Dealer Detail

Meet three landscape contractors – three commercial customers who rely on dealers to fill their trailers with reliable equipment, care for their sick machines and set them up with parts in a hurry.

Commercial Dealer magazine gathered a group of landscape contractors at the Green Industry Expo to discuss what is important to them when working with dealers.  The common thread these contractors share is their need for efficient service and their preference for professionalism.

THE PANEL:
• Trent Sible, Moor Landscapes, Northbrook, Ill.
• Michael Neese, Grayson South, Charlotte, N.C.
•Ralph Thomas, Beebe Landscape Services, East Windsor, Conn.

Commercial Dealer (CD) – Define the ideal dealer. What qualities are important to you as a contractor?
Michael Neese (MN) – I think there is a separation between the homeowners and the commercial customers. Even though the homeowners might be going to the same counter, it is a totally different mentality.
One thing that would be helpful is if dealers could learn more about the needs of our company and be able to be more efficient. A basic example is [dealers] will be slow in January and February. Maybe they could put together a checklist of basic parts for a Toro walk behind. Or they could make a phone call and say, “Next month the season is going to be kicking in, and here are the types of things that could be helpful to you. I’ll fax you a list and maybe you could fill it out so we can get your those 10 oil filters you might need during the course of the year vs. you going over to Napa and buying them.”
If they did that, it would be likely that I would fill it out and pay the extra $2 per filter by them following our needs and trying to go to the next level of customer service and then interacting with us.
Trent Sible (TS) – The perfect dealer: wonderful service at all ends; parts delivery; the willingness to provide loaner equipment if needed. For our organization, specifically, we need vendors who do keep a good inventory of parts on hand. Size and location are also important.
Ralph Thomas (RT) – I think an ideal dealer for us would be someone you can have a trusting relationship with who you don’t have to go out and price check when you are going to make purchases. Automatically, you know that he is giving you a fair and honest price. No. 2 would be getting me the parts that I need when I need them. If you are too small of a supplier to stock the things that I need, that is obviously a problem. And another thing is being able to give you loaner equipment and being responsive to your needs.

CD – How much are you willing to give when it comes to efficient, timely service?
RT – We are pretty strict when it comes to that, especially if it is a warranty issue. Fortunately, one of our vendors, literally, will have a new piece of equipment as a demo that he will bring down and drop off to us and then he’ll fix our broken piece of equipment and take the time to do what he needs to do. But as far as downtime and lost production, we’re pretty intolerant when it comes to that. Time is money.

CD – Is service important when you have an in-house mechanic?
RT – I think it is, because even as talented as your mechanic is, with products changing there is always something new that your mechanic needs to learn, and if he has a good relationship with your dealer or vendor, it is a constant support line. Our mechanic is always on the phone with our power equipment supplier, and they help each other out, actually.
Prior to even establishing a relationship with a dealer, we sit down with them and thoroughly identify our expectations with that dealer in terms of what we are going to purchase and what we expect from them in service. And if the dealer is interested in working with us, then we pursue a relationship at that time. If they are not, then that’s fine, too.

CD –  Do you expect dealers to prioritize your business before other homeowners?
RT – I think that I wouldn’t (expect that). I think that is asking a little bit too much. That is a courtesy thing. Typically, the person working the counter will pull us aside, and if the owner sees us (in line) he will pull us aside and ask us what we need.
TS – I would agree. That would not be an expectation.

CD – Would it bother you if you felt you weren’t getting serviced as you should?
MN – We go elsewhere. I will put up with it one time. If you burn a bridge, I will go elsewhere. Three years ago, we had a dealer that serviced a line that I used, and I will continue to use, and he did something to burn the bridge. And until another dealer came to town, I drove an hour away to go to another vendor.  
TS – Some of my other suppliers (aren’t prompt with service). It’s sometimes infuriating, but you have to be realistic and cooperative. Knowing that you are doing a great deal of spending with them, (quick service) would be nice.

CD – What about education? Do you rely on dealers to train your mechanics?
RT – Absolutely. Their support is a major contribution if we are going to be working with that dealer and he is going to be providing service. Fortunately, our mechanic has a really good relationship with our vendor, and our vendor bends over backwards to educate him. Our mechanic has been in classes for Kohler, Briggs, Scag and other lines and he has reciprocated to help our dealer as well.
MN – I think it is important for dealers to know the products. They need to know the particular equipment that we like. The dealers need to know the products inside and out, and what the products can do and how they can better help each individual situation. That is always important.

CD – How important is one-stop shopping? Do you prefer dealers to carry many lines or to specialize in a few.
MN – The dealer has to carry more than one line, in my opinion. I’ve decided what lines I’m going to run in my business plan and I’ve made that decision for what I’m going to run outside my dealer. However, I do like to go to the dealer that is an hour away because they specialize in one equipment line and they are known as a specialist. And I know that they are going to do a good job in servicing it properly. With dealers who have 12 different models they are carrying, they can’t say the weaknesses of every machine when trying to make a sale.
TS – I know the larger vendors we are using carry three to four major lines. I think I would actually become little apprehensive if they started bringing on a number of new lines. My concern would be, is the service going to be good?
TS – For me, the one-stop shopping isn’t all that important.

CD – How important is professionalism and a dealer’s image?
RT – (Image and professionalism) are important. When you walk into someone’s shop that is neat and clean and organized, and they can get the parts you need very quickly, it sets a (positive) impression. I keep thinking of this one vendor in particular. You walk into their shop and there is just stuff everywhere and the place is a mess, and their facility should be literally double in size. I wouldn’t go there if I didn’t have to.
TS – Image is very important.
MN – For us, convenience is important. We might want to pick up a box of parts and we want to be able to get into the building conveniently and have a place to park our trailers. If you are stopping by on the way to a job site, that is extremely convenient.
TS – We deal with multiple vendors. There is one operation where there is room for improvement with housekeeping and general appearance. We have the same expectations of our dealers that our clients have of us. If they are unshaven or something like that, that doesn’t play a factor in the service that is provided but, still, image is very important.
RT – When the shop is organized – when you walk in and the inventory is in the proper place – you feel more confident.

The author is Managing Editor of Commercial Dealer magazine and can be reached at khampshire@commercialdealer.com.