Compact Tractor Dealers Ignore Two-thirds of Their Potential Website Customers, Industry Survey Shows

[LFP57]

You’re right, and if there’s one thing the covid lockdowns taught us it’s that consumers won‘t tolerate that old school dealership model any longer. Dealers will either need to get onboard or die. Same goes for tractors. I bought a Deere right after covid started and never even saw it until I took delivery. Only talked to the sales guy once and that was to sign paperwork. If I could have ordered it via the web like buying something off Amazon I would have done it, which is how people growing up today will be expecting things to work.

The one caveat is that once you purchase a tractor or any vehicle online, the first time you need to take it in for parts/service, I wonder if one could expect great service from a dealership that you didn't purchase it from.

 

[airbiscuit]

Our local Deere Dealer is awful. I used to own a JD and over the years I visited that dealer many times for parts and service. A few years ago, I started thinking of upgrading. I stopped in at the JD dealer and wanted to talk models and pricing. The salesman(?) told me to go outside and look at the tractors and then come back and he would give me prices. I had to hunt him down when I went back inside and then he seemed pained when I wanted to price out a unit with options. He made no effort to join me outside, discuss models and options and make recommendations for my uses. Then, he scribbled down some ballpark prices on a few brochures and handed them to me. I drove away to the Kubota dealer and spent a few hours with a salesman who showed me the models and discussed uses. Then he gave me full quotes on the models including options. I was liking the Kubota buying experience better, then when I compared the JD prices to comparable Kubota models, I decided to eliminate JD from consideration for my future purchase.

So, you bought a Kubota from that salesperson who spent a few hours with you?

 

[jyoutz]

So, you bought a Kubota from that salesperson who spent a few hours with you?

I ordered one from him, but he couldn’t get one in stock. When I found one at another dealer, I called the first guy and asked when he could get delivery of one. He said probably not until summer 2022 ( this was in November 2021). He suggested I buy from the dealer who had the tractor available. I told him thanks and bought a few implements from him.

 

[airbiscuit]

Well then, his investment of time with you still paid some dividend.

 

[jyoutz]

Well then, his investment of time with you still paid some dividend.

And since he is closer, the local dealer will also get any service work.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Case in point, I bought a brand new Kubota Premium round baler (net-twine) from him last fall, signed all the papers on it and had Kubota finance the balance and it's still sitting in his lot and has been all winter, even though I own it and am making payments on it. Saves me having to insure it for one and I'm in no hurry to take possession

How did you get by without having to either insure it privately or use Kubota's insurance as I thought anything that they financed they required insurance on? Is there a loophole?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I am looking for a skid steer attachment and found one online at a dealer in Arkansas. I emailed them from the equipment website and got no response. After 2 days, I called and was put on hold for 15 minutes, then I hung up. I called again the next day and was told the salesman was on the phone. I said I would call back later, which I never did.
I would say there was a 10% chance that I would buy this attachment, but it would have been nice to at least get a price.

I have been looking at buying a tracked skid steer and called one of the local Kubota dealers and requested a price, they said they would e-mail me one, the next day they did send me an e-mail stating that the skidsteer that I inquired about was sold, but that they would be glad to put me on a list to order and reserve another one, I e-mailed them back and told them that would be great but first I needed a price, never heard another word. There was a 100% chance that I was going to buy and I did, but it wasn't from them.

 

[Pleease]

My wife was talking about how her 96 year old (!) aunt hops on the Internet to order things or figure out how to set up new gadgets.

My own mother, though, was afraid to turn the computer on when she was 70. Scared her to death (not literally).

That's a good example of "to each his/her own". My FIL owned a pharmacy, and for 10+ years had a computer system to print labels, keep patient files, etc., but was 100% not interested in going online or using a computer at all in retirement. He seemed pretty dang happy though, lol.

 

[5030]

How did you get by without having to either insure it privately or use Kubota's insurance as I thought anything that they financed they required insurance on? Is there a loophole?

First off the new bailer is on my dealer's blanket liability policy so no reason for me to double insure it. I don't have physical possession and Kubota is aware of that and yes they do and when it gets here and I have physical possession it will be and my carrier will forward a copy to Kubota. Was a little stink from Kubota about it but got it ironed out. With the covid bs, normal business transactions aren't 'normal' today. besides I cannot use it until my tractor has the Kubota bailer controls installed and the NH controls removed and that is all included in the purchase price. I never use Kubota insurance because they will only insure their equipment and I have a lot of equipment not made by Kubota plus everything else....and, Kubota insurance is more expensive to boot.

 

[PuffyC]

The one caveat is that once you purchase a tractor or any vehicle online, the first time you need to take it in for parts/service, I wonder if one could expect great service from a dealership that you didn't purchase it from.

I still bought mine from a brick and mortar dealer, I just didn’t do any in-person shopping there. But yeah, you would hope a dealer would treat you right either way but who knows.