Please Boycott Dolmar OPE
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spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
A couple of comments on some of the sugestions in this thread.
Terry Green is not in a position where he can or should enter a controversy such as this. Distributors such as CPS usually make the calls in these situations without interference from the OEM.
It should not be suggested that a full line OPE dealer is unable or unlikely to do a good job with saws. Any shop can have both strengths and weaknesses, but this characterization is unfair. Also remember that there are more products in the Dolmar catelog than just saws, and that Dolmar wants to sell them.
As good a line as Dolmar may be, no one is going to have a full time business and make a living just selling Dolmar. With perhaps a handfull of exceptions, Stihl and Husky cannot usually carry a business all by themselves. They need to be in a full time, full LINE dealership. Again, not just to support the overhead of the store, but because both Stihl and Husky are very aggressive about selling their non saw products.
Tony;
I'm sorry that I've appeared to be one of the guys who have come down hard against you. I was just trying to point out some of the realities in todays' world that not everyone wished to see. I think that the call for a boycott was wrong as well as pre-mature. (And I think that you should retract that call.) Except for low priced internet sales, which is obviously a sore point with me, I do think that your heart was in the right place as far as your business was concerned. You would probably bend over backward for your customers far more than most. You certainly had a passion for the saw business. However as Sedanman said, what you are presently doing would still have to be placed in the hobby category in todays' business world. This is an unfortunate, and cold reality; and I've got to say, kind of sad because it's just so much harder to start a business from nothing these days. Years before I had my own store, I worked for a Sachs-Dolmar distributor calling on many shops like yours. Some of my favorite people ran those shops and I looked forward to stopping in, sitting by the woodstove and talking saws. I often wonder how those guys are doing today. I haven't forgotten where I came from. But Dolmar's problem is that for the most part, they are STILL THERE. Still in all of those little shops scattered around the back roads. The change to the new distribution network is a necessary, yet painfull to some, step to make Dolmar the real line that it deserves to be, with a good strong dealer network.
I do wish you the best, and hope that you can work something out with someone and keep your shop going in some way. You enjoy it and your customers like you. It would be a shame to see another shop like that disappear.
Terry Green is not in a position where he can or should enter a controversy such as this. Distributors such as CPS usually make the calls in these situations without interference from the OEM.
It should not be suggested that a full line OPE dealer is unable or unlikely to do a good job with saws. Any shop can have both strengths and weaknesses, but this characterization is unfair. Also remember that there are more products in the Dolmar catelog than just saws, and that Dolmar wants to sell them.
As good a line as Dolmar may be, no one is going to have a full time business and make a living just selling Dolmar. With perhaps a handfull of exceptions, Stihl and Husky cannot usually carry a business all by themselves. They need to be in a full time, full LINE dealership. Again, not just to support the overhead of the store, but because both Stihl and Husky are very aggressive about selling their non saw products.
Tony;
I'm sorry that I've appeared to be one of the guys who have come down hard against you. I was just trying to point out some of the realities in todays' world that not everyone wished to see. I think that the call for a boycott was wrong as well as pre-mature. (And I think that you should retract that call.) Except for low priced internet sales, which is obviously a sore point with me, I do think that your heart was in the right place as far as your business was concerned. You would probably bend over backward for your customers far more than most. You certainly had a passion for the saw business. However as Sedanman said, what you are presently doing would still have to be placed in the hobby category in todays' business world. This is an unfortunate, and cold reality; and I've got to say, kind of sad because it's just so much harder to start a business from nothing these days. Years before I had my own store, I worked for a Sachs-Dolmar distributor calling on many shops like yours. Some of my favorite people ran those shops and I looked forward to stopping in, sitting by the woodstove and talking saws. I often wonder how those guys are doing today. I haven't forgotten where I came from. But Dolmar's problem is that for the most part, they are STILL THERE. Still in all of those little shops scattered around the back roads. The change to the new distribution network is a necessary, yet painfull to some, step to make Dolmar the real line that it deserves to be, with a good strong dealer network.
I do wish you the best, and hope that you can work something out with someone and keep your shop going in some way. You enjoy it and your customers like you. It would be a shame to see another shop like that disappear.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Thank you for the kind words. I understand that for a business to last, it necessarily has to be profitable, and that calls for sometimes painfully hard decisions. I just think that this decision was not a good one, morally, or financially.
