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-   -   Is this normal? Dealership experience (https://www.hdforums.com/forum/general-harley-davidson-chat/1284251-is-this-normal-dealership-experience.html)

highwayman50 05-16-2019 09:00 AM


Originally Posted by Bama Lee XLC (Post 18260523)
$121 to set up a pigeon for the full fleecing........that'll end up over $600 for a less than half hour job

mechanics attitudes are why so many people are wrenching their own today

Trench, you're a wrench monkey, not a magician........chill out and un-puff

Not only their attitude (like stench here) but their abilities, or lack there of these days.

Bama Lee 05-16-2019 09:05 AM

i'm wondering if Trench would be as happy to pay me $120+tax to tell him he has a broken spring in his firearm after a quick inspection.......whether he has me replace it or not.

then charge him 5x what it's actually worth to order it and install it

Trench 05-16-2019 09:12 AM

Utter nonsense. The primary motivator for pretty much anything is financial. All of us are free to learn, get a manual, buy tools and wrench our own bikes. A "magician" is just someone who knows how something is done while the people who don't sit back and watch and pay their money. There's no magic in fixing your own ride....but nobody owes you the benefit of their experience or their training or their education because you choose to be ignorant. You can also do your own accounting, home repairs and anything else. This whole thread is about the OP's "feelings" which I suspect are fueled by an overall belief that somebody owes him something.

RHPAW 05-16-2019 09:18 AM


Originally Posted by Trench (Post 18260484)
Diagnosis is a service.

Didn't used to be. The almighty corporation dealers are forgetting how to promote goodwill among their loyal customers.
Mom & Pop dealers knew that you would come back to get it fixed, and return the next time they needed you, because they were treated well. After the bike is sold, you cease to be a provider, and become a service.
There is something fundamentally wrong with charging $121, just to leave with the same problem you came in with.

cruisn 05-16-2019 09:39 AM


Originally Posted by RHPAW (Post 18260595)
Didn't used to be. The almighty corporation dealers are forgetting how to promote goodwill among their loyal customers.
Mom & Pop dealers knew that you would come back to get it fixed, and return the next time they needed you, because they were treated well. After the bike is sold, you cease to be a provider, and become a service.
There is something fundamentally wrong with charging $121, just to leave with the same problem you came in with.

This thread was not intended to bash the dealer but the place also had no schedule of my appointment when I arrived. I had to show them the confirmation text I received from them of my said appointment. Then I was told the technician is out on lunch and won't be back for 30 minutes. No apology. Def not going back.

cruisn 05-16-2019 09:42 AM


Originally Posted by highwayman50 (Post 18260545)
Not only their attitude (like stench here) but their abilities, or lack there of these days.


Originally Posted by RHPAW (Post 18260595)
Didn't used to be. The almighty corporation dealers are forgetting how to promote goodwill among their loyal customers.
Mom & Pop dealers knew that you would come back to get it fixed, and return the next time they needed you, because they were treated well. After the bike is sold, you cease to be a provider, and become a service.
There is something fundamentally wrong with charging $121, just to leave with the same problem you came in with.

This thread was not intended to bash the dealer but the place also had no schedule of my appointment when I arrived. I had to show them the confirmation text I received from them of my said appointment. Then I was told the technician is out on lunch and won't be back for 30 minutes. No apology. Def not going back.

highwayman50 05-16-2019 09:50 AM


Originally Posted by RHPAW (Post 18260595)
Didn't used to be. The almighty corporation dealers are forgetting how to promote goodwill among their loyal customers.
Mom & Pop dealers knew that you would come back to get it fixed, and return the next time they needed you, because they were treated well. After the bike is sold, you cease to be a provider, and become a service.
There is something fundamentally wrong with charging $121, just to leave with the same problem you came in with.

I could not have said it better, well done.

im 05-16-2019 09:51 AM


Originally Posted by cruisn (Post 18260291)
I went to my local H-D dealership to have the ignition lock on my bike looked at since it's stuck. About an hour later they come back telling me it's an internal issue and that I need a new one. I told them I'd have to come back another day for that since part+install was around $400. The guy then proceeds to charge me an hour's worth of labor = $121 + tax. I'm not against paying someone for a service but I highly doubt this actually took an hour to diagnose. Did I get screwed?

Mechanic shops generally charge by book hour not clock hour.
A diagnostic fee is generally disclosed prior to work initiation.
Was actual charge or minimum time to be charged not disclosed prior to work start?
Reason: many customers are offended when they are charged 2 hours labor and the job took 1 hour but again the industry charges by book hour.
Book hour is a way to balance system, if not a mechanic with no experience could take three times longer and customer would then pay more for inexperience.

highwayman50 05-16-2019 09:52 AM


Originally Posted by cruisn (Post 18260647)
This thread was not intended to bash the dealer but the place also had no schedule of my appointment when I arrived. I had to show them the confirmation text I received from them of my said appointment. Then I was told the technician is out on lunch and won't be back for 30 minutes. No apology. Def not going back.

I for one was not bashing the dealer, I was referring to stenches attitude more than anything. Which in turn reflects on the dealer who employs folks with that attitude.

Greezey Rider 05-16-2019 10:06 AM


Originally Posted by highwayman50 (Post 18260676)
I for one was not bashing the dealer, I was referring to stenches attitude more than anything. Which in turn reflects on the dealer who employs folks with that attitude.


Do you work for free? I sure as hell don't!
When I had my shop, I charged for diagnosing problems, my customers didn't bitch about it because they knew that diagnosing a problem takes time and time is money.
Guys like you come into a shop and expect people to give you their time for free.
When more guys like you started showing up I decided to sell my successful shop and do something else.


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