How Good or BAD is your Snap-On Representative?

[porschedude996TT]

Ok, I understand these guys a franchised and individual business, but are there not standards that these franchisees need to meet?
My Representative is in another time dimension. I asked him for a set of gas struts to replace my limp ones and a screwdriver handle that was degrading and a drawer lock thingy. That was February 13th. Several emails and telephone calls and he still has no idea when I’m going to get the parts. He first said something about his back, then it was he was doing inventory, and he has been doing inventory for over a month.

My company gets a very big discount and we have bought maybe 200K worth of tools over the past 5 years. One purchase dribbled in very slowly and took over a year to complete. The guy that purchased them for the company had to hound him on a monthly basis to get him to move.

This guy is worthless, how about you’re Good and Bad Stories…

 

[goodfellow]

It depends -- In almost 40 years I've had VERY few good experiences with Snap-on truck vendors. At the corporate level, I've always had great experiences. Last year the local guy almost threw me off the truck becasue I wanted to warranty two broken chrome sockets. Simply put, if you didn't buy it from him, he wouldn't warranty the product.

So I sent my sockets to Snap-on corporate and they replaced them without a problem. That vendor attitude is why all my professional business went to MAC. Never had a problem with any MAC truck vendor -- except one (and he didn't last but a few months)

Now, as a hobbyist, I take my hand tool business to Sears and I have never, ever, had a warranty issue denied at Sears. I'm a Craftsman fan --

 

[kwhitelaw]

I would be heading to snap on customer service if you were having this many problems.. very helpful people there.

as for my dealer... couldnt ask for a better one. always available, never bullshits you on when he will get something in (as long as its not on national backorder, you will see it next week).always giving out shwag..comes off the prices a bit. always running sales promotions and free giveaways that I or my coworkers would *suprise* win a lot of the time

i dont buy much nowadays as im unemployed so my interactions with him are brief...but if i need something, he meets me at his warehouse and we handle business.

hopefully he comes through for me on replacing my stainless top that has warped for a 2nd time..if not, they (SO customer service) are going to send someone to my house to check out my box.. who knows, maybe they will give me a new bottom box if mine it not level.

 

[WVU Tuba Dale]

Good. He warranties easily as long as the tool wasn't abused. He is nice and respectful of our time and knows if he can ******** for a few minutes or if he needs to get in and get out. All around nice older man.

 

[krooser]

Tool guys are all over the map... just like us.

The Snappy guy I first dealt with (just after the Civil War) was great... when I changed dealerships the next guy was an ***.

Same for all the others... when I was selling at the Ford store in the 90's, the MATCO guy was a dream to deal with.... the Snappy guy was all business and wouldn't give you the time of day on a trade-in. The MAC guy was great but he had little stock on his truck... but he would wheel and deal on used stuff and trades.

Now I buy a little from one Cornwell guy...one MATCO guy and a MAC dealer. All these guys are OK.

 

[skeletonizer]

The guy in my area is terrible. When you can chase him down he is evasive and seems to not want to sell you anything. He never calls you back.

Their is a Snap on guy who lives near by but his area is to the South of here and he won't sell to the locals. He said that the guy with this area has burned him for doing it and got him in trouble with the company.

Sad, if the guy put as much effort into being a good salesman as he did trying to protect his sandbox he would be perfect.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

My Snap on guy that I have dealt with in the past was ok.... Never got anything extra (like a poster) or a freebie without asking for it. He was good about changing Screwdriver tips. I have heard there is a second dealer around me now. Haven't tried him out.

The Cornwell guy is the one that everyone says is the best around here. He exchanged a 3/8 drive ratchet for me no questions asked and I had never been on his truck before (or since).. I do owe him some business.....

JMHO

-BWP

 

[danc333]

The Snap on guy I have been dealing with is great. I am not a pro. I don't work at a shop. The first time I walked up to his truck and asked if I could buy something from him ( an FH80) he said come on in and what can I get for you? He introduced himself, gave me his card, a catalog, and a sales flier. He asked what I did for a living. I guess I was on his truck for about 20 minutes or so. Before I left he took my name and address and put it in his computer. He told me if I wanted anything, that I could call him and he would meet me on his route or ship it to my house, whatever I preferred. The thing that impressed me the most is when I wanted something a couple weeks later I went and found him on his route. When I walked up to the truck he addressed me by name and asked how I liked the ratchet I bought last time. That meant a lot to me. I will pay a little more to be treated like that. I have since purchased several hundred dollars worth of tools from him. It is easier for me to buy from Snap on's web site then to chase him down, but I like to buy from him. I prefer his customer service. It seems to me he knows what customer service means. I have been on his truck with guys from the shop he is visiting and he seems to care about all of them. I have never been treated like I was bother him or not worth his time. The fact that I get to buy very high quality tools from a guy that gives excellent customer service is an awesome thing for me. I can say the same thing about Mike Wren from Toptul. I don't care if its Sears, Snap on, Matco, Harbor Freight, Toptul, Mac, or Joes Hardware, Service matters...,atleast as much as the product.

