Small engine techs....lets talk.

[THALL10326]

Yea at the place I am at now it is really slow. I cant wait for spring, it will pick up then. Only see a handfull of customers all day now.

Yup yup. Seems the last of March or first week in April everyone and their granny start showing up. Same ole thing every year. Many don't realize it but spring brings in over half of all the money made in a small shop. Rest of the year brings in the other half. Mind ya thats around here in Virginia. I assume in the heavy snow states those guys selling smow remover equipment get alot of business in the winter....

 

[THALL10326]

i do not understand.

i never cut in the summer. i don't cut if it is even warm out. my first outing was today and i still sweat my b-lls off! why so slack in winter? doesn't anyone else cut like this?

is it all mower and yard stuff?

True true but most saws and blowers are bought in advance of the cold season, the fall. What month did you buy your saw??

 

[volks-man]

True true but most saws and blowers are bought in advance of the cold season, the fall. What month did you buy your saw??

november, i think. you tell me, look it up.
i see your point on saw sales but there must be maintanance and chain related buisness as well?
and most failures would occur during use (or at first use after storage), not during storage.
not arguing with you. i just have a hard time wrapping my brain around it.

 

[spike60]

My old boss, bless his soul, told me one of the best lines I ever heard. He said I might smell his azz but I'm not gonna kiss it,LOLOLOL

Good one Tommy.

I've got a similar line at my store: "We'll bend over backwards, but we don't bend over frontwards"

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

We were pretty steady up until about 2 weeks ago, then things died off. We're too far south of Lake Ontario to get much lake effect snow.
So we don't sell much snow removal equipment, do a decent number of repairs mainly MTD's and old Ariens.
Between our shop, the Husky dealer, and Ferris/Snapper/Simplicity shop in town we might sell 15 snowblowers a year between the three of us.
Right now we have mainly log splitters, some snowblowers and snow birds dropping off their equipment for winter storage.

 

[THALL10326]

If you dont like the way your dealer does it, I highly suggest you invest in some files, a couple manuals, and do it yourself....and yes we have told some customers just that.

---
We had a guy when I first started where I work, brought in a POS shinny blower, had to order this expensive arse carb kit for it, thing worked like a top...

He brings the blower back nearly a month later complaining it wont crank..flooding ,etc..what it was doing before.

So I pulled the carb apart, and it was filthy, full of debris.

Then I started to notice little things about the blower, stripped screw heads that I didnt strip..air filter was busted on the top, didnt notice that before...then I took a peak at the serial number, and compared it to the one on the reciept I made out before....boom, different blower.

Customer had 2-3 identical blowers, one of his employees told him that that one was the one we had just repaired, and it was acting up. I cant stress how important it is to get serials on jobs.

Dayumm Red your pretty sharp. I woulda said what the hell ya mean its not running right, it was when I gave back to ya,LOL

Ever get this at your place Red.

Few days ago I get a call. Man wants a FS450 clearing saw(huge weed wacker I call it), he wants the big fancy high dollar doulbe L harness and a extra blade. Bill came out to $1081.00. I tell this guy I don't stock those huge machines for I hardly ever ever get a call for one. He goes I understand, I've called all over and nobody has one in stock. He goes can you order it for me. I say hold on, let me make sure Stihl has one in stock for I doult they sell many. I look and sure enuff they got in stock all that he wants. I get back on the phone and give him good news and bad news.

I said yup I can getcha one in a few days. He goes great order it for me. I go not so fast. I need a credit card number first. I explained there is no way in hell I'm getting stuck with a machine like that. He goes I fully understand and he gives me his CC number and all the information I need. I go bill him and place the order.

Thursday the machine comes in late in the evening. I assemble the big boy, toss the long box in the dumpster. Everything is ready for him to pick up. I call him yesterday morning and tell him your machine is here for ya. He goes we need to talk about your re-stocking fee. I said buddy there is no restocking fee, this machine is a specail order for you, you've already been billed for it and besides that I tossed the box in the dumpster, I got nothing to send it back in. He goes you mean I'm stuck with it, I said you betcha. 45 minutes later he shows up to get his machine, real nice man. I go was you pulling my leg about sending that thing back. He goes no, I found a few guys hard up for work that would do what I planned on doing with this machine for less money. I said awwwwwwwwww ok and didn't give him a hardtime at all but no way was I sending that machine back.

