Good place to buy festool?

[Larry Rasmussen]

Do I have to send somebody named Bob money? I know lots of places where it is sold on line as I've been interested for a while. Woodcraft has a free shipping deal and doesn't charge me tax. I considered ordering from them on line. I'm just starting out with the small circular saw and track that comes with it for now.

On the other hand there is a local Woodcraft with a festool display I have checked out a few times. I'm generally relentless about sticking to buying local if I shop local. I don't think it's ethical to get local sales help and then shop on line to save a buck or two (tax in this case and a 45 min drive ea way). On the other hand by pre shopping the catalog and reading about Festool on line I have never really gotten help down there, most of the staff doesn't really have the knowledge I aquired just by looking at the catalog. That was frustrating. I'm still mulling this over. May make my first purchase there just for them maintaining a display that let me identify that the table would not meet my needs.

So, anyplace I should know about now? People seem to refer to their favorites when discussing Festool on the forum. I might like the option of buying the saw with a long guide instead of the 55" for example and would like to find a dealer with the stock and standing to be able to vary from the standard option.

I watch for PMs if anyone has a recommendation best not put on the forum itself. Be back after work to check for any responses, thanks, Larry.

[Jim Becker]

Buy where you are most comfortable, but my Festool money goes to Bob Marino (http://www.bobmarinosbesttools.com/) and will continue should I add to my arsenal. He's an SMC member and known for extraordinary customer service.

[Ted Miller]

Larry, I just made a purchase from Bob Marino and rec'd the TS 75 and CT 22 with 118" Guide rail. All prices are the same across the county the only thing you will run into is if the product is shipping in your state you will pay sales tax. Bob is great to deal with and 4 days from order to my door...

[Per Swenson]

Its like this Larry,

It's America you can buy from anyone you want.

But talk to Bob Marino, who is not someone just named Bob.

My Father is just named Bob. You will find out in 5 minutes

of free conversation why Mr. Marino is hands down the

the best customer service rep of any kind I have ever met.

This man deserves the kudos, period.

Per

[Charles McKinley]

Bob has been great about answering all of my questions and sending emails about new stuff and specials that Festool offers even though I have not made a purchase from him yet. As soon as things get straightened around I will order from Bob. You won't be dissapointed in his service. If you do decide to go with WC make sure they stock rather than just have the display and drop ship. I would hate to see you drive an hour and a half and still have to wait for the postman!

What Per said and do a search for Per and Festool and you will see he uses these tools daily to create just awesome work!

[Ted Miller]

I want to add, I went into the Woodcraft near my house and I was checking out all of the Festool stuff since I had a jobsite and used the machines last weekend and was very impressed.

I was standing at the display for almost 30 minutes checking out each item and all the extras. Now I was in the store at 9:30am on a Friday, store was not busy at all. I would say there was 4 employees on hand. One customer was checking out a Sawstop and three employees were helping him with one guy behind the counter. Not one time did one employee even ask me if I needed help. The few things I had to purchase besides the 1K I was ready to drop on Festool products. I put the items back on the shelves and I left the store.

Steaming for a bit after returning home I found the site FOG from Per here at SMC. Went to that site where Per and quite a few others were making their purchases from Bob Marino. So after checking through the his website and few e-mails later from Bob and one from Per I order 2K worth of Festools from Bob.

I do like to keep the money I spend in my own county but that day told me WC could careless. I feel that my money with Bob was well spent since I spent a few hours in my shop making dust with the Festools last night and could not have been happier with my purchase.

Sorry to say I will never go into WC ever again. Rockler is even closer to my home so they will now get my business from now on as they just sent me a 20% of e-mail for this weekend.

Sorry to rant, customer service means everything to me, not just the bottom line buck saved here or there...

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I have no Festool products but I am considering the purchase of an ROS. Based on feedback here & other places, I have already decided I'll go with Bob when I make the jump.

