Local Kubota dealer not honoring warranty

[MessickFarmEqu]

this doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling- i bought my kubota from a relative so i guess no dealer will honor any warranties -right- i always thought that companies reimbursed dealers for warranty work

Lots of posts about if a dealer 'must' do warrenty work. We are obligated, however enforcment of that can't be the easiest thing. We still go back to that senerio where if you really want to give that place the business, rather than just going somewhere else. There are 1100+ kubota dealers in the country, so there are lots of options.

This is a very common issue in the equipment market, more so in the lawn and garden sector because of the box stores.

Amen. Lawn equipment is the worst for this!

..more backstory, since you guys seem to find our problems interseting... Normally we are paid our retail labor rates, the problem is that the flat rate schedules for the jobs are nearly impossible to reach. For example, there are tractors where a complete engine exchange will flat rate at under two hours, when its all but a days job.

 

[Tx Jim]

Being a former service manager for a dealership(green not orange) I agree with what Messick's stated. A few flat rate jobs can be done in allowed time but most can't be done in the allowed time. Flat rates are created in a perfect environment while customers tractors normally don't fall in that category. I'm wondering if dealer was told that the tractor owner bought tractor in his former hometown and has since moved to the new dealers area and plans on continuing doing business with the new dealer. Sometimes "good communications" can get a lot accomplished.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I responded when this thread started with, I think, the word stupid (referencing the dealer) several times. Still sticking to my opinion of that dealer.
I've owned some businesses and am in the process of selling one now for over a half milllion dollars. I bought and worked a failing rental business (22 residential plus storage) for 2 to 3 years and have mostly skated the past couple of years by maintaining a standard and organizational/learning what's a mistake vs what's right and being available to listen to my renters and caring about them.
For me I like a challenge and it's now gone so selling and moving on. Giving my buyer a free year of advise which will be hard because he's scared and focusing to much on income not "the entire servicing" of the business. It's supposed to be his long term retirement program to bring him in 4 to 6 thousand dollars clear per month which it will do if operated/maintained properly. It can bring in 9 to 10 thousand a month but to sustain that level will require a fantastic amount of committment. He's scared with the size of debt and the need for the monthly income to make his bank payment. He's been a Home Building Contractor for 25 years mostly building spec homes and moving on. He does good work but it's still mostly building, selling and "next".
Rental property is an ongoing service and support industry with decisions of rent it or better to let it sit empty vs renting to some people. Big problem is the bank, taxes, ins, repair and waste control wants paid monthly no matter if you rent or don't rent. That can/does put a lot of pressure on people especially if paying their bills and maintaining a good "name" is important to them.
Some "most" people don't have the "personality" to be business owners/self employed/managing employess that they pay. I managed employees for years that I didn't have to give them money for their work, the money came from my emploer and it's different than paying someone out of your pocket or someone elses pocket. I've also done the pay the employee out of my pocket and every copy coming out of the copy machine cost me 5 cents and watch an employee that I'm paying run a hundred copies and then realize they made a mistake, throw that hundred away and run another hundred.
Some of those wrong people inherit/buy/win in a poker game a tractor dealership/car dealership/any kind of sales and service business. They shouldn't or they should sell it immediately or have a talk with God about helping them change their entire outlook on life.
I do feel sorry for the dealer that only gets $45 an hour for Warranty Service work instead of their normal $65. I would feel more sorry for them if they only got $45 an hour for all service work instead of that ocassional warranty work that they are doing for almost free of $45 an hour. I know they have to pay that mechanic, like probably, $10/$20 an hour plus all overhead which still has to be paid even if that warranty job hadn't come in. I know that mechanic also costs the emploer a bunch of extra costs like paid weeks of vacation and paid weeks of sick time and insurance paid for them but again, those costs are incurred and not increased because of that warranty work. If to much warranty work comes in then maybe hire another employee and the overhead of building/land/advertising/utilities should be about the same.
I do accept an internet buyer taking their position behind the loyal local buyer in priority. No problems with that. Well, I may have a problem with that since the biggest internet seller is my local selling dealer. Hope I'm considered a local buyer with him for priority status.:laughing: He (Barlows) has actually done two or three Warranty Services for my 13 purchases from him in the past 9 years. Only one of them required the service dept mechanic to do anything. Hopefully his loss on that one job of $45 an hour has been made up in the sales profit on the 13 Kubotas which I wouldn't have bought more if he had treated me bad on any of my "claims". One claim was a rubber ring on a gas cap and he just gave me a new gas cap and one claim was a BX front tire losing air and per my request he put a tube in it.
Any way that dealer was stupid, stupid stupid and still is unless he has changed over the past few days which I doubt.

