Dealing with Dealers

Snapper Dealership

Take advantage of dealers’ knowledge and inventory.

While working on an article about ZTR and stand-on mowers for our May issue, Daryn Walters, marketing director, Exmark said something to me that especially caught my attention.

“I would simply recommend a dealer demo of both types being considered. Some landscape professionals just know what they like, and honestly, on many properties, the performance differences with an experienced operator are going to be pretty small. But if it were me, and I was on the fence about which type of mower to buy – for my crew and myself to run all-day, day-in and day-out – you can bet I’d be at my dealer asking for a demo of each machine,” Walters says.

For those of you who have a close relationship with your local dealer, this is an obvious step toward purchasing equipment. But there are others who prefer not to work closely with them.

Dealers should be there to provide equipment and services that benefit you, so take advantage of their products and expertise. I’ve visited several equipment dealerships across the country, and each time, I’m pleasantly surprised at their depth of knowledge on such a wide range of equipment.

Most manufacturers provide a dealer locater function on their website. Some dealers, like John Deere dealer James River Equipment, take that a step further and have an app where you can search inventory, find a location and request parts from your phone.

Dealers give you a personal interaction with a variety of manufacturers, so use that to your benefit.

To read more from Walters and other industry pros about choosing between ZTRs and stand-on mowers, read the Equipment Matters article in our May issue.

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