N80 said:
My dealer gave me free out of town delivery. His policy stated clearly that this was a service he charges for but he threw it in for me and delivered the tractor over 50 miles from the dealership. I called it free and it earned him my loyalty. If it was calculated to do that, more power to him!
My dealer also gave me free delivery (about 25 miles)when I bought the tractor, and then spent a good hour or more with me and my wife showing us how to remove and re-attach FEL and MMM, and was very patient with my ignorance about all the other features. He also offered to send someone out to my house at 10 hours to look the tractor over (for free) and make any necessary adjustments (at 10 hours he called and I told him thanks, but he didn't need to come). After I bought the tractor, my dealer also offered to pickup and deliver my tractor for 1/2 the normal price for service (which is reasonable itself given the distance) as long as I was willing to wait for them to have another pickup delivery nearby (happens fairly often because I live mostly on the way to a gigantic garden center which seems to be one of the dealer's biggest customers). In the end, I paid $270 for my 50 hour service, which included pickup and delivery and tax. So, the 50 hour service itself was about $70 in fluids and parts and $120 in labor (which also included replacement of both fuel filters, changing front axle fluid, various torque adjustments, belt adjustment, hydraulic line checks, battery cell check, and a few other things I would not have done if I had done the 50 hour service myself).
I don't think any of this "discounted" service is calculated in the price they charged me. I think it is two things: (1) trying to get and then keep my business even though there are other dealers (Deere, NH, and Agco) closer and (2) good customer relations. This dealer can bet they have earned my loyalty, which is why I drove an extra 10 miles to buy my chain saw from them, and why I will drive an extra 20 miles to buy a rear attachment snowblower from them when the time comes.
P.S. two weeks after they did the 50 hour service, they called to make sure I was satisfied with the price of the service and to ask if the tractor was running well. Nice touch.
And, in case you are wondering, this place is called Niebur Implements in Meisville, MN. Just another reason for them to give good service at a good price: word of mouth business.
