Buying Advice A dealer looking for your input

[AHNC]

I'm in business. I'm a peddler. I agree that you have to review the whole sales/relationship history for your own benefit. When this guy comes in for service or parts I'd smile, be professional and charge the bejeepers out of him. The buyer was all about price and I agree that it was probalby a sales tax issue, unless you are in NH, which has none. At this point, you should be too!

I understand wanting the best price, but I've all ready had to draw on my local dealer for my tractor and they have been great. That is important to me.

If I was you, to protect my business, I'd drop a dime on the guy to the your states Dept of Revenue. Fairs fair!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I'm in business. I'm a peddler. I agree that you have to review the whole sales/relationship history for your own benefit. When this guy comes in for service or parts I'd smile, be professional and charge the bejeepers out of him. The buyer was all about price and I agree that it was probalby a sales tax issue, unless you are in NH, which has none. At this point, you should be too!

I understand wanting the best price, but I've all ready had to draw on my local dealer for my tractor and they have been great. That is important to me.

If I was you, to protect my business, I'd drop a dime on the guy to the your states Dept of Revenue. Fairs fair!

I would ignore this advise.

You mentioned the relationship you established with this fellow- mayby it became too close and he was reluctant to approach you over the 600 dollars. You may have forgotten a cardinal rule of selling, "always be closing".
This customer went too long without being closed, you have to strike when the iron is hot and after one of you sessions with him you should have sealed the deal-not waited for him to close YOU. People WANT to be sold.
Slight disagreement here. People want to buy (not be sold) but with alot of choices I find that they are hunting a reason to not buy each one they see until some thing kicks them over on one. Maybe the closing or can't find a negative. You may have been to nice for this particular fellow or his wife may have told how handsome she thought you are.
Now, don't become a victim over this one loss and do not become hardened to customers over it. Learn from the incident and don't forget that your mission is to sell product, you became caught up in a personal relationship you assumed you had formed and it cost you money and confidence. Sure , you were treated poorly and many of those posting want to give you a shoulder to lean on because they would never do such a thing- but you need to examine the whole scenario again and use it as a learning experience. The easy way out is to blame the customer for the loss. Good luck!

I agree with TripleR and believe this one may be the best answer.
Hope this one is better on my part.

 

[keyman1808]

I agree with JT. You drop a dime on your customer they are more than likely going to know who did it and will bad mouth you till the day he dies. As far as overcharging for parts, Well I wouldn't do it but I also wouldn't give him prefered price either. Straight up retail. And if he needs service tell him right out that your machines, the ones you sold, come first and his goes at the end of the line because your also about service not just price.. Then again around here in New England you'll pay that anyway, tough to find a dealer around here who will give you a discount for being loyal.

 

[psj12]

If I was the buyer, I would have given you a second shot at the sale after getting a lower price elsewhere. I would have even considered your price at a few hundred more than the othere guys if you were closer and I thought your customer support was much better.

I do agree with the person who said to "always be closing". I just recently looked at a property in OK that I wanted and the wife was onboard (big house, 35 acres, barn, pool and large pond). I asked the realtor to give us a second un-hurried look at the property. After being on the sale property for less than 1/2 hour he started rushing us because some other agent wanted him to show us another property "right now" due to a scheduling error between the two of them. He took us to the other property that was out of the price range we quoted him and we left to go back to the travel trailer about lunch time. The agent knew we were in the area for only one week to look at property and were enthusiastic about the 35 acre property. After my wife was able to sleep on it she developed cold feet about the purchase because she felt something must be wrong with the property and we went home without buying. If the agent had given us time to look and had suggested at the end of that time we go back to the office and sign a contract he would have sold that property.

 

[Dargo]

You guys ( with the exception of maybe one ) are all extreamly insightful. Please dont think I am whining or trying to get you all to feel sorry. I am honestly looking for advice to see if people just dont care about service or if the lessons my father always taught me still apply.

Oh and it was a $600 difference on a $35,000 purchase. I have lost deals before, but this one just hit me hard after the relationship we built.

I haven't read the entire thread but, as a business owner, I've finally realized that there are some customers I'm better off just letting go. It's not very often, but sometimes I have to just say "no" and pass on a customer. I'm not in the business of selling tractors, but in my business, I've spent months putting together business proposals, flown in people, flown in their attorneys and accountants etc., just to have them tell me that Company X beat my deal.

My initial response is to be internally ticked off but tell the client that I'm really sorry to hear the news. I quoted him the lowest price I could and still provide him with the quality product and service I know they'd expect and wish them luck. What makes me actually mad is when that same client calls me back the next day and says that they'll do business with me and there was no other company and they were just trying to see if they could get a better price from me. That's where I opt to let that one go. If they're going to lie to me up front, I feel that they are going to be a constant PIA and I'll never know when they are going to lie to me in the future.

