Why Do You Go To Your Dealer

[sancho57]

Basically , Someone made a post about a long time dealer here.

That led me to think why do people go to that particular dealer. I have not had a bad experience that I felt with  with any festool dealer. They all have been great to me and offered great service.

For me I like the chat, My dealer is very knowledgeable of the tools how to use them techniques etc..Ill go to a dealer or call a dealer tell him what I want to buy  and then chat, not necessarily about the tool but about whats going on usually things like personalities, different projects, ways of doing different projects which leads into conversations about hardware, finishes etc. then maybe buy something else I can use to do the project I'm working on and chat some more. I usually end up buying more things which is OK.  In some cases I didn't buy something because the dealer told me I really didn't need it.

So what is about the guy/gal you buy from.

 

[Throwback7r]

Sounds like your dealer is pretty good at low pressure sales. Get you to talk more and more and that leads to more and more stuff they can sell you. Also, by talking you out of a few items here and there they are actually becoming the trusted sales person so that you buy all of your stuff from them.

Me I prefer to just buy what I need and get back to work.

 

[#Tee]

Imo its better, i go to my local woodcraft. the owner is knowledgeable with the brands they offer, the better i get to know them the more i want to give them my business. i drive the extra hour and pay taxes when i want something asap vs ordering from toolnut.

 

[six-point socket]

Hi!

I don't have that "one" dealer and I stopped looking for "the one" some time ago. I finally came to the conclusion that my expectations are obviously to high to be met. I probably was born a little too late to experience really cool Mom'n'Pop type tool/hardware stores with great service, a man or a woman behind the counter who "live" and "love" the products they sell and who have the knowledge how what they sell is used in the real world. So I go with Dylan on this one: The times they are a-changin'.

Maybe it's also just a dream, a fairytale that shops like this ever existed.

I buy my stuff either when I need it, then I go to one of the three to four pretty close by dealers. I go in, take what I need & pay, then I leave. Absolutely no chitchat, no more talking then absolutely necessary. Wasn't always that way, but I'm tired now.

Or I feel like "going shopping" - then I might look at dealer website's within a certain driving distance - see if they show their shop/showroom and try to estimate if they're well stocked and if I find something to my liking I'll make the trip. It's a 50/50 chance they hold up to my expectations on stock but I will always find something I can use or simply want and buy it. Since I always pay cash, I might ask for their "cash-price", some like that and will give a little discount or give a little accessory for free because they save on the bank-card/cc processing fees. That's fine by me, if they don't - it's also fine as I'm in "shopping mood". Depending on how well they are stocked and/or their speciality items I might go there again. Again, not to much talking anymore. Sometimes there might be an exception to this, for example with the dealer I got my DTS 400 from because the overall situation was pretty overwhelming.

Take the dealer I was at yesterday and bought the SYS-PH for example: I found out they are specialized in vintage to modern door/drawer fittings/hardware and vintage and modern locks . That's very cool and "saved" in my mind - so if I ever need something like that, I will make the trip again. But not to buy Festool because they only had very little accessories. So I would have to call ahead and order - I can do that at much closer dealers, too. I just went there because they were close by to the Roadshow which got me into "shopping mode"

I also browse Amazon when I'm in the mood, they have a lot 3rd partie Festool dealers and when I find something I want, I'll get it via Amazon Marketplace. I have one dealer there that I shop with frequently lately because he ships really quick with a reliable courier.

I'm not interested in building any kind of relationship with a dealer anymore.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[bobfog]

The "that store had everything" and the "owner who knows everything" is a bit of a myth.

In the world without the internet people went to their local store and if they had stock packed to the top of the shelves, it was assumed they "had everything". Likewise if a store owner was broadly knowledgable his opinions were taken as gospel.

These days with the internet we can browse a vast array of products and it becomes more easily/quickly apparent when your bricks and mortar store doesn't quite have the same inventory as Amazon. Before the Internet we just chose from what the store owner advised was available, now we agonise over offerings from tens of manufacturers and have become fussy.

Likewise everyone is an expert if they have a smart phone and Google, so holes in the knowledge of the store owner and any questionable advice to sell the products they have in stock is more readily exposed.

Personally I have three main dealers I go to. One largeish chain, one independent and one online as my first ports of call. Normally between the three I can find an acceptable price, though if there's a significantly cheaper alternative online one of the three will usually price match.

 

[Kev]

I go for the tactile experience and the genuine human interaction.

If someone in a store believes they can flog me something I don't want I'll enjoy the entertainment of seeing them try [wink]

The local Festool dealer that gets my business is well stocked, knowledgable, friendly and will bend over backwards to help a customer out. There's another Festool retailer a stones throw further that I simply will not buy from and will only go there if there's something I absolutely can't get anywhere else (being non Festool obviously).

