Dealer Kubota dealer turns ugly.

   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #1  

jnixon

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2006
Messages
42
Location
Spruce Grove, Alberta.
Tractor
Kubotas, L2800, B6200, RTV900..
So I'm in my local Kubota dealer today talking to the main sales guy who has been great to deal with the last couple years. We were chatting about various new models, pricing etc. and a couple times I mentioned TractorByNet forums and other online sources of information and he just turned nasty. It's like he had no interest in dealing with me anymore and this is a guy I've bought 3 tractors from in the past 2 years. I mentioned the thread about the L2800 PTO problems and he got insanely defensive about it. People who don't use the internet for a source of information seem to have this bitter grudge against it and it really bugs me.. I'm quite bothered by the whole incident and have mixed feeling about setting foot back in that dealership again. My loyalty to Kubota won't change but my choice of dealers might.

Anyone else have issues with this sort of thing ?

Grrr..
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #2  
Ive had them tell me that "such and such" just cant " be that way"... Ive always like that approach...especially when I knew they were flat wrong...lol

But then again..you get bad info from the BB also. I especially like the "Kubota's are shipped with SUDT in them"!! ( They **** too partner!!)
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #3  
My Deere Dealer has just gotten the same way. He used to tell me to go out and find your best price and I will match it, thinking you could never beat him, but the net has opened up alot of information. Its easy to find a dealer now that wants to get rid of something due to interest or because its not selling in thier area... So, I think local dealers have seen a cut in profit margins.

Plus, all the info on the net is not true, but some take it as gold. So I am sure it causes issues....
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #4  
I can understand dealers getting a little bent when comparing prices from The Heartland to prices here in Northern Virginia, then bouncing them against prices in Maine. Prices change depending on the volume and region. Look for the best price you can reasonably get and go with it. I can't beat my local dealer down with some price I got from some dude in Nebraska that has 27 BX's in crates for some odd reason.

From your post, Mr. Jnixon, it sounds like you were talking about some technical issues that came to light from users of the equipment whom you came into contact with in this fine forum.

It is my opinion that all dealers would be smart to be involved in a forum such as this one. The absolute WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN is they will be more informed of the post-purchase performance of their product and they can offer significant insight to us, the users, on what to reasonably expect from their equipment.

What's the downside to them?

Inappropriate, IMO, for a dealer to become irate at your being an informed consumer. What's he scared of?
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #5  
sometimes like telling your doctor what's wrong with you because you researched your condition on the net, eh?

There are tons of people who feel threatened by having to compete for your attention with the vast amount of info and the seemingly low prices available to you now. Can't blame them in some ways. Your dealer feels like you don't trust him anymore after he's done his level best for you (probably) within the limits placed on him by his standing in the dealer network. Small dealers can't hope to meet the prices that big volume dealers can sell at, nor do they often have excess or unwanted inventory lying around to discount heavily.

So it's time to decide which is more important to you - the best possible price or a fair price coupled with a known person's best efforts in your behalf.

As to problems with particular models - well, no matter whether you're talking about trucks or tractors or baby strollers you're going to see the bad side on the net. People complain much more than they sing praises and forums are a ready outlet for complainers. Sometimes it seems like a couple of problems with a particular thing, two out of maybe several thousands sold, mean that that product should be condemned across the world, doesn't it? Depends on the vehemence of the complainer(s), and boy howdy do you find some vehement people on chatboards.
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #6  
It seems strange how different people react to the same situations, I recommend them to be here! I've listened to many people that don't have the right ideas as to what they should have and not to say that everyone should do the same thing(boring!) you really should have the cat in hand before you attempt to skin it!
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #7  
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.
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #8  
Two sides to this, as all things. I agree with the dealer here, I stated feeling like I knew alot after 2 hours on-line, but my dealer (Cavalier in Ashland VA) was great, explaining to me the differences which did not come out on the threads I had researched, and verifying some of the poster's opinions.

I'm in sales, so I don't begrudge a dealer who supports you after the fact with making a profit larger than some fly by night internet dealer. That's where I take issue with consumers in general. I work for a manufacturer in consumer electronics and sell to brick and mortar (Real stores) customers versus the guy with a website and a UPS guy to ship product.

Stores and dealerships will always back you up, let you compare and generally make you feel a bit better about your purchase. If you then come in and lowball to the lowest price you saw, then you don't put any weight on all that comes with knowing who you have purchased from.

The dealers who can't deal with internet customers are probably just not good sales people, meaning there is a way to diffuse a price only customer if you are a good sales person. Acknowledge the customer's efforts, and then point out what else your dealership offers beyond the sticker price. If not, that's when sales people verbally fight with customers, which in my opinion, should never happen.

PS my dealer/ sales man was in the biz for 30 years, and was not totally aware of one of the updates (I read about a seat upgrade) and he thanked me for telling him. The guy is all class and I will bring customers to him. If you are good, you are not threatened by a customer who has done research.
 
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   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #9  
I've run into it too. My dealer, who's been very good in other ways, once said "You spend too much time on the internet." He was irritated by some questions I was asking (this was a couple of years ago so I don't remember what the conversation was about) and felt he had to shut me up. The internet sword can cut both ways, but I think the old timers are a little bothered by those of us who get info there.
 
   / Kubota dealer turns ugly. #10  
The internet is an extraordinary source of information and it isn't going away. Businesses that don't embrace the information age will be destroyed by it. If you want to research something where is the best source of information? Certainly your local dealer is one source but you'll only get one side of the story. Go to your local Ford dealer and ask him what he thinks of a Chevy. If you decide what to buy based on what the Ford dealer told you I doubt you'll be buying a Chevy. I personally do a lot of research before making any big purchases and the more sources I hear from the happier I am. The advice I get from people who will not profit from the choice I make are given more weight than anything I hear from a salesman. An exception to that is the dealers who post on sites like this. So if you find a dealer who gets all bent out of shape because you've done some research on the internet I'd turnaround and walk out the door. Ignorant customers are easy to deal with.

That doesn't mean you should walk into your local dealer and try to impress him with all your knowledge nor think that you know more about the widgets he's selling than he does. In fact it can help you a great deal in determining if this dealer is a good dealer by letting him do a lot of talking. If what he's saying doesn't ring true than it's better to find that out before you select him as your dealer.
 
 
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