After a few conversations, I lose the ability to refer to him as
Stark, the way by-the-book journalists do in their stories. I can
call him only Allan.
Soon after the few conversations, he offers to introduce me to his
daughters.
He adds me to his e-mail list.
He memorizes my phone numbers.
He even offers to negotiate a sweet deal for a new BMW. This is
while we are chatting with Ted Levine, a sales guy at Lauderdale
BMW in Pembroke Pines,
Florida, a huge dealership carpeted with
shiny new luxury cars, each sparkling hood reflecting the Florida
palms and blue sky overhead. Lauderdale moves more BMWs a year than
any other dealership in the
United States. Since Allan started
Negotiate4U in October 2005, he's put two clients into Lauderdale's
BMWs, both through Levine.
Levine explains why he likes dealing with Allan more than selling a
car directly to a Josephine Consumer like me. "When I deal with
Allan, I don't have to worry about a customer running store to
store," he says. "I don't have to spend time explaining. I don't
get annoyed because he won't take no for an answer -"
"Once Ted says to me, 'That's it,' that's all I have to hear,"
Allan says. "He'll never hear me say, 'Oh, come on, Ted!'?"
"Exactly. Customers never give up," says Levine. "They want
something below cost. Even below cost isn't enough."
Then Allan suggests that perhaps I need a new BMW. I demur. "Not on
a writer's salary."
"I can get you into a brand-new one for as low as $529 a month,"
Levine says.
"How about $519 a month?" Allan says.
I promise them both that, when I want to buy a BMW, I'll give them
a call. "But I do live in Texas," I remind them.