stealers are rude....
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,296
Likes: 1
From:
RE: stealers are rude....
One more point about being rude - I was hired last September as a service writer since I had knowledge about basic mechanics and could deal with people (after having been a public school and college chem teacher for 35 years). In all my dealings with many, many customers - I have found only one person whom I would consider rude - the VAST majority of bikers are GREAT people and I really enjoy working with them to help solve their problems. It is a 2 way street - service is a very rewarding career - and I encourage anyone to get into that area.
RE: stealers are rude....
I have to agree that the customers in the store take priority. An open house is a big deal and is usually crazy busy. I think their response was actually quite "user friendly". Did you think about going on down and grabbing a free bite to eat and a ride while ordering your part? MY HD dealership is far and away MUCH more friendly than my local metric bike dealer. Just to make you feel better, I went in to BUY my '07 Ultra and they asked my to come back "next week" as their business office that does all the deals was booked solid for the weekend (this was on a Friday). I told them I really didn't want to wait that long and they gladly "squeezed" me in Saturday at exactly 3:30. In other words, they were selling a bike every half hour all day Friday and Saturday. I showed up at my alloted time, was immediately taken care of and I was happy that they accommodated me (and I was buying a bike!). This is just a really busy time of year for dealerships.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 1
From: Just South of Detroit, MI
RE: stealers are rude....
Garcon,
Unfortunately this does seem to be the norm rather than the exception, at least in southeast Michigan. My local stealer is TERRIBLE! The other stealers in the area aren't much better... I tyically go to northwest Ohio, there are two great dealers there.
As TowJam mentioned, the parts person should have taken your name and number and offered to call you back when things slowed down. You never said in your post that you wanted to cut ahead of those in the shop, merely that calling back another day seemed unreasonable. Also you stated that you wanted to ORDER the touch-up paint, not just ask a question about it.
Hey crazybastid83, many people buy bikes from private sellers... Not everyone can afford to pay a stealer $2,500.00 to $4,000.00 more than a bike is worth just because it's on the showroom floor. I bought my 01 Ultra from a private seller for $13,500.00 in 03 with 20,000 miles on it. The local stealer I mentioned had one with comparable mileage, but they wanted $17,900.00. Before you pass judgement on someone, do you know them well enough to make a comment like that? Also it's been my experience that you don't get many stone chips in your paint that would require touching up by leaving your scooter in the garage and rubbing it with a polishing cloth... Just my $.02 worth.
Unfortunately this does seem to be the norm rather than the exception, at least in southeast Michigan. My local stealer is TERRIBLE! The other stealers in the area aren't much better... I tyically go to northwest Ohio, there are two great dealers there.
As TowJam mentioned, the parts person should have taken your name and number and offered to call you back when things slowed down. You never said in your post that you wanted to cut ahead of those in the shop, merely that calling back another day seemed unreasonable. Also you stated that you wanted to ORDER the touch-up paint, not just ask a question about it.
Hey crazybastid83, many people buy bikes from private sellers... Not everyone can afford to pay a stealer $2,500.00 to $4,000.00 more than a bike is worth just because it's on the showroom floor. I bought my 01 Ultra from a private seller for $13,500.00 in 03 with 20,000 miles on it. The local stealer I mentioned had one with comparable mileage, but they wanted $17,900.00. Before you pass judgement on someone, do you know them well enough to make a comment like that? Also it's been my experience that you don't get many stone chips in your paint that would require touching up by leaving your scooter in the garage and rubbing it with a polishing cloth... Just my $.02 worth.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,090
Likes: 3,882
From: Murfreesboro , TN
RE: stealers are rude....
ORIGINAL: HD91 99 07
My question is, why would any self respecting Harley owner stop by a Yamaha/Suzuki/KawI shop just to look around. I just can't see the need, sorry.
ORIGINAL: Lost1
In my area the a-hole is the metric bike dealer that sells Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawi. I've been in there a few times looking around and no one ever speaks to you or offers to help you.
The local Harley dealer on the other hand treats everyone like gold- regardless of whether they're buying or not. They really set the standard for customer service.
Needless to say they've gotten three bikes' worth of my money...
In my area the a-hole is the metric bike dealer that sells Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawi. I've been in there a few times looking around and no one ever speaks to you or offers to help you.
The local Harley dealer on the other hand treats everyone like gold- regardless of whether they're buying or not. They really set the standard for customer service.
Needless to say they've gotten three bikes' worth of my money...
Besides, it's interesting to see the other bikes. While I ride a Harley and have no intention/desire to own another bike (other than that Ducati I want to have sitting next to my Glide!) it's fun to check out other dealers at times. Even more fun to tweak their noses some (if they do talk to you); most metric sales people seem to be living in the 80's! I hear the typical leaking oil, etc. comments, and I just laugh and say they must not perform drug tests at that dealership, as the guy is obviously stoned and living in the wrong decade still!
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,365
Likes: 0
From: Florida
RE: stealers are rude....
If the parts guy or salesperson wants to be rude so be it. Simply walk out. Don’t lower yourself to their level. Truth is a large percentage of Americans are rude and have little patience for anyone that interferes in their daily life by slowing them down and becoming a deviation in their routine. I have lived in 4 different countries in 6 years and we are without a doubt the most spoiled and rudest people out there barring one country which I will not mention.
