Suggestions for dealership development to suit needs of a new kind of John Deere customer: a study of

摘要

The purpose of this study was to identify a new group of customers ofagricultural machinery manufacturers and these customers?? needs and suggestions. Thestudy also sought to offer suggestions to the John Deere Company for dealershipeducation and development programs for John Deere dealerships. The followingobjectives were used to guide the study:1) To describe demographics of ??large property owners,??2) To describe ??large property owners???? needs and wants for the farm equipmentdealership, and3) To generate suggestions for dealership development to suit the needs of ??largeproperty owners.??The need for the study was identified by the John Deere Company to learn moreabout a new growing market and to prepare the dealerships for adoption of the change.The sampling frame consisted of ??large property owners?? whose names were randomlyselected from county tax rolls of six selected counties in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area. A mailed instrument was sent to a sample of 1,000 potential participants.Respondents totaled 205, with 174 instruments usable as they were complete or nearlycomplete.The study revealed important facts about ??large property owners,?? which wereconsidered while creating a list of recommendations for the John Deere Company.Before ??large property owners???? needs could be examined, the John Deeredealerships had to be considered. Two kinds of dealerships can present agriculturalequipment of different powers at two different locations: agricultural equipmentdealerships and Commercial and Consumer Equipment (C&CE) dealerships.Presenting equipment in two different locations may not suit small farmers?? needsor their desire for convenience. ??Large property owners???? needs in a wider range ofequipment at one dealership location, more convenient locations, and other characteristicswere examined.