Disappointed with dealer/Kubota

[GreensvilleJay]

Man you have a LOT more patience than me, specially with Ol man winter knockin at the door.
I know, we're suppose to shrug off delays like this BUT.......

 

[Bmyers]

Man you have a LOT more patience than me, specially with Ol man winter knockin at the door.
I know, we're suppose to shrug off delays like this BUT.......

My wife has worked patiently with me over the years to help improve my attitude. Do I like the delays? No. Can I continue to get work done? Yes, just more effort on my part. So, we will continue to move forward and I'm sure that I will enjoy the grapple even more once I get through all the hurdles.

 

[dlundblad]

My dealer seems to take a while on non stock parts as well.

I either deal with it or buy online.

 

[Bmyers]

Yeah, I was a little disappointed with the 50 hour service.

This is how I found my front axle when I got ready to take it off the trailer I'm amazed the bolts didn't fall off. I guess the trailer rides really smooth.

I called the dealership and they sent a service guy right out and finished the 50 hour service.

 

[Dennis.D]

Unfortunately this is the word we live in now. Customer service is not what it use to be. At least they came out and fixed their mistake, instead of just saying sorry about that.

 

[Tornado]

I dont think I would do any further business with this dealer. Wow. I realize the 3rd function valve delay is likely entirely out of their control, but It tells me a lot in how people deal with, and manage, situations. The real cherry on top though is the sloppy 50 hour maintenance to me. Id go over a checklist when done. It suggests sloppiness, ill attention to detail at the least, and potentially much worse at the worst, and somewhere I wouldn't want to leave something I spent tens of thousands of dollars on in the care of. I always worry about sloppy mechanics just wanting to draw a paycheck. What if they just dont change a fluid and claim they did, or what if they just skip greasing one or two nipples somewhere, or what if they just half fill the front axle... Some of these things you may not ever find out until disaster hits.

My dealer where I bought my L2501 I dont think I will use for any service unless I just have to. I dealt with the owner directly when purchasing my tractor. He was a great salesman, took me all over his shop showing me stuff, walked me all through the maintenance area, had his service manager show me stuff, etc. But, I just didnt like the vibe I got. It was just a cluttered mess everywhere, the vibe was a little too strong on making the sale. When I asked about the 50 hour service they actually told me essentially "Oh you can do that yourself, its simple" and then showed me a few little things. I appreciate that but It was also just a weird response I felt. They knew this was my first tractor ever. Then the owner tells me "the guy will follow you home now and deliver it and go over all the controls and operation with it on your property" the guy drove up and dropped it off and left- hardly said a word. Great at making a sale but clearly just really good at talking. One of my rear tires was 100% full of water, the other about 60%. Couple other little sloppy things like that I found. I do plan now to do my own maintenance, but if I ever need dealer work done I may seek out another dealer further away.

 

[Bmyers]

My wife went out to the farm with today and she is ticked. She works on keeping the tractor clean and when she seen the grease they left everywhere she was calling the dealer. I asked her to wait until I get the 3rd function install complete, but we will most likely be looking for another Kubota dealer.

I have went over the tractor and found two grease fittings that they didn't grease. Checked all the fluids and everything was good. I showed her how the interior panel was put back incorrectly from where they were installing the 3rd function controls, which I fixed.

Sadly, one of the reasons I went with the Kubota was the local dealership and the good report I got from others. I plan in the future to just complete the service myself.

 

[michigander]

question on 3rd function valve don't the dealers sell a big percentage with them and keep in stock ?

50 hr service wise that dealer needs a different employee.

 

[Bmyers]

question on 3rd function valve don't the dealers sell a big percentage with them and keep in stock ?

50 hr service wise that dealer needs a different employee.

My dealer had them for other tractor models, just not my Grand. My friend took his tractor in last week and was able to get the his 3rd function valve installed.

 

[psdstu]

Have you considered going with a WR Long 3rd function? They make a great 3rd function.... just a thought.

 

[Bmyers]

Have you considered going with a WR Long 3rd function? They make a great 3rd function.... just a thought.

If I hadn't paid for it already, I had thought about an EA 3rd function valve. At this point, they have about half the system installed. The controllers on the joystick are installed, but they ordered the valve for the LA525 loader and I have the LA805 loader. So the way they explained it the valve/hose section is different, but the controller is the same. Since I have very little knowledge of 3rd function I'm guessing/hoping they are right.

 

[Tornado]

I have went over the tractor and found two grease fittings that they didn't grease. Checked all the fluids and everything was good. I showed her how the interior panel was put back incorrectly from where they were installing the 3rd function controls, which I fixed.

