How would you rate your local Bobcat Dealer?

[thetool]

......Today, compared to say, five or seven years ago? Have you been increasingly or decreasingly satisfied with the level of service you are getting? About the same?
Thanks

 

[BPS]

about the same.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

about the same.

I must say my satisfaction has improved and so has the pricing since I quit going there.
Don't get me wrong there are many good dealers, the one local to me just isn't one.
I believe Bobcat said it all on their website under the pricing heading. "We allow our dealers the freedom to set their own pricing" Wonder if that applies to the wholsale products from Bobcat too.??? Seems to me it just a nice way of say the sky is the limit on what they can charge. And I do believe the local dealer exercises this freedom. If I really had to get my loader serviced at a dealer I would honestly put it on a trailer and haul it 200 miles away
Ken

 

[Tazza]

I must say my satisfaction has improved and so has the pricing since I quit going there.
Don't get me wrong there are many good dealers, the one local to me just isn't one.
I believe Bobcat said it all on their website under the pricing heading. "We allow our dealers the freedom to set their own pricing" Wonder if that applies to the wholsale products from Bobcat too.??? Seems to me it just a nice way of say the sky is the limit on what they can charge. And I do believe the local dealer exercises this freedom. If I really had to get my loader serviced at a dealer I would honestly put it on a trailer and haul it 200 miles away
Ken

With my local dealer, I have found that it takes them longer to look up part numbers and provide spares pricing, last time was 3 days. I don't know if they are just busy because they are under staffed. Its just not as easy as it was 5 years ago.
My not so local dealer is excellent, always happy to help out and great pricing, it really does pay to talk to other dealers even if they aren't local. The extra service i believe is worth the little bit of extra effort.

 

[perry]

With my local dealer, I have found that it takes them longer to look up part numbers and provide spares pricing, last time was 3 days. I don't know if they are just busy because they are under staffed. Its just not as easy as it was 5 years ago.
My not so local dealer is excellent, always happy to help out and great pricing, it really does pay to talk to other dealers even if they aren't local. The extra service i believe is worth the little bit of extra effort.

Let's see, how many times did they send me the WRONG parts, you don't wanna know. After raising he##, they sent an area manager to my house with what was suppose to be the correct part......WRONG!. I felt sorry for the guy, he was only a manager and knew nothing about bobcat mechanicals. I intend to write a scathing letter to their home office and offer brutal recommendations concerning Atlanta's location. I now work with Mark.

 

[Tazza]

Let's see, how many times did they send me the WRONG parts, you don't wanna know. After raising he##, they sent an area manager to my house with what was suppose to be the correct part......WRONG!. I felt sorry for the guy, he was only a manager and knew nothing about bobcat mechanicals. I intend to write a scathing letter to their home office and offer brutal recommendations concerning Atlanta's location. I now work with Mark.

I do have simpathy for the parts guys, Mark has informed me that thy keep changing the system so finding the item you require gets quite hard as you know where to look on the old system then its in a totally different spot on the new one!. Also, say had no clue about the hydraulics and i call them up and say i need a plug for the block that operates the hydraulics. How do they know what block you are talking about? could it be bucket positioning, the control block or pressure release valve? you can only go o n what the customer describes.
I understand that their job can be testing at times, thats why they fax me parts lists then i can simply quote the part number that i need. I have never received a wrong part when i quote part numbers. I understand this isn't easy when you don't have a fax machine or parts book. The best investment ANY bobcat owner can make is to buy both the parts and service manuals. The time it will save in phone calls working out what part you need is just insane! I really think its worth the $100 or so for each manual, there is only so much you can work out on your own.

 

[bobcat_ron]

I do have simpathy for the parts guys, Mark has informed me that thy keep changing the system so finding the item you require gets quite hard as you know where to look on the old system then its in a totally different spot on the new one!. Also, say had no clue about the hydraulics and i call them up and say i need a plug for the block that operates the hydraulics. How do they know what block you are talking about? could it be bucket positioning, the control block or pressure release valve? you can only go o n what the customer describes.
I understand that their job can be testing at times, thats why they fax me parts lists then i can simply quote the part number that i need. I have never received a wrong part when i quote part numbers. I understand this isn't easy when you don't have a fax machine or parts book. The best investment ANY bobcat owner can make is to buy both the parts and service manuals. The time it will save in phone calls working out what part you need is just insane! I really think its worth the $100 or so for each manual, there is only so much you can work out on your own.

Believe it or not, even though I now own a Cat, they still treat me the same, I still come there to rent attachments and shoot the sh*t. Now if they only sold Cat skid steers, I would kiss their arses.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Believe it or not, even though I now own a Cat, they still treat me the same, I still come there to rent attachments and shoot the sh*t. Now if they only sold Cat skid steers, I would kiss their arses.

