I am just curious of people's preference of buying a trailer from a local dealer vs. a dealership that could be several states away.  We are very successful selling in other states but many people prefer to deal with the 'local guy' because they think they can get better service.  Lots of online dealerships deliver to your door and are able to provide excellent service even though they aren't right down the road.  Some dealerships are committed to excellent customer service, no matter where the customer lives.  I would like to hear everyone's thoughts, issues, success stories, thanks

I prefer local.  The "good" dealerships are few and far between and Ive never had the pleasure of dealing with one.  As such I have found that my concerns/complaints are better tended to when there is an actual probability of boot meeting ass vs. a voice raising he!! on the phone.

A dealership, whether it is local or distant, has to have a reason why people choose to purchase from him. It may be price, service, warranty work, general repair or any number of reasons.

With the advent of the Internet, people can now shop world wide for almost any product, be it in South Africa or SW PA. Many criteria determine how people shop. With many, it's the price. Others may shop for a brand, features, product reputation or the referral of a friend.

Once the dealer has a person in his show room, or looking at his web site, he has a very short time to make a favourable first impression. He has to have a product knowledge, an amiable personality with no condescending tone, and a willingness to suit the customer's wish list, instead of selling what he has in stock.

We have a local dealer, that will not show you a trailer until you speak with a "loan specialist". A minimum of twenty minutes of your time is wasted, waiting while someone presents you with a scripted speech, about how much you can afford, and how "inexpensive and manageable" the long financing period affords. It doesn't matter if you are just looking, or will pay by check or cash, you get the same spiel, before you're allowed onto their lot to even see what they have for sale!

You are driven by golf cart to the first trailer the "sales associate" can find, whether it is what you're looking for or not, and you are told that this is what you need. A listing of the monthly payments are prominently displayed inside, and the associate will harp on how easy it is to make each of them. He is smiling, pressing and knowledgeable about this part of his sales.

But, if you should be as impertinent to ask a detailed question about some construction features, or options or the operation of some of the accessories, or even worse, say you don't like what was presented, you will find yourself suddenly alone and abandoned on the lot. Your associate will soon be found "assisting" some other potential victim.

This dealer also has the habit of quoting a repair price on the phone, and when you have that work done, the quote is quickly forgotten with a much larger bill being presented. If something is done incorrectly, you will hear denials, and no offer of correction, without a lot more funds being first expended.

This is not the way that I am impressed enough, to now buy any product from him, even if it were exactly what I am looking for. As a result, I have literally driven by his dealership on a trip to MI where I bought a trailer, many hours further.

There are many dealers that have gotten "atta boys" from our forum members, and unfortunately because of where I live, I have never been privileged to meet any of them. If you want to sell to people, you have to treat them well. Customers are not always right, and they do not know everything. But they may hand you a large amount of money, and for that they deserve respect, a straight deal, promises that are kept, and honest statements.

Once the sale is complete and the ownership starts, many people will need additional hand holding, depending on their previous experiences. A novice may present the same boring, stupid questions you've heard a thousand times before. But to that person, they are not boring or stupid, they are important and relevant. If he is degraded or condescendingly treated as a result of them being asked, shame on you.

Your business grows because of referrals and satisfied customers. It was written in a business journal, that a satisfied customer will refer three people to a business that satisfied him. The same customer that has had a bad experience, will tell ten people and negatively effect many sales as a result. I am one of those people. When I'm happy about a sales experience, I'll tell anyone that is interested. Mess me around, and I will go out of my way, to vocally disapprove  and state the reasons for my bad experience. I will make it a goal, to negatively impact a minimum of ten of your sales.

If you want to be successful, treat people justly and with respect. Take the profit you need to stay in business, but don't overcharge or try to make a killing on unsuspecting buyers. Do what you say you will, and become the purchaser's advocate if he has issues with his equipment.

Look over the list of "Atta Boys" in this forum and the reasons why they are posted. If you look up "Attaboy" you will find additional listings as well. This will give you an inkling of what it takes to be a successful dealership.

