Indiana dealers??

[AxleHub]

Greetings Fish. I found a considerable difference from your description during a 4.5 month search and purchasr process I did.

By emailing specific people at each dealership . . I was able to send them specific details of what I wanted and accessory items. I visited some after emailing . . but emailing started every process. Most took me very seriously specifically because my emails were both detailed and formalized.

I believe it showed I was more than just "shopping" and that I had certain timeframes to act. I wasn't demanding but I also wasn't asking for pricing on 6 different sizes of unit either.

I can't say for any other part of the country . . But western and central wi and eastern mn were eager to talk and sell scuts . . regardless how big they are. In the areas I contacted they all said sales of big equipment were exceedingly slow and they were ever so glad they were selling scuts and cuts . . again regardless how big they are.

I also suspected and was proven correct that every salesperson young or old has a computer and email address. In 16 different dealers I ran into only one person who didn't do computer emailing and he was the owner and his son did all of it.

The dealer I purchased from is huge . . And they responded promptly and professionally to my small investment. They are glad for every sale and every service opportunity.

I'm sure what you observed and what I observed are related to regional differences and conditions. We have excellent farmland here but its not an easy year if you sell big equipment to the ag market. We have great weather and good crops it appears but low commodity pricing.

 

[fish938]

As I said, I don't think it's necessarily the way it should be, just my observations from being in or speaking with different dealers. Many dealers around here, especially true of Agco and NH dealers, are small operations and if they have a website, it is a generic one set up by the MFG for a dealer to use. You will find an email address, but it is also a generic address, not for one individual responsible sales, let alone internet sales. I'm not saying you won't get a reply, if might just be a week or so because the secretary checks the email and gives it to the owner/salesman once a week and then he gives that person the info to email it back. I didn't mean to imply that by emailing it somehow reflects ones level of interest. My comment was that I feel many dealers feel that way. It also explains the lack of urgency to respond.
I'd much rather email dealers when getting info/pricing. I've done it. If I get a response, it's usually like I said, a week or so before I hear anything.
My point is, after having tried email and not having a great deal of success, I got the impression that so and so dealer must not be interested in selling me anything. Then later on stoping in or calling to talk to someone, I find out that in fact is not the case. The dealer in question just runs his business the way he feels comfortable and it apparently doesn't include much emailing. Does that mean that is a poor business for me to support? In my experiences, most of the dealers are terrific places with good parts and service departments and the owner/salesman is very knowledgeable and willing to make someone a good deal on a tractor. Anymore, i've learned that just because I didn't receive a response to an email does not mean it's a poor dealer. Conversely, just because I did receive a response doesn't mean the dealer is one i'd choose to do business with.
Certainly our experiences are regional. The original poster is in central Indiana asking about dealers within a comfortable distance to him. I gave him my experiences and opinions on dealers in a radius to him and I think he will find the same as I. In other words, I no longer discount a good dealer because he doesn't use email frequently, even though I believe he could benefit from doing so.

 

[AxleHub]

Greetings fish,

I'm curious that you think small AGCO dealers don't have websites. Actually AGCO just like Yanmar provides website space for each of its dealers. So when you go to Massey F. to look up dealer locations . . you get an imbeded website with contact number, address, generic website from company and email contact if there is one.

In addition any dealer of any size that lists item/items with tractorhouse or fastline or auctiontime etc.. gets something like that as well. I got alot of hits in Indiana as well as the dakotas and ohio . . Little towns little dealers etc..

The sleepy days of walking in the door without prior contact don't happen like they used to because the manufacturers and online advertisers for tractor equipment (new and used) are broad and technically supportive of those listing/selling product. In addition, service departments are typically required to do computer activity for much of their ordering, tech support, schematics, and service bolos and recall issues.

Fish I'm not trying to argue or make fun . . I just think even the tiniest of dealers have quotas and asset investments required to stay a dealer. Bricks and mortar may keep a customer . . but developing them to start with is all about efficiency and technology. And anyone offering finance plans (which is almost everyone) is doing scanning and emailing or uploading (very little faxing . . Because of clarity).

