Dealer Service...or not?

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

Coobie,
I for one am sorry to hear that this happened to you, but your dealer should of answered your question for you. The figure 1972# was the lift capacity of the ML112 loader, which was the first loader I sold when I started with Mahindra 6 1/2 years ago. That figure has not changed, and I think it is in the back of my brain with indelable ink. I think I will remember that figure til the day I die. Some of the newer models I don't have the loader lift capacity down pat yet, but if I didn't have a brochure (which has the fugure in it) near me I sure would have found one and called you back. That was the dealers responsibility, and he paid for that slip up.

 

[MrChris]

I remember when I was looking at the 3215HST trying to decide which brand to buy, I had two simple but I thought important questions that the dealers couldn't seem to answer for me. What was the size of the fuel tank and did the HST model have cruise control. (Both dealers only had gear models in stock). The literature didn't have the answers either so I was forced to call Mahindra directly. A pleasant gentleman with an Indian accent answered and even though he was in sales he asked if I had spoken to my dealer and I had said yes but they were unable to give me answers so I had called him. He asked me to hold as he would look it up in the owner's manual. Shortly thereafter he returned with my answers to both my questions. 7.1 gal and yes. He also made sure I understood that Mahindra was known for their heavy chassis and stronger lift capacities versus the competition. Overall it was a positive experience though I was neither overly impressed nor dissapointed. I was glad to have my answers. If he had come back and said he still didn't know, I probably would have bought the Kubota. It may sound trivial but I think the underdog has to try and perform harder to sway me. And Mahindra I'm sorry to say is still an underdog. Each customer they lose is that much more of a precious commodity that I'm hoping they realize they can't really afford to lose! I really like my Mahindra. It does what I need it to do very well for a little bit less than most other companies. Good customer service gave me the opportunity to find this out.

 

[xlr82v2]

First off, I want to say out front that I'm 99.5% satisified with my Mahindra 3525 and the treatment that I've received from my Dealer. And, I really do want to see MahindraUSA succeed, first, because I have a vested interest in it now as a Mahindra Owner, and second, because I believe that they put out a good product, and third, because I think it's outrageous what Big Green and Big Orange are pricing their tractors at, and how little those dealers are willing to deal on the price. I think it's good to have Mahindra and others come in with a very high quality product and stir the pot a bit. That's where I stand about MahindraUSA.

I have had no communication with coobie, other than what he has posted here in the forum, so if I'm way off base with what I'm about to write, I apologize in advance. But, I don't think that I am.

I think the problem here is not as much what coobie was told or not told, but more so how he was treated by both the Dealer and MahindraUSA Headquarters.

As we all know, Customer Service is the name of the game here when trying to sell tractors. The fact that this whole incident happened and is now being discussed on an internet message board just screams "poor customer service". The other fact that Mahindra does not as of yet have a super strong, competent dealer network like JD or Kubota or any of the "Major Brands" (and sadly, reportedly some very incompetent dealers) just reinforces the role that Customer Service plays in making a sale and gaining customers, either positively or negatively.

Brenda, since 1-800-887-2286 rings your phone or that of your staff, that puts you guys as an initial contact with potential customers right off the bat, whether you like it, or want it, or not. You are on the front line of Customer Service. That's just the way it is until MahindraUSA changes the brochures and the website. Since you and your staff will be the initial contact with some potential customers, you guys also will be making that all-too-important "FIRST IMPRESSION". Can you think of a better way to lose a customer than to reprimand him (no matter how softly or aggressively) for calling the number on the brochure and telling him to call the dealer instead, and then send him away without even his question being answered?

When you called me at home last September (I still have the number on my caller ID) about my question here on TBN (I think it was about not being able to long onto the 24-7 part of the website), and then at the end of the call told me in absolutely no uncertain terms not to call HQ with any more questions (even though you actually called me) and to only call the dealer if I had any more questions, that was a little off-putting. So, I don't have any doubt about what coobie said happened to him. I've read enough accounts on here about the same thing happening to so many others that have called the 800 number, that I thought it deserved a name, and I made up the term "the Tomball Tune" last night about it. Nearly everyone that has posted on here about their call with a question to the 800 number has said they got the same little "lecture".

