Should extras be included with new Stihl Chainsaw?

[AKDoug]

If I was to purchase a new Stihl chainsaw from a dealer, is it customary to expect or ask for any extras, such as additional chain, extra bar, upgraded chain, oil, fuel, chain sharpener, case, etc...?

This little chart shows the damage discounts can do to a business.

It really depends on your market, but most successful businesses that will survive long term are running in the 35% to 40% gross profit margin area. I price my products fairly and provide excellent service. I do not discount Stihl products or my repair charges. The margins on my Stihl department are at the average of the entire business, so discounts would hurt me severely in the long run. I have repeatedly said that I come to these forums with a desire to learn more about customers needs, as well as bettering my repair knowledge and techniques. I do not understand the concept of one working man asking another for a discount. The majority of Stihl shops are owned by every day people that work hard for their money too. I don't ask people that I do business with for a discount. I judge them on service and attitude first, price second. I guess I'm just strange.

 

[AKDoug]

I asked about the screwdrivers because I have heard that some dealers are afraid to give them to people buying saws, assuming that they will screw them up if they start messing with the carb adjustments.

Do Huskys come with screwdrivers?

Philbert

Most Stihl saw come with the screwdriver, scrench and owner's manual. I give them all to my customers and explain their use. To answer the OP, these are items that come with the saw and that is all we give.

 

[farmer steve]

i travel 37 miles to my stihl dealer.his chains are buy 2 get 3rd free. his 1 chain price is not "marked up" to cover the free chains. no other stihl dealers can beat his price. i can get 3 16" chains for less than $40. he trats his customers well and they come back.

 

[KenJax Tree]

I never got a screw driver with my Husky's


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[showrguy]

what about if I buy a ms360?

how are you gonna buy a new ms 360 from your dealer ???
they've been outa production for atleast 5 years...

 

[mopar3]

When buying a new saw my dealer will throw in a free chain and a six pack of oil. I pay msrp for the saw. I think it works out better for the dealer to throw you a small bone with a couple freebies that only cost him say 20.00. Versus say taking 20% off a 900.00 saw. I really appreciate the fact that he is willing to do anything.

 

[mopar3]

The fact my dealer gives a free chain and oil is the reason I buy all my OPE there versus the other guy that says the price is list no deals ect. Everything is negotiable in business. So you will get nothing if you don't ask.

 

[Time's Standing Stihl]

The last two saws i have purchased came with a hard case and a chain. One even came with a fancy little screwdriver!

 

[1Alpha1]

I figure if a dealer can't afford to give any kind of discount, he or she will say so. Sometimes, that's the case and other times it's not.

I manage my money as best I can. For the most part, it's been a productive reward. I don't have so much of it that I just wander around and pay all merchants exactly what they want. If I had done that, my new water heater installed by a local well-known plumbing company, would have cost me in excess of $1800.00

But, I did my homework, bought the water heater and most all items that I needed, found a retired plumber, and had him install it. My FINAL cost was just about $525.00

I look at it this way. There's always a better price to be had. All you have to do is look for one.

 

[dall]

lmao my dealer here doesn't even give you the scrench and if ask for anything he adds onto the price never a discount just bring lube and plan on taking one

 

[1Alpha1]

lmao my dealer here doesn't even give you the scrench and if ask for anything he adds onto the price never a discount just bring lube and plan on taking one

Some Stihl dealers act like you're trying to screw um over if you ask for a discount. Those dealers, I do not patronize.

There are Stihl dealers out there that want to do business. They are the ones that don't act like their prices are carved in stone. I get so tired of hearing a Stihl dealer tell me that if he sells off of MSRP or DSRP, he could lose his dealership.

Just be honest and tell me to my face that you don't want to give a discount. Don't blame Stihl for it.

 

[machinisttx]

lmao my dealer here doesn't even give you the scrench and if ask for anything he adds onto the price never a discount just bring lube and plan on taking one

I would stop doing business there.

 

[dall]

well I wasn't blaming stihl for it I know its him he is known for bad customer relations but a lot here like doing business locally he feel if a saw or piece of yard equipment didn't come from him then its junk even has a sign says if wasn't sold here repair price is higher

 

[fearofpavement]

Do you ask a car dealer to throw in an extra set of tires?

Gary

Last new car I bought they threw in two new tires for my truck to close the deal.

 

[1Alpha1]

well I wasn't blaming stihl for it I know its him he is known for bad customer relations but a lot here like doing business locally he feel if a saw or piece of yard equipment didn't come from him then its junk even has a sign says if wasn't sold here repair price is higher

That is a perfect example of a Stihl dealer that you don't want to do business with.

Seems to be as many bad Stihl dealers as there are good ones.

 

[CR888]

This little chart shows the damage discounts can do to a business.

