Dealer Kubota dealer turns ugly.

[Northland]

rbargeron and RFB-well stated-right on!

 

[LarryRB]

although I can't speak for Wallace, other that since he joined here, he has given good info on the brands he represents, I can speak for Messick after several dealings with them... I know a man, 15 miles away who has another brand tractor, Bought from a local dealer,, at list plus another 15% or so, who had cracked axle housings from the start,,, The local dealer blew him off many times,, Oh, they did the cursory stop by the house and take a look.. Nothing much more.. This guy called Messicks head service manager and over many phone calls the mgr explained in great detail how to tear down and replace new axle housings, bearings, etc,, BTW, this guy bought all the parts new from Messick because the local dealer basically refused to fix or warranty the items,. The guy is esctactic to at least have a safe running tractor now. Last time I talked to him,, last Friday in fact,, the tractor mfg agreed to reimburse him the parts bill since the local dealer wouldn't do anything,, I think he said they wouldn't cover shipping costs but just the parts,, As he says, taught him a lot about the local tractor dealer and what another dealer 500 miles or more away can accomplish.. IF he trades off, sells or upgrades, doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure where to go next time.

 

[BXRICK]

I can't understand why a salesperson wouldn't know as much as possible about the product he sells either. Yet, in my experience, many sales people don't see it that way. I know there are also many exceptions.

There is the school of sales where a "widget is a widget and I sell 'em". These people don't care what they are selling. They learn the buzzwords of the year, and rely on personality to sell.

There are also a lot of people who sell who aren't "professional salesmen". These are the good ones, in many cases, since they do know about the product (or are at least actively learning). They also are more likely to be honest.

I am a software engineer. The companies I have worked for all have had salesmen. It is amazing and depressing what they can sell without knowing what they are selling. The sales teams often won't allow us engineers to talk to customers; We might tell the truth, like "You really don't need that".

 

[Volfandt]

I am a software engineer. The companies I have worked for all have had salesmen. It is amazing and depressing what they can sell without knowing what they are selling. The sales teams often won't allow us engineers to talk to customers; We might tell the truth, like "You really don't need that".

In another life I've been a Sales Engineer and an Applications Engineer and I can atteast to the above statement being right on.

I used to judge the difference between a " good salesman" and a "salesman" by the former knowing what he sold and the later just knowing how to "sell"
The good ons earned their keep (high maintenance most times) whilst the others went on to peddle different wares....
I don't want to knock either or sales in general 'cause they are a necessary evil (just like they think of the tech dept btw )

I can also agree with the premise of the op as I have many dealers that I refuse to do business anymore with and the primary reasons having all to do with how I was treated. Now I'm not one to get all bent out of shape over a single transgression as I believe we all make mistakes but repeated transgression's signify a problem that I just don't need to deal with. I've got enough on my plate without having to put up with bad service from someone I've been dropping the $$$'s on......

later

 

[DiezNutz]

I am a software engineer. The companies I have worked for all have had salesmen. It is amazing and depressing what they can sell without knowing what they are selling. The sales teams often won't allow us engineers to talk to customers; We might tell the truth, like "You really don't need that".

In another life I've been a Sales Engineer and an Applications Engineer and I can atteast to the above statement being right on.

So can I. Engineering vs. Sales & Marketing must be a universal battle across all fields/disciplines/businesses...I'm pretty sure our marketing guys sell us out all the time. We also see the same thing with sales reps and AEs who come in to tout the latest design tools we use. Them, we get to have some fun with sometimes

 

[8226hamer]

I am about the most literate and supportive dealer of putting info on the internet.. but I can relate with this.

Internet savy customers can be the most difficult people that we see. Often they are very uninformed even though they think otherwise. Opinions get developed because of a thread feed by 2-3 people, pricing is found from years ago, specs are misunderstood and people often have no concept how large a machine is because they've only ever seen pictures. Instead of having someone who knows the equipment educate them, they take it on themselves and miss the most important points.

Don't get me wrong, its great to shop online, partisipate in forums and do your best to be informed. I do it too. You just gotta realize that the people that we end up talking with daily are not the ones that post and read here regularly, but rather the ones who check things out online for two hours and think they are experts. Its a case of a few bad apples making everyone look bad.

When I made my post about my problems that I have had with my L2800 with the PTO system it was to inform people that the system that these tractors incorporate is not the best choice of tractor to use for running ground engaging PTO driven implements. I found out by another poster about the service bulletin regarding the new style cams that were designed and were being installed on later model tractors. Kubota never mentioned this change to me and twice when my PTO failed it was repaired with the old style cams. I was concerned about my tractors warranty about to expire and with about 30 hours of PTO use and the tractors PTO system having failed twice now if the repair would be covered under the power train warranty when it failed a third time. I was very concerne that it would since it has twice already has failed with so little PTO use time. I was told by my dealer that it wouldn't. I read what my warranty guide said and I thought it should be. My dealer told me the division field rep was going to be down and if I wanted to talk to him about it I could. He informed me that it would not be covered either. He never told me about the new cams that were being used. I was told that I choose the wrong model of tractor for my type of application that I use it for. To me that was a cop out.

