The internet savvy dealers are essential for a guy like me. Yes -- I will probably end up utilizing Rick Wallace or DePratt at some point as it's the same reason I do all my Christmas shopping online and never enter a single store.
I went by Bobcat in Shrewsbury -- kind of disappointing. It doesn't seem to be open on saturdays, they're in an industrial area if they added razor wire and graffiti on the ancient building it would fit in well in New York City (big fence around it that's really beat up) or it could be confused for a prison if there wasn't any equipment parked outside. I realize looks mean nothing when the service and support are top notch, but a big dealer w/ a nice showroom and large service area is what they need.
Honestly Harvard power was IMHO a much nicer setup, and I remember being there and seeing 3 or 4 CK20's, 3 or 4 25/30's, some w/ TLB, others with deck setups. A few DK series machines, and a monster tractor or two -- at least as many or more orange blazing out front than Toreku Kubota before Toreku moved to their bigger location -- something like at least 20 tractors. I'd like to see the same at Bobcat of shrewsbury -- I guess they can cheat a bit on the whole kioti inventory requirements because they have 3 stores and get to add up inventory of all 3.
I will still give them a chance, but not having saturday hours is no way to sell machines to guys that are not landscapers and such. If you guys don't think so, then I would like to hear how many home owner, enthusiast, private sales Rick Wallace might lose if he was not open on saturday and sunday. Rick mentioned a LOT of Kioti sales are on first time tractor buyers -- not the guys who have owned John Deere for 20 years and are fixed on brand loyalty even though there tends to be a big price gap due to the ludicrously expensive green paint john deere uses. I guarantee you most first time tractor buyers are guys who shop on the weekends.
Judging by the requirements for a salesman position Bobcat has open at their south store (on the website), they are catering to landscapers and industrial stuff, not private owners.
Anyway -- I sound like a whiner and I'm not trying to be that way. If I start to work w/ a new dealer, I want it to be one that cares about private owners, not just the landscaper thats does tons of business on a monthly basis making me have to get in line for 4+ weeks to get some kind of service done. I want to drop my machine off for service or pick up parts on saturday (or even sunday), not during the week when I need to work too.
The 4+ weeks thing actually happened to me w/ a JD dealer across the street from my work -- my brother bought a log splitter from them that needed a new hydraulic valve and a line (also a walk behind blower -- about $3000 worth of business). It sat -- no lie -- for 3 months from November through January. Called them 3 times (once per month) and stopped by twice and their exuse was "we've got a lot of snowblowers to fix" and they only had one guy doing the work... They never returned calls -- so in february I came by w/ my tow vehicle and took the splitter out of there. Brought it to a local wheel horse dealer who I bought my 315 garden tractor from back in 2001 and he had it fixed in a couple of days and even called me when it was done...
I'm not sure if I will ever be able to visit Bobcat unless I'm on vacation or if they pick up saturday hours. I'll have a few days off between Christmas and New Years ... So I guess I'll go visit them one of the weekdays between Christmas and New Years and if I need some work done I'll schedule for either one of my work holidays that Bobcat happens to be open or when I'm on vacation and actually at home...
