Bike shops and Test rides

[Hitcher]

Mrs H and I plan to be doing a bit of test riding when we are up and through Auckland in October.

[vifferman]

I agree wholeheartedly with you. Customer service is key. Why the hell would anyone drop a cent on you if you didn't treat them with respect and give them the best deal you can?

Customer retention is the only way to grow a business because you should always be looking ahead. The initial sale is just the beginning.

I'm still angry.
I dunno how much profit they made on the VFR, but they made a profit on the rego (!), $2000 profit on my trade-in, they lied to my face, then had the nerve to whine to me because they weren't making a few dollars profit on a packrack because I bought it from Kerry when they weren't able to install it as promised.
So.
No more bike sales to me, no more bike parts (used to buy my Honda parts from them - now from AMPS), no servicing, no trade-ins, no accessories or comsumables, no nothing.
So, another customer gone. And anyone else who I come across that is thinking about going to Cyclespot gets steered away too, or at least told the truth and allowed to make up their own mind.

[vifferman]

Mrs H and I plan to be doing a bit of test riding when we are up and through Auckland in October.

Are you coming up here? :hbd: Yay!! The Hitchers are visiting!
Most places here seem pretty good about test-rides.

[Lou Girardin]

Mrs H and I plan to be doing a bit of test riding when we are up and through Auckland in October.

Bloody hell! I better make sure the punctuation is correct on the sale cards.

[The_Dover]

I'd feel exactly the same mate and wouldn't set foot in their door again. And tell your mates because why should anyone get service like that?

Problem in NZ is that there just isn't enough competition in a captive market, applies to most goods and services unfortunately, and the general level of customer service leaves a fair bit to be desired because of this.

It's not always the best price that wins it for me, it's the whole deal.

[pritch]

Not only that, AMPS (or Lou really) are pretty active on the forums compared to other businesses, happy to answer queries and questions etc.

While my experience is stricly limited, I would have to agree with that :-)

[pritch]

I don't want to sling mud but some dealers in Akl certainly can't tell someone who is gonna drop some coin on their floor.

Actually if you really want to feel sneered at go to a boat dealer in a "modest" car. A guy I know who was in the market for a 20 foot plus cabin boat was being ignored by the salesman. He heard the salesman say to his mate "Probably dinghy wankers".

Needless to say he bought his nice new boat somewhere else.

[Sparky Bills]

What's the best way to try new bikes out? (Including second hand ones)

I've seen a few bikes that look good in the window, but I would like to try them on the road.
I would feel a little guilty if would take one for a ride, then not buy it though.....
Wuss or what?
Out of curiosity, you guys that work in a shop, is there a limit to how many bikes you would let one customer ride?
Say I wanted to try three or four? Not a joy-ride situation, but a 'wonder what this goes like', with the intention to buy?
When does a tire kicker become a serious customer? When they hand over the cash, or just on potential?
I've worked a fair bit of retail, so I know both sides, sometimes seems a little more hostile in some bike shops though....
Whadda ya recon? Who would trust me with a test ride?

I think it comes down to your own attitude too.
If your clear with what you would like to do, then they shouldnt have a problem with it.

I have ALWAYS said to people to ride anything AND everything. Even if you dont want to buy it, I mean.. How will you really know unless you ride it?

Some salesmen will not really like you to take everything out, but if you do intend to buy, It shouldnt be a problem.

Now go out, ride some bikes and have fun doing it!!

[vifferman]

Actually if you really want to feel sneered at go to a boat dealer in a "modest" car. A guy I know who was in the market for a 20 foot plus cabin boat was being ignored by the salesman. He heard the salesman say to his mate "Probably dinghy wankers".

Needless to say he bought his nice new boat somewhere else.

I get the feeling that after some salesmen have started to make a few sales, they think they're heroes, and forget who they're supposed to be serving: the customers, not their egos.
Years ago, my ex-brother-in-law had the same experience. Him and a mate had plenty of readies, from working shifts at Kinleith, and drove to D'Auckland with the serious intention of test-driving and buying a sportscar each. Unfortunately for them (and the small-minded salesman they encountered at the first sportscar emporium), they dressed rather casually. You can guess the rest...

