Ma and Pop shops

[ciscoguy01]

I did a search for this specific info and couldn't really find anything so I figured I'd get a poll. Me being from a small town and all, I'll pay an extra 10 or 20 bucks for something from a hometown dealer. I do it all the time. I buy my chains from a local hardware shop for about $6 more each than I could order them online. I like to support local business. This also affected me directly when my stihl dealer about 3 miles from home that'd been in business for years went broke because lowes moved in a short distance away and alot of people started buying huskies from them instead of his saws. At what point do any/all of you say, WHOA!!!! That's just too much to spend, I'll get it from somewhere bigger and save a ton???? I'm asking and this is coming from a dude who has never owned a new saw, I just bought my wife a new one, and i still went to a small store in the area instead of lowes. I like small business. The service is great, the people will go out of their way to help you if there's a problem, and their much more knowledgable and friendlier than some 17 yr old selling them at lowes. What's all your opinions on this and what do you usually do???

 

[brushswamper]

You Rock

IF A SAW CAN BE BOUGHT IN YOU HOMETOWN MA AND PA THAT IS BETTER THAN SOME BIG BOX STORE WHO WILL NO BACK UP THE SAW FOR AFTER SALE ISSUES

 

[manual]

All the stores around me are Mom and Pop stores.
I try to keep the money in house so to speak.
What pisses me off is when it's "flat lander" season and the store owners raise the price.

 

[brushswamper]

Flat Landers

FLAT LANDER ARE ARE ANNOY LIKE BIG FLIES
BIG BOX STORES ARE THE SAME AS FLAT LANDERS AND ARE ANNOYING
CUTOMER SERVICE IS IN BOX STORE:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[sawinredneck]

FLAT LANDER ARE ARE ANNOY LIKE BIG FLIES
BIG BOX STORES ARE THE SAME AS FLAT LANDERS AND ARE ANNOYING
CUTOMER SERVICE IS IN BOX STORE:hmm3grin2orange:

UMMMMMMMM........................................... WTF?????????????????? opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

 

[Lakeside53]

FLAT LANDER ARE ARE ANNOY LIKE BIG FLIES
BIG BOX STORES ARE THE SAME AS FLAT LANDERS AND ARE ANNOYING
CUTOMER SERVICE IS IN BOX STORE:hmm3grin2orange:

Not as annoying as this poster!

 

[brushswamper]

WE ALL HAVE OUR BAD POINTS SO BE NICE

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Usually When i have bad points I file them a lil and shoot them with brake kleen and their good to go.

 

[sawinredneck]

Gotta clean em out with a dollar bill to make em run right too, can't forget that!!!

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Yeah, but what with inflation and all you now need to use a fiver.....

 

[NapalmDeath]

I support the Ma and Pa stores 100%! Unfortunatley alot of people don't and these small businesses suffer. Whenever the opportunity arises I always recommend my local dealer if someone is looking for a new piece of power equipment that I know my dealer carries. The level of service and knowledge of the products he sells far outweighs the small price difference, if there is any at all.
I'm with you Cisco, no doubt.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Yep, I'll supporty my local guy all day long. Gotta love 'em.

 

[spacemule]

I go for price, hang the service. The small dealers I've been into want to bs all day and tell you what you already know. Plus, they get really annoyed when you tell them they are higher than Home Depot or the Internet. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[chainsaw1]

I stand behind the small guys all i can, If everyone would you might see more people being able to open up a few more good stors for all of us so we would not have to go to *~">^ng Lowes.

 

[John Ellison]

I just wish Mom would'nt charge me 7 bucks for a Stihl starter cord. {Elasto start without handle} And Pop would'nt tell me " No we dont sell clutch springs, but I'll sell you the whole clutch".

 

[litefoot]

I really hate to resort to Beijing Distributing (a.k.a. Wal-Mart) for anything, and I'll usually pay 10-15% more at the local hardware store to avoid it. But when Mom and Pop want 50% more for the exact same part/tool...then it becomes welfare.

 

[spike60]

I go for price, hang the service. The small dealers I've been into want to bs all day and tell you what you already know. Plus, they get really annoyed when you tell them they are higher than Home Depot or the Internet. :hmm3grin2orange:

I don't get annoyed with box store customers, I just find them amusing.

They often get miffed at me when I won't work on their stuff, but they are seldom upset that the store they bought from doesn't even have a service dept. and blows them off by telling them to "call the 800 number" So be it.

BTW, our saw prices are pretty much "internet pricing" all year. And we set up the saw for the customer as opposed to just slapping a shipping label on the box.

Isn't the quality of the dealer more important that the size of the dealer? Knowledge, parts stock, tunaround time, attitude? As I mentioned in a post last night, a good dealer is also hooked up with OEM and distributor tech guys and is aware of service issues that all manufacturers have from time to time. Plus, you need to have those relationships for those times when you have to discuss/negotiate a warranty that isn't cut and dry. A good dealer has to be "on top of it" in all of these areas.

