Deep thoughts on Internet sales - Not a rant

[discounthunter]

+1 Everyone's situation is different when it comes to buying online. But what happens when the day comes that all the small guys in small towns are gone?

i think the internet should be a wakeup for small shops. they should be capable of going online to help you find parts too. my local briggs/stratten parts place will only place an order when he gets $50 or more otherwise he charges $8 minimum shipping fee. hes not willing to change,so that is his loss not mine.

 

[MS260 Fan]

Why would you want to take time, money, and drive all the way down to your dealer when you can have the precise part you need delivered to your door step with a couple of clicks? With most purchases I make, I would much rather order online rather than fight traffic and take the time to go to a dealer. Also, I can order online 24/7. Show me a local dealer like that.

I guess I thought there would be a savings involved with internet sales along with the convenience. I envision people selling from their homes without the overhead of a shop and staff. For a part that is readily available at a dealer it comes down to the convenience of ordering on line. The convenience of mail order is less when you're ordering from the US and live in Canada. I get dinged on shipping cost and it takes a little longer.

I've never lived that far from dealers and like having a reason to see the new products. I have no problem going to my local dealer. Actually I drive by a Stihl dealer on my way to work. It just makes sense to me.

 

[MS260 Fan]

Its a convenience thing for most people, plus a way to find obsolete parts. I would pay at least $10 to not have to go to one store or another when I make a "trip to town". Since I drive an hour to go to town and have enough things to do, so if I can order online, rather that drive around, then that works good for me. Most dealers near me don't bother with saws over 10 years old and finding parts.

BTW I have a bunch of 394 cylinders if you still need one, you can email me. Dave.

I agree with your obsolete parts comment.

Did I mention I love internet sales. Email sent on the 394.

Darcy

 

[WetGunPowder]

Just had a customer leave the shop. I scrounged thru a box of old carbs to find a low speed mixture screw for his kids Tecumseh go-cart engine. Charged him $5 for my effort-Then he asks me about a battery for his Honda ATV. Look it up, check my stock and give him a price. He says "I can get it at Walmart for $30." Told him he will get what he pays for and told him to have a nice day! Thing that :censored:ss me off is he has a business check of his own he is gonna pay for the battery with! If his kid wasn"t with him I would have taken the jet back out of his carb, gave him his money back, and told him to have someone at Walmart find him one!

 

[discounthunter]

Just had a customer leave the shop. I scrounged thru a box of old carbs to find a low speed mixture screw for his kids Tecumseh go-cart engine. Charged him $5 for my effort-Then he asks me about a battery for his Honda ATV. Look it up, check my stock and give him a price. He says "I can get it at Walmart for $30." Told him he will get what he pays for and told him to have a nice day! Thing that :censored:ss me off is he has a business check of his own he is gonna pay for the battery with! If his kid wasn"t with him I would have taken the jet back out of his carb, gave him his money back, and told him to have someone at Walmart find him one!

maybe if you took the time to explain the difference in battery quality you might have made a sale,oh well dont complain when busness is slow.

 

[WetGunPowder]

TOLD HIM HE WILL GET WHAT HE PAYS FOR. How much clearer can I get than that?

 

[Modifiedmark]

TOLD HIM HE WILL GET WHAT HE PAYS FOR. How much clearer can I get than that?

Yep thats the common reply. Did you explain to him why your battery is better and worth the extra money? That's what you need to do.

 

[Grateful11]

>"I always like to spend my money as close to where I live as I can."

I tried that recently when the bulb on my LCD rear projection TV popped. I was
on the phone for hours, even called a couple places in Charlotte, NC. I finally
gave up. One dealer had them but would not sell them, he wanted to charge me a
service call to diagnose the problem, the TV through the flashing power light told me
it was the bulb. Gave up and ordered one on eBay for $130 and had in 2 days.

 

[Grateful11]

TOLD HIM HE WILL GET WHAT HE PAYS FOR. How much clearer can I get than that?

I'm going to be a little blunt here.

Sorry but most people are going to take that as a smart aleck comment when
it comes from a business owner, it makes you sound desperate, like you've
heard way too many times from customers and are tired of hearing it.

 

[discounthunter]

I'm going to be a little blunt here.