My biggest problem right now is getting my clients to pay. Oh, that is really getting me. What do I do with a customer who has been with me for 10 years but now I've caught them lying to me 4 of the last 6 months about paying their bill. It's a long and complicated legal story but, when these people don't pay me, it's actually a federal crime. I've warned this particular client over and over in the last year. Now after catching him lying again yesterday, which made it 4 of the last 6 months, I'm really having a hard time this morning. Sure it will trash my relationship with him, but it very likely will put him out of business if I turn him over to the authorities. What do I do? He's been warned over and over.

I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but I think I'm giving an extreme example of what generally happens when you do business with someone your gut tells you is a mistake. It's been a struggle this entire 10 years I've kept this guy company with us. I'm not sure if I'm better off now than if I would have been when he used that lying tactic to try to get a lower price from me 10 years ago. I clearly went ahead and did business with him after his lying game, but it's been trouble ever since. I really think the only right thing I can do is now turn him over to the authorities and let him sink or swim on his own. I've warned him all I possibly could.

 

[Morgan Kubota]

Man you guys are spot on. Im not angered by this guy nor am i loosing heart. I got books filled with great customers that I can only describe as perfect neighbors. And I will go to the ends of the earth for these guys. I even spent two days fighting through the court systems to get a judgement settled for a guy just so he could get a new tractor. These people make it worth opening my doors every morning. I cant lie guys I have the greatest job, I get paid to talk about tractors all day. What a gig right??

JT your post may have hit a nail i never considered. Although I did ask for the sale ( try and close ) and his wife told him to sign the paperwork he was reluctant. maybe there was another cause I cant see. ( heck she might have thought I was handsome ) haha

I will definitly still smile when he walks in the door. Just like I tell my employees we got to keep our dealership a fun and enjoyable place to come. I take kids for UV rides and everyone can drive a tractor and play in the dirt. I have seen to many places where the customer is treated like an inconvienience. I prefer to really make buying a tractor a fun experience for the whole family.

Great advice guys. Really what I needed to hear.

 

[Morgan Kubota]

Dargo you got a tough one there brother. That long of a spread of lies is tough especially with the history you have with the customer. Has he paid any part of it or has he stiffed you for that long?

 

[The Dougster]

<"My question to you guys ( the buying market ) : Is service no longer important to people? Is a cheap price more important than Unbeatable service?">

In these times where "everybody" is having to watch their dollars, price is extremely important. How does this customer know they are going to get "unbeatable service"... How will your service be better than the next fellows?

I am reminded of a time I was buying a new truck. I'd look and then ask the salesman to give me his absolute best price. I don't haggle. One fellow refused to give me a price. He said, "I don't like to do that because the next place you go will cut my price by $50." No lie! He watched me walk out the door without giving me a price! Geez Louise (sorry Louise)

I often smile when reading these threads where guys and gals talk endlessly about "dealer service"... Folks, this is a business deal. You aren't planning on marrying this dealer. Get the best initial price you can and cut the deal. It is what it is.

 

[TripleR]

<"My question to you guys ( the buying market ) : Is service no longer important to people? Is a cheap price more important than Unbeatable service?">

In these times where "everybody" is having to watch their dollars, price is extremely important. How does this customer know they are going to get "unbeatable service"... How will your service be better than the next fellows?

I am reminded of a time I was buying a new truck. I'd look and then ask the salesman to give me his absolute best price. I don't haggle. One fellow refused to give me a price. He said, "I don't like to do that because the next place you go will cut my price by $50." No lie! He watched me walk out the door without giving me a price! Geez Louise (sorry Louise)

I often smile when reading these threads where guys and gals talk endlessly about "dealer service"... Folks, this is a business deal. You aren't planning on marrying this dealer. Get the best initial price you can and cut the deal. It is what it is.

Hate to disagree with you on that one Dougster, but it can easily be a very good relationship over time. Based on my "relationship" with my dealer, I have gotten a full service on my tractor "after" the deal was completed and paid for including a valve adjustment and complete AC cleaning and service.

I recently got about a $200 upgrade, again after the deal and payment.

As mentioned, there are times when the price is the determining factor and others when it is not.

 

[KeithInSpace]

...it was a $600 difference on a $35,000 purchase...

That is sick. Absolutely inexcusable on the part of the purchaser, in my opinion. Simply as a matter of fuel consumption making the trek to another dealership, this decision will bite him in the rear someday.

Some may disagree. Probably disagree. I'm no farmer that does this every season, but I belive the relationship in a purchase like this is almost as important as the purchase. I wander into my dealership for no particular reason every couple months. I shake hands, smile, and usually walk out with a hat or a shirt or something. Feels good.

If I shook my dealership down for $250 on my $15,000 purchase (the equivalent to your situation but in "my" dollars), I PROMISE I wouldn't have the same relationship with them. I've probably gotten that amount of money in FREE HATS since I made my purchase...

I actually envy more your position by sticking to your guns and losing the sale. I've done the same. It may not make sense at the time, but diminishing your costs to a bidding war when you get within $600 on a purchase like that is unnecessary. Ultimately, you'll win for it. I promise.

I'm sorry.

You, sir, are awesome.