Gard

New or used?

New, for me would be local only. Been thru it with a truck. For service reasons only. Not that the non-local dealer won't try to take care of me, but for just run of the mill service or warranty stuff.

Look at it this way....a dealer whether it is truck or trailer has service work scheduled out....who takes precedence? The person that bought from him or the person that bought elsewhere. To me it is a no brainer for the service shop...I am going to take care of who brings me the most business. That means someone that bought from me. Now the other guy....I am going to try and take care of him, to possibly build a new customer...but if push comes to shove, the guy that bought from me would come first. This is why all of my vehicles are now bought local.

Used. It doesn't really matter as long as you are satisfied with it before you leave with it. I would never have a used vehicle delivered to me either.

In my experience, it doesn't matter how good a dealer's customer service is when I am 1000 miles away and needing repair work.

I've bought locally from a dealer "friend" and had good results...but there were no warranties involved...just "as is".

Also bought on the internet and it's been the best purchasing experience I've ever had, and still is.  Even though the dealership is 900 miles away, it's like they are down the street, the service is so good.  What they advertised on the internet site is exactly what I wanted and got, and then much more.  Dixie Horse and Mule Company.  They advertise here.  Tell JT that Larry sent you. 

We saved a bunch of money over the same trailer being sold here at the local dealership.  We drove down to pick up our 3HLQ Exiss, but that was our choice...we just wanted to go on a road trip.

After my purchase out of state, I would buy form the dealer again if he had the trailer I wanted to buy.  The dealer has been great and helped out in everyway possible until the manurfacture told him to stay out of the problem.

So, yes would buy from that dealer in a heart beat, but not that product.

We bought out IL as dearership that carries brand we like/wanted HAS WORST sales issues.Ya think if listed in Hackamore magazine(Il equine magazine) in print from them you would be able to buy for price ha ha ha.We bought same trailer in Iowa from dealership for $8950 LESS.Both places where drive but dealership we bought from was so nice and kind and helpful and no twisted LIES....When we wanted new 2 horse trailer we shopped around online and found great deal at Indiana Horse Fair and they brought trailer to us and picked up trade in.

Our last lnqs we bought from Oregon because price was about $12-15,000. below trailer on used lot of dealerships.Seller gave us wrote in email as too exactly honest condtion and they were very honest and true.Went great too LOVE trailer hopefully our last as is in great condition and has everything ever wanted.

I recommend shopping online and talking to dealerships for best price etc or buy privately.

Wow, Gard! Every bad dealer should be required to read your assesment of a good dealership each morning as a prayer of forgiveness for their buffoonery.

You summed up what we shoppers have all felt for years and the message is correct.

I have been in the market for a LQ horse trailer now and I have considered DH&MC just because of the accolades they have recieved on some forums even though they are quite far from me in Basin Montana. I would not have considered their advertisment "but for" the praise they have recieved for polite, competent service.

Thanks.

Jim Maher

Amen, Gard!

Your response should be required reading for anyone in the retail industry, whether they are selling horse trailers or rubber bands!

Marla

I've done both when buying trucks and trailers.

I feel that if a local dealer has inventory for me to come in and look at, and I use that resource, I owe him a honest chance to sell me that product. It cost money to maintain a dealership, finance inventory, pay salesmen, provide literature etc.

I feel it's dishonest to go in and use his inventory, take his marketing literature, waste his salepersons time and not give him a honest chance to sell me the product. I don't go kick tires knowing that I absolutely will buy the product some where else.

For that reason I spend a lot of time online narrowing my choices.  I have bought plane tickets flown out to events where I can see a wide selection of trailers being shown by manufactures. Shows like the Western Livestock show in Denver or the NFR in Vegas. I have changed my choices after seeing the product in person.  Sometimes what I thought sounded good on the internet, I didn't like when I saw it in person. When I find a product I like at the show, the manufacture often refer me back to a local dealer.