I have always understood that saws alone would not create a full time business. I would have sold any Dolmar OPE had there been a demand for it. I have had some inquiries on cut off saws and trimmers, but nothing serious enough to warrant stocking those items at the time. I really wanted to focus my attention on a store aimed at those people heating with wood, and professional chainsaw users. I wanted to make a business out of cutting and selling firewood, woodstoves, splitters, chainsaws, and other wood cutting accessories, servicing all makes of chainsaws, and sharpening chains. With the price of heating fuel going through the roof, and Dolmar making a quality product, I thought I would be into a market that would grow to a full time business. The key was I wanted to GROW into a full time business, not just tie up a bunch of cash to plunk down this new store and hope that customers would come. I have a family to support, a mortgage to pay, and am not independantly wealthy! This business was a sacrifice, one I made hoping to see the fruits of my labor years down the road. I could have made more money with way less effort by investing the same amount of money I did into my shop into my 401K instead!
I did not mean to imply that a store that does not soley sell chainsaws cannot be a quality saw shop, but if a store stocks chainsaws to meet the obligagtion of a distributor, and yet makes better profit on other products, which do you think will get the bulk of the attention, and rightfully so.
I viewed the out of state sales as a necessary evil at this point. I needed some volume to get started, and I believed that as local customers developed, I could shift my focus. As I said, I tried not to sell out of state to people with local Dolmar dealers. And every saw I sent out is advertisement for Dolmar, and helping to establish the quality of the product, not to mention creating some local demand for parts and service.
I do not think my shop would take away any business from any neighboring Dolmar dealership, or take away any business from any out of state dealerships. I do think that my shop was creating some new interest in Dolmar that otherwise would never have been, and now will never be.
I have always understood that saws alone would not create a full time business. I would have sold any Dolmar OPE had there been a demand for it. I have had some inquiries on cut off saws and trimmers, but nothing serious enough to warrant stocking those items at the time. I really wanted to focus my attention on a store aimed at those people heating with wood, and professional chainsaw users. I wanted to make a business out of cutting and selling firewood, woodstoves, splitters, chainsaws, and other wood cutting accessories, servicing all makes of chainsaws, and sharpening chains. With the price of heating fuel going through the roof, and Dolmar making a quality product, I thought I would be into a market that would grow to a full time business. The key was I wanted to GROW into a full time business, not just tie up a bunch of cash to plunk down this new store and hope that customers would come. I have a family to support, a mortgage to pay, and am not independantly wealthy! This business was a sacrifice, one I made hoping to see the fruits of my labor years down the road. I could have made more money with way less effort by investing the same amount of money I did into my shop into my 401K instead!
I did not mean to imply that a store that does not soley sell chainsaws cannot be a quality saw shop, but if a store stocks chainsaws to meet the obligagtion of a distributor, and yet makes better profit on other products, which do you think will get the bulk of the attention, and rightfully so.
I viewed the out of state sales as a necessary evil at this point. I needed some volume to get started, and I believed that as local customers developed, I could shift my focus. As I said, I tried not to sell out of state to people with local Dolmar dealers. And every saw I sent out is advertisement for Dolmar, and helping to establish the quality of the product, not to mention creating some local demand for parts and service.
I do not think my shop would take away any business from any neighboring Dolmar dealership, or take away any business from any out of state dealerships. I do think that my shop was creating some new interest in Dolmar that otherwise would never have been, and now will never be.
Chris J.
Addicted to ArboristSite
TonyM said:
Just my .02...one of the problems with coming in late on a thread this long is I wind up rehashing and paraphrasing what others have already said, and for that I apologize.
Tony, I think that you just explained what happened to you. Your idea of slowly but surely introducing Dolmar saws in a market where Dolmar was previously underrepresented makes sense to you and a lot people here. The problem is the distributor wants large dealers who can afford the overhead of stocking a variety of equipment. CPS is probably thinking volume, getting as many of their products as possible out to the dealers in the best position to carry as many products as possible. A small dealer slowly building a customer base isn't what they want (the way I see it).
It certainly appears that CPS could've/should've handled this a lot better. But, you could've/should've sat your rep down and asked what CPS wanted, while explaining what your plan was. I think that your passion for getting a good product to the right market is great, but you would need to be 'the saw guy' as an employee of a large dealership, or be prepared to make a serious financial commitment knowing that it might be quite a while before you see a profit.
