I've noticed, on many lists, that people are reluctant to give the name of a dealer or shop owner who treats the customer poorly.
I am grateful to see good dealers pointed out.
I want to see the names of the bad dealers, the ones with poor attitudes, so myself and others can avoid them.
Having a "bad day" is no excuse for rudeness.
Dave
May we recall, "that attitude makes the difference!"
"As you shout into the woods, that way the echo comes back."
Said that I must say the nicest guys I met in US were Canadians!
Here in Costa Rica the same.
As long you treat people well, they will do so too.
And as Claude mentions: I myself turn back quite a few orders for jobs just with one intention, too: I want to sleep well and don't want to load my conscience with any possible accident because a client wanted a dangerous job get done.
My former boss's argument for sendng back jobs was: he possed all Honda and from before NSU, Horex...service manuals. Other brands had specific tricks he had no information about the engine and he didn't want to risk anything unnecessarily.
For greyimporters bikes he wasn't friendly when the drivers came with bad attitudes. But he lent a hand to more then one nice person just because of their attitude even when they came in with an indian Royal Enfield.
Be wise and stick to the saying of a (San Pedro Port, Los Angeles (California)) veteran Triumpf importer and service shop:
"The good guys have to stick together! Don't make business with people with bad attitude!"
Regards
Sven Peter
Just to be a devil's advocate, I'd be interested in hearing how that dealer would recount the event in question. When I worked in a shop, we would occasionally turn away business when the potential customer's expectations were unrealistic, or unsafe.
I have to take my SC off when I bring that bike in for major service. Their door isn't wide enough to get the whole rig through, they don't have enough room to keep a SC sitting around if they did take it off- which they would have to do because they couldn't get a whole rig up on a lift.
Not to change to topic but it happens with cars also. Saved up for a live long dream and bought a new 07 CORVETTE last year. I had it shipped from the dealer with the very best price. The local dealer keeps putting me off with a windshield wiper problem , they don't work in the rain. Seams that they give poor service to Corvettes they did not sell. Sorry to steal your thread. I ride old bikes.
One other thing to consider as far as judging dealers ,or any business for that matter , goes. Good dealers can at times have bad employees. If one is dealing with an employee who has an attitude it does not necesarrily mean that the dealership itself is being represented the way it should be.
Face it , there are some out there today that have the work ethic of a moron and are just putting in their time on the clock. I like to think that as far as motorcycle related shops go this is the exception and not the rule. If an issue arises it is never wrong to request to talk to the owner or a supervisor.
Originally written by curley 12 on 12/8/2007 12:42 AM
Not to change to topic but it happens with cars also. Saved up for a live long dream and bought a new 07 CORVETTE last year. I had it shipped from the dealer with the very best price. The local dealer keeps putting me off with a windshield wiper problem , they don't work in the rain. Seams that they give poor service to Corvettes they did not sell. Sorry to steal your thread. I ride old bikes.
So, you didn't let him make money on the sale, but you want him to do the warranty work (that pays CRAP) for you the same as if he did make money on the sale. You'll get no pitty from me. Warranty work pays REALLY poorly and to make a repair job wait, or lose the repair job that we WILL make money on so that we can do warranty work that we WON'T make money on for a customer who spends his money elsewere is unrealistic. Its a business, not a charrity. Service goes BOTh directions, if you spend your sales oney elsewhere, then take your warranty work to where you bought it. THAT is why I pay a little more on purchase prices to help keep the doors open at the shop that is right down the street from me.
That goes for bike repairs as well as cars.
Originally written by Lunatic on 12/8/2007 2:24 PM
So, you didn't let him make money on the sale, but you want him to do the warranty work (that pays CRAP) for you the same as if he did make money on the sale. You'll get no pitty from me. Warranty work pays REALLY poorly and to make a repair job wait, or lose the repair job that we WILL make money on so that we can do warranty work that we WON'T make money on for a customer who spends his money elsewere is unrealistic. Its a business, not a charrity. Service goes BOTh directions, if you spend your sales oney elsewhere, then take your warranty work to where you bought it. THAT is why I pay a little more on purchase prices to help keep the doors open at the shop that is right down the street from me.
That goes for bike repairs as well as cars.
Interesting. So much for loyalty to the Mark, if each dealer should feel so independent. So I guess if I move, or a given dealer folds, I'm out of luck with warranty work. Bummer. Perhaps it's best never to buy 'new' again. I prefer older vehicles anyway...
From his post "I had it shipped from the dealer with the very best price". It was not an issue of his local dealer going under so he went somewhere else, this was a case of going past his local dealer to spend money farther away,t hen going BACK to the local dealer when the not-for profit warranty work was needed. What do you suppose allows the local dealer to keep his doors open? It sure isn't warranty work. Warranty repair pays REALLY bad. Its sales, and for-pay repairs. While they are doing the warranty work on that vehicle that they did NOT make any money on, a job is NOT being done on a vehicle that they DID sell or are repairing for pay.
