Getting flushed down the toilet with the Auto Industry

THIS GRAPH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SUBSEQUENT DROPOFF OF SALES FOLLOWING THE CASH 4 CLUNKERS PROGRAM IN SEPT. 09

I started working for Autonation, the largest auto retailer in the country, in early 2008. A friend of mine suggested that, despite declining sales, it still might be a place to make some decent money.

It was. For a very short while.

Soon, business began to slip, mostly coinciding with the Bank crash of late 2008. It has not recovered since. The mantra I've repeated almost every month for the past two years has been "It cannot possibly get any slower." It has. Repeatedly. Even now.

Every few months, as things slowed and my paycheck (commission based) dwindled, "the man" - also known as the corporate tower - would "rightsize" my department. "Rightsizing" is the new "downsizing" - it just sounds nicer.

The Ecommerce department would get rightsized a couple of people, and my paycheck would bounce back up to its intended level, despite the fact that we were indeed getting slower and slower.

Over the course of this time, almost every person who worked above me either quit or was fired. You see, the Auto Industry refuses to accept the fact that people have no credit and/or money to buy a car. They figure that it must be something within their control and therefore they need to place the blame somewhere.

Now it is true, that over the years the Auto Industry simply treated people/customers like crap and had their way with them in every way that they could. They still would if they could get away with it. But that doesn't change the fact that our economy has simply tanked.

Finally, a couple months ago, I was rightsized. Actually, I wasn't even rightsized. My job description was changed and I was essentially offered a 50% pay cut. On a commission job. I have tried to make it work - working harder and longer to no avail.

Alas, it has continued to do the inevitable - it has gotten slower and slower. If I hear one more story about how much money these guys made "back in the day", I'm going to vomit. My "back in the day" never even got a chance to get under way. Oh well.

Que sera sera.