Emailing bike dealers... [Archive]

Dooly

18th February 2009, 06:43

Still waiting on a reply email about purchasing a new bike off a reputed dealer........3 days later.

Not the first time this has happened.
A few times I've emailed dealers and have had no reply at all, and one was about interest in a 1098 last year!!!

Yes, some may say, phone them.
Fuckem, I emailed, they should have the courtesy to reply.
Myself, I like to touch base by email first, see what they have to say, ponder for a short while, then I ring.
Thats me, thats how I work.

So now if I get no reply, I go elsewhere.

Anyone else have this problem with emailing dealers?
Maybe their computers are all down eh?:sleep:

Funnily enough, everyone kicks the shit into Casbolts, but my dealings with them via email have been top class.

Oh well, fun and games I spose..........:rolleyes::clap:

sinfull

18th February 2009, 06:46

a new bike ........:.......................???/

unrealone

18th February 2009, 06:48

Dooly

18th February 2009, 06:50

.......................???/

Well..............blighty mate........you know the rules.:niceone:

sinfull

18th February 2009, 06:54

Hahaha your Mrs must love you hehe, was bidding on a buell (another writeoff) just the other day and had Heidi going why ? Why ? Couldn't give her a good answer lol, it was just there to bid on !

Dooly

18th February 2009, 07:00

Hahaha your Mrs must love you hehe, was bidding on a buell (another writeoff) just the other day and had Heidi going why ? Why ? Couldn't give her a good answer lol, it was just there to bid on !

The missus has 6 horses. (Plus a dirtbike)

Is 3 roadbikes too much to ask?:scooter::yes:
Sold the Daytona this week, space to fill!!!

Not that she gets a say anyway. :msn-wink::laugh:

sinfull

18th February 2009, 07:02

Not that she gets a say anyway. :msn-wink::laugh:Thats the attitude !!! Not on KB then is she ?

Dooly

18th February 2009, 07:03

Thats the attitude !!! Not on KB then is she ?

No.

But she does know my login!:sweatdrop:wacko:

Devil

18th February 2009, 07:53

I work in IT. Email isn't a guaranteed service. Dont rely on it for anything.
Pick up the phone.

pritch

18th February 2009, 08:37

Anyone else have this problem with emailing dealers?
Maybe their computers are all down eh?:sleep:

As always there's another side. The local Honda dealer was telling me that a large proportion of the email requests he gets are from way out of left field. A recent example was in respect of a Yamaha V Max he had for sale.
The question? "Is that a two stroke or a four stroke?"

He told me that a lot of the questions were about that level of intelligence and he felt most were a waste of time. He has to wade through the a great deal of dross to find the odd gem. (Sounds familiar... :devil2:)

imdying

18th February 2009, 08:45

Myself, I like to touch base by email first, see what they have to say, ponder for a short while, then I ring.
Thats me, thats how I work.

So now if I get no reply, I go elsewhere.

Anyone else have this problem with emailing dealers?Yeah, I prefer to do that too; I've been brought up with computers, I don't consider them any different than the phone. Consider that they might be of an older generation, and don't consider technology in the same manner though (although, really, in this day and age).

Now having said that, if you advertised with an email address, then bloody check it every day and answer the bloody emails. And if you have a website, keep the bloody thing up to date, otherwise it's worse than useless. This is really really basic stuff.

Funnily enough, everyone kicks the shit into Casbolts, but my dealings with them via email have been top class.Doesn't surprise me, now that they have competition in town for their cash cow (Hampton Honda), it's probably scared the crap out of them, probably can't afford to treat their customers with indifference any more. Or maybe Graham died... we can live in hope.

Dooly

18th February 2009, 08:54

As always there's another side. The local Honda dealer was telling me that a large proportion of the email requests he gets are from way out of left field. A recent example was in respect of a Yamaha V Max he had for sale.
The question? "Is that a two stroke or a four stroke?"

He told me that a lot of the questions were about that level of intelligence and he felt most were a waste of time. He has to wade through the a great deal of dross to find the odd gem. (Sounds familiar... :devil2:)

My email consisted of, 'am making an enquiry about a bike you have listed on your website, is it a new model or the runout, and how much etc etc?'
Fairly easy & straight forward I think.
In regards to the 1098 email last year, I asked about trading one of my bikes in, with all my details and enquired about pricing and a few other things.
Once again, straight forward.

