Fustration @ local Stihl dealer

[CTYank]

Unfortunately this situation goes on at allot of dealers regardless of brand.

From what I've seen lately, the bummers along the NY/CT border are probably 100%. Really arrogant, misguided service people- major hearing failure. I never relied on dealers prior to last year, but a new RedMax needed special tool for carb adjustment. Best to buy a saw that doesn't need to have dealer apply special tools, to avoid ripoffs or fluff-ups.

Many here suggest only buying a saw from a competent dealer. IMHO good luck with that unless you live somewhere like Ashokan or Greenwich NY. Finding one is like finding a pearl, IMHO. A good saw will not be a shop-queen, and you can get parts all over, without needing stihl secret password. Ditto IPLs.

Yes, I know there are competent honest dealers out there, but there are BBB ratings to flag the good guys/jerks.

 

[Isna]

I just got used to it... When possible, I walk in with the part number. If I don't have the part number, I go straight to their computer and look it up (they finally realized I was better than them at looking it up). I also got used to the fact they have nothing in stock. Even files are on order. Since we run 20 chainsaws, I just think ahead and stock all the basic parts myself. I went through a mech training at Stihl headquarters a few years ago and was told, at the time, that they would be testing all their dealers shortly. Seems nothing was done...

 

[Definitive Dave]

My local Stihl dealer is a pretty big store they sell commercial mowers, snow plows, fertilizer and even generators the size of semi trailers and handle Stihl, Echo, Redmax in small equipment. The sales guys are competent and nice, the service staff is way better at big engines than 2 cycle, but the three parts guys who work the counter are stellar. At this point I e-mail a list of parts numbers to order and for prices and stop by every few days to pick up my haul. It helps that the distributer for this region is only 2 hours away and delivers to them 4 days a week.
Heck they even sometimes refer a customer to me for repairs.
Wish the local husky places were half as good.
Dave

 

[JC360]

Same thing here. If i could find a competent dealer that actually stocked parts i would switch brands immediately .
sick to death of my stihl dealer. His parts dept seems to be a cardboard box. Dont matter what you ask for, out comes the box. Stange thing, this dealer, if its not in the box.you are looking at 2 weeks.

 

[griffonks]

I won't even go into the Stihl dealer in my home city, over a Stihl impulse hose. They ordered the wrong one, even though I gave them the correct part number, then refused to give me a refund. All special orders are final by God! So I drive a 2 hour round trip.

Often the dealer I use has Husqvarna parts online for cheaper than they sell them over the counter. WTF is that all about?

 

[JC360]

Yup. Bout the same deal here. Ordered new upper and lower fuel lines for my ms 362. Stopped to pick them up and was given the wrong parts. I explained that while my name was indeed on the tag, those were the wrong parts. 5 minutes on his computer convinced him i was right. If they were not in clear bags i would not have caught it. Was it a big deal? Shoot no.
Anyone can make a mistake. But these guys got it down to an art.

 

[flotek]

They remind me of car dealers they know they offer a stellar name that people look for and they know people will buy that brand out of loyalty so they get arrogant about the way they handle business . Most of the parts guys at the counter never even ran a chainsaw ..let alone can point out the features and maintenance required on their products . We have a husky dealer up north of me that I visited the other day it has like. 5 guys working there they are all over 70 Years old I doubt any of them has enough upper a strength to even lift the saws they sell lol they were kind but offered no insight or personal knowledge on their items and all their saws were marked at the retail price . I would never pay retail .. That's insulting to my intelligence because Retail is for suckers

 

[ttyR2]

My local Stihl shop loves the fact that I come in with part numbers. They do occasionally ask where I found them though I just tell them the internet is a magical place.

 

[Oliver1655]

I am blessed. I have a local saw shop who sells Jonsered & can work on any small engine. There are 2 well established Stihl dealers near by which have been in business for years & are very knowledgeable & helpful.

