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What I Learned About Young People While Trying to Buy a Car
Townhall.com ^ | October 23, 2018 | Dennis Prager

Posted on 10/23/2018 4:25:54 AM PDT by Kaslin

This past week, I went to five car dealers in an upper-middle-class suburb of Los Angeles to see what SUV I'd like to lease. I wanted to patronize local car dealers because I want them to stay in business.

In each case, I experienced the following: I was greeted pleasantly upon entering the dealership. A young salesperson asked if he or she could help me. I told the salesperson the model I was interested in. He or she made a copy of my driver's license and returned with a key to the car, and off we went.

In every instance, the salesperson was sweet, unenthusiastic and largely ignorant of the car in which I was interested.

All of them answered most of my questions -- such as "Is this SUV available in all-wheel-drive?" -- with some version of "l'll look it up."

I began car shopping many decades ago but have rarely gone to dealerships in the last 25 years (I generally drove the cars of advertisers on my radio show). My recollection of my experience in earlier days is that car salespeople (especially those of foreign cars) were car enthusiasts. They were passionate about cars in general and very knowledgeable about the particular cars they were selling.

But in every instance this past week, I felt I knew more about the car, from doing some research on the internet, than the salesperson did.

It seemed to both my wife and me that these car dealerships hired any decent young person who applied for a job, and that these young people regarded selling cars as no different from selling shoes: It's a job. It requires you to show up on time, be polite, accompany potential buyers on a test drive, look up answers to questions on your smartphone and go home at the end of the day. Their interest in cars was not necessarily greater than drug store employees' interest in hair brushes. Selling cars is just a way -- one of many others to come -- to pay the bills.

My wife saw in the answer "I'll look it up" one possible key to the problem: If the young people we interacted with this past week are representative of their generation, many do not feel the need to know much, because all the information they need in life can be found via Google.

I focused on another issue: While these young salespeople were unfailingly pleasant, none of them evinced passion.

I remember young (and old) car salesmen who loved cars. Sure, they would exaggerate a car's qualities, but they knew all about it -- inside and out. But this past week, not one of the salespeople said anything about the car during the test drive. Unless I asked questions, their only words were "Make a right at the next corner."

It makes me wonder what young people are passionate about in our time: favorite TV shows and actors? Music? Video games? Sports? Global warming?

If a 65-year-old salesman seems to be doing little more than going through the motions, we understand that perhaps we have met a modern-day Willy Loman. But a passionless 25-year-old? That's just sad.

Do the car dealerships know this? Do they care? At one time, the general critique of car dealers was they were too pushy. If my experience is at all typical, I can assure readers that pushiness is no longer a problem. The only thing any of the dealers pushed was free bottled water.

I am aware that every generation laments "In my time ..." But that doesn't necessarily invalidate what follows.

In my time, young guys -- I can speak with greater knowledge about men -- had hobbies/passions. And ambition.

If I were 25 years old and had a job selling cars, even if I had other aspirations for my life, I would still aim to be the best car salesman in America. That's what we refer to as ambition.

I would learn everything I could about the cars I sold. I would learn how to advocate for the cars without being pushy. During the test drives, I would say a lot more than where the customer should next turn. In addition to talking about the car, I would ask customers about themselves.

I detected little ambition in the sex previously known for professional ambition -- men. But no one should be surprised. Many young men have been coddled by parents and by society. If you receive a trophy just for playing, why try to win? If self-esteem is given to you without having to earn it, why try to earn it? If the government will take care of you, why work hard? Anyway, ambition in men is probably now considered a form of "toxic masculinity."

Perhaps most importantly, young men have been given the message that women have no need for the support of a man. Women, they have been told all their lives, are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and any children they might have.

So, then, if the government will take care of you and your income is not necessary to support a family, why be ambitious? Why push yourself to succeed?

Talk to the young men in your life and ask them if they are ambitious. Don't be surprised if they answer "I'll look it up."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: automotive; carshopping; carupgrade; masculinity; men
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1 posted on 10/23/2018 4:25:54 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Great article. I see it, too, in the young generation.


2 posted on 10/23/2018 4:30:09 AM PDT by simpson96
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To: Kaslin

And they are raised to vote dependency Democrat from cradle to grave.


3 posted on 10/23/2018 4:31:19 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: Kaslin
I remember young (and old) car salesmen who loved cars. Sure, they would exaggerate a car's qualities, but they knew all about it -- inside and out.

These days, Mr. Prager, most people don't have time to know all about a vehicle, inside and out, unless learning that kind of info is an avocation. I certainly don't.

While I get his point, I think this is something of a generational bias (I have it myself).

4 posted on 10/23/2018 4:33:49 AM PDT by sauropod (Yield to sin, and experience chastening and sorrow; yield to God, and experience j'?oy and blessing.)
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To: Kaslin

I don’t doubt the direction Dennis Prager took this in.

I think this is one of the reasons I am so concerned that Google has cornered the market on Internet searches.

They are no friend to the principles this country is founded on, and we know they shape and manipulate the returns on queries for information.

I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning, but this fills me with concern.


