Recon Tool Sale - further thoughts and a decison.

[AndrewMV]

This sale is a great opportunity to pick up what I cant justify buying for just occasional use but...

It is completely unfair to the dealers, I know every dealer is slammed with calls. I feel terrible that I am going to have to add to their frustrations if I see something I want listed.  I tried earlier in the week but I think my items were gone 5 min after I got off the phone with Bob. I wish there was a better system in place for everyone.

 

[Bob Marino]

  Thanks each and everyone posting and PM'ing. Your kind words are appreciated more than you.

  Bob

 

[rvieceli]

Bob you know we love you!

I'm still having a hard time understanding how you could choose your personal life and your family over a bunch of yahoos on the Internet!  [eek]

 

[Bob Marino]

This sale is a great opportunity to pick up what I cant justify buying for just occasional use but...

It is completely unfair to the dealers, I know every dealer is slammed with calls. I feel terrible that I am going to have to add to their frustrations if I see something I want listed.  I tried earlier in the week but I think my items were gone 5 min after I got off the phone with Bob. I wish there was a better system in place for everyone.

  Hi Andrew,

  This sale is a great way to add to the arsenal or being able to buy at a price point that suits your budget. This point may have gotten a bit lost in the drama. But please never ever feel "terrible that I am going to have to add to their frustrations if I see something I want listed." That is simply not true for myself as well as for any other dealer participating in this sale. It's the process not the customer. Again, it's the  process, not the customer.

Yes, hopefully next time around, the system may/will change.

I'm sorry that you did not get those tools, but the good news is that the field will be repopulating each day.

Thanks again.

Bob

 

[Bob Marino]

Bob you know we love you!

I'm still having a hard time understanding how you could choose your personal life and your family over a bunch of yahoos on the Internet!  [eek]

Ha, ha. "Yahoos"?  Say what? My customers are da best. My customers literally and figuratively support me, as this is my livelihood. The fact that I am able to sell the best tools to the best customers is simply icing on that cake.

Bob

 

[downtheroad]

Bob,

Thank you for the great service and sacrifices you've made during this recon sale. It must have been hard on your family, too.

I received my T18 drill on Tuesday and used it at work the next day and just love it. My buddy was so impressed that he is now considering a T12 for himself.

Again, thanks and looking forward to more great purchases from you in the future.

 

[Theshipstore]

Bob.  I want to say Thank You for all you have done for me over the years. I am proud to have met you personally and had some great chats during those meetings. I am looking forward to JLC Rhode Island's Festool Connect to shake your hand and Thank You again in person.
I know when I need you will be there

Sal

 

[grbmds]

Bob,

Just confirmation of your dedication to service and your customers. The orders I've gotten from you have always been there so fast that I can't even imagine how you get them shipped and to me in that amount of time. Never damaged. Ordering from you is a great alternative which I plan to use more in the future. I can completely understand frustration with the reconditioned tool sale. While I did buy some things this year, I doubt I'd do it again in the future. The discount has to be at least 30% to make it worthwhile to take a chance on the condition of the tool and lose 2 years of warranty. Just doesn't seem like it's a good deal. Plus, I would assume that dealers reap less with at least as much work. I understand why some have never participated. Plus, I thought it was kind of unfair that Festool suddenly dumped all these tools on the market at 40% off. I felt a bit cheated that I even bought any reconditioned tools prior to that.

 

[Janmara1]

I believe that festool has made a serious mistake in running this type of sale 40% off.
Discounting is like taking drugs. Every business becomes a prisoner of their own success.the artificial sales volume they created will haunt them in the future when they won't be able too duplicate it and be forced to artificially create demand via a percentage off this is just the beginning period

 

[Tinker]

Bob,
I have not read any of the replies (I only just came across this) to your heartfelt note.  I do know somewhat of what you certainly went thru in making your decision.  I know first hand how hard you work and how you are always accessible at any time and any day.  I have, upon occasion, sent you a note requesting only information on a Saturday or Sunday, expecting a reply later, say Monday, but receiving your immediate reply and immediate follow thru.  I have not found any other salesperson who has done that; and you have never made me feel that you are being rushed or that my call was out of place, meaning I could have called at a better time.

I know how hard it is to ave to tell a customer, in this case, many customers that you must discontinue a service.  That is very difficult.  Been there and done that.  I don't wish that on anybody, especially on one who has always been so conscientious and helpful. 

My admiration and regards
Tinker

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Sounds more like unapreciative customers more then anything. 

 

[jimbo51]

Why do you blame the customers? I did not see much that would support your statement. Bob himself did not blame the customers.

 

[Throwback7r]

How about not releasing every day.. but say M W F at the same time or just once a week, so that more product can be allocated.

I still don't know how Bob does it. People have families and other personal stuff. I understand why Bob chose to not continue to be part of the recon sale.

Thank again for the great customer service BOB!

 

[sae]

How about not releasing every day.. but say M W F at the same time or just once a week, so that more product can be allocated.

That's creating artificial peak times that bog down dealers.

