Wal-Mart Mentality

[Crowderfarms]

I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, we shop there and you probably do too. Everyone wants the most bang for their buck, and you can't blame em' for that at all. But what about quality?

Being in the Feed business, we've had to come up with new strategies, and cheaper, but still efficient Feeds.We have competition grinding Feed with Cracked Corn, Hay, Salt and Rice Hulls and calling it Cattle Feed.

Starting today we are releasing a whole entire line-up of new Feeds, to satify the Wal-Mart mentality.At least we'll be using DGD,Corn Gluten,Corn, and other quality ingredients, including Feeds with Rumensin.

One would think that with Cattle prices reaching record highs, that producers would want nothing but the best to put in the feeders.That's not an accurate view.Seems like price is everything nowadays.We still are offering a quality product, but it's definitely cheaper.

Well continue our line up of higher quality feeds, but guess we cant de-evolize and become Dinosaurs....

 

[dj]

when the local wally world includes gates, panels, water tanks, and some cheap feed will you still shop there?

 

[Crowderfarms]

when the local wally world includes gates, panels, water tanks, and some cheap feed will you still shop there?

Theres a few Wal Marts selling feed, and Horse Tack already...We try to spend as few dollars at Wal-Mart as possible.They are already an enemy with their Ol' Roy pathetic Dog Foods.Actually I should re-phrase that, they cause us to sell more Dog Feeds when the backyard becomes a Fecal land mine. :lol:

 

[dj]

One within 20 miles of me carries ag accessories, panels, gates, tanks, etc.
Only people who care will shy away from Ol'Roy.
The rest just let their dogs mine the neighbors yard. :roll:
I won't spend money there period. nada. zip.
And haven't for 11 years, I suppose someday I won't have any other choice.

 

[MikeC]

Crowder, I undserstand what you are saying about the Wal Mart mentality and don't allow my wife to go there.

But........The local feed dealers who are selling Nutrena feeds are getting their a$$es kicked here by a local mill that sells a good quality feed at $50-$60 per ton less than Nutrena.

He uses some by-products, of course, but so does Nutrena and they cover it up by pouring the molasses on and using wheat midd pellets, peanut hull pellets, etc.

Cargill is making a fortune off of the "Hobby" farmers and "Horse" ranches that have 10 acres and 5 horses.

I much prefer a smaller company with personal service. Not many think that way anymore.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I do go to Wal-Mart if I have to. Mostly I drop my nickels on Mom & Pop stores. They are always glad to see me.

As far as feed goes, I wish there was an old fashion mill close to me. I'd like some ground peanut hay etc. Everything around here is all pre-packaged sack feed.

 

[Alice]

Crowder, I undserstand what you are saying about the Wal Mart mentality and don't allow my wife to go there.

But........The local feed dealers who are selling Nutrena feeds are getting their a$$es kicked here by a local mill that sells a good quality feed at $50-$60 per ton less than Nutrena.

He uses some by-products, of course, but so does Nutrena and they cover it up by pouring the molasses on and using wheat midd pellets, peanut hull pellets, etc.

Cargill is making a fortune off of the "Hobby" farmers and "Horse" ranches that have 10 acres and 5 horses.

I much prefer a smaller company with personal service. Not many think that way anymore.

You don't allow your wife to go there? :shock: Ahem...

I don't like WalMart anymore than anyone else...I'd rather eat glass than go there...I could tell you stories about one of the Walton's that lives close by that would make you either laugh your head off or shake it in disgust. But...I just can't quite get past....

and don't allow my wife to go there

Alice

 

[Alice]

I do go to Wal-Mart if I have to. Mostly I drop my nickels on Mom & Pop stores. They are always glad to see me.

As far as feed goes, I wish there was an old fashion mill close to me. I'd like some ground peanut hay etc. Everything around here is all pre-packaged sack feed.

We buy our feed from Gorman Feed Mill, located in Gorman...they deliver to a lot of dairies here. We also have Poston Feed Mill and Anderson Feed Mill. I helps to have all the diaries around. Don't know if they'd deliver to where you are, but then again, they might.

Alice

 

[GMN]

One would think that with Cattle prices reaching record highs, that producers would want nothing but the best to put in the feeders.That's not an accurate view.Seems like price is everything nowadays.We still are offering a quality product, but it's definitely cheaper

Everything is about price these days, because everything is so high. Groceries, fuel for tractors, medical insurance--everything. Dairying/Farming is a very tough business right now.

Do you work in the feed business?

GMN

 

[Crowderfarms]

I much prefer a smaller company with personal service. Not many think that way anymore.

Our biggest seller is "Service" Most of the rest of the World has forgotten that word.

We let every customer know how much we appreciate their business.

Every Fall we give out Calendars, Caps, and Pens.Folks really like em'.