5 posted on 10/23/2018 4:34:04 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: Kaslin

How can someone have passion...for a car that looks like every other car on the road, is a technology laden piece of “something” that can’t even be worked on?

Passion? Hemi ‘Cuda. Mustang and Camaro. 55 - 57 Bel Air.

Who can have passion for a car that is no longer fun?

BTW I have a 69 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. Talk about FUN!


6 posted on 10/23/2018 4:34:46 AM PDT by fredhead (Duty, Honor, Country.....Honor, Courage, Commitment)
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To: Kaslin

My son started his new job yesterday. It’s a lab technician job at a local company that’s 85 years old.

He’s keeping his first job (at a national retailer) while starting this one.

On his first day, he was told about an employee that was fired because he made a mistake that cost the company $40k.

He was very worried about this, and we spent time last night discussing how he could avoid making a mistake like that. He was very attentive.

This morning he was up at 7:00 to get ready for his second day.


7 posted on 10/23/2018 4:35:33 AM PDT by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: sauropod

I would agree, but I do think he is talking about the car sales force.

Myself, I would have to rely on a company’s web site to know the details, and there are so many options now I can see where it might be a challenge for sellers, but...that is their job.


8 posted on 10/23/2018 4:36:35 AM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: Kaslin
Nothing like the problems they used to have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWIQuvbxu0E

9 posted on 10/23/2018 4:38:14 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
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To: Kaslin
I bought a new (2018) car last summer.

I decided exactly what make and model I wanted ahead of time so all that was left was the color and price.

For the price I used the free Truecar

Put in the make, model, colors and it will give a bell curve of prices from dealers around your zip, and tell you who they are, with a recommended price to pay.

The dealers (they cite) will go at least as low as the truecar price,and can be talked down more by playing them against each other.

10 posted on 10/23/2018 4:38:53 AM PDT by sickoflibs ('Equal protection' only applies to illegals not you!)
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To: Kaslin

Dealing with 5 young people teaches you about 5 specific young individuals. Generalizing to an entire population from 5 individuals is not smart.


11 posted on 10/23/2018 4:39:18 AM PDT by I want the USA back (The country is suffering from a hysterical obsession with race, skin color and national origin.)
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To: Kaslin

Hah! Have you tried speaking with a young person on the telephone? Instead of answering the phone with “Hello”...they just grunt. You say “Hi, this is so-and-so”. They say “Yeah, I know.” The entire conversation goes like that until your “Goodbye” is answered by a dial tone.

I can remember classes when we kids were taught telephone etiquette.


12 posted on 10/23/2018 4:39:46 AM PDT by ryderann
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To: fredhead

Drove a Mini the other day...fun little car. Wouldn’t buy one but they are fun to drive


13 posted on 10/23/2018 4:41:29 AM PDT by rrrod (just an old guy with a gun in his pocket)
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To: Kaslin

We bought a new truck last year and had the exact same experience until we went to a different dealer.

The guy we ultimately bought from was a truck guy. He was also a little bit older (mid-30s) and an avid outdoorsman.


14 posted on 10/23/2018 4:41:59 AM PDT by LittleSpotBlog
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To: Kaslin

You see a lot of this in socialist countries.

The US is freer than most in some ways but the “progression” has been advancing for several generations.

This is what happens when you keep compromising with communists.

Personally I’ve had enough which is why I avoid rinos.

There are many that seek short term goals and go ape over voting Repub at all cost. I prefer the long game because, as you can see, it’s been working for the commies.


15 posted on 10/23/2018 4:42:18 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Steely Tom

How proud you must be. Your son is definitely going places, good places.


16 posted on 10/23/2018 4:42:22 AM PDT by Auntie Mame (Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.)
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To: Kaslin

"...I’ll look it up..."


This utter vague helplessness is something I observe in virtually all young people encountered anymore.
I would never wish to be lost in the woods or stuck in a foxhole with them when perseverance is crucial.


17 posted on 10/23/2018 4:43:09 AM PDT by Blue Jays ( Rock hard ~ Ride free)
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To: Kaslin

Yet, walk into a Gamestop and any salesperson will be able to discuss any game on any platform to the point of exhaustion....


18 posted on 10/23/2018 4:43:36 AM PDT by jeffc (The U.S. media are our enemy)
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To: fruser1

So you vote for some third party candidate who has no chance whatsoever to get elected?


19 posted on 10/23/2018 4:44:39 AM PDT by Kaslin (And that is not)
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To: Kaslin

I think an additional factor may be the social climate young men have been exposed to. If a young man were to try to sell a car, odds are high that he would say something racist. Or sexist. Or otherwise offensive to someone. Just as in the dating world, where one small mis-step can mean criminal charges, in the working world you can goof up without even knowing it. The rules change constantly and in many cases no one is there to support or mentor a new worker. Life is a minefield today.

And so ... why try very hard? Life has become a thankless task in which someone somewhere is going to blame you for something. You’re never going to get it exactly right, so why try? Just show up and get your paycheck.


20 posted on 10/23/2018 4:45:02 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (If White Privilege is real, why did Elizabeth Warren lie about being an Indian?)
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