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

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

My problem with tractor dealers has been different. Too many never call back.

That's many peoples problem with this industry. Here is a video of a guy that used to work as a insider but retired and got out of the industry back in 2014. I know this guy personally and he is one of the best people you will ever meet or have the pleasure of doing business with but his empathy for the industry sales force and his expectation for consumers to accept this is absurd. And I don't think he is alone in this attitude. I think this industry as a whole holds the attitude that we are here to serve them not them here to serve us the consumers.

 

[ctgoldwing]

. . . I don't dissect insurance coverages as a rule. I just pay my premiums when due and as you are aware I'm sure. here in the rust belt state, no insurance means no driving a vehicle because you won't get your tags from the state.

Simply put, I'm not at all concerned about it.

Hello 5050,

I have had the same insurance company for more than 40 years. I knew the owner very well and always started any coverage questions with him. Nice guy. Very successful agency. I figured I knew my business and he knew his.
Then I had a car accident. Didn't seem like a big deal. Other party completely at fault (I was stopped at a stop sign). My arm just hurt a little.
Then it was a big deal. Mega $$$ in hospital bills and a serious injury. The other party had $100k coverage that their insurance company threw in right away. I had $500k in uninsured/underinsured coverage. When it came time to sit down with my insurance company I learned all about CONVERSION coverage - that I did not have:

This is from the state of CT's insurance website
Underinsured motorist conversion coverage also provides for reimbursement in case you are injured by an underinsured driver. If your damages exceed the at-fault driver’s insurance, or other payments, your underinsured motorist conversion coverage will be available for damages not paid. This optional coverage is not reduced by payments from any other source, including the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.

For example, if you have uninsured/underinsured coverage of $300,000 and you sustain $400,000 in personal injuries caused by an at-fault driver with $200,000 in bodily injury liability, without underinsured conversion coverage you would only be able to collect the $200,000 from the other driver’s insurance plus $100,000 from your own underinsured coverage, which equals your $300,000 limit minus the $200,000 collected from the other driver’s insurance. With conversion coverage, you could collect the full $200,000 from your own underinsured coverage.

I never blamed my agent. It's my own fault.
It's relatively cheap to add and when I asked by buddy the insurance guy why he hadn't included it he replied, "Only my clients that are attorneys ask for it". DUH! They understand.

 

[paulfun9]

I noticed a lot of folks complaining about not getting a response on e- mails and phone calls and often wonder how important they feel they are compared to the customer standing in someone’s shop with cash or checkbook in hand?

If you post an e- mail on a web site advertising your product you need to monitor and answer those e- mails.
If you advertise with a phone number you need to answer the phone and return calls.
If you accept texts to your phone you should answer those texts.

It’s just good buisness sense. If you don’t want to be bothered with e- mail or texts set your buisness up without them so they are not an option. Then if a customer decides that’s the only way they want to do buisness they can choose a different dealer and not complain you didn’t respond.

Myself the only thing I won’t respond to is text messages but I suggest that people learn to understand that I am not going to monitor my e- mail 24/7 and will take care of a customer on site before even entertaining looking at my e- mail and a phone call will also be handled before the e- mail as well.
What this means is sometimes your answer via e-mail will sometimes come a day or even two later than you think it should.

Want to complain, that’s fine suck it up buttercup think about how you would feel if you were at my shop in person and I left you standing there while I answered the phone and all those e- mails instead of helping you the one who showed up with checkbook in hand!

By the way if you take the time to write a hand written letter and mail it, you will be responded to with a hand written letter within 3 days no matter how busy I am, please allow time for delivery.

 

[jezreel]

It's been two years for me. A lot of people come on here everyday posting the same kind of threads over and over and over again asking the same kind of questions. "What is your opinion about X brand tractor versus X brand tractor" or "what do you think would work best for my property" or what's your opinion about such and such model tractor. They are all looking for a quick, easy way/short cut to figure out what to buy but there is none. They don't realize how much work and time it takes to learn about this stuff and you're not going to learn it overnight. I feel like telling them they need an education not someone's opinion.

Yeah, they’re are “opinions” on here, but there is a heck of a lot more anecdotal answers from “experience.” THAT is what I was looking for when I first started reading posts, and then asking questions to help figure out which machine was right for me, which insurance, which implement, how to approach problems on my property, etc. There is a wealth of knowledge on here that a guy like me (first tractor owner) took As An Education. As stated in many recent threads, you are most likely NOT gonna get that education from the salesman at the tractor dealer. Thanks to ALL who helped me in the beginning and are still helping me now. I continue to learn from y’all and enjoy hearing about everybody’s experiences.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I noticed a lot of folks complaining about not getting a response on e- mails and phone calls and often wonder how important they feel they are compared to the customer standing in someone’s shop with cash or checkbook in hand?