Two cliches come to mind, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' and 'you have to spend money to make money.' Dolmar has poured money into R&D, materials, machinery, training, etc. While greed certainly motivates some companies, the reality is they need to move their products. It's no surprise that Dolmar has turned to a distributor which turns to large dealerships who can afford to purchase inventory and afford to sit on it. Tony, from your perspective it sucks (and it does), but for many businesses that's how it works.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
I understand what you guys are saying, but I will argue that by dropping me as a dealer, there will be fewer sales of Dolmar OPE than by keeping me as a dealer. Yes, the numbers may be small, especially right now, but I still will argue that the change is in the wrong direction.
I sent an email to Tilton Equipment. I think the local Josered dealer changed ownership and no longer sells Jonsered. Maybe there is an opportunity to pick up Jonsered, and the local Husqvarna dealer is a sorry excuse for a saw shop. There also is a local logger who loves 394/395 Husqvarnas and is already a customer of mine, so I may have some immediate sales with the Jonsered equivalent. I was hoping to sell him Dolmars, and did get one PS7900 in his hands, but I'll sell him something else if I can't get Dolmars any longer.
I sent an email to Tilton Equipment. I think the local Josered dealer changed ownership and no longer sells Jonsered. Maybe there is an opportunity to pick up Jonsered, and the local Husqvarna dealer is a sorry excuse for a saw shop. There also is a local logger who loves 394/395 Husqvarnas and is already a customer of mine, so I may have some immediate sales with the Jonsered equivalent. I was hoping to sell him Dolmars, and did get one PS7900 in his hands, but I'll sell him something else if I can't get Dolmars any longer.
Chris J. said:
The problem with CPS wanting their product in large dealers is that they don't have the customer base to sell to. The Dolmar name isn't well known, and there aren't the loyal customers like there are with more familiar brands. They are ignoring the fact that they have to build the customer base, because it doesn't already exist.
By dropping small dealers who are working to build the customer base, in favour of large dealers who are trying to sell a poorly known product to an uncertain market, they are putting themselves further behind. To increase the sales, they need to get a much more stable dealer network established, and let the product build the market. No one has in any way questioned their product quality, and if given the time for it to get into the hands of consumers, it will sell itself and build the market, but by expecting huge sales of a poorly recognized product, into a market that they are a major underdog in, they are setting themselves and their dealers up for losses.
Without product recognition, and a loyal customer base to build on, large dealers are not a viable operation. Big dealers equal big bills, but unless there is product recognition and demand, it doesn't equate to sales.
Just like you can't build a house without a foundation, you can't sell saws without product recognition and reputation. It seems to me that by trying to only sell their products through big dealers, CPS is trying to build their house, one a weak foundation of a poorly recognized product with a small loyal customer base. By cutting out the small dealers and their customers, they are only weakening this, not strengthening it.
If they want to steal customers from Stihl and Husqvarna, they have to have the dealer support and product recognition to be able to draw people over. The quality of the product alone will not do it. A saw (or other OPE) is no good if you can't get parts for it when you need them, or take it to your dealer for service when it breaks.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
I didn't realize that the Jonsered line stopped there. Found out the other shop is a Jonsered dealer still anyway.
Had a new customer tonight. He got a good deal on a Husqvarna 350 on the internet, but dulled the chain and couldn't get the clutch cover off. Well, the chain brake was on, easy enough. Then I sharpened his chain for him. He made the comment, "Everyone around here says your the guy to see." That makes me feel good. Just wish CPS would realize that.
Had a new customer tonight. He got a good deal on a Husqvarna 350 on the internet, but dulled the chain and couldn't get the clutch cover off. Well, the chain brake was on, easy enough. Then I sharpened his chain for him. He made the comment, "Everyone around here says your the guy to see." That makes me feel good. Just wish CPS would realize that.
I have seen these big dealers, the ones that will charge you to tell you your saw is junk. And a small dealer will replace the broken fuel line for less than the big one will to tell you it's junk.
sedanman
Just cut the piano!!
Marco, The "big" dealer got that way by not giving away his service. I get "pro" customers in asking for discounts, I ask them how they would respond if I looked at quote for their services and then started haggling for a lower price. They'd tell me to find someone else to trim my trees or do my landscaping. Also remember that the dealer has one shot at making a profit on the saw (sale) the professional end user will make money every time he uses it.
dtw902
ArboristSite Operative
TonyM
It looks to like you are not alone, our local hardware shop has been in the dark for a couple months now. He is a full time business, full line hardware shop. He's been in business over 30 years. Thing is we are a very rural community, only place to buy new saws for around 45 miles. Dolmar dropped them he can't get any parts or any answers for that matter.
