Dealer arrogance rant.....

[tmc2318]

The following happened this weekend:

I checked the oil in my tractor and realized that it needed a top off of hydro fluid so I called the local Kubota dealer, which is also the Bobcat dealer, and realized they are not open on Saturday but have an after hours number to call. I had a lot of tilling to do so I was in a bind to get a gallon of UDT so I could work the weekend. I left a message on the voicemail that if the on-call guy was around the shop to call me so I could come by a get some oil. 20 minutes later I get a call from the on-call parts guy that happens to be at the dealership and asks what kind of parts I need. I explain that I only need some UDT oil and did not realize they were closed on Saturday. Here's what happens:

me: "can I come by and pick up a gallon of UDT?"
guy: "where did you buy your tractor from?"
me: 'ah...from Weyburn dealership"
guy: 'I can't help you' and hangs up on me

I was stunned..the nerve of this guy to hang up on someone that wanted to buy something from them. I have a late model 3540 that I bought as a demo from another dealership as well as a 2004 Bobcat that I bought used from elsewhere but have bought a lot of parts, filters, oil, etc. from the local dealership. I am never going into this dealership again and will tell this story to everyone that I know....don't they realize this? Anyway it took a while to settle down but I did find some oil from a neighbor. The next closest dealership is an hour anyway but I hope they are not all like this.

 

[carpenter383]

Sounds like he was mad you bought a tractor from someone besides him. I don't see how people stay in business acting like that. He could have been polite and put a few bucks in his pocket, as well as a possible future purchases you may have made

 

[TheDingy]

I can understand both sides, but if I were that dealer, i would definitely try to win your business by hanging around. In the auto industry you are seeing a lot of these arrogant dealers closing shop. Hopefully some of the tractor dealers see this and starting treating customers like customers.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Call the owner or manager and tell them what happened. If they think their employee did the right thing then drop them from your world. If they apologize for his treatment then keep them on your list but with a star beside their name. I've had employees do and say things that I never knew about. If I had I would have and have changed their attitude or where they got their paycheck.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

You wouldn't have had any trouble if it were normal business hours. They wouldn't have asked you where you bought the tractor either. I don't think this is a very big deal at all. You didn't buy any equipment from them and you want them to jump for your emergency and accomodate you.

 

[tmc2318]

It would not have bothered me if he had explained that their policy was to only have after hours service for equipment purchased from them...fine...I can understand that...it's only a gallon a oil.
but
a) he was at the dealership anyway; I would not expect the parts guy to go out of his way on a Saturday for only oil.
b) he hung up on me and only wanted to know where I bought my tractor from...he didn't say 'did you buy it from us?' ....he asked 'where did you buy it from?' - none of his business.


oh well...calling the owner or service manager would only help them....I can't help but notice that every Green, Red and Blue dealership is open on Saturday. I guess people don't use their Kutoba's on the weekends.....

 

[ampsucker]

i agree with tmc on this one. the guy shouldn't have hung up on him.

i've been seeing a lot of stressed out folks in this economy. have been doing a little car shopping of late, and these guys are all stress balls. anybody with any money has got them by the short hairs and they all know it. it makes trying negotiate a real unpleasant experience because there just isn't much humor in it at this point on their end. i've been hung up on, lied to (no surprise there, heh, heh...) and flat out ignored after making offers that include a fair but small profit for them instead of the thousands they need out of the deal. it's like their whole existence depends on making as much as possible off the few sales they have. they end up snubbing us honest folks who kept our powder dry and who could sustain their business during lean times.

needless to say, when people treat their potential customers like that, there is very little chance for a long term relationship.

if one of my clients calls me up on the weekend, i bend over backwards to help them out if it's at all possible.

amp

 

[radioman]

TMC makes some good points here. give the owner a call and see what he has to say. asking where you bought the machine from is really none of anyone business. the thing here is that the op is spending HIS money at ANOTHER dealer. It doesn't matter what he is buying being a tractor or fluids or parts. He is a DEALER. A dealer SELLS proprietary stuff. period.

 

[Bedlam]

sometimes it doesn't matter if you did buy from them. My dad 87 years old now worked for GM. And there a program where they want relatives to purchase. You have to make a special id on the web site and go ahead and 'build' the car or truck .I had a log in name, but forgot the password. I had to call a 'person' on the phone, and they said he would have to be at the computer in order for them to reset the password, I explained he doesn't use the comp, But they were like we don't need your business.
Thats arrogance for sure.I gave up on it just not worth it, but the operator failed to see .one thing a sale but more importantly how they were treating a fellow x employee.(brother).
I'm thinking they might be sounding a different tune now. but doubt it..

