There is a shift these days toward throwaway or disposable products. Mass merchandisers have emerged to sell these products and it works. They essentially tell the customer, "You don't need service. If it breaks, just throw it away and buy a new one. Or we'll give you a new one within the warranty period." It is clear that the traditional dealer providing dealer services is not needed in this scheme. Some have foretold the demise of the independent dealer network as a result of these changes in products and retailing.
There remains another class of products - durable, serviceable products - which need dealer services to give the customer full value for the investment. In the early '80s, we were just beginning to market the Walker Mower. Since there were no dealers established, most of the early units were sold direct to customers. It soon became apparent this was a mistake. We were really selling incomplete products without local service and support, and it was a disservice to our customer to not provide dealer services. The lesson was learned and today there are 36 Walker distributors and several hundred dealers across the United Stales working to provide service to our customers.
For many riding mower owners today. especially professional users, economic reality supports investing in high-quality, durable, commercial grade equipment and then servicing this equipment regularly to receive full value. Some of these customers have tried "throwaway" and are tired of throwing their money away. These customers understand the important role played by the local dealer to ensure a satisfactory experience with the equipment and full return on investment.
Walker Manufacturing understands the need for dealer services for its products. By honoring and protecting our dealers' investment to introduce and support our products in the market, we ensure our end-user customers will receive dealer service and be satisfied with their investment in Walker mowers.
Site Search
