Tool Truck Etiquette

[chadster1]

His comments were directed towards people who BUY.

Fact is, guys who live in areas where a driver's route is a bit stretched out probably get less than stellar service and really dilutes many of the "pay to play" argument of truck brand tools. Someone who is a one man operation that only spends a few hundred bucks a year on tools should get the same level of service as the shop in the next town over that has 30 employees that are making eternal payments on their $10k tool boxes.

Because I have a small amount of Snap On stuff I bought 10 years ago for my personal use and didn't buy it from a specific dealer should not give them the ability to shrug me off if I need a rebuild kit or new soft handle for a ratchet that I bought NEW.

I wonder if there are people in this world that buy a tool from Sears at a location near their house, then move to a different location, then complain to Sears because they cant get warranty because their is no store near them.

Just because you bought a couple hundred dollars worth of tools in the past, that does not obligate Snap-on to provide dealer level service to you wherever you decide to set up shop.

 

[quattroJoe]

I wonder if there are people in this world that buy a tool from Sears at a location near their house, then move to a different location, then complain to Sears because they cant get warranty because their is no store near them.

Just because you bought a couple hundred dollars worth of tools in the past, that does not obligate Snap-on to provide dealer level service to you wherever you decide to set up shop.

However if you buy a tool at Sears you can walk into any other Sears location and warranty it no questions asked. No BS with the clerk deciding whether he/she feels like exchanging it, denying it because they don't see you in their store every week, or telling you to get lost because you don't spend enough money there. And on top of that, you hand them a Cman tool and it's covered, in their case the warranty stays with the tool and not the original purchaser (or at least in practice, I don't know what the legalese in their warranty says.)

 

[Robert Haas]

How about some tool truck driver etiquette?

First off you are a salesman for a corporation. Your attitude and professional mannerisms should reflect that.

We are customers. treat us with respect regardless of how we dress or how shabby our shop looks.

If you feel that you might not need to come by this week or any week use your cell phone and call us and ask if we need you to swing by. Simple thing to do and may save you some time and Diesel fuel.

If you pull in to our shop and our employees are loitering around inside the truck understand this is a business and we need our employees back in the shop as soon as possible. If you want to have a social party show up after work or lunch time.

If you extend credit to one of our employees that contract is between the two of you. Don't use my secretary or myself as a switch board for you two to communicate about his account.

Lastly, to the truck driver. You are in sales, you are a retailer of a product. You sell tools. If you start feeling and or acting arrogant, snobbish or some other ridiculous attitude....check yourself. You are replaceable. Your customers and potential customers know it. With out them you are an unemployed salsperson.

 

[byoungblood]

I wonder if there are people in this world that buy a tool from Sears at a location near their house, then move to a different location, then complain to Sears because they cant get warranty because their is no store near them.

Just because you bought a couple hundred dollars worth of tools in the past, that does not obligate Snap-on to provide dealer level service to you wherever you decide to set up shop.

You're doing an apples to oranges comparison. Sears is a brick and mortar operation, whereas Snap On is built around, and charges quite a premium for, drive to your location service.

Does this mean that a dealer should drop everything they are doing to accommodate said person who hasn't spent anything in a while? No, but it does mean that as long as they are charging 2-3 times the amount as other brands as similar quality they need to tell their dealers to stop blowing those kinds of customers off completely. If the truck drivers push back because of SO corporate policy, then maybe they should get out of the business.

Tool trucks are rapidly approaching the point of being obsolete. Outside of specialty products, it has been pointed out again and again that someone can have tools of excellent quality delivered to their door for a fraction of the price. As it has been pointed out warranty service is highly variable, and depending on what breaks, you may be no better off than if you had to call S-K, Wright, Armstrong, etc., and have to get them to send you a replacement through the mail.

