Kids not allowed at Tractor Dealership?

ultrarunner · Apr 11, 2013

Was on the road with my brother's family and I asked to stop at a Kubota Dealer to have a look at the new models... at least new to me.

They had maybe 40+ tractors on a gravel lot and I stepped up to try out the seat in one after about 5 minutes of looking and a women came out and said I need to have a salesman with me and that kids are not allowed... I said OK... I would like to get pricing and she said the salesman is out on a call and would be back in an hour...

No big deal... just got back in the car and continued on.

I grew up in the car business and if we didn't let customers look at the inventory kids or no kids we might as well close the doors.

pjbci · Apr 11, 2013

Wow! I wonder if they know how many sales they have lost and will loose becase of this policy!

Nooodles · Apr 11, 2013

Not a bad move in my opinion. Little kids are always pickin boogers and wiping them on stuff. I don't know why they do it but I always see them doing it. So gross. My school bus has boogers all over the back of the seats. Kudos to that dealer

DT86 · Apr 11, 2013

That is absolutely stupid!

DT86 · Apr 11, 2013

Nooodles said:
Not a bad move in my opinion. Little kids are always pickin boogers and wiping them on stuff. I don't know why they do it but I always see them doing it. So gross. My school bus has boogers all over the back of the seats. Kudos to that dealer

Are you 12?

J F · Apr 11, 2013

I'm sure it's a safety/insurance issue.

Noodles...your head is going to be hurting tomorrow. :laughing:

Nooodles · Apr 11, 2013

DT86 said:
Are you 12?

No are you? I'm 14 and a half now

3v0 · Apr 11, 2013

I can see both sides of this issue. in this day and age I would not be surprised to see a dealership sued because some kid managed to get injured. Tractors are not kid safe.

Not sure when but some years back parents seem to have gotten the idea that they can let their kids run wild and then blame others when there is trouble. Not saying your kids or you do that but it is the trend and the dealer has to deal with it.

MHarryE · Apr 11, 2013

When my brother-in-law and I go to our dealerships, his grandson is usually along. Won't be too long before he is a partner in the operation and will be making the buying decision. Dealers here treat him well. First time I had him in a new tractor he said " Oh boy! A bucket seat. Riding with grandpa I am luck to sit on a bucket." I pointed out the power point on the RH side of the New Holland. The John Deeres we looked at had a power point on the RH side. Decision made. Can't plug in his iPod on a Deere.

yelbike · Apr 11, 2013

I bet its not a policy, but rather at a grumpy old receptionist. I wonder how many deals she's killed.

creekbend · Apr 11, 2013

I tend to agree with others, regarding the insurance and liability concerns. Just my thought. I went to my Dealer only last week to get some supplies. There was a couple of Families there with children. They were looking and sitting on ATV's and Quads. A salesman was explaining the vehicles to the Families.

Rayster · Apr 11, 2013

Nooodles said:
Not a bad move in my opinion. Little kids are always pickin boogers and wiping them on stuff. I don't know why they do it but I always see them doing it. So gross. My school bus has boogers all over the back of the seats. Kudos to that dealer

:laughing: When I had my own machine shop, rarely would a customer bring in a child. When it did happen I had to watch them like a hawk. But mainly because of the danger factor to them. Unfortunately if a kid gets injured, people are quick to call an attorney. When they should be taking a belt to that kids backside.

However, I never ran off customers. If they had kids, I would give them something to keep them occupied.

jerrybob · Apr 11, 2013

Find another dealer.....this one won't be around much longer!:thumbdown:

AndyL52 · Apr 11, 2013

Even if it is a safety/insurance thing. There are ways to express rules without driving away potential customers. Not being a snob would be a good start. There are kids that are allowed to run wild. And then there are kids that are well mannered, and not little heathens that are allowed to do as they please. If they're like that with tractor sales, how snobby would their parts and service people be. Find another dealer.

Nooodles · Apr 11, 2013

you guys are being keyboard commandos in my opinion. He clearly stated they had 40+ tractors in stock. You have to put yourself in the owners shoes and cover your ***. How in the heck are you suppose to keep tabs on all that heavy machinery and make sure everything is tamper free everyday. you don't know what machine was moved by who and who may have left a key in something or an implement up. it could be a disaster waiting to happen. The owner is covering his butt. If he has that many machines, he must be doing good business regardless of the way you feel. What kind of bank would fron the money for that kind of stock if he wasn't? His policy is as such and he is covered. Im only 14 and a half and I know this. use your heads for something other than a hat rack.

Alan L. · Apr 11, 2013

I can understand the policy with kids, but if i can't get on the tractor without supervision I'm outa there.

DT86 · Apr 12, 2013

Alan L. said:
I can understand the policy with kids, but if i can't get on the tractor without supervision I'm outa there.

X2!!!

ultrarunner · Apr 12, 2013

pjbci said:
Wow! I wonder if they know how many sales they have lost and will loose because of this policy!

Or... maybe is so good business can be turned away?

Good looking Dozers... had mine out today for one last sweep of the fire trails...

aczlan · Apr 12, 2013

Nooodles said:
you guys are being keyboard commandos in my opinion. He clearly stated they had 40+ tractors in stock.

Well, our local Kubota dealership "only" has ~20 machines in stock, but they dont have a problem with families coming in to look at equipment. The local Deere dealership is similar but on a larger scale (they have hundreds of machines in stock between their various locations). They will ask you to control your child, but as long as they are behaving, no problems. If they are going to tell me that my child isn't welcome right when I walk in the door to look at tractors with me (with no prior history of problems at the dealership), I wont be buying there and I would probbaly let corporate know why.

Nooodles said:
How in the heck are you suppose to keep tabs on all that heavy machinery and make sure everything is tamper free everyday. you don't know what machine was moved by who and who may have left a key in something or an implement up. it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

And what is the difference between a small child doing that and a teenage walking the lot off hours, or and adult who is new at tractors?
Around here, the people working at the dealership who would be showing you a tractor have a keyring clipped to their belt with 5-10 keys on it which will start almost every tractor on the lot. Not individual keys that could get forgotten.

Nooodles said:
The owner is covering his butt. If he has that many machines, he must be doing good business regardless of the way you feel. What kind of bank would fron the money for that kind of stock if he wasn't? His policy is as such and he is covered.

If that's dealership policy, the owner is a fool. I have a 3 year old and pre-teen siblings/nieces/nephews, I know how younger kids act. I have also been around equipment since I was 5.
I could see "no kids climbing/playing on the tractors" or "no kids wandering the lot without an adult right with them" but "no kids allowed"? Not so much .

Aaron Z