Good service vs bad service. Stories? [Archive] - Page 2

Jacobite

26th March 2013, 18:15

I think that you should just tell us how you really feel jacobite.

Haha no motor bike since Jan 6th makes Jac annoyed. Being told to piss off when I'm simply being polite and trying to get information makes Jac really annoyed.

Interestingly, I spoke to a guy just last weekend who is over the moon with Motomart's service and servicing costs. High praise indeed considering he is a grumpy old cnut!:laugh:

I don't know what I did to piss this guy off in the 2 conversations I've had with him but it must have been something. It's made me a grumpy young cnut:bash:

Kickaha

26th March 2013, 18:52

It's made me a grumpy young cnut:bash:

Good practice for when you get older or work in retail

MIXONE

26th March 2013, 19:12

TSS has always given me good service.Cost a bit more than I wanted to spend at times,but still good service.

skilly035

13th June 2013, 16:58

I've just read the last 17 pages of the thread and merv sums up my feelings perfectly. Anyway on to specifics:

Been waiting nearly 3 months for repairs after a crash and have been bikeless in that time as apparently some of the parts had been on factory back order (a black mudguard... really? There was no black mudguards available anywhere for you to buy?). I'm not sure whose fault it is thats it taking that long, the mechanics who I won't name or the parts supplier: Motomart.

Just something all retail customers need to understand is that when we say it is on Factory Backorder, it is NOT an excuse, it is not an answer to buy us more time.. It is THE TRUTH. Unfortunately, us Parts Department Salesmen (and women) are the middlemen that have to wear the frustration from the customer that we complelely understand but can not do anything about.
SUZUKI is 10days, or if it is going to be months we tell you prior to ordering.
Anything out of Europe is going to take longer than 3months (a lot of Honda parts come from Europe also)
Hyosung is 3-4weeks out of Korea.
Kawasaki is the same as Suzuki generally.
Yamaha is over night in NZ, 3-4days out of Australia or 3-4weeks out of Japan, depending on where the parts are of course.

Here at TSS, when we can, we go the extra mile which in turn makes the customer happy, and believe it or not the whole Parts team get excited about it :p

cheshirecat

13th June 2013, 20:24

I'd like to warn anyone thinking of going to Boyles Kawasaki.

When first entering the shop, if you can call it that, there will be half a dozen bods hanging about seemingly waiting to be served. Don't be deceived, even the guy sitting at the counter with someone behind it checking the computer parts screen will NOT be in the queue waiting to be served. They are professional motorcycle reminiscers.

After some 40 mins on a good day and and its not a Saturday, one of the brothers might ask if you want something and everyone else will move away allowing you to be the CENTER OF ATTENTION. Of course you'll say "yes I do actually, someone on a motorcycle forum said my muffler fluids wanted replacing."

After another 40 mins (or much much more) or so you can safely leave assured you bike might or might not be ready on the year, month, week, day, time specified and all the items they (not you) seem important done, complete with grubby oily paw prints on you seat, tank, mirrors and just about everywhere visible to the public, courtesy of the hallowed do not enter, workshop department.

Normally at this point you decide never again to repeat the experience and having to explain to your boss why it took four hours just drop your bike off. Unfortunately a well known terminally addictive motorcycle disease makes itself known and you feel compelled to repeat the whole experience for the rest of your miserable life, including saying to them "do whatever you need and whenever you want - no hurry".

Reminiscing ad nauseum on 80's bikes will be second nature, your partners anniversary shopping list forgotton. Nothing else in life matters, you and your motorcycle are in paradise whilst you chat away in motorcycle La La Land and the next unsuspecting newbie enters the shop.

Road kill

13th June 2013, 21:16

Are you sure the hang arounds ain't just guys waiting for their bikes ?;)

jellywrestler

13th June 2013, 22:11

I'd rather suck puss out of septic wound than give them any business.
get hold of Drew here on KB, he can help you with that but he'll probably insist on holding your ears while you do it!

Drew

13th June 2013, 22:32

get hold of Drew here on KB, he can help you with that but he'll probably insist on holding your ears while you do it!
You got beat up a lot as a kid, huh?

nzspokes

14th June 2013, 06:45

Just something all retail customers need to understand is that when we say it is on Factory Backorder, it is NOT an excuse, it is not an answer to buy us more time.. It is THE TRUTH. Unfortunately, us Parts Department Salesmen (and women) are the middlemen that have to wear the frustration from the customer that we complelely understand but can not do anything about.
SUZUKI is 10days, or if it is going to be months we tell you prior to ordering.
Anything out of Europe is going to take longer than 3months (a lot of Honda parts come from Europe also)
Hyosung is 3-4weeks out of Korea.
Kawasaki is the same as Suzuki generally.
Yamaha is over night in NZ, 3-4days out of Australia or 3-4weeks out of Japan, depending on where the parts are of course.

