Bike shops not what they use to be

[Nomad]

Is it just me or has the quality of service that motorcycle stores including dealers become very SLAPGAT?

I dropped my DL and need a price for a new mirror and clutch lever. I phoned the Suzuki agents and they just thumb sucked the price saying the mirror is between R 300 and R 600.
Asked another stealer and they said they will phone me back which they never did

Phoned a Yamaha dealer asking for a price of a piston kit for a BWS 100. The parts salesman just gave me the price of the piston alone. Asked him for the prices of the rest and said he will phone back which guess what, never did.

Phoned a aftermarket parts and accessories store for the BWS piston and all the dude said was its in the region of R 1200.

Is it too hard to give a accurate quote for parts now days? Are the people these stores are employing not suitable for the job but were hired cause they are simply "cheap labour" ?

[AgentK]

Gets worse.

Was looking at buying NC700X.
Phoned 3 Honda dealers to get price with panniers & topbox fitted.

Still waiting on all three to call back... 6 months later.

[Nomad]

Gets worse.

Was looking at buying NC700X.
Phoned 3 Honda dealers to get price with panniers & topbox fitted.

Still waiting on all three to call back... 6 months later.

Wow now thats messed up! Do they make so much money that they don't require any new business.

[BLK]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

[cloudgazer]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

Not just bike shops. Any shop.
Most shop assistants don'r get proper training or are not sown how to use their initiative.

[Dorsland]

In February last year before we moved to the Eastern Cape,  I bought a bike stand from Biker's Paradise in Potchefstroom.  I used it 3 times and the fourth time it broke.  I took it back to the shop and asked for a refund of R850 (cost of the stand).  The guy (Anton) said he would talk to the supplier and come back to me. Guess what?  Still waiting for my refund.  I've been on his case the last 2 weeks and he calls me yesterday to say he will refund me R600 as the supplier won't accept the stand back because it all happened last year! 

If Biker's Paradise wasn't so slapgat in getting their act together I would have had my full refund.  I've agreed to the R600 as something is better than nothing but be warned guys.

[Sylvester]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

+1

Business owners/managers/dealer principals should also be actively involved in the business, especially bike shops.  You need a hands-on manager type for this business and not somebody that locks himself up in his office and leave the floor/counter to the mercy of the inexperienced pimple face. 

[Gérrard]

And lets not even start talking about product knowledge.

I went into a bookshop the other day and on purpose asked for books on "pharology" (lighthouses) I get this perplexed look and the suggestion I look in the history section for books on Egypt 

[Nomad]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

+1

Business owners/managers/dealer principals should also be actively involved in the business, especially bike shops.  You need a hands-on manager type for this business and not somebody that locks himself up in his office and leave the floor/counter to the mercy of the inexperienced pimple face. 

Totally agree! I was at the suzuki dealership numerous times and they seem to be constantly changing staff. Also never see the owner there anymore, not even on a saturday.

What bugs me the most is that these half wits that they employ dont appreciate the job they have. There is so many people with the know how that will easily out perform them at their job but the company is so focused on reducing costs they have would rather not pay the little bit extra for competent staff. Its scary seeing the trainees that are passing at our one goldwagen branch. Training use to take about 3 months fo a salesperson . Now they are in and out within a week learning next to nothing.

[Dux]

I emailed details of a client to one of the dealers , all they had to do was contact my client and have a ready made cash sale , she is still waiting more than a year later , and that was after I phoned them the following day to remind them .

[Grrrr....]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

Not just bike shops. Any shop.
Most shop assistants don'r get proper training or are not sown how to use their initiative.

Yip. You must remember only morons work in retail.

[ETS]

And lets not even start talking about product knowledge.

I went into a bookshop the other day and on purpose asked for books on "pharology" (lighthouses) I get this perplexed look and the suggestion I look in the history section for books on Egypt 

  Methink i would have said the same....

[Dux]

I think bike shops are attracting poor quality employees to save money and that is the result that your are experiencing.I think you a quite right that there is a downward trend in quality.

Not just bike shops. Any shop.
Most shop assistants don'r get proper training or are not sown how to use their initiative.

Yip. You must remember only morons work in retail.

Now that is rich Mr Egg seller 

But then again bear in mind that these same people give advice to clients who treat it as gospel because the bike shop told them , scary thought that

[Fuzzy Muzzy]

I think the industry as a whole is taking strain, in many cases the salesman is not at fault, a lot of the blame has to be directly with the dealerships and their suppliers, they are not holding stock like they used to, almost every part has to be ordered from overseas so you are looking a weeks in the waiting , and it becomes difficult to quote correctly and quickly.

Go to Honda and try to order a Transalp fairing.. I bet R1000 there is no way they have in stock and can quote me.

[MooseRider]

Is al so moeg om 'n dom uitdrukking en k*k antwoord te kry by van die plekke. Of die uitdrukking wat se kry tog klaar ek wil my naels doen.

[fredda]

I have no faith in any dealer, be it car or bike.

Bought a new bike at Wayne Heaseman. When I got home I noticed the front right indicator has a deep scratch mark on it. Probably a tie down or something. Said they will have a look at it on the 1000km service, only to be told they need the bike there for the whole day to check the indicator out. So they will attend to it at the 6000km service. When I told them it is no good and I needed it fixed sooner, they arrogantly ask why can't I wait till 6000km? My answer was, I bought a new bike and I expect a new bike. Waiting for their call this week, but I am not holding my breath.

On my bakkie, GM dealers are just useless.
My bakkie went in for a new petrol pump, so they droppep the tank and fitted the new pump. Got my bakkie back, but when driving the right rear wheel brakes a lot more than the others. So much that the paint started bubling.
On further inspection, it turned out they never tightened the bolts holding the steel straps, holding the petrol tank. So the bolts came out and the fuel tank was lying on the handbrake cable!!!

On other occasions the oil filter was not tightened, brake fluid all over the wheel arches and firewall, I could go on but I will refrain.

[Ganjora]

i agree that most bike salesmen,  and spares depts are completely useless.
i wonder how a lot of them stay in business with their attitudes to customers.
4ways motorcycles,  which used to be excellent,  is now a joke.
loxton's suzuki closed down - thank fuck,  they were really pathetic
linex yamaha,  also used to be brilliant,  but no more.

2 shops stand out head and shoulders above their competition.
Honda Sandton - actually phone you back for spares,  and a very efficient sales dept - will definitely go back there
RAD Moto - same as honda sandton,  in fact maybe a bit better - an absolute pleasure dealing with them.

[JonW]

We got 2 main bike shops here in Pmb, Motorcycle Centre who do Suzuki Honda and Kawasaki, and Ekerold Yamaha.

Both are excellent. Guys in the spares department have been there for years and really know their stuff, and always come back to me straight away with prices etc.

So I guess it depends on which bike shop you talking about.

[Karel Kat]

Can't complain about Mike Hopkins in CT. The times I had to phone for spares, they immediately responded with accurate info on availability and price. Once or twice when I fetched the parts and had to pay, it was even a little bit cheaper than the price originally quoted. I think the difference lies in an experienced staff with a love for the product.

This is unfortunately not the case at many of the other bike/accessory shops - and, Jupiter, you were unfair  . I think that salesman should be commended for the fact that, even if he was wrong, he made a link to Pharaos and from there to Egypt.

[COLES]

I have found that should you not deal with the boss man you have kak    phoned BMW dealer spoke to parts about price of oil for my L C reply I got was that he could not tell me now he was busy but would call back
 
Well my next call was to the parts manager price for the oil given immediately


Just plain kak service yet the bike salesman Joel is really on top of his game