Service Policy

[sedanman]

None of manufactures of the products I sell support online sales. If the manufacturer says online sales are not allowed, why do I have to support the product after the sale? I don't and I won't. Stuff that saw/trimmer/blower/whatever back in mail and wait for the guy that sold it to you take care of you, and what about the shipping? The buyer makes a conscious decision when they buy online, that price was more important than service, let them live with their decision.

 

[NewbieDave]

Well Sedan, you beat me to it. If price is a buyers sole criteria for making a purchase, then they need to understand why boxstore and internet sales are often cheaper. If you don't have to pay a tech and you don't have to stock parts you can sell for less. This isn't rocket science. The buyer makes a conscious decision to risk service down the road for price right now. I don't have any problem with Spike or Lake or anyone else for saying enough is enough! You can't be all things to all people all of the time. If a dealer takes on a job that he normally doesn't service, you can bet that most of the time getting parts and doing the work on something he's less familiar with will take longer. Is this his fault? Who's the customer going to vent on when his tool isn't ready when he thinks it should be? I can't imagine it's worth the hassle. A local dealer told me a story about being a service center for Poulan. He didn't sell them but Lowes nearby did. After continually being shortchanged on warranty work he asked Poulan to remove him from the list. It's been TWO YEARS and they still won't take his shop out of the system. The reason? No one else within the radius of the Lowes store will work on them, so if Poulan removes him Lowes can void their contract. Guess who's winning this one. This is why I can understand Spike's point. If he's up front about his policy from the beginning and delivers it in a professional manner,I have the ability to make a choice whether to deal with him or move on. No harm, no foul.

 

[bwalker]

I service all my own stuff and by fromt he cheapest source in MOST cases...face it chainsaws are not exactly rocket science.
The exception would be that I buy some husky saws and parts from my local guy. His prices are higher than what you find on the net, but he has a good attitude and doesnt mind servicing stuff bought elswhere or supporting with parts etc.
If he had the attitude of some here I wouldnt give him the time of day.

 

[THALL10326]

Hey Sap I see you like the policy

How ya doing Sap, I see your sense of humor is still good. I checked all the google searches you posted and I'm very disappointed, you didn't have my area on the list,grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Please go back and post it so I can rest easy I will never have to toss a guy like you out the door. I don't quite understand why you did that. Are you trying to hurt these dealers? You say they are the ones with a attitude, seems you got a bit of attitude yourself ole feller. You even down a man just because he works at Home Depot, thats awful low Sap. Hell your a carpenter and I bet your in Home Depot all the time instead of the local hardware store that charges a penny more. Takes a low life to condemn anyones work no matter what their work is. All work is honorable Sap, be carpenter or a guy working at Home Depot. You should be ashamed of yourself but I know your not. No not you, your so intent that everything you say about anything is justified just because you say it. Yep your a sexual in tel lect u all,lol, a f---ing know it all. Spell that word for me Sap, surely you know how, your the know it all. What bothers you about Spike's policy is the fact he makes it clear he doesn't need your business, doesn't want a customer like you and as far as he's concerned you can take a hike although he would tell you nicely. That burns a man such as you for you think all businesses revolve around each and every customer. That inculdes you but your wrong. I've never sold you anything and I'm doing ok, must mean I can do without you huh. I think Spike is doing ok too and he hasn't sold you anything has he? See Sap there are millions of more customers than there are businesses. Your just one of millions that will take your place, like it or not. Customers have needs and that why they go to Spikes shop. He doesn't go to their house now does he, they come to him. He makes his own choices just like the customer that walks in his door. If he chooses not to repair their product that's his choice, not the customer. The customer has a choice of buying something, leaving or whatever he wants to do. Its all a matter of choice Sap, not a matter of he's got to kiss your hiny like you feel he should just because you came to him with a need. Not Spikes fault you made a choice to buy elsewhere but he does have the choice to tell you NO. See Sap that word bothers a man like you alot. He said he would make exceptions but I doult seriously he would for a guy like you. He'd be like me, see that road outhere, hit it. There is no doult in my mind I could spot you a mile away. I have radar for pita customers and I play them like a fiddle. Most time they leave wondering and scratching their heads thinking he made a dayumm fool out of me and I just now realize it. This thread has made a fool out of you Sap. You took it hook, line and sinker. PM's were flying back and forth about when you would take the bait and come in and make a a-- out of yourself, you did great Sap. I'm proud of you, I told Spike you would not disappiont us and you didn't,lolol.
Spike didn't I tell ya Sap would make our day. Be easy on him Spike, his belly is still full from taking all the bait,haha

 

[stihltech]

service

OK, now my two cents.

