Atamian Honda

We arrived today (Sunday 11/14/10) about 12:20 pm (just after it opened) and parked right next to the showroom. Were met by no one. We wandered around the lot for 10 minutes, looking at window stickers. after it opened) and parked right next to the showroom. Were met by no one. We wandered around the lot for 10 minutes, looking at window stickers. No salesman came out to see if we had questions. We entered the showroom & stood by a table. We noted one couple being worked with, maybe one or two customers being shown vehicles outside, and 3-5 employees (possibly salesman), milling around, helping themselves to popcorn. No other customers inside that we noticed. No employees approached us, even after making eye contact with everyone we could. We figured that we wanted a salesman who wanted us, so we weren't making a first move until we gave one a chance. But, after 5 minutes standing stupidly next to a table in the showroom, watching salesman get their popcorn (no one offered to get any for our kids, so we got it for them), we were getting ready to leave. Then, a salesman FINALLY asked us if we were being helped. We told him not yet, and he seemed apologetic, saying he assumed we were being helped. I told him I wanted to look over and test drive a 2011 Odyssey EX, was comparing it with the 2011 Sienna LE, and was making my decision and buying within the week, but that we could not buy today, as we had our young children with us and did not want to be distracted during the purchase process. I told him we definitely would be buying by next weekend & that we would have a sitter then. The salesman brought over the model I requested. I cannot recall him asking me a single time, during my entire visit, if I had any questions, and cannot recall him voluntarily pointing out a single feature or aspect of the Odyssey. When I asked him to show me how certain things worked, he complied, and that was it. This silence continued during my test drive. During the drive, I said I'd just driven the 2011 Sienna yesterday (the truth) and that the Toyota dealership had been giving me all kinds of reasons why Sienna beats Odyssey, including a printed sheet, and I asked him what he thought were Odyssey's advantages over Sienna. He told me he did not know off top of his head (!!!) and that I could look on the internet and find many websites comparing them. He said he wouldn't disparage Toyota, that the Sienna and Odyssey are both very good vehicles and that basically his opinion was people either like Toyotas or Hondas. Since I was already a Honda owner for past 20 years(I'd told him), I'd likely stick with Hondas. Hmm, all these things may be honest, but not very helpful, and, I guess not much of sales pitch. He also mentioned that upstairs at the dealership was a waiting room with some pastries, a tv, and toys. Ya think that he would've pointed that out on the way to our test drive, as he saw my husband attempting to keep the kids busy at a table in the main are. Apparently, no employee mentioned this to my husband while I was on the test drive, although one employee did off them some kind of cookies he was bringing in. The killer for me was, however, when we returned from the test drive. My husband was with our young children in the waiting room, and I told the salesman my husband would want to come out and take a look, too. The salesman apologized and said that he could only spend a few minutes with my husband as it was Sunday and the dealership was shorthanded and he had other customers to serve !!!! (There did not appear to be that many customers at this point, around 1:10 pm). He said if I came during the week he could spend 2 hours with me, but not today. With young kids and a part-time job, husband at work coming during a weekday is not an option! At this point, he'd spent about 20 minutes, at most, with me, including 10 minute test drive. I could not believe he said this. He did let my husband look quickly at a few things, but honestly he seemed in a rush to be rid of us. As we left he asked to get contact information from me, which I gave him, and my husband asked for their best price. He did not want to give it and said sales manager would not do it. We showed him our quoted, very good, price we'd received on the comparable Sienna LE, about 27200. He left and returned with a price of 28299, which is lower than sticker MSRP but higher than the average price paid for 2011 Odyssey Ex per autotrader.com. He stated flatly that dealership would not go below this price. We thanked him for his time and left. I will not give his name to avoid embarassing him. Perhaps he was having a bad day. His is an older man who said he was from Salem NH, if anyone from the dealership is reading this. He was not rude--he was the only one who attempted to help us--and I give him some points for being honest about (allegedly) being short staffed, even if it made himself or the dealership look bad. Nonetheless, I think he could have passed us to another salesperson to see if we had further questions, at the very least. The only positive in this experience was that at least I received no pressure to buy. I guess I can sum up his attitude (and this dealership's attitude), based on this experience, as "Take it or leave it. Atamian Honda does not care". I contrast this rather negative experience with our positive experience the day before at Ira Toyota of Danvers, where salesman Bryan I. immediately met us as we walked towards the showroom, showed my 3 and 5 year old where the enclosed playroom was, & spent over 2 hours with me, evaluating my needs, presenting me with other options for family vehicles that might be more economical (e.g., Rav4, Sienna), demonstrated on the lot all the features of each level of trim of the vehicles and advantages of each, explained even more features during test drives, recommended I test drive Highlander even after liking Sienna a lot, just to be sure of my decision, and really going extra mile in trying to gently convince me about Toyota quality, service, & advantages. He and his sales manager also came very close to the price we were seeking. What a contrast in sales experiences, which will likely weigh heavily in my decision. In any event, if I decide on a Honda, alas it will not be from Atamian. 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We needed to buy a minivan, as I'm pregnant with our third child (3 under 3!). Told the salesman I wasn't buying today, but I needed to make a decision between Sienna and Honda and then my husband woul third child (3 under 3!). Told the salesman I wasn't buying today, but I needed to make a decision between Sienna and Honda and then my husband would come separately as we have two young children and can't shop together. It is my car so I'll decide which one I'm happy with and my husband will finance it. I told him I hadn't seen inside an Odyssey so I was interested to see what features it had. He told me I had 'plenty of time' to shop for a vehicle before the baby came. How would he know? Doubt he's ever carried a baby during the last six weeks of pregnancy, when walking around a car lot is the LAST thing a pregnant woman wants to do. He couldn't be bothered to show me any vehicles on the lot, just walked over to the display model in the showroom (which I told him was not the model we were looking to purchase) and then told me everything the lower model didn't have! I could tell he wasn't interested in helping me so I asked for a brochure and left (within 10 minutes of arriving!). He then came out to my car and said I should 'come back with my husband'. Disgusting. We are definately buying a minivan, either Sienna or Odyssey, but I guess it won't be a Honda after all. More