[BadMoon]

Originally Posted by Porsche

You handled this matter with grace and class, qualities that are increasingly uncommon in our country, especially amongst our youth.

You did The Right Thing. I thought you might, and was hoping you would.

By your own description, that employee was friendly and helpful, and treated you with nothing but respect. What if he’d plopped down on his sofa at home at the end of his day, and related his thoughts to his wife of the day’s events? How would that have been any different? It wouldn’t. It’s either wrong or not wrong to express one’s private critical thoughts; where one does so is immaterial so long as care is taken to keep them private. He did that. You overheard his thoughts (hardly critical at all, from what you wrote) through an accident of modern technology, nothing more. Those barely “critical” thoughts were never directed towards you or yours. Upsetting? Yes. But, mostly … very funny. You’ll laugh in the years to come. You’ll see.

You may even buy another car from that guy. (You can be reasonably assured that he got a “split deal” on the commission, as small as it may have been, so don’t fret on that account. He got paid.)

That dealership treated you well, ESPECIALLY in the aftermath of that unfortunate “technology hiccup.” I agree with you that they EARNED a top customer survey score. Polish off your act of decency by giving the dealership AND THE SALESMEN (2) top marks, as you say you plan to do.

Causing a man to lose his job for nothing more than accidentally overhearing his PRIVATE thoughts, PRIVATELY EXPRESSED, would have been a CONTEMPTIBLE and DESPICABLE act on your part.

Instead you behaved as a decent and honorable man, a COMPASSIONATE man.

Never apologize for that, least of all to a disgraceful, ignorant, howling lynch mob.

Well done, young fellow. Congratulations, and enjoy your wonderful new car.

You earned my respect.

I wanted to update this thread and this post seems a good Segway to do so. I have not received a phone call or letter from Toyota asking me about my experience. I have bought a few new cars in my day and I know you get flooded with these requests days if not hours after you buy. So was there a "buy cover up"? I don't know. I really can't say. I do think its weird that I have got nothing. I did send the sales manager a kind email as I did the new salesman. To be blunt the only reason I wanted the survey was to prove to them I'm a man of my word. I would have given them top notch feedback and forgot about the initial unpleasant experience. It doesn't matter, at this point water under the bridge.