Loyalty to the mark/ Well, our local Moto Guzzi dealer sells 50 Suzuki's for every one Moto Guzzi that they sell. They CARRY Guzzi because they love the brand, but their profit all comes from Suzuki. Thats about all of the 'loyalty to the mark' as you can ask of a BUSINESS. its nto a charity, they have bills to pay. If you can convince the electric company to deliver product for free, the service guys to work for free, the parts suppliers to donate parts, then maybe the business can start taking on low to no profit jobs. Read his post again, they are not refusing to do the repairs they just want to make sure that their PAYING customers are taken care of first. THOSE people deserve the loyalty of the business, THEY spent their money there, THEY deserve to be first in line to get service done. They paid for that privelege.
Do you suppose that the CEO / shareholders of a given manufacturer would enjoy hearing that they are losing customers because those customers were unable to obtain warranty service? From one of their own dealers? Regardless of the reason, to deny warranty service essentially rescinds the warranty.
No question that there's little money in it. Especially if you're dealing Guzzis. That's why so many dealers supply parts, accessories, services and repairs, and offer multiple brands. Name of the game.
Originally written by Hack'n on 11/25/2007 2:11 PM
There are others who have an $85. per hour labor rate for solo bikes and another rate (double ?) for hacks and trikes. They feel each lift in the shop is worth $85. (One lift, One tech.) for every hour their shop is open.
In all fairness, if your rig is taking up two lifts and keeping the second tech from billable work, it's seems perfectly reasonable you'd be charged a higher rate. Otherwise, whatever they charge you is zero'd out my the idle tech not being able to bill.
The moral of the story? Do your own damn maintenance!
Originally written by bill_powell on 12/8/2007 7:27 PM
Do you suppose that the CEO / shareholders of a given manufacturer would enjoy hearing that they are losing customers because those customers were unable to obtain warranty service? From one of their own dealers? Regardless of the reason, to deny warranty service essentially rescinds the warranty.
No question that there's little money in it. Especially if you're dealing Guzzis. That's why so many dealers supply parts, accessories, services and repairs, and offer multiple brands. Name of the game.
Ok, read it AGAIN, they are nto being denied warranty work, they are being asked to wait in line behind the customers that bought their product there. The business is doing its part to keep the customers who help the business pay the bills. When those customers are taken care of THEN they will work on the machines of those who don't care if the shop goes under. If you don't think enough of a shop to purchase a machine from them, why would you want to take it to them for service work anyway?Obviously you don't want them to keep their doors open. You're denying them any profit, then want them to do warranty work knowing that they make little or no money on those tasks. Often it COSTS the shop to do warranty work as the flat rats is not realistic for the task.
Bill, at least make an effort to address what I'm saying here. Warranty work is break even at best. No profit. Yes they will do the work, but the customers who bought their machines there get taken care of FIRST. If thats not acceptable, then why buy elsewhere? If you wnat to be at the front of the line, then let the place make a few bucks off of your business. THATS what the 'profit' is supposed to pay for when you buy from your LOCAL dealer.
Waiting in line is fine. First come, first served. But putting off the warranty customer indefinitely is NOT waiting your turn in line.
In any case, HIS post was not what I was responding to:
"...if you spend your sales oney elsewhere, then take your warranty work to where you bought it..."
THAT is what I was responding to.
first come first served. And they came first when they BOUGHT the vehicle there. That service is part of what the paid for when they made their purchase. He bought elsewhere and deserves that same service at the place he made that purchase. Breaking down on the road is a clear exception, but thats not what went on. He didn't buy local but wants to be treated like one of their regular customers. Bah. he can wait till the real customers are taken care of or he can go to the place that sold him the vehicle.
Originally written by Lunatic on 12/8/2007 10:31 PM
... He didn't buy local but wants to be treated like one of their regular customers. Bah. he can wait till the real customers are taken care of or he can go to the place that sold him the vehicle.
Precisely the attitude that I disagree with. I would, however, follow your advice. I would indeed go to another dealer. I would also make sure that the offending dealer was reported for their lack of customer service. Luckily, the internet has made that process very easy, and highly effective. Capitalism in action. I love this country.
Originally written by Lunatic on 12/8/2007 11:53 PM
Often it COSTS the shop to do warranty work as the flat rats is not realistic for the task.
I guess I have to question this. In all my years with Jaguar, Saab, and Fiat I worked for a number of shops that would only do warranty. As soon as the factory warranty was gone we'd send them off to the independents.
Usually the reasoning was that there was no money to be made fighting rust, corrosion, and customers who want it done cheap. When I worked by the hour it didn't matter, but when on flat rate I'll take new stuff every time.