If you work in a LARGE shop, in a mid to large population center, you probably get outstanding service from tool trucks because there is enough business to warrant multiple drivers in relatively small territories that enables them to come around on at least a weekly basis, and can likely provide same day service should an emergency arise. Even that depends on the work ethic of the driver in question. If you don't fit into any of those categories, you're probably going to be subject to "when I'm in the area" type service. Now, if someone still wants to pay a hefty premium for that just so they can say their supporting the local guy, they can knock themselves out.

I think the smart move for the truck brands is to eventually abandon the franchisee model and bring the trucks in house. It would give the customer a more consistent level of service, eliminating the middle man driver and their issues that the customer shouldn't have to contend with.

 

[chadster1]

However if you buy a tool at Sears you can walk into any other Sears location and warranty it no questions asked. No BS with the clerk deciding whether he/she feels like exchanging it, denying it because they don't see you in their store every week, or telling you to get lost because you don't spend enough money there. And on top of that, you hand them a Cman tool and it's covered, in their case the warranty stays with the tool and not the original purchaser (or at least in practice, I don't know what the legalese in their warranty says.)

You mean there has never been a thread on here with someone complaining about Craftsman warranty?

 

[Steinmetz]

I understand that. My point was to point out that jjjrmx5 analogy of a driver heading out to a large industrial client and not being interesting in a "looky loo" walk on is not a good analogy as both the industrial client and smaller shop clients are handled by two different reps.

I would also bet a cold beer that military and/or govt GSA purchases are even handled by an even more specialized industrial account rep as the purchasing requirements and record keeping is more unique than a standard civilian industrial account.

That is certainly the case. Industrial accounts/GSA purchases would not be left in the hands of the delivery boy with an attitude known as the tool truck driver.

 

[Hiball]

You mean there has never been a thread on here with someone complaining about Craftsman warranty?

Nope not once.. Now quit typing and go back to being a delivery boy with attitude.

Good to see you again chad, hope life is treating you well.

 

[chadster1]

You're doing an apples to oranges comparison. Sears is a brick and mortar operation, whereas Snap On is built around, and charges quite a premium for, drive to your location service.

Does this mean that a dealer should drop everything they are doing to accommodate said person who hasn't spent anything in a while? No, but it does mean that as long as they are charging 2-3 times the amount as other brands as similar quality they need to tell their dealers to stop blowing those kinds of customers off completely. If the truck drivers push back because of SO corporate policy, then maybe they should get out of the business.

Tool trucks are rapidly approaching the point of being obsolete. Outside of specialty products, it has been pointed out again and again that someone can have tools of excellent quality delivered to their door for a fraction of the price. As it has been pointed out warranty service is highly variable, and depending on what breaks, you may be no better off than if you had to call S-K, Wright, Armstrong, etc., and have to get them to send you a replacement through the mail.

If you work in a LARGE shop, in a mid to large population center, you probably get outstanding service from tool trucks because there is enough business to warrant multiple drivers in relatively small territories that enables them to come around on at least a weekly basis, and can likely provide same day service should an emergency arise. Even that depends on the work ethic of the driver in question. If you don't fit into any of those categories, you're probably going to be subject to "when I'm in the area" type service. Now, if someone still wants to pay a hefty premium for that just so they can say their supporting the local guy, they can knock themselves out.

I think the smart move for the truck brands is to eventually abandon the franchisee model and bring the trucks in house. It would give the customer a more consistent level of service, eliminating the middle man driver and their issues that the customer shouldn't have to contend with.

Ahh, another "the tool truck is becoming obsolete". I laugh every time I read one of these predictions. In the 10 years I was a dealer, I saw my weekly sales go from about $6000 a week to around $10,000 a week. There are dealers out there running well over $20,000 a week. That's right, some of these tool trucks driving around are $1,000,000+ a year one man operations. Snap-on as a company has seen their stock go from around $35 a share back in 2009 to where it is currently trading at over $116 a share. Snap-on has also seen the attendance grow every year for the last 5 years at their annual Franchisee Conference.

