What do you want in a dealer?

[leaflawnandlimb]

I have heard alot of you complaining about the dealers. I have been with the same dealer for over two years without any glitches. Just wondering if I'm easy or I have a great dealer ? What are some of the things you expect out of a dealer? I am by far my dealers largest customer but yet any problems i've had are fixed on the trailer while i'm waiting.

[mowerconsultant]

Where are you located in the upstate ?
And who is your dealer ?
Just wondering, cause I live in Syracuse.

[Eric ELM]

I have a great dealer. The longest I have had a Chopper down was 2 hours and that was after I had gotten done mowing with it for the day. I dropped it off at 5 PM and picked it up 2 hours later.

He always has parts in stock since he has one of the bigger lawn businesses around here and needs parts for his personal equipment. A good dealer is hard to find, but I found one. :)

The only thing I wish was that he was closer to where I live.

I wish everyone could have a dealer like mine. I also hear so many complaints about their dealers. My previous dealer was horrible, so I really appreciate the one I have now. ;)

[leaflawnandlimb]

mowerconsultant
I live in owego (not oswego) near binghamton and my dealer is Union Hardware in Endicott

[mowerconsultant]

Cool.....
I know where your located then....
I am looking to set up some Hustler dealers in that area.
Would this be a dealer that you suggest ?

Pj

[HOMER]

I'll be around the Glenn Falls area in October. Anybody there? I want to meet somebody while I'm there and cut some of that sweet grass! Argile too..........I don't know where thats at.

[leaflawnandlimb]

You can call him, ask for Ken or Emil. Like I said you could try but I think their pretty dedicated to Exmark

[OBRYANMAINT]

my walker/wright dealer is awesome! he used to have a large landscape co and slowly made the change to selling and repairing

i purchase mowers off of him because of his service...he knows exactly what i am thinking because he has been there here is what he offers( obviously pruchased from him)

if your mower breaks he will fix it while you wait.if he cannot for any reason whatso ever he gives you a loaner of equal or better quality to continue....no questions

his mechanics are top notch and i can honestly i would almost buy a mower that was not my first pick because of the service i recieve

[leaflawnandlimb]

Homer
That's up by albany isn't it?

[leaflawnandlimb]

OBRYANMAINT
My dealers loaners are what sold me my newest machines, a 31hp lazer xp and two turf tracer hp ecs's

[mowerconsultant]

Homer,
I am in that area pretty often....
It is just north of Albany Ny....
Whats bringing you into YANKEE territory ?....lol
I would be more than happy to hook up for a beer :D or something, let me know...
Pj

[Keith]

I want you to give me a better deal after I buy some stuff, rather than lure me in with deals on blades, filters, plugs, only to start ripping me off after I make a few major purchases.

If my equipment needs a repair under warranty and it needs to be in the shop for more than a couple of days, I may need a loaner.

If I am sending you a lot of business, remember me! I had a dealer once, whom I had purchased quite a bit of stuff from and sent him a lot of new customers. One particular customer was pretty major and he couldn't do enough for him, giving him loaners on equipment while doing repairs on equipment that was not even purchased from him. He would let him take stuff to use and allow him to pay later. But when i had some equipment stolen (bought from him a week earlier) I had to twist his arm to let me have a blower for half down and the balance due in a week. He never had a reason not to trust me, but he chose to be an ass about it. Later he would not arrange to get me a demo Turf Tiger to try out, he told me to go to a show and try one there. He basically threw me away after I sent enough business his way.

I could go on, but I won't. On second thought, he may have done me a favor not letting me demo the Turf Tiger :rolleyes:

[lawnman_scott]

My dealer sells exmark, scag, dixie, stihl, shindiawa, echo, little wonder, and great dane. Cant beat them, service is great, and thats the most important to me. I have a $400 credit acc there, and last month spent $1300 all on my account, and not a word was said all month. And they have alot of bigger guys than me thats for sure.

[65hoss]

The problem I usually have with dealerships is they will say anything to get you to buy the equipment. The promises of being there when you need them. They know you do this type of work for a living, etc. But, when it comes down to it, many times I find that they are not as they promised. I love the explanation, "this is our busy season". I wonder why, were the ones doing the work with the equipment. They will not have many busy seasons if they put us out of business. Getting us back up and running very quickly is why they have a busy season. Sure they have a lot of homeowner stuff in there needing to be fixed, but we are the guys that really pay the bills. A small engine shop might make a couple hundred off a homeowner in a year. Last time I check, I spent more than that in just trimmers every spring.

[lawnman_scott]

Thats another good thing about my dealer, very very few homeowners, and i think thats because there stuff waits itll the end always. and to me thats a good thing

[UrbanEarth]

The dealers around here are all pathetic. No equipment to demo. Lots of talk up front about how good their service is, but when it comes down to it, they aren't there. Parts usually have to be ordered. These guys wouldn't know customer service if it walked up and bit their behinds.
If I had a bunch of cash to start up a shop I'd put them all out of business!

Alan

[Premo Services]

What do you want in a dealer?

S E R V I C E :mad:
It seems everyone has forgotten what the word means.
I also wish the dealers would take the time to train the help to put the energy the employees put into attitudes, to use the energy for customer service.
Mabey some better hours, we don`t work bankers hours. I would think they would need to be there to give us service, we are their livehood, if not for lco`s they would not be in business.
A good supply of parts, to replace the faulty ones on the equiptment they sell.

[MOW ED]

I have two great guys at the dealership and I will continue to support them.
They started the business for lawn care professionals because one of the guys owns a large lawn care company and he was tired of rotten service from a dealer in town. The homeowner can come in but there stuff gets held back if a LCO comes in for repairs. They will even go into the field and make repairs if necessary.
I have called with repair questions and the mechanic always gives me options to do it myself if I can or want to and if I need to bring it in they get on it fast.

