I never bought a vehicle from Sons CDJR. I attended a car sales training program hosted at the…read moredealership.
Even though I wasn't a customer, the way I was treated and the dealership's enabling of that treatment says a lot about their ethics, leadership, and the kind of people they do business with.
Here's what happened, I discovered the training opportunity through a job listing and was contacted by Al Desarro's assistant. I was told I would receive one-on-one training from Al Desarro and hands-on mentorship with real, experienced car salespeople at the dealership. I was excited, especially since I'm someone rebuilding after an injury and ready to grow professionally.
When I arrived at Sons CDJR, it became clear I had been misled. There was no one-on-one coaching. No active sales floor experience. No dealership staff involved. Just a classroom full of other trainees and Al Desarro leading the session alone.
It was not what was promised and it went downhill fast.
From the beginning, it felt like I had a target on my back. Al asked me off-topic, obscure questions that weren't even in the training guide he gave us. When I answered, he'd cut me off. But when others got it wrong, he'd give them time and help walk them through it. The double standard was loud and clear.
During our lunch break, Al pulled me aside privately. Instead of offering encouragement or advice, he stared at me like I was crazy and asked, "Why do you think you can do this?" His tone wasn't constructive -- it was dismissive and condescending. I responded respectfully and confidently, explaining my drive and goals. He coldly replied, "Well, let's see how this day goes."
Later that day after asking more obscure questions and showing us YouTube videos, Al asked the group to share what we hoped to achieve from the training. When it was my turn, I said I wanted to use car sales as a stepping stone to gain experience, build businesses, and create generational wealth. Before I could even finish, he cut me off with a sharp "That's enough." Another trainee gave a similar answer and was allowed to speak without interruption. I couldn't ignore the bias anymore.
At the end of the day, I was pulled aside again. This time, I was told that Al, along with dealership leaders Clay Morrison (General Manager) and Missy Hubbard (General Sales Manager), had decided during the lunch break that I wasn't a "good fit" for the training. I was let go with no feedback, no explanation, no opportunity to improve. It felt like a decision made based on personal bias, not performance.
What shocked me even more was what came later. A year after this, I tried to apply to other car sales training programs only to find out I had been blacklisted from multiple dealerships across the city. All signs pointed back to Al Desarro, who doesn't even work at Sons CDJR but has personal ties to Clay and Missy and clearly enough influence to sabotage someone's future behind the scenes.
If you're a young person trying to get your foot in the door, be careful. Sons CDJR allowed someone who is not even their employee to use their dealership to belittle and blacklist trainees based on personal feelings and ego.
This wasn't about qualifications.
It wasn't about effort.
It was about insecurity, control, and favoritism and the dealership enabled it.
If they treat aspiring sales professionals this way, I can only imagine how they treat customers behind closed doors.
I do not recommend Sons CDJR for work, training, or even a car purchase. There are better dealerships out there.