Your Kubota, Stihl and Case IH Dealer for Southeast Manitoba.

Divison of Chabot Implements as of Jan.2008

Please check our New Web page at http://www.chabotimplements.ca/index.php

Bernie and Gilles Chabot of Chabot Implements bring Case IH back to Steinbach as well as a wealth of experience in the Farm dealership industry. They are looking forward to serving southeast Manitoba.

Click here to visit Chabot Implements Web page.

 

Customer's Letter to Local Newspaper: Dealer Big on Service

Dear Sir:

Sometimes when we go shopping, we get a reminder how much things have changed with the big box retailers coming in and what effect this has on us as consumers. Over time, big box stores are becoming more than a major factor in our day-to-day buying. I guess the theory behind this trend is if you pile enough inventory under one roof, then people will assume this is the place with the best price to leave your hard earned dollar. Walmart's dominance in today's retail scene is proof of this theory as the big get bigger.

A flyer arrived in our mail a short time again ago and on the cover page in bold print was the statement of why legendary Stihl (a grass trimmer and chain saw manufacturer) is not sold in Home Depot or Canadian Tire. It further stated their products were only sold by 900 independent dealers and no product came in a box or not fully assembled.

This was all timely as I have had a large Stihl grass trimmer for over 25 years, giving it heavy use on acreages and it has never required service. My wife was now finding mine too heavy to use so off we went to Farmyard Supply in Steinbach to check out a new one. Salesman Myron Esau took us through the feature and benefits of the lighter models and accessories. We decided on a model and Myron then invited us into his office with two comfy chairs to do the paperwork. It was like we were buying a farm tractor or an automobile, except the last car we purchased the comfy chairs were offered in trying to sell you more stuff like extended warranties, undercoating, etc.

After the salesman finished with the paperwork and he himself taking our money, he informed us that he would personally fill the trimmer with gas, start it up to make sure it was running properly and he then even placed it in our vehicle. One more benefit was that these are no more expensive than many in the big box stores.

Now a comparison to what happens in the big box stores as I see it. You walk in and don't have a clue where the grass trimmers would be, as I think we can all agree there is not much rhyme or reason to where anything is. We then find someone and ask where the grass trimmers are located. We are pointed in a direction to aisle 14. Now, usually when you arrive at the location, you tend to feel lonely standing there with a bunch of boxes and no one to ask for a demo or to answer any questions.

You then go looking for a red or orange shirt and they then have to page someone to come to that department and in some cases have to page the person a second time. If you ask questions many times the expert looks in the instruction manual for the answer. By this time I am really ready for a comfy chair. Here you are, Sir, your product in a box to assemble and good luck. As I pay for it up front the person says, "Thanks for shopping at big box." Thanks for what?

Of course it's cheaper for the big boxes to give little or no information, no fuel, no assembly and no starting up or placing it in your vehicle for that matter and their high profits on the stock market show it.

We, the consumer slowly over time have become used to this type of marketing and it truly is high profit with little service. Let the customer do the work.

In closing, we hadn't been to Farmyard Supply in their new location 'til now and didn't know anyone there, but the quality of product and presentation were first class and we were treated for a couple of hundred dollars purchase like we were spending thousands of dollars.

Our congratulations.

Cliff and Shirley Menzies
Kleefeld, MB