Sorry but most people are going to take that as a smart aleck comment when
it comes from a business owner, it makes you sound desperate, like you've
heard way too many times from customers and are tired of hearing it.

and thats one of the reasons the internet is hurting small busnesses.to own a shop means customer service,means helping people,means answering questions no matter how dumb,means trying to make a sale.if you dont like any of that then your doors will close sooner than you would like.

the extra time you take to help someone or to educate then means more potention sales.what have you got to lose nothing,what do you gain, oh yes a potential sale.

 

[mini14]

99% of the time the dealers around me dont have the part in stock, much easier to order it on the internet. ++++++ internet is at least 40% cheaper then what theses scum bags sell it for. its been my experience that dealers dont like selling u parts, they want u to buy a whole new machine. Or they want u to have them fix it. I wouldn't be buying a way over priced honda battery either. $5.00 for a screw.......oh yeah 2 seconds of your time to remove it. sounds about right for local dealer pricing. I just paid $8.00 for a kawi gov. spring that i could have ordered for $1.50

 

[THALL10326]

and thats one of the reasons the internet is hurting small busnesses.to own a shop means customer service,means helping people,means answering questions no matter how dumb,means trying to make a sale.if you dont like any of that then your doors will close sooner than you would like.

the extra time you take to help someone or to educate then means more potention sales.what have you got to lose nothing,what do you gain, oh yes a potential sale.

Good post and to get all that, all of which you don't get off the internet or at Wal-mart, don't be boo hooing about the price of it..

 

[discounthunter]

Good post and to get all that, all of which you don't get off the internet or at Wal-mart, don't be boo hooing about the price of it..

ill gladly pay a little more for the knowledge at some shops, i do arm myself with some average internet prices(plus shipping) so i might be able to hagle a little, it also gives me the part numbers to help the shop find stuff faster.

 

[THALL10326]

ill gladly pay a little more for the knowledge at some shops, i do arm myself with some average internet prices(plus shipping) so i might be able to hagle a little, it also gives me the part numbers to help the shop find stuff faster.

Well nothing wrong with that. Here your internet won't help you, no Stihl part prices online that I know of, units yes and any dealer will be glad to match those since they are full list. If you bring your own part number thats great but I would double check it to be sure your getting the right part.

Hagling is good to a point. I kinda like it but when the hagling becomes a no profit sale its no longer hagling, its a waste of time. The customers do not set the price as much as they would like to, thats just the way it is, the dealer decides the final price, never the customer...

 

[Outlaw5.0]

Just this week I priced a 390xp from nearest local dealer 25 miles away, not in stock, would have to order, full retail over a grand, he wouldn't budge. I made one phone call to an out of state brick and mortar dealer and was quoted $809 powerhead only, I would have $24 shipping but no sales tax. He has them in stock and asked how many did I want. I haven't committed yet but if I do, it will be a no brainer. Heck for two hundred dollars I can buy a tach and go to chainsaw college. REJ2.

Damn and I thought $900.00 was good for only the 390xp powerhead!.

I have one good dealer near home, they match prices, always know exactly what part it is you need. For the big saws like the MS460, they carry almost ever part on the shelf. All the others are pay list or leave. I mentioned the dealer cost once at one of the local places, he said yes thats correct, and I'm not budging off the $175.00 profit, he said its not worth his time for anything less. I walked out, he profited nothing. I found the good dealer by accident, he made a sale.

 

[eyolf]

There are dealers like Thall, (who I just read on here) and they make their living on providing value. I bet he knows a good number of his customers, and knows what they value.
There are some that aren't so good. Gotta know your market.

The folks that complain about a 5 cent screw arent seeing the value. They never will, or maybe they are happy to let someone else pay overhead and business expenses. Who needs 'em?

What has it cost that dealer to hold on to that old stuff for years...when he did it just to help out his customers? If you think "nothing" come around every month when he pays on his credit, floor plan, etc., or come around every quarter or every year when he checks inventory. It's not really right to say that old inventory and leftovers costs nothing; if nothing else the money tied up in it could have gone to something else more profitable.

Heck, that dealer deserved a big smile and a handshake, as well as first crack at your next OPE purchase, let alone an extra few bucks for a 1st quality battery.

 

[Grateful11]

and thats one of the reasons the internet is hurting small busnesses.to own a shop means customer service,means helping people,means answering questions no matter how dumb,means trying to make a sale.if you dont like any of that then your doors will close sooner than you would like.

the extra time you take to help someone or to educate then means more potention sales.what have you got to lose nothing,what do you gain, oh yes a potential sale.

