You may remember last week, I was discussing the odd phone call I received from a chap with a weirdly low opinion of the dealer network.

I did my best to explain him, in the politest way possible, that I thought he was wrong - and that these were some of the reasons why. Most of my arguments were based on actual stories we hear coming out of dealerships, either from dealers themselves, or directly from their customers.

I'm not sure how much of this got through to this chap. If I gave him another meaningful vote on the subject, proposing exactly what I proposed to him last time, would he change his mind? I doubt it. Unless there was something in it for himself I guess?

Anyway, my story last week resonated with some readers who recognised that difficult customer that everyone must deal with on occasion.

It also prompted some to get in touch to point out that when you spend your working day doing the right thing, there are customers out there who genuinely appreciate your efforts.

One email I received from a dealer, detailed an example of one of their satisfied customers, whose comment had come through to them, ironically, just as my blog hit their inbox last week.

This unsolicited response from a customer talked of entering their store to buy a chainsaw and the service received from two members of staff.

The customer talks about knowing very little about anything and how the dealer went through the range of chainsaws, indicating their pros and cons. He explains how the dealer wasn't pushy and offered to leave him to think about it, resulting in him buying a new STIHL chainsaw - with guidance then given on how to sharpen and care for its chain and bar.

A different member of staff then took the customer outside and showed him the correct way to use and care for his chainsaw.

The customer finishes off his message saying, "I know these are only a few lines and it doesn't portray the whole event, but I would like you to know that I have not been dealt with so politely or professionally for many years. These two men are a credit to your company, and I am so pleased to see that this good, polite service still exists out there.

"I have already spoken amongst my friends as to how impressed I was. It is word of mouth that brought me to you, and I shall spread that word further. Please forward my thanks to your staff and long may your ethics continue."

We know from collating customer feedback comments when Service Dealer runs the Dealer Of The Year awards, that customers around the country are receiving care and attention such as this from independent dealers all the time. It's heartening to read. And whilst none of us do our jobs for praise and adulation - it is undeniable that hearing feedback like that is gratifying and gives you encouragement to keep going.

I think one of the most telling comments from that satisfied customer is "It is word of mouth that brought me to you, and I shall spread that word further." That is such a valuable tool for independent, specialist retailers. Treating every customer to the highest level of service will go a long way to making sure this form of viral marketing is always bubbling along in the background for your business.

The next step of course is doing all that you can to guarantee that the customer will return to your store again and again. Interestingly, I read a great blog post on this very subject just this week.

Many of you will know Sara Hey from last year’s Service Dealer Conference and from her column in the magazine. Sara represents Bob Clements International, the Missouri-based dealer development specialists and Bob Clements himself this week, wrote a piece called Building Long-Term Relationships.

It’s only a brief blog entry but it’s well worth checking out. Bob explains that successful sales people understand that the only way to consistently generate orders and increase business is through customer loyalty. This loyalty, he says, is built by continuing to monitor and cultivate the customer’s satisfaction.

He then goes though a series of procedures which he believes will aid dealers in this quest.

If you've got five minutes today, give it a read. You may pick up a practical hint you hadn't considered before.

The engineer, visionary and founder of Hayter Ltd., Douglas Hayter, is being awarded a blue plaque in recognition of his contributions to Bishop’s Stortford through his lawnmower manufacturing business,founded in 1946.

The official unveiling of the plaque will take place at Douglas Hayter’s former residence at Granary Cottage, 30 Mulberry Green, Old Harlow, on Friday 05 April, at 14.00 by Harlow MP, Robert Halfon. Family and friends will be in attendance to witness the achievement bestowed by the Harlow Civic Society and its head, former Labour MP Stan Newens.

“We are immensely proud to be a part of the unveiling of the blue plaque in honour of Douglas Hayter’s achievements. He was a great visionary and business man who contributed a lot to the local community in and around Old Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford,” said Raghu Das, managing director EMEA, at Hayter.

Susan Hayter said of her husband’s award, “I am thrilled that even now, 19 years after Douglas’ death, the Harlow Civic Society has decided to honour Douglas’ achievements with this plaque. It is fantastic to see that his accomplishments as an inventor and pioneer are being recognised. He was a very creative man and his dyslexia fuelled his lateral thinking. I would sometimes find drawings of his latest ideas on the most random things.”

Douglas Hayter was born in Bishop’s Stortford in 1914 where he lived before starting his working career. After working a few different jobs, he eventually moved into the building trade and set up his own business in 1937. During the war years, he was employed helping the war effort through repairing and constructing farm buildings, as well as maintaining and servicing farm machinery. He was also working on ministry projects.