Having made my decision on what to buy, it thens becomes a matter of where to buy. At this point I start looking at who has the product in inventory or what the lead times are if I order a custom version of the product. I rarely buy a new trailer/truck until I have sold the old one. I can not go 2-3 months waiting for an order to go into production. So when my old unit is gone - I want the new one NOW. I like to keep my money local and will give the local dealer every opportunity to make the sale. If the local dealer can't deliver, then I will search through other dealers in state and then out of state.

Last but not least comes price. But I have found that there is not that much difference the total price. Most of the dealers  have been with in $500 to $1000 difference in price. For me that's not enough of a savings to spend all day driving 400 miles each way to go pick up what ever I bought in another state. Plus spend another afternoon in line at the DMV to get the VIN checked out and a out of state title changed over to a Utah title.

As far as service. I've never found that to be a problem.  I've never bought a truck from my local Ford dealer. But he takes Excellent care of me when I come in.  They know me by name, they give me a ride home, they've provided me loaner vehicles when the trucks have been in for extended warranty repairs. He has probably made more money in service fees than he would have made if I had bought the trucks from him.   Same thing for trailers. The local trailer dealer does sell horse trailers. But I've never been interested in the brand he carries, I have bought several equipement trailers from him. When I take my horse trailer in for work, he jumps all over it and does the work for a fair price.  I think any dealer who does not recognize service as a vital profit center is just plain stupid. they should be just as eager to provide service regardless of where you bought the product.

I agree on the service center being a profit center.  i think it is important for a dealership to service other brands of trailers with the same energy as their own.  If I can find a way to fix it, I will fix it.

Any dealer that puts you at the back of the line because you bought your trailer somewhere else, that says alot about the dealer. 

That isn't what I was meaning.

Theoretically...you have 2 customers show up on your lot at the same time. Both customers have the same problem. Both are loaded on their way to a show. Both have a burned up bearing and you have parts for both.

#1 is a regular customer who bought his trailer from you 60 days ago. #2 you have never seen before. You service shop is full except for one bay. Who gets the service first?

First let me say, I sell equipment, the company I work for repairs/services this equipment, you are either a good service business or you are not. If the above situation presented itself at my company, the service manager would take care of the second trailer. In other words there would not be any difference in the treatment of the two customers. As I said earlier you are either in the business or your not, someone that has this kind of an emergency(broke down while loaded) would get repaired right away.

If the service dept stinks, then it stinks for regular customers and the guy off the street just the same. You can't turn this off and on.

Very well said. 

 Our local dealer refused to work on our new trailer because we did not buy form them, flat out told us to take it back to the dealer we bought it from!

Same as buying a new truck, local dealers could not get close on the price, so I bought one out of OK and have had it serviced at my local dealer here with no trouble at all.  I talked to the Dodge service manager before I took my truck in and he told me that money is money he did not care where the truck came from.

.

HWBar - I will agree with you that either you are a good service business or not, as well as if your service stinks, it stinks whether your a customer or some guy off the street. And as a person that spent the majority of my adult life in sales & service until I sold my business, I can also speak with experience.

In the scenario I proposed, two customers, same time, same circumstances, and I have the ability to work on one at a time...the previous customer comes first.  The second customer is going to be taken care of with the same efficiency and care as the previous customer as soon as the first job is finished. The only difference between the two is that one customer will have to wait until I can do his.

I sold my business before online was as big as it is now on big ticket items. When I purchase, I will research online, so I don't waste a salespersons time. I will even price online. But I negotiate my price and buy local. I believe in buying local, face to face, with a handshake, where I can touch and feel the product that I am buying, and meeting the guy that is going to be handling my service.

And I am going to throw out there...there are great online companies to buy from. We have heard numerous stories about how they have taken care of their customers. Online isn't for me, and if I read the original post right, he wanted everyone's opinions.  

unfortunately that is the attitude with alot of the trailer dealers here in Arizona as well I for one don't care where you bought your trailer you want it fixed I'll fix it for a fair and reasonable price.