Dealership Obligations

[MapleLeafFarmer]

If a person buys a tractor from a private source, a different dealership, or an auction, that's off warranty should your local dealership:

- have to try and make repairs
- provide services
- sell parts
- provide repair advice
-etc...

or as privately owned dealerships do they get to choose who they provide services/parts/advice too?

got me thinking about how they might handle those often too frequent demanding @rseholes that seem to be getting so common these days?

I know my dealership sure goes out of his way for some. Like johnny-on-the-spot after hours parts and service during seeding / harvest season, or loan a tool, or in-depth advice, etc...to select clients but not for all?

Do private owned dealerships need to offer "UNIVERSAL" services?

 

[Bmyers]

Why wouldn't a dealer sell parts? That is how they make money.

Why wouldn't a dealer provide service? You will pay for it, but that is how they make money.

Now if you bought a gray market tractor or a brand they don't carry, sure they wouldn't do service for those or have the parts.

 

[mcfarmall]

If you buy a car from a private seller and need parts or service, can you take it to the OEM dealer and expect them to fix it?

 

[notaz3]

My dealership never asked where the tractor was bought. First come first served.

 

[AndyM]

I had something similar - bought a new Dodge minivan in the 1980s in Edmonton and shortly thereafter found myself living in Calgary. The Calgary dealer baulked at dealing with it '"why didn't I buy it there?" Sorted it out and I still drive a newer version but it pizzed me off at the time.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

looks like I am in the minority on this one.

If it was my dealership and a person walked in expecting the sky/sun/moon, being disrespectful or being a general @rsehole... I would make sure you were on my preferred client list.... you know that list of people I prefer not to do business with.

So in the minority again, not the first time, definitely not the last.

cheers

 

[McMXi]

looks like I am in the minority on this one.

If it was my dealership and a person walked in expecting the sky/sun/moon, being disrespectful or being a general @rsehole... I would make sure you were on my preferred client list.... you know that list of people I prefer not to do business with.

So in the minority again, not the first time, definitely not the last.

cheers

I see where you're coming from but I would think that there's a franchise agreement in place that a privately owned dealership has to comply with or risk losing the franchise.

I know that warranty work can be a losing proposition for dealers, so some don't like to do warranty work unless the equipment they're working on was purchased from them. The incentive to do the work is to build a relationship and earn future business, and even lifelong customers.

There are folks who shop around and find a tractor at a better price at another dealer (perhaps much further away) but bring their tractor to a local dealer for warranty work. They're not supporting their local dealer which is their right, but it might be hard to build a good relationship based on that.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I’m not sure about tractor dealers, but the auto dealers I worked for had 2 distinct groups of work.

Customer Pay work: Which paid the hours in the Chiltons manual(or similar manual)

and

Warranty work: Which paid about 1/2 to 2/3’rds of the Chiltons hours.


I have seen techs get into actual “fist fights” over the CP work…..It was way more lucrative than warranty work……But the bills got paid doing warranty work.


As a mechanic, I never worried about where it was purchased, I was too focused on billing as many hours per week as I could.

The only times I can remember the “writers” talking about where it was purchased was in cases where the car was “technically” out of warranty, but they still “might" cover it if it was purchased there.

 

[Speed25]

looks like I am in the minority on this one.

If it was my dealership and a person walked in expecting the sky/sun/moon, being disrespectful or being a general @rsehole... I would make sure you were on my preferred client list.... you know that list of people I prefer not to do business with.

So in the minority again, not the first time, definitely not the last.

cheers

While not in the tractor business, we simply charge those customers more to make it worth our time or have them shop elsewhere. We have as much work as we can handle, so losing a crappy customer that'll be replaced with a better customer is a win-win for us, but if you're going to be a difficult customer that takes more of our time up, you'll be paying more for it than an agreeable customer who takes less of our time up. We don't have book hours or anything for services though, so it's easier for us.

 

[ken erickson]

Tractor, equipment and car dealerships are in a enviable position if they can pick and choose which customers they wish to do business with.

I was in the retail/service business and was a warranty station for two major manufactures and was thankful for each and every customer that walked through my doors.

I could have cared less if they purchased the item from me, or the retail store down the street.

I didn't kiss a-- but again , my goal was to give professional repairs on a timely manner for a fair price regardless.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I guess I have just become too crusty. Maybe I don't fit into this new anything go type of world.

I have gotten to the point in my life I won't (shouldn't have too) accept bad behaviour and wouldn't expect others too either. Whether its our local diner, tractor dealership, retailer or whomever.

Kinda surprised my local cohort seems much more hard lined on this issue than those here.

darn the coffee and pie was excellent in the diner this morning! Cheers

 

[mikester]

looks like I am in the minority on this one.

If it was my dealership and a person walked in expecting the sky/sun/moon, being disrespectful or being a general @rsehole... I would make sure you were on my preferred client list.... you know that list of people I prefer not to do business with.

So in the minority again, not the first time, definitely not the last.

cheers

If you want attitude and disrespect from dealers buy a BM-trouble-U

A-holes with feelings of self-importance and entitlement are everywhere. Vendors acting that way don't get my business. When it comes to customers acting that way I think of the 80-20 rule. Often it isn't worth dealing with those time wasters because they don't - or can't - pay their bills and they are struggling to make all their payments.

 

[William1]

Long ago, when I was a FSM (Yamaha, Honda cars, Volvo and Nissan) we demanded all dealers treat all customers the same and well. Make a customer happy and want to come back and buy a new Yamaha/Honda/Volvo/Nissan. Warranty work normally is a profit center if it was a FSB or the mechanics skilled and intelligent. I've seen them line up ten machines in a row and bang them out so fast the lot guys never had to get out.
If a customer is a jerk, they did not get the free car wash or any kindness extended other that a 'Thank you for your business'.
Never burn a bridge. No dealer can refuse warranty work. They 'might' push it back a little and take care of a good regular customer ahead of a guy that just wants the free repair.