peter ledger

Pete, some very valid comments there.

I fully understand the value of internet sales to many of the posters on this thread, but I also see it from the side of SDS.

 

It has been suggested by many that dealers have to adapt to the modern way and join the internet sales brigade. This will certainly work for some dealers but if every dealership (I think there are around 4000 in the UK) were to do this,the market would be very diluted. Margins would be so tight that natural selection would see the closure of 80% of those dealers.

 

This would not matter to the internet purchaser of course, he would still get the service he was happy with.

 

But from my own perspective as a dealer (I am not a Stihl or Huskie dealer) I would sooner concentrate on providing specialist, independant service to the very many local customers who have no wish to buy on the net, preferring the service and advice of the local dealer. (many of these are of course, domestic users, and they are happy to pay a higher price for the complete package.)

 

So there are the two types of dealer emerging, those who wish to go down the internet sales route, and those who wish to retain the old values of local business. They are distinctly different, and each can be very good at what they do. There is a place, and a need, for both, as there are also two types of buyer.

 

The problem that is emerging is the one highlighted in previous posts, and which SDS has been slated for. That of warranty.

 

We have these two distinct dealer types emerging, and each promises to look after their own customers with loyalty. But then comes the crossover, when the internet buyer wants his warranty done by the local man who, like me, is working long hours keeping his very loyal customer base happy.

 

In my business the majority of this stuff is domestic mowers, strimmers and saws, bought online or from the sheds.

 

Is it any wonder that we tend to put the non loyal customer to the back of the queue, rather than work find an extra few hours in a crowded week, or put a loyal customer back?

 

It is our loyal customer base that keeps us afloat, and we will always give them priority. Is this so wrong?

I completely understand what you say, the market is certainly split, i have no answers, like you say some will always buy online, some will always need dealer support, i,m in the minority i guess, if i buy online i accept i am responsible for the machine, i,m in the minority that can do most repairs myself........... with the help of mates in the trade of course haha........

most will lament the loss of the dealer network, most wont know they need it till its gone, i spoke to the stihl dealer in mundaring today and he confirmed its stihl policy here too, but he also said common sense was needed, he said for instance the dealer network for stihl in WA was good ( 6 dealers within half an hr from me) but if a customer he knew well wanted a saw sending out then why would he risk pissing off his customer by saying he HAD to come in for it ! of course this isnt quite the issue of internet selling.

i understand looking after your customers, and i hate to disagree with you, but i look back to the restaurant days, regular customers would ring up at 6pm on a saturday night and ask for a table, they would get quite irate when told we were fully booked, i treated All customers the same, first come first served, i think dealers should treat everyone in this way, also if a dealer chooses he can put in the extra hrs for an emergency repair, i dont believe cutomers from either camp should take priority, treat everyone fair and square, and perhaps stihl should pay its dealers fairly for warrenty work and then all this petty backstabbing could end......I have to say when i was in business in england, which as you know ive pretty much been self employed all my working life in a variety of businesses, i treated others with respect, i worked with people for the common good, towards the end of my time in england, i began to feel people had lost the plot, all people want to do these days is crusify the man next to them for their own survival,its the way of the world and I think its wrong.

Its not wrong to want to want to make a business thrive,its an argument that will never end i feel

Welcome to the forum Peter.

Does the Stihl policy exist in Australia as well?

I will have to check with the local dealer in mundaring, outside perth, i cant see how this policy could work in australia, people would end up with a 2 day drive there and back to pick up their new saw, just about everyone in australia out in the bush has a chainsaw, i see kids cutting up the firewood wielding a ms650, seems to just come natural to them, australia is wrapped up in health and safety to the point of excess but common sense still seems to prevail, i can see both sides of this story, but at the end of the day people will buy from the cheapest source mostly, buying on the internet and having it delivered next day is the way the world is going, its the norm now, the guy in scotland is just being petty and not doing stihl any favours, protecting his own business by stabbing others in the back is not the way forward, if stihl are worried that people will harm themselves with a saw then have the option of an online disclaimer to be signed by the customer,you can buy a chainsaw from bunnings here and walk out with the box, the shop handovers are a joke, as one said here they start it and rev it and say there you go !!. people here still take responsibility for there own safety, the ones that get it wrong........well at least they dont dilute the gene pool.........

so you actually agree with stihls soon to be online policy ?

Maybe I can clear things up here.

 

The new policy yet to be announced by Stihl will state that ANY machine with an exposed blade will NOT be allowed for sale on the net. So this is chainsaws, hedge cutters ect , even strimmers that are CAPABLE of taking a blade!!

 

Until this is published dealers are supposed to adhere to the previous policy. I have been notified of a few dealers flouting this, so I have been phoning that dealer posing as a customer, if I find out they are willing to despatch i have reported those dealers to Stihl. If they persist then they will have their dealership taken away from them.

 

Lets leave the online products to B&Q shall we?

 

Stihl dealer in Scotland is online now Report Post

so you actually agree with stihls online policy ? if so can you explain why you agree ?

so you actually agree with stihls soon to be online policy ?

Hi Dave, i work in perth australia, and have type 2 diabetes, for me there isnt much of a problem although as someone else has pointed out you may run out of steam during the day, the trick is diet control, i keep nuts and raisins at hand although a snickers will work just as well, eat little and often, think of your bodies fuel tank as something that needs to be kept half full at all times, ie dont try and run on empty, and dont fill the tank to overflowing !! the heat here beats me more, using pole saws and chainsaws takes a lot of energy at times so pace yourself as well, i,m 51 by the way !! and i can still work harder than most people half my age so dont worry !!