I will agree with you that dealer coverage is more complete in the major population centers. That is just an economic fact of life. Where there is a higher concentration of commercial businesses that are potential customers, there will be a higher concentration of dealers. It is also an economic fact of life that out in rural areas away from the population centers, there will be fewer businesses of all types.

You missed the point I was trying to make in my earlier post. I was assuming (please correct me if I am wrong) that you purchased your ratchet NEW from a dealer at a location where there was regular dealer service. You are now located in an area where there is not regular dealer service. Just because you have set up shop somewhere does not obligate Snap-on to send a dealer to you. There are other avenues to obtain warranty service as well as purchase tools.

If Snap-on abandoned the franchise model and moved to having corporate employees running the trucks, there would still be inconsistencies between the trucks because these truck are run by people, not robots. I think there would be an increased turnover in employee/dealers because its a whole lot easier for an employee to quit a job than it is for a business owner to get out of the business.

 

[purplezr2]

Chadster, you no longer a dealer?


Honestly, I think there are alot of member here that just don't get how the trucks works, or the advantage it provides. Also I'm guessing the few stories about poor dealers are heavily rehashed, were people often will not comment on a good transaction as it expected.

I recently moved, and I will miss my dealer, he was an awesome guy, and I was just a walk in customer with about 2K worth of business over 2 years.

 

[cheechi]

First of all gagreen, thanks for posting this. I appreciate it when people take the time to consider how to treat each other. I kind of think it should have been as simple as 'treat people like your parents used to force you to' or 'treat people like you want to be treated' and leave it at that.

chad, I can't say that I fully agree or disagree with everything you have said. Your opinion is valid but the tone of your posts indicate you feel your opinion is more valid. I don't agree with the tone, even if I find the words exactly right. This I think is the reason some guys are saying things you disagree with.

Personally, I worked in a retail store, but in the service dept. I hated the store part of it but when I had to be in the store, I tried for my personality to be as much of a non factor when dealing with people. I hate people and most of all I hate uneducated sloppy smelly loud people. I don't mean guys that have obviously been working type sloppy, but just slobs. So I tried to take that factor out of it. I don't get the impression that everyone in this thread has dealt with a driver that tries to take their own viewpoint and personal prejudices out if it. That I dislike, that's not how you represent a company.

The problem some people have is they want to buy the tools. They don't want to pay full list price when they know the tools can be had for less. So they seek out a truck and either find frustration that they can't get in the door, or can't get the lower price they know someone else can get. I understand the frustration from both ends. No truck brand is going to be hurt over 5% of an overall order, and if you are in the business of giving deals to big spenders, give a small deal to a small spender and see if they become a big spender. But really why prevent the guy from even coming on to look? A retail store would not be allowed to refuse people coming in without a sign and following specific laws (no shirt no shoes type deal).

It's logical to me, do you think your driver would go from doing really well to be really struggling over 5%? Maybe someone who was already struggling would struggle more. I get that. But it's just a general suggestion. Retail stores have sales to get people in the door after all. Anyway, the numbers don't even matter. Just the principal. Same as B&M retail is dealing with the reality of online sales, tool trucks have to deal with the reality there are other avenues and have to remain attractive to new as well as existing customers. Don't want to wait until it's too late for that, you can ask Sears, CompUSA, JC Penny, and AOL how it feels to have a temporarily strong customer base that isn't increasing.

Finally, this is the specific issue that I have. I have been to plenty of race events, plenty of hangars, plenty of small & big shops. The image of the truck driver that they try to portray specifically at the events is 'hey everything is great when you have our brand wrenches. it gives you free time and you're happy, just look at the truck driver here'. Every single race where there has been a presence of any tool brand, that's the image they want you to see. Our tools give you free time and you don't have to work so hard. So that doesn't jive with a driver that's in a hurry to get rid of you or doesn't have time to talk about the tools on your truck. I'm not saying you should feel obligated to talk about the weather and all, but at least to have answers when someone asks you questions about the tools. That doesn't always happen and that's a big part of the frustration. I can see where a lot of these guys are coming from.

