Dealer Dealer Customer service

[L3010Ken]

With my luck - my local dealer will read this - but that might be the best thing he could do! This has been brewing in earnest the last 6 months - bear with me while I get this off my chest.

My tractor purchase was one I saved up for a good 7 years after buying 20 acres and getting ready to build a house. I took most of the stumps out with a TD7E dozer I had bought used and still run to this day - but there is only so much you can do with a 14,000 tracked machine - what I really needed was something to help with building and landscaping.

At any rate, I had my sites set on a John Deere - I went to the local dealer and waited patiently for 30 minutes for a salesman to show me a tractor. After 45 minutes, my 4 year old son was fidgeting and I asked again if someone could help me - after close to an hour I was ticked off and walked out and drove up the street to the Kubota dealer.

Within an hour I had an L3010 4wd with industrial tires, Woods loader, Woods backhoe, Agric Tiller and Rankin Box scraper all spec'd out and the dealer had $26k of my hard earned cash. I had no idea if I got a good deal or not - but one thing is certain, the dealer was happy to get a sale and I was happy to get a tractor.

360 hours later, I am still happy with the tractor, but it seems that the dealer stinks! I have since purchased a few more implements for my tractor but have started to go 40 miles away to get better service from the John Dealer dealer in Oregon.

After trying to buy a Kubota riding lawn mower and being told that what I want wasn't what he wanted to sell me (he was overstocked on a lower powered single cylinder model) I ended up with a Green L280X mower instead . . . the Kubota dealers loss!

Today I called the local Kubota dealer for a part# for a pump for my backhoe so I could get a seal repair kit. He said he'd call right back. After a few hours I rifled through my files and found the pump displacement on the brochure. (2.6 cuin/rev) and looked at the pump and found the manufacturer - EATON. Googled the displacement and mfg and found the EATON website, called the local EATON dealer who instructed me on where to find the right part# extension on the pump and within 5 minutes had the seal kit on order and it will be UPS'd to my house by Friday this week.

Why can't the local Kubota dealer provide this kind of service - he sold me the backhoe in the first place! I am still waiting for the call on the pump seal kit. This is probably about the 4th item I have ended up figuring out myself after delayed or no help from the dealer.

With the lousy service and support after the sale - I am thinking this guy only thinks he has to be better than the even worse JD dealer up the road. . . I run a business now and am thinking that if I ran my business this way, we would be OUT of business!

Does anybody else struggle with lousy service from a dealer? Any dealers out there have any advice on how to get this guys attention? This could be a much better business I am sure if the guy had a clue about customer service. I wonder if he would sell his business?

If I have posted this in the wrong area - just let me know and I'll delete / move it.

 

[Junkman]

Your "rant" is no different than others that have posted the same about their dealers. I believe that the problem lies with the manufacturers, not the dealers. The manufacturers have coddled these dealers and have given in to their every whim. When the INTERNET sales started to take off, Kubota has tried to stop them by putting in place a rule that the dealer has to be face to face with you to make the deal. I personally believe that this is an illegal act on Kubota's part, but until a dealer challenges it, it will stand. No dealer is going to challenge this because it helps them be lousy business people. If they can't make a killing on a sale, they don't want the sale. There is no sticker price and the dealer is free to charge what ever he wants. If competition is ever entered into the tractor market like the way there is in other business, I can see a lot of dealers going under. For parts, I deal with www.tractorsmart.com and they are delivered quickly and they parts sales person is only a telephone call away. Ordered some parts last Friday and everything came today. Couldn't ask for better service.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I gotta disagree with you. I think the problem is the LACK of vendor control. Its a very hands off relationship that we have with Kubota/NH. The only time they get involved is when there are problems between dealerships, thats the reason for the internet rules. I don't totally agree with them either, but I think the changes are largly positive and it is possible to work within them. BTW.. the "deal" does not have to be face to face, the rule is that you can not use a 3rd party for delivery. Not only was causing liability and service concerns.

 

[GregJ]

Not all dealers are like this. My dealer has been fantastic. I continue to stay in touch with my salesman and he has taken care of every need. But...... I intentionally drive by 2 other Kubota dealers to get to his shop....

Greg

 

[gsxr1100]

As Junkman stated this is nothing new; however, I think there is lack of customer support at the dealer level and even with manufacture level. It is the typical “food chain here”.

