What You Don't See

I have been in the car business now for almost 5 years. One thing I have come to realize is the fact of how hard this job really is. I know a lot of people, outside the business, don't really see the inside like we do. All the customer really sees is the finished product of a delivered vehicle. But I'm here to tell you that it's not what you see it's what you don't see.
What you don't see is the time away from the family. This is the hardest one for me and for most of the people in this business. Why is it hard? Well, for starters we open at 8:30 here but I'm usually early and we are here til at least 7 at night. That's a long day. I know there are some jobs that require at least this amount of hours so I am not trying to take away from those at all. In some towns they work later than we do and also have to work on Sundays. That can't be good either. But that's not all you don't see.
What you don't see is the fighting the elements. Now, I live in the deep south so the elements we face may be a little different that someone that lives in the extreme north but you will get my point. Keep in mind most of us work on some type of commission and it isn't always easy to make. Regardless of what most people think we dont make $5000 on every single car we sell if any! What you don't see is us standing outside for hours at a time trying to catch that one customer that is buying today. It's going out in the extreme heat, cold and rain to chase a customer that points at you, laughs and then drives away. Most people don't see that unless they are the ones doing it. You don't see us going home soaking wet from being in the heat most of the day and our socks and shoes being soaking wet from having to tread in the pouring rain. All that for that one deal of the day that may not even come. And that's not all you don't see.
What you don't see is us spending hours with a customer that had no intention on buying and in the mean time losing one that is. You don't see the fact that we have to negotiate with a customer that doesn't believe anything you say and doesn't really care if we make money on a deal or not. You don't see the bad surveys we get from a customer that we bent over backwards for only to have them say that the gas hand wasn't all the way on full or that the windows were a little streaked up. You don't see all the customers we have to go through to get to the one that we sell. Sure some are better at sales than others but there are times when we all have to go through this.
Now, I'm not complaining because this is the profession I chose to work in. This is how I provide for my wife and kids. I did this to myself and it isn't easy especially for my family. But before you  go to a car lot and treat a salesman like trash just remember most of them are just trying to provide for their family just like you are. Most of them are trying to make an honest living and wouldn't do anything to deceive or mislead you purposely though there may indeed be some that do. Remember, it's not always what you see it's what you don't see.