Seems like several times a year someone will special order something and if its not too costly I'll do it without payment first and trust they come get it. Most times they do but a few times each year someone will not come get what they ordered. That schit really erks me. I've gotton wise now. If I don't think I can sell whatever is being ordered for someone to someone else its pay first. No more getting stuck with something I never intended on carring in the first place..

 

[THALL10326]

november, i think. you tell me, look it up.
i see your point on saw sales but there must be maintanance and chain related buisness as well?
and most failures would occur during use (or at first use after storage), not during storage.
not arguing with you. i just have a hard time wrapping my brain around it.

Welp ya see there, you bought your saw in the fall of the year like most folks do. Winter is a ##### for most small shops, not much going out the door and other than repairs and chain and oil sales things are pretty slow. We do get a spike in business right before Christmas. People are buying gifts and hey I can dig that stuff....

 

[THALL10326]

Good one Tommy.

I've got a similar line at my store: "We'll bend over backwards, but we don't bend over frontwards"

LOLOLOL, good one. That ole boss of mine from years ago that gave me that line is dead now. Man you talk about a catbird and half he was it. Somethings he told me I can't tell on the site but everytime I think about that ole sucker I can't help but laff. Funny as he was he was usually 100% right. He taught me alot....

 

[scotclayshooter]

That fs450 is fairly common in the UK when my fs250s finally die I will get a 450

 

[spike60]

I'm sure you've all heard the joke "where does a 500 pound gorilla sleep? Anywhere he wants to." Well, what does a paying customer with a fi####l of cash say? That's right, anything he wants to.

There ought to be a law that saw dealers have to be at least as smart as the customers. If I go in and tell the dealer man to sharpen my blade, I don't want to hear about "that saw ain't got no blade chief, it's a bar."

Well fudge me with a stick! A bar is where I go before I come here and deal with aholes like you, and I don't see any beer in that saw. If I want to call the blade a purple hairy mouthed dildo, that's my business, as long as you sharpen my hairy mouthed dildo and charge a reasonable price and be quick about it. But I didn't want to upset the shop man's sensibilities, so I acquiesced and told him to sharpen my got damed bar.

Then he tells me that I need to keep the blade out of rocks. Hmm, a saw is a tool made to cut things. If a saw will not cut things, then it is either a poorly engineered piece of equipment or I have been taken on a piece of crap. If I want to saw rocks, then got damed it all I'm a gonna saw rocks! If your pos saw won't do that, then that's your problem.

Anyway, I get my blade back and it's sharpened all right--damned near 3/4 of the teeth are gone! On top of all this, the butthole charged me nearly the price of a new blade to butcher mine and call it sharpening. I stood there and watched, and he took damned near 30 minutes on one chain! Now, I understand a dealer has to make some money, but I don't like providing the Vaseline like this. I tell you, there ought to be a law against dumb arsed saw techs!

Well Space, I'll say this, you are consistant.

I also think the law should allow a shop to shoot one customer a month.

Now, I don't mean some silly random violence thing. I mean there should be a form that you have to fill out that you send in every month with the sales tax check where you justify the shooting. Just one schmuck each month isn't too much to ask, is it? I mean one a week wouldn't even begin to make a dent in the inexhaustable supply of stupid arrogant people.

Just think how polite people would be if they weren't really sure if you had popped a cap on your monthly moron yet.

Now, of course it wouldn't be fair to just do this to people without any warning. So, there would have to be a sign hanging up where the shop rate is posted.

"Attention: Each month, in an effort to make the world a better and happier place, this fine establishment selects one arrogant, rude, miserable, stupid, onery, foul mouthed, self centered jerk for involuntary extermination. Unacceptable behavior on your part may therefore result in your unexpected early departure from not just this establishment, but the planet Earth itself. Thank you, and come again."