It's not necessarily all the fault of the driver, that's what I'm saying. You have to represent the company though, tell the company to pick an image that's closer to your reality, or help you get your reality closer to their image to sell more tools and make fewer frustrated people out of potential repeat customers.

Personally, I find the SO website's service to be great. One tool got shipped missing a piece, they overnighted or 2 day'd it. Forget which, it was only a phillips bit, it was quick enough for me anyway. The vendors that sell Williams have also been very good to deal with.

 

[byoungblood]

Ahh, another "the tool truck is becoming obsolete". I laugh every time I read one of these predictions. In the 10 years I was a dealer, I saw my weekly sales go from about $6000 a week to around $10,000 a week. There are dealers out there running well over $20,000 a week. That's right, some of these tool trucks driving around are $1,000,000+ a year one man operations. Snap-on as a company has seen their stock go from around $35 a share back in 2009 to where it is currently trading at over $116 a share. Snap-on has also seen the attendance grow every year for the last 5 years at their annual Franchisee Conference.

To clarify, I think the franchise truck model is going to become obsolete as time wears on. You've got more and more individuals who don't want to fool with the internet or are paranoid about ordering stuff online going by the wayside, being replaced by those who are at least competent at buying things online. As this happens, I think you are going to have more individuals realize that there is less and less reason to have to deal with the middle-man and go straight to the source for tool purchases. I think the truck will probably be structured more towards the service end (the dreaded warranty!) and demonstrating and selling specialty tools.

I will agree with you that dealer coverage is more complete in the major population centers. That is just an economic fact of life. Where there is a higher concentration of commercial businesses that are potential customers, there will be a higher concentration of dealers. It is also an economic fact of life that out in rural areas away from the population centers, there will be fewer businesses of all types.

Correct. However, as I stated before, the truck brands are constantly touting the personal delivery and service of the truck as being one of their chief advantages. While I agree to an extent that it is not wholly practical for someone in a rural area to expect quite the same level of service as someone in a more heavily populated area, there should at least be some minimal amount of consistency for the premium paid.

You missed the point I was trying to make in my earlier post. I was assuming (please correct me if I am wrong) that you purchased your ratchet NEW from a dealer at a location where there was regular dealer service. You are now located in an area where there is not regular dealer service. Just because you have set up shop somewhere does not obligate Snap-on to send a dealer to you. There are other avenues to obtain warranty service as well as purchase tools.

Yes, there is a little personal experience speaking there. I've got 3-4 SO ratchets sitting around that I've bought over time for personal use. However, I do live in an area with quite a few drivers (I was behind one coming home today) but none seemed interested in contacting me when I wanted to find one. At the time I had a little extra income laying around, and while I certainly wouldn't have spent a ton of money with them, I may have spent $100 to at least make it worth their time meeting me somewhere on the route.

If SO corporate's attitude is that they don't have to provide dealer service to everyone, then they need to be a bit flexible on their pricing. If I can't get a dealer to show up at my shop, then what incentive would I have to pay the prices that they claim to have that service figured into?

If Snap-on abandoned the franchise model and moved to having corporate employees running the trucks, there would still be inconsistencies between the trucks because these truck are run by people, not robots. I think there would be an increased turnover in employee/dealers because its a whole lot easier for an employee to quit a job than it is for a business owner to get out of the business.

My main point was you get the personal finances of the driver out of the equation. You don't have people getting legitimate warranty concerns not handled or orders not being placed in a timely manner because the dealer has a slow route and has a hard time paying the home company. I'm not saying it would be a perfect solution, but at least it would remove any excuse for someone not getting top notch service because of the franchise owner's finances.

Adequately compensated, I don't think turnover would be much greater than it is now. You may actually end up getting more people sticking with it since you are primarily relying on the driver to be a salesman and not having to worry (as much) about having to pay back large loans, etc., if sales get soft for a little while. Sure, having some skin in the game can serve as motivation, but it can also be an additional burden if things are not going well out of that person's control.

