New Stihl online policy

[Joe Newton]

Come on guys, SDS is not a troll, and this forum is open to all points of view.

He has tried to put across the viewpoint of ever so many regional dealers who obey the rules imposed on them from their suppliers, and are miffed when they see maverick dealers breaking those rules.

 

He is supportive of Stihls policy, which as a Stihl dealer is commendable.

 

Instead of flaming him, try to understand the situation from his perspective, whether it suits you or not.

 

I think of it a bit like this.

 

I used to use my mobile phone when driving, but when this was outlawed I stopped.

I now get very annoyed when I see others driving along and merrily chatting on the phone. Why should they be exempt?

 

And I feel like phoning the law and reporting them, but I am to placid to that, so just accept it.

 

SDS is just a little more determined.

 

Now 'flame' me too.

 

 

You have a point. Well put.

 

I think the thing that pissed most people off, however, was not his contrasting viewpoint, but his baiting then reporting other dealers.

 

 

 

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[GardenKit]

I'm more than ready to be corrected but I suspect nobody has ever been killed as a direct result of buying a chainsaw on-line.

The point i was trying to make is that its not fair to flame anyone just because they play by the rules and are supportive of those who set the rules. Whatever the rules are.

 

Wether those rules are good rules, or not is another matter.

 

In the case of the Stihl policy I can see it from both sides, but many on here only see it from their own perspective.

 

It is hearing both sides of the argument that fuel a good debate, but why does it have turn so disrepectfull?

[GardenKit]

You have a point. Well put.

 

I think the thing that pissed most people off, however, was not his contrasting viewpoint, but his baiting then reporting other dealers.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

True, baiting is a bit extreme (if indeed he has)

But reporting cases of infringement which have resulted in a direct impact on his business could be seen as fair.

 

Maybe I am just being a bit pedantic, but it always seems that dealers are always being slated on this forum, and there are very few of us to put across our points of view.

[felixthelogchopper]

The point i was trying to make is that its not fair to flame anyone just because they play by the rules and are supportive of those who set the rules. Whatever the rules are.

 

Wether those rules are good rules, or not is another matter.

 

In the case of the Stihl policy I can see it from both sides, but many on here only see it from their own perspective.

 

It is hearing both sides of the argument that fuel a good debate, but why does it have turn so disrepectfull?

 

Because the poster in question presents himself as a pompous prig who wants to boast about how underhand his business methods are. He comes across as a deeply bitter man who has failed to keep up with modern times yet blames the world for it. Your analogy falls down as to be a direct comparison you would need to be phoning the other drivers to encourage them to commit the offence in the first place. Personally, Stihl's policy hasn't affected me in the slightest as I buy new Husqvarna machinery and have an excellent local dealer from which to buy spares for any Stihl kit I have inherited.

[felixthelogchopper]

True, baiting is a bit extreme (if indeed he has)

But reporting cases of infringement which have resulted in a direct impact on his business could be seen as fair.

 

Maybe I am just being a bit pedantic, but it always seems that dealers are always being slated on this forum, and there are very few of us to put across our points of view.

 

To be fair, I think the threads in praise of dealers on here are more common than slatings.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Rules are for the guidance of the wise, and the blind obedience of fools.

 

 

I heard Glendale bought 20 x Echo CS-620 recently.... now that's a shift.

[GardenKit]

Because the poster in question presents himself as a pompous prig who wants to boast about how underhand his business methods are. He comes across as a deeply bitter man who has failed to keep up with modern times yet blames the world for it. Your analogy falls down as to be a direct comparison you would need to be phoning the other drivers to encourage them to commit the offence in the first place. Personally, Stihl's policy hasn't affected me in the slightest as I buy new Husqvarna machinery and have an excellent local dealer from which to buy spares for any Stihl kit I have inherited.

Maybe I judt try to see the good in people, i am just too soft.

[waz77]

It's not so much about sticking to the rules dictated by Stihl that people are annoyed about but him boasting about posing as a customer and grassing people up, the man is clearly a pr*ck

[Treewolf]

This makes me think of the spoilt child having a tantrum "it's not fair"!

 

The internet is here to stay, internet sales are here to stay. That is progress, just like the axe being replaced by the chainsaw.

 

You either adapt your business model to make maximum benefit from the potential that the internet provides, or you will fail. Throwing a tantrum and blaming your customers is frankly pathetic.

 

Ultimately your business depends upon you having customers. Customers like internet sales because of the many advantages that they offer to the customer (price, convenience). Get with the program or lose customers!

 

Stihl can try to deny the existence of the internet by imnposing restrictive terms in the contract it requires dealers to sign, but ultimately will lose both customers and dealers by doing so.

 

Warranty is a manufacturer problem, not a dealer problem. A manufacturer who is perceived to offer lousy warranty support (whether this is caused by a dealer like SDS putting legitimate claimes to the back of the queue - and it doesn't matter where the saw was bought, the dealer represents the manufacturer has has an obligation to sort warranty problems - or for any other reason) will lose customers.

 

The bottom line in my view is that unless Stihl changes its policy radically and soon its position in the UK is seriously in doubt. If I was a Stihl dealer, I would be giving very serious thought to giving up my dealership and allying to another brand. I would certainly not be whinging and blaming my customer base for moving elsewhere.

 

It may well be that the UK market is so small in global terms that Stihl doesn't care if it loses its share.

[Treewolf]

Anyone thought of ringing the five (?) Scottish Stihl dealers to ask about a warranty repair? SDS is probably the one who treats you like a nuisance rather than a valued potential customer.