 

[Herefordcross]

Service will be what saves the small guys.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Crowder -
Once again - you're right (hate to admit it). Customer service is so lacking in this country it's almost a forgotten art. And as far as making change for a customer's purchase - forget about it. I realize that a lot of what I do involves numbers but these people today can't begin to do the math - if the register goes down, you might as well walk out !!

I need one of them hats this fall - yes, I'll pay postage on it. That way I can sit around the stockyards and make up big tales !!!!

 

[MikeC]

I'd like a cap too!

I bet there is a tall tale written under the brim of every one! :lol:

 

[eric]

Crowder -
And as far as making change for a customer's purchase - forget about it. I realize that a lot of what I do involves numbers but these people today can't begin to do the math - if the register goes down, you might as well walk out !!

I cant tell you how much this drives me crazy! One of my first "real" jobs...one where I actually got a paycheck and not just cash out of a man's pocket for mowing/cleaning up and stuff, was at a little Cabell's Dairymart here in Dallas. The old man who owned the store taught me alot about customer service, especially looking someone in the eye when speaking to them and probably the most important, how to count back money to the customer. I cant stand it when the cashier just throws the money back in your hand, never counting it out. I guess they expect you to believe it's the correct amount. Even worse is when they fold it up and put the receipt around the bills and the change on top of it. I was taught to tell the customer the amount of change, and then count it out bill by bill and then give the change at the end. In other words, "Your change is $17.75 sir, here's $10-$15-$16-$17 and .75 cents. Thank you and come back." Man it drives me nuts when I get my money just haphazzardly returned to me and don't even get a thank you!

Oh, and does anybody else always forget to retrieve their change from the coin changers at the end of the checkout counters? It seems almost all the grocery stores around here have them nowadays, where the cashier doesn't even have to handle the coin change, it just spits out of a machine at the end of the counter. I have walked off and forgoten my change sooo many times it's not even funny. Usually when I am so frustrated about my bills not being return to me in order that I just totally forget about the change machine at the end.

 

[Bullbuyer]

The only thing about that change machine is that usually its right - course that don't help when you walk off without it - I too am guilty of that.

 

[GMN]

Our biggest seller is "Service" Most of the rest of the World has forgotten that word.

We let every customer know how much we appreciate their business.

Every Fall we give out Calendars, Caps, and Pens.Folks really like em'.



Crowder what kind of business do you have? I agree service is lacking these days, whatever happened to a good ole handshake? Very few people do it anymore, and it is a very good gesture.

GMN

 

[backhoeboogie]

We let every customer know how much we appreciate their business.

Every Fall we give out Calendars, Caps, and Pens.Folks really like em'.

Crowder, If I ever run into your boss, I am going to nominate you for employee of the year. You deserve it.

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

As much as everybody seems to bash Wal-Mart, they must be doing something right because they are now the biggest retailer in the world. I actually read Sam Walton's book a while back and the man seems to have just about re-invented retail. In my opinion, most of what they sell is pretty cheap and shoddy but there are always people out there that have the mentality that cheaper is better. Kind of part of our 'throw away' society I guess.

 

[rk]

Crowder, I undserstand what you are saying about the Wal Mart mentality and don't allow my wife to go there.

But........The local feed dealers who are selling Nutrena feeds are getting their a$$es kicked here by a local mill that sells a good quality feed at $50-$60 per ton less than Nutrena.

He uses some by-products, of course, but so does Nutrena and they cover it up by pouring the molasses on and using wheat midd pellets, peanut hull pellets, etc.

Cargill is making a fortune off of the "Hobby" farmers and "Horse" ranches that have 10 acres and 5 horses.

I much prefer a smaller company with personal service. Not many think that way anymore.

What's wrong with "by-products"? Almost everything besides grains is a byproduct of some sort. Good feed value if used properly.

 

[MikeC]

Crowder, I undserstand what you are saying about the Wal Mart mentality and don't allow my wife to go there.

But........The local feed dealers who are selling Nutrena feeds are getting their a$$es kicked here by a local mill that sells a good quality feed at $50-$60 per ton less than Nutrena.

He uses some by-products, of course, but so does Nutrena and they cover it up by pouring the molasses on and using wheat midd pellets, peanut hull pellets, etc.

Cargill is making a fortune off of the "Hobby" farmers and "Horse" ranches that have 10 acres and 5 horses.

I much prefer a smaller company with personal service. Not many think that way anymore.

What's wrong with "by-products"? Almost everything besides grains is a byproduct of some sort. Good feed value if used properly.

Absolutely nothing wrong with by-products if they are used correctly.

Didn't mean to infer that they are inferior.

But my opinion is......"you can't make Chicken Salad out of Chicken Crap". ;-)