Of course you find great people in the US but we all have it easy in the US thanks to our fathers and grandfathers that fought and gave themselves to freedom that alot in the US take for granted. This is a bit off venue but it kills me to see people that don’t stand for the anthem at a parade or such. My brother and I both vets were at the Moroso drag strip in West Palm once and the anthem played and there were a large number of people sitting carrying on ignoring it. I made the observation and took a good look around and ALL of them were of Haitian or Latino decent! I don’t miss much being prior law enforcement and this stood out. At the time I was actively on the job and held my tongue but my brother is not so laid back and went ahead and let them know they were shi* bags! The point is we take everything for granted here in the US and it makes us spoiled which makes us rude. We are lucky we don’t have to speak two languages to get by where most countries do being English is the primary business language in the world. I see Americans visiting other countries and literally making fools of themselves by getting pissed when the local their dealing with across the counter doesn’t speak English. Only 10% of Americans even have a passport and with this makes us ignorant to what’s going on elsewhere.
I do all of my business online and have only been burned once and I spend a ton! Doing business in an anonymous fashion such as web shopping is easy, fun, and saves you having to run all over and deal with As* Hole* like the one described. Sure customers are rude all the time and more so than the seller but the old saying the customer is always right is long gone with most businesses. The younger generation myself not included[/i][/b] were not brought up that way. The best way not to have to deal with that crap is to shop online with a trusted company like Zanottis etc. Zanottis is the only one I will call because I got tired of the attitude on the phone with the HD parts guy acting like I was bugging him. You won’t get this at Zanottis or some other stores and it makes buying parts enjoyable.
OTB
Only the dead have seen the end of war
Plato
Of course you find great people in the US but we all have it easy in the US thanks to our fathers and grandfathers that fought and gave themselves to freedom that alot in the US take for granted. This is a bit off venue but it kills me to see people that don’t stand for the anthem at a parade or such. My brother and I both vets were at the Moroso drag strip in West Palm once and the anthem played and there were a large number of people sitting carrying on ignoring it. I made the observation and took a good look around and ALL of them were of Haitian or Latino decent! I don’t miss much being prior law enforcement and this stood out. At the time I was actively on the job and held my tongue but my brother is not so laid back and went ahead and let them know they were shi* bags! The point is we take everything for granted here in the US and it makes us spoiled which makes us rude. We are lucky we don’t have to speak two languages to get by where most countries do being English is the primary business language in the world. I see Americans visiting other countries and literally making fools of themselves by getting pissed when the local their dealing with across the counter doesn’t speak English. Only 10% of Americans even have a passport and with this makes us ignorant to what’s going on elsewhere.
I do all of my business online and have only been burned once and I spend a ton! Doing business in an anonymous fashion such as web shopping is easy, fun, and saves you having to run all over and deal with As* Hole* like the one described. Sure customers are rude all the time and more so than the seller but the old saying the customer is always right is long gone with most businesses. The younger generation myself not included[/i][/b] were not brought up that way. The best way not to have to deal with that crap is to shop online with a trusted company like Zanottis etc. Zanottis is the only one I will call because I got tired of the attitude on the phone with the HD parts guy acting like I was bugging him. You won’t get this at Zanottis or some other stores and it makes buying parts enjoyable.
OTB
Only the dead have seen the end of war
Plato
Stage IV
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From:
RE: stealers are rude....
[sm=confused06.gif]At a lot of dealership's(Not All),sale's people use to sell stove's,dishwasher's,car's,etc,etc.Part's,counter, and servicerep's just got out of high school or use to stock shelve's at Walmart,but now they know everything because they work at the dealership,(they have a HARLEY Uniform and YOU DON'T).Some dealer's have TOP NOTCH PEOPLE working for them,but as any where, there is alway'san A$$hole.They tell you what you should do(LOL),or it won't fit because the comp.say's it is not for that year,or that bike,what a fu#$ing joke.The problem is dealership's get what they pay for,cheap wage's for people that use to stock shelve's,mop floor's or what ever,but we can pay top dollar for part's made in China,and have to put up with a employee that give's people (NOT ALL,LOL)a hard time and hasn't got a clue(NOT ALL)other than how to wipe their A$$ andpretend to bea biker,what a fu#$ing joke. [sm=popcorn.gif]
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
From: Lowell, Ma.
RE: stealers are rude....
I warn my insurance agent of ten years that if he waited on another phone call while I was there I'd take my bussiness elsewhere, he did not beleive me. There is nothing more ruder than waiting on a phone call when someone is there in person.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,929
Likes: 8
RE: stealers are rude....
ORIGINAL: HD91 99 07
I also work in retail, and is my feeling that the person on the phone can wait till I finish with the live real person standing in front of me. At least the person in the store got up off their fat **** and came down to buy whatever. The person on the phone 99% of the time is only wanting to ask questions not necessarily to buy something. If you had in fact gone to the dealership I'm sure you would have been served unless the counter person had been tied up answering some stupid question for some lazy **** on the phone. In any event you sure would have had a better time at the open house rather than getting your feathers ruffled on the phone. Just my .02, try dealing with the public sometime.
Flame on folks.
I also work in retail, and is my feeling that the person on the phone can wait till I finish with the live real person standing in front of me. At least the person in the store got up off their fat **** and came down to buy whatever. The person on the phone 99% of the time is only wanting to ask questions not necessarily to buy something. If you had in fact gone to the dealership I'm sure you would have been served unless the counter person had been tied up answering some stupid question for some lazy **** on the phone. In any event you sure would have had a better time at the open house rather than getting your feathers ruffled on the phone. Just my .02, try dealing with the public sometime.
Flame on folks.
Just because some shmuck didn't come down or couldn't come down to the dealership, but wants to order something or has a question in regards tohis investment (that he just spend ten's ofthousands of dollars on at your place of business) doesn't mean his call isn't important.