I’ve been curious about this for a while. I know the NAPA truck is usually just dropping off a parts order.
But When the tool company trucks stop by the mechanic’s and hang around for half an hour or hour or more,at least once a week it’s clearly more than just a drop off, I was wondering if they are doing some kind of specialty tool maintenance or what.
Customer Success. i.e. making sure they are happy campers, and replacing tools that need it as well as trying to sell new tools.
Had the same thing when I worked at a bicycle shop, the vendors would stop by every so often to say high, chit-chat, talk shop, sometimes we’d go out for lunch.
Yeah, selling tools. They are on a schedule and mechanics look forward to buying a new wrench they need. Also, they occasionally have handouts - little promo items like charts, pens, plastic version of tools, etc. If they don’t have the tool they will bring it the next time.
Dennis
The Snap-On guy is a franchise business owner, and he is there to make sales, collect payments and perform customer service.
He’s not working for the company, he’s working for himself.
And not to hijack, but the worst (“real” tool) ratchet I own is a Snap-On.
Yep, it got so bad at the heavy equipment place my son works that the front office limited the visits. They also oversell to those guys. My son is a diesel mechanic and the shop manager, so he makes a good living. But most of those beginning mechs are poor as dirt. They don’t need a high end specialty wrench. Usually.
(post shortened)
They hold the tools, and other equipment, that the driver/salesperson/tool demonstrator would like to sell to their clients.
I bought nothing but Snap on and Mack until about 1990 when I started realizing their tools were no longer any better than Japanese tools 1/.10 the price. They still carried quite a few specialty tools I needed but as far regular wrenches and sockets, screw drivers, hex wrenches and other common tools best to save your money and not go for the big brands.
He’s living the dream:
I equate them to the drug salesmen who get to see my doctor before I do.
My dad was a mechanic at a car dealership.
Most mechanics own all their own tools - this is why they they have the big red snap-on locking cabinets. Those go with them to whatever place they work. Owning their own is advantageous since they will take care of them better, they’re more efficient since there’s no downtime waiting for someone else to finish using a tool and the shop / dealership worries less about employee theft.
(Side note - I worked at GM for a summer in the maintenance dept. GM provided all the tools to the millwrights, electricians etc. There were thousands of dollar worth of tools “lost” every month. It was pathetic.)
As others correctly noted - the Snap-on guy is there to sell them more tools (replace broken tools, specialty tools, new tools for new types of fittings etc) or deliver tools & collect payment - usually all three things.
When I was wrenching, the snap on/Mac truck came by regularly.
IMO business done was…(in no order)
Guys who need warranty/repairs
Guys who NEED to buy a tool (ie been waiting on the tool man)
Guys who want to shop (serious/browse)
Tool man want to sell. (Special deals, new tools, used tools)
Guys want to bug tool man for free stuff ( girlie calanders, hats stickers)
Is there a ‘marketing component’ to tools? There sure is in the SAME way Beck’s beer, or Marlboro is sold.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN, however, that all tools are created equally. I’m not an auto mechanic, but I’m in the trades and there is a HUGE difference between Rigid, Klein, Milwaukee and the Ryobis of the world. Husky, as one example, (HD’s house brand) is a damn fine tool. But there are some really shitty tools that someone who works with their tools would not own.
IMO it used to be simple.
Home owner tools V’s pro tools. ( contractor grade)
There was a clear price difference and usually an efficiency and or durability difference.
Then marketing figured out if they blur the line sufficiently, they can screw quite a few people on both sides of the divide. (Amatuer/Pro).