[Jim Becker]

I do like to keep the money I spend in my own county but that day told me WC could careless. I feel that my money with Bob was well spent...
So California is a different country from New Jersey?? :D :D :D (sorry....I couldn't resist...)

[Per Swenson]

jumped to fast there Jim,

He clearly wrote COUNTY.

I admire that.

Not the jumping.... but shopping locally.

Resist the borg and all that.

Vested intrest (my family are small shop owners)(Garment)

You would do well in a size 10.

:D

\Per

[Scott Thornton]

I buy from Bob, have had great experiences!

I wish he'd ship me my domino early though! :p

[Mark Singer]

I buy from Bob Marino......he really knows the products ....he knows the accesorries. In many places the guy's are just guessing and you end up with not the best stuff for your situation...Call Bob!

[Jim Becker]

jumped to fast there Jim,

He clearly wrote COUNTY.

I admire that.

Ok...I guess the latté hadn't started to do its work yet... :o

[Ted Miller]

jumped to fast there Jim, He clearly wrote COUNTY.

Pretty quick there Per, I don't drink coffee and after reading Jim's post I had to re-read my post three times to make sure I spellld correectly. And hey I am 3 hours behind you guys in time, but still sharp on the keyboard...

[Doug Shepard]

So California is a different country from New Jersey?? :D :D :D (sorry....I couldn't resist...)

I dunno. But I'm pretty sure it's in a different time zone. There are pockets there where you'd swear it's still the Sixties.:D

[Dan Clark]

Ted,

IMO, Bob is numero uno in customer service. Great guy and VERY knowledgable!

Regards,

Dan.

[Dave Avery]

Another customer who is extremely happy with Bob's advice and service.....

[Paul Johnstone]

On the other hand there is a local Woodcraft with a festool display I have checked out a few times. I'm generally relentless about sticking to buying local if I shop local. I don't think it's ethical to get local sales help and then shop on line to save a buck or two (tax in this case and a 45 min drive ea way). On the other hand by pre shopping the catalog and reading about Festool on line I have never really gotten help down there, most of the staff doesn't really have the knowledge I aquired just by looking at the catalog. That was frustrating. I'm still mulling this over. May make my first purchase there just for them maintaining a display that let me identify that the table would not meet my needs.
.

I think it's great that you want to try to buy local when possible. I'm the same way, although I agree with you that it's difficult at times when you have to drive 45 min each way. Paying the tax doesn't bother me.

[Paul Johnstone]

II was standing at the display for almost 30 minutes checking out each item and all the extras. Not one time did one employee even ask me if I needed help. ...

No offense Ted, but did you ask for help? A lot of customers come into stores like Woodcraft just to browse and when asked if they need help, say "just looking". Some sales people are even trained to just make themselves visible and wait for the customer to ask for help.

I'm sure if you went to the register or one of the guys hanging out at the Sawstop and said "Hey, I've got some questions about this Festool stuff".. They would've done their best to help you. The guy at the cash register might've thought you were trying to decide whether to buy or not and was giving you space to make your decision (as opposed to giving you a sales pitch).

Many customers don't want to be asked for help, so you need to take the initiative.

[Ted Miller]

Paul, I was about ready to ask but when I saw two of the employees just standing next to the one employee who was helping the gentleman who was thinking about purchasing the SS and they were there exactlly as long as I was in the Festool area. The employee office is right next to the Festool display and a three of the employees went by me, I mean 2' away and said nothing. Maybe I just smelled bad or something. Funny thing is when I go there I always spend at least a hundred dollars...

[Per Swenson]

I must disagree on that, Paul.

In any retail operation and especially hardware and tools,

it is imperative a salesperson let the customer know he is available

at a moments notice.

And not with the standard "Can I help you" which can roll off the

tounge with disdain.

Every customer should be greeted and welcomed at the door.

The sales staff should be knowledgeable about the product they sell.

I also think our aversion to the "can I help you's" is born from

years of people using this phrase who couldn't possibly do that.

Help me.