 

[ccsial]

Not warranty work... just buying implements.

I went to a Dealer 40 miles from where I live to buy a Post Hole Digger... the fellow came out and asked what tractor I owned and then asked if I bought it there.

If a dealer asked me where I bought it, I'd have asked what that had to do with anything.

 

[Grandad4]

Seems many are quick to pass judgement on the dealer here with all kinds of unflattering adjectives. Maybe that's right... dealers are only human and can be very short-sighted. But don't forget we've only heard one side of this story, and that has been related second-hand. Most would agree a wise dealer would use warranty work as an opportunity to find a new customer, but there is just something about this particular situation that leaves me wondering.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Being a former service manager for a dealership(green not orange) I agree with what Messick's stated. A few flat rate jobs can be done in allowed time but most can't be done in the allowed time. Flat rates are created in a perfect environment while customers tractors normally don't fall in that category. I'm wondering if dealer was told that the tractor owner bought tractor in his former hometown and has since moved to the new dealers area and plans on continuing doing business with the new dealer. Sometimes "good communications" can get a lot accomplished.

I guess I'm split between owning a machine and being a business owner. I sort of grin as I read this. I've bought over 145 cars/trucks. It's sort of been my form of entertainment. I've taken a few into dealerships for repairs and waited for them to be serviced. Always get that free first service at the selling dealer. I don't usually wait in the service customer waiting area. I wait out in the garage. I see the service being provided to mine and other vehicles and have at several dealers. I see the mechanics working for 10 minutes on one vehicle then socializing for awhile then going to a different vehicle and working for a while then going over to the parts counter for 25 minutes then back to one of the previous vehicles or maybe even a different one. I smile and wonder if these two or three vehicles that this one mechanic is working on is billed by the hour or by the job. I see an actual 20 minutes of actual work on a vehicle for each hour. Sure, all dealerships aren't like this but I'm sure alot of them are. An oil change at a Dealership usually takes an hour or the quick change shops do it in 15 minutes. I watch both of them do it and the quick change shops usually do a more full service check of routine systems and change than 'Most" dealerships that I'VE watched.
You mention the time requirements that are in the manuals being under perfect conditions................interesting. I also have done enough mechanic work to know about the 20 minute job taking two days but I've never had the experience, equipment, parts dept on site or help available that a shop with trained certified experienced mechanics has. So..............smoke is smoke and it's blown alot which makes some of us smile when there is really some truth/fact occassionally. :laughing:

 

[buckle97]

Most would agree a wise dealer would use warranty work as an opportunity to find a new customer, but there is just something about this particular situation that leaves me wondering.

It has me wondering as well. Why in the world would the first question to a potentially new customer be "Did you buy this from us?" This dealer obviously hasn't had much training in public relations or even basic sales skills.

 

[buckle97]

Just an update on the tractor issue that brought this thread to light. My BIL contacted his original selling dealer who was disheartened to hear what his local dealer had told him but also more than willing to have one of his tech's try to diagnose the issue over the phone. They wen't through several steps and eventually the tech advised my BIL to have the battery tested. He took it in to the auto parts store where they kept it on the charger for two hours with no action from the battery. My BIL called his original dealer back to tell him this and he told him to buy a new battery, send him the receipt, and he would refund his money. My BIL is happy to have his tractor running again but now left wondering what he will do if another issue arises.

 

[keyman1808]

Seems many are quick to pass judgement on the dealer here with all kinds of unflattering adjectives. Maybe that's right... dealers are only human and can be very short-sighted. But don't forget we've only heard one side of this story, and that has been related second-hand. Most would agree a wise dealer would use warranty work as an opportunity to find a new customer, but there is just something about this particular situation that leaves me wondering.

You say it has you wondering BUT I can tell you from first hand experience there are dealers like that. Even just buying an implement they ask "were did yu purchase the tractor" Has happened to me. Even had my selling dealer try and tell me that the leaking seals on the manifold for the loader was my fault. Said I should have tightened them better. The machine had less than 50 hours on it. HELLO that should have been something that the tech who assembled and prepped should have done. After some complaining he said he would cover it, reluctantly. So even when they sell they will still try and screw one over.

 

[LD1]

Sounds like an excellent dealer IMO. Too bad he cannot find one where he moved.