As for my own customers, you bought my product at my store, with the promise of my service. Just for the record, I don't own the store, but the owner lets me run the shop my way.

Now, the outsider comes in. If it is simple and fast, fix it and send him out the door happy. I may get some of his business.
If they start to tell me how they get all this cheaper online or elsewhere, then get it there. You did not come for my business, just because you bought it somewhere cheaper that would or cannot fix it correctly. And you will continue to go back there, because you save a couple of bucks. Free country.
We have made a large investment in stocking parts and tools to repair one brand. 90 percent of the time I can diagnose that one brand in less than 5 minutes Repair it in less than 30.
Can I do this with any brand? I will be honest and say no. I do not know all the quirks of the other brands, nor do I have all the correct parts in stock.
I am doing that person a dis-service at times by continuing to repair that unit.
Some will knock me down because I don't repair every brand. We chose to do a very good job with one brand. We are successful at it, and have built a solid customer base this way. People that have bought a saw a year, and those that still have the 41 super that I sold in 1981. AND the S10 and 050 they had before that.
I have all the work I can handle every day of the year. That is enough for this business.
By the way, sales were up 25 percent this year. We are doing something right.

 

[THALL10326]

OK, now my two cents.

As for my own customers, you bought my product at my store, with the promise of my service. Just for the record, I don't own the store, but the owner lets me run the shop my way.

Now, the outsider comes in. If it is simple and fast, fix it and send him out the door happy. I may get some of his business.
If they start to tell me how they get all this cheaper online or elsewhere, then get it there. You did not come for my business, just because you bought it somewhere cheaper that would or cannot fix it correctly. And you will continue to go back there, because you save a couple of bucks. Free country.
We have made a large investment in stocking parts and tools to repair one brand. 90 percent of the time I can diagnose that one brand in less than 5 minutes Repair it in less than 30.
Can I do this with any brand? I will be honest and say no. I do not know all the quirks of the other brands, nor do I have all the correct parts in stock.
I am doing that person a dis-service at times by continuing to repair that unit.
Some will knock me down because I don't repair every brand. We chose to do a very good job with one brand. We are successful at it, and have built a solid customer base this way. People that have bought a saw a year, and those that still have the 41 super that I sold in 1981. AND the S10 and 050 they had before that.
I have all the work I can handle every day of the year. That is enough for this business.
By the way, sales were up 25 percent this year. We are doing something right.

Your up 25%, wow, no wonder the owner lets you run the shop, thats a helluva increase. Good job.........

 

[spacemule]

By the way, sales were up 25 percent this year. We are doing something right.

This is a bit unrelated, but I'm curious how much Hurricane Katrina and the other major hurricanes affected saw sales in the northern states. Is anyone else experiencing appreciable increases over last year? I know Home Depot here (AR) sold out of generators quickly after the hurricanes, and we couldn't even get anymore for close to a month. We even sold out of the welder/generators people were buying for only the generator purpose.

 

[Rspike]

This is a bit unrelated, but I'm curious how much Hurricane Katrina and the other major hurricanes affected saw sales in the northern states. Is anyone else experiencing appreciable increases over last year? I know Home Depot here (AR) sold out of generators quickly after the hurricanes, and we couldn't even get anymore for close to a month. We even sold out of the welder/generators people were buying for only the generator purpose.

Good point mule ~ I would also like to add the price hike of fuel for home heating and the BIG BOOM of wood stoves . As wood stoves hit record high sales I'm sure chainsaws went right along with it .