[Rashika]

Such is life. But what you experienced is rare.
I don't know if I'd buy a Harley from out of town though. Imagine booking in for a service and it rains on the day you ride down?
You'll be cleaning for the next 3 days.

of course it gets tricky when the only bike you want isn't being sold in the local bike shops i.e no Buell dealer *officially* here yet.
Not quite sure who will be servicing my bike yet....rather get someone who knows SOMETHING about them. Might see if the exowner (being a dealer who builds the bikes as well) will do it for me...just a 2 hour ride is all...damn shame

[Sparky Bills]

Motorcycle city never used to let me ride any of their bikes.
First time i went to Motomart, They said hi, I rode a bike, then bought it. Simple!

[geoffm]

BEfore I bought the Beemer, I was lookgin around the shops, as you do. i don't take test rides unless I am serious - a waste of my time and theirs otherwise.
One I was lookng at was a ZZR1100 at a Major Dealer. Sure I could only take it for a test ride, sign your life away here. here is the route you have to follow - along the road to this onramp, along the motorway to the next offramp and back - a distance of 5km. At 4.30pm in Auckland, it told me exactly nothing - a motor scooter could have done the same route with the same results. I got the Beemer from Cyclespot, when they were still BMW agents. Test ride - sure. Here are the keys, try and be back before we close in 3 hours... Went back the next day and signed for it...
Geoff

[Lou Girardin]

of course it gets tricky when the only bike you want isn't being sold in the local bike shops i.e no Buell dealer *officially* here yet.
Not quite sure who will be servicing my bike yet....rather get someone who knows SOMETHING about them. Might see if the exowner (being a dealer who builds the bikes as well) will do it for me...just a 2 hour ride is all...damn shame

Aren't Eric Woods Buell dealers?

[Lou Girardin]

BEfore I bought the Beemer, I was lookgin around the shops, as you do. i don't take test rides unless I am serious - a waste of my time and theirs otherwise.
One I was lookng at was a ZZR1100 at a Major Dealer. Sure I could only take it for a test ride, sign your life away here. here is the route you have to follow - along the road to this onramp, along the motorway to the next offramp and back - a distance of 5km. At 4.30pm in Auckland, it told me exactly nothing - a motor scooter could have done the same route with the same results. I got the Beemer from Cyclespot, when they were still BMW agents. Test ride - sure. Here are the keys, try and be back before we close in 3 hours... Went back the next day and signed for it...
Geoff

That's a real problem in Auck. We got seriously pissed off trying to test drive cars for my wife. 60 km/h on a motorway tells you nothing.

[curious george]

Interesting replies...
I did wonder if there was an unofficial policy with the road testing.
I wasn't looking for a shit fight, or the worst shop, but as someone has said, people are only human, and sometimes the customer may be their own worst enemy, bad attitude and all that.

I've had one bad experience with testing that has made me cautious with future ones.
I was looking for my first bike and had tried two bikes from the same local shop.
One was a winner, but didn't buy it because of a much better private sale that I was offered.
So with my new bike in need of service, and me in need of helmet, gloves etc, I went
back to the shop, who untill that point had been pretty good, and I got an ear blasting
from the sales guy for wasting his time.
The parts guy also turned nasty, so twice bitten, I've never been back.
Shame really, as they started off quite nice.

I'm looking in the direction of a Bonnyville, or perhaps a BMW.
I've seen some belt drive 650GS thing that looks interesting, but I've no idea how it will ride.
Even MrSkids XT600 enduro looked like fun for not a lot of money.
SpankMe's CB600 is awesome, very interested in a good condition one of those too...
If I saw a Ducati 750SS for the right price I'd have that as well, so as you can see
I haven't got one bike in mind at all.
I wouldn't bother riding something that I couldn't afford, nor had any real interest in buying,
but there are a few choices to make that can't be decided without a ride.