I do buy stuff online, but if it's something I want to see, touch, try on, smell, etc I'll buy from the store that has provided me the exposure to the goods. I personally think the kind of people that do things like going into a shoe store, try on a size and say "I'll think about it" ... then go and hunt down the lowest online price are scum!!

I get it that some people are on the job and its "work not pleasure" - get in/get out/get on with it, but I look at life differently. Plus you've got the "detached people" .. those that can find human interaction confronting and like limiting their interactions through online stores, forums, etc.

The future is coming and we'll all be in the Matrix soon enough. No harm in enjoying what the "non-virtual" world has to offer while we can [wink]

 

[sancho57]

Im with you Kev. I go into the shop chat with the guys , get to know them, and them me ya build sort of a trust and a relationship. I find that once you get that relationship they'll go out of their way more for someone they know and who is a regular customer then someone off the street walking grabbing something off the shelf and out the door.

Im sure you heard me talk about Austin Hardware. id get off work around 10Am on Fridays and they were near my work. So I take the drive over there sometimes just to chat or pick up a few minor bits. One salesman would chat with me quite and bit they even have stools at the counter so customers could sit. Oh we'd talk about things jigs and methods of work things I found out from here that were going on in Europe , new bit of kits etc. Austin for the most part hires only experienced woodworkers who have businesses and worked there part time especially when work is slow.

I learned a lot from those guys there. Not just festoons but finishing techniques, new hardware things that make my life easier.

 

[MrGinCT]

I'd love to have a dealer within 1 hour drive that 1) has a decent inventory and 2) has employees that have  a decent level of knowledge about various Festool products.  The Only dealer within 1 hour drive of me, at least as far as I know, is a Woodcraft store. 
I needed to replace a 5/8" router guide bushing and the only one that they had was their store brand.  Which isn't normally an issue, but I needed to know if it would properly fit into the guide bushing holder on the Festool.  I asked the employee that was wearing a Festool shirt on with the expectation that he would be familiar with the Festool 1400 router's guide bushing holder.
I might as well asked him the question in Klingon, because he had absolutely no clue.  To his credit he asked his manager who was too busy on the computer to really pay attention to the question he was asked.  It took me about 10 more minutes to explaining what I needed from him before he got it.
My thought is, if you are going to work in a retail store, you should spend your non busy time familiarizing yourself with the products your employer sells.

 

[dalep]

I have bought almost all of my collection from the same dealer  (Nuts & Bolts in Weston Super-Mare) about 55 miles away, mainly because they have such a large stock holding, that they have had everything in stock, I have a dealer much closer but they don't carry the same amount of stock,  and several times they would have to order it in for me.

I am a analytical shopper, i will think about what I need to buy, for days or weeks, but when I make up my mind, i want it now!

So far I have bought about 25 tools from this same dealer and have always found their service to be fine. My local dealer has also been fine, but just don't carry the range of stock.

* Edited to reflect the dealer I use *

Dale

 

[Holmz]

Sometimes a store is not close.
I have gone to stores on trips to have a look at things.
So sometimes one has to order on-line and hope.

 

[Doug S]

The two Festool dealers near me are useless so I buy everything online, I go to woodworking shows to have a play with things then buy them online from wherever is cheapest.

Drove 4hrs round trip to an Axminster store recently to look at a couple of tablesaws, I phoned the day before to check they were on display in store. When I got there one did not have the sliding table on as "They could not fit it in" and the other was put together wrong so the sliding table didn't work properly, a member of staff said it was fine and demonstrated the way he thought it should be used which was very wrong and very dangerous. I borrowed some spanners and the instruction booklet and made the necessary alterations so it would work properly. I then went on to look at a Festool BHC drill only to be told by the assistant that they were overpriced for what they are and I would be better off buying the Bosch or Makita!

They lost over £2k in sales and I wasted my Sunday  [mad]

Doug

 

[bobfog]

The two Festool dealers near me are useless so I buy everything online, I go to woodworking shows to have a play with things then buy them online from wherever is cheapest.

Drove 4hrs round trip to an Axminster store recently to look at a couple of tablesaws, I phoned the day before to check they were on display in store. When I got there one did not have the sliding table on as "They could not fit it in" and the other was put together wrong so the sliding table didn't work properly, a member of staff said it was fine and demonstrated the way he thought it should be used which was very wrong and very dangerous. I borrowed some spanners and the instruction booklet and made the necessary alterations so it would work properly. I then went on to look at a Festool BHC drill only to be told by the assistant that they were overpriced for what they are and I would be better off buying the Bosch or Makita!

They lost over £2k in sales and I wasted my Sunday  [mad]

Doug

My local Axminster (and I mean local, as they're less than 10 mins away) are superb. They do however have (what I think to be) a few part-time staff who don't "get" Festool and also make recommendations for other products that sometimes are inferior. I went to buy my Domino 500 and the old part-time assistant tried to instead "save me some money" by pushing a traditional biscuit jointer, i'm sure his intentions were good, but he wasn't really on the ball with why the Domino was superior. However there are time when certain Festool's are over-priced, so I guess you have to give them credit for not jumping on the Festool bandwagon.