Anyway, that's just my .02 on the matter.

 

[Brownsfan]

And we wonder why all the tool truck dealers stop posting here. Don't like the business model. Don't buy the tools. Its that easy.

 

[Hantke]

It seems to be a lot about debating the business model, but i'll throw my opinion down (not that it's worth anything).
If I buy a Snap-On / Matco tool at location A, I move, get a new job, etc. Now i'm working at location B (assuming Snap-On / Matco trucks visit) And I walk onto the truck, if they refuse to warranty an item that they sell, then I can guaruntee I will go spend my money elsewhere with a dealer who WILL warranty my tools. Now, if i move where there is NO dealer, that's my own damn fault, not anybody else's. Simple as that.

If I chew the fat and we talk for a bit and they have to go, no big deal, they have a job to do. If they are behind schedule? Not my problem, they have a business to run, they gotta do what they gotta do, doesn't bother me any if they can only stop for 5-10 minutes.

If I need something warrantied and they take over a week to do it when they have that item on the shelf, I'll go buy the same thing from a competitor.


Respect the tool man and the tool man respects you. Inconvenience the tool man and you deal with the results.

 

[Jawn]

I keep meaning to "try out" one of the local tool trucks even though I'm just a hobbyist (I've seen the Snap-On guy in a local grocery store parking lot at the same time a few weeks in a row a while back... I assume he's either taking a break, or was there for drive-ups?). Problem is I haven't come across something I must have just yet and I'm not going to bother him "just to look".

 

[jfcasey]

These threads crack me up. There is such a disconnect from hobbyist who think they are professionals that its unbearable in a discussion like this. "shop" full of 20 techs and "customer" i.e. individual guy are NOT interchangeable terms. Drivers aren't going out of their way to meet 1 guy when they are expected at a dealership with 15 customers waiting inside that owe payments. If you expect them to you are sadly suffering from the same mentality as a welfare leach. Your need for whatever tool you desire is not nearly as important as that of someone who needs it to earn a paycheck and has already invested thousands with the same dealer, hence why you go to the back of the line.

 

[Hiball]

I keep meaning to "try out" one of the local tool trucks even though I'm just a hobbyist (I've seen the Snap-On guy in a local grocery store parking lot at the same time a few weeks in a row a while back... I assume he's either taking a break, or was there for drive-ups?). Problem is I haven't come across something I must have just yet and I'm not going to bother him "just to look".

Rest Assured not all Tool Truck operators are as portrayed here at GJ, they are just like you and me and are simply trying to make a living and take care of there family. With that said they are Human, they will have bad days just like everyone else, it's not a opinion, its a fact if they don't move product they will not make any $$$$ as hiding from customers and being a ****** doesn't pay the bills. I don't spend much with my local guy, but he has never made me feel like I was bothering him, I wouldn't hesitate to contact your dealer, most are just tool junkies like the rest of us.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I'm far from a tool truck hater, but I just don't think hunting down a truck is practical for somebody who isn't on a route. If you want truck tools, order them straight from Snap On (in my opinion the best of the trucks) or get them on Ebay and save some money. If you aren't on a route, you might as well deal direct as it's easier and they will have record of your purchase for warranty issues. Every time I have had to get something warrantied from Snap On, I have had the new piece in 3 days. I don't make my living on my tools, so 3 days is no big deal and likely faster than waiting for a truck to come around the following week.

 

[frugalscotty]

These threads crack me up. There is such a disconnect from hobbyist who think they are professionals that its unbearable in a discussion like this. "shop" full of 20 techs and "customer" i.e. individual guy are NOT interchangeable terms. Drivers aren't going out of their way to meet 1 guy when they are expected at a dealership with 15 customers waiting inside that owe payments. If you expect them to you are sadly suffering from the same mentality as a welfare leach. Your need for whatever tool you desire is not nearly as important as that of someone who needs it to earn a paycheck and has already invested thousands with the same dealer, hence why you go to the back of the line.

