MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints

View Comments

• TLMAN!

  The only numbers you care about are in the bank. GEE! I think you would make a GREAT MATCO DM. Because you and Matco don't care who you screw as LONG AS YOU GET PAID!!!

• Children, children, children..............

  I often tease my customers that being a Matco distributor is much like when
  I taught PRE SCHOOL>

  The kiddos got cranky when we didn't serve snack on time
  The mechanics get cranky when the candy runs out

  Being a Matco distributor is SO much like being a Pre school teacher
  The mechanics are a little taller..................

  This conversation is much the same.............

  mommy mommy he called me a name..............

  A $100,000 investment, the dream of owning your own business - all gone
  Is SERIOUS matter - we need to ignore the bullies, the name calling

  AND PLEASE FOCUS ON THE FACTS

  Bob Tremblay wrote a very elegant post - clearing defining his problem - a problem that he SHARES with hundreds of other distributors

  I am thankful he came forward
  I totally GET why he would want to stay out of THIS FRAY

  However; this site, and other like it are NECESSARY............
  Two years ago
  I researched Matco and found nothing negative
  Six months ago I had NO idea SO MANY others shared
  my difficulties. In fact, when I questioned my DM about other
  DBRs departures – he flat out LIED!
  ALL had been terminated!!!!
  My DM painted some bogus tale about them all leaving
  because of everything from personal/divorce to moving to just
  “change of heart”,,,,

  So, again i AM thankful he made his post!

  I totally respect the fact he stated his case and
  wants to stay out of the fray.

  No matter what 'side' you are on - bottom line -
  THERE IS A PROBLEM!

  If someone wasn't selling enough - could it MAYBE be because his customer base was insufficient ??
  OF COURSE IT IS POSSIBLE -

  I can honestly say, I don't personally know a single soul on this site!

  I can honestly say, I don't have first hand knowledge of their business or their selling abilities, etc.

  WHAT I DO HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF - IS MY STORY
  from other posts - MY STORY IS THE SAME AS HUNDREDS OF OTHERS

  I KNOW this, I receive Emails DAILY
  from everything from Current DBRs
  from former DBRS
  from Current DMs
  from Former RMs

  If a distributor is NOT selling the National Average -
  IT IS COMPLETELY POSSIBLE THERE ARE SEVERAL VERY VALID REASONS
  *

  Let's not get distracted

  There are PLENTY of issues to discuss - and PLENTY of possibilities for what has happened

• You see TLMAN,

  You can try and make me feel bad about my business venture with Matco but here's the thing. You can only ASSume that I am a failure. You don't know it for a fact. YOU can just ASSume. SO ASSume on.

• It took me a while to read some of this, it got my attenton when some one in my city told me they saw it on craigs list. i'm no longer a distributor but I had a little something to add.

  You see Junior was my District manager. I will explain here.

  Before him I had two other DM'S and the first one came from Snap On, he was a jerk, did nothing for my business, lied and more. They fired him. The second DM i got was decent enough but never really was on the side of the distributors. I had been on the truck for 2 years and wasn't doing as well as I hoped, I was about to get out.

  I get a call one day from Junior, he said he was still on his tool truck but he was going to be our new DM. He just wanted to give out his phone number in case we needed anything while he was selling his truck and in the move to our area. I told him I was thinking on getting out, he asked me to hold on if i could and give him a chance to look at my business.

  Three weeks went by and i figure just another broken promise. Nope. Junior showed up at my door 630am and spent two full days with me. That year he helped me turn my business around. He pulled our district together as a team, 2 guys were on stage for the most improved busness. Even our 20 year guys were going to meeting and were geting something out of what he offered.

  Are their bad DMs yes. I will tell you and anyone not Junior. the hardest working guy i knew. He worked for us and always told us this in phone calls and at meeting. Did he lose distributors he did, but he found buyers and helped those that wanted out. he knew my entire families names birthdays and he gave them all his attention.

  Matco isnt perfect, and i have heard some bad stories of bad DMs, but not when we had him. I stand behind him anyday. I do wish Matco would not hire ex Snap On guys for DMs, the worse. Find good people that care about people first, then know how to make money in this business second.

  My put. Hay Junior tell your family hello, email me.

• . ****Many distributors that have posted here have had issues with the numbers of customers they actually have.

  Many like myself, have literally BEGGED for more customers - sales is a numbers game, more customers - more sales

  However; many would contend Matco is guilty of Fraudulent surveying;
  failure to comply in practice with written definition of a “Potential Customer"

  Guilty of Improper route layouts – excess “windshield time”; failure to comply with compact route (pie shaped) layout

  Guilty of; Failure to maintain 325 potential customer count when economic conditions cause the closing of automobile dealerships or other shops;

  Guilty of; Manipulation of distributors’ customer base to create and add “new” customers – abuse of “open stops”;

  I can personally back these claims with documentation.

• $170,000 a year in sales? No to Criticize but man, that's low. We just had a distributor do $120,000 in 6 weeks, then back it up with 106,000 the next six weeks, now that's at the high end, but man 170?