Even to do a bid . . requires the dealer network lookup for the dealers . . Because of various implements and items for the bid . . and promotional combo choices. At least that is the case with Kubota, Massey, Yanmar, and J.D..

Some dealers like to give the impression that they are just old style dealers . . but every major brand requires what is technically called a "backroom".

But we don't want to give the impression to readers that we are argue oriented . . because we're not. Catch U Later.

 

[edgarrian]

My emails have always been detailed in what model and extras I want and what im doing with it. Ive always asked for a round about price so that they dont have to go through the hassle of looking something up. I have found mostly that even the round about prices have seem to be decent and i know there maybe some room to work with. Some will ask about cash or financing and if they do I respond with Im a cash customer. Ive always pointed out that im two to three months away and just wanting some numbers to look at.

 

[fish938]

I think I agreed with you for the most part. I gave an account of my experiences with dealers in central and southern Indiana, which is where the OP was asking about dealers for Massey Ferguson.
Some have websites and use email, many do not, or at least they don't make good use of them. It has little to do with the size of the dealer if they do or not. Specifically to dealers in the area and of the brand asked about, my experience has been that they don't respond to emails like they could or should. I have concluded that for me, it will not preclude me from doing business with one that doesn't. A guy could miss a great dealer in all other aspects if he did. If the OP doesn't have time to make phone calls or drop in, thats fine. Trust me, I understand. I never said he shouldn't email asking for prices. If he chooses to patronize a dealer because they were responsive to his request for information and not a dealer who wasn't, I understand that too. I just know there are very good dealers who for whatever reason are either very slow to respond with an email, if at all. In central/southern Indiana, there seem to be more of the former than the latter and I gave him the names of some he may not know of because they don't have much, if any web presence and therefore may not be reached via email. I was not trying to generalize about the size of dealers and them having a website or using email. Just trying to help him or anyone else who might read this thread, either now or when searching this site in the future. I guess i'll quit now.

 

[AxleHub]

Fish,

I hope you don't "quit now" . . Whether for just this thread single or more. Its different views and perspectives from helping opinionated people that give TBN threads . . . Both life and interest . . . and benefit to others.

My very 1st client for my business long ago was a very unique older farmer pair of brothers who refused to surrender as a once huge family farm dwindled in size and value. But they didn't "fight on" in a typical fashion . . . they adapted in ways so unique and unexpected . . that they became a pair to influence my humility and a young but advancing knowledge . . . far longer than their lives endured.

The moral of the story . . . you never know how you might influence others . . . until you try

 

[davrow]

The sleepy days of walking in the door without prior contact don't happen like they used to because the manufacturers and online advertisers for tractor equipment (new and used) are broad and technically supportive of those listing/selling product.

Well, I can't quite agree there. The 3 dealers I seriously dealt with I went in person for the initial contact.

The dealer I ended up buying from is just one location of a 'chain' - the main office is a Kioti dealer, and this location handles Kiotis, but due to sales volume this office is not allowed to call itself a Kioti dealer. The web gave me their corporate office, but nothing for my local dealership.

 

[AxleHub]

Well, I can't quite agree there. The 3 dealers I seriously dealt with I went in person for the initial contact.

The dealer I ended up buying from is just one location of a 'chain' - the main office is a Kioti dealer, and this location handles Kiotis, but due to sales volume this office is not allowed to call itself a Kioti dealer. The web gave me their corporate office, but nothing for my local dealership.

Davrow there is a very obvious likely reason why they didn't list your local dealer . . While sales volume restrictions may prevent the listing . . It is more likely they don't qualify to have that partivular sales territory.

1. service dept. May not stock parts
2. Technicians not kioti trained or approved
3. They may not own the territory for kioti
4. Building is not to kioti standards.
Etc. Etc.

Dealers pay for their territory. Example: a large dealership in our area has 3 other good sized branches. The one closest to me sells massey and case. The next one sells kubota and ?? The 3rd sells kubota and the 4th sells mahindra.

Each is good sized but none of them can sell each others products because other dealers own their territories. If they get caught selling a product they aren't authorized for . . It gets real expensive real fast.