. An inherent responsibility of the parts department at the John Deere franchised Kiowa Service Company, was to ensure the defective part for warranty were properly tagged, stored and the appropriate paperwork filed with John Deere for reimbursement. The work order filed for replacing the part, a function of the service department. With the hiring of Howard Williams as Service Department manager, Gary soon realized defective parts and failures on inventory no longer under warranty, were documented as aspiring from tractors and combines still certified. Included were other initiatives, Howard boasting that Steve Miller approached him with an innovative way to boaster the number of hours on the hour meter of a leased combine, simply wiring the radio to activate the hour meter when turned on. It was discerned that many during harvest utilized youths to wash and detail the combines when changing locations, and in the process, the youth’s would listen to the radio, which would register on the hour meter.
. Battery warranties also became a concern, the John Deere warranty representative, better known as the Block Man, would visually inspect the batteries for warranty, marking them with red spray paint. Gary observing a service department employee removing the marking paint with a high pressure hose, enabling the battery to be submitted again at a later date for warranty. It was rumored Howard’s special talent was one that paid big dividends, the reversing of an hour meter on a used tractors or combine, done after closing hours so never witnessed, the changed hours silently confirmed by previous owners. Gary confronting Howard about his warranty concern, it’s miss application approaching the realm of theft, and at the least representing a defrauding of John Deere, the Service Manager’s explanation being, he was only complying with Steve Miller’s directive.
. Gary’s consternation about the warranties and misgivings of Steve Miller’s directives began to sojourn on his conscience. An unanswered question discovered Gary in Steve Miller’s office, the parts person presenting his assertion of the impropriety of warranty exploitation. Steve readily acknowledging its presence, but rationalized with an explanation, gesturing to the small utility tractors positioned across the street, imparting, “Kiowa Service having never sold a single one, but they remain”. Gary, understood the smaller tractor application was not marketable in a wheat farming community, but listening to the owners accordance. Steve continued, “John Deere requires I floor plan a number of their products, whether they are marketable or not, and as a dealer I am given no choice. Floor planning equipment that I can’t sell cost me money, and I am only recouping my loss of income from John Deere.” Gary acknowledging Steve Miller’s annotation, noting that his justification was not acceptable, the age old adage coming to mind, “two wrongs don’t make a right”.
. Exiting the office discerning that the seeds of lamentation have been planted, the fruits of emergence soon to flourish, and the commission of righteous employment to be adjudged.
Inquisitive Quest 
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