A little over the top don't you think? A shop full of techs may rightly have priority but to compare an individual who wants a brief visit and maybe spend a few bucks to a welfare leech is mucho hyperbole.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I love people who are not in a certain industry and do not do the job in question, yet they always are experts on "how the job ought to be done"

 

[fiv216]

I love people who are not in a certain industry and do not do the job in question, yet they always are experts on "how the job ought to be done"

Although I agree with your statement for the most part, it doesn't really change the key business 'rules' that apply to every other business. If I go into a store with a commission based sales rep & I want to buy something for $50 he doesn't ignore me if there's someone behind me that wants to get something for $500.

I don't know if its just my bad experience with it, but I have a driver who stops 10 minutes down the road every wednesday, he's always there for a minimum of 20 minutes, but when I went down one day to buy a few misc. things & warranty a screwdriver he brushes me off basically... Snap On is arguably the industry leader, but drivers represent the company & hiding behind the knowledge that you'll get business based on the product you sell is a poor excuse to have **** customer service.

 

[Adam.C]

I have a question for the dealers and pros. What effect have certifications and licenses had on the truck sales?

Seems to me, more and more techs begin in school, not in shops. Seems as tho the need for various certifications requires mechanics to start in school, not as lube techs.

The schools seem to require basic tools and typically Snap On offers hefty student discounts. Assuming the students have the scratch (or Snap On credit???) is it the case that young techs show up on their first day fairly well equipped? Or are there still kids starting their first job with taiwan tools and buy everything on the job?

When I step onto a truck with pros in it, they are older guys mostly. They are all running tabs. But I'm not sure who is spending more money, me or them. They all seem to have boxes full of Snap On stuff (as I do). Some of the guys are buying power tools, others are warrantying stuff. Occassionally I see a guy buying wrenches or sockets, but that's pretty rare at least at my stop. I've been buying up specialty tools-special wrenches, swivel sockets, stubby torx bits etc to make my life a little easier. I've also been buying bits and pieces to complete my assorted incomplete sets.

I guess I'm just curious about what guys actually buy from the truck, and who they are that is equipping their entire box from the truck. Are there guys doing that? I don't see them where I am.

 

[warmpancakes]

I have a question for the dealers and pros. What effect have certifications and licenses had on the truck sales?

I guess I'm just curious about what guys actually buy from the truck, and who they are that is equipping their entire box from the truck. Are there guys doing that? I don't see them where I am.

Not much I see alot of younger guys buying

Long combo wrenches
torx/hex sockets
angle head wrenches
impacts/ air tools
shop carts
larger boxes

local heavy equipment dealer alot of the younger guys are buying SAE tools even though school said they dont need them, apparently schools didnt get the memo that heavy equipment stays in service for along time

 

[carterbeauford]

Why would anyone bother with it?

to buy a box at a substantial discount, trade the old one in and get it delivered free?

 

[Creditor]

Tool trucks aren't for everybody. Never have been, never will be.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I have a question for the dealers and pros. What effect have certifications and licenses had on the truck sales?

Seems to me, more and more techs begin in school, not in shops. Seems as tho the need for various certifications requires mechanics to start in school, not as lube techs.

The schools seem to require basic tools and typically Snap On offers hefty student discounts. Assuming the students have the scratch (or Snap On credit???) is it the case that young techs show up on their first day fairly well equipped? Or are there still kids starting their first job with taiwan tools and buy everything on the job?

When I step onto a truck with pros in it, they are older guys mostly. They are all running tabs. But I'm not sure who is spending more money, me or them. They all seem to have boxes full of Snap On stuff (as I do). Some of the guys are buying power tools, others are warrantying stuff. Occassionally I see a guy buying wrenches or sockets, but that's pretty rare at least at my stop. I've been buying up specialty tools-special wrenches, swivel sockets, stubby torx bits etc to make my life a little easier. I've also been buying bits and pieces to complete my assorted incomplete sets.

I guess I'm just curious about what guys actually buy from the truck, and who they are that is equipping their entire box from the truck. Are there guys doing that? I don't see them where I am.

I've heard way too many stories of greenhorns entering the trade with a bunch of tool truck brand tools (not necessarily a bad thing, for quality tools are good to have) and the accompanying hefty debt (bad thing).

Can't tell you how many times I've seen on CL ads for tools "I brought these to become an auto tech and then discovered that it wasn't for me. $XXXXX invested" with a for sale price of like a fifth of what they say they paid.

I think a lot of those guys are buying that stuff when at school, as the tool trucks directly service the school and these guys don't know about other brands or to do stuff like bargain hunt. It's easy to lose site of the big picture when the dealer makes it very easy to just sign on the line with him and get what you need.

I'm pretty fortunate because the program I'm entering they'll give me most of my starter tools (Proto and Snap On, real snap on, not blue point), a box, and all the specialty tools are supplied...I'll only have to buy some tools to bridge the gap between what is supplied and what counts as shop supplied.

 

[wvrailroader]

My question is if you are paying extra for the tools because of the service the truck provides, then why do the tools cost the same if ordered from the tool company's website? I know they don't want to undercut their drivers, but those of us who order online are generally a different group than what a truck normally services (I.e. techs). Most techs won't fool with ordering online due to time constraints, they will wait for the truck to come around.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

[Adam.C]

My question is if you are paying extra for the tools because of the service the truck provides, then why do the tools cost the same if ordered from the tool company's website?

I think the opposite is true. Stuff is cheaper on the truck because the drivers provide breaks, have specials etc. Occassionally there are specials online, but I've never seen them advertised. You just have to stumble across them.

Snap On is a truck franchise marketed company. Pretty sure that's what this thread is about; how to deal with the reps. Folks should start a different thread to discuss how this successful business should market and distrubute their tools. For now, it is what it is.

 

[byoungblood]

These threads crack me up. There is such a disconnect from hobbyist who think they are professionals that its unbearable in a discussion like this. "shop" full of 20 techs and "customer" i.e. individual guy are NOT interchangeable terms. Drivers aren't going out of their way to meet 1 guy when they are expected at a dealership with 15 customers waiting inside that owe payments. If you expect them to you are sadly suffering from the same mentality as a welfare leach. Your need for whatever tool you desire is not nearly as important as that of someone who needs it to earn a paycheck and has already invested thousands with the same dealer, hence why you go to the back of the line.

Again I will reiterate that the truck brands tout the service of the truck as being one of their chief differentiators and why they charge such a premium for their wares. If someone buys one of these tools, they are paying for that level of service, and not being a "welfare leech." If someone has to wait a couple of weeks for the dealer or has to mail stuff in to get it warrantied, then they're no better off than buying one of the industrial brands that gets the job done just as well at half the price.

I'd never ask someone to drive out of their way to come to my home to provide me with a rebuild kit, but I don't think it is too much to ask them when they make a stop at a few local shops.

 

[chadster1]

Again I will reiterate that the truck brands tout the service of the truck as being one of their chief differentiators and why they charge such a premium for their wares

You must be seeing different marketing than I have seen over the last 10 years. Snap-on's main marketing point has always been the difference in quality. That is what they are referring to with the slogan "there is a difference".

 

[Adam.C]

Again I will reiterate that the truck brands tout the service of the truck as being one of their chief differentiators and why they charge such a premium for their wares.

Snap On tools cost more is because Snap On employs engineers that do R&D, product testing, and produce intellectual property that other firms steal. They also make uncompromisingly high quality tools in the USA.

Must be great to be in China. Rip off Snap On (and every other US firm), pay your employees less than we pay prisoners, work in a factory with no environmental controls, worker safety, or quality assurance dept, ship an inferior product, and some yahoo on GJ will say Snap On is doing something wrong because they can't compete. Wow.

P.S. Some say Snap On tools are expensive. I say they aren't. I just bought a set of 3/8" drive sockets for $150 that will last me 20 years, they are inarguably the best in the world, and they have a lifetime warranty. I can use them to fix my cars without busting my knuckles and I will save hundreds or thousands of dollars doing my own repairs. When I'm done, I can sell my Snap On tools on ebay for 50-75% of what I paid. With inflation, that could easily come out a wash. On what planet is that expensive again?

 

[jjjrmx5]

Originally Posted by Hootbro View Post
I understand that. My point was to point out that jjjrmx5 analogy of a driver heading out to a large industrial client and not being interesting in a "looky loo" walk on is not a good analogy as both the industrial client and smaller shop clients are handled by two different reps.

I would also bet a cold beer that military and/or govt GSA purchases are even handled by an even more specialized industrial account rep as the purchasing requirements and record keeping is more unique than a standard civilian industrial account.

I'm done with this thread, but I'll reply once more.

GSA/ MIL rep? Not always.

Gov't contractor here for the second largest military builder in the ******* world . 2,000 person campus at one point- 80-90% tool users.
Snap-On truck time was divided between two std. local drivers that also serviced our campus plus all the local car repair shops and the local big-*** recyling and trash pick up provider.
That account was often bigger than our bldg alone some weeks. LOLZ
And the other shops buyers they serviced.

Not an AFB or military post at all. Chadster can tell you how those rules work, but private sector buys you better sevice with big $$$, but not a special Indus. "guy" for us.

You buy, you get service in the end. Buy more, get way better service. End of story.
Just like ANY business.

All purchases are important for all sellers and retailers, but again, if you are buying $30 worth of product or window shopping and keeping me from a job site that has big $$ to spend and I need to bill collect on big accounts, then you better be quick.

Shop and mfg. floor guys get antsy when they need tools, warranty work and to pay thier bill. And these are the guys that you DON'T wanna piss off.

As stated above, many shops allow trucks at lunch or break time and and if you miss that time frame, you sales are lost as are your weekly payments in some cases.

It's often very symbiotic and time sensitive.
I know it well. WAY too well.

 

[Matt_C]

These threads crack me up. There is such a disconnect from hobbyist who think they are professionals that its unbearable in a discussion like this. "shop" full of 20 techs and "customer" i.e. individual guy are NOT interchangeable terms. Drivers aren't going out of their way to meet 1 guy when they are expected at a dealership with 15 customers waiting inside that owe payments. If you expect them to you are sadly suffering from the same mentality as a welfare leach. Your need for whatever tool you desire is not nearly as important as that of someone who needs it to earn a paycheck and has already invested thousands with the same dealer, hence why you go to the back of the line.

So that's me stuck in the middle then - I'm a "single customer" but I am also a pro - and when I say pro, I don't mean hobbyist that thinks I'm pro, I mean pro as in 11 years in the automotive industry, buying and using tools for a living. I might not have spent thousands with the same dealer, because of the mobile/non-shop nature of my job), but I've spent plenty of money with the company he works for. And that makes me no less of a customer than a guy that works in a shop!

I'd not expect a SO (or any other tool truck rep) to go out of their way to meet me for a purchase or a warranty; I'd phone the guy, find out where he's gonna be, and then go to that location at that time (providing I can - the nature of my business means that's not always possible) and be a customer there - purchase or warranty.

 

[sberry]

Its beyond me why anyone would go to the trouble when a guy could walk in to a store and be out in a few minutes or order competitors from the net for huge discounts. Looks like this deal is about 50 /50 to start out with, hit or miss, why the grief?

I saw or read a biz study that in hi end stores snobby sales clerks do better than nice ones. Selling is always good,,, selling a need has its place but tends to be treated as a commodity, the wants always have a hi margin.