On-Line Parts: What's needed?

[HayDR]

In our estimation the application guide and a good segmented search is the only way to make it easy for a customer. Some parts houses have on-line parts and just paste a dealer's logo on-top of their shopping cart. IE:

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What are the problems customers are experiencing with third party store fronts or parts houses?

1. What do customers want in shopping carts?
2. Do customers want a tech email or phone # or both?
3. What credit cards?
4. What return policy best serves the customer: Return to warehouse or return to dealer's brick and mortar site or both?
5. What more is needed?

 

[Skyco]

For starters- I went to check out your site and ground to halt when I couldn't find BX24 listed under Kubota tractors

 

[HayDR]

For starters- I went to check out your site and ground to halt when I couldn't find BX24 listed under Kubota tractors

Realize CCM is a Hay Equipment MFG and Wholesale/Retail business. We do business in other areas but are not all things to everyone. We do offer hydraulic toplinks & top-n-tilt kits in house for your tractor.
If you clicked on the blue ball then you went to A&I's shopping cart with CCM's logo pasted on it. They do offer some parts for your Kubota but they have some problems with their search that missed parts they offer that fit your tractor. Remember we don't control their interface. These are some of the problems we face.

 

[john_bud]

In our estimation the application guide and a good segmented search is the only way to make it easy for a customer. Some parts houses have on-line parts and just paste a dealer's logo on-top of their shopping cart. IE:

​

What are the problems customers are experiencing with third party store fronts or parts houses?

1. What do customers want in shopping carts?
2. Do customers want a tech email or phone # or both?
3. What credit cards?
4. What return policy best serves the customer: Return to warehouse or return to dealer's brick and mortar site or both?
5. What more is needed?

Here's some general stuff, that as I customer I like. WHen I add something to a shopping cart, I don't want to leave the page I'm on for an extended time. Click a clicker , it goes to the cart, I keep shopping.

I do want a deal at the top (or bottom) of the page with a shopping cart icon listing the number of items in the cart and the current total.

I do want the ability to save a cart's worth of information for some period of time. Add a disclaimer that prices and supplies may fluctuate, so a saved cart's price / availablty may change. I'll take the risk.

I like to see a tech support email and phone #. Common problems and solutions is a neat area to have too. Along with PDF copies of owners manuals and such. Often, questions come up from not reading the manual or from having lost the manual.

If you have a "smart" site, it should realize that I am buying parts for a certain model tractor and maybe could offer up suggestions of parts that typically go together. Like the needed gasket, seal or what not. Just an idea.

Thanks for being a supporting vendor!
jb

 

[HayDR]

john_bud,
Thanks for the suggestions
We are starting and need good suggestions so we do not make the same mistake others before us made.

Mark Carter

 

[john_bud]

Oh one more thing.

I went and followed your blue button. It has issues with my tractor, 1963 ford 4140 HD Industrial. It doesn't list it, but looking at an earlier model 1801, it does list the 4140 in the applications on parts like the clutch. But it also lists the 9" clutch disc and neither of those machines EVER used the 9". Not your fault, but it's an issue that bugs me!

Other related thing that bugs me is the wrong parts listed for an application. A typical customer won't have the knowledge that the wrong part is listed and they order it, then are PO'ed when it won't fit. That leads to delays in the repairs and probably a lost customer. I see this often in auto parts sites.

Keep up the good work,
jb

 

[npaden]

I would suggest that trying to be the be all end all with every tractor under the sun listed would be a close to impossible task.

I would just list the parts that you have available for sale with your own shopping cart setup and a few pages of application recommendations.

Possibly link to manufacturers websites for people to find out the dimensions of their machines if needed.

If I go to your site I would want to buy a hydraulic top link and or entire setup that would fit my tractor but I wouldn't be shocked if you said that I needed the dimensions of my tractor before I could figure out which one I needed to buy.

 

[Charolais]

In our estimation the application guide and a good segmented search is the only way to make it easy for a customer. Some parts houses have on-line parts and just paste a dealer's logo on-top of their shopping cart. IE:

​

What are the problems customers are experiencing with third party store fronts or parts houses?

1. What do customers want in shopping carts?
2. Do customers want a tech email or phone # or both?
3. What credit cards?
4. What return policy best serves the customer: Return to warehouse or return to dealer's brick and mortar site or both?
5. What more is needed?

One of the best sites I order from is Burden Surplus.
Their site displays stock on hand. Full dicsription of the part(measurements) in most instances. Once I log in I have access to my order history. I get notification of my order promptly in e-mail. I get shipping notice and can track the order to my home.

I ordered two chainsaw air filters from a site in my state. Got the e-mail that the order had been filled. Never got a shipping notice for three weeks. Was getting ready to e-mail them yesterday and got an e-mail from them about the order. They had one air filter in stock but had to order the other. I will get the parts this week but it's been three weeks and I knew nothing of what was going on with the order. This is an example of what I don't like.

I can live without tracking but it is nice to be able to use it in case UPS has a brain fart. I tracked one package from Iowa in to Va. Then saw it go to Maryland then to NC. before getting back to Va. When I saw that, I would copy and paste it in a file so I would have it in case the part was lost.

I work off farm and farm too. I don't have a lot of time to go on the road looking for parts. 99% of what I use part wise comes by UPS. Online odering saves me a lot of time and gas money. Online ordering needs to be simple and leave you feeling you have everything covered and the part will be deliverd and know pretty close to when you'll have it in your hands. The use of credit cards needs to be as secure as possible also. There are several types of protection in use and seem to be secure.

 

[cp1969]

It doesn't seem to work with Firefox at all. I get the big blue button, nothing else and when I click it nothing happens.