He started stocking another brand just to have saws on the shelf. So maybe its a rural thing ( only around 3300 people in our county) if you are not selling x-amount of saws they just drop you!!!!!!!!! The thing is people are very loyal to the local business's in a rural area. Anyway he has a few Dolmar's left on the shelf but no one will touch them since he cannot back them up with a big ? as to warranty parts/service. I can stop by and ask him what the latest news is, anyway good luck with your business.
It looks to like you are not alone, our local hardware shop has been in the dark for a couple months now. He is a full time business, full line hardware shop. He's been in business over 30 years. Thing is we are a very rural community, only place to buy new saws for around 45 miles. Dolmar dropped them he can't get any parts or any answers for that matter.
He started stocking another brand just to have saws on the shelf. So maybe its a rural thing ( only around 3300 people in our county) if you are not selling x-amount of saws they just drop you!!!!!!!!! The thing is people are very loyal to the local business's in a rural area. Anyway he has a few Dolmar's left on the shelf but no one will touch them since he cannot back them up with a big ? as to warranty parts/service. I can stop by and ask him what the latest news is, anyway good luck with your business.
p38lightning
ArboristSite Operative
I wouldn't buy one for half price. While what the distributor is doing is terrible, Dolmar is as much to blame as CPS for letting it happen. I have been in sales for years and have made more money than I ever thought I would see (not in the saw business) and you get there from being a salesperson like Tony. People don't buy the saw or whatever your selling alone. They buy you! They buy the service that comes with it or they go the other way and buy a saw from Wal-Mart because it is easy to just pick it up and its half the price. If Dolmar don't want to cater to the professionals then mass produce them and put them in box stores or remain unknown. It happened to a small dealer in my hometown also Tony but justice got served for once. The guy that owned the little saw shop was the nephew of the guy that owns the big home center. Dolmar went out on its hiney and won't return. As for me, I have one of those "hobby" saw shops. I'm not a dealer for anyone and ain't gonna be but I have saws lined up waiting to be fixed and I sell old Homelites that I pick up here and there. I'm moving my "hobby shop" to town this summer, putting one of my sales students in charge and putting my brother in law in as my mechanic. We will work on anything and everything that doesn't say Dolmar on it. I really hope the day comes they knock on my door.
166
Addicted to ArboristSite
p38lightning said:I wouldn't buy one for half price. While what the distributor is doing is terrible, Dolmar is as much to blame as CPS for letting it happen. I have been in sales for years and have made more money than I ever thought I would see (not in the saw business) and you get there from being a salesperson like Tony. People don't buy the saw or whatever your selling alone. They buy you! They buy the service that comes with it or they go the other way and buy a saw from Wal-Mart because it is easy to just pick it up and its half the price. If Dolmar don't want to cater to the professionals then mass produce them and put them in box stores or remain unknown. It happened to a small dealer in my hometown also Tony but justice got served for once. The guy that owned the little saw shop was the nephew of the guy that owns the big home center. Dolmar went out on its hiney and won't return. As for me, I have one of those "hobby" saw shops. I'm not a dealer for anyone and ain't gonna be but I have saws lined up waiting to be fixed and I sell old Homelites that I pick up here and there. I'm moving my "hobby shop" to town this summer, putting one of my sales students in charge and putting my brother in law in as my mechanic. We will work on anything and everything that doesn't say Dolmar on it. I really hope the day comes they knock on my door.
Our Dolmar distributer has been doing an excellent job!
We are hearing about one dealer who was canceled. This dealer was in the saw business for for about a 1-1/2 years. Then nobody could get in contact with him for a couple months. He was on here a few weeks ago saying he was getting out of the saw business? Then he is back on here complaining about his distributer canceling him??
I'm going to make a call to his distributer to see what is going on.
Steve
BlueRidgeMark
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TonyM said:
I dont think you'll have to argue very hard with most of us. I WISH I had a dealer with your attitude around here! But I think Timberpig summed it up pretty well, and I suspect most folks on this board agree with you and him. You'd have been good for Dolmar (except for the Internet sales), and they are hurting themselves.
But the bottom line is, Dolmar/CPS apparently does NOT agree with you.
So the only thing you can do at this point is learn the lesson = communication is YOUR job as much as the other party's. Don't ever get into a business relationship without reading everything - if it's not supplied, demand it. Don't sign anything that isn't completely understood. Talk, ask questions, explain yourself.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Find anyone who tried to get ahold of me and did not hear back within 3 days. I simply said I would not be answering my emails several times a day as I was in the habit of doing.