On the flip, Junkman is wrong since I never met my dealer when I bought my BX22. I really do not care if I did or not. I called and talked with him and within the first minute I could tell if I wanted to do business or not. I do not care if the guy is 1 mile down the road of 100.

My dealer has been great and well worth the ride. Now my local Kubota dealers suck, big time. I would not deal with them for anything and I could careless if they make it or not. Does Kubota care about customer service, nope. The manufacture never cares since they do not work the customers, the dealers do. I called Kubota on my famous sticking pedal issue and they said call your dealer.

So I called back and said my name and my company I worked for and within 3- seconds I had the head of small tractors. Unreal and I then said what was wrong and he said he could not help but he would call my dealer. I called my Kubota dealer in 20 minutes and Kubota already called. Nice how fast it is when you work for a company.

The only time Kubota or any manufacture cares is when it affects their stock or income. Then it will change. Outside of that, they do not have time.

To close, I love the net and what it has done. It has had many dealers and stores more aware of there very high prices. If they do not “work” with you, see ya since there are many more selling the same thing (tractors, cars, tv’s etc) cheaper and more friendly and will work with you.

Without the net (and TractorByNet) I would have bought my BX locally and thank god I did not. They are bad……

 

[sneaky_pete]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Your "rant" is no different than others that have posted the same about their dealers. I believe that the problem lies with the manufacturers, not the dealers. )</font>

I disagree; I think it's strictly the attitude of the dealer and their employees that makes or breaks a dealership. Dealers of other big-ticket items are just as bad. The absolute worst (in my experience) is Harley-Davidson dealers. The only one of those who's door I will darken is a small multi-generation family dealership 250 miles from my house - I'll get parts aftermarket or mail order before I'll deal with any of the local costume-party cretins.

For another data point on Kubota dealers, I am extremely happy with mine, Zimmerer Kubota & Equipment in Fort Worth, TX. There is another Kubota dealer much closer to me but the customer service at Zimmerer makes it worth my while to go 30 miles for.

Pete

 

[Tremel]

I didn't have much luck dealing with any of the local tractor dealers salesman. I bought my Kubota across the state. On the other hand, the parts department at my local Kubota dealer is AWESOME!!! I have purchased parts for other machines and equipment and have had good luck and service. I'll be looking forward to purchasing the basic items for my new tractor as well at the local dealer. Too bad they couldn't sell me a tractor.

With that said, It may be the person you are dealing with and not the dealership. Keep that in mind.

 

[bam]

It makes you wonder if the local dealers, for whatever reason, don't want to deal with the local customers. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I have a dealer about 5 miles down the road. He was the first dealer I talked to regarding my BX23. His price was high, so I called a dealer a couple of towns away. Upon getting his price I called my local dealer and told him I wanted to buy the tractor from him but his number was too high. I asked him if he could come down in price and he said no. So needless to say, he didn't get my business.

This happened two months ago. Two weeks ago, I went to our County fair and my local dealer had a BX for sale, marked down to the exact amount that I bought my tractor.

Now why the heck wouldn't he work with me on the price in order to get my business? I paid $16,100 for the BX and a 60" MMM and he wanted $17,500.

 

[Boondox]

Ken -- Now you understand why I preach to newbies that the dealer is at least as important as the type of tractor! We have two local dealers. The first has a lot so covered with junky old equipment it's nearly impossible to take test spins, is attentive only if you buy within the first 30 seconds, and has a service department so backed up you must reserve your mechanical problems weeks in advance. The second has a neat, clean and orderly lot, offers you a cup of coffee and chats for several minutes before asking what brought you to his establishment, and has a service department I would serve meals in. With prices within 1% of each other, guess who I buy from..? Oh, and the local Deere dealer lost my business after ignoring me for over an hour on my initial visit. I was all set to buy a JD 4300, but like you ended up with a Kubota.

Pete

 

[readytogo]

Interesting, I have read a few posts mentioning being ignored by the JD dealers. ~ I had the same experience here in central Pa. ~ The parts counter did not even see me, though I was standing right in front of the 3 guys there.[they weren't buisy either]
The salesman was a bit more attentive, but not much.
Maybe if your'e not wearing green suspenders and a JD hat they won't talk to you?
I never went back.