Question:

What steps has your dealership taken, or need to take, to implement a precision ag liability protection plan against customer claims?

Answer:

“When setting up a customer’s data management account we show each customer our data usage agreement, which is required before the customer can use the MyJohnDeere Operations Center. After explaining machine data, production data and third party sharing data, the customer better understands that the data is not shared until they allow it to be. 

“If they choose not to partner with third parties, their data will remain secure. To educate precision employees at each of our 3 South Dakota dealerships we have conducted training at monthly meetings on how to keep customer data secure. There is a lot that goes into this, but some of the main topics covered are utilizing remote support through JDLink, only with the customer’s consent, clearing all display and machine data on traded-in machines and giving them a general understanding of why the data needs to be kept private. 

“We very often refer to a customer’s agronomic data as their “bank account,” meaning it should only be looked at when the customer says it’s OK to do so. Our service department is now making remote diagnostics through JDLink part of the service call to increase customer uptime, and with that comes a conversation with the customer beforehand. Deere has given our dealership great resources for keeping customer data secure, and our goal is to remain proactive and upfront with the customer to avoid any data privacy issues.”

—Kyle Van Voorst,
RDO Equipment,
Brookings, S.D.

“We have no direct or written liability protection other than OEM disclaimers and discretionary statements. For the most part, customers understand the limitations of the technology, but there are those situations where a written statement would be useful. In a few circumstances, it may have saved tens of thousands of dollars for recourse.”

— Jared Wiersma,
Agri-Service,
Marsing, Idaho