did I overreact?

[jbmaine]

8 Yr. ago I purchased my P68 and my first 4 tons of pellets from a local dealer. Every year since I've gone back to them for my pellets. My stove is in my basement and my pellets are stored there also. I have double doors on my walk out basement, so delivery is easy. The driver brings a pallet jack with him, and as he slides each ton into the basement the pallet jack is used to move them out of the way. If I am home I'll move them, if not the driver moves them, and my wife always gives him $20 for his troubles. It honestly takes about 5 extra minutes to do this.

This year when I called to order my pellets I was told there was a $10 per ton fee to have them moved after they were set down. I said I'd make sure I was home and use the pallet jack to move them my self. I was told I was no longer allowed to use their pallet jack, the driver would have to do it.

I asked to speak to a manager and explained I was a loyal customer for 8yrs.,I said we took delivery at their convenience, when they had other deliveries in the area, and although other places charged less then their $85 delivery fee for a 30 mile trip, we always ordered from them. I told him this extra $40 seemed a bit much and asked him if he would work with me on this.

His reply was " with every mom and pop place selling pellets, they had to find ways to make money, and I could take it or leave it."

I told him I'd think about it and hung up the phone.

So what do you think? Does this seem a bit much, or are these extra fees the dealer keeps adding on the new norm?
Jim

 

[velvetfoot]

I don't know about your question, but I've found my own pallet jack is handy to have.

 

[corkman]

Like Velvet said, buy your own if you'll be burning pellets for the long haul They can be had on the cheap on crsigslist. Maybe harbor freight has em too

 

[jatoxico]

They are essentially taking the driver's tips (are you supposed to tip on top of the new fee?). I hate taking ultimatums from suppliers too (probably some kind of a character flaw) so I would likely feel the same as you.

They indicated they are doing what they feel they have to do and are not taking your loyalty into consideration so I think you'd be justified to do the same and find the best deal.

 

[jbmaine]

Thanks everyone,
I thought about buying a pallet jack, but more often than naught they deliver during the week when I'm at work, so I'd have to burn up a vacation day to be here. I guess I might not be having such a problem with this if they weren't so rude about it, and worked with me a little.
Jim

 

[foamit up]

Where are you in Maine. I am by Augusta.

 

[bags]

I just scored a pallet jack (like new) for $75 bucks on CL and it was 8 miles away. I'd been looking for awhile though. They are nice to have but also take up a bit of space. Really I'll likely just shove it under a pallet of pellets when not in use so in reality they do not take up much space.

As for the supplier,,,,, Those guys are a dime a dozen. So, If they can not be loyal to a loyal customer then why be loyal to them. NEXT! Sad but true that is just the way everyone has become so piss on them and look out for your best interests and money savings. I get the fact businesses are in business to make money but my repeat loyal customers do get some special treatment. It is simply good business. Would I want to lose repeat business over a pissing match and $40 bucks. I doubt it. Might find a better deal somewhere else anyhow. Just my buck fifties worth.

 

[jbmaine]

Where are you in Maine. I am by Augusta.

I'm in Eliot, about 2 hrs. south of you.

And yes, I think it's about time to start calling around.
Jim

 

[scajjr2]

Pallet jacks $159 ea in Manchester, NH this week.
(broken link removed to http://nh.craigslist.org/tls/5595476115.html)

Sam

 

[jackhammer]

After finding a better deal somewhere else, I'd be sure to let the owner know I wouldn't be patronizing his shop anymore. I had a small issue with my local shop, he made good on it and I'll be back and tell my friends.

 

[smwilliamson]

I don't know, you're reaction doesn't sound like a loyal customer. Personally, I like to see folks I do business with succeed and make money. I don't paying more when they ask for more. Loyalty goes far beyond the buck. It's $40, not $400. You'll most likely find another supplier that will drop em where you want em and you'll pay a little more. Same result.

 

[heat seeker]

Loyalty is one thing - bending over and grabbing the ankles is another.

 

[Texas123]

No, you did not overreact. We almost installed a pellet insert a few years ago and as I get older I might still do so. Yet, being dependent on dealers for the fuel was a flaw we could not live with. I wonder how many more horror stories pellet stove users have such as this one.

 

[Dr.Faustus]

I picked up a pallet jack at harbour freight. pretty good investment. I was able to manuever them into the garage a lot better than the guy with the forklift pushing one ton using another ton.
Keep in mind moving a ton of pellets with a pallet jack is no easy feat. Any rock, pebble or even a loose pellet on the ground is going to stop you. my driveway/garage is on a very slight incline so water drains away and this makes going up in very difficult. once in the garage its flat and clean and easy to move them. I may invest in a small winch i anchor to the back of the garage to help get the pallet jack in there. i have a few years to think about it tho - took great advantage of this years sales.

