Ever Get The Feeling? "Service Dept Managers"

[jcmseven]

Jason,

I feel pretty confident that I am not my dealers' (car, truck, tractor or otherwise) most favoritest person to see, but like you I try to be fair. I, too, am picky and you have no reason to feel bad about being so. These machines we buy and use are very expensive. For some in our group, they cost at or close to a year's salary. Many of us use them for tasks but also for our lifestyles. We enjoy being outside and the experience of using a nice, well-engineered piece of machinery. It needs to be right to operate efficiently and safely and give us the best experience possible. If things are not right, they should be. It is all about the experience.

John M

 

[rtdiggr]

I am not sure if you said your warr. was up or not but how about looking for another dealer to service your tractor. I go to a Massey dealer but there are other tractors in there.
One of the reasons i stay with my dealer and consequentially spend more money on other things is because of service.

We have all been to dealers for many different things and one thing i HATE is when i get an answer of "well that is a characteristic of your vehicle" well no it is not if it didn't come from the factory like that then it should be fixed like it came from the factory.

Okay i am done my rant.

Shane

 

[JasonMac]

Today I went up and had to explain to the service manager again how I thought the 3rd function coupler bracket was supposed to be installed.

I was also shocked to see no effort at all was made to reset my loader.

I was told again that he thinks it is just an optical illusion that my loader was shifted to the right.

He said the Hydraulic hose guard on the loader cross tube isn't always a good reference to use to see if the loader is aiming straight or not.

I have photos of when I bought this machine the "Nut" on the Loader cross tube was directly under the the middle hole on the grill guard. Today it is about 3" inches to left when you are looking at the machine from the front.

He had the audacity to tell me it was an optical illusion, because I have hooks welded on my bucket because the hooks might not be perfectly straight.

I'm not an exact idiot... but if my nut is 3" off (to the left) at the cross tube.. how far am I off by the time you measure out to the bucket blade?

I've told him what I thought should be done is to loosen all the bolts on the loader frame, reset the loader and then tighten down again... but when I left there today.. he was still convinced it was an illusion...

 

[rtdiggr]

It sounds like you have a special kinda guy there is there another JD dealer in the area?
You can always try to find who the regional rep is and have him look at it.



Shane

 

[nmu98]

Jason, does the dealer have any other in service, or any other on the lot that you can compare to or measure off from?

 

[JasonMac]

oh, I've showed him exactly what I mean... even by pointing out other machines... but it just seems to get blown off week to week... hoping I will forget about the problem, or realize it's not an important problem...

so today, I was told the nut wasn't a good indication of the loader being set straight. He thinks my hose guard is off..... to the left.... there is only one hole to mount the hose guard, how can the guard itself be off?

 

[nmu98]

So why would you not take a tape measure out and show him that the nut is centered? Measuer out the bucket center, mark a line, then mark the center of the tractor, they should match up. Do this with him. He cannot call iit an illusion then.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Hate to say this because I absouletly LOVE my Deere and My Dealer (Sales Dept we can debate)...but if I were in YOUR shoes, I'd trade it in on a Kubota or other brand....
Numerous threads on here from people saying "Should I buy Green/Red/Orange etc"...and the single biggest thing to decide is dealer support...to avoid this exact senario.....because ultimately, you are correct...you paid good money for a good machine, you DESERVE for it to be "Just Right"
True Story...when I got my Tractor this spring, first thing out of my mouth to SWMBO is "We are NOT Moving Back home until she's out of warranty" because I refuse to let the dealer in that area to even remotely see or work on my tractor....

 

[jrutherford]

Hate to say this because I absouletly LOVE my Deere and My Dealer (Sales Dept we can debate)...but if I were in YOUR shoes, I'd trade it in on a Kubota or other brand....
Numerous threads on here from people saying "Should I buy Green/Red/Orange etc"...and the single biggest thing to decide is dealer support...to avoid this exact senario.....because ultimately, you are correct...you paid good money for a good machine, you DESERVE for it to be "Just Right"
True Story...when I got my Tractor this spring, first thing out of my mouth to SWMBO is "We are NOT Moving Back home until she's out of warranty" because I refuse to let the dealer in that area to even remotely see or work on my tractor....

