what Ida done different on my BX buy

[r0GuE]

I recently gave this advice to a freind. I thought I'd share it here. This is advice for those who are somewhat picky. Adjust this advice to your taste.
This is everything I would do differently on my BX2200 tractor purchase.
Let them know up front how INCREDIBLY picky you will be. This might get them to be a little more carefull.
Tell them not to put on dealer stickers and get them to bring you some fluid (free or not) for the super udt and oil.
Tell them to bring touch up paint which you can refuse to pay for after the bufoons scratch the unit (as they will) in delivery.
On the day of delivery (make sure it is a nice day), go out and look it over before they put it on the trailer. Specify that they use straps or at least a cut hose buffer to insure gouges in not only the paint, but the frame steel itself.
Specify that the mechanic, NOT a young yard hand (as my delivery person was) deliver the tractor.
When it gets there. Explain to the bufoon how to not destroy your personal property while unloading the craft.
While the mechanic is there. Check ALL of the fluids to your satisfaction. Be sure to have clean paper towels available to keep the buffon from cleaning the dipstick to the super udt with his filthy pants.
When satisfied that all is well. Start the tractor and operate EVERYTHING. Rev it all the way up a few times (don't worry about breakin right now, more important to be sure there's not a wrench in the engine block. Check the gas gauge for operation. Now...
Take it to idle or a HAIR higher than idle and lift and lower the deck. When it auto returns listen for nasty rattle rattle rattle !
Don't imagine the problem if its not there. There is plenty of hissing and the engine rattles alot at low RPM. These are normal. The rattle I'm talking about is coming from the mid-rear to rear of the tractor. (I'm convinced it's a bad valve).
Look over the paint and insist on free touchup paint for any of the colors that are scratched.
All is well???
Then send the buffon home and remove the sticker that you told him to leave off in the first place.
Enjoy the tractor for the rest of your life with proper maintenance. Place order for the shop manual before your 50 hour so you can do it yourself.
Almost forgot: check the cup holder to insure it will hold a 16oz beer.

Rogue

 

[frank_f15]

rouge: got a chuckle out of your post. but alas some dealers are like that. i bought my b2400 used from a dealer out of state,(170 mi away) delivered in top shape, with touch up paint and a kubota hat/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif seriously the tractor was deliverd in top notch shape, he went over everything with me and i have absolutly no complaints. but i did not get a cup holder/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif got to look into that.

 

[r0GuE]

No cup holder???
All work and no play Frank...

Rogue

 

[RPM]

Rogue - the real question is - did you get a hat? I have a Kubota Orange baseball hat to add to my mowing attire courtesy of my dealer. He also has offered to give me a good price on toy Kubota tractors for my kids at Christmas.

 

[GlueGuy]

Criminy! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

I didn't get no cottin-pickin' hat! They did send a non-buffoon to deliver my tractor though. In fact, he was a nice, knowledgeable guy. They also tied everything down with straps. Oh, and we operated everything before he left.

The GlueGuy

 

[nazud]

Touch up paint??? is it like the automotive type with brush in the cap?? The old lady but a nice gouge in the deck id like to touch up. Just wandering if my dealer could get some/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[DarinRay]

Why did you let a old lady drive your tractor?...because I'm sure your are not referring to your wife. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I know I get kicked in the butt for saying that. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Just kidding. The paint that I bought for touch up was in the spray can form and they also have the quart or gallon depending how big your touch up job is. Just be prepared because like everything else in life it isn't cheap. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Darin

 

[r0GuE]

He promised me a good deal on a die-cast toy peddal tractor for my son. I wonder if I should tell him that I'll take it from the box and do the assembly!!! (sadly, I'm NOT joking)
No hat, I wear an old army brimmed hat with vents to keep my skin head (bald, not racist) covered.
Seriosly if I'd read this post I would have followed it and been more satisfied. Essentially it's you against them (hopefully in as non-confrentational a manner as possible).
Regarding women on the tractor:
Accidentally set the deck (not running) on her foot. this seems to have made my wife afraid of the machine!!

Rogue

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It is a tractor. If you use them like you should you are going to get scratches and dents but that is okay, the tractor does not feel them. You do not have to worry about the tractor rusting out like a car because it will take 40 years before it will look like a 5 year old car. Also if you do treat the mechanics and salesman with a rude attitude you will not get the type of service you complain you want. Treat them with respect because they will be the ones that work on that tractor you complain so much about. I own several tractors and do not wash and polish them everyday because most of them are hooked to equipment or still in the field where they work and none of my tractors complain and they also start for me the next day because I take care of them and if I can't do the work I have faith that my local dealer will and has in the past. Please treat a tractor like a tractor and show more respect to the people you deal with than the tractor you sit on.

