A Perfect dealership experience, until...

Krusty,

If you don't PM me how am I supposed to know how you really feel?

 

Please do not hold back Crusty, just let it out and let go, we are here for you.

 

Hi and thank you for posting; all repsonsible comments are appreciated. I just want to say that as the father of a pre-teen child I AM very careful and meticulous in all aspects of my life, especially when it concerns my child. I'm not one to blissfully walk down the side of an unlit country road at night with traffic coming up behind me while counting on my fellow human to not squash me like a bug. I am also one who, when riding on new tires in sub-freezing weather, deliberately stays on the main, sun-drenched roads in order to avoid black ice and such. I also do a pre and post-ride inspection nearly every time I ride; that is how I found the valve issue to begin with.

What I'm saying is, is that I am fully aware of the dangers of leaving life and limb in the hands of fate and that is something I avoid as much as I can. That said, you can't spend your entire time double-checking the world. I know we are all human and I know I could have easily made the same mistake as the tech made but they are paid to not make mistakes such as that; that's why they are called professionals. And they (along with myself) have to take their work with a high degree of professionalism; you know how much smaller the window of safety is on a bike versus a car or truck.

Again though, we are all human and I am not upset with the tech or the SM. However, to expect me to pay extra for the new valve is utterly asinine and it is that attitude that causes so many riders to detest going to the dealers. I know they need to make money; I was the GM at 2 different multi-line new car dealerships so I understand the business. But to inconvenience a customer (and potentially endanger them) and then insult them by nickel and diming them afterwards is just inconceivable to me. Not in a million years would I have treated one of our customers like that. They would have had a free loaner vehicle and a 0 cost repair bill waiting for them when the correct part came in.

It goes a long, long way to explaining why so many people avoid this shop ( and many others) unless it's absolutely necessary. These stupid and arrogant attitudes seem to be fairly common in the industry, based upon all of the negative dealer stories that get posted...and let's face it the employees simply follow the marching orders of the owner- the fish rots from the head down, as they say...

 

Judging from your posts, Crusty, you seem like a good egg; I wish you the best dealing with whatever life is throwing at you...

 

I am generally a nice person ..and fun to be around....just when people get on my bad side there isn't any hope for them.I will say this... If you got the balls to ride in december while there is ice and snow on the ground...kudos to you.as to your original post..I have two dealerships in a ten mile range and one private shop..when I ask about each of them to the other one, they all have good things to say about each other.. truth is the only thing I use my dealership for is oil and tires..they gave me a good deal on the tires and a good deal on mounting them.. I brought the wheels to them I believe mounting balancing with new valve stems was 25 bucks a tire....they even cleaned my rims a little bit before I got the wheels back..... as far as service goesthey flat out told me they didn't have anyone that could or kknew how to work on "old school stuff". I pesonally am glad that they say this up front than try to tackle a problem I have and not know what the heck they are doing.........just my .02

Crusty

 

reply > $15 tire valve

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My Reply: Agreed, Myself I would feel really embarrassed and really want to make sure the customer knows this is not a regular thing at my shop and not only offer to fix it for free & make it all better if there is scrapes & ancillary damage, but I would also throw in another service such as oil change, or free mount & balance, or my dealer discount on parts etc....

I just forgot to comment on this part of the "Bad Dealer Deal" :biggrin:

 

Boutique Dealers vs Real Bike Shop's

I really don't care for the big multi line dealers.

They can be cold, snotty & high pressure pushy all at once.

The don't know you by 1st name, they wont allow you to hang with the mechanic and talk shop while helping you learn something about bikes and make friends at the same time.

If you bring in an older bike in the back of an older truck ,wearing older Levi's & older line man's boot's many times you will get treated like s**t.

If you pull up in a Hummer or in an Italian ride with a Platinum card in hand they will faun all over you.

My shop was like a club house with bar stools, You could actually hang out for hours on end so long as you are nice, honest and don't try get shit for free you r are welcome.

I had bikes of every kind from Harley , Duc, Jap , Brit & every price range, no discrimination based on age-race-gender-wallet size or experience & ability.

I would teach a few guys ( and gal's ) each year how to ride and have a loyal customer for life.

On the high end the snotty boutique bitches / riders would avoid me like the plague, and on the low end the dirt bag criminal Meth biker types would also avoid me and I liked it that way.

 

All points nicely covered with the wife and churrins, safety issues and " I always never" tossed in for good measure as red herrings or assuagement of past sins real or imagined.

Tell ya what. If I were in the local department store there in Maine and the owner of that shop or the Service Manager were doing "Santa" I would not want a child of mine sitting on his lap.

 

Badbilly, if you dont stop picking at it, it will never heal.........

 

let me say that you got off easy....last time I got tires changed at a dealer(and I mean the last time I will ever) they forgot to tighten the rear axle....I rode 60 miles before I checked it that day...I was pissed, they even put the cotter pin through(not a VFR). I coulda got real hurt.

 

Don't stop him, it may get infected and septic...

 

What a horrid thing to wish upon children.

 

That's the way it is at the shop where I go to. Not far from work, and when I had more time I'd sit there and talk to the owner for an extended period of time if he was slow. If he was busy, then it was do my business and get going. Always welcome there. He has an annual haloween party that all of his customers are invited to.