Dead on, that was my sole point. Relationship is everything. If mine sold orange, or brown or whatever, I would be that color, no questions.

 

[JasonMac]

I can't give up my John Deere for a Kubota. I personally like the John Deere product much better, for many reasons. But I'm hating the fact that I now have to go through this one individual service guy. I've never felt like I was talking to a wall before. But I do now. He is a fast talker, and he tries to fast talk me into something is an illusion... or meant to be that way etc....

As far as trading... I wouldn't trade, I would take too much of a bath with my John Deere right now... and I would rather have a John Deere over a Kubota for lots of reasons. Nice Tractor, but I feel as though the JD is nicer... mainly twin touch hydros, and Left/Right Brakes that are actually designed to work... Kubota you have to admit has an engineering flaw there, with that one..

 

[JasonMac]

I can't give up my John Deere for a Kubota. I personally like the John Deere product much better, for many reasons. But I'm hating the fact that I now have to go through this one individual service guy. I've never felt like I was talking to a wall before. But I do now. He is a fast talker, and he tries to fast talk me into something is an illusion... or meant to be that way etc....

As far as trading... I wouldn't trade, I would take too much of a bath with my John Deere right now... and I would rather have a John Deere over a Kubota for lots of reasons. Nice Tractor, but I feel as though the JD is nicer... mainly twin touch hydros, and Left/Right Brakes that are actually designed to work... Kubota you have to admit has an engineering flaw there, with that one..

 

[mjncad]

But I'm hating the fact that I now have to go through this one individual service guy. I've never felt like I was talking to a wall before. But I do now. He is a fast talker, and he tries to fast talk me into something is an illusion... or meant to be that way etc.

The service guy sounds like he was a salesman who was moved to service manager because he couldn't sell anything, and the only reason he is still there is that he is related to the owner, or some such thing. I'd say it's time to grip to the owner of the dealership and if that doesn't work, gripe to Deere corporate. Also, I'd look for another dealer.

 

[jaybrad]

It's amazing that more companies just don't seem to understand how important customer service is.

There is a local Deere/Kubota dealer where I tried to buy a tractor, but their salesperson was just awful, so I went elsewhere. This same dealer has a couple other locations - and at one of those other locations, I bought a wood chipper. Because my tractor is a SCUT, it required cutting the PTO drive to make it fit - and to make a long story a bit shorter - a few of us well-intentioned, but not very smart, folks tried to do this on our own, and messed things up pretty good. So I went to the dealer for help.

If he told me it would cost $300 to fix the problem, I would have licked my wounds and paid the bill, but instead it took the service manager a couple days to understand what I was seeking and then tell me there was nothing he could do. He didn't have any suggestions, and made it clear that he would spend no more time on my problem.

Through some folks at work I found a local machine shop where I took the parts one afternoon and had it fixed the next morning - and it cost me < $50. I've since been back to that machine shop several times for other projects.

Then there is the dealer where I bought my tractor. I haven't had any service issues yet, because I've done the work myself. But I have had a few questions about service and parts, and have called or dropped in to talk with them. No matter who I talk with, they have been patient, helpful, and have a good sense of humor.

Their parts are not at discounted prices and I could order them cheaper online, but there have been more times when they have spent time helping me that does not yield them any parts or service income. So I willingly pay what they charge when I need something, and actually look forward to the next time I'll do business with them.

The former dealer is bigger and doesn't seem to care. They don't get it, and never will.

The machine shop and latter dealer do care and will get my business and recommendation.

Just a long winded way of saying that if you're not being treated the right way at one dealer, vote with your wallet - and go elsewhere.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I can't give up my John Deere for a Kubota. I personally like the John Deere product much better, for many reasons. But I'm hating the fact that I now have to go through this one individual service guy.

Jason, I see your in NH, buy/rent a trailer and haul it here to southern Maine...quite a few good dealers here....one of which is the same one jaybrad is talking about being bad...his gripe was with a location other the mine (notice I put in my original post that we could debate the sales dept, sounds like thats the same across their footprint) as far as Parts & Service they have treated me VERY well...The way I see it is I deal with sales for a week or so, then I have to deal with Parts & Service for many YEARS...
I know the OTHER (CIH/MF/Cub Cadet) that Jay is referring to, and unless its Deere specific, I go there for everything now...they are simply supurb.