It really depends on your market, but most successful businesses that will survive long term are running in the 35% to 40% gross profit margin area. I price my products fairly and provide excellent service. I do not discount Stihl products or my repair charges. The margins on my Stihl department are at the average of the entire business, so discounts would hurt me severely in the long run. I have repeatedly said that I come to these forums with a desire to learn more about customers needs, as well as bettering my repair knowledge and techniques. I do not understand the concept of one working man asking another for a discount. The majority of Stihl shops are owned by every day people that work hard for their money too. I don't ask people that I do business with for a discount. I judge them on service and attitude first, price second. I guess I'm just strange.

l accept what your saying and you are entitled to charge whatever suits you. However if your not offering anything and someone can purchase the same product/warranty from a dealer in the next town for less, you WILL loose a lot of business. This is a simple fact of the free market. Ever heard the saying, '1 bird in the hand is better than 10 in the bush'. Well sometimes you got to look at the bigger picture. Even if you make zero profit on a saw, if the customer leaves happy guess where he will come to get service/parts and other products. Who will the customer recommend to his family/friends when they need to buy a saw or have one serviced? Who will your suppliers give the best deals to..the shop that sells a 100 saws a year or the shop that sold 10,000? High turnover will keep you books looking good and give you buying power. Most people WILL take price over pretty smiles and if you want to grow in this highly competitive consumer world you gotta offer something different to the guy down the road. You want to be taking HIS customers and have people drive the extra mile to your shop as they KNOW you can offer better. Some will never grasp this l realize....but this is the environment you operate in. If you don't accept being average and want to make real money, you must evolve & give the customer what they want. Unfortunately it does not matter how nice you are or how many charity's you support, new customers don't know that and probably don't care!

 

[1Alpha1]

l accept what your saying and you are entitled to charge whatever suits you. However if your not offering anything and someone can purchase the same product/warranty from a dealer in the next town for less, you WILL loose a lot of business. This is a simple fact of the free market. Ever heard the saying, '1 bird in the hand is better than 10 in the bush'. Well sometimes you got to look at the bigger picture. Even if you make zero profit on a saw, if the customer leaves happy guess where he will come to get service/parts and other products. Who will the customer recommend to his family/friends when they need to buy a saw or have one serviced? Who will your suppliers give the best deals to..the shop that sells a 100 saws a year or the shop that sold 10,000? High turnover will keep you books looking good and give you buying power. Most people WILL take price over pretty smiles and if you want to grow in this highly competitive consumer world you gotta offer something different to the guy down the road. You want to be taking HIS customers and have people drive the extra mile to your shop as they KNOW you can offer better. Some will never grasp this l realize....but this is the environment you operate in. If you don't accept being average and want to make real money, you must evolve & give the customer what they want. Unfortunately it does not matter how nice you are or how many charity's you support, new customers don't know that and probably don't care!

Good points you made. Too damn bad that more Stihl dealers don't think this way. It's all about moving inventory.

 

[TheManOfStihl]

My local dealer is a good dealer, but they recently found out that I do chainsaw repair in my garage, in the next town over from them. They don't like that. I'm not taking business from them but they are sure that I am. They aren't real nice to me. And when I go in to order Stihl parts, no one will acknowledge me until I approach them, then it's a race to get done and get me out of the store. They are a small hardware / dealership and they really don't do much repair work, they sell new equipment more than anything, they told me that. So what gives? I don't ask for discounts, I pay what they ask. I've bought a few basketcase saws from them before, at their price, and rebuilt them and made money. Apparently they don't like that?

It's not the dealership, it's the people behind it. They make their own rules and I agree with that, but when customer service goes out the window...

Think of it this way. If I get good service, I might tell five people. If I get bad service, I'm going to tell EVERYONE. I don't want to badmouth their store as I don't want them badmouthing my business either, but come on. My old man is friends with the owner and they love him. Oh well I guess. I've started going to a different dealer about 30 miles out, just for the better attitude. And they KNOW I repair saws.

 

[Deleted member 83629]

When i bought my Stihl ms171 a few weeks ago it came with the bar cover,manuals,scrench,screwdriver and he threw in a file for the little .043 chain.
a few clams later and a firm handshake later i was out the door he did test fire the saw for me before it left and tuned it for me since this model is tunable.

 

[Oliver1655]

After waiting 9 months for the Jonsered distribution system to be rebuilt a while back, without asking for a discount, my local saw shop gave a a big discount. It came with a scrench & owners manual. He was showing his appreciation for me waiting instead of going with another brand/dealer.

With the new splined/"D"/... screws used in carbs now a days, I am surprised any brand is giving out small screwdrivers.

One local Stihl dealer has will regularly offer a discount & another is strictly by the list price. They are far enough apart they really don't effect each other's business.