 

[spacemule]

Customer had 2-3 identical blowers, one of his employees told him that that one was the one we had just repaired, and it was acting up. I cant stress how important it is to get serials on jobs.

Seems kind of convenient that one of his "employees" told him it was one that was just worked on.

I would never have thought about getting serial numbers, but that's a good idea.

 

[epicklein22]

Well Space, I'll say this, you are consistant.

I also think the law should allow a shop to shoot one customer a month.

Now, I don't mean some silly random violence thing. I mean there should be a form that you have to fill out that you send in every month with the sales tax check where you justify the shooting. Just one schmuck each month isn't too much to ask, is it? I mean one a week wouldn't even begin to make a dent in the inexhaustable supply of stupid arrogant people.

Just think how polite people would be if they weren't really sure if you had popped a cap on your monthly moron yet.

Now, of course it wouldn't be fair to just do this to people without any warning. So, there would have to be a sign hanging up where the shop rate is posted.

"Attention: Each month, in an effort to make the world a better and happier place, this fine establishment selects one arrogant, rude, miserable, stupid, onery, foul mouthed, self centered jerk for involuntary extermination. Unacceptable behavior on your part may therefore result in your unexpected early departure from not just this establishment, but the planet Earth itself. Thank you, and come again."

:jawdrop: opcorn:

 

[THALL10326]

Well Space, I'll say this, you are consistant.

I also think the law should allow a shop to shoot one customer a month.

Now, I don't mean some silly random violence thing. I mean there should be a form that you have to fill out that you send in every month with the sales tax check where you justify the shooting. Just one schmuck each month isn't too much to ask, is it? I mean one a week wouldn't even begin to make a dent in the inexhaustable supply of stupid arrogant people.

Just think how polite people would be if they weren't really sure if you had popped a cap on your monthly moron yet.

Now, of course it wouldn't be fair to just do this to people without any warning. So, there would have to be a sign hanging up where the shop rate is posted.

"Attention: Each month, in an effort to make the world a better and happier place, this fine establishment selects one arrogant, rude, miserable, stupid, onery, foul mouthed, self centered jerk for involuntary extermination. Unacceptable behavior on your part may therefore result in your unexpected early departure from not just this establishment, but the planet Earth itself. Thank you, and come again."

And Space wasn't that old, man what a bummer,LOL

 

[THALL10326]

That fs450 is fairly common in the UK when my fs250s finally die I will get a 450

Welp if you like speed and power the FS450 has it but its a big machine. That was the 1st one I ever sold. I did sell a FS550 a few years back. That thing was scary, overkill in every regard. The 250 is a good seller around here but the 350/450/550 we rarely ever sell one....

 

[spacemule]

Well Space, I'll say this, you are consistant.

I also think the law should allow a shop to shoot one customer a month.

Now, I don't mean some silly random violence thing. I mean there should be a form that you have to fill out that you send in every month with the sales tax check where you justify the shooting. Just one schmuck each month isn't too much to ask, is it? I mean one a week wouldn't even begin to make a dent in the inexhaustable supply of stupid arrogant people.

Just think how polite people would be if they weren't really sure if you had popped a cap on your monthly moron yet.

Now, of course it wouldn't be fair to just do this to people without any warning. So, there would have to be a sign hanging up where the shop rate is posted.

"Attention: Each month, in an effort to make the world a better and happier place, this fine establishment selects one arrogant, rude, miserable, stupid, onery, foul mouthed, self centered jerk for involuntary extermination. Unacceptable behavior on your part may therefore result in your unexpected early departure from not just this establishment, but the planet Earth itself. Thank you, and come again."

You shoot me, and I'll have a talk with your manager!

 

[rebel3.0]

Dayumm Red your pretty sharp. I woulda said what the hell ya mean its not running right, it was when I gave back to ya,LOL

Ever get this at your place Red.

Few days ago I get a call. Man wants a FS450 clearing saw(huge weed wacker I call it), he wants the big fancy high dollar doulbe L harness and a extra blade. Bill came out to $1081.00. I tell this guy I don't stock those huge machines for I hardly ever ever get a call for one. He goes I understand, I've called all over and nobody has one in stock. He goes can you order it for me. I say hold on, let me make sure Stihl has one in stock for I doult they sell many. I look and sure enuff they got in stock all that he wants. I get back on the phone and give him good news and bad news.