His venture into grass cutting machinery began in the 1940s when he was cutting grass around his drying timber stacks. Douglas borrowed a cutter bar mower from a friend, but found the process frustrating and slow. To make the experience easier, he combined the functionality of the historical horse-drawn rotary mower with the power of a two-stroke engine – the birth of the first Hayter Motor Scythe. The invention quickly gained admiration and Douglas started receiving requests for more machines. In 1946, the Motor Scythe went into full production and Hayter became incorporated as a limited company.

In the years that followed, the business developed several professional and domestic mowers such as the Hayterette and the Hayter Harrier rear-roller striping mower, today synonymous with the Hayter brand. In 1960, Hayter’s company received the Royal Warrant for the supply of machinery to HM Queen Elizabeth II - an honour still retained to this day. It was around this time that Mr. Hayter and his wife took up residence in Old Harlow, whilst working hard to sell the company’s products internationally. At one stage, Mr. Hayter was selling his products in 110 countries.

During his career, Mr. Hayter also developed several successful machines and devices outside of grounds care, one of which was a range of portable welders known as the Mighty Midgets. Many of these were supplied to the Ministry of Defence, as well as internationally.

Douglas focused on building up the Hayter business in the local area, where he remained a significant influence until his passing in 2000.

Hayter Ltd. Has been designing and manufacturing mowers in its factory in Bishop’s Stortford until this day.

Husqvarna has achieved the Red Dot Award in the category of product design for its recently launched Automower 435X AWD.

The robotic lawnmower has received the accolade which is awarded by a renowned international jury to products that feature an outstanding design.

The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest product design competitions and this year, designers and manufacturers from 55 countries entered more than 5,500 products in the competition.

“This marks a significant achievement for our design team. We are proud that we have created a winning product that offers customers an excellent experience, through both performance, functional benefits and outstanding desirable design”, said Rajinder Mehra, brand design director at Husqvarna Division.

Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot said, “I would like to congratulate the laureates sincerely on their wonderful success. The fact that their products were able to satisfy the strict criteria of the jury bears testimony to their award-winning design quality. The laureates are thus setting key trends in the design industry and are showing where future directions may lead."

Deere & Company has announced that its Board of Directors elected John C May, 49, as President, Chief Operating Officer, effective from 1st April 2019.

A statement from the manufacturer said that John will be responsible for leading Deere’s efforts to "maximise operational excellence throughout the company".

Jonn C May has been with Deere for 22 years and joined the senior management team in 2012 as President, Agricultural Solutions and Chief Information Officer. Last year he was named President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, with responsibility for the Americas and Australia, the Global Harvesting, Turf & Utility and Crop Care Platforms, and the Intelligent Solutions Group. Earlier in his career, John headed the company’s China operations, served as factory manager at the Dubuque Works in Iowa, and was Vice President of the Turf & Utility Platform.

“John's record of success and proven leadership skills make him highly qualified for this broader role,” said Samuel R Allen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, his leadership of the company's precision agriculture initiative and experience as chief information officer will serve him well as Deere moves ahead on its digitalisation journey.”

Deere also announced the election of three other leaders to new positions, effective from 1st April. These include:

• Cory J Reed, 48, to the position of President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, Americas and Australia, Global Harvesting and Turf Platforms, and Ag Solutions. Reed joined the company in 1998 and most recently has been President, John Deere Financial.
• Rajesh Kalathur, 50, to the position of President, John Deere Financial and Chief Information Officer. Since joining Deere in 1996, Kalathur has held positions in finance, business development, logistics, operations and marketing. Since 2012, he has been a member of the senior leadership team as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He assumed the added responsibilities of Chief Information Officer in 2018.
• Ryan D Campbell, 44, to the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Campbell joined John Deere in 2007 and has held a number of management positions within the finance function. He became Vice President and Comptroller in 2016 and last year was named Deputy Financial Officer.

Dealers Louth Tractors say they closed their Great Limber, Lincolnshire branch on Friday March 15th "with regret" and are no longer covering the territory around Brigg for Case IH.

In a post on their website they said their Louth branch will continue to offer sales, service and parts in central, eastern and north-east Lincolnshire for Case IH. In addition the company will still be representing their other key brands of Krone and Sumo in the whole of North Lincolnshire.

A statement from Louth Tractors to their Great Limber customers read, "We would like to thank you all for your support and business over the past couple of years and our amazing team look forward to supporting you and your business from our main depot at Louth."

Returning to the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry this November, the Service Dealer Conference & Awards will once again benefit from Catalyst Computer Systems as Gold Sponsor.

The date of this year's event has been confirmed as Thursday November 21st 2019.