 

[THALL10326]

This is a bit unrelated, but I'm curious how much Hurricane Katrina and the other major hurricanes affected saw sales in the northern states. Is anyone else experiencing appreciable increases over last year? I know Home Depot here (AR) sold out of generators quickly after the hurricanes, and we couldn't even get anymore for close to a month. We even sold out of the welder/generators people were buying for only the generator purpose.

Space a hurricane is a saw company's best friend. Back in 2003 a hurricane came through Virgina and North Carolina, hurricane Isabella. Beleive it or not Stihl sold 35,000 plus saws in ONE day. The factory was wiped out completely as was the distributor in NC, in one day. They were trucking saws from across the country to the VA, NC area. Hurricanes are by far the best thing for saw sales for any saw company................

 

[Lakeside53]

This is a bit unrelated, but I'm curious how much Hurricane Katrina and the other major hurricanes affected saw sales in the northern states. Is anyone else experiencing appreciable increases over last year? I know Home Depot here (AR) sold out of generators quickly after the hurricanes, and we couldn't even get anymore for close to a month. We even sold out of the welder/generators people were buying for only the generator purpose.

We have... and not just saws, but significant increases in all types of equipment. It's been a great late winter early spring... and we haven't really had much weather to speak off; just good products I guess...

 

[sawinredneck]

THANK YOU THAL!!!!!!!!!! You hit the nail on the head! You have said what I belive many of us have wanted to say!!! SAP: You have been acting like a POS!!! Sorry you had a bad experience at one Stihl dealership, I have had that at two, get over it!!!! You have "the best saw ever made!!!" Great Stihl doesn't make a bad saw, Husky doesn't make a bad saw. I have had bad experiances at Husky dealers also! What do you do??? Chose you're battles wisely? I am not saying you are a bad guy, I in fact think you are quite inteligent, I have been follwing a lot of you're posts in the milling forum and you seem to have learned a lot, very quickly But DUDE!!!!!! Please get over the Stihl thing!!!!
"Can't we all just get along?"
Andy

 

[spacemule]

THANK YOU THAL!!!!!!!!!! You hit the nail on the head! You have said what I belive many of us have wanted to say!!! SAP: You have been acting like a POS!!! Sorry you had a bad experience at one Stihl dealership, I have had that at two, get over it!!!! You have "the best saw ever made!!!" Great Stihl doesn't make a bad saw, Husky doesn't make a bad saw. I have had bad experiances at Husky dealers also! What do you do??? Chose you're battles wisely? I am not saying you are a bad guy, I in fact think you are quite inteligent, I have been follwing a lot of you're posts in the milling forum and you seem to have learned a lot, very quickly But DUDE!!!!!! Please get over the Stihl thing!!!!
"Can't we all just get along?"
Andy

I think you're being too hard on Sap. A regular dose of fiber for a few weeks would cure 'im right up!! :greenchainsaw:

 

[Lakeside53]

Heck no... over on the milling forum he's saying you can drink bar oil as a laxative... Maybe a gallon or two of that would be better for him, or should I say, the rest of AS.

As you'd expect, he's made some very good friends over there..

 

[canguy21]

hehehe. That reminds me of the time I overheard two loggers on the road radio. One wanted to leave the oil and grease with the loader but his buddy said no, bring it out, last time I did that, the bears got into it. We broke up laughing, those bears must have been been stopping frequently for a while.

 

[clearance]

Space a hurricane is a saw company's best friend. Back in 2003 a hurricane came through Virgina and North Carolina, hurricane Isabella. Beleive it or not Stihl sold 35,000 plus saws in ONE day. The factory was wiped out completely as was the distributor in NC, in one day. They were trucking saws from across the country to the VA, NC area. Hurricanes are by far the best thing for saw sales for any saw company................

Hurricanes are also when chainsaws get to cut the most meat, when "anyone can use a saw" buys one and gets cut, kind of like guns, a good tool in the right hands. Not in the hands of a tool, though.