During my late High school and early college years I worked and

managed a lumber yard and hardware store. Weekly classes

on just about every item we sold was provided by the manufactures rep

and was mandatory for all employees. From part time to cashier to management.

Find that today? Good luck.

Per

[Don Bullock]

I agree with Ted. Service at WC is not the best. When I do have some money and need a Festool product I'm convinced that Bob's the goto guy.;)

[John Stevens]

I buy from Bob Marino......he really knows the products ....he knows the accesorries. In many places the guy's are just guessing and you end up with not the best stuff for your situation...

Exactly. Bob Marino has done a lot of work with these tools, so he knows the product line in a way that an ordinary sales person doesn't, no matter how many times the sales person has met with Festool reps and trainers. I made a few Festool purchases elsewhere before I found out about Bob Marino a couple of years ago, but now I buy exclusively from Bob.

[Matt Hyman]

Bob Marino is absolutely the best when it comes to Customer Service and is very knowledgeable about the line. It is where my Festool dollars go and he has never disappointed.

[Larry Rasmussen]

But more seriously, I do appreciate the response to this and any other question I have asked.

I did have occasion to fill out a customer service form for the Woodcraft store and lack of product knowledge was an issue for me. I don't think everyone has to know everything but it is nice to have a better base of info than I see there some days.

Regards,
Larry Rasmussen

[Dave Falkenstein]

I have purchased Festool products for the last 4 years. I bought from a local Independent Sales Associate (ISA), now called a Dealer, directly from the Festool-USA web site and from Bob Marino. The pricing is the same no matter where you buy Festool products. The shipping is free if you buy $150 or more no matter where you buy, which is not hard at all when buying tools. The difference is product knowledge and customer service. Bob Marino gets my business these days. I ordered some accessories from Bob's web site late on Thursday night last week. The product was on my doorstep on Monday afternoon. It takes me almost that long to drive to my "local" Woodcraft and back, where most of the people know little or nothing about the Festool products. To me it is a whole lot more convenient to sit on my butt and place an order and have it arrive within a couple of days. Did I say that Bob Marino gets my business these days???

[John Keane]

I second in spades all of the positives about Bob Marino. Special trust and confidence.

[John Lucas]

I don't want to see Bob M get as large a head as this thread will create... except he does deserve it.
Before I tell my Bob M story, let me say that all Woodcraft Stores are not created equal. I am in RI and am very fortunate to have a GREAT Woodcraft store 15 minutes away. They have a complete Festool display and a Domino display...both are working areas and I have seen 3 or 4 different sales people demo the equipment well. Nuff said.
Now to Bob M story. Two years ago I saw him at a show and we started talking about procedures. In that discussion I was telling him how I could rip long boards and get straight, ready to glue-up boards. He asked if he could visit my shop and bring a couple of problem boards with him.
He drove 5 hours on one saturday to come up:
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-5312.jpg

Here are the "jointed" boards and they were problem boards:
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-5324.jpg

Here is the full story: http://www.woodshopdemos.com/fes-53.htm

ANd then he had another 5 hour drive back home. Now I have known Bob for sometime and he is a great Festool dealer, but what he really is is an inquisitve woodworker who wants to excel in his craft and knowledge base...and he does that and loves sharing that knowledge.

[Dave Lehnert]

I want to add, I went into the Woodcraft near my house and I was checking out all of the Festool stuff since I had a jobsite and used the machines last weekend and was very impressed.

I was standing at the display for almost 30 minutes checking out each item and all the extras. Now I was in the store at 9:30am on a Friday, store was not busy at all. I would say there was 4 employees on hand. One customer was checking out a Sawstop and three employees were helping him with one guy behind the counter. Not one time did one employee even ask me if I needed help. The few things I had to purchase besides the 1K I was ready to drop on Festool products. I put the items back on the shelves and I left the store.

Steaming for a bit after returning home I found the site FOG from Per here at SMC. Went to that site where Per and quite a few others were making their purchases from Bob Marino. So after checking through the his website and few e-mails later from Bob and one from Per I order 2K worth of Festools from Bob.

