New Kubota.ca Site Stinks

[woodstock]

The follow message was posted on Kubota.ca forum today August 06/01. Visit the site for your self if you don't beleive me.
http://www.kubota.ca/index.cfm?app=home&a=home&CFID=9775&CFTOKEN=39590719&language=en
The Kubota web site sucks especially the forums. People have posted questions that Kubota should respond to, but Kubota doesn’t even read their own forums..
This site sucks.
1. No way to email a question or request for info from Kubota
2. Numerous spelling mistakes.
3. Need to register to see Tips and other info.
4. Lame info is presented upon your registration.

This site is just fluff. If the site is just toi blow your own horn Kubota.ca then fine.
If your here to help buyers and Owners, there is no meat.
No attachment stats etc.
What ever you paid to set up this site is a complete waste of money if you don’t make the necessary changes.
If you Guys (Kubota.ca) can’t figure out what internet Kubota Owners.Buyers need visit http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/wwwthreads.pl?Cat=
Well I expect this will be deleted in short order, if so I will repost it at the aforementioned link.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 (23 hrs) All Kubota FEL,Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It makes you wonder how Kubota manages to turn out a good product. I have been using Apple Macintoshes since 1985. Fantastic product, but the company itself? If I had a lifetime supply of replacement computers I wouldn't shed a tear if Steve and Co. fell into the ocean.

My favorite episode...their refusing to help me with a birth defect on one of my two new computers in 1997 because the "customer ID cards" that came with my units were"invalid" and that the serial numbers of the units they had no record of.

They must have figured that's how I get rich, by calling and asking for tech help on Apple Macintoshes that don't exist.

I looked at the Kubota Canada site, it could use some work. If they were smart they'd just let Muhammad (tractorbynet's brain) hire, train and supervise some people to make it right. But that would be "our" loss as he'd have less time to keep this monster rolling!

They'd also have to be willing to invest the time in customer contact.

del

 

[smokey]

Its not just Canada but Kubota's sites world wide which are lame and ineffective. I don't believe the Japanese site presents details of their full range of product and the Aussie site is a joke. Fortunately there are plenty alternatives to get info and forums to comment on. Horray for the Internet..........smokey down under

 

[woodstock]

Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

We they booted me off the site and deleted my posting and sent the following message to my personal address.
<font color=blue>Dear Sir.
I am a Kubota owner and proud user of both their equipment and their site....you find me a better Canadian "only"manufactuer website. That was a real nice posting you put on the Kubota.ca site...especially when you add a lame "plug" for your site.
I hope you realize that the Kubota BB is not the forum to communicate these thoughts effectively. I imagine that you simply do not have an understanding of what the site does and you certainly do not have an understanding of how a machinery manufacturer operates.
The simple reality is that the Kubota.ca site is by far the best site for a machinery manufactuer in Canada. I can not even find a deere, new holland, etc site for Canada. The site is the only one which will have a storefront, BB, postal code locator, etc...
If you understood web dynamics, you would understand the engine which powers the site. Literally Kubota dealers have the ability to build their own sites (on the fly) in about 15 minutes. They are given all of the content management tools to update contact info, machines, ect...Note that their used machinery listings are syndicated content from the Kubota product database generated through XML.
Keep in mind one thing...Kubota beleives in and relies on their dealer netwowrk to service Kubota clients. Kubota has the best customer satisfaction rating of any manaufactuer in their marketplace using this model. As such, you can understand why they dont "watch" the bulletin boards or provide a channel for guys like you to bombard them with useless questions/comments. If a Kubota owner needs help with something, trust me that it is not hard to find.
nice esp.ca site by the way. It looks sharp.
Tom Jones.
Osiris Incorporated [hardcorebackend@hotmail.com]</font color=blue>
Did you catch the part where they say Kubota doesn't have time to waste on customer problems by reading the forum. They expect the dealer to do this. Now that's attitude.
I'd email Kubota Canada to complain about this absurd responce but they don't have an email address. HA HA HA.
Maybe this is the explanation for some of the Dealer attitude some of you have experienced. Theyare being factory trained in attitude.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 (23 hrs) All Kubota FEL,Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)

 

[Alan L.]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

Sounds like you stepped on a contactor's toes. I doubt if he is giving you the Kubota line, although they ARE guilty of having a distant relationship with their customers. They keep sending me these questionnaires to fill out however. I just got one since the tractor is over 2 years old. I fille them out before (with an epistle on the steering issue) and never heard back. My guess is someone punches them into a database and thats it.

My son-in-law showed up in the initial meeting for a small town chamber of commerce. He does web pages and was doing a free one for them. His first comment was how embarassing the current website was, and that it should be taken off the internet. That website was designed by the teenage son of one of the city councilmen, who was in attendance. Quite a tap dance getting around that booboo.

