Just what makes a good dealer?

Doc_Bob · May 12, 2006

Good dealer is as important as good tractor. I read this at TBN all the time. Just what makes a good dealer? How does a newbie like me figure this out?

Well, I am in the process of buying my first CUT. I have learned at TBN that the dealer is as important as the tractor. I did not know what was meant by a good dealer or how to find out if a dealer was good until recently.

I went to local dealer # 1 and spent an hour looking at a tractor with the owner. I called the owner of the dealership (same guy that I spent time with) and said I would like to come back out the following Saturday. He said come by around 2 p.m., as they were generally busy and he would be able to spend time with me. I arrived at 1:45 and left at 2:30, having been observed and greeted by name by the owner. The owner than took care of folks who arrived after I did and left me standing around. I wrote him a nice letter indicating that I was unhappy with the lack of service. A week later, no reply. I think I have learned what makes for poor service. Thank goodness I learned before I spent any money. If they can’t take care of me when I call ahead, make an appointment, then what will happen after I own one of their tractors??

Dealer # 2, different brand. I showed up (second visit to dealer) on a rainy day, and the salesman showed me 3 different HP versions of the machine I am looking at. We stood in the rain and discussed differences, trannies, power, etc. Then, after 90 minutes of being out in the lot, we went back to his office and spoke some more. Then, without me prompting, he said that I really needed to use the machine (38 HP version) at my property to see if it would meet my needs! He is going to see when their flat bed will be in my neighborhood (20 miles from the dealer) and in the next 2 weeks, drop off a tractor with an FEL so I can use it for 3-4 hours to see if it works! Now I have an idea of what makes for a good dealer?

Dealer #1 shop looks tired and disorganized. Dealer # 2 shop looks well kept, busy and organized. Another indication of good dealer vs dealer that may not be as good?

So what else can a newbie look for that will indicate good dealer vs not so good dealer?

MikePA · May 12, 2006

When you're at the dealer;

Check out the service area. Is it clean? Are the mechanics working? Does it look professional? Or are people standing about drinking coffee and talking? Do the mechanics wear uniforms or are they dressed in jeans and T shirts? See any trucks and trailers owned by the dealer indicating they do pick up and delivery? How many of them are there? Big enough to handle your size tractor?

Check out the showroom/sales area. Clean and neat or a pig sty? Some manufacturers have dealer awards for sales and/or service. See any hanging on the wall? Are there empty desks in the sales area? If so, why are people leaving? Do they sell attachments? If so, are they major brand name attachments or no name ones? Some major brands have dealer requirements such as stocking a certain number of models and parts to fix them. If (fill in the blank of a major vendor) is willing to trust these guys, they are probably OK.

Does the place look busy? Not so busy that you're ignored, but busy enough to know that other people trust and like the place.

Walk around the outside. Is there used equipment for sale indicating recent trade ins? Is there a good selection of new tractors and attachments? Are some of the new tractors equipped with a FEL so you can see how they look and try them out? Do some of the tractors have attachments on the three point hitch so you can try them out as well? Is there a paved, grass and dirt area for you to test drive the tractor? Will they loan you a tractor to try out on your property?

Check out the Parts Department. Lots of shelves of parts behind the counter? If not, you may be waiting if you need one. Check the shelves on your side of the counter. Are there any? Bolts, nuts, paint, oil, pins, i.e., the odds and ends and consumables a tractor needs.

Does the dealer sell other things, e.g., Ag tractors or other large farming equipment, lawn and garden tractors, chain saws, string trimmers, things that indicate the dealer is a thriving business. This can also be a problem, i.e., the dealer is a jack of all trades and a master of none or that they concentrate on their large farmer customer base to the detriment of their other customers.

Does the dealer have separate departments for each line (Large Ag, Compact, Lawn and Garden) of equipment they sell and service with separate service trucks?

Check out their web site, assuming they have one. Professional looking or are the Copyright dates still 2003? Send them an email via their web site. Get a response?

Call them on the phone. Get a cheerful receptionist or Bubba back in the garage. Or do you descend into a phone system never to emerge? How many times does the phone ring? Do they have toll free numbers?

Do they take credit cards? Do they offer local bank financing?