 

[Scrounger]

The dealer missed the point too. What is the guy just moved to the area and he was looking for a new dealer for his maintenance or new tractors. If a dealer asks me that I always ask, why? If he tells me that he only supports the folks that buy from him, ask to speak to the manager on duty or better yet, write a letter to the editor. Bad press always wakes up a dealer.

 

[Hamjack]

Call the owner or manager and tell them what happened. If they think their employee did the right thing then drop them from your world. If they apologize for his treatment then keep them on your list but with a star beside their name. I've had employees do and say things that I never knew about. If I had I would have and have changed their attitude or where they got their paycheck.

I agree! Don't write off a local business because of one loser. The people who work there are your neighbors and need your support to keep working.

Tell the owner and see what he does about it. Then make up your mind.

 

[FN in MT]

I agree with the previous poster...call the Dealer. He may WANT to be informed of this jerk.

MANY years ago right after getting out of High School I worked for a small Chevy Dealership as a Salesmen and general go-fer. One Sunday a local Farmer calls me AT HOME and asks If I could open the Dealership and get some parts for him as he was seeding and one of his trucks was down.

I lived 10 minutes away.. so decided to run down, give him the parts. Long story....short. That morning he buys a new C-60 dumptruck from me, as well as a new C-10 pickup!!! All in like ten minutes. That commision put me over the top to buy my first new car.


Other side of dealing with sales people...Few years ago I got shafted by the local JD dealership over a $39 bill. I'd traded in a mower on a NEW mower and the trade in required some work. I was up front that the repair was needed. They BILLED me on the shop charge on my TRADE In!! Despite several trips in to straighten it out they would NOT budge on the deal.

I used to really like green, and always hoped to afford a small JD tractor one day. That day is here .......and I bought ORANGE instead. I'm looking forward to the JD salesmen visiting my neighbor this summer .....I'll find an excuse to cruise by on the new B tractor and rub it in a little.

FN in MT

 

[Taiser]

Agree or not, what the dude did is bad for business PERIOD! If I were treated like that, I'd never set foot in his place EVER. What with parts from the net, oil from any big box store you'd think they would be hard up for all the business they can get, including parts business, regardless of where the tractor was bought. No reason what-so-ever to treat a potential customer like dirt. If he didn't want to sell you something, he just could have said he was leaving the store in a few minutes, not just hang up on you. At least that would have the semblance of being polite.

 

[Dirthog]

The other thing are you sure he was at the dealership we have a after hour's parts and service # but it rings into a service and then to one of our people return the call. It would be hard to make any money and stay in business by calling someone in for a hour or so(we have a 2 hr min on call out) for a gal of oil. But like others said that is no excuse for being rude

 

[art]

Call the owner or manager and tell them what happened. If they think their employee did the right thing then drop them from your world. If they apologize for his treatment then keep them on your list but with a star beside their name. I've had employees do and say things that I never knew about. If I had I would have and have changed their attitude or where they got their paycheck.

This is all to often the case! I have seen it not be too, but I like Johns thoughts!

 

[slewisma]

oh well...calling the owner or service manager would only help them....I can't help but notice that every Green, Red and Blue dealership is open on Saturday. I guess people don't use their Kutoba's on the weekends.....

My local Kubota dealer is open on Saturdays for what it is worth. Since my day job has nothing to do with tractors and their weekday hours aren't well suited to getting there outside my work hours, Saturday morning is about the only time I can go there.

 

[Fritzy]

With every bad dealer there is a good one. I broke the PTO shaft to my snow blower this winter. I phone my guy on a Sat. afternoon and left a message explaining that I broke the PTO shaft in my 3030. On Sunday morning I get a knock at my door, it's my guy telling me that he got a price on the shaft and just needs the OK to order it and he would like to take a look at the Tractor. He was thinking it was the shaft in the Tractor,( like I had told him in my message). Anyway, I explained it was just the U jount on the shaft, we laughed, he took the old shaft and fixed it up. I am glad I have a good dealer on my side.

 

[Bedlam]

Sounds like a good cake or cookies are in order as gratitude..