I do have a set of IPLs for each of my saws & have the part numbers on hand when I get to the shops. This speeds up the process & insures if there are options on the part, I am getting the one I want.

Mom & pop stores which have been in business for years are generally the best bets for knowledgeable & efficient service.

 

[MCW]

There are saw dealers who are in business solely to make as much money as they can, and then there are dealers who actually love what they do.
There is a massive difference in knowledgable service between the two. If it's all about making money then they couldn't give a toss about the products they sell and it shows by their complete lack of knowledge on the subject.

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

My local Stihl dealer is a mom and pop type operation. It's also, by far, the closest dealer. He's an old fart, but I trust him.

He had the best price on a MS 362, so I ordered it from him.

I figure I'm in pretty good hands with any saw problems.

 

[shootingarts]

My local Stihl dealer is a mom and pop type operation. It's also, by far, the closest dealer. He's an old fart, but I trust him.

He had the best price on a MS 362, so I ordered it from him.

I figure I'm in pretty good hands with any saw problems.

Nice thing about somebody like that, if you do get a saw with issues he is probably going to be as aggressive in making it right as you are, maybe more so. Nothing annoys somebody that takes pride in what they sell more than selling a POS. I suspect all factories can turn out a stinker now and then, I learned a lot about rifle manufacturing when I bought a new Remington with the chamber so far off center it couldn't chamber a round, it is often how the dealer handles the problem and the factory behind them that makes the difference.

Bought the Remington two days before a big out of town trip when I decided I needed one more .223. Bought it from a big chain. Signs everywhere and even had me sign a piece of paper, any problems customers have to deal with the factory. Tried to chamber a dummy, didn't happen. A quick look with the borescope showed the issue. Called the store to ask details about shipping back to the factory. They told me to bring the rifle back, bring in my borescope too please and if I didn't mind. No replacement in stock, they ignored all the no refund signs and the paper I signed and handed me my cash back with an apology for my trouble.

I got pissed when a customer broke a windshield, brought the car in with a broken windshield, and I had to pay for it in small claims court based on the fact it was a "fresh" break! I put "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GLASS DAMAGE!" in huge letters on my estimates and invoices after that. A couple years later me and the customer were standing about twenty feet away when my body shop broke the only glass we ever broke, at that it was probably chipped when it went in and guaranteed to break when you try to take it out. The customer said, "Well I was warned, you aren't responsible." I explained that the notices were so I didn't pay for any more damned glass I didn't break, we'll cover any we break. I did, was never any question.

As is said on the forum all the time, the dealer makes the difference!

Hu

 

[jdhacker]

My local dealer has been in business for over 40 years, local hardware store. He don't stock all the parts to stihl saws, and I understand why all the over head. But he is very good at what he does, knows parts and saws. If a saw is under warranty I drop it off, and can get a loner if I needed one. The coil went down in my ms291, he walked over and took a brand new saw apart, and put the coil in my saw.

 

[Toneman]

If you haven't already, I would recommend:

1) Get the IPL for your saw(s)
2) Walk in the door with part numbers

Still won't help if the parts aren't where they should be, but at least it cuts down on time. Seems to be easier for them to search anyways, rather than making them pull everything up and figure out the part numbers you need themselves.

I agree, some dealers can be hit or miss...

I like to add :
3) call the dealer with part number and ask to verify stock. If he has one in stock ask him to hold it for you. If not, he can order and call you when in. My dealer can usually get a part in one - two days.

 

[dall]

my local dealer isn't worth much either I ordered gaskets for a 362 and after 2 weeks I complained to stihl asking where can get parts in less then 2 weeks got called by customer service and the guy checked and said the dealer didn't even put on his order so he put it on and still took another week to get them and in the 2 week waiting time I called another dealer and its been almost 3 weeks since and still no call back from them saying parts was in I mean its just gaskets but if don't have them cant put saw back together so the dealers around here suck as they don't even carry parts for the 362 I am glad to be here on this site and a lot of the guys here are helpful and intelligent about the saws would love to see more of their actions watched masterminds porting yourtube videos along with bsnellings I know cant give all info out but id like to see more they are just amazing

 

[EvilRoySlade]

Same story here. I had the part number for oil tube kit, my local "premier" dealer said that part doesn't exist and I should call the dealer in next town.
Now why should I call another dealer if the part doesn't exist. They hand no sprockets in stock either.
They sure were ready to set me up with a new saw though. The next town dealer even told me to avoid them, they'd heard it a million times.