Mike Cameron, system sales manager for Catalyst, presents Jess Parks of AF Wiltshire with her Star Of The Dealership award, with Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke (l) and comedian Charlie Baker (r) at 2018's ceremony

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted to announce Catalyst as Gold Sponsor for Service Dealer's Conference & Awards.

"It is great news that Catalyst have chosen to join us once again, for what is shaping up to be an incredibly valuable event for the independent dealer network."

Catalyst are pleased to be continuing their sponsorship of an event which is the perfect opportunity to meet with industry friends and partners, at the same time as sharing knowledge and expertise.

More details about this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards will be announced in due course. 

In 2018, with €402 million, Horsch achieved the highest turnover in the company’s history.

This is a two-digit growth for the third time in a row. In a statement the company have said there are many reasons for the 12% increase compared to 2017 (€358 million), including considerable investments at all sites as well as in R&D.

They go on to explain that their equipment is seeing success around the world because as well as continuing improvements, the machines are also seeing more and more individual configuration for the different markets.

Horsch claim particularly good business in Germany, eastern Europe and Ukraine, with Great Britain, France and Scandinavia described as "developing well." Also seeing increasing sales are USA, Brazil and China.

They say they investments in their facilities has contributed to their recent success. At the production site in Ronneburg, Germany for example, a completely new hall was finished and at the plant protection site in Landau, Germany the capacity was almost tripled.

The largest investment in the company’s history though, was made at the headquarters in Schwandorf, Germany. This investment alone amounts to €23 million.

Looking ahead to Agrtechnica this year, Horsch say that as well as showing innovations of current products they will focus on technologies for hybrid farming that combine the best of organic and conventional techniques.

For the fourth year running Cornwall and Devon groundcare machinery supplier Vincent Tractors & Plant will be holding a Professional Groundcare Demo Day where visitors will be able to put the next generation of lawnmowers and chippers through their paces.

Jon Day, Vincent Tractors & Plant, groundcare salesperson for Mid & West Cornwall

The event takes place on Wednesday 10th April 2019 between 10:00am and 3:00pm at Bodmin Rugby Club, Turfdown Road, Bodmin, PL30 4AW.

The dealership will be showcasing its professional range of groundcare equipment from a wide range of manufacturers such as Kubota, Baroness, Trimax, GreenMech, Ferris, Spider, Kersten and Stiga. As in previous years there will be working demonstrations where visitors will be able to put some of the machines through their paces.

Jon Day, groundcare salesperson for Mid & West Cornwall said, “We are excited to be holding this event again. This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to come along and find out more about the range of professional groundcare machinery that we can supply. The Vincent Tractors & Plant team, together with representatives from some of the manufacturers will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions.

“This year we will have a number of our popular Kubota and Stiga ride-on mowers, as well as more specialised pieces of machinery such as the remote-controlled Spider mowers.”

To register your interest in attending the event either call Vincent Tractors & Plant on 01726 860332 or email jenna.k@vincenttractors.co.uk

BAGMA’s annual golf day in Scotland will take place this year on 30th May at the Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream in the Scottish Borders.

The association say the competition is open to BAGMA members and their guests but anyone who may like to play will be welcome. Alasdair Straker, BAGMA's business development manager, told Service Dealer, "There are limited spaces which are available on a first come, first served basis."

The day will include two 18-hole rounds of golf; bacon rolls and tea or coffee on arrival. A soup and sandwich lunch and a two course after match meal at the club will also be included - along with competition awards and prizes. The cost of the day is £60.00.

The format will be the same as usual with 18 holes Stableford playing for the Fraser Trophy in the morning, followed by team golf in the afternoon.

Interested players should contact Alasdair Straker on 07823 416862 or email alasdair.straker@bira.co.uk.

Swift cordless garden machines are unquestionably the best value for money, easy to use, durable, light in weight, highly manoeuvrable, excellent quality range of interchangeable machines available in the market.

GOOD REASONS FOR DEALING WITH SWIFT

1. Excellent technical and spares back up
2. No hassle quick turnround warranty programme
3. Fast efficient no charge deliveries, no minimum orders
4. No financial outlay, no stocking commitment
5. Loan stand and 40v consignment stock supplied
6. Promoted nationally
7. Dropship service available
8. Experienced industry staff
9. EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH
10. Excellent PROFIT opportunities

Full range of 40v interchangeable cordless products available on consignment stock and loan stand, no outlay!

Super powerful 120v mowers with battery and charger from £399.99 inc vat.

Latest technology Robot mowers c/w docking station and easy to install set up kit from £699.99 inc vat.

We are well on our way to achieving a national dealer network……want to learn more?

Call Ron Miller on 07853 005790 or e-mail ron.miller@ngpgroup.eu

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