I do like to keep the money I spend in my own county but that day told me WC could careless. I feel that my money with Bob was well spent since I spent a few hours in my shop making dust with the Festools last night and could not have been happier with my purchase.

Sorry to say I will never go into WC ever again. Rockler is even closer to my home so they will now get my business from now on as they just sent me a 20% of e-mail for this weekend.

Sorry to rant, customer service means everything to me, not just the bottom line buck saved here or there...

Just an observation.
You were ticked off because a sales person at Woodcraft did not offer you help. So you walked out instead of asking for help. But on the other hand you thought asking for help (through an e-mail) to a person you have never meet in person and had no tools on display you could touch and feel as excellent customer service so much so you spent 2K with him…….interesting.

[Dan Clark]

Find that today? Good luck.

Per
Per,

We are fortunate in that we have online Festool Dealers like Bob Marino. Personally, I am fortunate in that I have a very good, local tool dealer - Eastside Saw in Bellevue, WA.

The great service still exists. It's just very rare.

Regards,

Dan.

[Gary Keedwell]

Just an observation.
You were ticked off because a sales person at Woodcraft did not offer you help. So you walked out instead of asking for help. But on the other hand you thought asking for help (through an e-mail) to a person you have never meet in person and had no tools on display you could touch and feel as excellent customer service so much so you spent 2K with him…….interesting.

That is an interesting observation, Dave. Funny how we can be assertive on-line but not "in person" Why is that? And when were not assertive... the blame is not our own.

Gary K.

[Ted Miller]

Just an observation.
You were ticked off because a sales person at Woodcraft did not offer you help. So you walked out instead of asking for help. But on the other hand you thought asking for help (through an e-mail) to a person you have never meet in person and had no tools on display you could touch and feel as excellent customer service so much so you spent 2K with him…….interesting.

Dave, I did walk out since no one wanted to help me and I felt I did not need to ask for help, so I will take my money elsewhere.

I went over to the forum Festool Owners Group when Per here at SMC told me about it and everyone purchased there tools from Bob, so after a few e-mails to Bob I did the same.

I also used some of these tools on a job site a week ago so it was not like I was blindly purchasing something just because everyone else has. I liked the product and made my choice from the little hands on experience I had. Think how many times we purchase tools from WWing shows only from a demo and we don't even get to run the equipment...

[Jeff Naylor]

There may be a reason to buy Festool from anyone other than Bob, but I can't imagine what it would be.

[Per Swenson]

Jeff,

You are Hired. You managed in one sentence to convey conventional wisdom

which has taken others, myself included, many.

Plese forward salary requirements to Swenson & Swenson.;)

Per

["Michael Hinkel"]

I would rather shop local for big $$$$ items mainly because I like to touch and see what I am buying. But lately I have been disappointed with the lack of info some local people have regarding their product. I stopped at a Woodcraft store for a special hinge and decided to buy shellac flakes, I have never used them, the sales guy asked me 2-3 times how to mix the stuff after telling him several times that it is a new experience for me he disappeared and left me to wander on my own.
Bob Marino is the only person in my recent memory to respond to my emails the same day, He also called me. We talked via phone, he answered my questions and let me buy 1k worth of Festool stuff while saving me some money through his suggestions.
I think most of us can agree that Festool is a good product, I believe Bob M. enhances the product in a way that other dealers could follow.

He is in New Jersey I am in Arizona, had my tools in less than a week I think I ordered on a Wed and had them on Monday.

[Dave Rudy]

Bob Marino.

I have bought many tools from Woodcraft and appreciate the store in many ways. I will continue to do business there.

But for Festool, Bob cant be beat.

Dave

[John Miliunas]

At last count, I'm at 7 Festool pieces in my shop. ALL of them came via Bob Marino and I only had a slight issue with one piece, which he resolved virtually overnight. Bob's your man for Festool! 'Nuf said! :) :cool:

[Greg Ladd]

Bob Marino sets the bar for others to measure their customer satisfaction against. He does it better than anyone I've ever done business with before.

