I know that it is tough to be a dealer in the world of online shopping. But I think that we often don't pay enought attention to the customer side of the equation. So with that in mind, a few thoughts from the consumer perspective:
Number 1: If you have a dealer who is gouging the prices of saws then call em out! Tell them they are doing something wrong or at least a bit greedy. Tell ALL your buddies, heck, take an ad out in the paper. File with the BBB. Word of mouth is a very very strong tool in getting a business to work a little harder at customer satisfaction
Yes, I recognize unhappy customers can do something. But that requires additional effort on the customer's part. The benefit of a totally free market is that the market handles that on its own, without individual actors having to do anything other than voting with their dollars. A regime that requires substantial effort on the consumer's part to address the problem is unnecessarily inefficient.
Number 2: Find a new dealer. If you live in an area with very sparse dealer support or all the dealers are A-Holes then maybe it's time to try a different brand.
I would agree. I have the great good fortune to have a superb Stihl dealer (and who recently dumped Husqvarna over order delays and that total-stocking requirement thingee), and he's less than 15 miles away or thereabouts. But let us assume that he was no good, like the three other local Stihl dealers that are 5, 6 and 8 miles away, or the new Jonsered dealer I visited the other day that had the 2159 listed for $515 and refused to budge on the price because "it's a really good saw, you know". Now I could obviously go the next decent dealer further away from me, but the truth is that I already think that driving to my current dealer is enough of a trip as is, especially for a simple no-help-needed saw purchase.
I think that if Husky follows the Stihl, Dolmar example then it will level the playing field a bit. We'll see more people buying saws and supporting dealers based on service and function as Opposed to being able to buy a saw for XXX amount of dollars LESS than the local guy.
Yes, but it will level the playingfield in the marketplace by pushing the price in an upwards direction for the consumer. You'll see more people supporting their dealers, that's for sure, but it will be because they'll have no other alternative to supporting their mediocre local dealer available without having to take a roadtrip.
I know that we have sales and promotions running each and every month during the year. Something different all the time with equipment. We try hard to take care of our customers. Then again, we are 75% service and 25% sales which means we take care of EVERY person who walks in because they all are our customers, not just the ones buying equipment.
Again, there are dealers with the right attitude and then there's everybody else! Please, PLEASE keep up the good work, especially on the service side of things.
Summation: If your local Husky dealer is a turd...go somewhere else and sooner or later he'll either change his ways or go under because without $$$ no business will last long.
True, but it will be a slower process when there is less external pressure for him to streamline his operation, to provide superior service, and to keep his product competitively priced.