Here at TSS, when we can, we go the extra mile which in turn makes the customer happy, and believe it or not the whole Parts team get excited about it :p

Which is odd when I can order parts from anywhere in the world just about and have them in a week. One crowd told me it will take 16 weeks to get a thermostat. I can order the same part from e-bay for half the price and have it in a week.

Grant`

14th June 2013, 07:21

Which is odd when I can order parts from anywhere in the world just about and have them in a week. One crowd told me it will take 16 weeks to get a thermostat. I can order the same part from e-bay for half the price and have it in a week.

Not really, ebay sellers are sending you one item and your normally dealing with the manufacturer and not paying Customs Duties depending on size/cost of said item... Going to the shop really comes down to 2 possibilities - 1 they only do bulk orders and collect the orders over a month (i.e the distributor of Suzuki orders from the factory after receiving all orders from the shops) hence the normal 3-4 week delivery time. 2 the manufacturers in Japan just don't care about NZ and send it when they get around it to it.

So bulk parcel comes in, customs duties added to it and then a distributer added mark up before it even reaches dealer hence potential inflated price over what you can individually source yourself with some searching on ebay.

I could be wrong but that would be my best guess.

Owl

14th June 2013, 07:23

It is THE TRUTH.

Here's some truth.

My ex-boss ordered a car door for a customer, which had to come from Japan. Turned out they didn't have one, so we had to wait for it to be manufactured (tick tock). When it was finally manufactured/shipped, the ship broke down and had to return to Japan (customer = :angry2:). More time and our door finally arrived.:yes: However, it turned out the boss had ordered the wrong side and the correct door was in stock here all the time.:brick: Correct door was delivered the following day.:o

nzspokes

14th June 2013, 07:51

Not really, ebay sellers are sending you one item and your normally dealing with the manufacturer and not paying Customs Duties depending on size/cost of said item... Going to the shop really comes down to 2 possibilities - 1 they only do bulk orders and collect the orders over a month (i.e the distributor of Suzuki orders from the factory after receiving all orders from the shops) hence the normal 3-4 week delivery time. 2 the manufacturers in Japan just don't care about NZ and send it when they get around it to it.

So bulk parcel comes in, customs duties added to it and then a distributer added mark up before it even reaches dealer hence potential inflated price over what you can individually source yourself with some searching on ebay.

I could be wrong but that would be my best guess.

I work in importing. I can get urgent parts out of canada, taiwan or the US within a few days. And we go through customs etc.

White trash

14th June 2013, 08:00

Which is odd when I can order parts from anywhere in the world just about and have them in a week. One crowd told me it will take 16 weeks to get a thermostat. I can order the same part from e-bay for half the price and have it in a week.

I work in importing. I can get urgent parts out of canada, taiwan or the US within a few days. And we go through customs etc.

Fucken 'ell! You're AWEsome! Have you thought about opening a motorcycle shop? Clearly you'd have the rest of NZ out of business in a week or two. Make millions man....

skilly035

14th June 2013, 09:08

Not really, ebay sellers are sending you one item and your normally dealing with the manufacturer and not paying Customs Duties depending on size/cost of said item... Going to the shop really comes down to 2 possibilities - 1 they only do bulk orders and collect the orders over a month (i.e the distributor of Suzuki orders from the factory after receiving all orders from the shops) hence the normal 3-4 week delivery time. 2 the manufacturers in Japan just don't care about NZ and send it when they get around it to it.

So bulk parcel comes in, customs duties added to it and then a distributer added mark up before it even reaches dealer hence potential inflated price over what you can individually source yourself with some searching on ebay.

I could be wrong but that would be my best guess.

Thank-you sir, my new favourite person maybe??
Suzuki do orders directly out of Japan daily, cause of the demand. Sometimes, we get items in 7days.

Katman

14th June 2013, 11:23

I work in importing. I can get urgent parts out of canada, taiwan or the US within a few days. And we go through customs etc.

Actually, the dealers in New Zealand have a contract with the national distributors of their particular brands. That contract includes sourcing parts through that distributor.

If dealers started going behind the backs of the national distributor and getting parts in themselves from overseas they would quickly find themselves without a franchise.

Crasherfromwayback

14th June 2013, 11:32

Which is odd when I can order parts from anywhere in the world just about and have them in a week. One crowd told me it will take 16 weeks to get a thermostat. I can order the same part from e-bay for half the price and have it in a week.

I work in importing. I can get urgent parts out of canada, taiwan or the US within a few days. And we go through customs etc.

You have no fucking idea whatsoever how shit works for dearlerships...yet you keep acting like an expert. Maybe you're just too simple to understand...even though it's been spelt out to you dozens of times?

Actually, the dealers in New Zealand have a contract with the national distributors their particular brands. That contract includes sourcing parts through that distributor.

