husqvarna saw prices uk vs usa

[Les Cork]

No Flack from me, i agree !

 

Name an Arb company that runs on 5-10% over cost

[GardenKit]

 

Not sure about the term "blackmail" it's a bit strong, the dealer does have a choice whether to supply you with a saw or not!

 

But can't disagree with the rest.

 

Yes, of course. In retrospect it is a bit strong. But sometimes its not far from the truth.

 

This happened a few weeks ago.

I get a call . "Do you stock the such and such mower" to which I answer yes. So he comes out and looks at it, but does not like it. It had seemed suitable for his needs when he researched on the net, but he realised it was too small when he saw it. We discussed his needs, 'visited' his garden via Google Earth and measured his grass area. We then offered various machines until he settled on a particular model. He goes away to think.

 

Half an hour of my time and advice, stuff he could not get online.

 

He phones a few days later and spends another 20 minutes on the phone asking for more advice for the same size machine but going up market with a greater spend. He settles on a paricular model and thanks me for my time and expertise. Says he will be back.

 

Next day he is on the phone. " I have done some research and can get the same model elsewhere at £65 less, if you match it you can have the business"

 

Now, my price is fair anyway, that machine was already £100 off retail, and TBH another £65 would have made it barely above cost. What the other dealer, 30 miles away was playing at I have no idea.

 

So I declined to offer any further discount. He then started on that he really wanted to buy from me so what was my lowest price? I have always said that my first price is my best price, so once again I declined to shift and suggested that, as the other firm had been decent enough to offer a better price first time, the decent thing for him to do was buy it there, but thank you for giving us a chance.

 

So he says, OK if you do not want the business I will buy it elsewhere. Fair enough.

 

But then he says " you will get the service work as the other place is too far away", to which I replied, " The firm you buy it from deserves your loyalty and it should go back to them for service, especially whilst in warranty, so count me out"

 

So they got the business, based on my advice and time spent with the guy. He milked me for that advice and then used that info to go to others with a specific machine request.

 

I know I could have had the deal at his price, but I am a stubborn git and will not bow to what I see as a mild form of blackmail. I would sooner lose the deal.

 

As I did!

[JimM]

Do the dealers get a fixed hourly rate for carrying out warranty work?

If the dealers can't get the spares they need quickly then it's the manufacturers that are letting them down.

Too often with small fixes it's faster via the net. The supply chain to dealers has to be better. That lets the smaller dealers hold less expensive stock and keeps their overheads down surely?

On the dealers side, I wonder how many aggressively target their local professional market? Not too hard to put out a letter to all the local businesses they could support, get them in to talk. Offer accounts that lead to discounts that are attractive enough to both parties. Store the small parts that these businesses need/break most. Know what kit they all use. Be able to get the rest fast from the manufacturer.

If the manufacturer is letting you down then you need to complain to them. Being a dealer for them is a two-way street, not a one-way in their favour.

One local dealer bemoaned the lack of professional guys coming in. He opens the book and quotes RRP. The other offered me an account with discounts on tools and parts. But the latter suffers from poor backup from the major manufacturer.

[JimM]

I understand the advice problem on your last post Gardenkit. No getting around that really unless you have a naked women doing the selling perhaps. Grin.

Not sure if you did the right thing pushing him away on the warranty work as maybe with the service you provide you may get future purchases out of him, or at least local recommendations. Not an easy choice.

[GardenKit]

Not sure if you did the right thing pushing him away on the warranty work as maybe with the service you provide you may get future purchases out of him, or at least local recommendations. Not an easy choice.

 

I know what you mean, but I guess its just the stubborn part of me.

 

The fact is that for the last 10 years or so we have been stacked out with workshop work and really do not need any more. I reckon 90% of this is service work from customers who have bought from me.

 

I always look at like this. The customer who buys from me not only buys a machine, but buys a little bit of me too. So when he has a problem, or even only a service, he gets the best I can give. He deserves it, he has bought it. So however busy we are, he will get his service.

 

But the guy who shuns me on a deal and buys elsewhere has bought none of me, so unless I am desperate for work, which I never have been, then I do not need his business. No loyalty from him, none from me.

 

And, the awkward, arrogant part of me wants him to suffer a little by having to take the machine 30 miles to where he decided to buy it. Maybe after a couple of years he will realise the best deal was, after all, the one on the doorstep.

 

Or maybe he won't.

[Stubby]

Yes, of course. In retrospect it is a bit strong. But sometimes its not far from the truth.