 

[Big Bad Jon]

Mine is very good. He knows I have kids, and whether I buy something from him or not. He always has something for them. Nothing much maybe matchbox cars or hats. He is grumpy sometimes, and I have argued about warrantying a prybar. Well maybe I was just too damn stubborn.

 

[J.A.F.E.]

My current SO one is great and all the SO ones I've ever dealt with were good. Some better than others but all good.

My current guy gave me an old M70 (9/32) ratchet just because he knows I like this stuff. Maybe not the most expensive gift but it means a lot to me. I'm not a pro but have never had an issue getting one to stop at my work. I've only warranted one item and that was because of peeling chrome. The dealer insisted on exchanging it even though I didn't buy it from him.

Problem is a franchise is a contract that allows someone to use a name, logo, materials or whatever in exchange for an upfront fee and some kind of ongoing relationship (franchise "fees", royalties, buying merchandise, etc). Each one is an individual independent business and as long as you pay what you're supposed to it's your business. As long as you don't break too many rules too often they can't really do much. Some people belong in business and some don't. SO and most other franchise operations don't monitor closely the day to day activities of their franchisees, and some don't seem to care at all.

 

[-B-]

Most of them I have to push and push them hard seems they only want easy money.

The best was a real tool guy through and through had a fantastic shop in his basement and garage. this tool guy was a fathers friend whom had a SO truck he was interested in every aspect of tools and their use. he had stopped by a few shops that I work in and would watch us use tools then make suggestions to better options or ask questions. This was well before the Taiwan or Chinese bikes would take over the market. In these days bikes cam from the US, Japan , Italy, France and Poland. Tools were not as over stressed then as they are now from the over use in factories of impact guns. sadly he pass years ago I love to see his reactions to the tool destruction that goes on now.

 

[pearltsi]

My SO guy is awesome, Anything I bring to him he will replace. Found a beat up prybar in a truck with pretty much no handle and he warrantied it with a brand new one off the truck. Seems to do very good business.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

The one I have right now (Last 3 years or so) here in Phoenix is awesome. Out of the last 5-6 guys there's only been two duds and it was the two before our current guy who again is great.

 

[garfunkle24]

Ok, I understand these guys a franchised and individual business, but are there not standards that these franchisees need to meet?
My Representative is in another time dimension. I asked him for a set of gas struts to replace my limp ones and a screwdriver handle that was degrading and a drawer lock thingy. That was February 13th. Several emails and telephone calls and he still has no idea when I’m going to get the parts. He first said something about his back, then it was he was doing inventory, and he has been doing inventory for over a month.

My company gets a very big discount and we have bought maybe 200K worth of tools over the past 5 years. One purchase dribbled in very slowly and took over a year to complete. The guy that purchased them for the company had to hound him on a monthly basis to get him to move.

This guy is worthless, how about you’re Good and Bad Stories…

Porschedude

Have you looked into getting an Industrial account/rep? If you are involved in any kind of manafacturing, you may well qualify. If you just have a ton of service techs etc, you may be SOL.

 

[heyou]

At the shop I used to work at, the Snap On guy was a total idiot. He would lose your credit card or check between you handing it to him on the truck and him swiping the card or putting it in his drawer. If you weren't careful, he'd sell you obviously used tools as new. Truck was a total mess too, he could never find anything under the mountains of dusty tools that no one wanted. So subsequently I bought mostly from the Cornwell guy! Snap On guy at the new shop I work at rules, clean truck, quick on orders, and an all around nice guy. Never pushy either, old guy would hound you weekly with his bag of amamzing ($250) bargins!

I wish there was a Cornwell guy at the new shop, he was a great guy. As for Matco, didn't have one at the old job until 3 months before I left, and haven't bought anything from the new one yet. Got my first Mac guy at this new job too, but haven't bought anything either.