My late father ran a business for 33 years and he knew what it took to keep
customers coming back and to my knowledge it never including telling a
customer that, "you get what you pay for", as a way of getting a customer
to stay. He kept them coming back through quality service and respect during and after
the sale. If we had talked like that to a client we would probably have been
back handed after the customer left. The internet is here to stay like it or
not, that means small businesses can't afford to spout off comments like
that, an explanation of why the WM battery was inferior would have been
better than ticking the guy off. If one doesn't know why it's inferior and is
just ticked because of what a customer has said then it's better off to just
clam up and let them walk out and maybe they'll come back. I doubt this
guy ever comes back. I just left a local furniture store this afternoon and
spent over $1300 on new furniture. As I said I try to buy local when I can
but if I can't find it or someone doesn't want to treat me with at least a little
respect I'm out of there no if's, and's or but's.

 

[THALL10326]

There are dealers like Thall, (who I just read on here) and they make their living on providing value. I bet he knows a good number of his customers, and knows what they value.
There are some that aren't so good. Gotta know your market.

The folks that complain about a 5 cent screw arent seeing the value. They never will, or maybe they are happy to let someone else pay overhead and business expenses. Who needs 'em?

What has it cost that dealer to hold on to that old stuff for years...when he did it just to help out his customers? If you think "nothing" come around every month when he pays on his credit, floor plan, etc., or come around every quarter or every year when he checks inventory. It's not really right to say that old inventory and leftovers costs nothing; if nothing else the money tied up in it could have gone to something else more profitable.

Heck, that dealer deserved a big smile and a handshake, as well as first crack at your next OPE purchase, let alone an extra few bucks for a 1st quality battery.

Unfortantly yes for some of my customers I do know them well, very well. I know the ones that squeak when they walk in the door, I know the ones that could care less what it costs. The squeakers meet their match. Those that don't worry about price get the utmost respect. The tight wads, or squeakers as I call them, should know full well when they come trying to beat down me on price I'm usually gonna ask them one thing. Tell me why I should give you a discount and maybe I will. I hear well I bought a trimmer back in the spring, I should get a break on this saw now that its fall. I'll go hmmm sold alot of trimmers back in the spring, same folks have been buying saws this fall. We both laff, he pays full list and out the door he goes.

Fact is there are awful lot of people that like to hagle on price just for the sport of it. They are more interested in the game of seeing how low they can get the seller to go than they are the actual price. Alot of them will screw up and ask what is your best price. I'll go for me that would be full price now you tell me how much your best price is. That puts the ball in back in their court and most times they have no clue what to offer. Most times they are afriad to state a price for fear they may get told something they can't stand, that little word, NO. Alot of times the discount I would have givem them is more than what they just offered to pay..

Here's how it works. Old farmer had a old hay wagon sitting out in the feild. Big shot riding by in his Caddy see's it and decided he'd like to have it. He pulls up and there's the farmer sitting on the porch. Big shot goes I'll give you a 1000.00 for that wagon you got out there. Farmer goes ok, deal. Big shot hands him a 1000.00 cash and then busts out laffing. Farmer goes whats so funny. Big shot goes I woulda gave you 2000.00 for it. The farmer laffs and goes yeah, thats ok, I would have sold it to you for a 50.00, thats really all its worth..

 

[BIG BEAM]

You gotta forgive mini14 he's prolly from downstate.I used to be.But I'm much better now!
DON

 

[howellhandmade]

I guess I thought there would be a savings involved with internet sales along with the convenience. I envision people selling from their homes without the overhead of a shop and staff. For a part that is readily available at a dealer it comes down to the convenience of ordering on line. The convenience of mail order is less when you're ordering from the US and live in Canada. I get dinged on shipping cost and it takes a little longer.

I've never lived that far from dealers and like having a reason to see the new products. I have no problem going to my local dealer. Actually I drive by a Stihl dealer on my way to work. It just makes sense to me.

Bottom line, somebody has what you want and is willing to sell at a price you're willing to pay. The rest is immaterial. You can't know who or what the internet guy is, what he paid or what his costs are. In any case, he takes everything into account in setting his price, including how fast he wants his stuff to sell. The buyer should take everything into account in deciding to buy, including how much trouble it's worth to keep the dollar turning in the community.

I do my very best to buy everything I possibly can locally, from independent businesses if possible. Sometimes it just isn't, either because I don't have the time to go far enough out of my way, or because nobody local can or will get what I need. It's true that "the internet" doesn't give good deals, but neither does it give bad ones, it all has to do with the people on each end of the deal.

Jack