Interview with Harley CEO
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,411
Likes: 22
From: Connecticut
RE: Interview with Harley CEO
ORIGINAL: navyman
I'm a soon to be retired suit. That guy should get out more and get directly in touch with the customer. Is his background as a been counter?
I'm a soon to be retired suit. That guy should get out more and get directly in touch with the customer. Is his background as a been counter?
Nope,
Started at HD as a freight elevator operator.
Sammi
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Interview with Harley CEO
He has to be purely pandering to the interviewer! What a bunch of PC BS. [:@]
Too much big business attitude, not enough biker spirit left in Milwaukee. They all need to head out for 3 or 4 weeks without an antourage and just ride with their customers instead of polling through web sites and survey cards to see what the perception of HD is becoming and what direction the customers prefer. Then campaign to make those things come true, not cave to the PC police.
Too much big business attitude, not enough biker spirit left in Milwaukee. They all need to head out for 3 or 4 weeks without an antourage and just ride with their customers instead of polling through web sites and survey cards to see what the perception of HD is becoming and what direction the customers prefer. Then campaign to make those things come true, not cave to the PC police.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,235
Likes: 17
From: Albuquerque, NM
RE: Interview with Harley CEO
I hope that his comments were solely based on trying to embellish the political correctness position of the company for his audience of investors and the like in order to stabilize or increase the value of their stock. If you take a look at the history of HDI stock, itâs all over the place.
The comments are still fairly condescending considering that the unique sound that a Harley makes is a crucial component to their success. I mean he is basically looking down his nose at 90% of his clientele.[:@]
The comments are still fairly condescending considering that the unique sound that a Harley makes is a crucial component to their success. I mean he is basically looking down his nose at 90% of his clientele.[:@]
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 8
From: Dogtown, Oakland, CA
RE: Interview with Harley CEO
actually i thought it was a pretty interesting article. a little wooden in the 'wink and nudge' bs about how it was so unfortunite that 'some' people modify the exhaust to be louder, but he was pretty articulate about increasing the supply of bikes so that dealers would have a harder time bending customers over with prices higher than MSRP.
thats the other side of supply and demand. dealers were able to screw you for over MSRP price when there was no supply and lots of demand, but *add more supply*, and that ends! keep the dealers from biting the hand that pays for the bikes (you!), and more bikes get sold. win for you, win for the dealer who still get more money by selling more bikes instead of just charging more for fewer bikes, and HD gets closer to matching the demand and selling more bikes, maximizing their profits for their stockholders.
the only folks that _might_ lose in this equation are people selling used hd's, but that would actually _help_ people who are buying used hd's. yknow, like they are supposed to. i think the generally rebuildable and modifiable nature of a harley will keep them from ever really sellling for too cheap, just approproately less than new, yknow, depending on age, milage, and condition.
supply and demand unleashed, not artificially constrained by lack of supply.
thats the other side of supply and demand. dealers were able to screw you for over MSRP price when there was no supply and lots of demand, but *add more supply*, and that ends! keep the dealers from biting the hand that pays for the bikes (you!), and more bikes get sold. win for you, win for the dealer who still get more money by selling more bikes instead of just charging more for fewer bikes, and HD gets closer to matching the demand and selling more bikes, maximizing their profits for their stockholders.
the only folks that _might_ lose in this equation are people selling used hd's, but that would actually _help_ people who are buying used hd's. yknow, like they are supposed to. i think the generally rebuildable and modifiable nature of a harley will keep them from ever really sellling for too cheap, just approproately less than new, yknow, depending on age, milage, and condition.
supply and demand unleashed, not artificially constrained by lack of supply.
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