Recently we had to follow up on a tractor-bush hog sale where the cutter was not performing up to expectations. We had instructed the customer via phone everything we could think of to make the cut smoother, to no avail.
So we loaded up and drove out to the customer. Upon arrival, we discovered the bush hog blades had never turned once under power. The shear bolt was broken at the gearbox. We installed a new shear bolt and found the unit was fine. The customer drove up and we explained what had happened. We asked him to please cut some before we left to make sure all was good.
The customer revved the tractor up to full throttle and started to jam the mechanical shifter in gear with a resulting machine gun noise. We did the cutthroat movement and jumped up and down yelling for him to stop. We then explained the correct procedure of depressing the 2-stage clutch, waiting a few seconds then gently shifting the collar into gear, then slowly releasing the clutch.
The result was a smooth start and a smile as he drove back over the 5 acres he had 'bush hogged' with the blades not spinning, and now perfectly manicuring the previous mess.
My salesman and I drove off with a wave. After driving a mile or so he turned to me and said, "There just are not enough boxes.” I laughed. Let me explain.
There was a story back in the time when personal computers were becoming a household item that they came with a 1-800-help line. An unlucky helper talked to the customer who was on the land line for a frustrating hour and finally asked the question: "Do you have the box the computer came in?" The answer was yes. "Good, then I suggest you put the computer back in the box and return it to the store." "I can do that" the customer stated, asking "and what do I tell them when I get there?” The soon-to-be-unemployed phone helper said, "Tell them you are too stupid to own this!"
As we got closer to the dealership, we both started to speak at the same time, with the same thought. It was NOT our customer who was stupid, it was us. We assumed the customer knew how to use a PTO on a tractor. We assumed the customer would read the operators’ manual if he didn't know how to operate the unit. We assumed he knew the sound spinning blades made. We assumed he knew what a properly cut field would look like. We could go on, but at my ripe old age, I re-learned a new/old valuable lesson. Never assume (the old saying how to spell assume = ass-u-me).
With rural lifestyle customers today it is a new ball game with new rules (as well as some professional producers, let's be fair.) Used to be, the new rural lifestyle folks were the ones going back to the farm or farm-ette. Today those potential customers, quite possibly, never came off the farm, and everything is new to them. Women, and there are more female customers each year, will usually ASK if they don't know something. We men, stereotypically, are not the type to ask for directions, will not.
Our result was an unhappy customer who drove over 5 acres of woolly pasture with the blades not turning and not knowing for sure if the job he was doing was correct or not. He felt foolish when we had to instruct him on how to operate his purchase and it will still be in the back of his mind when he comes into the store.
The lesson is obvious and sometimes painful: go over the product being sold to an unknown customer just like they were ET with no earthly experience. It takes time and patience, but less time than making the trip we made. It is better for the customer to think that we are a pain for being too detail-oriented than to have the embarrassment of being undereducated.
I am sure each of you has had a similar experience. We hope you learned from it no matter what grade level you are in the dealership education system. We, with a quasi-doctorate, did.
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Told from the perspective of an in-the-trenches owner/operator — Tim Brannon of B&G Equipment, Paris, Tenn. — Equipment Dealer Tips, Tales & Takeaways shares knowledge, experiences and tips/lessons with fellow rural equipment dealerships throughout North America. Covering all aspects required of an equipment dealership general manager, Brannon will inform, entertain and provide a teachable moment for current — and future — leaders within equipment dealerships. |
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