Alan L., TX

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

For those of you new to tractorbynet, you may not know that it is through the efforts of it's builder Muhammad Chisti (spelling?) that it exists. The comparison over this "non-manufacturer" site and the above "manufacturer" site is painful. There are been various problems, complaints (er suggestions) over the years with this site, we are all very greedy and want it just so...when there IS a problem of any kind or suggestions made, a response has always been forthcoming. The answer may be yes it can be done or maybe it's coming in the future when the days have more then 24 hours, or a suggestion back on a different way of accessing the information.

I see this a lot with some businesses. I tried to use Chrysler's (er Mercedes) Jeep site. On two of my browsers using Jeep.com wouldn't transfer over to jeepunpaved.com, their real site. I have tried the latest versions of Netscape and Explorer. When I go through the "build a Jeep" procedure for costing out a Jeep it comes back "too much time has elapsed" even if I am taking less then 20 seconds to make a choice. Then it sends me back to the homepage!

This is from a multi-billion dollar company. There are many excellent sites such as tractorbynet out there for various small companies and relatively small niches of people. It confirms my own feelings that the bigger the company, either the less knowledgeable people they have, or the less the knowledgeable people they DO have are allowed a free hand.

Hey Muhammad, Bravo again

del

 

[Bird]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

Woodstock, you'd have to admit your first post on their site wasn't the most diplomatic way to make suggestions./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif If someone used that kind of language (sucks, fluff, etc.) on most any site, I would expect the administrator to delete it. Wouldn't you if it were your site?

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

I appreciate your comments Bird. In fact I appreciate all of the comments on the board. As a Partner in the company that developed the Kubota.ca site, it is imperative that I gather feedback...good and bad...as much as possible. I cannot speak for Kubota Canada but here are some of my comments.

I would of prefered a more constructive approach from Woodstock and I hope everybody can understand why we had to delete the post. I am not sure who responded with the above message but frankly I do not think it matters....everybody is entitled to their points of view.
I am not sure where the site seems to fail in some peoples eyes. We have completed a post launch survey with a number of Kubota owners/dealers and the repsonse to the site was very positive. I have tried to compare the site to the competition (as unbiasly as possible and I really think Kubota has done a better job then most to provide Canadian users AND dealers with a forum to communicate electronically. I believe there are some effective tools on the site...specifically the ability to dealers to build their own sites and manage content...which will provide the foundation for long term development initatives.
It sounds like the major issue is that there is not enough channelling for customers to contact Kubota...I can understand your thoughts on this but is is really disconcerting to me that you would derive this means Kubota does not care about their customers...as I am sure you can imagine, that they do...big time, and that they truly appreciate their customers. I looked at BMW Canada for example and all they have is a simple email form...as you are aware, this is not hard to implement but I am not sure if that is the issue.
As I am sure you are all aware, you need to start somewhere and you sometimes are constrained to what you can build and how fast you can build it. My hope is that the great reputation Kubota has built "offline" has begun to be and will continue to be transformed to their online operations also.
If possible, I would like for you to send some of your suggestions for the site to myself. It is part of our responsibility to keep a "pulse of the public" as to what is important for them to see from Canadian machinery manufactuers on the web.
If you would like, you are welcome to send your comments to ryan@capris.com. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[huckflynn]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

I agree Bird.

The thing that has made this site stand out from others is the politeness and respect of the posters. There have been a few occassions where things got out of control -- but they have been very few and far between.

And yes, Muhammed has done a great job with providing excellent hardware and software to host the forum -- but the interaction of the posters in a self-help exchange of information has made the forum great.

For Kubota to provide a forum is a step in the right direction.

Huck

 

[Muhammad]

Re: Kubota Responds and your not going to like it!

Well, while I certainly could think of dozens (or hundreds) of things that the Kubota websites could have to better serve their customers, I also understand where they are coming from in taking the positions they do about matters like direct interaction with customers. Answer from Kubota and other major manufacturers has been, that's what we have our dealers for.

What they do with their websites really is their decision. If I had to guess from the looks of the site(s)... I would say that there probably weren't many customers consulted during the planning of the sites, for ideas or suggestions on what they want the site to offer. Rather, it is what the corporations want the customers to see. Similar in most markets, not just with tractor manufacturers. However, some other markets are making a shift to offering direct customer service via their website, easy to find 800-numbers, etc, and customers do see results. These for issues beyond what a dealer can satisfy, or won't satisfy, in for example, the automotive industry.

Just might take a little more time to see the tractor manufacturers open up to the people who buy their tractors, in a more direct way. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif