My Local Woodcraft is Clearing Out all the Festool Merchandise in Stock

Bob,
  A point well taken.  I know that you give more to the selling picture than just order taking. What I like about Festool pricing is that a person cannot go from dealer to dealer  searching out the best buy.  In my statement above, I talk about the discount place which is quite willing to sell at cost plus 5 (or lower.) That outlet doesnt know the product, just how to take the order. With the Festool price "control" plan, all dealers are equal as to the price. For success they have to offer something else which is usually product knowledge and service.
 
I agree about the service being important. I just posted in another thread that even though I have to pay taxes and sometimes shipping from McFeelys their service is worth the extra money.

My main issue is I can not find time to shop brick and mortar.

I guess most do not have 6 kids, a business, two X wives and a current one, two grandparents in homes that need visiting  and everything else that goes with that load. So for me the internet and ordering online is a godsend. Online demos is the wave of the future.

Bob do you have any on your site of you doing demos? Woodshopdemos will you move to video Demos?

I would watch both you guys!

Nickao
 
I don't know if this is common practice at all Woodcraft stores, but I could order anything from my local store and pay NO shipping charges. This is at odds with one of the previous posts in this thread. I had more motivation to shop and buy from my local Woodcraft than order online AND pay shipping.

Also, my local store is one of those that is closing out ALL Festool products. If Festool thinks this is good business, they are not impressing me. From what the owner told me, he would jump on any chance to sell competing products after the way that Festool has tried to "strong arm" him. I'm more than a little disappointed in Festool after this latest move. They're coming off as even more and more arrogant. The quality of their tools is above average, but not exceptional. Look at all the Kapex issues. The manuals aren't worth the paper they're printed on. There are other issues, but I'm not going to go into them because I don't want to get give anyone more reasons for flaming me (than I already have).

For my part, I'll keep the products that I have, but I most likely won't be buying new products. Go ahead, flame on.
 
nickao said:
I agree about the service being important. I just posted in another thread that even though I have to pay taxes and sometimes shipping from McFeelys their service is worth the extra money.

My main issue is I can not find time to shop brick and mortar.

I guess most do not have 6 kids, a business, two X wives and a current one, two grandparents in homes that need visiting  and everything else that goes with that load. So for me the internet and ordering online is a godsend. Online demos is the wave of the future.

Bob do you have any on your site of you doing demos? Woodshopdemos will you move to video Demos?

I would watch both you guys!

Nickao

Wow, Nick, you are a busy guy!
No online videos at this point, but it is something I would consider in the future.

Bob
 
daveg said:
I don't know if this is common practice at all Woodcraft stores, but I could order anything from my local store and pay NO shipping charges. This is at odds with one of the previous posts in this thread. I had more motivation to shop and buy from my local Woodcraft than order online AND pay shipping.

Also, my local store is one of those that is closing out ALL Festool products. If Festool thinks this is good business, they are not impressing me. From what the owner told me, he would jump on any chance to sell competing products after the way that Festool has tried to "strong arm" him. I'm more than a little disappointed in Festool after this latest move. They're coming off as even more and more arrogant. The quality of their tools is above average, but not exceptional. Look at all the Kapex issues. The manuals aren't worth the paper they're printed on. There are other issues, but I'm not going to go into them because I don't want to get give anyone more reasons for flaming me (than I already have).

For my part, I'll keep the products that I have, but I most likely won't be buying new products. Go ahead, flame on.

Dave,

You are just stating your opinion; and a pefectly valid one at that (even though I don't share it).

Replies are so welcome, that's what forums are all about; flames on the other hand, are something quite different.

Bob
 
No one is going to flame you, but even with the Kapex miscue I like all my other Festools and will try a new version of the Kapex when it comes out whether in 1 year or 5 years.

Festool is making business decisions and if they mess with dealers that is not my concern as long as they do not mess with me. I never was a big woodcraft lover in the first place. I know for a fact the guys at the stores I used to frequent knew nothing about the tools. If that is true across the board maybe that's why they do not sell enough of the Festools, putting them in lower profit bracket for the tiered pricing..  It takes a little salesmanship and a lot of knowledge to get someone to pay double the money for a sander.

If I worked at a Woodcraft I guarantee the festools would sell better and I would push them. My enthusiasm for the tools would be contagious, at woodcraft that just is not the case. At the Palatine IL woodcraft store the guys actually told me the Festools are not worth the money.