I just dont buy the not used to emails, silly questions etc etc.
Its about common fucking courtesy to reply.
And about being proffessional.

Max Preload

18th February 2009, 08:59

I've had similar issues however I sometimes pin it on the fact most bike sales guys probably aren't too shit hot with the whole email thing

God forbid they make an effort to learn to use the modern tools of the fark'n trade! Besides, if they're going to have an email address, they must also have at least one person who can USE IT!

A few times I've emailed dealers and have had no reply at all...

Ditto and I know they got it, beyond all doubt. I know when they read it and how long it was 'open'. And any subsequent re-reads.

Yes, some may say, phone them.
Fuckem, I emailed, they should have the courtesy to reply.
Myself, I like to touch base by email first, see what they have to say, ponder for a short while, then I ring.
Thats me, thats how I work.

So now if I get no reply, I go elsewhere.

I go elsewhere too and don't bother with them again for a very long time.

Big Dave

18th February 2009, 09:03

Chill out dools.

Some dick has probably gone on holidays and forgot to tell a sidekick to check the webmail or something.

Self administer two gangster slaps and adjust grippage.

Dooly

18th February 2009, 09:27

Chill out dools.

Some dick has probably gone on holidays and forgot to tell a sidekick to check the webmail or something.

Self administer two gangster slaps and adjust grippage.

I'm chill Dave.

Just annoys me sometimes.

Its also good to email as if prices and other important shit is discussed theres always a written record to fall back on if needed.

imdying

18th February 2009, 09:37

Some dick has probably gone on holidays and forgot to tell a sidekick to check the webmail or something.That's no less retarded than failing to tell the sidekick to answer the phone or unlock the front door.

Max Preload

18th February 2009, 09:53

Its also good to email as if prices and other important shit is discussed theres always a written record to fall back on if needed.

Possibly a sound basis for their aversion to it...

retro asian

18th February 2009, 09:53

In general I've found the whole motor industry to be useless at fast replies via email.

Phoning is usually the fastest way...just an industry culture thing I suspect...

Crasherfromwayback

18th February 2009, 09:59

I just dont buy the not used to emails, silly questions etc etc.
Its about common fucking courtesy to reply.
And about being proffessional.

I'd like to say that email is sometimes a balls up. I'm no IT expert...but I had a customer email me three times...none of which I recieved. He then rang my boss to have a chat (fair enough too) about the lack of response...but it turns out I can for some reason only get emails from him if it's response to my emails. Not new emails he generates!!

Don't ask me why.

vifferman

18th February 2009, 10:00

Now having said that, if you advertised with an email address, then bloody check it every day and answer the bloody emails. And if you have a website, keep the bloody thing up to date, otherwise it's worse than useless. This is really really basic stuff.
Good point, Sir!
It seems to me there's a whole lot of businesses out there (not just bike dealerships) that have a website and/or email address for no other purpose than to make them look 'up to date', but they serve no real useful function.

While I'm complaining (again...) it really pisses me off all those parasitic websites that trawl up details of businesses, so when you do a google search for a business'ses's details, you have to wade through pages of crap that doesn't actually tell you anything useful, like address, website, etc. I suspect they trawl for info about businesses, publish it on their website, then hit up the businesses for some money for the 'service' they've provided (not!)

MaxB

18th February 2009, 10:10

Hmmm...mate, you are not alone.

2 years ago I was really interested in a BMW from a South Island dealer. I emailed and got no reply so I made a couple of toll calls. Unhelpful did not come close and I spoke to more than one staff member. The place was rotten to the core.

At the time I was in the SI every 2 weeks for work and I made a point of stopping by. I let the sales staff try and sell me the BMW for a bit before telling them who I was and that their attitude had lost them the sale. I made sure the mechanics and customers nearby got the full story.

I went past 3 months later and the bike was still unsold. Since then I heard the place has new owners/staff and is much better but I have never been back.

Dooly

18th February 2009, 10:29

I'd like to say that email is sometimes a balls up. I'm no IT expert...but I had a customer email me three times...none of which I recieved. He then rang my boss to have a chat (fair enough too) about the lack of response...but it turns out I can for some reason only get emails from him if it's response to my emails. Not new emails he generates!!

Don't ask me why.