It took me calling the Northern Division and talking to his suppervisor to get it confirmed that this repair would be covered under the power train warranty. I posted about my experience that I have had in regards to this on this board to educate other early model L2800-3400 owners about this since Kubota was not telling owners about it. I gave Kubota themselves plenty of opportunity to post in reply to my situation and never got a responce to any of it on this board. (why)???

There were several updates that these tractors have had and not one of them did I learn from Kubota about them. They were all learned about from this board. My dealer didn't even know about these updates, or service bulletins that came out on these tractors until I informed him of them. I found out about them by reading this board. I feel the dealers should read these boards and if the information that is posted here that is incorrect, then state that it's not correct and set the public straight, or if there is a recall post it and let the public know. Alot of information that is posted here is about a recall or a factory problem and the more people that are informed about it, it is going to cost Kubota more money to correct it, and the less that is informed, the less it will cost Kubota to correct it. If there is a problem a company is much better off standing up and taking care of it. It may cost them money, but in the long run it will be worth it. It doesn't take much bad reputation to ruin a companies good reputation that they have always had. People tend to look at whats bad and not good is what I have found.

Everything that I have posted about my experience with my problems have been true. I wasn't trying to hurt Kubotas image at all I just wanted a tractor that would and should be able to run a roto tiller and not have to worry about the PTO not holding up. There is nothing in any of the information booklets that Kubota puts out on these tractors saying that it was not designed to use a roto tiller. In fact the booklet list a roto tiller as an accessory. I depend on my Kubota to earn a living with and if it doesn't preform as it should I can not do this.

If your job was at stake, how would you feel? I have always used Kubota tractors in the past and still think they make quality tractors, but feel that Kubota should have did more testing on the PTO system that these tractors use before selling them to the public. I would like to know how much testing was done by Kubota running a roto tiller by this series of tractors before selling them to the public, not much I would think, or they would have redesigned the system.

I have heard several times that this series of tractors are (economy) tractors. That may be, but even an economy tractor, I would think would have a dependable PTO system, and would not have cut corners on something as important as a working PTO system to make a tractor less expensive to consumers.

Tractor By Net has helped me and other L2800-3400 to be educated in regards to this, and I am thankful for that because without it , I feel this problem would have been swept under the rug by Kubota.

I don't know if your quote about bad apples making a situation look bad was addressed to me and my post. I think what really looks bad is that you or Kubota would not address this or respond to this matter at all on this board. I know very well it was being followed by Kubota as I was told that the service bulletiin was (doctored) by a Kubota rep over the phone, that was posted on this board.

I feel Kubota would look much better by standing up and doing whatever it takes to make this problem right other than denying there is a problem and having to go through what I have had to go through.

The problem is there, and Kubota knows it. Why not do the right thing and address it? If they would have, I'm sure that the post I made about my problems would have been much different and much better for Kubotas reputation when it comes to customer service.

I wish someone would have made this post before I purchased my L2800 be cause if they would have, I never would have had to made my post. I would never have bought this model of Kubota tractor.

 

[RayMunising]

I wish someone would have made this post before I purchased my L2800 be cause if they would have, I never would have had to made my post. I would never have bought this model of Kubota tractor.

And you all wonder why some dealers don't like customers reading TBN??? 8226hamer could be made into a poster child! I personally can't thank him enough for the information he passed along concerning the L2800/L3400.

 

[john_bud]

Tractor By Net has helped me and other L2800-3400 to be educated in regards to this, and I am thankful for that because without it , I feel this problem would have been swept under the rug by Kubota.

8226hamer,


Great post. Too bad you had such miserable service from your dealer.

I think you ran into a situation where it was easier to deny there is an issue that deal with it. Certainly at the dealership level, probably at the rep level and possibly at the corporate level. I tend to think it's just people being afraid of quickly facing difficult issues square on. Intellectual laziness and a fear of facing consequences.

In order to help correct the root issue, have you written a letter to the Director of Quality at Kubota in Japan? Not a nasty letter, just polite simple factual explaination of the issue you had, the steps to resolve it and the barriors that were placed in your way. Defective customer relations are defects too.

jb

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

hammer does make a good point in that the internet can be a replacment for a bad dealer. What you had is a dealer problem - not a tractor problem. There was a PTO issue, it was fixed. The situation was that your dealer was not reading up on the common issues for that machine and was not giving you good service. The annoyance for us good dealers comes when people read your disertation and assume that there is now some reason to avoid that model... at this point there's not. Any dealer with their salt keeps up on this stuff and addresses the issues as they occure. My customers go out, use and enjoy their product and not worry about this stuff. Thats our job. There should never be a need for TBN, online service info, etc, etc providing that the local dealer network is pulling its weight.

I would have done exactly what you did. Kudos for taking the inititive to get it worked out. I don't blame you at all, I'm just trying to show the other perspective.

 

[Kendall69]

On more occasions than not I have educated dealers, on how to repair things that they could not.
I had a Ford Excursion that would not cool, A guy on the net found a kinked vacuum line that was behind the dash that they never would have found.
After taking it in several times and getting "sorry we can't fix it" - they did what I found and all was fine.
On a new vehicle that I just purchased the parts department informed me that "no one makes that part" - a hitch receiver. I did a search five minutes later I called them back with a manufacturer and a part number.
Good dealers should welcome a helping hand.