I don't know that most of us feel all that much more important than anyone else most especially a customer on the lot or at their desk but there are very few places that are that busy that if they advertised give us a call or shoot us an e-mail that couldn't respond in a timely manner within reason. When I start asking questions and inquiring about a product from a dealer it means that I am considering buying, I'm not bluffing, but no return phone call or e-mail or attempt to reach out to me guarantees that I won't be buying from them.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

There is a wealth of knowledge on here that a guy like me (first tractor owner) took As An Education.

As did I along with other things. Truth be known, I made similar mistakes as the people I was referring to. It's natural to look for answers from "the guys that know" but you don't get educated that way. Then you become reliant on other peoples opinion and you never form your own because you never gain enough knowledge about a subject to do so.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I noticed a lot of folks complaining about not getting a response on e- mails and phone calls and often wonder how important they feel they are compared to the customer standing in someone’s shop with cash or checkbook in hand?

If you post an e- mail on a web site advertising your product you need to monitor and answer those e- mails.
If you advertise with a phone number you need to answer the phone and return calls.
If you accept texts to your phone you should answer those texts.

It’s just good buisness sense. If you don’t want to be bothered with e- mail or texts set your buisness up without them so they are not an option. Then if a customer decides that’s the only way they want to do buisness they can choose a different dealer and not complain you didn’t respond.

Myself the only thing I won’t respond to is text messages but I suggest that people learn to understand that I am not going to monitor my e- mail 24/7 and will take care of a customer on site before even entertaining looking at my e- mail and a phone call will also be handled before the e- mail as well.
What this means is sometimes your answer via e-mail will sometimes come a day or even two later than you think it should.

Want to complain, that’s fine suck it up buttercup think about how you would feel if you were at my shop in person and I left you standing there while I answered the phone and all those e- mails instead of helping you the one who showed up with checkbook in hand!

By the way if you take the time to write a hand written letter and mail it, you will be responded to with a hand written letter within 3 days no matter how busy I am, please allow time for delivery.

You make a lot of valid points but so does he

I don't know that most of us feel all that much more important than anyone else most especially a customer on the lot or at their desk but there are very few places that are that busy that if they advertised give us a call or shoot us an e-mail that couldn't respond in a timely manner within reason. When I start asking questions and inquiring about a product from a dealer it means that I am considering buying, I'm not bluffing, but no return phone call or e-mail or attempt to reach out to me guarantees that I won't be buying from them.

 

[JDZ735M]

@Lineman North Florida When I start asking questions and inquiring about a product from a dealer it means that I am considering buying, I'm not bluffing, but no return phone call or e-mail or attempt to reach out to me guarantees that I won't be buying from them.

You may not be "bluffing" but you also probably are not as ready to buy as the customer who took time to come into the store and speak to the owner in person. Or, that person who is there in person may be a customer who has experienced a problem and needs to get it resolved asap. I'm sure you would expect to be prioritized that way when you had a problem.

But, maybe not

 

[Lineman North Florida]

@Lineman North Florida When I start asking questions and inquiring about a product from a dealer it means that I am considering buying, I'm not bluffing, but no return phone call or e-mail or attempt to reach out to me guarantees that I won't be buying from them.

You may not be "bluffing" but you also probably are not as ready to buy as the customer who took time to come into the store and speak to the owner in person. Or, that person who is there in person may be a customer who has experienced a problem and needs to get it resolved asap. I'm sure you would expect to be prioritized that way when you had a problem.

But, maybe not

That is exactly why I said in my post that I didn't feel more important than anyone, especially a customer on the lot or at his desk, I fully expect him to prioritize him. Just remember tire kickers come in all shapes and sizes, not just people who call a dealer, some walk ins are just passer by's that see all that shiny new equipment and just can't resist, they have a dream, it really doesn't take that long to quote a price, dealers know what they need to make to be profitable.

 

[IndyJay]

I noticed a lot of folks complaining about not getting a response on e- mails and phone calls and often wonder how important they feel they are compared to the customer standing in someone’s shop with cash or checkbook in hand?
<snip>

On the flip side of that, nothing aggravates me more than to be standing in front of a salesperson talking with them and have them interrupt our conversation to answer the phone. Unless it is to ask the caller to please hold, I will most often turn and walk out the door.