I decided it was time to upgrade my head and the Shoei Neotec was my choice.

Online research showed that prices were pretty consistent everywhere, so being an instant gratification kind of guy, I went to the closest Cycle Gear store in Laurel, Maryland to see if they had what I wanted in stock. I have had little experience with them, but it was close and I could have it now.

I went in and the guy working did not greet me as he did everyone else I heard come in the store. I stood looking at the helmets for about five minutes and even though there were only a few other people there, he just stood looking out the front window and did not ask if I needed help as I expected he would.

After a while, not seeing a Neotec on their wall, I walked up to him where he was leaning against the counter, looking out the window. I stood less than two feet from him for about 30 seconds and he refused to acknowledge me. I just stood there and finally, he could not ignore me and asked if he could help me.

I asked if they had Neotecs in stock and he said they did, asking my size. He looked through some boxes and they did not have the size and color I wanted so I said, "OK" and walked out. I'm actually glad they didn't have it because, despite being offended, I wanted it bad enough I would have bought it. As it is, they got none of my money and never will.

I can only conclude one of two things:

1 - the guy is just a lazy jerk.

2 - because he greeted other customers and asked what they wanted, and all of them were metric riders, and he saw me ride up on my Street Bob, I suspect he has a thing against Harley riders.

Maybe that's paranoid, but that's where the facts lead me.

Whatever the bug up his butt, the experience confirmed that Cycle Gear is not a place I need to shop any more.

I ordered the helmet from an online retailer I've had good experience with in the past. I'll have to wait a few days, but that's OK. Their customer service is great, and that makes all the difference to me.

 

Bad customer service is nothing new. Those kids are generally on their first job.

Funny story. The only "comment" I ever had at a Cycle Gear was from other customers. We were talking helmets etc., and I recommended a few different ones I liked and why. He was new to street riding. He asked me what I rode and I told him a Harley Super Glide Custom and his wife asked me what I was doing in cycle gear as there was no HD branded stuff. Now it was said with a smile so I knew she was yanking my chain. She really laughed when I showed her the two sets of Bilt gauntlets I picked up, the H2O and a nice hard knuckled set.

Forgot to add: Write a polite letter to the corporate office about the lack of customer service and loss of a sale. I'm sure they would be surprised to hear this.

 

Could just be he had a bad day or things were going slow and/or he didn't think you needed help. It's nice to get acknowledged when you walk into a business, but that doesn't always happen anymore (not saying it's right or wrong). I know the Cycle Gear by my house has been pretty friendly to me even if I don't always get a greeting walking in the door. However, I do have a gun shop by where I live where everyone acts just as you described and they have received numerous complaints about their customer service skills and I truly believe their bottom line has been impacted from it. The difference between them and most other stores, though, is they are a family owned business so they know exactly who they have working for them...businesses usually don't know they've employed a dumbass unless you let them know. I get your frustration...but I wouldn't get too hung up on it unless they're always like that when you walk in.

 

Yeah, can't judge them all as bad, not that you are. I was looking at getting the exact same helmet and like you, didn't want to wait so looked to find the closest dealer. It was Cycle Gear just a few miles from where I work. So I left work and got there about 10 minutes before they closed on a Saturday. The guy helped me find the Neotec and after I tried it on and decided it was the right size, he took it back to counter and got it bagged and boxed while I browsed around. When he was ready I paid with a check. Now this was the funny part. He didn't know how to use the check machine because he couldn't remember the last time anyone used a check before. We laughed and he figured it out. After the sale was finished he explained the store credit I had earned etc. and did not rush me out of the store. I will go back the next time I need something I think they can help me with. You may have just caught him on a bad day, you never know what's going on in a person's life.

 

I think the OP is angry they did not have his helmet he wanted, and is venting in some other fashion.

That place is sweet. Bring your tire and wheels in and they mount the tire and ballance them cheap, can order any part you need, take back their house brand gear no hassle at any time. I bought some gloves on clearance. When they were done I went in and grabbed another pair for exchange, did it three times, no questions asked. They clearance crap out super cheap. Like a $400.00 Shoei for $60.00, that I sold to a co worker for half of retail. Thats a lot of gas money right there. A buddy got a nice thick leather jacket for $21.97.

I bet if the OP would have taken a dump he would have sat there till the guy came and wiped his bum for him too.

 

I actually was just at my local Cycle Gear this last weekend, lived here for years and have never gone before. It was pretty much exactly the same as the one I visited in California a few years ago. They greeted us at the door and kept checking on us every 2-5 minutes. Their physical locations seem to be pretty nice from the few experiences I've had. I'm not so fond of their online presence. Few years ago I ordered a leather jacket and some gloves for my lady and the box arrived with a huge softball sized hole in it and what at first appeared to be a missing glove, turns out it was stuffed inside the sleeve of the jacket for some reason and they didn't seem to care one bit when I brought it up to corporate or the physical location when we tried exchanging for a different size. I know they're not the shipping company but product falling out of a box and needing to deal with replacing those items would really dig into their bottom line.

 

Wow Dusty, you have an extra helping of Troll Cereal this morning or what? FU.

From the replies, yeah, maybe I just caught the guy on a bad day.

I am not a high-maintenance customer. Just the opposite. I normally like to do my looking and find help when I need it, but I do like being acknowledged.

Actually, I would not have thought anything about how he acted if it wasn't for the fact that he asked everyone else if they needed help without prompting. That's what made me wonder why I was the exception and my ride was the first difference I noticed.

Or maybe he just didn't see me. At six feet and about 230 pounds, I can see how I might slip in unnoticed. Or maybe he just thought I was ugly, which would be understandable.

 

If it was like the op said it was it wouldn't have took me long to tell the salesman to shove it. When I am spending money the last thing I want is to be ignored. I'll take my business elsewhere where it will be appreciated.

Really odd that he acknowledged all the other customers and chose to ignore the op. Maybe I'm missing something here.

 

Another thing is where you live. The DC area just sucks like that. I moved away from Herndon VA for that very reason. The way people treat eachother most other places is a lot better. Hell I wouldn't be surprised to learn the guy had a good day any more than a bad day. Just a thought.

 

When I was at the closest store in NJ, I was treated fairly well. The sales guy was a big help and I purchased a few things for an upcoming trip.

I've also used their website. Their Bilt stuff is of fair quality at a fair price. The only issue I had was a pair of waterproof gloves that didn't last long and are falling apart. Other than that, the gear I picked up is working as it should.