I can't complain about my local parts departments ability to find the part, heck they even stock many of them. But you are going to pay. This is no fault of the person behind the counter.
The sales is the worst as the owners are never around to meet with or quote you. If you do catch them they have no time for you, tell you a number while they walk out the door and jump in their pickup, forget asking questions.
The first items I bought (and last) was a farm grapple (2 pieces when you order it) and a auger and bit. Quote was written on a scrap of paper. Said 2 weeks to get, it took eight (which might not have been their fault) I finally pick my stuff up, but when the bill came it was an extra almost $1000.00, 3 or the four pieces went up, and I was billed 280.00 fo a auger extension I never ordered or recieved. I found their scrap he had written the prices on, and it took over a year for them to quit billing me for the extra.
Nearly every customer I get locally has been driven here by them and has a colorful story of some sort.
The folks I deal with now could not be better, they fax me information, take time on the phone, they seem to be vary experienced with any of the products I own. Price is a good as anyones. In the Bobcat history book, there name is on one of the loaders from back in the 60's They are still doing it 40 plus years and counting. It all about finding a dealer that will work with you.
Ken

 

[drdent]

I can't complain about my local parts departments ability to find the part, heck they even stock many of them. But you are going to pay. This is no fault of the person behind the counter.
The sales is the worst as the owners are never around to meet with or quote you. If you do catch them they have no time for you, tell you a number while they walk out the door and jump in their pickup, forget asking questions.
The first items I bought (and last) was a farm grapple (2 pieces when you order it) and a auger and bit. Quote was written on a scrap of paper. Said 2 weeks to get, it took eight (which might not have been their fault) I finally pick my stuff up, but when the bill came it was an extra almost $1000.00, 3 or the four pieces went up, and I was billed 280.00 fo a auger extension I never ordered or recieved. I found their scrap he had written the prices on, and it took over a year for them to quit billing me for the extra.
Nearly every customer I get locally has been driven here by them and has a colorful story of some sort.
The folks I deal with now could not be better, they fax me information, take time on the phone, they seem to be vary experienced with any of the products I own. Price is a good as anyones. In the Bobcat history book, there name is on one of the loaders from back in the 60's They are still doing it 40 plus years and counting. It all about finding a dealer that will work with you.
Ken

I tried to get rings and bearings to rebuild my 642 ford 4 cyl. I gave them the #'s off the engine and the #'s off the machine.I disassembled the engine, waited weeks for the part and the were wrong. They re-orded the parts, I waited again ,wrong parts. they finally said that that was the only 2 sets of rings and bearings that there was for my machine,and they could not hepl me. Ihad to have a machine shop bore the cylinders and put in new pistons and turn the crank and install oversized bearing.cost me 3 grand.In their defense I contacted ford with the block#, biuld #ect and they could not help me either.Ive had this machine about 26 years and It is the original engine,but they can;t get parts for it. could't even get me a dist cap.I finally used a mustang 1600cc cap. mike

 

[jerry]

I tried to get rings and bearings to rebuild my 642 ford 4 cyl. I gave them the #'s off the engine and the #'s off the machine.I disassembled the engine, waited weeks for the part and the were wrong. They re-orded the parts, I waited again ,wrong parts. they finally said that that was the only 2 sets of rings and bearings that there was for my machine,and they could not hepl me. Ihad to have a machine shop bore the cylinders and put in new pistons and turn the crank and install oversized bearing.cost me 3 grand.In their defense I contacted ford with the block#, biuld #ect and they could not help me either.Ive had this machine about 26 years and It is the original engine,but they can;t get parts for it. could't even get me a dist cap.I finally used a mustang 1600cc cap. mike

Mike, I got a dist cap for mine from napa auto parts, There is a old thread here on that engine and it evidently is a early ford fiesta engine. If you need a vacuum advance one from a vw, I think it was a jetta, is the same one.

 

[Fishfiles]

Mike, I got a dist cap for mine from napa auto parts, There is a old thread here on that engine and it evidently is a early ford fiesta engine. If you need a vacuum advance one from a vw, I think it was a jetta, is the same one.

Duhon Machinery in St. Rose ( over 30 years ) and the new store in Laffeyette , Louisiana , thumbs up , first class dealer who if I remember right has been #1 and is always up there with the most Bobcat sales in the country , I think it took a dealer with multiple locations to knock him out , parts and service personal do everything they can in reason , and go way out their way to get you thru a diaster , 90% of the time they got what you need in stock if not , they get it the next day , Sid Duhon is a guy that you got to like after spending some time with him , St Rose is equipment alley of the Greater New Orleans Area and I deal with all the Dealers every day from Cat , Case , Deere , Komatsu , etc , etc and the Bobcat dealer is the easiest one to deal with and gives me the least headaches , if fact I look forward to going there for some laughs as it is not my money I am spending , un like alot of you guys that when you go to your dealer it is costing you

 

[perry]

Duhon Machinery in St. Rose ( over 30 years ) and the new store in Laffeyette , Louisiana , thumbs up , first class dealer who if I remember right has been #1 and is always up there with the most Bobcat sales in the country , I think it took a dealer with multiple locations to knock him out , parts and service personal do everything they can in reason , and go way out their way to get you thru a diaster , 90% of the time they got what you need in stock if not , they get it the next day , Sid Duhon is a guy that you got to like after spending some time with him , St Rose is equipment alley of the Greater New Orleans Area and I deal with all the Dealers every day from Cat , Case , Deere , Komatsu , etc , etc and the Bobcat dealer is the easiest one to deal with and gives me the least headaches , if fact I look forward to going there for some laughs as it is not my money I am spending , un like alot of you guys that when you go to your dealer it is costing you

Louisiana!, I'm not surprised Fish, I am surprised they were knocked off the top....Can't think of an area more suited for skid steers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Eb3FiebTs