mad

[tjm]

I am about ready to give up on Kubota. Not because of the product but because of the dealers. I have not had a lot of problems but the ones I have had nobody seems to care about. My local dealer took three months to take care of the fuel tank recall and that only got done because I sent a nasty e-mail to Kubota. Now the problem is the tractor will not start when it gets cold. Last year it was fine. I decided to go to the oldest and the larges Kubota dealer in FT Wayne. They said they would pick it up on thur or fri. no problem. It is now Fri night and my tractor is still sitting in my drive way. No phone call no nothing. It is a shame when you pay 14000 dollars for a tractor and the dealers could care less about you. They got there money. That new Massey is looking pretty good right now.

 

[ronjhall]

Todd
Look on the back page of your Operator’s Manual. All the phone numbers for <font color=orange>Kubota</font color=orange> divisions are there. Pick your division. Ask of the Service Manger. You should get a quick response to your problems. You may have to wait until Monday to make the call thou.

 

[Thomas]

This idea might be more of a headache than help??

Could you contact another dealer near by,and explain whats been going on..also ask for there help??

 

[cchoate]

It's a shame how some dealers treat people after the sale. I had a simular experience with a deere riding mower. That's why I went with Kubota when I purchased my compact. My dealer has done nothing but kiss my a** whenever I call or stop in to his dealership. I have recommended him many times.

 

[r0GuE]

I've given this some thought over the past few years. Probably too much. I doubt it is indicative of Kubota only (how could that be,.. does Kubota Corp search for bad people?). My guess is that it is more a reality of the small equipment dealer industry. I think that they are generally run by people who are equipment oriented (read: NOT people oriented). My guess (boy will I get heat for this) is that in general, there is a lower level of education (less than the people who own small estate/farms are used to experiencing in other business dealings) and little or no on going training in people skills. There is probably little understanding of business principals regarding customer satisfaction but rather the old 10 units sold in February at 12% profit…etc etc.
Of course there will be a few gem dealers out there that are the exception to this rule. There are always exceptions. And in fact, what I have said may only be true about 20 or 40% of the dealers (total wild a$$ guess). But if it is true of 40%,.. That’s a lot of dealers. I just read posts about it again and again. There has to be a common thread, and it just can’t be Kubota (especially because most dealers sell a few different brands).

 

[Boone]

Maybe there is good intentions but something came up. When I needed work done I dropped my tractor off at the dealer, at the same time a large contractor had a tractor dropped off for an emergency repair. I knew that I was going to be shoved back a notch. Can I fault the dealer for taking care of an old, large customer in an emergency situation?

I was more upset about the lack of communication and prefer to be told straight out how things are going.

 

[MikePA]

Boone, I've had a similar problem with my NH dealer (who also sells Kubotas). I understand that emergencies come up and appointments can't be kept. What I could not understand was the lack of the common courtesy to call me and tell me. This happened three times to me and, like you, the tractor was left sitting in our driveway each time. The excuse I got was the wrong parts were ordered each time. When it happened the third time, for the same warranty work (mmm mounting rods), I got a call and an apology, from the guy who was going to do the work not the service manager, the person I had talked to all along. This was the same guy who didn't write everything down, which meant I had to verify what I wanted done with the technician. Well, the fourth appointment was the charm and they arrived and did the work. In this case, we had our trusty Wheel Horse to cut the grass so there was no impact to me, except the irritation. It did occur to me what would have happened had the tractor been disabled and I needed it.

Fortunately, I had kept a record of every call I made, when I called, who I talked to, what they said, what I asked for, etc. At the end of this episode, I composed a letter which detailed all this. I not only pointed out the missed appointments, I also complimented the person who did call me and complimented the service person, who did a great job. I sent the letter to the general manager of the dealership. I never heard anything. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

The next time I need service I will call their other location and see if they're any better. Since I live about midway between each location the service call costs will be the same. This will probably not be until early next spring for my 150 hour service and a rear remote, I will tell the service department in the second location of my experience with the first location.

In my case, the compact tractors are serviced out of the lawn and garden service department and not the farm tractor/industrial equipment department. Could this make a difference? I don't think so, since my issue was a lack of courtesy of keeping commitments.

 

[frank_f15]

i don't think u need to give up on kubota, u need to get it straight with the dealer. that is where the fault lies. this will happen no matter be it a tractor , a car or a washing machine. u always seem to come across these problems. there are ways to deal with them, i have done a few things that got me satisfaction from a few service people that did not live up to my expectations.

 

[steveky]

I know what you mean, my salesman called, called and called me before my actual purchase. I then sent the tractor back a week later to have the FEL and a remote installed, suppose to take 3 days at the most. I got my tractor back 2 weeks later and everytime I called the salesman he wasn't in. I read something about people skills in another reply to your post. The dealership 5 miles away and the reason I went to the other dealer
could use some people skills also. They are the only Stihl dealership around and they know it. I've left that place mad more than once because I was ignored and the lawn contractor had the red carpet rolled out for him. I made sure they knew where my new Kubota came from and why, not that it'll make any difference. I wish I owned a dealership that offered great service and common courtesy to everyone, I believe you would have trouble keeping up with the demand. I need to stop I know this is getting windy...lol

Enjoy your new tractor.