Its not you guys mate.
But I may come see ya in a few weeks when in Welly.:2thumbsup

Crasherfromwayback

18th February 2009, 10:36

Its not you guys mate.
But I may come see ya in a few weeks when in Welly.:2thumbsup

Yeah rock on in and say hi mate. Always a (crappy so they say) coffee or a beer here for you!

Pete

Starky307

18th February 2009, 11:33

After reading through the posts I am in two minds.

The first is that you have only tried one form of contact and that maybe you should try the phone or actually go and talk face to face, or just leave it and walk away.

The other part of me is in accordance with the whole point of why have email and websites if they are useless?? that bugs me no end.

I think you're really left with a decision, follow up the email with a phone call and/or personal vist or walk away from the bike, in the end it comes down to how keen you are for that particluar bike.

On a side note what do you use to tell you when and how long for and how many times an email is read?

FROSTY

18th February 2009, 11:53

Im on the other end of e mails like your enquiry.
Yours sounds like a fairly straightforward series of questions except maybee the trade in value. That one is always really difficult. What one person calls mint another might cal fairly tidy or average

robertydog

18th February 2009, 11:55

Maybe hes a cash buyer

Dooly

18th February 2009, 12:10

The first is that you have only tried one form of contact and that maybe you should try the phone or actually go and talk face to face, or just leave it and walk away.

Can't go in, its out of town.
Yes I have tried one form of contact, the one that they have on their website that says..sales@.....
The contact way they provide.

It seems ridiculous that they cannot reply after nearly 3 days, and I should have to try again.
But then again from all the talk about bike shops on here, maybe thats the norm for some.

Maybe its me, maybe I need to chase the poor souls around and beg them to serve and take my cash.
But I'm a funny old cunt, when I get ignored or fobbed off I get pissed off and walk.
But its cool, I wont bother with the place, will go to another which is closer but dont have the bike in stock atm and see what develops.

As a matter of interest, the shop/s I've alluded to are'nt in Auck or Welly.

Maybe I should just buy a Jappa........:shit::lol:
Zukis seem to be taking over our HB KB group now........:thud::bleh:

Devil

18th February 2009, 13:08

Maybe people didn't read my post.

There are a number of factors involved in the delivery of email, it may have not even got there. Like I said, it's not a guaranteed service.

It is also possible they're slack cunts. Either way, you're not going to know if you dont call.

Dooly

18th February 2009, 13:56

It is also possible they're slack cunts. Either way, you're not going to know if you dont call.

Thats true, but I've moved on from them now.

But in the past when have done that....'oh yeah, got your email, was going to get back to you, probably in a month or so etc etc...':whistle:

R6_kid

18th February 2009, 14:13

In this modern day and age, not replying to email is exactly the same as not answering the phone. If you rang up and asked stupid questions they'd more than likely respond, its not like there aren't stupid people with money to burn!

Max Preload

18th February 2009, 14:55

Thats true, but I've moved on from them now.

But in the past when have done that....'oh yeah, got your email, was going to get back to you, probably in a month or so etc etc...':whistle:

If that's their attitude you might as well post the fuckers a letter... :oi-grr:

Devil

18th February 2009, 15:08

In this modern day and age, not replying to email is exactly the same as not answering the phone.

No it's not. A better analogy would be like not replying to a text message.

Phone calls are real-time. Text messaging and email aren't.

Starky307

18th February 2009, 19:57

No it's not. A better analogy would be like not replying to a text message.

Phone calls are real-time. Text messaging and email aren't.

Exactly, ring them or better still (but i understand you can't in this case) see them face to face. Email and text messages give people a way of hiding and also leave you with no proof that contact was made.

There are so many reasons why you have not ben answered.

I'm just glad that you haven't listed the shop so as to run them down one sided like these forums do.

Dooly

18th February 2009, 20:06

I'm just glad that you haven't listed the shop so as to run them down one sided like these forums do.

Nope not into that.
Too much of that goes on, whether its justified or not.

I realise that some folk at places can be slack. Still pisses me off, but I hold possibly a niave approach to bike shops that they are bikers too and generally are part of our brotherhood and will do the right thing by us.

Fuck me, maybe that is a bit niave, considering some of the stories we hear here, but hey, aside from piss poor communication from some shops over the years, I've got no complaints about most dealings, and I'm very quick to praise good service.