None of these things are fool proof. Mechanics can wear uniforms and still be incompetent. People can be friendly and still give you a raw deal. Just some things to think about as you visit each dealer. All of these things help you form an overall opinion of the dealer and what kind of support he will provide.

Birdhunter1 · May 12, 2006

( Check out the service area. Is it clean? Are the mechanics working? Does it look professional? Or are people standing about drinking coffee and talking? Do the mechanics wear uniforms or are they dressed in jeans and T shirts? See any trucks and trailers owned by the dealer indicating they do pick up and delivery? How many of them are there? Big enough to handle your size tractor?

)

In most cases this can tell you alot but a CaseIh dealer that a farmer friend of mine always deals with the shop (large majority f it's sales and service are on 100 +hp tractors, equipment and combines the mechanics wear unifroms (most are grease stained), the shop floors are dirty, and there is always equipment in and out of teh place. By dirty I mean the floors have dirt from stuff coming in and out, no oil spills and stuff everywhere. It's also an older building but talk about one **** of a dealer.
The parts guys know their stuff well, the sales guys know their stuff well and the mechanics are first class!
I would causally stroll aroudn looking at what is on the shelf and "listen" to what is going on, if the parts guys are on the phone then listen to see how they are helping the other end of the line, if the sales guys are within ear shot listen to how tey hep customers, if the techs are around listen to how they badmouth the product, don't make it obvious you're not trying to be seen but do notice how many ask if you need help and how long it takes.

spanky8N · May 13, 2006

( Just what makes a good dealer? )

Jumping at the chance to help you with your purchase years after the sale was made.

proudestmonkey · May 13, 2006

I was ready to shell out serious cash for a front snowblower for my tractor. My dealer talked me out getting a snowblower until I see whether the FEL suits my needs, and then suggesting a rear blower or rear blade as a much less expensive alternative (this was after I already bought my tractor from him). Any dealer who turns down a $3000 purchase has to have some kind of integrity.

On the other hand, I have now written two emails to him and made a phone call asking him to tell me how much it would cost for them to do the 50 hour service (plus pickup charge) and whether he has a tooth bar that will fit my FEL, and he hasn't responded in nearly two weeks. I am hopeful that he's just a little forgetful, and it isn't a matter of me being a low priority in comparison to his Ag and professional construction clients (but I am beginning to wonder).

daTeacha · May 13, 2006

With old, established dealerships, family owned, large base of repeat customers, etc. I don't know that I'd be too concerned about the speed of response to emails. Phone calls and talkikng face to face are what built these places, not email.

While they may have it, that doesn't mean the guys are in the habit of using it. It may be the future, but tractor people are pretty conservative in many ways. The dealers around here are only too happy to spend time talking with an old customer about crops, cows, or whatever when someone stops in for a part. Say what you want about the wonders of the electonic world, but email is pretty impersonal compared to the other two, IMHO.

I look for Ag tractors, a lot of farmers around on Saturday morning getting minor parts, big tractors being fixed, new tractors being set up for delivery, etc. My dealer has two distinct service departments, one for Ag stuff, one for compacts and lawn/garden equipment. The main entrance brings you into a room with maybe on Cadet on display, two shelves of things like lynch pins, chain hooks, etc. The parts counter dominates 1/3 of the wall space, there are hats and tractor models offered, books about this and that line of tractors from the past, pails of oil of various types, etc. There are lots of tractors outside, both new and used, with the major brands they sell in distinct sections of the lot. There is an area in the back where customer tractors awaiting service or delivery are neatly lined up. You are encouraged to enter the service area and walk around, talking with the techs as you see fit. There are two L/G showrooms after you go through both service areas, one for the small Cadets, another for the small Kubotas. Tillers are also on display back there.

The customers in the place know each other to a large extent, and those that don't know you are more than willing to shoot the breeze a while anyways -- topic doesn't matter much.

If you need to use the can, they just show show the one everyone else uses. There is no fancy customer bathroom or waiting area, and everyone is pretty much on a equal social footing, whether owner, employee, or customer. The owners are working in the place, and many of the employees are related to them in one way or another.

It isn't brand new and it isn't fancy. It's been in the same place and owned by the same family for over 40 years. The owners are guys who use what they sell at their own places when they aren't selling things to someone else. It's just a busy, happy, productive kind of place that you feel comfortable walking into.