A little rant

[slowzuki]

Moss road, not the customers job to supervise employees. I remember being in a fast food joint, it was slow and an off clock employee reached around and filled her own pop (that she had just paid for) to help the guy who was preparing her order.

An older guy in line who is a manager at a different business went ballistic about how unprofessional both of them were and was very loud and rude chastising them.

I felt it wasn't really his place to be trying to discipline employees that aren't his.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Sounds like you had a Lamb and Webster rodeo

Ev was the one who saw the post and forwarded it to the people responsible to get it taken care of. L&W seems like they have good owners but they can't control the managers and as others said on here, if they don't know about the problem they can't fix it. If they choose not to fix it then so be it but I do try to be fair to everyone and give multiple chances as I do know mistakes happen.

This current problem isn't a Lamb and Webster problem, its another Kubota dealer who sells Bobcat equipment and trailers. L&W is about an hour away and this other dealer is 35 minutes away. They started selling Kubotas a few years ago.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Moss road, not the customers job to supervise employees. I remember being in a fast food joint, it was slow and an off clock employee reached around and filled her own pop (that she had just paid for) to help the guy who was preparing her order.

An older guy in line who is a manager at a different business went ballistic about how unprofessional both of them were and was very loud and rude chastising them.

I felt it wasn't really his place to be trying to discipline employees that aren't his.

While I agree it isn't a customers job to supervise employees it doesn't usually hurt to inform the owner of the company about shady practices or just very poor expereinces. Some places actually have feedback questionaires just for that reason but if they don't then how else can you let the people who can fix things know? I look at it a little different, with ag dealers I really need them to do well as if they do well and are good to deal with it gives me a lot more choices when shopping for new/used equipment. If one gets out of control (like my local NH dealer) then I lose that dealership and that gives me one less place to deal with. So not only does it help the dealerships to get feedback, it does help me as well as either the owners fix the problem or I quit dealing with them. The upside of not dealing with them is I don't get taken (as in the case of a $13k repair bill for a $2500 verbal quote) but the downside is I no longer deal with them and as a result I now drive 30 minutes to the next dealership instead of 2 minutes.

 

[two_bit_score]

So let's discuss that.

Why wouldn't you talk to the owner?

If I knew them personally I would. But, my comment was really directed more toward the comparison you made about the neighbors house on fire.

It's not even remotely like a neighbors house being on fire.

 

[two_bit_score]

While I agree it isn't a customers job to supervise employees it doesn't usually hurt to inform the owner of the company about shady practices or just very poor expereinces. Some places actually have feedback questionaires just for that reason but if they don't then how else can you let the people who can fix things know? I look at it a little different, with ag dealers I really need them to do well as if they do well and are good to deal with it gives me a lot more choices when shopping for new/used equipment. If one gets out of control (like my local NH dealer) then I lose that dealership and that gives me one less place to deal with. So not only does it help the dealerships to get feedback, it does help me as well as either the owners fix the problem or I quit dealing with them. The upside of not dealing with them is I don't get taken (as in the case of a $13k repair bill for a $2500 verbal quote) but the downside is I no longer deal with them and as a result I now drive 30 minutes to the next dealership instead of 2 minutes.

Robert, it sounds like you do quite a bit of business and have been around a while in that area. I'm not familiar with the area and realize things could be done differently in that area than I am used to but it seems like with the volume you do that you would at least be on a first name, or better, basis with at least the GM at that dealership if not the owner.

It also sounds like the equipment you were dealing on is already sold and no longer available. Am I correct in that understanding?

I guess I can understand trying to feed competition and maintain additional sources and suppliers but if you've got viable dealers who are treating you right ........?? .......

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Robert, it sounds like you do quite a bit of business and have been around a while in that area. I'm not familiar with the area and realize things could be done differently in that area than I am used to but it seems like with the volume you do that you would at least be on a first name, or better, basis with at least the GM at that dealership if not the owner.

It also sounds like the equipment you were dealing on is already sold and no longer available. Am I correct in that understanding?