Service is tops. Honesty and being friendly also goes a long way. It really helps that these guys know the business and they will continue to get mine.

[crazygator]

Well I am still looking. I have a Toro dealer that seems like the best, even has demo if I need. I looked at Hustler and I like the product but have yet to talk to the right guy. Seems like if I can't get him from the start where will he hide if I have a problem. I looked at the Dixie Chopper and they seem good too, but like some have stated you never know if they will change after they get your money. I guess it's just a gut reaction to how they deal with you when you are there. I need a dealer who will help me, not take my money and run. If they cut grass too then I feel they can better fit into my shoes when I need them to. One of the Exmark dealers also sells John Deere, well while talking with a salesman I overheard the parts guy dealing with a woman who had a problem. He never did get it right, and told her they were backed up 2 weeks. This was just a week ago. Makes you wonder where they are going fishing doesn't it?:angry:

[leaflawnandlimb]

While at my dealer today getting a new trigger on my trimmer (that I broke, not the help) , he tells a homehowner that it will be two weeks to fix her echo trimmer, meanwile he's fixing mine wile i'm standing there. I kinda fell bad for the girl (not really) that i'm getting my trimmer in like 5 minutes and she waiting two weeks. My dealer says he dosn't really care about selling equip. but would rather spend all his time in the shop fixing it (for LCO's not whiney homeowners.) I'm impressed.

[The Good Earth]

We deal with three dealers. Our Yazoo/Kees dealer is a total joke. They don't stock our parts, and nickel and dime us to death. This is our latest perfect example: Our dealer, which is the largest John Deere dealership in the nation, didn't have a deck pin that we needed for our machine. So we got to talking and found a hitch pin in the showroom that would work perfect. The only thing it would need is a hole drilled in it for the cotter pin. They said they would be glad to do it, only it would take 2 hours and cost us $50 on top of the $10 price on the pin. Needless to say we got out of there with our wallet still intact!

Then we have another large dealer in the Columbus metro area that we purchase our Exmark's and Shindaiwa's from. I was so happy with these guys. I thought that they were really treating us great. Then I got to talking to a friend that is charge of purchasing for a very large lawn company in central Ohio. We got on the subject of trimmer's. He asked what we were getting our trimmer's for. We have been using Shindaiwa T-230's. I said $250. He clues me in that Shindaiwa has a rebate that has been going on since early spring for commercial customers. Turns out we shouldn't have paid over $215 for these trimmer's. The dealer has been pocketing our rebate. So, our days are done with them as well.

Our hydromulcher dealer is the greatest guy I have ever worked with. This guy is on the ball. I can't even begin to say enough good things about him. Firelands Supply Company in Norwalk, Ohio. Talk with Kevin Heileman. Will get you everything you could ever possibly need for hydromulching or any kind of seeding jobs. Even if you don't know the guy and call him up and ask for advice he will share all he knows and then some.

If a dealer is fair and has a clue about what customer's are going to need that is really all you can ask for.

[dmk395]

Quick service and competitive prices always keep me happy.

[summitgroundskeeping]

I want what all of you guys want...
free mowers, trimmers, blowers, and parts.
I demand good fast service, if my mower(s) are ijn the shop for a few hours or more I want a demo, and I want quality work.

[leaflawnandlimb]

I have only delt with a hadfull of dealers, but I lucked out with this one. He just took on another line, (Ransomes turf eqip. out-fronts and wing-decks) he says he trying to get some of the municipality biz. I think he's nuts, those things are big bucks!

[Dave]

quote from the Good Earth

Then we have another large dealer in the Columbus metro area that we purchase our Exmark's and Shindaiwa's from. I was so happy with these guys. I thought that they were really treating us great. Then I got to talking to a friend that is charge of purchasing for a very large lawn company in central Ohio. We got on the subject of trimmer's. He asked what we were getting our trimmer's for. We have been using Shindaiwa T-230's. I said $250. He clues me in that Shindaiwa has a rebate that has been going on since early spring for commercial customers. Turns out we shouldn't have paid over $215 for these trimmer's. The dealer has been pocketing our rebate. So, our days are done with them as well.


AS a shindaiwa dealer ,don,t believe everything you here on prices,and rebates.because if the trimmer retails for $215 I would love to bye 15 or 20 as it is less than what I pay for them , I will probbally get bashed on this one but I also was self employed fisherman for almost 20 years so I know what it is like to pay for fuel bills and equipment ,health ins and so forth,I know what dedication is to the dealer and dedication to the buyer is,and it works both ways ,I am a small shop all by myself and work a 2day on 2 night on shift for the fd in my town,I give loaners for the equipment I sell,I have to deal with the dist and the manufactures ,but I see some of the people I sell to going other places to save a buck or two,then come crying back when they can,t get the item they needed somewhere else for that buck or two cheaperThere is good dealers and dealers out to rip your eyes out,and good lco's and bad lco's,one last thing is I have about 40,000 grand worth of inventory not counting the equip that i sell,another 5,000 in tools ,plus the liabilty ins and fuel bills ,luckly I own my shop or the bank does,I believe the lco and the dealer have a lot in common,that my 2 cents now Im ready to get bashed,And This is not a insult to anyone here as this is about the best forum that I have seen on the net yet,and as being a dealer I have learned alot from this site

[tralfaz]

Service is the most important thing. I want someone who can get my equipment out in a few hours. The place where I bought a Turf Tiger dropped Scags so now I have to drive 45 minutes to another dealer. There is one closer but they had this mower in the shop for about a week. I had a real good Dixie Chopper dealer that would fix stuff just about when I brought it in. It was done at least by the next day. I sold my Dixie Chopper, though.