 

[AKDoug]

My local dealer has been in business for over 40 years, local hardware store. He don't stock all the parts to stihl saws, and I understand why all the over head. But he is very good at what he does, knows parts and saws. If a saw is under warranty I drop it off, and can get a loner if I needed one. The coil went down in my ms291, he walked over and took a brand new saw apart, and put the coil in my saw.

my local dealer isn't worth much either I ordered gaskets for a 362 and after 2 weeks I complained to stihl asking where can get parts in less then 2 weeks got called by customer service and the guy checked and said the dealer didn't even put on his order so he put it on and still took another week to get them and in the 2 week waiting time I called another dealer and its been almost 3 weeks since and still no call back from them saying parts was in I mean its just gaskets but if don't have them cant put saw back together so the dealers around here suck as they don't even carry parts for the 362 I am glad to be here on this site and a lot of the guys here are helpful and intelligent about the saws would love to see more of their actions watched masterminds porting yourtube videos along with bsnellings I know cant give all info out but id like to see more they are just amazing

Stocking parts for every saw from a Contra to the most modern 362C-M can be tough on the wallet. As a businessman you have to walk a fine line carrying parts you'll only use once a year vs. those that you need weekly. We make sure we stock every air filter, clutch part, sprocket, fuel hose, oil pump, bars, chains and recoil parts that are available in our distributing warehouse, even if it's only one of some of them. I keep handles and plastics for some of the most popular saws. I can virtually fix any every day problem that comes in the door from my stock. The next level of parts like pistons, cylinders, gaskets, cases, plastics, some handles, mufflers, bearings and seals I order on a case by case basis. I also have a huge investment in my point of sale computer system that automatically suggests that I need to start stocking new items because I am selling more of them than I realize.

If a dealer can't get you parts within a few days he needs a quick kick in the junk. Even in Alaska I rarely have to wait more than four days using USPS priority and I almost always have a ton of other stuff to add to the order that the freight is no issue. What dealers that make you wait weeks for parts are doing is waiting until they have their minimum for free shipping. That's crap when a customer needs parts ASAP. I will also steal parts from my own saws, my stock of busted up saws, and from new saws on the shelf.

It pains me to read that a brand I am associated with has dealers like the bad ones listed in this thread. I was a member of AS before I was a dealer, and I continued here to learn what not to do as a dealer (as well as learn about working on saws I don't work on very often). There is no excuse to be in charge of a business and not know the product you are selling. Stihl offers an amazing array of opportunities to train on their products and there is no excuse for staff, managers and owners not to take part in them. My wife didn't know a thing about Stihl products when we started out. Now that she's completed all of Stihl's online training available to dealers, she can competently sell accessories and give advice on most Stihl power equipment problems. It took her about 24 hours to thoroughly complete the process. Leadership comes from the top and my wife and I strive to at least have a working knowledge of everything we do in our business. Many business gurus call that foolishness, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I still do 75% of our chainsaw repairs because I enjoy it. (I am training my replacements, though)

Are we the best Stihl dealer ever? Not by any stretch of the imagination. However, myself, my family, and our team of dedicated employees come to work every day desiring to become the best lumber yard, hardware store, rental store and Stihl dealer we can possibly be. It's always a work in progress.

It kills me to go into retail store to see people just there to get a paycheck. There is very little pride in service anymore and even less common courtesy.

End of rant I am blessed with great employees that allow me to sit in the office and goof off on the internet I encourage all of you that have issues with dealers to contact Stihl. Bad dealers just drag the rest of us down.