 

[fordracing200]

Snap On guy, mines name is Dave, real good guy. warranties anything, he doesn't care what it looks like, gives you a new one right then. then HE waits to get the one in that he warrantied. Will make deals, he'll throw out apparel to the first person to spend X amount of dollars, good guy to work with.

 

[307WYLD]

The Snap-On dealer around here is as elusive as Bigfoot riding a Unicorn.

I have purchased from the local Mac dealer, though he stopped coming around. Same for the Matco dealer.

I used to purchase alot of tools through the Cornwell dealer, mostly GearWrench because the local Sears leaves a lot to be desired (always have to pay up front to order tools not on the shelves & after waiting 94 days without hearing about my order, I cancelled for a full refund and haven't been back since) but have had ALOT of trouble getting him to come around since he was arrested & convicted of a DUI/manslaughter on his boat last summer.

And to me that says alot, because if you can't be responsible enough not to get drunk & kill someone while "relaxing" on your off-time, you sure as hell do not need MY business.

 

[Weedwaka]

I like my guy.

He doesn't like to deal too much but he will usually come around and give you a good price in the end. He is low pressure and kinda quiet which I like way better than the after shave soaked, slick haired slime that I used to have. I bought maybe two things off that guy lol.

I have never had to warranty any of my SO yet but the other guys seem to get good repair/warranty service.

 

[porschedude996TT]

Porschedude

Have you looked into getting an Industrial account/rep? If you are involved in any kind of manafacturing, you may well qualify. If you just have a ton of service techs etc, you may be SOL.

He is the Industrial Account Rep garfunkle, I work for a large aerospace company who makes cargo airplanes, fighter jets, ships, satellites. I have an industrial account, but when I try to put something big in my shopping cart and check out it will not let me. That is a different story.

Thanks

 

[jtrace]

My dealer is awsome. when the trans went in my Ford p/u he let me tow it over there and use his barn,lift and tools to rebuild it (it was there close to a month too) and he helped. I havent bought alot from him but what I have was high end.. Vantage Pro, updates for my Modis,plasma cutter. Ihave been outta work for a while and he has thrown side jobs my way and He even called me Christmas Day.. I think very highly of him and would recomend him to any one. The Mac guy I wouldnt give the time of day to he ripped me and my ex boss off on Nascar tickets paid an extra $100 for a "Hospitality tent"
never bought from him since then and that was 4 years ago he kept hawking me to buy and I wouldnt even set foot on his truck..

John

 

[garfunkle24]

He is the Industrial Account Rep garfunkle, I work for a large aerospace company who makes cargo airplanes, fighter jets, ships, satellites. I have an industrial account, but when I try to put something big in my shopping cart and check out it will not let me. That is a different story.

Thanks

Gotcha. That may well be half of your problem. Can't speak for the USA, but up here Industrial reps are salaried and their commission is only a tiny proportion of their compensation. Not as much motivation to sell and provide great service. Nice pricing though.

 

[Merkava_4]

There was one of these Snap-on dealer threads where I was bad mouthing the Clovis dealer by name. Later on that night, a light bulb went off in my head and I thought maybe I should go back and delete all my posts so I don't get sued for slander ... that's what I did and I was glad no one quoted me.

 

[gatewaysysop]

The Snap-On dealer around here is as elusive as Bigfoot riding a Unicorn.

I have purchased from the local Mac dealer, though he stopped coming around. Same for the Matco dealer.

I used to purchase alot of tools through the Cornwell dealer, mostly GearWrench because the local Sears leaves a lot to be desired (always have to pay up front to order tools not on the shelves & after waiting 94 days without hearing about my order, I cancelled for a full refund and haven't been back since) but have had ALOT of trouble getting him to come around since he was arrested & convicted of a DUI/manslaughter on his boat last summer.

And to me that says alot, because if you can't be responsible enough not to get drunk & kill someone while "relaxing" on your off-time, you sure as hell do not need MY business.

Wow.


As for me, the only SO rep. that I've dealt with here (Phoenix) was a self imported *****. Saw him parked at a neighbor's house several times not long before I called him up to see if I could purchase some items from him. Tells me he doesn't work with 'household consumers' and even though I wanted hundreds of dollars of stuff, it was either meet him somewhere or have him ship it to me. This, the same clown who parked not 100 yards from my house.

I told him to stuff it and ordered from the website. He didn't have half of what I wanted in stock anyway. I've since spent plenty through the website that could have been in his pocket instead. Couldn't be happier.