watching tecumseh go by the way side

[markslawnmowerworld 4]

Well twice today in our store i had to tell customers sorry no longer available.

and one was a wheel horser., he wanted some carb parts for his old 654 and there

not available........The other guy was looking for an old crankshaft.

(no longer available) and not in stock.....

DON'T GET ME WRONG THERE ARE STILL PARTS AVAILABLE, BUT THE INVENTORY

IS AND HAS GONE WAY DOWN ON THERE END......AND SOON I THINK THIS CURRENT COMPANY WILL SELL OUT AS WELL......EVEN THERE PARTS BAGS THAT THE PARTS COME IN ARE JUST A CLEAR PACKAGE WITH JUST A PART NUMBER ON THEM.......I WISH SOME COMPANY WITH INTEGRITY WOULD JUST RUN IT THE RIGHT WAY ALLREADY.................

WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS ON THIS? B)

[MikesRJ 558]

That depends ... What did you do after telling them they were no longer available? Did you point them in another direction, or did you use some sales ingenuity to at least satisfy the customer's need AND capitalize the opportunity to make a sale and keep a customer happy with your service?

[markslawnmowerworld 4]

I ALLWAY REFER CUSTOMERS TO ARE DEALER FRIENDS FOR THIER CURRENT STOCK.....AND A WHEEL HORSER I WILL ACCUALLY MAKE THE CALL FOR THEM..,

B)

[truckin88 104]

Didn't they stop making engines in 2007?

[MikesRJ 558]

A good point, and the reason why I asked. That is one of two good things you could have done.

The other, and in my mind the more preferable approach from a business perspective, is to tell the customer the availability situation and that you will locate the part for them, take their name and number, and tell them you will call them when you have the part.

This serves multiple purposes; 1) You keep your customer coming back to you because it was you who served their needs (repeat business maintenance), 2) You keep the other friendly dealers in the sales process and on good relations with your shop (dealership cross-support), and 3) You get the sale (maintain sales volume), and finally 4) You NEVER know, or can quantify, how many more sales opportunities will come from this one engagement (he may just go back and tell his friends what good service he received, and they'll tell their friends, and ... ).

I've been in the service industry nearly my entire working life and have first hand experience with the best, and worst, practices. Many of the dealerships I have seen in that time have not done "due diligence" in the maintenance of their sales volume via "soft skills". The soft skill in question is the sales process trickling down to the Service Manager and Technician level.

Personally, I would never let what appears to be a "sure-thing" sales opportunity walk out the door and buy somewhere else. If you would have gotten the part in-hand would you have made the sale, even if the customer had to wait a few days?

[markslawnmowerworld 4]

I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS DECEMBER OF 2008......BUT I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT SO DON'T FEED ME TO THE LIONS JUST YET..........LOL

I HAVE WATCHED ALL THIER ENGINES DISSAPEAR ON NEW EQIUPMENT ALLTOGETHER......IF YOU DO SEE A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WITH A TECUMSEH ON IT.....THEN THAT ENGINE WAS WHAT WE CALL WAREHOUSED FOR AWHILE.....YOU CAN STILL GET SHORT-BLOCKS AND ENGINES......BUT CURRENTLY THEY ARE NOT MAKING ENGINES AT ALL.

[rmaynard 16,374]

Personally, I would never let what appears to be a "sure-thing" sales opportunity walk out the door and buy somewhere else. If you would have gotten the part in-hand would you have made the sale, even if the customer had to wait a few days?

Mike,

I bet you were a salesman in a past life. Sounds like some of the sales meetings I held when I owned my own office equipment company.

I always stressed "Never miss an opportunity to make yourself look like a hero to the customer".

You may not always be able to get them what they want, but most of the time you end up getting them what they need.

Bob

[MikesRJ 558]

I bet you were a salesman in a past life.

THAT, my friend, is a debatable thought.

It's less a factor of salesmanship, than it is just thinking how I would like to be treated if I were on the other side of that counter. In the customers sub-conscious they might be thinking "I drove all the way over here, and they didn't want to help me. Then they send me running somewhere else.".

I certainly wouldn't want to leave a customer with that impression in my business.

[rickv1957 75]

Tecumseh sure made some great engines!,Rick B)

[VinsRJ 723]

Its sad to see Tech go bye, bye on two fronts.... 1) I can't get parts for my Snow King, and 2) I use to investigate their employees when there was suspected WC fraud.

Whats the good-ole USA coming to when you can't even count on someone screwing the system B)

[HorseFixer 2,013]

Its a shame! Their Snow King Engines, were pretty stout and dependable! I guess no replacement parts will kill many before their time! <_

[VinsRJ 723]

Its a shame! Their Snow King Engines, were pretty stout and dependable! I guess no replacement parts will kill many before their time! <_<

Think of all those Aerins snowblowers! Didn't they use Snow Kings for like 100 years B)

[truckin88 104]

Its a shame! Their Snow King Engines, were pretty stout and dependable! I guess no replacement parts will kill many before their time! <_<

Think of all those Aerins snowblowers! Didn't they use Snow Kings for like 100 years

yeah, my dad still has one from like 64 runs great

[Docwheelhorse 2,740]

B) The only good engines Tecumseh made where the Snow King series.... and even then you had to constantly rebuild, fiddle, adjust and turn wrenches on the carbs. On the bright side---if the Carb was OK you could look forward to removing half the engine to change the points because there was a 50%+ chance that they oxidized over the summer and you wouldn't have any spark in the fall. Yes I properly stored the engines with Sta-Bil etc... and still could look forward to this fight. I'm only going to miss Tecumseh because I have a Wheel Horse walk behind snow thrower with a 7 Snow King. Tecumseh engines really ran well when it was cold out and I realise that many people may start shooting at me... but---Tecumseh couldn't get the fuel system right in 40+ years so why should we be screaming about them dying now????

Thats my bitter .02... please don't revoke my posting privelages!

Tony