Things Dealers tell Customers

[Vertical C]

Originally Posted by ShardPhoenix

True, but the attitude of the salesman can sometimes give a picture to how that dealer treats customers on the whole. If I walked into a place and the sales guy was a complete jerk, I'd wonder if the parts/service people were jerks as well. Having to put up with shithead salesmen should never be part of the purchase process.

A salesman driving away a potential customer because he can't stand to not show off his "rapier wit" winds up putting the "joke" square on his business.

Hmm, ok fair point, maybe because i never buy new i am less concerned with warranty.

[dman]

My experience buying three new cars (for cash) in the last 12 years (swe till own all 3) has been that some combination of Internet cross-shopping and focus corporate CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) has made car salesmen much more professional. Sure they want to maximize their profit, but for most cars dealer markups and sleazy "paint protection packages" are a thing of the past. And although I may know more about the technical details of the cars than most salespeople, I haven't heard any gross errors about the product. By comparison, my experience in motorcycle dealerships has been much more varied and not very good, other than dealing with the owner or sales manager of a few smaller and established Euro bike shops. BTW, I've also bought 3 bikes in that period; 1 new (adequate but not great experience) and two used ... both used sellers (one CL, one CL & ADV Flea Market) were honest and a pleasure to deal with.

-dman

[slartidbartfast]

Originally Posted by jules083

No, he rides a lot and knows exactly what a sv1000 is. I can't remember what he rides, but he's been on sportbikes for a while. At least 4 or 5 years that I know of, probably longer

So then why is the moron suggesting an SV1000 as a beginner's bike or commuter? If he really does know better then that is worse IMO

[eepeqez]

Originally Posted by slartidbartfast

So then why is the moron suggesting an SV1000 as a beginner's bike or commuter? If he really does know better then that is worse IMO

Because the easiest people to sell a completely inappropriate bike to are beginners.

[dwoodward]

Originally Posted by ShardPhoenix

True, but the attitude of the salesman can sometimes give a picture to how that dealer treats customers on the whole.

And note- not the salesman, the OWNER, in this case.

driving away a potential customer because he can't stand to not show off his "rapier wit" winds up putting the "joke" square on his business.

Which, in the end, it did. (out of business).

[ShardPhoenix]

Poetic justice then.





.

[EastSideSM]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

Harley doesn't own the store. George Latus does. It is a common misconception that you hold... And it is true that both Harley and Triumph would prefer stand alone stores, so what we did is put two stores in one. Separate areas in the same building.

Missoula's Harley store is also a Ducati dealership.

We have a HD dealer that also Operates a Triumph dealership. Different buildings in same complex.

[Tinker1980]

After reading all of this, I'm thinking I am very fortunate. I once rode my grimy KLR to K&N bike shop in Tulsa with both new tires around my waist, and they changed them, on the bike, for $75. No grief about ordering tires online vs. buying them there, they knew they didn't have them. It wasn't even a Kawi dealer. Another shop (Ron's Cycle) over on the "bad" side of town is basically a motorcycle salvage, but they order stuff and have it there in days, not weeks, once gave me a discount on a helmet because they didn't have my size, and when I brought in a pair of fork tubes that I suspected were bent, they went to straighten them and turned out one was perfectly straight, the other was very, very close. The mechanic there told me "Those are so close, I'm not even going to charge you."

The dealer I bought my KLR from was thrilled just to sell me a bike. I looked at an 883 sportster, a VFR 800, and a 750 Shadow, all around $4,000, and at the last minute asked "Do you have any dual-sports?" And they happily led me over to the blue KLR that sits in my garage now, even though it was several hundred dollars cheaper than the others I was looking at.

[Bogfarth]

Got an e-mail from the stealership's parts dept last night: my gaskets are now in and ready for pick-up!




Odd, I picked 'em up already...








....about a week after I placed my order....















.... back in September.

[dwoodward]

Originally Posted by Bogfarth

Got an e-mail from the stealership's parts dept last night: my gaskets are now in and ready for pick-up!

Odd, I picked 'em up already...

....about a week after I placed my order....

.... back in September.

Tell them to send them back and refund your money (minus the 15% restocking fee, of course).

[Bogfarth]

Originally Posted by dwoodward

Tell them to send them back and refund your money (minus the 15% restocking fee, of course).

Oh they refunded everything and no restock fee was charged. How it happened, though, is a real mystery. Especially with an order that old.

[LngRidr]

I bought my Suzuki Vstrom from the local Harley dealer. They also sell Yamaha and Honda....

http://www.cycleworldathens.com/

[David R]

I bought a new R1200R.

I picked up the bike before the bags and rack came in.

Salesman " leave a key and we will key your bags to the bike." I did.

Bags came in, I was then told "These new locks are different, it can't be done."

I went home, pulled the locks out and matched them to my original bike key.

One key fits all locks.

David

[tokyoklahoma]

Those guys ROCK!!

They even let me go in back and rummage around in their shelves to find stuff for my old bike.

[Rick G]

Originally Posted by High Country Herb

OK, here is my story about a lame dealer (which has since gone out of business). When shopping for an adventure bike, I stopped in at the Yamaha dealer in Manteca. I said I needed an adventure bike bigger than 700cc for 2-up riding. He said they didn't make one. When I asked him about the Super Tenere, he said he'd never heard of it or seen it. No brochure, nothing. He didn't even offer to look it up on the Yamaha website (his computer was 10 feet away). Talk about not knowing your product...

I had a similar situation happen at a Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati dealership (may have even had Triumph too) that also had a large HD dealership next door. Even the non HD shop was heavily into cruisers. Anyway this was around the time that the original DL1000 V-Strom came out. It was during the work day and I was in between appointments (outside sales) so I stopped in to check the V-Strom out. I drove up in a nice late model car and had on business clothes. Conversation went like this, after a salesman finally acknowledged me after I spent 10-15 minutes kicking tires.

Salesman: Can I help you?

Me: Sure, thanks. I am thinking of getting a new bike and am interested in the V-Strom and would like to check it out.

Salesman: (with a dumb founded look on face) Uhh, what's that?

Me: This is a Suzuki dealership isn't it?

Salesman: (still looking dumb founded) Yeah....

Me: Well.....

Salesman: (a light bulb coming on) Oh yeah. Nah, we ain't got one of those.

Me: OK, will you be getting one in?

Salesman: Probably not. We can't sell sport bikes.

Me: Ok thanks.

And I turn around and leave. The guy made no attempt to engage me at all in a conversation about motorcycles and I told him I was thinking of a new bike. I am in my late 40's, obviously not poor and looking for a new bike.

I have spent a life in sales and I am by no means the best sales guy out there, but come on now. How do these guys get jobs selling anything????

Rick G