Combines Smart move Case

[SDman]

Unfortunately, Jamer, it is more than a rumor. As of July 1, it is reality. However, it will be $25 per PROBlEM, not per call, if that is any consolation. But yes, at our AFS school last week in Waterown, SD, that was DISTINCTlY pointed out to us. They feel the dealer should bare more of the responsibilty of AFS support than what we already do. As if dealers don't have enough to be resonsible for already....

 

[SilverTurnedGreen]

Although I don't own an axial-flow (yet),I can relate to what Case is doing; - other ag industries follow the same "billing per incident" ritual as well. My suppliers for ag software, elevator software, sprayer calibration systems, etc. all bill per incident, and the reason for this, I'm told, is to reduce frivolous inquiries and, as mentioned by SDMan, to place more of the service onus on the dealer. I don't agree with the concept, but it's used quite often in many industries.

 

[Jamer]

Well, I don't know about some of you guys at dealerships, but as for me, I'm pretty familiar with the AFS components on the combines and can diagnose and repair most problems without any help. But where I run into problems is these software updates. There were three that I know of just last year!! That's ridiculous! We don't have the luxury of having just one guy in the shop specialize in just AFS, but that may be what it comes down to. How else are you supposed to stay on top of the software issues and glitches other than if you're working with it all of the timeIJ

 

[farmerR]

I agree. The software is the sticker. My problem with this every time you get a new computer, which seems quite often these days, you have to call and receive authorization code. So now I have to pay for 30 seconds of their time if I upgrade computers, thanks Case! It is hard to expect the dealerships to know everything that the people that wrote the software to know. In my area there is one dealership 70 miles away that maybe fits the mold of what the company is looking for. I think they are just expecting way too much out of their dealers at the expense of the people that pay the way- the customer!

 

[SDman]

Jamer, I'm in the same boat as you. I understand the AFS components in the combine reasonably well. But once the combine info is loaded into the card, that's where I am lost. Everybody uses a different system for fields, farms, and such and by the time you understand each customers want_needs, you can get a fair amount of time involved into the whole situation. Who is supposed to pay for thatIJ Who is responsible when something goes wrongIJ I didn't realize when I went through trade school I needed a class on farm business(though it probably would not have hurt me).

 

[Case]

I could'nt believe it either that they were going to do that, i don't know what they expect when we buy all this equipment and now make us pay for a little help once and awhile. I'm like SDman i understand the combine AFS pretty good but when we come home and bring it up on computer is where it gets a little tricky. Especially when you only harvest wheat and sunflowers, we download all our data daily and once you figure it out it works great but when you don't do it for half a year or more you forget a few things. It looks like everything is heading this way. And I don't think the dealers have the personel to handle everything at the shop and all the AFS stuff too