 

This happened a few weeks ago.

I get a call . "Do you stock the such and such mower" to which I answer yes. So he comes out and looks at it, but does not like it. It had seemed suitable for his needs when he researched on the net, but he realised it was too small when he saw it. We discussed his needs, 'visited' his garden via Google Earth and measured his grass area. We then offered various machines until he settled on a particular model. He goes away to think.

 

Half an hour of my time and advice, stuff he could not get online.

 

He phones a few days later and spends another 20 minutes on the phone asking for more advice for the same size machine but going up market with a greater spend. He settles on a paricular model and thanks me for my time and expertise. Says he will be back.

 

Next day he is on the phone. " I have done some research and can get the same model elsewhere at £65 less, if you match it you can have the business"

 

Now, my price is fair anyway, that machine was already £100 off retail, and TBH another £65 would have made it barely above cost. What the other dealer, 30 miles away was playing at I have no idea.

 

So I declined to offer any further discount. He then started on that he really wanted to buy from me so what was my lowest price? I have always said that my first price is my best price, so once again I declined to shift and suggested that, as the other firm had been decent enough to offer a better price first time, the decent thing for him to do was buy it there, but thank you for giving us a chance.

 

So he says, OK if you do not want the business I will buy it elsewhere. Fair enough.

 

But then he says " you will get the service work as the other place is too far away", to which I replied, " The firm you buy it from deserves your loyalty and it should go back to them for service, especially whilst in warranty, so count me out"

 

So they got the business, based on my advice and time spent with the guy. He milked me for that advice and then used that info to go to others with a specific machine request.

 

I know I could have had the deal at his price, but I am a stubborn git and will not bow to what I see as a mild form of blackmail. I would sooner lose the deal.

 

As I did!

 

I would have done the same garden .

[mendiplogs]

Yes, of course. In retrospect it is a bit strong. But sometimes its not far from the truth.

 

This happened a few weeks ago.

I get a call . "Do you stock the such and such mower" to which I answer yes. So he comes out and looks at it, but does not like it. It had seemed suitable for his needs when he researched on the net, but he realised it was too small when he saw it. We discussed his needs, 'visited' his garden via Google Earth and measured his grass area. We then offered various machines until he settled on a particular model. He goes away to think.

 

Half an hour of my time and advice, stuff he could not get online.

 

He phones a few days later and spends another 20 minutes on the phone asking for more advice for the same size machine but going up market with a greater spend. He settles on a paricular model and thanks me for my time and expertise. Says he will be back.

 

Next day he is on the phone. " I have done some research and can get the same model elsewhere at £65 less, if you match it you can have the business"

 

Now, my price is fair anyway, that machine was already £100 off retail, and TBH another £65 would have made it barely above cost. What the other dealer, 30 miles away was playing at I have no idea.

 

So I declined to offer any further discount. He then started on that he really wanted to buy from me so what was my lowest price? I have always said that my first price is my best price, so once again I declined to shift and suggested that, as the other firm had been decent enough to offer a better price first time, the decent thing for him to do was buy it there, but thank you for giving us a chance.

 

So he says, OK if you do not want the business I will buy it elsewhere. Fair enough.

 

But then he says " you will get the service work as the other place is too far away", to which I replied, " The firm you buy it from deserves your loyalty and it should go back to them for service, especially whilst in warranty, so count me out"

 

So they got the business, based on my advice and time spent with the guy. He milked me for that advice and then used that info to go to others with a specific machine request.

 

I know I could have had the deal at his price, but I am a stubborn git and will not bow to what I see as a mild form of blackmail. I would sooner lose the deal.

 

As I did!

 

HI GARDEN you done right thing mate well done jon

[easy-lift guy]

GardenKit, you did the right thing and explained your reasoning completely.

Playing One Dealer against another for the sake of price is to be expected.

You are in business to sell products at a reasonable cost and service what you sell after the sale. SOP. Your reply among others were some of the points I was attempting to make to the OP of this thread. All the best.

easy-lift guy

[Barry_Skyland]

Sound reasoning, the 550xp is around £330 in the US, the best deal I've found here is £505

I didn't think market share and exchange rate would result in such a big difference.

 

Hi

 

Can you provide a link to the site that's offering this price please?

[mendiplogs]

Hi

 

Can you provide a link to the site that's offering this price please?

 

HI BARRY there on ebay from USA £410/420 all in tax to thanks jon