Compact Tractor Dealers Ignore Two-thirds of Their Potential Website Customers, Industry Survey Shows

[airbiscuit]

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Sounds like their wives were more energy than they were worth.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I once read an article about 2 brothers who built a successful auto parts distribution business, but it was consuming all their time. Their wives gave them an ultimatum, either scale back, or we're gone. So they analyzed their customer base, identified their "high maintenance" customers, and "fired" 25% of them. They sent them letters, thanked them for their business, gave them referrals to three of their competitors, and wished them well. The next year, their profit increased.

Some customers consume more energy than they are worth.

I have fired some 'high maintenance' customers. And I was better off because I did

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I'm looking to lease a piece of equipment for an upcoming job from this company. https://www.sidekickusa.com/
I asked information via the 'contact us' link on their website. After about 24 hours I did not get a response, so I called the number listed for their marketing manager. I left him a voicemail earlier today.

Let's see how long it takes to get a response.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Some customers consume more energy than they are worth.

Some do consume more time than others, but you never know when that customer will dip deeper to keep your business.
Our family has a hardware/building supply operation. One guy was not a model employee but he was very likable. He would spend all kinds of time helping customers find that one screw, one nut or w/e just right item. One of his repeat customers came in one day and asked about pricing a house package. He insisted that his favorite helper be part of the deal. Turns out he didnt want one house package, he was building ten.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I'm looking to lease a piece of equipment for an upcoming job from this company. https://www.sidekickusa.com/
I asked information via the 'contact us' link on their website. After about 24 hours I did not get a response, so I called the number listed for their marketing manager. I left him a voicemail earlier today.

Let's see how long it takes to get a response.

Good luck, I thought I wanted an LS but apparently the MT352/357pc cab models are unobtainium. Looks like Ill be buying a Kubota instead.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have fired some 'high maintenance' customers. And I was better off because I did

Its true.
Had a large field mowing customer. Very wealthy younger guy.
Show up to mow property and at the entrance gate to field would be 4 Alpaca and 5 goats ready to bolt as soon as you open the gate. Finish mowing and same thing when you leave.

Send invoice for mowing via email-no response.
Send text that your invoice is overdue- no response.
Call about overdue invoice and goes to voice mail.
Then he would pay me for 3 mowings 3 months later.

Not worth the stress of animals escaping and the waiting to get paid.

 

[Hay Dude]

Email works great for lengthy purchase inquiries where documentation is helpful.
Voice and in-person works great for taking the information provided and presenting it to the customer in a way that they feel comfortable in their purchase.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Yep, what he was talking about in that video has been about my experience as well. Here's another example of some of the brain dead stuff you get when you go tractor shopping:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=669434060944446

Not sure I understand how this is brain dead stuff. 1st time buyers like me didn't know the difference, now I do...

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Not sure I understand how this is brain dead stuff.

If you stick with this stuff long enough, one day you will.

 

[ctgoldwing]

. . .
I once read an article about 2 brothers who built a successful auto parts distribution business, but it was consuming all their time. Their wives gave them an ultimatum, either scale back, or we're gone. So they analyzed their customer base, identified their "high maintenance" customers, and "fired" 25% of them. They sent them letters, thanked them for their business, gave them referrals to three of their competitors, and wished them well. The next year, their profit increased.

Some customers consume more energy than they are worth.

lol, the company I work for does that and we are not unique. We call it 'activity based costing'. We know how much gross profit $ every customer generates and from that we subtract:
cost of carrying their receivable (the longer they take to pay, the more it costs us)
cost of picking their orders (we know how much it costs us to pick an average line on an order, simple math after that)
cost of deliveries
cost of returns
cost of inside sales support (how many times do they call to place orders)
etc
It usually boils down pretty much to average order size. If the customer is giving you small orders you are better off without him.

 

[airbiscuit]

I had a friend that had a small town lumber yard. I asked him about the difference between the good contractors and the bad contractors. He said, we all know every board isn't perfect. Sometimes they have bows, knots, damaged edges. He said the good contractors make it work - very few returns, and they pay their bills on time.

The bad contractors complain about materials all the time, lots of returns, and are often delinquent on their bills. They do less business with them, and cost them more than they are worth.

It's like the old joke ...

What does it take to be a carpenter in Burnett County? A hammer, a tool apron, and wife with a full time job.