"Service without a smile??":( Ur experience/opinion Needed Please:)

[tcrew]

Is this how service is now done? While at the local Stihl dealer picking up my missing air filter there was a elderly gent(80+years young) in at the other counter picking up his saw after having the chain sharpened,and as i stood there listening to him, he asked the the dealers son who was waiting on him if they gave it a quick tune up while they had it? The dealers son replied "did ya ask for it?" and the older gent says, well no but i thought u liked to have every saw run perfect before leaving ur store is all..maybe tune the carb a bit he mentioned..and again the sons reply, "Did ya ask for us to do it"? and about that time the dealer who was on his computer leaned back in view and said to the older gent," if i would of done that i would have had to charge u for it and u wouldnt like that,so NO" and then he added " ur not happy cause we didnt,and u would be unhappy if we did,so i cant win either way!" The older gent just had a confused look on his face and paid his ticket and left. I was god smacked my self,but didnt say a word, and then the dealer says to me as soon as the man left,"some people",while shaking his head side 2 side and then says"that guy called 2 pick his saw up,came and forgot his money and BLA BLA BLA!" To be honest, i wanted to do a very bad thing to this guy,but didnt..Anyway,2 the point, is this dealers way of "customer service" just a Fluke, or is this the way now Saw shops are treating customers? And 2 be clear, this is a BIG dealer, not a one room mom pop store. I kind of assumed that all small engine repair shops tune up their customers saws before letting them leave. But it seems that is a extra charge,and not just a small one. Im not talking rebuilding the carb or anything big,but a couple fine adj on the carb and a quick run to make sure its oiling and running pretty was all.. Used 2 be thats the way buiss was done,but now things have changed a bit i guess. What is u guys take on this?   
Thanks, Sin Rick(tcrew) 

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

I hope not !! But it just seems like the way the world is going apparently  :( :( Theres still alot off good people out there in business and they are the ones I aim to work with and there is a reason that only 1% off businesses make it through the first 5years ;) Now seeing as its a large store I see the problem alot off employes just dont care  Now for someone who knows about saws like a tech they should have been able to give it a quick tickle up to find its sweet spot  within a couple off min or Just been Polite about it Not abuse the poor ole boy  I bet you that old fella has been taking his stuff there for years and wont be back  :( is it a Big local business where he may have delt with the original person who strated the shop or franchise if its a larger company  ??? If your that upset by the experience I would send a letter to whoever is in charge to let them know how they conduct themselves  ;)

Regards Chris

[tcrew]

Gday

I hope not !! But it just seems like the way the world is going apparently  :( :( Theres still alot off good people out there in business and they are the ones I aim to work with and there is a reason that only 1% off businesses make it through the first 5years ;) Now seeing as its a large store I see the problem alot off employes just dont care  Now for someone who knows about saws like a tech they should have been able to give it a quick tickle up to find its sweet spot  within a couple off min or Just been Polite about it Not abuse the poor ole boy  I bet you that old fella has been taking his stuff there for years and wont be back  :( is it a Big local business where he may have delt with the original person who strated the shop or franchise if its a larger company  ??? If your that upset by the experience I would send a letter to whoever is in charge to let them know how they conduct themselves  ;)

Regards Chris

Good day 2 u Chris    and ur nailed it! yes this big store was bought in last couple years by a new family, and its part feed mill also. So i know that older gent is a farmer,like most of us out here in the country buys feed from that store. But by the look on his face, he wasnt happy. And a letter i dont think in this case would do any good,as it was the owner and the son that was at the counters.  As far as me being upset,,its because of the disrespect the dealer showed towards the older gent,,,after he left.. To talk BS about another behind ones back is shady at best,,but this was towards a NICE older man. Maybe its just me,but it did upset me. and still does.. Oh, and our small town got a Wally world few years back and thats what put the hurting on this store,and why it was sold to the new owners. But the new owners act like they dont need ur buiss.. Idk,, Just thought id share this experience with every one.
Thanks for ur input  

[Meadows Miller]

If the old boy is a Farmer you know everyone he knows is going to sure as hell know about it ;) and from the sounds off it they will find themselves without a business sooner rather than later  I just dont see why people do that to themselves  :( :(   You wanna buy a saw shop i see one coming up for sale on the cheap in your area within the next couple off years Mate  ;) :D :D ;D

[tcrew]

If the old boy is a Farmer you know everyone he knows is going to sure as hell know about it ;) and from the sounds off it they will find themselves without a business sooner rather than later  I just dont see why people do that to themselves  :( :(   You wanna buy a saw shop i see one coming up for sale on the cheap in your area within the next couple off years Mate  ;) :D :D ;D

lol  haha, i know right? But thats a good one!  nice

[beenthere]

IF those were the very words used by the shop to the customer, they could have been softened a bit. Like "Sorry, we didn't run your saw, but we'd be glad to do it for you". Then the customer can decide if he wants to wait or is ok with paying for the sharpening and leaving.
I see no real problem otherwise with a dealer doing just what he was asked to do.
Maybe this is a customer that has a history of trying to put a wedge under the dealer for freebies. That can get a dealer in business trouble as well. It is like walking a tight rope to know what is best for a customer.

tcrew, you seem to have a burr under your saddle for Stihl dealers. What's up?