The fact that the 800 number on the brochures is not Technical Support is not the caller's problem, not one little bit. It's MahindraUSA's problem that got pushed off onto a potential customer to go find the answer to himself, and it cost MahindraUSA and a dealer a $20,000 sale. Yes, it was a simple enough question that the dealer should have been able to answer (or at least attempt to get an answer to by whatever means) in less than 60 seconds. As was stated earlier, that dealer has now paid dearly for that mistake, and probably should be raked over the coals a bit by HQ as well if he hasn't been already. But, HQ is not innocent here either, by a long shot. If MahindraUSA wants to continue putting the 800 number on their brochures, then it's only common sense and good business sense that they have someone on staff to take the calls of "Tire Kickers" (what a respectful term of endearment for your future customers...truthful or not...) If Mahindra wants to be the largest tractor manufacturer, then they really need to start acting like they want to be the largest, and it all starts with Customer Service, and bending over backwards to convince potential customers that they're making the right decision by buying that Mahindra tractor, and that includes having someone there to happily answer the calls from "tire kickers". Not by posting here on TBN to the caller about why they were justified in not answering a question and why they were justified in pushing him off to somewhere else without just taking the time to win him over right there. If MahindraUSA would rather that number be a Dealer Only number, then don't put it on the brochures or on the website. Simple enough, I think. Was it worth the sale of that tractor to not do everything possible to help coobie out with his questions right there at HQ???

Good Customer Service would have answered all coobie's questions to the best of the company's ability (I certainly think it would have been OK to forward the question over to Engineering, and then call him back later with the answer, or at least the best answer that could be calculated), thanked him for calling MahindraUSA, gotten his contact information, told him the name and phone number of his nearest dealer, asked if there was anything else they could do for him, and then sent him on his way, hopefully with a positive feeling about the kind of support he will receive should he buy a new Mahindra tractor.

But, what kind of feeling do you think he had when he hung up the phone with MahindraUSA HQ after he got no help from the dealer, and then HQ wouldn't help him either, and then told him not to call back and pushed him back to the same dealer who wouldn't/couldn't help him in the first place?

Sounds like he felt like buying an Orange tractor .

And, if it sounds like I'm putting all the blame for this incident on MahindraUSA HQ, it is because I am. There's really no excuse for any dealer to not know the product line he's selling. HQ needs to reinforce this...it starts at the top. Some of the dealers will be as lax as HQ allows them to be. Send out some secret shoppers and find out just what kind of dealers you have out there... nip this ambivalent dealer problem in the bud! If you don't, it's going to kill you!

 

[bindian]

First off, I want to say out front that I'm 99.5% satisified with my Mahindra 3525 and the treatment that I've received from my Dealer. And, I really do want to see MahindraUSA succeed, first, because I have a vested interest in it now as a Mahindra Owner, and second, because I believe that they put out a good product, and third, because I think it's outrageous what Big Green and Big Orange are pricing their tractors at, and how little those dealers are willing to deal on the price. I think it's good to have Mahindra and others come in with a very high quality product and stir the pot a bit. That's where I stand about MahindraUSA.

I have had no communication with coobie, other than what he has posted here in the forum, so if I'm way off base with what I'm about to write, I apologize in advance. But, I don't think that I am.

I think the problem here is not as much what coobie was told or not told, but more so how he was treated by both the Dealer and MahindraUSA Headquarters.

As we all know, Customer Service is the name of the game here when trying to sell tractors. The fact that this whole incident happened and is now being discussed on an internet message board just screams "poor customer service". The other fact that Mahindra does not as of yet have a super strong, competent dealer network like JD or Kubota or any of the "Major Brands" (and sadly, reportedly some very incompetent dealers) just reinforces the role that Customer Service plays in making a sale and gaining customers, either positively or negatively.

Brenda, since 1-800-887-2286 rings your phone or that of your staff, that puts you guys as an initial contact with potential customers right off the bat, whether you like it, or want it, or not. You are on the front line of Customer Service. That's just the way it is until MahindraUSA changes the brochures and the website. Since you and your staff will be the initial contact with some potential customers, you guys also will be making that all-too-important "FIRST IMPRESSION". Can you think of a better way to lose a customer than to reprimand him (no matter how softly or aggressively) for calling the number on the brochure and telling him to call the dealer instead, and then send him away without even his question being answered?

When you called me at home last September (I still have the number on my caller ID) about my question here on TBN (I think it was about not being able to long onto the 24-7 part of the website), and then at the end of the call told me in absolutely no uncertain terms not to call HQ with any more questions (even though you actually called me) and to only call the dealer if I had any more questions, that was a little off-putting. So, I don't have any doubt about what coobie said happened to him. I've read enough accounts on here about the same thing happening to so many others that have called the 800 number, that I thought it deserved a name, and I made up the term "the Tomball Tune" last night about it. Nearly everyone that has posted on here about their call with a question to the 800 number has said they got the same little "lecture".