I never said I wanted out of the saw business, just that I was going to scale back on non local sales, and focus on local customers. For the short term, that obviously meant less business and more time for my family.
I never said I wanted out of the saw business, just that I was going to scale back on non local sales, and focus on local customers. For the short term, that obviously meant less business and more time for my family.
Pollock777
ArboristSite Member
Tony thank you for the informtion I was going to buy 2 Dolmar saws to try but when I hear this I'll stay with Stihl. Sorry for your loss. Hope everyone will do the same and and let Dolmar know what to expect when they do business this way. I'll be making a call.
166
Addicted to ArboristSite
Any Stihl & Husqvarna dealers wish to post their dealer requirements?
I know they are a lot more than Dolmar is asking for. Any Stihl & Husky dealer I've talked to say they have to purchase their brand: oil, bars, chains, safety apparel. As with the other products they sell: string trimmers, blowers, cut-off saws, edgers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners, residential mowers, commercial mowers, snow blowers & more.
All that the Dolmar Distributors are looking for is a Stable, Professional business environment, along with reasonable amount of wholegoods & Parts stock, and a knowledgeable sales & service departments.
Steve
I know they are a lot more than Dolmar is asking for. Any Stihl & Husky dealer I've talked to say they have to purchase their brand: oil, bars, chains, safety apparel. As with the other products they sell: string trimmers, blowers, cut-off saws, edgers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners, residential mowers, commercial mowers, snow blowers & more.
All that the Dolmar Distributors are looking for is a Stable, Professional business environment, along with reasonable amount of wholegoods & Parts stock, and a knowledgeable sales & service departments.
Steve
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
Okay, I apologize to the other Dolmar dealers on this site. I certainly was not trying to hurt those people who make a living off from selling Dolmar products, but my attack, unfortunately, may have had that effect whether I intended it or not. I will reitirate my position. Please voice your feelings about this to your local dealers and distributors, but use your own judgement as to whether or not you want to own Dolmar OPE.
I think that most people understand that Stihl and Husqvarna put some major requirements on their dealers, but again, they have the demand to justify it somewhat. I do not know the sales volume, but I bet Dolmar is way behind Stihl and Husqvarna at this point. What Dolmar needs the most right now is market exposure. They need to get their saws into the hands of users, and let the product sell itself. The large profitable dealers will follow when the demand exists for the product. It just feels like right now they are trying to put the cart before the horse. I realize that in some areas, Dolmar is a more recognized brand, and there has been long term dealer support in those areas. In my area, there used to be dealers 20-25 years ago, several miles either side of me. You would not believe the response I have gotten for parts over the last couple years. Many people had been told that parts were no longer available for Dolmar. When people learned that there was a dealer in the area, many were tickled to resurrect their old Dolmars. I get two kinds of people in my shop. About 10% of them had an old Dolmar 120 and thought it was the best saw ever made. The other 90% never heard of Dolmar. I know there are a lot of saw sales in my area, as the local Ace hardware does a lot of Stihl business. I have a hard enough time just getting Stihl users to try a Dolmar for free, yet alone selling one to them. Fortunately, many people do not appreciate the customer service they get at the Stihl dealer. The potential is here to sell much Dolmar OPE, or I should say it was here.
I think that most people understand that Stihl and Husqvarna put some major requirements on their dealers, but again, they have the demand to justify it somewhat. I do not know the sales volume, but I bet Dolmar is way behind Stihl and Husqvarna at this point. What Dolmar needs the most right now is market exposure. They need to get their saws into the hands of users, and let the product sell itself. The large profitable dealers will follow when the demand exists for the product. It just feels like right now they are trying to put the cart before the horse. I realize that in some areas, Dolmar is a more recognized brand, and there has been long term dealer support in those areas. In my area, there used to be dealers 20-25 years ago, several miles either side of me. You would not believe the response I have gotten for parts over the last couple years. Many people had been told that parts were no longer available for Dolmar. When people learned that there was a dealer in the area, many were tickled to resurrect their old Dolmars. I get two kinds of people in my shop. About 10% of them had an old Dolmar 120 and thought it was the best saw ever made. The other 90% never heard of Dolmar. I know there are a lot of saw sales in my area, as the local Ace hardware does a lot of Stihl business. I have a hard enough time just getting Stihl users to try a Dolmar for free, yet alone selling one to them. Fortunately, many people do not appreciate the customer service they get at the Stihl dealer. The potential is here to sell much Dolmar OPE, or I should say it was here.
