Odd experience from tractor manufacturer

[bushhog28]

So i have owned orange, green, now trying red (massey) and i have contacted "headquarters" before and use to the "contact your dealer" line. So i decided to email massey ferguson to tell them i bought a tractor, some things i liked blah blah and a rep actually called me. He is the rep for mine and surrounding states. We talked tractors about 30 mins, he thanked me for my purchase and knew all my local dealers, said if i have any issues i can always contact them. I was shocked, i about didnt answer thinking it was a telemarketer. I have zero seat time in a massey right now, but im liking my experience so far. :thumbsup: just thought id share.

 

[Texasmark]

I've been on the fix things up campaign this summer and spent a lot of seat time behind the computer ordering parts for all sorts of things that needed fixing or just I wannas. My general opinion is that there are a lot of businesses seriously interested in your welfare......aka service. Along those lines I got lots of feedback emails asking me how I'd rate the engagement? You know as well as I when someone is looking over your shoulder, you are going to do a better job. But to me service sells a product just as much as the product. So somebody has been reading Business, How to Succeed 101. Seems MF is part of that team.

 

[Ivan49]

I am liking what I have been reading on here about MF. I tried one out lst week and was very impressed with it.It was a cab model 1736. Here in northern Mich MF dealers are few and far between and parts if or when needed are a great concern to me. I have to go thru AGCO now to get parts for my tractor and to say the experence has been great would not be true and at times the dealer was a regular a.hh. The place where I was last week was different than any experence I have ever had at a dealer. No high pressure, answered all my questions when asked and just made you feel right at home in his dealer ship. This is the type of place I could do business with. He offered to bring the tractor out for me to use but as I told him the last time that happened the tractor is still here with me almost 30 years later

 

[MHarryE]

Many years ago at Gleaner Combine, now a part of AGCO, we employees at the combine plant, from CEO to line assembler, from CFO to Accounting Clerk, were assigned a job as Plant Pal. We would call our assigned customer weekly during the harvest season to ask how things were going, problems, were they getting resolved, ideas for improvement, an the generally talk about how business was going. I think it went over quite well although I don't know what a farmer thought about getting a call from an accounting clerk. Also, when a major assembly problem was found, the responsible person on the assembly line was given an airline ticket and flown out to the customer to learn an important lesson. For example the line assembler responsible for filling transmissions missed it. Our plant had eliminated almost all inspectors - you must build in quality, not inspect it in - so there was no confirmation inspection. No other reprimand - he had to face the customer and explain he screwed up. The word of course spread throughout the plant and mistakes plummeted. Productivity did suffer a little because production employees took that little bit extra to do their job right. Then I moved from my engineering managerial position at Gleaner to the identical position at Case IH for the usual reason - greed. Complete flip-flop. Case philosophy at that time was right or wrong, get it out the door. I lasted less than 2 years before moving on to Caterpillar where there was, at least in my division, a quality focus even stronger than the one I had left at Gleaner. Ironically I now own a Case combine from my era at Case and cuss them out with every breakdown recognizing cost reduction ideas implemented only to reach a goal despite reduced quality. Why do I have a Case? When it works it works well and I know the weak spots to watch - plus I bought it for peanuts.

 

[bushhog28]

I am liking what I have been reading on here about MF. I tried one out lst week and was very impressed with it.It was a cab model 1736. Here in northern Mich MF dealers are few and far between and parts if or when needed are a great concern to me. I have to go thru AGCO now to get parts for my tractor and to say the experence has been great would not be true and at times the dealer was a regular a.hh. The place where I was last week was different than any experence I have ever had at a dealer. No high pressure, answered all my questions when asked and just made you feel right at home in his dealer ship. This is the type of place I could do business with. He offered to bring the tractor out for me to use but as I told him the last time that happened the tractor is still here with me almost 30 years later

Jacks small engines. Can order parts online. Use agcopartsbooks.com to get part numbers.

 

[bushhog28]

Many years ago at Gleaner Combine, now a part of AGCO, we employees at the combine plant, from CEO to line assembler, from CFO to Accounting Clerk, were assigned a job as Plant Pal. We would call our assigned customer weekly during the harvest season to ask how things were going, problems, were they getting resolved, ideas for improvement, an the generally talk about how business was going. I think it went over quite well although I don't know what a farmer thought about getting a call from an accounting clerk. Also, when a major assembly problem was found, the responsible person on the assembly line was given an airline ticket and flown out to the customer to learn an important lesson. For example the line assembler responsible for filling transmissions missed it. Our plant had eliminated almost all inspectors - you must build in quality, not inspect it in - so there was no confirmation inspection. No other reprimand - he had to face the customer and explain he screwed up. The word of course spread throughout the plant and mistakes plummeted. Productivity did suffer a little because production employees took that little bit extra to do their job right. Then I moved from my engineering managerial position at Gleaner to the identical position at Case IH for the usual reason - greed. Complete flip-flop. Case philosophy at that time was right or wrong, get it out the door. I lasted less than 2 years before moving on to Caterpillar where there was, at least in my division, a quality focus even stronger than the one I had left at Gleaner. Ironically I now own a Case combine from my era at Case and cuss them out with every breakdown recognizing cost reduction ideas implemented only to reach a goal despite reduced quality. Why do I have a Case? When it works it works well and I know the weak spots to watch - plus I bought it for peanuts.

Agco uses this philosophy with their engines im told.

 

[Texasmark]

Agco uses this philosophy with their engines im told.

Which one? Build it in, inspect it in, or get it out the door and forget QC?

I noticed that after the government bailed out GM and showed them how to run their business they started building quality in, not sending it off to the dealer halffast and letting him get the bugs out of it.

I bought one of the results, a 2011 Silverado. I bought Chevy because they were the nearest dealer and I am a senior and quit doing my own automotive repair work. Was driving Ram and was happy with them but were not the closest.

Wife had a '98 Tahoe and I'd have it in there for repair fairly often and when I did the service bay was usually full to almost full. Now when I go in for my inspections, it's almost, if not always empty. That's the way it should be.

Anyhew, great truck, everything has worked since I bought it. Only go back to the dealer for annual inspections.

 

[bushhog28]

Agco (Sisu) engines have mechanics name on engine plate. Any issues with engine tied to mechanic affects their pay. They also test 100% of their engines and I believe the HP during testing is printed on the tag as well. I'll be able to verify the HP in a week or two.

 

[Texasmark]

Agco (Sisu) engines have mechanics name on engine plate. Any issues with engine tied to mechanic affects their pay. They also test 100% of their engines and I believe the HP during testing is printed on the tag as well. I'll be able to verify the HP in a week or two.

Accountability. That works!