The fact that the 800 number on the brochures is not Technical Support is not the caller's problem, not one little bit. It's MahindraUSA's problem that got pushed off onto a potential customer to go find the answer to himself, and it cost MahindraUSA and a dealer a $20,000 sale. Yes, it was a simple enough question that the dealer should have been able to answer (or at least attempt to get an answer to by whatever means) in less than 60 seconds. As was stated earlier, that dealer has now paid dearly for that mistake, and probably should be raked over the coals a bit by HQ as well if he hasn't been already. But, HQ is not innocent here either, by a long shot. If MahindraUSA wants to continue putting the 800 number on their brochures, then it's only common sense and good business sense that they have someone on staff to take the calls of "Tire Kickers" (what a respectful term of endearment for your future customers...truthful or not...) If Mahindra wants to be the largest tractor manufacturer, then they really need to start acting like they want to be the largest, and it all starts with Customer Service, and bending over backwards to convince potential customers that they're making the right decision by buying that Mahindra tractor, and that includes having someone there to happily answer the calls from "tire kickers". Not by posting here on TBN to the caller about why they were justified in not answering a question and why they were justified in pushing him off to somewhere else without just taking the time to win him over right there. If MahindraUSA would rather that number be a Dealer Only number, then don't put it on the brochures or on the website. Simple enough, I think. Was it worth the sale of that tractor to not do everything possible to help coobie out with his questions right there at HQ???

Good Customer Service would have answered all coobie's questions to the best of the company's ability (I certainly think it would have been OK to forward the question over to Engineering, and then call him back later with the answer, or at least the best answer that could be calculated), thanked him for calling MahindraUSA, gotten his contact information, told him the name and phone number of his nearest dealer, asked if there was anything else they could do for him, and then sent him on his way, hopefully with a positive feeling about the kind of support he will receive should he buy a new Mahindra tractor.

But, what kind of feeling do you think he had when he hung up the phone with MahindraUSA HQ after he got no help from the dealer, and then HQ wouldn't help him either, and then told him not to call back and pushed him back to the same dealer who wouldn't/couldn't help him in the first place?

Sounds like he felt like buying an Orange tractor .

And, if it sounds like I'm putting all the blame for this incident on MahindraUSA HQ, it is because I am. There's really no excuse for any dealer to not know the product line he's selling. HQ needs to reinforce this...it starts at the top. Some of the dealers will be as lax as HQ allows them to be. Send out some secret shoppers and find out just what kind of dealers you have out there... nip this ambivalent dealer problem in the bud! If you don't, it's going to kill you!

Brian,
I know the whole story is not being told here, but it would seem he had a curt conversation with a tractor manufacturer before. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/massey-ferguson/103533-no-massey-dealers-my-area.html because his dealer closed! So it would not be just Mahindra's "Tomball Tune" you speak of in this case.. Yes, Mahindra could have a better way to answer tech questions. Customer service and tech support are two different animals. As I heard it, his question was being reserched, but he became inpatient. But in this case, I don't think any brand's customer service would have helped. The 10 series Mahindra is being discontinued. Just think how he would have reacted if he bought the 4110 and found out it was being discontinued. Sounds like lack of research and a spur of the moment tractor buying here .
It would seem he couldn't make up his mind which brand to go with and got someone else to make up his mind. I agree it is a dead horse. Oh yeah, I would hang up the phone if someone was cussing me out also. I do hope he likes his new Kioti and can sell or trade his MF.
hugs, Brandi

 

[coobie]

Brian,
I know the whole story is not being told here, but it would seem he had a curt conversation with a tractor manufacturer before. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/massey-ferguson/103533-no-massey-dealers-my-area.html because his dealer closed! So it would not be just Mahindra's "Tomball Tune" you speak of in this case.. Yes, Mahindra could have a better way to answer tech questions. Customer service and tech support are two different animals. As I heard it, his question was being reserched, but he became inpatient. But in this case, I don't think any brand's customer service would have helped. The 10 series Mahindra is being discontinued. Just think how he would have reacted if he bought the 4110 and found out it was being discontinued. Sounds like lack of research and a spur of the moment tractor buying here .
It would seem he couldn't make up his mind which brand to go with and got someone else to make up his mind. I agree it is a dead horse. Oh yeah, I would hang up the phone if someone was cussing me out also. I do hope he likes his new Kioti and can sell or trade his MF.
hugs, Brandi