They are not going to sell a lot of them saying that, plus they are wrong, the Festools are worth the money.
 
Sort of reminds me of the local dealer we have here in Finland. I was interested in parallel guides, the guys did not even know what they were. They were able to get the same pictures as we have here on the FOG. I asked them the price and it was like 370 euros. I asked if I could see it (it's a bit of a large investment for me at least, for a few pieces of aluminium and plastic) to really know if it did what I expect it to do. No, they can order one for me to buy! I can also order stuff over the internet - where's the added value if my brick'n'mortar does not let you see the stuff you buy?
 
nickao said:
... Woodshopdemos will you move to video Demos?

Nickao

Nick,
  I have setup to do it but I have to find the time and not take it away from website. Thanks for your vote tho.
 
woodshopdemos said:
nickao said:
... Woodshopdemos will you move to video Demos?

Nickao

Nick,
   I have setup to do it but I have to find the time and not take it away from website. Thanks for your vote tho.

Maybe you should just set up a webcam like Norm.  ;D
 
nickao said:
No one is going to flame you, but even with the Kapex miscue I like all my other Festools and will try a new version of the Kapex when it comes out whether in 1 year or 5 years.

Festool is making business decisions and if they mess with dealers that is not my concern as long as they do not mess with me. I never was a big woodcraft lover in the first place. I know for a fact the guys at the stores I used to frequent knew nothing about the tools. If that is true across the board maybe that's why they do not sell enough of the Festools, putting them in lower profit bracket for the tiered pricing..  It takes a little salesmanship and a lot of knowledge to get someone to pay double the money for a sander.

If I worked at a Woodcraft I guarantee the festools would sell better and I would push them. My enthusiasm for the tools would be contagious, at woodcraft that just is not the case. At the Palatine IL woodcraft store the guys actually told me the Festools are not worth the money.

They are not going to sell a lot of them saying that, plus they are wrong, the Festools are worth the money.

I agree, when you have somebody making 10 bucks an hour (or around thier) and cannot afford festools.... how can they sell them?  because I feel that most of them think they are to expensive, but as professionals they are worth ever penny and then some.

and if you and I worked at the stores damm we would blow them away in sales.  however, they would have to pay commission.

case in point.  A least 10 times this last year while at woodcraft, if it was not for me explaining the tools to people in their a sale would have not been made.  I helped them sell about 7 gran in festools just while at the store buying stuff I needed, and some stuff I probably did not need!!

but the festools reps should put on training all the time and educate these people... I assume they do, but to what extent.  this is what the reps should be doing.  most sales people suck anyway mainly due to lack of training and skills.  and motivation.

and I have heard the same thing that the sales people think they are to expensive.
 
I am not sure what prompted it, but my local Woodcraft just sent several of their employees through the Festool University a few weeks ago.  I think it depends on the franchise owner. 
 
Chatted with the San Marco, CA Woodcraft store yesterday. He laughed as he was unpacking a shipment from Festool at that very moment. He also knew his Festool product line and could articulate differences between old and new models.

Mark
 
Brick stores which stock a few Festools with no depth of accessories or parts (I'm looking at you, Rockler) do Festool a great disservice.
Online dealers who have the depth fill an important need.

There's no advantage in checking out a Festool tool at a brick store and ordering off the net, because the price is the same either way unless you pay sales tax.

Festool has a typically European model of retailing, in which prices are high but product and service quality are high too. Judging from the US's enthusiasm for Festool they are doing something right. One of the best things about discovering Festool was seeing the part numbers for pretty much every piece of everything they make right in the documentation.

Heck, Festool uses metric measurements which should almost be a deal-breaker in the US. I say this having forced myself to measure in metric and discovered how superior it is--now I calculate on the fly in my head while I work and suffer from far fewer errors. (Metric is to feet-and-inches what Festool is to Black-and-Decker.)
 
I just think the franchised and large big box stores are the wrong brick and mortar stores for Festool. Service is best from  the smaller independently owned stores where the owner has a vested interest in giving good support. And where the owner is watching the activity and training of the employees much more carefully.

Did Festool make a mistake putting this stuff in the bigger stores? Maybe that is a good poll question.

