Loyalty, dealer/brand, is it worth it?

[Holsteinfriesian90]

We don't need them, it's just another pointless layer of pen pushers in the middle, inflating the price of the end product. Who do you think pays for the multi million dollar premises? The massive showroom? The flash offices and smoko rooms?

We need parts (I prefer to order these online and have them arrive in my mailbox overnight)
We need a workshop (even though most servicing and repairs are carried out onsite by a man in a ute/pickup/truck/van).
We don't need salesmen.

Without us, they havn't got a business. They need us. They seem to forget this sometimes....like a lot of industries servicing the farming sector. A downturn in farming tends to reset things a bit.

Honda NZ have just rolled out their online store, you can customise the vehicle to your liking (spec, colour etc), purchase and pay for a new vehicle through the website, direct from Honda NZ. A "Honda Ambassador" brings the vehicle to you. Sounds like a great idea to me? Or am I missing something? Oh yeah, the suit wearing salesman that thinks he's important is missing....just saying.

If the salesman doesn’t sell the product in the first place you won’t need the parts or the workshop department. Everything goes hand in hand.

 

[ColinV6]

We don't need them, it's just another pointless layer of pen pushers in the middle, inflating the price of the end product. Who do you think pays for the multi million dollar premises? The massive showroom? The flash offices and smoko rooms?

We need parts (I prefer to order these online and have them arrive in my mailbox overnight)
We need a workshop (even though most servicing and repairs are carried out onsite by a man in a ute/pickup/truck/van).
We don't need salesmen.

Without us, they havn't got a business. They need us. They seem to forget this sometimes....like a lot of industries servicing the farming sector. A downturn in farming tends to reset things a bit.

Honda NZ have just rolled out their online store, you can customise the vehicle to your liking (spec, colour etc), purchase and pay for a new vehicle through the website, direct from Honda NZ. A "Honda Ambassador" brings the vehicle to you. Sounds like a great idea to me? Or am I missing something? Oh yeah, the suit wearing salesman that thinks he's important is missing....just saying.

Your missing the part where you don’t just pay the price the website asks for. How do you haggle a deal with an online algorithm?

 

[Cowabunga]

I am fairly loyal to two local dealers. Used to be three but one has been taken over by a big company that covers much of Western England as well as a big chunk of South Wales. I'm sure they are a fine company but I don't know anyone there any longer and they have never called here. Not a great loss for them because I no longer buy more than a fraction of the kit I used to in my prime.
Not loyal to any tractor brand, or car brand. Loyalty for them only works one way, believe me. I have my preferences but decide on what suits me best at the time and for the future as I see it at the time, hence I run a mixed fleet.
The dealers I deal with are indeed the dealers nearest me and there is more than enough competition between them to ensure I get a good deal and they all know that I have already researched the products I enquire about, so they give their best price, or very near, the first time, because they know I don't pee around and will buy elsewhere if the deal isn't right.

 

[spitfire]

I am fairly loyal to two local dealers. Used to be three but one has been taken over by a big company that covers much of Western England as well as a big chunk of South Wales. I'm sure they are a fine company but I don't know anyone there any longer and they have never called here. Not a great loss for them because I no longer buy more than a fraction of the kit I used to in my prime.
Not loyal to any tractor brand, or car brand. Loyalty for them only works one way, believe me. I have my preferences but decide on what suits me best at the time and for the future as I see it at the time, hence I run a mixed fleet.
The dealers I deal with are indeed the dealers nearest me and there is more than enough competition between them to ensure I get a good deal and they all know that I have already researched the products I enquire about, so they give their best price, or very near, the first time, because they know I don't pee around and will buy elsewhere if the deal isn't right.