[shelbycharger400]

if i sharpen a saw for someone , a tune up ect dosnt take that long.   a guy at 80 prob shouldnt be usin a saw,
but a company needs to make money , if they do it for free for one person, next guy is goin to be pithed if he gets charged for it.

[bull]

I have a couple old bucks that are good customers, and stop in quite often, sound like this guy.... Only ask for one thing and expect everything, they can been a real PIA and sometimes have to be set straight....But we have known each other forever and have a good understanding,so it could be a zing or a rub sometimes and someone witnessing it wouldn't understand in the least !!!   By no means do I disrespect my elders but once in a while I will give one a hardtime.....

My customer policy, Is " The customer is always wrong,if he-she was right they would be doing what I am doing and keep all the fun for themselves"... They came here for me to help them and that is what they will get, the best I have to offer and they had better like it !! >:( 8)..... :-\......

[tcrew]

IF those were the very words used by the shop to the customer, they could have been softened a bit. Like "Sorry, we didn't run your saw, but we'd be glad to do it for you". Then the customer can decide if he wants to wait or is ok with paying for the sharpening and leaving.
I see no real problem otherwise with a dealer doing just what he was asked to do.
Maybe this is a customer that has a history of trying to put a wedge under the dealer for freebies. That can get a dealer in business trouble as well. It is like walking a tight rope to know what is best for a customer.

tcrew, you seem to have a burr under your saddle for Stihl dealers. What's up?

Hi beenthere ,,, lol. I like that last line. PLEASE, PLEASE understand i have no issues with any other Stihl dealer other than the one in the post. And its nothing to do with Stihl either, just the guy that own this shop. I dont expect anything for free by the way, just to be treated fair.     And those were his words,,thats why i put it in quotes. Its the way he bad mouthed the customer behind his back and that it was a nice old man that bothered me. where i come from, ya just dont act like that. But i asked u for ur opinion and sure got it!   Thanks beenthere

[tcrew]

if i sharpen a saw for someone , a tune up ect dosnt take that long.   a guy at 80 prob shouldnt be usin a saw,
but a company needs to make money , if they do it for free for one person, next guy is goin to be pithed if he gets charged for it.

Hi shelbycharger400,,  i was just talking about tuning the darn thing a little.. How long or much cash can that really take out of ur pocket?  2,3, maybe 5 min of ur time to keep a customer happy i didnt think was asking for to much. But then im not in the repair buiss,so  thank you for ur input ..

[Paul_H]

TCrew,I have the same question that Beenthere posed.You presented one side of the story over and over again and seem to have a beef.Move on.

[tcrew]

I have a couple old bucks that are good customers, and stop in quite often, sound like this guy.... Only ask for one thing and expect everything, they can been a real PIA and sometimes have to be set straight....But we have known each other forever and have a good understanding,so it could be a zing or a rub sometimes and someone witnessing it wouldn't understand in the least !!!   By no means do I disrespect my elders but once in a while I will give one a hardtime.....

My customer policy, Is " The customer is always wrong,if he-she was right they would be doing what I am doing and keep all the fun for themselves"... They came here for me to help them and that is what they will get, the best I have to offer and they had better like it !! >:( 8)..... :-\......

@ Bull,, ur name says it all.. set a 80plus year old man straight? I dont know what brought that response on, but the old guy was respectful and very pleasant.  Not a grumpy old terd like ur describing.. Sounds like some uf ur customers gave u a hard time..   Thank s for ur comment Bull

[tcrew]

TCrew,I have the same question that Beenthere posed.You presented one side of the story over and over again and seem to have a beef.Move on.

@ Paul_H,, didnt think i over presented anything, but moved on...

Thanks Paul_H for ur comment

[ladylake]

No good dealers around here, overpriced and don't fix it right.  Steve

[Jeff]

I guess I'm used to a different type of service. Our dealer fixes what I ask him to fix. Our Stihl dealer is also our local do-it center and all around small engine repair shop. If I break a pull start cord, I take it in, they fix it. If I take it to get a chain ground, they sharpen it. I pick it up and say thank you, and give them my money. I'd certainly never expect that they would be tuning it up unless the repair was concerning the way it ran.  If  someone came in a sawmill and picked up an order of 100 2 by 4's I'd be a bit surprised if they asked if we had thrown in a dozen 1 by 6 for our trouble.

[Clam77]

tcrew - if I were you, and this dealer is as bad as you say they are about customer service, why not give Stihl a call and complain about them??

Stihl does NOT like their customers complaining about the service they get from a dealer...

