John Deere's poor dealership decision making IMO.

[ultrarunner]

Consolidation continues in many sectors... Healthcare is one leaving only the big players in many markets...

A friend third generation men's clothier with very loyal customers received the same from Levi Strauss...

After more than 70 years that was that...

Ford has gone to regional super stores.... all of the local dealers gone... three out of four here.

If 80% of your business is generated by 20% of your dealers it simplifies things.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The little consumer is really more and more just a NOTHING as he walks into such places. And doesn't even exist as a person, when dealing on-line. Just a customer and transaction number.

Have a problem? Go on line, waste your time and view our FAQs. We don't want to spend any money talking to you.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

When owned by the local family, our dealership's shop rate was about $70/hour.

Last year, it was $104/hour. Not sure what it is today. and the managers are under pressure to bill for every mechanic's hour....

 

[Diggin It]

What's disturbing is that any TBNer at all would support the corporatocracy over a small/family business. They say you know obscene when you see it. I've seen it on this thread.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My local Deere dealer wouldn’t look up to even speak to me when I visited there 20 yrs ago. So I never went back. Have bought 4 kubota’s since. I don’t see why Deere has the following they do.

 

[ultrarunner]

When I was looking to buy back in 2003 I really could not get the time of day from Deere and they had no small tractors to view.

Kubota was different... lots of small tractors but zero local presence...

Now my Deere Industrial dealer has been great.

Can't blame it on size... the folks at Caterpillar treat me the best and I am really a nobody to them...

 

[RickB]

and the managers are under pressure to bill for every mechanic's hour....

The manager of any well run shop is under pressure to maximize his technician recovery rate. Even if that pressure is self inflicted.

A shop with a poor recovery rate is a losing proposition.

 

[ovrszd]

The manager of any well run shop is under pressure to maximize his technician recovery rate. Even if that pressure is self inflicted.

A shop with a poor recovery rate is a losing proposition.

So is a mechanic that can only bill 8hrs a day.

 

[JWR]

The manager of any well run shop is under pressure to maximize his technician recovery rate. Even if that pressure is self inflicted.

A shop with a poor recovery rate is a losing proposition.

Yes but that should be covered, at least as a business target, by the hideous high shop labor rate that is about 3 times what the mechanic is paid.

 

[JWR]

What's disturbing is that any TBNer at all would support the corporatocracy over a small/family business. They say you know obscene when you see it. I've seen it on this thread.

I think I made that assumption when I posted my comment to begin with in post # 64. I gotta agree Mr. Diggin It ... but then the TBNers are a bit more diverse than one would have thought.