 

[big t double]

…….Are we the best Stihl dealer ever? Not by any stretch of the imagination. However, myself, my family, and our team of dedicated employees come to work every day desiring to become the best lumber yard, hardware store, rental store and Stihl dealer we can possibly be. It's always a work in progress.

good post AKDoug…gonna derail here for a minute….did you make it to the ARA rental show this week in florida? i just got back…good show to go to if your in the rental biz, lotsa good deals on equipment.

 

[MCW]

Stocking parts for every saw from a Contra to the most modern 362C-M can be tough on the wallet. As a businessman you have to walk a fine line carrying parts you'll only use once a year vs. those that you need weekly. We make sure we stock every air filter, clutch part, sprocket, fuel hose, oil pump, bars, chains and recoil parts that are available in our distributing warehouse, even if it's only one of some of them. I keep handles and plastics for some of the most popular saws. I can virtually fix any every day problem that comes in the door from my stock. The next level of parts like pistons, cylinders, gaskets, cases, plastics, some handles, mufflers, bearings and seals I order on a case by case basis. I also have a huge investment in my point of sale computer system that automatically suggests that I need to start stocking new items because I am selling more of them than I realize.

If a dealer can't get you parts within a few days he needs a quick kick in the junk. Even in Alaska I rarely have to wait more than four days using USPS priority and I almost always have a ton of other stuff to add to the order that the freight is no issue. What dealers that make you wait weeks for parts are doing is waiting until they have their minimum for free shipping. That's crap when a customer needs parts ASAP. I will also steal parts from my own saws, my stock of busted up saws, and from new saws on the shelf.

It pains me to read that a brand I am associated with has dealers like the bad ones listed in this thread. I was a member of AS before I was a dealer, and I continued here to learn what not to do as a dealer (as well as learn about working on saws I don't work on very often). There is no excuse to be in charge of a business and not know the product you are selling. Stihl offers an amazing array of opportunities to train on their products and there is no excuse for staff, managers and owners not to take part in them. My wife didn't know a thing about Stihl products when we started out. Now that she's completed all of Stihl's online training available to dealers, she can competently sell accessories and give advice on most Stihl power equipment problems. It took her about 24 hours to thoroughly complete the process. Leadership comes from the top and my wife and I strive to at least have a working knowledge of everything we do in our business. Many business gurus call that foolishness, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I still do 75% of our chainsaw repairs because I enjoy it. (I am training my replacements, though)

Are we the best Stihl dealer ever? Not by any stretch of the imagination. However, myself, my family, and our team of dedicated employees come to work every day desiring to become the best lumber yard, hardware store, rental store and Stihl dealer we can possibly be. It's always a work in progress.

It kills me to go into retail store to see people just there to get a paycheck. There is very little pride in service anymore and even less common courtesy.

End of rant I am blessed with great employees that allow me to sit in the office and goof off on the internet I encourage all of you that have issues with dealers to contact Stihl. Bad dealers just drag the rest of us down.

Don't get too down in the dumps about Stihl dealers. Some of the guys who have replied here have minimal posts and probably got directed to this thread in a Google search.
The internet always gives the impression that the sky is falling in In saying that though I have indeed seen some shocker Stihl dealers over the years but also a lot of good ones.
Whenever a thread like this starts it is guaranteed to attract people who've had a bad Stihl experience so the replies would make you think that 95% of dealers are useless.

 

[dall]

mcw I wasn't putting all stihl dealers down actually I would like to have a dealer like akdoug around here I talk to a lot of people here in my town and they all say they don't like going to the dealer here because he doesn't have very good people skills and when I ordered the gaskets I talked to the owner and I have bought saws and stuff from him before and this was on a Tuesday and he said they should be here on Friday he said ups comes just about everyday so tell me how am I putting all stihl dealers down on trying to put money in local economy and not overseas kinda upsets me when says about the posting also just because I don't open my mouth like some do