 

[stihltech]

fuel

The price of heating fuel is the best catalyst I know. Makes for a boom year(s).
EVERYBODY can cut firewood. Good thing about Western NY, LOTS of wood to cut. Legal or not.:greenchainsaw:

 

[coveredinsap]

Hey Sap I see you like the policy
How ya doing Sap, I see your sense of humor is still good. I checked all the google searches you posted and I'm very disappointed, you didn't have my area on the list,grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Please go back and post it so I can rest easy I will never have to toss a guy like you out the door. I don't quite understand why you did that. Are you trying to hurt these dealers? You say they are the ones with a attitude, seems you got a bit of attitude yourself ole feller. You even down a man just because he works at Home Depot, thats awful low Sap. Hell your a carpenter and I bet your in Home Depot all the time instead of the local hardware store that charges a penny more. Takes a low life to condemn anyones work no matter what their work is. All work is honorable Sap, be carpenter or a guy working at Home Depot. You should be ashamed of yourself but I know your not. No not you, your so intent that everything you say about anything is justified just because you say it. Yep your a sexual in tel lect u all,lol, a f---ing know it all. Spell that word for me Sap, surely you know how, your the know it all. What bothers you about Spike's policy is the fact he makes it clear he doesn't need your business, doesn't want a customer like you and as far as he's concerned you can take a hike although he would tell you nicely. That burns a man such as you for you think all businesses revolve around each and every customer. That inculdes you but your wrong. I've never sold you anything and I'm doing ok, must mean I can do without you huh. I think Spike is doing ok too and he hasn't sold you anything has he? See Sap there are millions of more customers than there are businesses. Your just one of millions that will take your place, like it or not. Customers have needs and that why they go to Spikes shop. He doesn't go to their house now does he, they come to him. He makes his own choices just like the customer that walks in his door. If he chooses not to repair their product that's his choice, not the customer. The customer has a choice of buying something, leaving or whatever he wants to do. Its all a matter of choice Sap, not a matter of he's got to kiss your hiny like you feel he should just because you came to him with a need. Not Spikes fault you made a choice to buy elsewhere but he does have the choice to tell you NO. See Sap that word bothers a man like you alot. He said he would make exceptions but I doult seriously he would for a guy like you. He'd be like me, see that road outhere, hit it. There is no doult in my mind I could spot you a mile away. I have radar for pita customers and I play them like a fiddle. Most time they leave wondering and scratching their heads thinking he made a dayumm fool out of me and I just now realize it. This thread has made a fool out of you Sap. You took it hook, line and sinker. PM's were flying back and forth about when you would take the bait and come in and make a a-- out of yourself, you did great Sap. I'm proud of you, I told Spike you would not disappiont us and you didn't,lolol.
Spike didn't I tell ya Sap would make our day. Be easy on him Spike, his belly is still full from taking all the bait,haha

Wow. I must have hit a raw nerve there. You're rambling.

Frankly, I wasn't singling out Stihl dealers here...I would have had the same viewpoint of any business that had this type of attitude, chainsaw or otherwise. It just happened to be Stihl dealers in this instance. Why is that, I wonder? Could it possibly be that the distribution/dealership method of the company fosters this type of eliteist attitude toward other manufacturers and retailers? It sure appears that way.

Re: Home Depot. Sure I shop at Home Depot for things. I also shop at a local lumber yard. I shop at Ace Hardware. I shop at a Husky dealership. And I shop(ed) at a Stihl dealership. It isn't always about price...it's about finding what I'm looking for, and the ease of dealing with the merchant. If a merchant makes it difficult to do business with them, then I go elsewhere. If they make it real difficult, then I don't shop there anymore. Plain and simple. I don't think that is a hard (or unique among consumers) concept to grasp.
And I hate 'ordering' stuff from a retail store. If I wanted to 'order' something I'd do it from an online store and have it delivered right to my door. If I'm out shopping I'm generally looking to buy right then, and I'll go to whatever lengths I have to go (within reason) to get what I'm looking for....particularly if I need it right then. I don't think I differ from the majority of other consumers in that regard either.