There are many companies in the U.S. that could take a lesson from the way Bob treats customers.

Greg Ladd

[Peter Pedisich]

Purchased each and every one of my Festools from Bob Marino.

First class customer service.

Nice guy.

Great website.

[Rob Blaustein]

Another Bob M. vote. Several orders over several years, some large (at least for me), some small, and Bob is always gracious about spending as much time as needed answering questions. And I ask a lot.

[Bob Marino]

Well, let me say that I am replying to this post with great hesitancy. Hesitancy because I am a bit embarrased by all this and hopefully not sounding like a horse's backside in posting this reply. Who wouldn't be thrilled/excited/pleased to have such accolades? And I thank each and every person here for these very, very kind words of support.
But let me offer some thoughts before I get annointed into sainthood:D:o :D.
I have been for over 30 years, and still (to a lesser degree) am a Respiratory Therapist. I have no sales background and ten seconds into a conversation, without me ever mentioning it, you'd know I am from Brooklyn;). Six years ago, I started selling Festool tools, almost by accident, BTW. But I have always believed in the tools, not always in myself - thankfully that changed. Confident enough in the tools to look up the Silva Brothers (This Old House) from the Internet Yellow Pages 3 years ago and demo the tools for Tom, his brother Dickie and nephew Charlie.
I knew they'd be wild over the tools - and these guys are not easily impressed, let me tell you. And it was the tools, not me that did the talkin'. Until this day, the tools do the talkin', I just clarify.
Yes, good customer support should come with any tool, but if I am selling world class tools, why would I not want to match that with good customer service? But what the heck is good customer service, anyhow?
In my mind, I can't see not explaining the tools tools correctly, checking the order, making sure the correct items are added, not padded, to the order and fine tuning the order to that customer's needs. Assist them in getting what they need for their applications. Problems after the sale? Get back to those folks even quicker. Nothing's worse in my opinion, than spending good $$ and not getting callback when questions/problems occur. And believe me, my record is not perfect - any mistake is one mistake too many, and I have made more than one mistake:(. Bottom line, I treat the customer the way I'd like to be treated. It really ain't so hard, if you believe in the tools and like what you're doin'.
Again, thanks all.
Bob

[Gary Eneberg]

Spoken like someone that cares about their customers.

Thanks Bob. I'll be calling before the price hike.

Gary

[Larry Rasmussen]

So I had posted about where to buy Festool last Fri or so. After a little thought I decided I owed the local Woodcraft for my opportunity to see a display with a variety of tools and accessories there. I try not to suck up help locally then buy on line. Drive down Sun. and what do you know- out of stock. Went and typed in an order Sun night on Bob Marino's site. Here it is after work on the porch. I didn't know he would be able to drop ship from West Coast, great delivery time. I did not have occasion to speak to Bob but I know I'm going to need some help on a sander, nice to know I "have a friend in the Festool business"

Thanks for all your comments,
Larry

[Scott Coffelt]

Another person who says Bob's the Best. I can buy from many places in KC, but choose to order through Bob. I actually was at one store here and the local rep was there for an event, to say the guy was a jerk would be nice. He was showing something to someone and I was looking at the new stuff they had and the customer made a comment about do customers really like this stuff, so being a long time customer I added a quick AMEN. The rep who could ahve easily made a comment like see here is one here, doesn't acknowledge, gives me a dirty look and proceeds trying to suck money out of the guy. I thought to myself, I guess i shouldn't have interupted. Later the same guy comes up to me to get more info from me on the tools and why I liked them, not sure if he bought or not. He did make a comment about the rep and that he found him to be rude and also thought what I did was added value. I tried to ask the rep about some stuff later and he wouldn't give me a second. His loss, though I wasn't planning on buying squat from him anyways. Bob's the man, and when I have funds to spend it goes his way.