  Bob in this busienss you can be too tight, or too loose, with only 10 skips you were definately on the tight end. Unfortunately for me, sometimes i am on the loose end, but the additonal sales make up for the skips.
  MATCO did tell me I would have skips...cant sue them for that.

  Here is something that the distributors should try, how about spending more time with the shops that you currently have. Tote bag, show them tools, dont just walk in and ask if then need anything, spend more time at the shops you have, hey you might sell more, instead of rushing to the next shop.

• Todd,
  I have been told I would be a DM some day but sad to say I have no interest in that at all for many reasons. #1 I am to mean and had very little patience for weak minded people. My recruitment numbers would be low as I would only let sucsessfull people in my district. I have had many ride alongs the ones that listened are still in business the others failed and one is very close he should have listened to me this business is not for everyone. I have seen distributors go deep into debt just fo a chance to walk across the stage at EXPO why would anyone do that ? Yes I always get paid but only because I ask for my money which many fomer distributors failed to do.

  Debbie,
  I'm sure your a great person but if this isn't working for you no matter the reason why not move on to something that will ( the deeper the hole the harder the climb out ). Go ahead sue Matco but why goto work day after day with a bad attitude. Life is much better when you enjoy what you are doing but you do what gota do.

  Bob,

  Do you think you are the only one that lost dealerships, shops, extensive customer base? in a period of 6 months I lost 3 gm dealers 1 ford dealer 1 chysler dealer 1 kia dealer pretty much sucked the big one. My sales numbers droped big time almost threw in the towel. Why didn't I because when times were good I paid off everything I saw the bubble and I watched it burst. The difference is I always look for the good in any situation 2 large sporting goods stores also closed at this time I made them a deal on there knife displays got them dirt cheap pennys on the dollar and made a killing guys always buy knives. I buy as much PDI as I can 15% off please keep sending tools back I need the extra cash. And in the middle of the big recession I upgraded my tool truck when I found a repo 4300 INT 22 ft box only 41,000 with 35K yes I scored on that one and it really helped my business my customers knew I wasn't going anywhere. So don't tell me you had it rough we all have some of us just like to win others quit. When life is at its hardest that is when you find out who the true chanpions are.

• tlman
  so let me tell you a few things here. i am not an idiot or a whiner. i give 20 years of my life to serve my country so that you could enjoy the liberties and freedom that you have. i have put my life on the line knowingly many times, have you. so dont give me any of your bs.
  i have also learned not to ever judge anyone untill you have walked a mile in their shoes. you dont even know what size shoe i wear so therefore you dont even know if you could fill them. i dont know you either and i will not judge you.
  you cannot expect other people to respect your opinion if you have no respect for theirs.
  i am happy for your success. i would love to see you come and sell 7,000.00 a week in the route that i was given. you would be pissed too. maybe you need to get off of your high horse and go and see some of the areas that these people are talking about. since you have so much experience and are a great salesman you would be the perfect person to get an opinion from, but until then keep your little-big happy ### in your own little world and let us the ones that have been screwed by matco tend to our business.
  people tell lies but facts tell the truth. go see for yourself and you might change your opinion.

• Thank you to all that have posted and contributed to the conversation

  It is wonderful to have the information available, potential distributors can
  make their decision based on ALL the factors that will be part of their business.

  It is wonderful to have a forum to voice opinions - see both sides

  The MAIN OBJECTIVE is communication - distributors can now reach out and talk with other distributors and air their grievances or share their difficulties

  It also provides options and solutions - yes, contests are valuable, especially around the holidays - any little suggestion to improve sales can only help

  The basic fundamental structure I fear is damaged and will require fundamental change before ANY distributor can really be helped

  If the problem is not corporate Matco - and really lies in deceptive DMs or RMs - well then it is still ultimately corporate Matco's responsibility.

  If the problem is the distributor- well then, maybe proper screening/recruiting could have eliminated that issue. I'm certain not everyone IS cut out for this business.

  BUT - if that is truly the case, that person should never get to the point of investing $100,000 - Matco is more than happy to PRE SCREEN potential distributors

  ***********BASED SOLEY ON THEIR CREDIT WORTHINESS*********

  I think this might be STEP ONE - in the change process

  Many comments say the distributor shouldn't have been a distributor in the first place - OK, WELL THEN LET'S ADDRESS THAT ISSUE FROM THE BEGINNING

  It cannot be allowed, it can NOT be OK - just to TAKE SOMEONE'S MONEY

  the PRE SCREENing process MUST involve more than $$$$

  I had EXCELLENT CREDIT - ALL of my adult life,
  I HAD excellent credit when I started this business..........................no longer

• Bob - again thank you

  Richard - thank you, excellent points that need to be said and get the conversation back on track

  One last thing before I call it a night..........

  I publicly want to THANK MY CUSTOMERS!!!

  My customers have seen the direction Matco is forcing my business. My customer understand that Matco is making it impossible for me to stay in business.

  MY CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE - so much so, they have taken to writing to Ernie Lauber directly to express THEIR dissatisfaction. Also, they are writing to support me!

  WOW :) Thank you!