Yep just as I mentioned in my last thread - this is why I would never deal with this dealer again. Just the way they handled the communication on the 3rd function delays suggested already to me they are a bit careless regarding the customer. Anytime I sense that a business isn't customer first driven, I look elsewhere, because this is what you end up with. Its like a culture in a workplace. If the owner isn't customer first minded, then those under him will not be either. Mechanics will be there just for a paycheck. They will he horsing around, talking, while doing maintenance, not following any check list, not double checking things, and in your case...just wow. How sloppy do you have to be to leave the front axle grease plug sitting on top of the axle. That suggests a total lack of attention to any detail or standard of service. If I were in your shoes, honestly, I would redo the entire maintenance myself, just scared they put the wrong thing in the machine. This is indicative of the type of mechanic who is out of the right kind of oil, but says "eh,they wont know the difference" and just throws whatever in. It would worry me enough though Id redo the entire maintenance, and I would let the dealer know how shocked I was to find all the oversights, and due to that I have lost all confidence in their maintenance department, and that I would be redoing the whole maintenance myself because of it.

Some may think this is in the extreme, but to me, with my new tractor, I have several ten thousand dollars invested in it. To me that was a big purchase, a big investment. I protect my investments.

 

[Bmyers]

Called Saturday to see any updates on my 3rd function valve arrival, and the person there said they would call me back on Monday after they check on it. Monday has come and gone, no phone call.

 

[D2Cat]

Well guys, we've gotten use to the customer service that use to be standard in the good ole' USA about 20 years ago.

We have slidden over to the time of automation, computers and smart phones which has led to no understanding of how things actually work (by many), what's the pay, what's the benefits, do I have to show up every day, when do I get off mentality.

The standard now is customer no service. Better acknowledge it, make adjustments to suit each's personality...or you'll be mad and crazy!!

 

[Tornado]

Well guys, we've gotten use to the customer service that use to be standard in the good ole' USA about 20 years ago.

We have slidden over to the time of automation, computers and smart phones which has led to no understanding of how things actually work (by many), what's the pay, what's the benefits, do I have to show up every day, when do I get off mentality.

The standard now is customer no service. Better acknowledge it, make adjustments to suit each's personality...or you'll be mad and crazy!!

I personally cut my ties quickly with a business if they do this stuff. I am a very reasonable person. I can be patient if the dealer communicates and is honest. Telling me they will update me monday and then just flat not calling tells me they really dont care. Actions speak louder than words. I wasnt impressed with my kubota dealer when I bought my tractor, so I likely wont go back there for anything. He was friendly and nice and delivered my tractor the same day I bought it, but just walking around his shop and seeing his business just operate for a couple hours the day I went in, I just didn't get a good vibe. I think people should follow their gut on these types of things. If a dealer kept blowing me off on something andthen failing to follow up, I would call them and pull out of any deal I had pending. When they tell me "sir we are sorry we have the part on order it just hasnt come in" I would go down how they have not followed up, didnt communicate, and by doing so have lost my trust. Nothing personal - run your business how you want, and Ill do what I feel I have to do. What concerns me though is that the not following up and making you feel like your issue is on their priority list is always just a symptom of a larger problem. You never realize how bad this is until you deal with an actual good dealer, and then they amaze you. If you have a dealer that goes above and beyond its a rarity. I have another dealer near me just a few miles further I will likely use in the future. I want to stop by there sometime just to feel them out.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: customer service
Up here, north of the 49th, we have Princess Auto. Think of it as a small scale version of Harbour Freight with hydraulics...
They KNOW how to treat customers ! Always friendly, helpful and reurns are NO issue. I recently took back a hydrailic pump,never used, almost 2 years old(preBX23S !), they happily gave me a 'gift card' for the FULL amount !! I'd been happy for 1/2 that.
They get a LOT of my business even though it's an hours drive.
So... SOME businesses understand customer service !

Jay

 

[Bmyers]

Talked to the dealer, the part shows it shipped December 7th with an arrival date of December 17th.

The part was ordered on November 23rd.

I'm having a hard time understanding all the delays. Reading recent threads it appears that these delays are becoming a normal for Kubota, which I was led to believe Kubota had some of the best service out there. If this is the best, i would hate to see worst.

 

[DustyRusty]

Sometimes heavy demand for a product can outstrip current inventory in a local warehouse, and it has to be shipped in from another warehouse further away. It can also mean that they have to go back to the manufacturer and order additional inventory, and the manufacturer has to schedule production of the item, which can also take time. I have ordered parts from a Kubota dealer, and gotten them overnight, because they had them in stock. Non stocked items, can take weeks to get, especially if they have to be produced, because Kubota has run out of them. In todays modern delivery world, very little is stocked on a local level, and has to be ordered in. I went to NAPA last week to get a bulb for the dashboard of my car, and the closest warehouse that had that bulb was in Cincinnati Ohio, and I am in Ct. I called around to some other stores, and no one else had it either. I did find it on eBay, and ordered it from there. Twenty years ago, I could have gotten that bulb almost anywhere in town. Delays and out of stock are the new normal.

 

[Bmyers]

Dealer called and the valve has arrived. So, I ran the tractor up there and hopefully will get it picked back up on Saturday.

 

[D2Cat]

See, it was all planned as a Christmas gift. Have fun, and you'll soon forget the frustration.