First off I want to say excellant post by Xlr82v2,my feelings 100 percent.I will respond to this post since you called me out.First off I NEVER cussed at anyone and who told you that i did so?You seem to be a person who knows alot about the topic,who did you get your infromation from at mahindra,just curious?Why not post it here for all to see?I think you are grabbing at straws with reguards to my massey ferg.1240 which I sold to a coworker about 1 month ago.I was very happy with my massey freg as I stated in my post,but the 3 dealers that were here locally are gone now.Oh buy that way I am not a spur of the moment buyer like you suggest I try to do my reasearch and ask questions on loader specs(DUH)My picks were the mahindra 4110,Kioti dk40se and the kubota 4240and 3940 grand L,I think you left those posts out for some reason. The resason I wanted to buy the mahindra or Kioti was I had alot of local dealers.So try again to turn this over to make me look bad,its your story go with it.LOL.coobie

 

[MAHINDRA OF OHIO]

We get customers from time to time that do not know ANYTHING about tractors and equipment----I Love it when I talk to them! Becouse when they leave my store they know alot more about equipment and how I will be there to help them out with there needs. Most people buying a tractor will not need that service becouse they know how to run and service there equipment very well.
I will say that the Kioti Dealer gave good info on his equipment and if he did not know something he found out for his customer---That dealer got the sale.

 

[DavesTractor]

Coobie seems to have his share of disappointments with people calling him back or giving him service. I've read over a bunch of his posts and there is a minor theme in that regard. Maybe he is a little demanding, maybe he is a little impatient, maybe there is very little warm and fuzzy about his personality, I really don't know. Some people tend to find good service and pleasant people wherever they go, and some people tend to find poor service and unfriendly people. I wonder sometimes if we as consumers create some of our own problems.

However, Kioti or Kubota, whatever he bought, must have had a dealer that had all the answers and gave him exceptional service. He demands exceptional service and there is nothing worng with that. That dealer earned the sale. We need to learn from each service experience since we can all do better.

Coobie, best of luck with your new machine, and no offense meant.

 

[xlr82v2]

Brian,
I know the whole story is not being told here, but it would seem he had a curt conversation with a tractor manufacturer before. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/massey-ferguson/103533-no-massey-dealers-my-area.html because his dealer closed! So it would not be just Mahindra's "Tomball Tune" you speak of in this case.. Yes, Mahindra could have a better way to answer tech questions. Customer service and tech support are two different animals. As I heard it, his question was being reserched, but he became inpatient. But in this case, I don't think any brand's customer service would have helped. The 10 series Mahindra is being discontinued. Just think how he would have reacted if he bought the 4110 and found out it was being discontinued. Sounds like lack of research and a spur of the moment tractor buying here .
It would seem he couldn't make up his mind which brand to go with and got someone else to make up his mind. I agree it is a dead horse. Oh yeah, I would hang up the phone if someone was cussing me out also. I do hope he likes his new Kioti and can sell or trade his MF.
hugs, Brandi

I honestly question myself why I get myself involved in these things sometimes... especially when I'm not involved, and the outcome isn't probably going to affect me one bit in the end. It's heartburn I don't need. But sometimes it's harder not to say something than it is to say it. I guess, it's just because it's something I care about. Probably some day, I'll learn my lesson. But, until then...

I know that I don't know the whole story here. However, from the PM's I've received, I have no doubts as well that Mr. Coobie would not easily fit into the "Difficult Customer" category. That being acknowledged, it's totally irrelevant what kind of customer Mr.Coobie is. He's still a customer, looking for solutions to his problems, whether or not he's like a bowl of cherries to deal with, or a badger. Take Mr. Coobie's name out of this whole fiasco, and put in your own or anybody else that you want to.

It sounds like, when you boil it all down, that this is what happened:

The Mahindra Dealer couldn't answer what was in his mind, a relatively simple question (customer now slightly irritated), so then the customer (not the dealer) called MahindraUSA , who also could not answer the question (customer now a little more irritated), and then told the customer not to call MahindraUSA anymore, and only use his dealer, who couldn't help him in the first place, to get his questions answered (customer now extremely irritated).

My whole contention is this:

Customer Service, from the customer's point of view, covers every aspect of the whole entire MUSA operation, including parts and service, tech support, everything. And it begins BEFORE the sale, not after.