 

[dalep]

Axminster are one of the 3 I have used, i have used the Basingstoke and Axminster branches and had no problems at all, I migrated to Nuts & Bolts simply because of the wide range of stock they hold

At the time Axminster were out of stock of the Planex and Vac-Sys

Dale

 

[Paul G]

There's only one in my city region, Woodcraft, thankfully they've gotten better over the years plus I know which of the staff is more informed than others. Also they are really close to my home which makes things convenient. They could do better stocking consumables, sometimes I'm desperate for something they don't have and get it online instead, otherwise I wait for their turnaround to help them out. Maybe their coming Festool roadshow will help them sell even more.

 

[Mort]

I was recommended to an excellent place in the University District in Seattle by a member here. It's about ten minutes from my mom's house so it's local-ish, and it's more a great old time hardware store that happens to sell Festool. Let's be honest, I do most of my research here and on YouTube so when I go in I already know what I want.

This place has absolutely everything though, and the prices are pretty darn reasonable, especially considering its in the middle of the city and its independent.

 

[Birdhunter]

There are 3 woodworking stores within a 30 minute drive from my house.

One no longer carries Festool. That store has extremely knowledgeable staff who have proved to be both helpful and friendly.

One is a National chain store. The staff are friendly and willing to help. They carry Festool products, but seem to have very limited knowledge of the tools.

The other one is a local store. The staff are friendly and helpful. All the staff have a high degree of expertise in one or more areas of woodworking. They have a high level of knowledge about Festool products. I enjoy going there to browse. That's where I buy almost all of my Festool products.

There is a major woodworking equipment company that sells the "big iron". That is where I buy tools like my Industrial Sawstop, Powermatic planer , and other big pieces of equipment that the local stores do not carry. This store will deliver and set up the products they sell.

 

[GavsterUK]

Great Thread Jobsworth!

A lot here for any dealer to digest.

I'll tell you what we offer and now tell us what else we need to do.... [smile]

We pride ourselves with offering all the "standard" tools in stock and their accessories and consumables.
My dads a time served chippy and we have an engineer and associated workshop for "out of warranty" repairs (often whilst you wait..) [eek] Coffee's always free and so are the kit kats... when you want to have a play come along,did i also mention ive a little "play area" upstairs with most tools available to actually use.. [wink] [wink]

I get all the Internet stuff etc etc and the worlds changing etc and if you knew how hard it was for me to have to simply say "I cant match that price" but I do have to say things are changing so if you see UK deals snap them up  :-X
So in summary we may not always have the deals that are less than our cost price [unsure]...but how do you ever beat driving home with that cardboard box in the back and the grin that says "i've just bought it"  [big grin] [big grin]

We have a saying here... "people buy from people"  [smile]

 

[six-point socket]

...

I'll tell you what we offer and now tell us what else we need to do.... [smile]

...

Probably nothing reading about your offerings  - but that is because this thread, at least my reply, is not directed at dealers like you.

Obviously you care about Festool and your customers - you bothered to register here. My guess is to stay up to date and because you have a interest in woodworking through your Dad and/or maybe by yourself.

But dealers like you are sadly a minority. Although they exist in all fields of expertise. Go to a forum and you will find highly regarded and connected dealers that take a lot of pride in offering excellent service and guidance to their customers (and have a larger customer base through said forum, might even have forum users from out of town/out of country swinging by or mail ordering).

But show me a dealer like that "in the wild"

My hat is off to dealers like you  [not worthy]  [thumbs up] , but like I said - I stopped looking for one here as I don't think I will ever find one.

Are you up to a little game?  [eek] [scared] [big grin] I was shopping today and bought the SYS-CART at one of my close by dealers. I also wanted to buy a drill bit set: BKS D 3-8 CE/W. Dealer's answer: We don't have this, we need to order it, it is too expensive.

Your take on this? Do you have BKS D 3-8 CE/W in stock and would consider this to be a very basic accessory that should be readily available to any customer asking for it?

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[GavsterUK]

uh oh i thought this would come.. [blink]....straight out no we dont have it...  [embarassed] [embarassed] [crying]
I could give you a million and one reasons..festool not specifying it as part of the display etc..
normally would keep the individual bits though!

but ultimately we find we dont sell a lot of Centrotec bits...be glad of feedback here as its often puzzled me.
(we are primarily serving wood flooring customers but do have a wide variety of local chippys etc)

 

[Holzhacker]

I'm very fortunate. While we only have one Festool dealer in Chicago they are great. I try to buy as little as possible of anything online; prefer bricks and mortar. In terms of why I go to my dealer.
- great, knowledgeable people
- ability to actually check out the tools
- shoot the breeze
- find and buy crap I didn't know I needed