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color=blue>It is a tractor. If you use them like you should you are going to get scratches and dents but that is okay, the tractor does not feel them…

Also if you do treat the mechanics and salesman with a rude attitude you will not get the type of service you complain you want. Treat them with respect…

Please treat a tractor like a tractor and show more respect to the people you deal with than the tractor you sit on… </font color=blue>

_______________________________

Robert,

That was so well written, I felt it was worth repeating…

Courteousness and respect to all…usually returns many many fold…

A plaque hangs in my shop:

The kindest word of all is the unkind one never spoken…

"You are what you eat, drink, think, say and do..."

 

[TresCrows]

I think Roque is just kidding guys. The mechanic that delievered my tractor was a nice fellow and went over the unit with me and it too was tied with straps and delievered in a fine manner. Being a mechanic myself, among other things, I understand "mechanic speak". We sometimes act like bufoons when we think the guy/customer/whatever is putting us down or asking dumb questions--like what does it mean when the kanoodle valve goes rinky dink--chonk, chonk, ding, ding? That is when we use the time honered scratching our rears, spit juice, dumb act, feet pawing at the ground. It is one of the first things taught to an apprentice mechanic--the Dumb Act. It is one of my favorites, even though I have a couple of those MS degrees, I surely love to play dumb especially with engineers. If one does the act in a convincing manner you can have them talking r-e-a-l slow and hopping around like monkeys making all kinds of simulated engine noises. Afterwards we rate each others "acting" quality and have a great laugh. J

 

[r0GuE]

I stated in my first post that introduced my Bufoon tag that I use that I am not referring to all dealers and mechanics. Just all of the ones I have ever met. Don't like it??? Tough crap! I have to say how I feel about the mistreatment of my property and the property of others as I have read on this site. Yes certainly these are tools and should be used, as I am now doing with mine. I drive the edge through brush to get the grass cutt under the hedges, I drive inder my trees bouncing over roots and hitting sticks with the blades. And I have scratched it personnaly many times already, especially the ROPS hitting low branches. The point is it is me ME me!! get it????
I paid the money and I'll put the scratches on it! The scratches really arent even the point! It is the total lack of care (wrong fluid levels etc,) I won't go in to it here, but if you want to know why I feel this way, look it up on this site.
I treat those with respect who deserve it, and I fake it for those who don't. I pay these cats my jack $$$ and I don't have to pretend that I owe them immense respect when they just want my money and don't treat me and my property with respect back.
Get it???
If your looking for a "gee your right, those guys are nice hard working men" You won't find it with me.
If you are a dealer or mechanic and are not like what I have described here, then don't apply what I say to you. Logic would dictate that you not do that anyways but if logic is lacking, now you have instructions. And if you are like the Bufoons (the nicest of all possible words I can think to describe them), then you probably won't bother reading the instructions anyways.
ventventvent....
Ok, now re-read my original post and see how light hearted and humorous I tried to be. I was trying to save others, and I know they are out there, (Trescrow, lookout, they have a welder and they're headed for your BX!!!) the trouble I experienced.


Rogue

 

[r0GuE]

P.S. Trescrow, thanks for sticking it out for me. I'm gonna need it if I am going to be honest. Also thanks for reccomending the BX to me over a TG or Gravely. I love this thing. I'm knocking out my lawn in less than an hour, and it is sooo fun. I definatly don't regret buying the tractor. Not a bit.

Rogue

 

[TresCrows]

Roque, I fully understand about the scratches etc. If scratches get on it (my tractor) and they do I want them to be from me and I want them to be reminders each time I get on the machine of the fun I had putting them on there like battle scars--not reminded that some careless person, who did not respect my buisness given to them from my hard earned money, put them there instead--there is a big difference. Oh--the mechanic who took the welder to my three point arms followed the instructions on the SB to the letter upon reflection--I was never angry with him, just Kubota for putting out such a screwy bulletin. Also, and this is Important, I feel that Kubota went way--way-WAY-beyond what was called for and my dealer too to make me happy again. My next tractor will be a Kubota and if I still live here when that happens I will give my buisness to the same dealer and hope the same mechanic delivers it. They did right by me. Quit worrying about your tractor and enjoy it.J

 

[r0GuE]

I'm not worrying about it anymore. It's great.
I'm surprised how fast the hours add up. Won't be too long till the 50! I got 3 qts free Kubota oil. After the 50s done my next will be synthetic.

Rogue

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Rogue, At the dealership I sell for, we are always happy to provide touch up paint and we try to be very careful with the new units. Hats and the salesmans time at the delivery time are the norm. We try not to emply bufoons on a regular basis. Customer satisfaction is of the utmost as repeat business is what we live on. If a person were to demand a technician at delivery time, we would be more than happy to provide that service at the shop's normal hourly rate. Fortunately, we have been in the equipment sales business long enough(68 years), and are annually successful enough (top 3 in our region for the past 12 years), that we do not NEED to sell to everyone. We realize that anyone as picky and demanding as you described will only get worse, and after having dealt with this type of customer a couple of times, ALL of our salesman have learned to just give directions to the local Deere or NH dealer and walk away from the deal. Problem is, if your heart is set on a BX, where else can you go? Well, no worry, we can also direct you to our closest Kubota dealer too!

