. Some of the guys pooled money together and got some stuff to cook on it.

Porters (or the ones at my store) are odd folk. They're the living example of low expectations. If you don't work in the car biz, porters are the guys who wash and prep the cars for sales. They also give service customers a ride to where they have to be that day, they empty wastebaskets and sweep floors and keep the showroom cars dusted. They're good guys, but I think some of them are at the high point of their professional career. The Charcoal Grill porter is in his early twenties, has a ring through his eyebrow and is considering working on his GED. He has a stalker girlfriend who is allegedly the mother to his unborn child. Geez, I thought I had problems! Another porter used to be a sales guy on the floor. He's the most interesting one. MD has an encyclopedic knowledge of cars, he has an incredible memory for details. His problem is self-esteem. He really doesn't know how smart he is. (Reminds me of myself at one point in my life.) The GSM recognized MD's brilliance. He moved him to the job of porter because he wasn't making sales, and that's what he was doing before his sales job. He's the best damn porter that ever was. He doesn't have to be told what to do. As far as DamnNear Chrysler is concerned he's still on the sales staff, so he comes to all the DC sales meetings and takes the certification tests. The GSM knows it's only a matter of time before MD realizes his true worth and comes out of whatever self-denial trip he's on. Any other guy would have sent him packing.

At 15 minutes to closing a couple came in, and I talked to them. They were looking for a used Cherokee. We had one, a 1999 Limited in great shape with leather and heated seats. It was perfect, they were in love with it. They bought it. One down, seven to go.

While they were in the finance office ("in the box" in car biz parlance) the GSM and I were out looking at the car.

Many times when a good used car comes in we send it outside to a detail shop where professional cleaners get every nook and cranny of a car clean and looking as good as it can be. Porters, being what they are, can't or won't get to this level of detail. I figured this car had gone outside for this treatment. The GSM told me that MD cleaned this car. It was spotless, save a few minor details. MD came out as we were admiring it. I complimented MD on his excellent work but he was in his usual form, denying his own good work. He said it should have gone out to detail where it could have been professionally done. I told him it WAS professionally done, by HIM. Of course in typical MD fashion he didn't accept the praise.

One of these days, we'll get through to this guy.





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