I said yup I can getcha one in a few days. He goes great order it for me. I go not so fast. I need a credit card number first. I explained there is no way in hell I'm getting stuck with a machine like that. He goes I fully understand and he gives me his CC number and all the information I need. I go bill him and place the order.

Thursday the machine comes in late in the evening. I assemble the big boy, toss the long box in the dumpster. Everything is ready for him to pick up. I call him yesterday morning and tell him your machine is here for ya. He goes we need to talk about your re-stocking fee. I said buddy there is no restocking fee, this machine is a specail order for you, you've already been billed for it and besides that I tossed the box in the dumpster, I got nothing to send it back in. He goes you mean I'm stuck with it, I said you betcha. 45 minutes later he shows up to get his machine, real nice man. I go was you pulling my leg about sending that thing back. He goes no, I found a few guys hard up for work that would do what I planned on doing with this machine for less money. I said awwwwwwwwww ok and didn't give him a hardtime at all but no way was I sending that machine back.

Seems like several times a year someone will special order something and if its not too costly I'll do it without payment first and trust they come get it. Most times they do but a few times each year someone will not come get what they ordered. That schit really erks me. I've gotton wise now. If I don't think I can sell whatever is being ordered for someone to someone else its pay first. No more getting stuck with something I never intended on carring in the first place..

If its not one of our usuals then we allways have the item payed for up front. It can get very cosly for a bisness to pay restocking and shipping fees every time a lowlife decides he dont want it any more

 

[Taxmantoo]

At one of the bike shops I worked at a guy brought a Honda Spree scooter in that would'nt run...

I could fix 3/4 of those by putting in a new plug, draining the oil tank, and dumping in a bottle of Hondaline 2 stroke oil. Then I'd try to explain to them that the $1.49 a quart oil from the grocery store fouled plugs, and they'd try to explain to me that they couldn't afford the $2.95 a bottle Honda stuff (I don't recall how big the bottle was, but it wasn't a quart, maybe a pint or 1/2 liter).

 

[scotclayshooter]

Welp if you like speed and power the FS450 has it but its a big machine. That was the 1st one I ever sold. I did sell a FS550 a few years back. That thing was scary, overkill in every regard. The 250 is a good seller around here but the 350/450/550 we rarely ever sell one....

The 250 has been discontinued for a couple of years now
We have a big hole in the line up from the fs130/310 at 1.9 hp then the fs400 at 2.6 hp the 450 at 2.9 480 at 3 then the big boys the 500 and 550.
The thing is the fs400 is 40.2cc same as the fs250 and 8kg so you might as well have the 44.3cc fs450 at the same weight and only £20 more!

 

[THALL10326]

If its not one of our usuals then we allways have the item payed for up front. It can get very cosly for a bisness to pay restocking and shipping fees every time a lowlife decides he dont want it any more

I'm with ya all the way. A regular that comes in all the time that needs some odd ball thing we don't stock I'll order no questions asked. If I've never seen this person before chance are almost 100% its gonna be pay first.

I got a big black dude that comes in the shop all the time, he's funny as hell and all around good guy. He wants a 441 Artic. I go Anthony there probably isn't a 441 Artic in the entire USA. He goes I don't givea f-ck, you get me that saw. I call Stihl and sure enuff they are gonna have to go find one somewhere and send it to me. I didn't make him pay first because I know he's good for it, someone I didn't know, oh yes, they gotsa pay first,

 

[THALL10326]

The 250 has been discontinued for a couple of years now
We have a big hole in the line up from the fs130/310 at 1.9 hp then the fs400 at 2.6 hp the 450 at 2.9 480 at 3 then the big boys the 500 and 550.
The thing is the fs400 is 40.2cc same as the fs250 and 8kg so you might as well have the 44.3cc fs450 at the same weight and only £20 more!

Good point. You got some models there I've never heard of but remember I'm in the sticks overhere in ole Virginy.