[shelbycharger400]

tcrew,  prob 10 to 15 minutes on a proper warm up, test cutting, adjusting high jet, low jet, idle,  back and forth on low and idle.. ect .  checking 1/2 throttle to wot,  idle to wot..   ive done enough of them to get a feel if the low jet isnt comming in soon enough. ect.   then to top it off... the saw comes EMPTY of oil and gas... seems EVERY TIME!
cash jobs should be atleast $20/ hr for non labor intensive, up to 100/hr for major machining.  buddy charges 60/ hr for machining on select stuff.

i did a tune up and resharp on a saw that a local land owner was going to give me for free... i resharped tuned it up, filled it up and gave it back to him... i already cut and picked up 3-4 cords this year alone ..atleast double that is still left.. contracted to me ONLY!

a lot of work i do is barter work,  but how else do i get free stuff sometimes free labor too. 

[joe_indi]

IF those were the very words used by the shop to the customer, they could have been softened a bit. Like "Sorry, we didn't run your saw, but we'd be glad to do it for you". Then the customer can decide if he wants to wait or is ok with paying for the sharpening and leaving.
I see no real problem otherwise with a dealer doing just what he was asked to do.
Maybe this is a customer that has a history of trying to put a wedge under the dealer for freebies. That can get a dealer in business trouble as well. It is like walking a tight rope to know what is best for a customer.

tcrew, you seem to have a burr under your saddle for Stihl dealers. What's up?

I repair saws as a business.Whether the customer asks for it or not, I start up a saw and check it before handing it to the owner, even if it had come in for just sharpening a chain.
Other than building a good relationship with the customers, it is safer for me to do this.
No extra charges for that.
I dont want a customer coming back and saying "Hey, I brought my saw here to sharpen the chain but now it wont start".
So, just starting up a saw before handing it over saves me from having to reply to that.

Joe

[beenthere]

And I think that is fine for you to do that Joe.
Appears this dealer didn't do that extra step which seems fine also, if that his way of doing business.
I wouldn't want my dealer to add his gas and oil to my saw just to start it (if it happen to be out of gas). Also, if you find out when trying to start the customers saw that it won't start, then you have a possible problem explaining to a customer that work has to be done to the saw. The customer might just say "it worked just fine for me before I brought it in here".  So you may be just as the dealer said about his elder customer "danged if I do and danged if I don't".
Seems it is a coin flip, but I don't fault a dealer doing either way.

[jdtuttle]

Is this how service is now done?

The dealer in our town charges for everything. But he does a great job & it's worth the money. He is very service oriented, he even fills out all the warranty paperwork & sends it in when you buy new equipment.
jim

[Meadows Miller]

Look the way I see it is I would not expect it from a sawshop  for that matter I dont expect much at all from most these days ;) :(  but to the same token if your sawing for an older person or couple and they ask you nicely to saw abit more out off an extra log that was going to go say into firewood after I have already given them a quote for the whole job I say yeah no dramas  ;) esp when they are in that age group who most have been through wars and done the hard yards and the like to build our Countries to what they Are ;)

[MartyParsons]

Hello,
As a Stihl dealer we service Stihl equipment. We start all equipment before handing back to the customer after service. We check all safety equipment also. If you bring your saw into us for a new chain we install it for free. We also check the bar, sprocket and any other areas that may need some attention. We do not replace it unless you approve the service or repair.
The word "tune up" is a generic term for what? If you come to us and ask for a tune up we will ask you to describe your problem. Is there an issue with the equipment? We sell customer service. At times we have customers who just want the spark plug replaced. We still ask why?
We also train customers about the fuel issues we see everyday.
I guess if you came to us and wanted a starter rope replaced we would not tune the saw unless you said "could you check the saw out for any other issues". If you came back to pick up the saw and said hey nice job on the rope but you did not tune up my saw. We would ask you what you need and go from there. Discussion about difficult customers in the shop after they leave is something I hope we never do. If our service techs have a difficult issue with a customer I do my best to find out what happened and call the customer to hear his side. We would hate to loose a customer over a communication issue. Good news travels fast. Not so good news even travels faster.  ;)
Marty

[Al_Smith]

As I've said before there is one Stihl  dealer with in  2-3 miles of me but I drive 15 to do businss with another .

This gentleman knows for a fact the sun would rise in the west before I ever bought new anything .Nobody works on my saws but me so all I do is purchase parts from him and he treats my like a brother .

I can't say enough for him. So you see not all dealers are bad people .Just a few and I'd like to think they are a minority .

[Bill Gaiche]

MartyParsons, I like the way you do business. With repect and honesty to the customer. A satisfied customer can lead you to another. Good business only brings good things to all people. Doesnt it make you feel better that you gave your best to make sure that the person that came to you for service was pleased or at least you gave 110%. Anybody can be a nerd, but what good have you done when you are. 80yr ole gentleman will always be respected untill he has given me very good grounds to feel different. He probably grew up in a time and place where men treated each other with better values than what is dislayed today by many people. How many businesses have gone out of buiness because they treated the public distastefull? I have a sthil dealer that has given me only the best and I appreciate that more ways than one. Now having said that lets be good customers tomorrow and service people do your best. Everyone have a good week. bg

[blackoak]

I love dealers like this. The ruder they are the better. The business in my little home based fix it shop is booming.