 

[grbmds]

How about just sending them to dealers to sell as reconditioned in their stores? I know not all would participate, but it would sure make more sense. For the stores that people walk into, you could see what's available and not just guess as to condition of the tool. For internet based stores, the dealers would have a firm idea of what's available to them and, when that's gone, it's gone. Distribute the reconditioned tools amongst those dealers who want them according to some formula like percent of sales volume. The game of trying to get on the phone when you see something you want and hope you get it doesn't appeal to me and I won't do it anymore. With the sander and light I bought, it was a good discount for tools that aren't my heaviest use tools, but a gamble because of the 1-year warranty. For the MK700 I wish I had not bought it reconditioned. Got a Classic Systainer which I didn't realize was not that useful for stacking and, while the tool was in great condition, I'm not really sure it was worth the warranty gamble. All future purchases will likely be new. It doesn't make sense to buy reconditioned for the 10% or 20% off tools.

 

[Bob Marino]

Again, to all those customers offering their kind words of support and understanding, I can only say with all sincerity, that I am a lucky man to have you guys as my customers. But to reiterate, I did not fully divorce myself from the recon sale, its that I need to let customers know if that  phone line is busy or unanswered - and it will be, please try another dealer. I can't have my  (and new customers) waiting on me if I am not available. Again, done with deep regrets, but I can't promise what I can't deliver.

  Thanks!

Bob

 

[Just F Me]

The whole business model for Festool seems to be that they want their dealers to stock certain things, and if the customer doesn't like it, they'll take it back no hassle.  This no hassle allows the dealer to take back a product and Festool will take care of it.  The reseller doesn't have to worry about "well, this one looks used pretty bad", and then struggle to sell it later, or telling the customer they can't take it back. 

Hence why it has to go back to Festool, then they sell it.  But I think it should be a thing where maybe Festool sells it direct, but at the same time, they probably don't want to hurt their dealer channel so the resellers get a piece of the business for selling a recon tool.  To make the resellers BUY the recon tool first, then try and sell it, well, that sorta makes sense, but who knows how long a recon tool will stay on the shelf? 

It's problematic both ways.

 

[Bob Marino]

Sounds more like unapreciative customers more then anything.

Hey Guys,

I need to be very clear here. This statement does not reflect my view at all, and (I think) Darcy was commenting on those who are dissatisfied with the whole idea of the 40% sale. On that opinion - to each his own.

Bob

 

[Bob Marino]

How about just sending them to dealers to sell as reconditioned in their stores? I know not all would participate, but it would sure make more sense. For the stores that people walk into, you could see what's available and not just guess as to condition of the tool. For internet based stores, the dealers would have a firm idea of what's available to them and, when that's gone, it's gone. Distribute the reconditioned tools amongst those dealers who want them according to some formula like percent of sales volume. The game of trying to get on the phone when you see something you want and hope you get it doesn't appeal to me and I won't do it anymore. With the sander and light I bought, it was a good discount for tools that aren't my heaviest use tools, but a gamble because of the 1-year warranty. For the MK700 I wish I had not bought it reconditioned. Got a Classic Systainer which I didn't realize was not that useful for stacking and, while the tool was in great condition, I'm not really sure it was worth the warranty gamble. All future purchases will likely be new. It doesn't make sense to buy reconditioned for the 10% or 20% off tools.

The recon tools are almost entirely tools that have been returned under the 30 day warranty. Selling the recons to dealers simply would create more headaches than not as the list gets updated in real time and new tools get added once a day. How would the dealer know what tools to buy? And in what quantities? And what would stop a dealer from buying some of these tools and hording them until the sale was over and only offering a 25% markup for these same tools? And cherry picking the slightly used tools to sell to his favorite customer and the more used/better conditioned tool to be given to "the other guy?" And how will the stores offer real time inventory to those customers? Nah, there are another half dozen reasons why this would be an untenable way of selling the tools.
B

 

[grbmds]

How about just sending them to dealers to sell as reconditioned in their stores? I know not all would participate, but it would sure make more sense. For the stores that people walk into, you could see what's available and not just guess as to condition of the tool. For internet based stores, the dealers would have a firm idea of what's available to them and, when that's gone, it's gone. Distribute the reconditioned tools amongst those dealers who want them according to some formula like percent of sales volume. The game of trying to get on the phone when you see something you want and hope you get it doesn't appeal to me and I won't do it anymore. With the sander and light I bought, it was a good discount for tools that aren't my heaviest use tools, but a gamble because of the 1-year warranty. For the MK700 I wish I had not bought it reconditioned. Got a Classic Systainer which I didn't realize was not that useful for stacking and, while the tool was in great condition, I'm not really sure it was worth the warranty gamble. All future purchases will likely be new. It doesn't make sense to buy reconditioned for the 10% or 20% off tools.

The recon tools are almost entirely tools that have been returned under the 30 day warranty. Selling the recons to dealers simply would create more headaches than not as the list gets updated in real time and new tools get added once a day. How would the dealer know what tools to buy? And in what quantities? And what would stop a dealer from buying some of these tools and hording them until the sale was over and only offering a 25% markup for these same tools? And cherry picking the slightly used tools to sell to his favorite customer and the more used/better conditioned tool to be given to "the other guy?" And how will the stores offer real time inventory to those customers? Nah, there are another half dozen reasons why this would be an untenable way of selling the tools.
B

Whatever . .. I won't likely ever buy any again anyway. The extra effort and loss of 2 years warranty really don't make them a great deal. At 30% or above, maybe, but even then, I think the risk is greater and the effort required isn't worth it.