Our business continues to grow every year, despite the fact that over the last 10 years our town has added Home Cheapo, Slowes, Sams Club, and China-Mart. In a way, those stores have done us a favor by being the fly paper that attracts the real low end of the business, ($59 trimmer, $119 saw, $99 mower etc), and keeps those customers from coming in and bothering us. Because as we grow, we can't let our excellent service reputation slip, which would likely happen if we allowed ourselves to be distracted by the box store people.

But, many, many thanks to you posters who support us local guys. We know who you are, and as long as you take care of us, we'll be happy to take care of you.

 

[vapnut257]

I go for the lowest price I can find. Why? It's called COMPETITION. Competition is part of what makes this country great. In addition to competition it's value. I don't have the extra bucks to pay a "local" dealer his mark up in price. I feel "cheated" when I discover their price is way higher than the local Wal-Mart or Lowe’s. If "local" dealers want to stay in business, they need to stay competitive and offer something more than the box stores. They have a big edge by offering personal service, but they need to re-evaluate their attitude about fixing equipment not bought in their stores. (They do charge for repair and service don't they?) The service arena is where these "mom and pop" local stores might be able to compete with the big stores, if... they are truly qualified to work on the stuff they sell. The big box stores offer fair prices but lack in service before and after the sale. They make up for this by exchanging your broken, lemon equipment with a new one... no questions asked, sometimes even after the warranty has expired. And if they do send your equipment in for repair guess what? They send it to a contracted, certified dealer (Mom and Pop) usually in the same town. If I can't take my equipment, no matter where I bought it, into any store that has a sign outside stating they are certified, authorized repair dealers for the product I have, and be treated fairly and with competence, then I'll just consider my equipment purchases as "throw away" stuff. If I can't fix it myself, I'll throw it away and buy another at the lowest price available. Treating people un-fairly just because they didn't buy it from you is discrimination, and it reflects on the overall brand name. But hey! This is America, and you are independent, you can pick and choose who’s money you will take and who's you'll not accept.

 

[spike60]

I go for the lowest price I can find. Why? It's called COMPETITION. Competition is part of what makes this country great. In addition to competition it's value. I don't have the extra bucks to pay a "local" dealer his mark up in price. I feel "cheated" when I discover their price is way higher than the local Wal-Mart or Lowe’s. If "local" dealers want to stay in business, they need to stay competitive and offer something more than the box stores. They have a big edge by offering personal service, but they need to re-evaluate their attitude about fixing equipment not bought in their stores. (They do charge for repair and service don't they?) The service arena is where these "mom and pop" local stores might be able to compete with the big stores, if... they are truly qualified to work on the stuff they sell. The big box stores offer fair prices but lack in service before and after the sale. They make up for this by exchanging your broken, lemon equipment with a new one... no questions asked, sometimes even after the warranty has expired. And if they do send your equipment in for repair guess what? They send it to a contracted, certified dealer (Mom and Pop) usually in the same town. If I can't take my equipment, no matter where I bought it, into any store that has a sign outside stating they are certified, authorized repair dealers for the product I have, and be treated fairly and with competence, then I'll just consider my equipment purchases as "throw away" stuff. If I can't fix it myself, I'll throw it away and buy another at the lowest price available. Treating people un-fairly just because they didn't buy it from you is discrimination, and it reflects on the overall brand name. But hey! This is America, and you are independent, you can pick and choose who’s money you will take and who's you'll not accept.

Now that's exactly what I mean by amusing. Look at the words he has chosen. "Discrimination"; that's hilarious! It's not discrimination when you buy from the big box store to save a buck is it? No, it's a choice. So, I make a choice to tell you that I don't have the time or desire to work on your unit.

You chose not to do business with me when you bought it, and I'm choosing not to do business with you now that it's broken. Should be no hard feelings either way right? How is it "unfair"? Also, keep in mind that "authorized" doesn't mean "required".

How does it "reflect on the overall brand name", that some OEM's allow their products to be sold by stores that offer absolutely no service at all?

I hope you have a big dumpster for all of your throw aways.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Now that's exactly what I mean by amusing. Look at the words he has chosen. "Discrimination"; that's hilarious! It's not discrimination when you buy from the big box store to save a buck is it? No, it's a choice. So, I make a choice to tell you that I don't have the time or desire to work on your unit.

You chose not to do business with me when you bought it, and I'm choosing not to do business with you now that it's broken. Should be no hard feelings either way right? How is it "unfair"? Also, keep in mind that "authorized" doesn't mean "required".

How does it "reflect on the overall brand name", that some OEM's allow their products to be sold by stores that offer absolutely no service at all?

I hope you have a big dumpster for all of your throw aways.

But don't you make more money on the service end of your business?

Seems ridiculous to turn someone away just because they didn't buy a product at your store. All you are doing with that attitude is pushing more business to Lowes and HD.

I wouldn't care where something was bought, if I could make a buck repairing something I didn't have the time and money tied up into selling, id be all over it.