[JRTJH]

A couple of considerations:

First, "small minded business" or not. That dealerships "business model" is established by the owner's desire to make money, service his customers and provide for his future. If he is satisfied with the way things are currently being managed and if he is making enough money to satisfy his requirements and possibly he is looking at "getting out of the business someday", then it's his decision whether to risk all his retirement assets to build a bigger dealership or keep what he has for "X" more years and then sell out and retire..... That is one thing that I still admire about America, if I own it, I decide how and when to invest or not invest my profits. It's not a decision that is "up for vote" on any forum or really even by the competition.

So, without knowing what the business model is or what the future plans are for that dealership, I don't think any of us can criticize that RV business for not "building a bigger facility" just because he doesn't sell or service what we think he should......


Now as for the comment that another poster made concerning " the local dealer can match the sells price the unit cost him the same as other dealers"
That is simply not true. Keystone sells to dealers at a specific price. There is a discount to the dealer if he buys 10 RV's in a year, a bigger discount if he buys 20, an even bigger discount if he is a major dealer who sells hundreds of RV's a year. So, no, the dealer who sells 30 Montana's a year can't buy his Montana's for the same price as the volume dealer that sells 1500 Montana's a year. That is also one of the reasons you won't find many Cougar dealers along the middle states who will order from the "other coast". If the dealer is in the "eastern sales zone" he mainly buys from the Goshen plant and all his discounts are accounted for there. If a customer comes in and wants to buy a Cougar Half Ton made in Oregon, the dealer doesn't have his "quantity discount" so it costs him more to purchase it for sale, he has to arrange a "new and untried" transport to get it to the dealership, then he has to work with "strangers" when he needs to get approval for warranty work. His usual phone numbers, contacts and "who owes who a favor" network in Goshen doesn't exist for the single orphan on his lot.

As for stocking an RV line because it's one that a customer is interested in. Just try going to a Chevy dealer and special order a Buick. or go to a Dodge dealer and order a Ford. Franchise agreements preclude just "picking out a product" and selling it.

While the OP is frustrated and it shows, he's not going to change his local dealership business model by walking away. When he does walk away, there's another customer walking in behind him that's interested in what is on the lot and the dealer still sells the product whether it's to customer A or customer B really doesn't much matter. At the end of the year, if the goal was to sell 60 RV's and he sold 60, then it was a year when the goals were met and considered successful. Not every business unlocks the door to sell as much as they can as soon as they can and invest all the profits building a bigger business. Some are simply satisfied taking care of their customers, making an honest and adequate living and aren't interested in making millions and becoming the "Cal Worthington" of the RV world.

You can't get the same level of "owner care" at WalMart as you do at the local ACE hardware store. Some RV dealerships want to be "WalMarts" and some RV dealerships are completely satisfied opening the door every morning, dealing with the few loyal customers they have built over the years and it's more important to them to sit down and have a cup of coffee with an "old friend" than it is to push the service department to get 3 more in today, we need the profits. It's really up to the dealership owner to decide what kind of business he wants to operate, and if it's one that isn't inclined to chase people down the street to make a sale, that's his style. If it's not your style, then go somewhere else to spend your money. It's quite possible that the owner of that business simply isn't interested in even trying to make you happy.......