Steve

 

[Buster57]

I would never tolerate service like what you have encountered. In my business, we would die if that got out in circulation.
If I were you, I would immediately call the owner of the dealership and rip him a new ...what do you call it?
If you ever have the problem of less then immediate and polite attention to your business requirements, take your money elsewhere. This is not, at least initially, Kubota but a dealer problem. If enough people like you have difficulty it will become a Kubota problem. That is when people start buying Blue or Green and spread the word about bad service.
This stuff really frosts me.
My dealer would fire the service manager if that ever happened to any of his customers.
In regards to the commercial order, he would authorize overtime, but not at the expense of his preexisting customer base.That is suicide in Northern Oregon.
Best of luck to you and don’t put up with that. It is not what good business practices call for or Kubota stands for.

 

[r0GuE]

That is precisely what I would assume to be true everywhere. I just have to assume that if these guys could get it together, they could really dominate the markets they are in.

 

[pro_tel]

It’s amazing that Kubota surveys owners for 2 years in my case after they purchase a new Kubota to see how satisfied they are with the dealer they bought from. But they are definitely missing the mark for potential buyers who are turned away and never commit to the purchase. I am delighted with my local dealer and realize how lucky I am but I also realize how this group has provided more information that makes me more knowledgeable when I talk with my dealer. I hope you’re successful contacting the regional rep and discussing your problem.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It amazes me at how some dealerships are. I'm on my second Kubota (well, third if you count the L-210 that came with the property) and purchased each from two of the three local dealers. The first dealer on the BX-2200 was awesome from a service perspective, but you couldn't bargan a nickle from them when dealing on new equipment. The second was $2000 less on the BX-22 than the first dealer, but they have a much more non-chalant attitude when I show up at their door with a question or parts purchase. (I've had no service experience with them other than switching the tires two weeks ago...and I did the work on my machine)

Being in sales myself, I would think that all these dealers would realize the value of making customers happy by communicating with them consistantly and without fail. It's a small thing, but one that gets the most appreciation. It's the thing that may have me back to my first dealer for all future purchases. $2K was too much difference to pass up "this time", but might be less of an incentive on the next.

 

[r0GuE]

I guess I've just decided that I'm on my own in business dealings. I’m not looking for relationships. Warrantees hardly mean a darn thing. The warrantee on these machines is a heartbeat compared to the overall life expectancy. So basically it's my dime. If they don't want it the heck with them!
The guy down the road will take the money and fix my rig. Fact is, they really don't break that often anyway, why build service in to the equation with top importance. I just read a thread where a guy was quoted $1500 higher at his local dealership. Stranger still, there was a reply that put forth the possibility that it may be worth while to spend that extra quantity to achieve some magnificent relationship with his local dealer. In my opinion, if the guy is so inflexible that he can't adjust his prices at that point (when he has nothing to loose and everything to gain), how flexible will he be when you tell him that he has to eat a bill because his repair man screwed up on the last service.
There is no answer.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I agreed in that other thread and do so here, too...in the end, it comes down to money, at least for these machines!

 

[jhburke]

I have dealt with the public all my life. I am having no problems with my dealer on my kubota. But just the opposite with my car and pickup. I drive 30 miles one way to a dealer to have them worked on. I am 10 minutes away from my local dealer for my truck. I am 1/2 a mile from my car dealer. The reason for this is that I took my car in with a problem and they told me it would take 1000.00 to fix. The problem was that before they even started to write up a work order. They that weren't responsible if that didn't fix the problem. The owner was standing there when they said that. I had bought my last 3 cars from them and was planing to trade in the near future. I now have a lincoln towncar instead of another caddy.

 

[r0GuE]

These dealer threads just go on and on don't they? Indicitive of the frustration some are feeling over minor issues with their eq. They are mostly minor issues,... There isn't much MAJOR that I've ever heard of on this forum. Mostly leaking tanks and squeeky giz widgits etc.

 

[Buster57]

Minor/Major? My first complaint about my new tractor was paint nicking on the right side of the fender next to the seat belt.
Duh! I now know how to unhitch my seat belt. Note: That took how many years of college???
Regardless of my stupidity, the dealer was out at the earliest time, gave me a can of spray paint and fixed a hydraulic fitting I did not know was bad.
A dealer that goes the extra mile has earned my business and I tell everyone at work who I give my business to.
I think Kubota owners are very loyal and unlike some car dealerships (mine are pretty good as well) the average Kubota dealer is excellent.
Just for kicks, so in my John Deere dealer! I think this may be why they are both so good!

 

[r0GuE]

I remember when my BX was new, I was all tourqued off that the paint was scratched where they chained it down to deliver it. To be fair, they really did bugger it up bad (dinged the metal in and all). but in the grand scheme of things, I was overly sensitive to the issue. I think that is natural when something is brand new.
Make sure your dealer uses straps!

 

[JRP]

My experience has been the opposit.

Mt M6800 had a problem where it would pop out of 2nd when going up a hill. I saw this with another M6800 a few months earlier. I took it to the dealer, Hlavinka Equipment, and they drove it to confirm. We decided this would need Kubota approval, as it involved complete disasembly of the tranny.

Kubota approved the work and sent a new 1-2 shaft (first-second gear string) with all of the bearings, gears, gaskets, and parts for that shaft.

About three weeks later I dropped my tractor off and they had it finished in about 8 work days. It was involved, but the mechanic was well trained and had also done this repair on the other M6800. I pressure washed it real good, which always helps the mechanic. After the mechanic was finished you could not tell by looking that a wrench had touched it. He even touched up the paint on the bolt heads. I felt lucky and very happy tht Kubota stood behind their product. It would prpobably be a $2500 repair if not under warranty. The three year powertrain warranty is great!

Don't sweat the small stuff. You could complain about the fuel tank, but a Chinese manufactureers would not even recall the tank, and when it did fail no spare would be available.