Yeah we used to be the same had some bad experiences lately doesn't pay to be easy going no matter how much you spend some don't realise how much damage some people can do to a business

 

[dave mountain]

I am fairly loyal to two local dealers. Used to be three but one has been taken over by a big company that covers much of Western England as well as a big chunk of South Wales. I'm sure they are a fine company but I don't know anyone there any longer and they have never called here. Not a great loss for them because I no longer buy more than a fraction of the kit I used to in my prime.
Not loyal to any tractor brand, or car brand. Loyalty for them only works one way, believe me. I have my preferences but decide on what suits me best at the time and for the future as I see it at the time, hence I run a mixed fleet.
The dealers I deal with are indeed the dealers nearest me and there is more than enough competition between them to ensure I get a good deal and they all know that I have already researched the products I enquire about, so they give their best price, or very near, the first time, because they know I don't pee around and will buy elsewhere if the deal isn't right.

if you get competitive prices all round then ideal, i seem to get about 75% of dealers giving ridiculous pants-down prices and the other 25% giving competitive prices, i used to just get a couple prices when buying but now get several and it usually pays off.

 

[michael N123]

It never hurts to make it known to your salesman you had the rival brand on demo

 

[NUFF465]

Personally speaking I don't believe loyalty in general exists anymore, It used too many years ago but not now as the dealers get larger and larger they are in fact getting a monopoly in any given area , so to get a competitive quote for any particular brand is difficult as the neighbouring dealer may be two counties or more away and not keen to quote for fear of starting a price war with his same brand neighbour,
We know there is competition laws but in reality nothing ever happens so why be loyal to a dealer that will naturally lift your leg if you give him the chance, so we always get several in to quote and then you may, I repeat may, get a sensible deal but with companies getting larger and employees changing firms like the weather, sadly I think loyalty is a thing of the past

 

[Cowabunga]

Personally speaking I don't believe loyalty in general exists anymore, It used too many years ago but not now as the dealers get larger and larger they are in fact getting a monopoly in any given area , so to get a competitive quote for any particular brand is difficult as the neighbouring dealer may be two counties or more away and not keen to quote for fear of starting a price war with his same brand neighbour,
We know there is competition laws but in reality nothing ever happens so why be loyal to a dealer that will naturally lift your leg if you give him the chance, so we always get several in to quote and then you may, I repeat may, get a sensible deal but with companies getting larger and employees changing firms like the weather, sadly I think loyalty is a thing of the past

The answer is easy. Don't be loyal to a brand. There is fierce competition between brands and dealers of different brands who have market share targets to meet in their sales region. Believe me when I tell you that dealers of the same brand that have enquiries from the same customer will fix it one way or another so that they don't kill each other either financially or physically.

 

[NUFF465]

The answer is easy. Don't be loyal to a brand. There is fierce competition between brands and dealers of different brands who have market share targets to meet in their sales region. Believe me when I tell you that dealers of the same brand that have enquiries from the same customer will fix it one way or another so that they don't kill each other either financially or physically.

Yes I know it happens, Larger and larger dealers is certainly not good for the customer as you just try and get a quote for the same machine out of your area the response, if you even get one is quite interesting, "we can't get one" "your too far away for service" "we will get back to you'' but they never do,
"we don't want your part ex" or they simply price themselves out of it and never contact you again,

 

[fendtfiasco]

Here in Northern Ireland competition doesn't exist in some brands. Claas is now one dealer effectively , Massey two main dealers but territory based,the only real competition would be Case and New Holland.
Reality is less competition for your business and once they sell you a machine if there is a problem no other dealer to go to !!

 

[NUFF465]

It is becoming like that all over the uk, as these dealers get bigger the deal you get will get worse and probably the after sales service with it, the time will come when we all buy on line and have to wait for any service like most car garages are doing these days,
How a tractor can cost what it does is beyond me, a new combine even worse, 300k plus for 4 wheels, an engine and a couple of rotors, clad in thinner and thinner tin,

 

[Cowabunga]

Yes I know it happens, Larger and larger dealers is certainly not good for the customer as you just try and get a quote for the same machine out of your area the response, if you even get one is quite interesting, "we can't get one" "your too far away for service" "we will get back to you'' but they never do,
"we don't want your part ex" or they simply price themselves out of it and never contact you again,

Its just normal business. They are perfectly within their rights to choose not to deal with individual potential customers. Just as you choose who to sell farm products to.