Ford is learning change is not always a good thing when it comes to selling cars. Ford's dealers sold Taurus' for 20 years until the company ditched that name and began selling the Five Hundred. Until February, of course, when the Five Hundred became the Taurus again. At most dealerships.
Winding Road reports that CNW Marketing shopped around and found about 20-percent of Ford salespeople still trying to sell Five Hundreds instead of the revived Taurus. And another 60-percent of the sales team usually call it a Taurus, but occasionally let slip the old name.
We agree with Winding Road that Ford needs to get a handle on this. No matter how good the product, if your sales force can't even remember the proper name, how are the buyers supposed to? Personally, when I'm shopping for a car, if I know more about the car than the the person selling it, I walk. And if they can't get the name right, how am I supposed to believe them when they tell me the Taurus is the best car available? Come on folks, you've had six months to get used to Taurus rolling off the tongue, get out there and sell some cars.
If your Ford sales staff is having trouble keeping the two names straight, feel free to print our handy Field Guide to the Ford Taurus above.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
MGBYG @ Sep 18th 2007 9:36AM
The one without the huge Gillette razor stuck on it's nose is the 500...
Drewboy @ Sep 18th 2007 10:38AM
Mach 3!!!
Alex @ Sep 18th 2007 9:37AM
nothing gets to me more than when the dealer knows absolutely nothing about the cars he/she is selling. The lesson i have learned, talk to the mechanics.
cowboy bob @ Sep 18th 2007 9:44AM
I personally like the name "500" better than "Taurus". The fivehundred seems to connotate something more substantial and upscale than the rental car favorite for Hertz. I know it's just a name, but Marylin Monroe, Rock Hudson, etc. were just names too.
geo.stewart @ Sep 18th 2007 9:45AM
I dont care what car it is, IF I ever find a car saleman who knows more about the car than me, I'll buy it then and there.
These guys are there selling a box to get a paycheck. they know the basics, will agree with you on everything, and say the car is right for you. then they will defer to their mgr on all things numberwise. dont call them car salesmen, call them dealer escorts...
Jacquester @ Sep 18th 2007 9:45AM
I think this either goes to show you the incompetence of the staff or the general apathy towards that particular product. In my opinion, if after six months a sales person screwes up a name, he should be fired on the spot. I don't agree with ford's name switching, but how incompetent do you have to be not to remember a name. What about engine choices? "uhhh.. i think this comes with a.. uhhh... inline 6... i think... maybe"
Eddy @ Sep 19th 2007 9:21PM
Everyone's so quick to jump on salesmaen. But, when they DO know more than you, it's still invoice!!!!!!! Salesmaen get paid on profit over $500 over invoice. So... PISS OFF! I'd say it just to piss people off. whoopdee shit, I lost a hundred bucks. Guess I'll get paid hours for blowin you out onto the street.
mavkato @ Sep 18th 2007 9:46AM
i would be more concerned with the lincoln dealers getting confused with the MKeverything
500 @ Sep 19th 2007 8:30PM
Exactly. You think the Ford salesmen are confused now, just wait till your local Lincoln dealer is carrying the MKR, MKS, MKX, MKZ, and the Mark LT. Heck, even the Ford EXECUTIVES like Mullally can't keep the names straight in their speeches!
berne1 @ Sep 18th 2007 9:46AM
It's a miracle the number isn't higher than 1 in 5, with the way Ford has been playing musical chairs with that name.
"Here's the Taurus replacement, but it's not called the Taurus, it's called the Five Hundred. The Taurus will soldier on in Hertz rental fleets for a while." Then two years later, "Remember the Taurus? We're bringing it back, but not as a new model. We'll replace the Five Hundred name with Taurus starting with the '08 model. So the car that replaced the Taurus but wasn't called the Taurus, is now called the Taurus."
Zazu Pitts @ Sep 18th 2007 9:55AM
This kind of thing takes time like anything. Relax. If people want the car, they will buy it. Just because they got the name wrong is meaningless. Any informed buyer will know what's what. And even if they weren't informed are they not going to buy the car because it has Taurus instead of Five Hundred on the back???? Hmmmm...
Salesperson: "Uh maam, this here is the new Ferd Five Hunder-red. Isn't she great?"
Buyer: "But is says Taurus back here."
Salesperson: "Uh oh, that's riiiiight. They changed the name and made several hunder-red improvements over the outgoing Five Hunder-red"
Buyer: "Ah hah, the salespeople are lying to me!! It must all be lies, lies, lies. I will never buy another car from this dealership!!"
Salesperson: "Dernit."
Informed salesperson, isn't that an oxymoron?
Drewboy @ Sep 18th 2007 10:42AM
Its like this at any sales job. Those who are professionals update their information constantly. Then there are those who think just because they're in a particular field that money is just going to fall in their laps.
PatPage @ Sep 18th 2007 10:06AM
Let us not forget Ford stores may actually still be selling leftover Five Hundreds alongside the new Taurus.
srivendel @ Sep 18th 2007 10:08AM
95% of car salesgnomes are morons. I mean, your freaking livelihood depends on things like getting the name right and you still get it wrong? That's why the 5% who actually take their jobs seriously can make a killing.
P to the C @ Sep 18th 2007 10:18AM
I ran into this 2 weeks ago with a guy trying to sell me a Freestyle instead of what it really was which was a Taurus X. I corrected him a couple times but then said screw it.
I would also agree that the name change was a bad idea. It's not like the Taurus was a well respected brand. It's like renaming the Focus as the Pinto because everyone automatically knows a Pinto is a Ford. The Ford Five Hundred was a classy name and a well respected car. To throw that away in favor of Taurus, especially considering the costs involved, just wasn't a good idea.
Steven T. @ Sep 18th 2007 10:26AM
This is a predictable problem Ford could have avoided if it had renamed the car the Taurus 500.
jw @ Sep 18th 2007 10:32AM
have you ever talked to a ford sales person..there pretty dumb..the dealers will hire anyone off the street and give them 0 training...very few survive in this business..better change this attitude fast of go out of business...
Jim in Tampa @ Sep 18th 2007 10:42AM
You walk away from a car salesman when you know more about the car than they do? That's no fun. Messing with them is much more fun. Ask questions like torque, the size of the disk brakes, the size of the gas tank, etc. It's much more fun to watch a salesman squirm while getting to test drive the car.
Tio @ Sep 18th 2007 10:45AM
Just call it the Taurus 500.
Mr. Oak @ Sep 18th 2007 10:50AM
"Personally, when I'm shopping for a car, if I know more about the car than the the person selling it, I walk."
Aren't you in the wrong field? I almost always know more about a given car than most of the dim with that sells them. Most car enthuiasts do. Even when I sold cars, I was always the point of reference for the competitors' specs.