It’s been a couple of months since I’ve visited this place. I was going to let things go, but the experience I had continues to weigh on me. So, I think writing this review will help bring me peace. Warning: this will be a long review, because I want every detail to be clear. First, let me explain a couple things about myself. I’m a professional black woman in my 20s. My first car when I learned to drive was a hand-me-down Camry, which I loved and passed on to my sister when I bought a used Honda during my college years. I held on to my Honda longer than most would have given the changes in my professional life. I graduated college, got a job, got promoted a few times, moved out of the country to work for a bit, and came back to the same Honda. To be honest, my intention was to hold out for the lower end version of the Tesla. But I found myself struggling with my image toward my clients. Driving an old car didn’t matter to me, but I became more aware of how it looked to others given my change in status. That’s when I decided to purchase a new car. While researching, I had the opportunity to test drive the Prius at an event. I liked it, but it was missing somethings. That’s when a friend told me about the Camry Hybrid. He said it has what the Prius is missing from a space and luxury standpoint. I arranged to visit this Toyota dealership with him to see the Camry. When we arrived in my old Honda, we were immediately not taken seriously. I had to approach the salesman. Then, while asking to see the Camry, he barely wanted to show it to us. My friend, who is an older man, had to keep saying that I was the one buying and to talk to me. The salesman kept addressing him even when I was asking the questions. He kept asking “what color are you interested in?” I told him more than once that the color was the LAST thing I would think about, but to tell me about the MPG, horsepower, and how many cylinders. When I asked about the differences between the models, either he didn’t know how to answer or wouldn’t answer. He just kept talking about the price...”it will cost more if you want leather. It will cost more if you want a sunroof” etc. I had to say I’m not worried about the extra cost, but to show me THE car that had those things. He just pointed at various cars and said “it’s that roof over there, with the seats in this one here, etc.” I had to imagine the car by putting the pieces together. He didn’t let us test drive and would barely pull the car out (not even the one I wanted) for me to get a better look. My “imagination” and patience were failing me. I asked if I could see the Prius Prime to compare. His response: “the Prius is at the other end of the lot”. I said, “okay...can you show me?” His response: “so you’re not getting this car and you don’t want to talk about the price?” I said, I will talk about the price when I choose the car I want, right now I want to look at the Prime to see which I prefer. He literally smacked his lips and rolled his eyes before telling me he would go get someone else to help us. He pointed to the other end of the lot and told us to walk over there while he found someone else to help us. I was so stunned, but I tried to stay polite. We did as we were told and we waited in the Prius section for more than 10 minutes before we realized that no one was coming. We gave up and left the lot. When we left, I felt small and insignificant. He never treated us like customers even for a second. We left and went to Honda. I’m now happy to report that I’m the owner of a brand new, fully loaded, top of the line Honda Accord Touring Hybrid. And yes...the color was the last thing I picked out. It’s an amazing car that will definitely hold me over until I get that Tesla I’ve been eyeing. I wrote out this entire review so that people at this dealership can learn that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Yes, I’m in my twenties, but that doesn’t mean I’m not successful in my career. Yes, I’m a woman, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about what’s under the hood of a car. Yes, I came driving an old car, but that doesn’t mean I can’t afford a new one. Yes, I’m black, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a serious customer. I hope others reading this review learn that you DESERVE great service no matter who you are...if you’re not getting it, WALK AWAY. You’ll be happier in the end.
Breana Killingsworth
Nov 21, 2017
