Opinions - Airing dirty laundry

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

Background: neighbor farmer got married, and she has lots of ideas to make more money. She started a farmers market 2 days a weeks and swap meet, plus she cooks fresh farm produce. Beef from their cattle, pork from specialty pigs, goat and sheep. Great idea, except she never raN tractors before. She gave him three tow head blue eyed boys from a previous marriage and 2 from him.  Love them, gave them a bow and a 22 rifle so far. Trying to do my part

 

Anyway, the wife helps out at that swap and I help when I can. Out of six tractors he got down to one. I think she runs them in the wrong PTO speed for the equipment. Didn’t realize this.  I lent them my tractor and tiller this spring so she could get crops out. Got it back in early June. She had run it dry of diesel twice. No problem, it’s gravity feed. Oops. Should have notified me the next day, not two weeks, seals will dry in injectors.

 

got the tractor back, parked it in my brand new driveway. Next morning I have a huge mix of hydraulic fluid and diesel. Off to Kubota it goes

 

Now the story begins.

 

So, Kubota has my tractor since June 20th. Injector has to be rebuilt and the tractor split in half to fix the multiple hydraulic leaks. In the meantime I schedule my Kawasaki Mule for an oil change. I could go in depth but won’t.  Simply say that I spoke with 4 different individuals that I wanted an oil change service and would provide the oil filter. I myself rebuilt the fuel system last year. New tank, lines, flushed the system and new filter. They even told me the service would be around $100. Picked it up last Tuesday, they had done a complete service, $325. I was understandably pissed off and voiced my opinion. ( They still had my tractor, careful Tom). I paid my bill, talked to the manager and the service supervisor about my extreme displeasure with their service and then got in their butt about the length of time they had my tractor.

 

Finally picked up my tractor today. $2350. I was treated like a red headed step child. I’ve done business with them for 22 years. No one would even talk to me except the cashier taking my money.  They made me feel as if I was the one who screwed up, when it was them. Sad that I will now take my business to another dealer 40 miles away. 

 

I talked with the the maintenance supervisor that I’ve known for 22 years. I told him that I wanted good info on the tractor because I trusted him the most. Instead of taking it as a compliment, he responded by making comments about not trusting his mechanics. I never said I didn’t trust his mechanics. (Don’t assume crap that not said and don’t put words in my mouth) Only that I trusted him The Most!  I was a mechanic for 20 in the service. I supervised 238 mechanics at my last assignment. 

 

Listen and question the customer. You are always most likely the problem if you don’t do this. 

 

Anyway, just wanted to rant. I wish I could go back to work. I would teach these youngins a thing or two. 

ll

[Rip Snorter]

You are a nice man.  I will lend gear, but if they break it, it comes back as I lent it if their misuse is cause of the issues.  Can't get mad, I made the choice, will still be nice and be friendly, but they can borrow elsewhere!

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

That’s who I am. Was my decision. Lesson learned. But I will do it again with training. Our local farmers need our help 

[Rip Snorter]

1 minute ago, Tennessee Trapper Tom said:

That’s who I am. Was my decision. Lesson learned. But I will do it again with training. Our local farmers need our help 

You are a better man than I.  The neighbor rancher who I bought my property from passed, and his heir is a disaster.  No impact on me, but the stories of current operations are just too sad, because he was a real cowboy and a pro rancher.  If you can really spin in your grave, he is.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

I lend expensive equipment to neighbors and other logger friends all of the time.  Sometimes it comes back needing expensive repair.  But I realize that I also put wear and tear on the machines, so I either fix them myself or we discuss how to get it done and divide the bills.  There is never a dispute between us.  

And likewise, if I need a bigger skidding tractor or heal-boom log loader or debarker, I can depend on them lending it to me based on our straight up relationship. 

 

Parts wear out and expensive damage can happen to any equipment, even with our own  TLC.  But IMO,  relationships are worth far more than the cost of repairs over the long run.   If the relationships are solid, everyone will come out acceptably in the longer haul, and that usually but not always, goes for repair facilities too.  I pay their bills, and require that they provide adequate explanation of the work done and reasons why.  

 

[Bart Slade]

I'm noticing similar things across the board when interacting with businesses - the era of "the customer is always right" seems to have ended.

 

Point out poor service or sub-par quality in a product, you're going to get pushback now.    

 

 

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

My Daddy always said never lend tractors, outboard motors, guns, or your wife.

 

[Rip Snorter]

The old joke is about Harleys, Chain Saws, Muscle Cars and  companions is how easy it is to throw a rod in any one of them.  The last unfair, if you can lose one, you're doing something wrong.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

when my Ford was split it cost me over $4000