If dealers started going behind the backs of the national distributor and getting parts in themselves from overseas they would quickly find themselves without a franchise.

THIS is how shit works for dealerships.

skilly035

14th June 2013, 11:34

You have no fucking idea whatsoever how shit works for dearlerships...yet you keep acting like an expert. Maybe you're just too simple to understand...even though it's been spelt out to you dozens of times?

THIS is how shit works for dealerships.

I think we are finally getting somewhere! Wooooohoooooo

Grant`

14th June 2013, 13:13

I work in importing. I can get urgent parts out of canada, taiwan or the US within a few days. And we go through customs etc.

Maybe you can and good on you for being a whiz at importing, but if you had to go to a national distributor (middle man) and work on there timeframe and not yours then your couple of day just quite possibly got screwed and went to 3-4 weeks didn't it?

edit - I see a number of good people have confirmed my thinking already, will teach me for not reading through before replying doh.

breakaway

14th June 2013, 13:28

Why don't the dealerships take it up with someone higher up? Surely if it is pissing off their customers so much and impacting business to such a degree it's worth raising hell about?

nuts

14th June 2013, 16:29

Why don't the dealerships take it up with someone higher up? Surely if it is pissing off their customers so much and impacting business to such a degree it's worth raising hell about?

The shops deal with the people in charge of the franchises there is no one higher up. who would you suggest ???

Crasherfromwayback

14th June 2013, 16:44

The shops deal with the people in charge of the franchises there is no one higher up. who would you suggest ???

You're beating your head against a brick wall mate. They'll only believe what they want to.

caseye

14th June 2013, 19:48

The pity is that while some shops go the extra mile for all of their customers, some don't.
Then all shops get tarred with the same brush.
I can and have ordered parts from overseas and got them significantly cheaper and in exceptionally ( for NZ) good times.10 days from order in the States to arriving here, through customs etc no duty.
This is just me and I'm ordering one or two things at a time from one exporter who looks after me, as all good sellers should.
My experience so far has been brilliant, no bad deals no Shonky bits, but it is a risk and it could go badly wrong and then I've no one, or where to turn to, what then?
In my defence I usually try to source the bits here first, usually I get some prices and availability, I take a look on the net and if the NZ one is available and not priced stupidly I will and do go buy it here.
In recent times I've transferred all of my repair and maintenance on all 3 of our bikes to George the mobile motorcycle mechanic, for what it's worth he arrives on time, OK, usually,and he always finds the problem and sorts it.Relatively cheaply, worth it for me, no distractions, no waiting while other things get done and no pressure to get out of their hair???

breakaway

14th June 2013, 19:54

You're beating your head against a brick wall mate. They'll only believe what they want to.

My comment was intended to be constructive. I understand your situation, I really do, but do you really expect me to pay up to 3x as much and wait up to 4x as long for a part? Espeically if my bike is off the road?

Crasherfromwayback

14th June 2013, 20:03

My comment was intended to be constructive. I understand your situation, I really do, but do you really expect me to pay up to 3x as much and wait up to 4x as long for a part? Espeically if my bike is off the road?

I've no doubt it was mate...and I appreciate your predicament don't worry. My comment wasn't aimed at you. And no...no I don't expect you to pay 3x times as much and wait 4x times longer. I don't...and I'm in the industry! It's massively frustrating for the dealers don't worry. But as a couple have said...our hands are well and truely tied don't worry.

nzspokes

14th June 2013, 20:20

Maybe you can and good on you for being a whiz at importing, but if you had to go to a national distributor (middle man) and work on there timeframe and not yours then your couple of day just quite possibly got screwed and went to 3-4 weeks didn't it?

edit - I see a number of good people have confirmed my thinking already, will teach me for not reading through before replying doh.

I do work for an importing co/wholesaler doing exactly that. We do get delays as you would expect but it is fairly uncommon.

nzspokes

14th June 2013, 20:23

You have no fucking idea whatsoever how shit works for dearlerships...yet you keep acting like an expert. Maybe you're just too simple to understand...even though it's been spelt out to you dozens of times?

Ive never said I know how it works for m/cycle dealerships here. I would just like to see it improved.

Wingnut

14th June 2013, 20:28

McIvor and Veitch. I have bought 3 bikes off them now and Jason has been great to deal with each time.. Really rate the boys down south.

Suzuki Dealer in Timaru.. Arranged over the phone to take the M109 demo out on a ride. Drove an hour up there as per the plan. They took a look at me and decided mysteriously the bike wasn't ready or able to go out. Homos. Bought a M109 off Whitelock Suzuki 2 weeks later. Always meant to go back there and mention something relating to judging a book by its cover but alas time has passed.... Will never step foot in that store again.

Oamaru Motorcycles... Always goes above and beyond the call...