I guess I can understand trying to feed competition and maintain additional sources and suppliers but if you've got viable dealers who are treating you right ........?? .......

I do know a few of the dealers personally and salesman at others. This dealership that I was trying to deal with is the only local company selling mini excavators. The next dealer is an hour away so I was trying to deal with someone close by and keep my money in this county if possible.

The problem is that not every dealer sells what I need. For a vineyard tractor that would work for me personally I am limited to either Kubota or John Deere. Messicks will take care of me with the Kubota narrow tractor so I have that figured out. The NH and Case-IH narrow tractors are too tight and ackward for me to get in and out of very much and there is no room to move and with my back I need to be able to twist a little to shift weight, move my legs and just stretch and its impossible to do in a CNH vineyard tractor. Implement wise there are certain implements I want and only certain dealers carry them. I wish I could just deal with one or two places but in this area you can't unless you settle for something. Rotary cutters and most 3pt equipment come from my Bush Hog/ Land Pride dealer. Vineyard equipment limits me to just a few dealers locally and one of them I won't deal with anymore. Ag tractors and haying equipment opens me up to different dealers since I generally can't walk into the local dealers since they mainly deal with vineyard equipment and not haying. And planting/harvesting equipment for field crops requires different dealers as well for my use/needs.

Its very difficult for me to deal with just one or two dealerships as I wouldn't be able to get what will work best for me and my operation. Yeah, I can get everything ordered in usually but I still need to talk to people that understand what I am doing and can help me. This area is a little odd as where I live along Lake Erie is all vineyard, go over the hill and its almost all dairy/haying, head north and you get into row crop farming so each area deals with something different and I am stupid enough to try bringing everything to my farm :laughing:

 

[slowzuki]

Hey Robert, I see the Landini Rex vineyard tractors around here a lot. Seem to be a nice little rig, ever run on of them? The cities buy them for side walk plows too. There is a gt version with the big wide rear tires for sale a little ways from me that is phyically the size of my L5030HSTC but double the hp and nice big radial tires. Tempting to take a look at it up close.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Hey Robert, I see the Landini Rex vineyard tractors around here a lot. Seem to be a nice little rig, ever run on of them? The cities buy them for side walk plows too. There is a gt version with the big wide rear tires for sale a little ways from me that is phyically the size of my L5030HSTC but double the hp and nice big radial tires. Tempting to take a look at it up close.

I haven't looked at those tractors too close. The only Landini dealer here also sells MF and he never has any inventory of either brand. Usually one or two new tractors but they seem to deal mainly with parts. Ever since the one owner passed away that place has gone down hill fast and I am scared to buy a new tractor from them as I don't expect them to be around much longer. I have bought a lot of parts from them over the last couple years and its discouraging going there as its so empty, almost everything needs to be ordered in special.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Hello Robert in NY;
I have had great luck with Construction Equipment For Sale at MachineryTrader.com: Dozers, Scrapers, Wheel Loaders, Excavators, Motor Graders, Caterpillar, Komatsu, Case, John Deere, Volvo. There is a huge selection of machines, you decide how far how many $$$ and what shape, size etc..you want. I looked at well over 100 excavators in our area and have been VERY happy with my results. I found machines with low hrs and was treated professionally by the different folks I went to. I'm not saying every single person on the site will be professional, but with the amount of choices one has it sure makes things much easier. Also you can see what an average price for a machine should be compared to many of the local stealers bull.

Thanks, I have been watching Ebay for the ideal machine and now I will keep checking Machinery Trader as well. Another TBN member also offered me his machine when he is done with it and if I have a choice (which I do) then I will help out a fellow TBN'er in the process.

 

[MossRoad]

If I knew them personally I would. But, my comment was really directed more toward the comparison you made about the neighbors house on fire.

It's not even remotely like a neighbors house being on fire.

O.K. You didn't like my analogy. I can live with that. :laughing:

My point was, the owner was losing business. You lose enough business, you lose your livelyhood. You lose your livelyhood, you lose your house.