While Black automobile dealers are fighting to keep their dealerships open, they are also trying to find good sales people to help move inventory.
Auto dealers say that some people think filling management positions are the hardest, but in reality sales is more challenging.
“That old saying that it is hard to find good help these days is so true when it comes to finding good salesmen. It seems like too many times the salesmen have hidden agendas and are not fully committed to helping the dealership grow,” said Jenell Ross, of Ross Motor Cars in Centerville, Ohio, one of three Black, female GM dealers in the country and the only Black, female Mercedes dealer.
Ross and about 300 dealers were in Chicago recently to attend the annual conference for the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers.
The auto industry is already having a difficult time with General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC operating under bankruptcy protection and Ford Motor Company expected to follow suit by year-end if the economy does not improve, said Martin Black, an industrial analyst for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
“Money is tight for consumers so the last thing a buyer needs is to have a bad experience while trying to spend money,” he said. “Too many salesmen have scared off potential buyers because they delivered poor customer service. Dealers are not providing any customer service training so they should not be surprised by the actions of their employees.”
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