Dealer communication

[BCinVA]

I have been shopping for a new tractor for a while. I am looking to trade my current machine in on a new one. However, I am really disappointed in the dealers. I have visited a couple of different dealers, one green, and one red and had the same issues. When I walk in the dealership and find a salesperson, they seem friendly enough and somewhat interested, but once I leave and try to follow up I get no response. For example, I stopped by the red dealer a couple of weeks ago. I talked with a sales guy and described what I was looking for. He did some research for me, and there were several unanswered questions at the time. I left and he said he would call me with some answers he was working on. I did in fact get a call from him a while later. I told him I would follow up with him via email. So after some research on my own, I sent him an email. No response. A few days later I sent a second email. No response. So about a week after that I went back to the dealership. The first guy wasn't there, so I talked to a second salesman. I asked why his colleague wasn't answering email. He said the other fellow had been out for about a week and a half. He then tried to answer some of the questions I had asked in the previous emails that weren't answered. I took his card and said I would follow up with him via email after I had a chance to review the into he had provided. I sent him an email a day later, and five days after that no response. This was the same situation with the green dealer, between two guys I talked to there, a total of four unanswered emails and two phone calls where someone promised a call back that never happened. What the heck is going on? Believe it or not this is a serious question....Do the dealers have a policy of not answering potential customer emails? I would like to hear what others are experiencing. Maybe this is just a local or regional thing. I live in Southwest Virginia.

 

[rScotty]

I've been trying to ignore it, but have noticed the same lack of response in several other businesses I buy from - including the local hardware store, the auto parts store, and Home Depot.
At the Battery+ store the guy told me he was a specialist - and knew his batteries... although a moment later he said he wasn't all that good with electricity or science.

It almost seems like there has been a recent "dumbing down" of part of the work force. Is that real or just me? There just doesn't seem to be as much knowledge - and definitely way less motivation - than I think I remember from the pre-Covid days.

Maybe it's just my own local area,
rScotty

 

[Big Barn]

Maybe it's just my own local area,
rScotty

NOPE. North America for certain.

Perhaps global.

 

[bigtiller]

That's just the way people in sales work. If you walk in you get the attention. It's the opposite of the way the parts counter people work where the phone has priority.

 

[BCinVA]

That's just the way people in sales work. If you walk in you get the attention. It's the opposite of the way the parts counter people work where the phone has priority.

Yeah, you're probably right. I can tell you though, I worked my entire career for a heavy equipment manufacturer in the transportation industry. If we had people who would just blow off or ignore a customer who was genuinely interested in buying product, that would have bordered on an on the spot firing. It really seems like they don't care whether you buy their product or not. They essentially want you to come in and beg them to sell it to you.

 

[stevem5215]

Old retired people knew their stuff. And are now retired replaced by lower level others making less money. That's what I see in my industry. (Service of old fashioned big computers)

 

[ElSueno Farms]

Experienced the same thing from a dealer I had purchased 2 tractors, an RTV, and a variety of attachments from. Would not return calls, email, and did not like texting. The store mgr was the person I was trying to deal with, and I had interest in over $40k total purchase.
several people defended him, saying most tractor sales were best done in the dealership, face to face. Sorry but it’s a different day and time, get with the real world, if you are not capable of communicating electronically today, you don’t deserve the business.

 

[WADFL]

Current situation of sales of products where there are more willing buyers than available product.
The products sell themselves, and the people who are doing research, "Ill think about it overnight", or on the fence miss out on buying the product. The decisive "Yes" buyer gets the attention.

 

[k0ua]

Current situation of sales of products where there are more willing buyers than available product.
The products sell themselves, and the people who are doing research, "Ill think about it overnight", or on the fence miss out on buying the product. The decisive "Yes" buyer gets the attention.

This is the true answer. Yes, they have no interest in "selling" you a product. You are on the fence about buying and want to do research and so on. You are of NO interest to them as they have dozens of people wanting to buy a very limited supply of product. So therefore you are "flushed" from their mind, by not having cash in hand and buying the very day you entered the dealership. IF and when that situation changes, then their attitude will likely change. So yes, they do not need you in any way. This is a sellers market, NOT a buyers market.

 

[coobie]

Welcome to the new normal..Sad but true..

 

[jaydee325]

I've seen this discussion before. Always seems to have an e-mail reference.

Like said above, it's a sellers market. Sales personnel, even though it does not appear so, are swamped, not only now but for a long time. E-mail is a distraction that just eats their time. Remember, you are not the only customer e-mailing them.

I worked at a large power plant. There were 600 employees. The plant manager always said he had an open door policy. Just stop by anytime you had a need. But, he also said he only checked e-mail on Thursday mornings where he had 2 hours carved out in his schedule to look at e-mail.

I can tell you from personal experience that e-mail was a huge, non productive time sucker for me as well. I hated it when policy decisions were communicated by e-mail since it always seemed the e-mail was sent while I was out of the office and buried in over 200 or more e-mails when I returned. The upon return the boss was mad I was not following policy.

