business philosphies

[John Smith]

I have a local boat/motor dealer. He's been selling Johnson motors. He would not service my Tohatsu, although they make the small Johnsons.

There was a place about 15 minutes from home who did great work at a reasonable price, but they moved to another state. Now I take my motor 40 minutes for service needs. It's there now, as in my motor thread, and if it's too much to repair I will buy a new Honda 2hp unit from them. My local guy sells that Honda, but he wouldn't service my present motor, because I didn't buy it there.

A lot of people running businesses think this way. I think they do so at their own peril.

In Belleville NJ there is a small tire shop. The guy I did business with inherited it from his parents. They felt that way. He feels differently. When he sells new tires, he's not making any money on the tires: he's making money on the mounting and balancing. Once he realized that, he was fine charging people to mount and balance tires they bought elsewhere. He made the same money without doing the work of ordering, sorting, and storing the tires.

He was busier than his dad had ever been and was forced to hire some additional help.

He also found that the customers found they weren't saving any money buying their tires elsewhere, so they got around to doing it all there, so he got that part of the job back.

The differing philosophies seem to be if you didn't buy it here, screw you vs okay, I'll help you and maybe you'll buy your next motor (or whatever) here.

I vote for the latter, especially since no matter what name is on the motor, they are all made (small ones) by tohatsu and it's as easy to order a Tohatsu part as an Evinrude part.

Your thoughts?

Just to be clear and not accused on contradicting myself, I believe money spent diagnosing my current motor at the shop where it is can be put toward the purchase price of a new motor if I decide to do so. They, of course, will likely repair my motor is not cost prohibitive and put it in their used motor corner.

[Norman Bernstein]

It is representative of a larger problem called 'showrooming', where people go to places like Best Buy to look at prospective HDTV's and the like... and then leave without buying one, and mail order it from a deeper discounter.

It is unfortunate, but a fact of life. If there is business value in providing service, then there will be businessmen who take advantage of that fact... if there isn't, they won't.

It's one aspect of the 'free market'.

I buy my books from amazon.com these days.... whereas I used to buy physical books at Barnes and Noble. As of yet, I have NOT gone to B&N to 'showroom' for books.... but it COULD happen, since I don't want the physical book.

[Waddie]

My local welding supply makes their money from the service dept., and they will work on anything, whether you bought it there or not. But if you bought it there you go to the front of the line when you need service. Everyone knows the policy. I don't know if it's helped sales, but I like it. And this can be a nice perk if you can't afford for your welder to be down long.

regards,
Waddie

[Paul Pless]

I have a local boat/motor dealer. He's been selling Johnson motors. He would not service my Tohatsu, although they make the small Johnsons.

Just because Tohatsu manufactures Johnsons, doesn't mean your local Johnson dealer has 'dealer' or 'authorized service' access to the Tohatsu parts or dealer support network.

[PhaseLockedLoop]

Pardon me for saying so, but if he made no money on the sale of tires, he would have had to be dead stupid to refuse make money on service.

[Paul Pless]

I vote for the latter, especially since no matter what name is on the motor, they are all made (small ones) by tohatsu and it's as easy to order a Tohatsu part as an Evinrude part.

Is this really true? Tohatsu manufactures Yamaha and Honda outboards?

[Norman Bernstein]

Is this really true? Tohatsu manufactures Yamaha and Honda outboards?

Hmmm... I know that the outboards marketed by Mercury and Nissan are definately made by Tohatsu.... I don't think that's true of Honda and Yamahas, however.

[Ron Williamson]

I fix lots of things that other people built or messed up while they were trying to fix.
I like to provide good service and try to give people what they want,for a reasonable price.
R( wood whore)