And since you asked....so you don't feel 'left out' Thall....here's yours:

http://www.google.com/local?hl=en&h...pair&near=Leesburg,+VA&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title

Enjoy!

 

[Cut4fun]

OK, Thall you can Paypal me that $100 now. See i told you he would post your google search too..

 

[THALL10326]

Wow. I must have hit a raw nerve there. You're rambling.

Frankly, I wasn't singling out Stihl dealers here...I would have had the same viewpoint of any business that had this type of attitude, chainsaw or otherwise. It just happened to be Stihl dealers in this instance. Why is that, I wonder? Could it possibly be that the distribution/dealership method of the company fosters this type of eliteist attitude toward other manufacturers and retailers? It sure appears that way.

Re: Home Depot. Sure I shop at Home Depot for things. I also shop at a local lumber yard. I shop at Ace Hardware. I shop at a Husky dealership. And I shop(ed) at a Stihl dealership. It isn't always about price...it's about finding what I'm looking for, and the ease of dealing with the merchant. If a merchant makes it difficult to do business with them, then I go elsewhere. If they make it real difficult, then I don't shop there anymore. Plain and simple. I don't think that is a hard (or unique among consumers) concept to grasp.
And I hate 'ordering' stuff from a retail store. If I wanted to 'order' something I'd do it from an online store and have it delivered right to my door. If I'm out shopping I'm generally looking to buy right then, and I'll go to whatever lengths I have to go (within reason) to get what I'm looking for....particularly if I need it right then. I don't think I differ from the majority of other consumers in that regard either.

And since you asked....so you don't feel 'left out' Thall....here's yours:

http://www.google.com/local?hl=en&h...pair&near=Leesburg,+VA&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title

Enjoy!

lolol, the last thing ya hit Sap was a nerve of mine, your my friend, didn't you know that by now,hehe. Durn Sap you ought to know by now everytime you come in with barrels blazing I always reply to ya, why, cause your my friend. And no I wasn't rambling, just wanted to make sure you replied back. The guys kinda like our conversations Sap, didn't you know that. They all like a good laff. All kidding aside you shouldn't have downed that man about his work, that was wrong as hell. You should be ashamed but I know your not. That being said guess what Sap, WTF do you know about the guys on the other side of the counter, the ones who have to listen to customers complain and carry on as though they own the store,hmmmm, see Sap you don't know do you. You only know from the customers point of view because you haven't dealt with thousands of them like these dealers have. So in all you really just blowing smoke on a subject because you only know the customer side of the counter. Its quite obvious from how you carry on you sure couldn't be a dealer, hell you would be running customers away with a ball bat the way you sound. Hell I could use you as my secret weapon for getting rid of pita customers,lolol.
I will agree with you on one thing though. When the dealer makes it hard and difficult yes you should just walk out, thats exactly why the dealer is making things difficult, he wants you gone. Most dealers don't do that though unless provoked and I'm sure you do that well. Spikes policy is fair, its forward and its posted in plain veiw in his shop. If you can't deal with it then your right, you should walk out. I myslef sorta like Spikes policy. I told Spike I bought this Husky455 from a guy named Sap out in Cailf because he was 85.00 cheaper. Spike told me to go see Sap and let him fix it then,lolol. See Sap thats the point you miss. I can't expect Spike to treat me like one of his customers when I'm not, I'm one of yours. Thats the point you miss in all this. He said he made exceptions but you ignored that as well and hammered on your points of view.
Thanks for the google link. I can leave my ball bat at home now,lolol.
BTW too, what ever happened to that 2000.00 worth of Huskies you was going to buy a month ago. Was you pulling someones leg Sap, hmm. I got a very good memory Sap, shouldn't say things that might come back on ya. So where are those babies, we wanna see these 2000.00 worth of Huskies you said you was going to buy. Post them pics Sap,hehe............

 

[THALL10326]

OK, Thall you can Paypal me that $100 now. See i told you he would post your google search too..

lolol, thats ok, it be worth a 100 bucks to insure some like you know who never come in the door,haha. We will invite Sap to the NASTREE event though, hell we gotta have someone to torment,lol