Keep stopping by or calling. That will tell them your are interested more than an e-mail where you are asking a bunch of questions.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I have been shopping for a new tractor for a while. I am looking to trade my current machine in on a new one. However, I am really disappointed in the dealers. I have visited a couple of different dealers, one green, and one red and had the same issues. When I walk in the dealership and find a salesperson, they seem friendly enough and somewhat interested, but once I leave and try to follow up I get no response. For example, I stopped by the red dealer a couple of weeks ago. I talked with a sales guy and described what I was looking for. He did some research for me, and there were several unanswered questions at the time. I left and he said he would call me with some answers he was working on. I did in fact get a call from him a while later. I told him I would follow up with him via email. So after some research on my own, I sent him an email. No response. A few days later I sent a second email. No response. So about a week after that I went back to the dealership. The first guy wasn't there, so I talked to a second salesman. I asked why his colleague wasn't answering email. He said the other fellow had been out for about a week and a half. He then tried to answer some of the questions I had asked in the previous emails that weren't answered. I took his card and said I would follow up with him via email after I had a chance to review the into he had provided. I sent him an email a day later, and five days after that no response. This was the same situation with the green dealer, between two guys I talked to there, a total of four unanswered emails and two phone calls where someone promised a call back that never happened. What the heck is going on? Believe it or not this is a serious question....Do the dealers have a policy of not answering potential customer emails? I would like to hear what others are experiencing. Maybe this is just a local or regional thing. I live in Southwest Virginia.

BC I have been experiencing the exact same thing where I live and this was happening before Covid ever started. What I figured out is Kubota and John Deere have a monopoly on this market and therefore don't have to do much to sell equipment. However, I am in the commercial real estate business and I am getting ready to change all that for them

 

[Rdrcr]

The current customer service experience depends on lots of factors; the sales staff, the nature of the questions, value of interest and manufacture dealer support, in this ever changing market/environment.

I could probably claim the same underwhelming sales experience with my new 2022 truck order that was placed 5 months ago.
I have made some trim/option changes since the original order and I routinely ask for updates every couple weeks. Their answers always change and that’s been very frustrating.
Well, they let me view the responses from manufacturer to dealer and the manufacturing production scheduling for my truck appears to constantly change and my order keeps getting pushed.
So every time they get a confirmed production date and share it with me, it changes before it goes into production. I can’t blame them for not wanting to give me an update and answer my questions because the information is rarely accurate. It’s lame, but hardly their fault.

I’m just going with it… and hoping we get back to normal sooner rather than later.

Mike

 

[BCinVA]

The current customer service experience depends on lots of factors; the sales staff, the nature of the questions, value of interest and manufacture dealer support, in this ever changing market/environment.

I could probably claim the same underwhelming sales experience with my new 2022 truck order that was placed 5 months ago.
I have made some trim/option changes since the original order and I routinely ask for updates every couple weeks. Their answers always change and that’s been very frustrating.
Well, they let me view the responses from manufacturer to dealer and the manufacturing production scheduling for my truck appears to constantly change and my order keeps getting pushed.
So every time they get a confirmed production date and share it with me, it changes before it goes into production. I can’t blame them for not wanting to give me an update and answer my questions because the information is rarely accurate. It’s lame, but hardly their fault.

I’m just going with it… and hoping we get back to normal sooner rather than later.

Mike

Yeah, it is pretty bad these days. What amazes me is that the questions I had weren't difficult. They were essentially, "Can you get me one and what would the pricing be?" If they can't or won't respond to that, you have to really wonder what is going on. I guess you have to figure no response is a response.

 

[gstrom99]

I have (thankfully) had a different experience. I've bought two things (a tractor and a zero turn mower) from two different (both green) dealers. One in Wisconsin, the other local to me here in Iowa. Both salesmen were awesome and responsive (texts and phone calls). A third (also green) dealer was equally good, but I did not buy there.

I usually don't use email for inquiries like these bigger purchases. Phone/direct contact is still my preference.

 

[ElSueno Farms]

In a busy dealership, I seems to wind up waiting for a scheduled appointment because the sales rep took a walk-in or is on the phone, and you never truly know if it was outside his control or he just does not respect your time and effort to make an appointment. Even though I am retired, if I am looking to spend my cash with their Company as a return customer, I expect to be recognized for the history I have with them and do what they have to do to communicate with me by MY preferred method. Sadly I have had more bad than good experiences with farm equipment dealers the past 12 years, but I will be a dedicated customer with little concern over priçe if the dealerships communicates effectively and does what the say.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

In a busy dealership, I seems to wind up waiting for a scheduled appointment because the sales rep took a walk-in or is on the phone, and you never truly know if it was outside his control or he just does not respect your time and effort to make an appointment. Even though I am retired, if I am looking to spend my cash with their Company as a return customer, I expect to be recognized for the history I have with them and do what they have to do to communicate with me by MY preferred method. Sadly I have had more bad than good experiences with farm equipment dealers the past 12 years, but I will be a dedicated customer with little concern over priçe if the dealerships communicates effectively and does what the say.

I noticed that you have Kubota equipment and I assume all your bad experiences are with Kubota dealerships?

 

[ElSueno Farms]

Yep, there are over a half dozen within an hour of my farm.

 

[notaz3]

I've had the same experience with two different brands of orange tractors and five dealers. No returned phone calls, or emails. Finally gave up and went and camped out at one until I could get a dealer to help. Took three separate trips, because there was no returned email, to dealer to get my tractor on order.

My wife is having the same issues getting response from car dealers. No return calls or emails. It all has to be face to face.

Bad time to try and be a buyer with supply being so short.

 

[MoKelly]

I've had the same experience with two different brands of orange tractors and five dealers. No returned phone calls, or emails. Finally gave up and went and camped out at one until I could get a dealer to help. Took three separate trips, because there was no returned email, to dealer to get my tractor on order.

My wife is having the same issues getting response from car dealers. No return calls or emails. It all has to be face to face.

Bad time to try and be a buyer with supply being so short.

Truth. I read the CEO of BMW says there will be no relief in the chip shortage for (in his estimate) the next 6-12 months.

Not good.

MoKelly