 

[bogieb]

I don't know, you're reaction doesn't sound like a loyal customer. Personally, I like to see folks I do business with succeed and make money. I don't paying more when they ask for more. Loyalty goes far beyond the buck. It's $40, not $400. You'll most likely find another supplier that will drop em where you want em and you'll pay a little more. Same result.

So the guy takes delivery at the store's convenience (when they happen to be in the area), he pays more for delivery than the competition (even though he isn't demanding a time frame), and tips the driver. He doesn't say anything about pellet prices, but he has gone to the same guy for 8 years and I expect he just pays whatever they charge (if he beats them up on price, that may be a different story). And you think he is not a loyal customer because he wants a small break on this new "moving" charge?

In the businesses I have both run, and worked for, we rewarded clients / customers like the OP by discounting or throwing in extras.

 

[maple1]

I don't think it was over reacting. You just said you'd think about it - it's not like you told him to go pound sand in drunken sailor words or something like that.

He didn't say it, but I wonder if there's a liability concern coming into play here with them letting you use their equipment to move them? Things like that can come in sideways to a business sometimes, I could see an insurance company being wary about someone untrained in pallet jack use running over their foot or crunching a bystander or their kid, & passing that concern on to their insured party. But if that was the case they should have just been straight up about it.

Have you fully costed the alternatives? And I would start looking around for my own pallet jack - everyone with a walkout should have one, you'll find other uses for it aside from just pellet delivery time.

 

[blades]

Yes as was said their equipment you using it is a liability in our litigation gone wild society. I'm cheap at times - $120 for delivery - ouch , I do not pay a third of that for road salt delivery ( around 18 pallets at 1 ton apiece)

 

[jatoxico]

Considering the options after 8 yrs and a new fee doesn't sound disloyal to me. Loyalty should go both ways.

 

[jbmaine]

Thanks for the reply's everyone,
I see valid points on both sides of this discussion. Just so you know, I've measured from where they drop the pallets, to where I need them to end up. It's a max of 10 ft., and on a concrete floor. I understand people need to make money,but they were just so rude about it, and I've never been anything but polite and fair with them.
Jim

 

[rich2500]

Making a few bucks is one thing but rudeness is another, I would be looking for a new supplier for my pellets.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

Unfortunately as you just found out, loyalty has no meaning anymore. But the customers today, in general, are just as much to blame as anything else. If the store does reward loyalty with a small fee waiver, the customer will get on facebook or some method of instant communication and tell the story. Next every customer will be demanding the fee waiver.

Harbor Freight tools sells pallet jacks and you can use a 20% off coupon, making the purchase very inexpensive. They work great. I have one on the farm and it has held up now for several years with no issues whatsoever. It does not take up any extra space until you remove your last pallet as you can just store it under one of the pallets when not in use. You can also borrow or rent it to your neighbors if you wish.

 

[smwilliamson]

Thanks for the reply's everyone,
I see valid points on both sides of this discussion. Just so you know, I've measured from where they drop the pallets, to where I need them to end up. It's a max of 10 ft., and on a concrete floor. I understand people need to make money,but they were just so rude about it, and I've never been anything but polite and fair with them.
Jim

That's the info I was missing. 10' scuttle to the garage should be included. I find most times that situations like this are miscommunications. BUT if the store isn't doing anything to manage their loyal customers, perhaps you are better off looking elsewhere.

One thing that gets under my skin more than anything else is when I'm doing business with someone and they act like its the first time I've been there each time I go. I'd bet that the store your getting pellets from has no idea who you are or what your purchasing history is.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I really don't understand why anyone expects a business to be loyal to them, or somehow is loyal to that business. You can do business and still be friendly, (I do this as much as possible) but it is all about money. It is a business. Don't fool yourself.
If you make friends with the owner and talk about were you kids are going to school and he stops by for beers..that's another story.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Why don't you NOT ask the seller to move them,
and then offer the guy a twenty (like you always do) to move them for you?
If it's only ten feet away.... I'm guessing he'd jump on it...
We would just do it for free... but I understand that all dealers are not the same...
(assuming the guy answering the phone is not the delivery guy, of course!)

Dan

 

[rona]

Why don't you NOT ask the seller to move them,
and then offer the guy a twenty (like you always do) to move them for you?
If it's only ten feet away.... I'm guessing he'd jump on it...
We would just do it for free... but I understand that all dealers are not the same...
(assuming the guy answering the phone is not the delivery guy, of course!)

Dan

I've generally found the more dependent you are on a store the more they can rip you off.. Selling you a stove gives them a pretty profit, Normally the first year is a study of patience both ways because a manual doesn't answer all the questions a person might have about if the stove is working the way it is supposed to. Then there is the issue of costs incurred when you are supposed to have a warranty. As I said this can work both ways with a customer being over demanding and a company that once the check clears says good luck. There usually isn't much profit margin with pellets as the box stores handle them at a reasonable price and they do get a better price because of volume. We have seen prices of everything jump when gas and diesel went up. Now has any of those stores dropped their price when fuel went down? Just something to think about.