TonyM said:
Like many here at arboristsite, I was frustrated to hear about the situation with TonyM and the unexpected termination of his dealer status. It bothered me enough that I figured I'd write CPS and Dolmar about it. I just sent this, by postal mail, to Central Power Systems and to Dolmar:
*******************
RE: MILLER’S SAW SHOP DOLMAR DEALERSHIP TERMINATION
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing you regarding the recent termination of Tony Miller’s status as a Dolmar dealer. Though I am an attorney and I offered Mr. Miller free legal representation aimed at reestablishing his status as a Dolmar outdoor power equipment dealer, he declined my offer, and so I am writing today in my capacity as a concerned customer, only. I believe that I speak for a number of Mr. Miller’s customers when I suggest that an error was made in terminating Mr. Miller’s dealership and I hope that you organization will reconsider this decision.
Mr. Miller’s business, Miller’s Saw Shop (6770 S Charlton Pk. Rd., Hastings, MI 49058), is precisely the sort of business that has the real potential to reestablish the Dolmar name as a viable contender in the world of outdoor power equipment. Prior to my first purchase from Mr. Miller, a PS7900 chainsaw, I had considered competing products from Stihl, Husqvarna and Echo. Unlike the dealers I spoke to for these other brands, Mr. Miller enthusiastically advocated for the product he was selling, clearly and directly answered every question that I asked, and suggested that I come to his shop and do some cutting with an example of the saw I was considering before committing to purchase one. As a result of this experience, I purchased what I thought would be the first of many Dolmar products from Mr. Miller.
What sold me on the Dolmar product line was more than just the superiority of the PS7900 and PS5100s within their respective displacement and weight classes. Rather, what truly sold me on the Dolmar product line was the superiority of Mr. Miller’s enthusiasm about the products he was selling and obvious determination to establish and maintain a solid dealer-customer relationship. When I visit other outdoor power equipment dealers, and especially when I visit those that primarily sell lawn care products, I do not perceive the same level of enthusiasm about establishing a long-term relationship with a customer, unless that customer is also going to buy a snowplow for their truck and a couple zero-turning-radius commercial lawnmowers. Like many people, I do not care to do business with that sort of establishment, and instead prefer to seek out individuals like Mr. Miller to address my outdoor power equipment needs.
As I am sure you are aware, if Dolmar is going to ever achieve any degree of market share, it will be because of enthusiastic believers in the Dolmar product line spreading the word about their products and getting them in the hands of customers. In the time that I’ve had my PS7900, I have interested a number of people, including directors of the municipal parks departments in three metro Detroit suburbs, in Dolmar’s products. I was hoping to interest even more people in Dolmar products once I ordered a PS5100s chainsaw, a PB-250.4 blower, and HT-2145 D hedge trimmer from Mr. Miller this coming spring. But this is no longer possible with the termination of his dealership; I will instead have to look to competing products from Stihl and Echo.
Though I have not been privy to the specific reasons for the termination of Mr. Miller’s dealership, it has been suggested that his shop’s limited hours of operation was a substantial factor. If this was in fact a critical component of the decision to terminate his status as a dealer, I believe that this was a mistake. Mr. Miller’s hours have never been a problem for me, and I suspect that they would not be a problem for most outdoor power equipment users. It has been my experience that most outdoor power equipment dealers have their hours completely backwards to best meet the needs of most customers – they usually close early, and many are neither open nor available on weekends. Even large-scale professional users often prefer to address their purchasing and repair needs in the off-hours, when doing so will not take them away from their paying work. A shop with hours such as Mr. Miller’s should certainly not be considered any less valuable as a dealer than a 9-5 shop; the truth is that it might even be more valuable.
If there is to be any hope of Dolmar becoming a widely-known name in outdoor power equipment with a meaningful presence in the market, there is no single objective more important than to make the product available to users. Happy Dolmar customers will tell others of their positive experiences with Dolmar products, and some of these friends, acquaintances, and colleagues will be swayed to overcome their apprehension and give this relatively unknown brand a try. As they will likely be pleased with the product they try and will then tell their friends about it, the cycle will continue and the reputation and recognition of the Dolmar name will grow. Terminating the dealership of an outspoken and persuasive advocate for the Dolmar product line seems counterproductive and ill-reasoned.
I hope that you will consider the foregoing and reconsider your decision to terminate Mr. Miller’s status as a Dolmar dealer. If you have questions or comments, I can be reached at _My Number_.
Sincerely,
_Me_
cc: DOLMAR Power Products; Dolmar GmbH; Tony Miller, Miller’s Saw Shop
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