The Dealer is on the front line of customer service. That's what MUSA wants, and that is the way it should be whenever possible, nothing wrong with that at all. Being on the front line means that the Dealer is the first representative of MUSA to meet the customer. The Dealer and his actions will form the extremely important FIRST IMPRESSION that we all know and understand.

When MUSA puts the 800 number on all of their brochures and on the MUSA website, then that also puts them and whoever answers the phone when it rings, on the front line of customer service, whether they want to be, or not. That is indisputable. If they are the first representative of MUSA to talk to a new customer, then what they say and how they say it is going to form that all too important FIRST IMPRESSION of MUSA, just as it will with the dealer, if not more so. I would think that there is an increased level of expectation when you call company headquarters. The guys at the top should know what's going on.

Now, when you factor in what happened here, it's clear to see that MUSA had three major breakdowns in customer service, first at the dealer level, and twice at the HQ level. Two really really bad first impressions were made here.

When you're in a customer service driven business, you knowingly assume the risk of having to deal with customers that are more like a badger than a bowl of cherries. Everybody would certainly rather deal with a bowl of cherries than a badger, but is MUSA in a position in the marketplace where they can afford to pick and choose their clientele? Has Mahindra reached that level of exclusivity? Probably not. So, in order to survive and thrive, they need to sell tractors to the badgers as well as the cherries. What good does it do MUSA when it is rationalized away and said we're better off without him, just because it's hard to deal with a badger? I know that it's a tall order, but if MUSA doesn't learn to deal with badgers, then somebody else out there in the marketplace is going to get better at dealing with badgers and selling them tractors, and they can most certainly sell tractors to the cherries as well. And in the marketplace, whoever sells the most tractors, for the most part, wins. Can MUSA afford to slough off the badgers and let the competition have them? That might make Mahindra's goal of being the largest tractor company a little tougher to attain. And as far as marketing goes, if you can satisfy a badger and have a badger giving your product (which includes customer service) good word of mouth advertising, then how much does that raise your reputation with everyone else?

Wow, if Mr. Badger likes that Mahindra tractor, it MUST be good!

All I'm saying is that MUSA needs to get it's weaker dealers up to speed on the products they sell, and give the staff at HQ the tools they need to be on the front line of customer service so that they can handle the badgers as well as the cherries.

I've worked in corporate aviation since I got out of college. If you want an industry that has it's share of badgers, then that is one of them. The Customers are extremely demanding. They want what they want right now, not 10 or 15 minutes from now, they want it done correctly the first time, and they want it done professionally, at a fair price. If they have a bad customer service experience, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will call management and report it... the old addage "manure rolls downhill" certainly applies.

I started out working on the ramp, refueling the airplanes. A customer service front line job. How I handled the customers from the moment they pulled onto the ramp set the tone for how the whole experience was going to be. It doesn't matter if they were in a Gulfstream V jet or a cessna 152. You never know who you're dealing with... the guy in the 152 might be the CEO of a company with a fleet of Gulfstream V's... If I treated a customer badly, and didn't go the extra mile to get it done and caused that customer to not come back to our FBO the next time they landed at our airport, you can be certain I would have had to answer to my boss, and explain why I didn't get the job done, and instead helped out our competition down the street by sending them a new customer. It made no difference if the customer was a badger or a cherry. And since I'm still with the same company, but now up in the cockpit flying the jets instead of pumping fuel into them, I guess I must have done OK at it. You can bet I've had to stand there my share of times and take an *** chewing from a customer who was always right, even when he wasn't, and I could prove to the boss that he wasn't. You just have to deal with it, and get it done. So now you know where my point of reference is from on this customer service thing. So, maybe my expectations are too high as well? Maybe, but I don't think so, especially when you're trying to sell products worth thousands of dollars to customers that have every other brand name to choose from as well. I don't think anyone will say that there is a glut of customers out there.

 

[RedRiver]

I honestly question myself why I get myself involved in these things sometimes... especially when I'm not involved, and the outcome isn't probably going to affect me one bit in the end. It's heartburn I don't need. But sometimes it's harder not to say something than it is to say it. I guess, it's just because it's something I care about. Probably some day, I'll learn my lesson. But, until then...

I live by this saying, espcially in situations like this...

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

 

[tydp]

"I honestly question myself why I get myself involved in these things sometimes... especially when I'm not involved, and the outcome isn't probably going to affect me one bit in the end. It's heartburn I don't need. But sometimes it's harder not to say something than it is to say it. I guess, it's just because it's something I care about. Probably some day, I'll learn my lesson. But, until then..."

Amen.....