Main dealers fitters

Yorkshire lad

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
YO42
We had a fitter out from a main dealer last week He has been in the job for twenty years and told me he is leaving the industry after harvest . He had many reasons , pay being one but also the fact he did not feel valued or respected . He sited on example , on the dealers web site there is a "Meet the team" page where all the directors , sales and admin have a picture and a bit about them but there is nothing about the service staff
What he said got me thinking so tonight i've been on a few dealers web sites and very few have any fitters on there web pages It may seem a trivial thing and some fitters maybe don't want their face on the web site . But it obiously made this guy feel under valued and as he said we are the only one working evenings and weekends
It seems that some of the most important jobs that society needs are looked down on. How often do you hear on the radio about working in the office or the office party as though it the only place people work
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
I had a conversation with a lorry driver the other day, he said there was 8 layers of management in there offices above him all shuffling bits of paper about. Yet they currently have a lot of unhappy customers (myself included) who were struggling to get goods moved!

Too many chiefs taking the glory while the Indians are ignored!
 

Enry

Member
Location
Shropshire
They could put a group photo of service staff and a bit about the years of experience, training and their commitment etc without naming individuals if that is the issue. Service staff are more customer facing than admin and should be given more respect. Fitter at a local dealer was telling me how a nameless farmer always gives him a hard time re hourly rates etc despite the fact that he doesn't set them or get anything like the rate charged himself. We are fast seeing who really matters in society, and brand managers, marine biologists and media executives most certainly dont make the world go round!,
 

melted welly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
DD9.
We had a fairly large breakdown a few weeks ago requiring a large cumbersome component replaced. The dealer is great and the fitter is spot on.

During the job the fitter said to the machines driver that we are about the only place they service who actively help them with repairs, be it running for parts, spare pairs of hands or shelter from the weather. Most either aren’t there at all or just stand/sit in cab and watch.

That would really get on my tits, struggling on my own in the rain whilst the folk who are stuffed without your expertise are sat snoozing in cabs with engines running or away home.

We often don’t help these situations ourselves.
 

melted welly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
DD9.
They could put a group photo of service staff and a bit about the years of experience, training and their commitment etc without naming individuals if that is the issue. Service staff are more customer facing than admin and should be given more respect. Fitter at a local dealer was telling me how a nameless farmer always gives him a hard time re hourly rates etc despite the fact that he doesn't set them or get anything like the rate charged himself. We are fast seeing who really matters in society, and brand managers, marine biologists and media executives most certainly dont make the world go round!,
The irony there is that the farmer will only be adding to his hourly bill by distracting the fitter from his work. 🤭
 
We had a fairly large breakdown a few weeks ago requiring a large cumbersome component replaced. The dealer is great and the fitter is spot on.

During the job the fitter said to the machines driver that we are about the only place they service who actively help them with repairs, be it running for parts, spare pairs of hands or shelter from the weather. Most either aren’t there at all or just stand/sit in cab and watch.

That would really get on my tits, struggling on my own in the rain whilst the folk who are stuffed without your expertise are sat snoozing in cabs with engines running or away home.

We often don’t help these situations ourselves.
Talked to a fitter a few years ago who had gone away from ag work to HGV work and returned to ag. He said it was much easier to get a bit of help on farms, said one of his worse on the HGV job was lying under a lorry changing a starter motor at the roadside, lorry pulled over to the side, stopped over a gully, it was raining so lying in a couple of inches of water whilst the driver sat in the cab.

I guess the grass is always greener the other side of the fence.
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
Try to look after fitters if they come here usually get a bacon butty or the likes and help them if needed its all about team work . Look after them and they look after you is our moto . The fitters are the front of most dealerships not the salesmen good fitters are worth a lot more than a salesman that just uses a calculator are his silver toung to sell the stuff .
 

nick...

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
south norfolk
I now use an ex main dealer fitter who is brilliant.I allways make sure machines are clean and offer carpet to lay on if getting under a machine.also coffee or tea is supplied and even ice creams if hot and also had cake in the past.I’ll help in any way possible too.I’d offer the same to main dealer staff too if I used them but they are getting too expensive and I understand the fitters are poorly paid which is obviously why dealers are allways advertising for staff.
nick…
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
I always offer to help and tell them just to call if they need any assistance. They must know how useless I am cause they never call!

I think a important thing to remember is to respect people and many farmers don't do this. I'm always grateful to have somebody on farm to help us fix a problem. Speaking to some fitters, many farmers speak to them and treat them like $h!te. Particularly in melted wellys area. Although I know he's not like that.

It's a bit like the class thread where some people think there above others. Passed down through generations according to fitters. If dads a c.unit sons normally are too.

We are fortunate both local new Holland dealers have excellent team of mechanics. I'd class them as friends met one in the shop other Saturday night and spoke for 10 minutes. Maybe tells you something about reliability of new Hollands! 🤣🤦‍♂️
 

nelly55

Member
Location
Yorkshire
Anyone working here gets offered a hot drink and food ,and help if required.Like OH always says someone has to put beans on the supermarket shelves and they are just as important.But listerning to Boris this morning he wants high wages,skilled jobs clearly he hasn’t a sodding clue about work,life or normal living.
 

melted welly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
DD9.
I always offer to help and tell them just to call if they need any assistance. They must know how useless I am cause they never call!

I think a important thing to remember is to respect people and many farmers don't do this. I'm always grateful to have somebody on farm to help us fix a problem. Speaking to some fitters, many farmers speak to them and treat them like $h!te. Particularly in melted wellys area. Although I know he's not like that.

It's a bit like the class thread where some people think there above others. Passed down through generations according to fitters. If dads a c.unit sons normally are too.

We are fortunate both local new Holland dealers have excellent team of mechanics. I'd class them as friends met one in the shop other Saturday night and spoke for 10 minutes. Maybe tells you something about reliability of new Hollands! 🤣🤦‍♂️
Were you discussing grease points on rear axles? 🤭
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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