Robert Taylor

14th June 2013, 20:44

I do work for an importing co/wholesaler doing exactly that. We do get delays as you would expect but it is fairly uncommon.

''Delays'' or rather timelines are common with particularly specialist/ complex product lines, its called production schedules. Its also that many manufacturers dont have endless production ( or r&d ) capacity. Its also because there are subcontractors and timelines for recieving raw materials. About 3 years back we couldnt get Ohlins MX steering dampers for nigh on 6 months because Ohlins were having immense trouble fniding a suitable vendor to make a key component part to the standard they required

So your parting statement is pretty generalised and not typical for all products. It might work for toothpicks but certainly not all products, by any means.

Crasherfromwayback

14th June 2013, 21:06

Ive never said I know how it works for m/cycle dealerships here. I would just like to see it improved.

Ok. Well how 'bout you tell us exactly what you do for a living...and for who?

Coldrider

14th June 2013, 21:19

Ok. Well how 'bout you tell us exactly what you do for a living...and for who?NZPOKED is full of shit, isn't there a reasonable expectation that if ya bid on an online auction for a part, that they actually have the item in their possession or can very quickly acquire it.

Crasherfromwayback

14th June 2013, 21:22

BMWST?

14th June 2013, 21:27

NZPOKED is full of shit, isn't there a reasonable expectation that if ya bid on an online auction for a part, that they actually have the item in their possession or can very quickly acquire it.

no,some people dont have th eitems at hand,they will order them for you and take advantage of world wide air freight,the interwebz, etc.so you wont get your item for a few days

Coldrider

14th June 2013, 21:33

no,some people dont have th eitems at hand,they will order them for you and take advantage of world wide air freight,the interwebz, etc.so you wont get your item for a few dayswhat, ya mean the dudes on the other side of the table are taking the pis as well :brick:

Katman

15th June 2013, 10:13

Ok. Well how 'bout you tell us exactly what you do for a living...and for who?

Do you mean after his own failed business?

Crasherfromwayback

15th June 2013, 11:17

Do you mean after his own failed business?

Yeah. And maybe a bit about that too then!

pzkpfw

15th June 2013, 11:44

Just got a WOF at TSS RedBaron. (Lower Hut)
Dealt with 3 people ...
Service person re: WOF.
Sales person (Susan) re: trade-in value of my bike.
Sales person re: gloves.

For what it's worth, I practically bought the gloves just because all three of them treated me so well. I'm not even going to bother using the internet to see how much I could have "saved" on-line.

I generally choose shops to go to by how well or how badly I feel I've been treated. I don't need my arse kissed; but don't need it kicked either.

Crasherfromwayback

15th June 2013, 11:52

Old Steve

15th June 2013, 15:11

Couple of years ago when I was still on my Hyosung GV250 learner cruiser I had a little learner moment and my bike laid down in a car park. Broke the clutch lever. At 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon.

I rang Moto City and asked if they could help me as I had a ride I wanted to go on the next day. I got a lift over there, and they took the clutch lever off a trade in Hyosung Comet they had on the forecourt and loaned it to me for the weekend. The parts guy was disconnecting the Hyosung lever while the sales guys were wheeling the other used bikes on display inside.

I ordered a replacement level for a Suzuki Intruder that day (The GV250 is a close copy of the Intruder, the part fitted perfectly) and they had it there Tuesday. I dropped the Comet back in when I picked up the new lever.

They were always helpful there at Moto City, Mt Maunganui

Bassmatt

15th June 2013, 16:54

My stator and subsequently my battery died on a ride around lake Rotorua a a couple of months back.
I rang Patterson O'Connor motorcycles hoping they would help me out, I've never had anything to do with them previously.
It took them about 20 mins to turn up with a trailer and take my bike back to their workshop, and when there the mechanic pretty much dropped what he was doing to check out my bike and give me a dignoses.
They then quoted me ridiculous prices and wait times (3-4 weeks) for new parts (not blaming them for this). I sourced my own second hand parts which they happily put in for me and when I got the bill I couldn't believe how cheap it was, including a negligble charge for rescuing me off the side of the road.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and as I am equidistant from Tauranga and Rotorua, chances are I will use them again in the future.
Thumbs up to Patterson O'Connor Motorcycles, Rotorua.

Katman

15th June 2013, 16:57

Yeah. And maybe a bit about that too then!

I'm sure it was someone else's fault.

Crasherfromwayback

15th June 2013, 17:00

I sourced my own second hand parts which they happily put in for me and when I got the bill I couldn't believe how cheap it was, including a negligble charge for rescuing me off the side of the road.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and as I am equidistant from Tauranga and Rotorua, chances are I will use them again in the future.
Thumbs up to Patterson O'Connor Motorcycles, Rotorua.

Awesome to hear!