Nick
 
I am a Woodcraft Store owner and would like to respond to this interesting thread.  It is true that Festool is going to a different pricing structure and it will affect all dealers.  The Festool model, as I look at it, is set up to encourage all dealers to train their employees, have a solid inventory of products to support the Festool Line and customers.
For a majority of Festool customers this means the ability to see, feel and touch the tools.

Woodcraft is indeed a franchise organization and has transitioned most of its stores to a franchise vs. corporate owned model.  This is not done to mitigate risk or any other accounting reason.  It is done to get a local guy in the store who will act like a small business owner, but have the buying power of a larger group.  Almost all Woodcraft stores are locally owned by people like me who have invested their savings in a store and woodworking career that they are very passionate about.  The local store does not act like a big box store and in most cases you will find the local store going out of their way to provide superior customer service and high quality products, like Festool.  Woodcraft is very committed to the Festool line of products.  It is true that on a rare occasion someone could find a situation where this may not be true, but in general everyone at Woodcraft (Corporate or Store) is committed to providing a service to the local woodworking community.  We go out of our way to help and appreciate your support.

 
Sappoman,
Thank you for your posting.  Woodcraft is one of the largest woodworking-related suppliers out there, and so we need to have your perspective on this matter.  As stated earlier, there is always more complexity to these matters that first meets the eye, and to really understand the situation we need to hear from all sides.

I've changed your profile so you show up as a "Festool Dealer" and your name is green.  When you get a chance, please post an introduction to yourself in the "Sales & Festool Dealer Area".

Thanks for joining the FOG.  Now that you are here, please join in other discussions throughout the forum.  It's good to have your perspective on things!

Thanks,
Matthew

 
square said:
Brick stores which stock a few Festools with no depth of accessories or parts (I'm looking at you, Rockler) do Festool a great disservice.
Online dealers who have the depth fill an important need.

There's no advantage in checking out a Festool tool at a brick store and ordering off the net, because the price is the same either way unless you pay sales tax.

Festool has a typically European model of retailing, in which prices are high but product and service quality are high too. Judging from the US's enthusiasm for Festool they are doing something right. One of the best things about discovering Festool was seeing the part numbers for pretty much every piece of everything they make right in the documentation.

Heck, Festool uses metric measurements which should almost be a deal-breaker in the US. I say this having forced myself to measure in metric and discovered how superior it is--now I calculate on the fly in my head while I work and suffer from far fewer errors. (Metric is to feet-and-inches what Festool is to Black-and-Decker.)
I like your comparison and will use it in the future.  I really can't understand why any informed people would prefer Imperial to Metric.
 
I do not know about that. I consider myself informed and used metric extensively in college courses. In woodworking I use Imperial. There is a feel that I like about it and for me it is simpler to visualize certain lengths.
 
Sappoman said:
I am a Woodcraft Store owner and would like to respond to this interesting thread.  It is true that Festool is going to a different pricing structure and it will affect all dealers.  The Festool model, as I look at it, is set up to encourage all dealers to train their employees, have a solid inventory of products to support the Festool Line and customers.
For a majority of Festool customers this means the ability to see, feel and touch the tools.

Woodcraft is indeed a franchise organization and has transitioned most of its stores to a franchise vs. corporate owned model.  This is not done to mitigate risk or any other accounting reason.  It is done to get a local guy in the store who will act like a small business owner, but have the buying power of a larger group.  Almost all Woodcraft stores are locally owned by people like me who have invested their savings in a store and woodworking career that they are very passionate about.  The local store does not act like a big box store and in most cases you will find the local store going out of their way to provide superior customer service and high quality products, like Festool.  Woodcraft is very committed to the Festool line of products.  It is true that on a rare occasion someone could find a situation where this may not be true, but in general everyone at Woodcraft (Corporate or Store) is committed to providing a service to the local woodworking community.   We go out of our way to help and appreciate your support.

That is NOT my experience in the IL stores at all.
 
Pretty hit or miss with regard to consumables at Woodcraft. 

Half the time I'd drive there when I was in a pinch, only to find what I needed was out of stock or they just didn't carry it.  A call to Bob Marino and a day or two later I've got what I need.

Jason

Dan Clermont said:
That is too bad. I've never been to a Woodcraft. Were they a good stocking dealer with plenty of consumables?

How was the knowledge base of the employees?

I would think that if they had knowledgeable staff and carreid most consumables to draw customers back into the store they would have been very successful and the volume may have been enough to make it worthwhile.

Dan Clermont
 
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