 

[r0GuE]

If you are as good as you claim, and they always claim to be the best "on the sales floor"! Then I suppose you DO strap down the machine and take care not to ding it before the delivery. I suppose your technicians thoroughly inspect the tractors and insure the proper fluid amount before starting the tractor and putting it on the trailer.
In fact, if you did all that, then you probably don't have anyone having to ask for decent treatment so you wouldn't have to send them away.
My point in wishing that I had expressed to my dealer that I would be picky before the sale would have been to get them to come up to what you describe as normal everyday service levels.
But your dealership, and everyone else on this site, is not like the one I describe. You give REALLY good service. That I do believe is true. You take the time to read product specific web pages, and hopefully you apply what you learn, both technical and personal service related.
So I wonder then, why when you see a customer who has OBVIOUSLY been mistreated by my dealer, why you feel compelled to claim that if I came on your lot that you would send me away. Perhaps it is to project your dealership as so good that you don't care if a customer buys there or not. Whatever your reasoning, I don't believe for a second that you'd have sent me away. I don't believe you would ever send a customer away at all. If you would send a customer away because he/she is articulating right up front that they don't want the tiltbed to dig holes in thier new driveway on delivery, then shame on you. If these tractors are no more than a commodity, and the owners of them shouldn't worry about a few scratches and dings, then why shouldn't we owners/buyers just get them from Carver who was as cheap or cheaper depending on how far away you live.
As I've said, CaseKub3, I'm sure your a good dealer, but for my part, I wish I could buy them direct from Kubota with a shop manual taped to the seat! I think that most everything that was wrong with mine happened on the shop floor of my dealer.


Rogue

 

[bx_new_2_me]

I can't find the name of your dealer anywhere in your posts. I for one, would like to know the name of the dealership. Do tell.

 

[skent]

I had really bad times with my dealer too, mis adjusted fanbelt (rubbed into lower rad hose) lost parts orders, MUSIC ON HOLD - "Your call is really important to us. . . all our agents are busy. . . please hold. . . "over and over. I'm sure I wont be back there for warrenty service, or if I ever need another tractor.

I've been gettin parts from Snell. Matt and Marie are the BEST. Call today, a real person has always answered, never been put on hold, and I'll have what I need in 2 days, And no sales tax. Filters, blades, belts everything! Great bunch.

Same thing happened when I needed parts for my Case. Local dealer was a Bafoon. Would get wrong parts, would lose parts. Now I get then over the net too.




Steve

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Rogue, I realize that you have had a bad experience, so I take some of what you say with the proverbial grain of salt.
I did not mean to make it seem like we do not care if we sell tractors, or that we turn customers away on a regular basis, and even when we do it is usually more subtle than actually telling them to leave, but that does happen occasionally, believe it or not.
Like MOST Kubota dealers we are a professional lot, who strive for customer satisfaction, and have a good system to work with. Our technicians all have a check sheet which they utilize and fill out during set up/pre delivery, the check sheet and unit are then gone over by the salesman prior to delivery.
Nine times out of ten the salesman either accompanies the delivery truck, or delivers the tractor himself in order to spend that instructional time with the customer. Our drivers usually use straps, and NEVER set out to do damage to your purchase. No matter how perfect the system, [censored] still happens occasionally. When it does, we scramble to make it right. Note; most shipping damge on Kubotas has already been done by the time the dealer gets it.
We have a level of service that we provide that makes 95% of our customers happy. Of the other 5%, about 3% are not happy because of something we did, and with just a little patience and understanding they will be made happy soon. The other 2% will NEVER be happy! They will *****, complain, moan, and continue to cost you time and money as long as you let them. Since you are always responsible to the customer AFTER you sell them, you try to qualify them prior to the sale to avoid dealing with them. The customer you described in your original post, if he came in with that attitude would most certainly been qualified as such. Would I have told him to go away? No, not at first, I may have given him a very high price, or not returned a call, or let him know in some other subtle way that I wasn't interested in dealing with him. Had he persisted with that attitude then I may eventually tell him to go else where, or referred him to our owner who certainly WOULD tell them to go else where. This only happens once or twice a year on a dealership wide basis.
But make no mistake, some customers are just not worth dealing with, and we won't when that has been determined.
I can safely say that out of several hundred Kubotas I have sold, maybe 10 customers have been unhappy, about 7 legit, and they are now happy, the other 3 or 4 will never be happy no matter how hard I/we try, so lesson learned.