Kids not allowed at Tractor Dealership?

[aczlan]

:laughing: When I had my own machine shop, rarely would a customer bring in a child. When it did happen I had to watch them like a hawk. But mainly because of the danger factor to them. Unfortunately if a kid gets injured, people are quick to call an attorney. When they should be taking a belt to that kids backside.
However, I never ran off customers. If they had kids, I would give them something to keep them occupied.

My 3 year old is welcome in the office at the local machine shop, and they would probbaly let her on the floor with me holding her hand, but I wouldn't take her on the floor if there were people there working (ie: more people there than just me and the owner talking). Between the metalworking equipment, welders, grinders, etc, it would be too dangerous IMO.

Aaron Z

 

[ultrarunner]

I left out the ages... nephew is 11 and niece is 8.

Funny thing is I took my niece from another sibling with my to the CAT Dealer and she wanted to go in the showroom to look at the new tractors and one of the salesman gave her a CAT key chain... she still has it and always asks when I'm going back.

I've taken my niece to the SF Auto Show a couple of times and one time we were looking at a 350K++ Bentley convertible behind the ropes... she was 9 and said it was very pretty... the salesman came over and asked if we would like a closer look and opened the doors... I told him it was a beautiful car... just not something I would ever be buying... didn't matter... we had a lot of fun and she was sitting in the back, checking out the trunk and then he gave us/her a hardbound Bentley book...

Except for CAT and Deere... there are no tractor dealers in my county and the several adjoining ones...

 

[crazyal]

When I was young the local motorcycle dealer had everything on display for anyone to touch. Now there's a sign as you walk in saying not to sit on any display model and to ask a salesperson for help. All of the display models have tape around them to prevent people from just sitting on them.

Here's a hypothetical question. Which would be better? A dealership that has a strict policy when it comes to children around heavy equipment or a dealership where a child was injured or worse because the parent turned their head for a moment? In this day and age of lacking parents who think that their child has the right to do anything they want it's sad that dealers would have to go to extremes but it just takes one.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm thinking signage is fair enough...

The only sign was one listing operating hours... nothing as to children or needing the assistance of a sales person.

I had been there before and the older gentleman that owned the place was very likeable and had a lot of knowledge... my understanding the next generation is now in charge and the personable feeling certainly seems to have changed in my 3 visits since.

I know both my brother and sister-in-law were surprised at the reaction... sister-in-law even made a remark to her kids that people with kids shouldn't have tractors because they are dangerous...

When I was young the local motorcycle dealer had everything on display for anyone to touch. Now there's a sign as you walk in saying not to sit on any display model and to ask a salesperson for help. All of the display models have tape around them to prevent people from just sitting on them.

Here's a hypothetical question. Which would be better? A dealership that has a strict policy when it comes to children around heavy equipment or a dealership where a child was injured or worse because the parent turned their head for a moment? In this day and age of lacking parents who think that their child has the right to do anything they want it's sad that dealers would have to go to extremes but it just takes one.

 

[Coyote machine]

It's a double edged sword. Buyers want to, and need to bring the kids, nieces/nephews, etc., and dealers need to protect the people who enter onto their commercial property. Both need to be as reasonable as possible, while making sure no-one gets hurt, within all reasonable means of doing so. For instance not having kids in the shop is good for all. It's a fine line to make sure that no-one gets hurt around machinery, one doesn't want to drive off potential customers, and for those whose kids act up no amount of signage will make any difference. Dealers worry about their insurance being cancelled by ruthless insurance companies, and dread the potential lawsuit they might loose if things go to court in a worse case scenario.

 

[brain55]

I have worked in equipment dealerships for 12 years of my career. I don't ever remember turning away kids. Buying tractors used to be a very family oriented event. The more that was done to ease the minds of the customers the more likely the sale was, especially if the woman was comfortable. Shoeing her kids away won't accomplish that. I have also crew-chiefed a couple of dragsters, one being a jet dragster. As long as we weren't in a between round thrash, kids were always welcome there too, and typically allowed to get into the drivers seat with our close supervision. So even though I get the litigious nature of people I still don't get the harshness of their policy.

Brian

 

[Turbys_1700]

Boy things have really changed...
When I was a little boy I would go into the tractor dealership where my daddy worked and would sit on everything in the showroom and pretend drive...
The owner would always give me a quarter and buy me a coke...
He did that for all the kids that came into the dealership...
It sold them a lot of tractors...

 

[kiotiken]

That's pretty funny. They killed any sale they would have had with me twice, once when they said I couldn't look without the sales person, and once when they told me my kids weren't welcome. Actually, probably 3 times when they told me there would be nobody there to help me for an hour. I can understand that in a small family run dealership, but this one sounds a little bigger.

I take my kids over to the marine shop all the time. I'll sometimes even think up something I need as an excuse to take them. All 3 of my kids (oldest is 6) hop from boat to boat in the show room, pretend to drive and love every second of it. I'll even join them on the big yachts. It's never been an issue at all and the business/sales oriented people among you have already figured out why. I'm coming up with stuff to buy because we can make it an event to pass an hour or so and I'll often find a little something extra to buy when I'm mulling around the showroom for an hour waiting for the kids to have their fun.

 

[buickanddeere]

After seeing equipment ruined by child minded adults and their children running wild without supervision. There should be an electric fence around displayed equipment.

 

[KYDan]

Common sense is the rule, most parents/guardians are responsible adults who watch over their children and acknowledge their responsibility. However, you do have the ignorance factor. I was at an airport at Rough River State Park and a sweet grandmother was watching her grandchildren climb on the struts of an aircraft and swing on them like a monkey bar. I was appalled and asked here where her car was that I wanted to climb all over it. She looked at me like I was on ogre. I attempted to explain to her what a strut was, how it worked, and the stresses involved. It was obvious she didn't want to know or care as her eyes glazed over. Seeing that diplomacy was not going to work I told her I was going to take a picture of her yard apes on their commandeered gym set and present it to the owner so he/she could send her the bill for a safety inspection by an A & P and that it would be quite expensive. Some people have temporary brain farts, some are born into a permanent state of ignorance and apathy. If you are a dealer the public is your customer and you must treat them as a valuable asset or your business will die. Smart dealers embrace families and have things to interest children and include them in the process as they are sponges and need to learn, however, we all have bad days.