WORST bike shops

[yankwi]

Last night the nut holding my front sprocket on fell off, and so my front sprocket slid across and was just spinning on the output shaft.

I was just charged an hours labour + $20 for parts for what should have been a 10 minute job max.
This is after I told them that if they could get me the right nut for it I'd do it myself because I can't fucking afford $95 for a simple job to replace a tiny little nut!

Last time I took the bike there they charged me $110 to replace a snapped clutch cable too..

That just pisses me right off.

The nut holding the front sprocket on shouldn't be able to come off anyway, isn't there normally a split pin or something holding it on? I've only had it back from the last shop for a month too... grr.

EDIT: Well they gave me $20 off, so I'm not so pissed off now, but it's still kinda sucky.

Try ta flatplate washer ya fold over ta nuts edge to stop it from commin loose.
Sooo much for some M/C teczz . eha.
Not on my floor.....

[Biff]

I have to agree that Casbolts Honda in Christchurch is very poor. They "forget" to order things, they forget you arranged a test ride, they're expensive and getting any freebies out of them or worthwhile discount after buying a brand new bike is as easy as getting Osama Bin Laden to give you his address so that you can send him a xmas card.

[inlinefour]

What is it about bike shops. Do you have to grab sales staff by the freekin' throats to get them out from behind the counter??

WORST BIKE SHOP AWARDS for the Wellington region:

1. Motomart. Out on its own the worst. If the retail staff haven't got a mate to yack to or a mag to read, they wander out the back. I'm tempted to wheel a Duc out the door and see if that gets anybody's attention. Crap location too. An unfriendly experience in all ways.
2. ANZA in Palmerston North. More interested in selling cars, I suspect. The guy behind the counter has his feet superglued to the floor. Its only redeeming feature is it's open on Sundays.
3. Wellington Motorcycles. "OK, so you haven't got it in stock. Any chance of ORDERING ONE IN??" Mrs H had to go to Palmerston North to get a test ride on a new Marauder coz WMC didn't want to get their's wet or something. Offered her a ride on a very used Honda 750 Shadow though...
4. Phil Turnbull in Palmerston North. Although Mrs H got a test ride AND bought her new ride from PTMC she got SERIOUSLY dicked around after riding up from Wellington for her bike's first service. Sawyers/Motorad have now got this job...

Ash King Honda was the bain of Honda's exsistance until they pulled the dealership.

[vifferman]

Ash King Honda was the bain of Honda's exsistance until they pulled the dealership.

[QUOTE=I have to agree that Casbolts Honda in Christchurch is very poor. [/QUOTE]Mebbe it's just a Honda thing?
I used to go to Mount Motorcycles in Tauranga, because they were better than the whover was the Honda dealer, and I've decided there's no way the VifFerraRi or me are seeing the inside of the local Honda dealers if I can possibly help it. They pissed me off so much with their excessively mercenary attitude that I'd rather ride for 4 hours to another town than give them any more of my money. Yeah, they have to make a living, but if they treat people right, then those same people will feel some sort of loyalty to the shop, and will give them a good reputation to boot.

Don't these guys get it? :spudwhat:
Have they never heard of customer service?
How about stocking commonly-used spares so people aren't waiting 3 weeks to get mobile again?
How about loaner bikes, they could be useful when you work miles and miles away from the shop?

[Biff]

How about loaner bikes, they could be useful when you work miles and miles away from the shop?

oooooooooo - don't get me onto loaner bikes. casbolts have a 327 year old CB125 that they lent me when i had my bike in for a service. me in all my gear, iridium visor to boot riding a freakin cb125. school kids laughing at me as i went past, and to top it off, it has ducati 999s stickers on it!!!!!!

[FROSTY:Me]

well I walked into a local dealership yesterday with chequbook burning a hole in my pocket. -excuse me mr salesman Ive got a couple of questions about these bikes. My questions were specific and very to the point not price related. One question he couldnt answer the others he seemed little interested in . Ohh well never mind someone else is gonna get my money

[Hitcher]

Well, having captured the attention of a salesperson, ANZA made purchasing the new bike (it's big and red, and currently parked outside Ducati House on Lambton Quay) a very straightforward process. A big ups to the team!!

[Ghost Lemur]

well I walked into a local dealership yesterday with chequbook burning a hole in my pocket. -excuse me mr salesman Ive got a couple of questions about these bikes. My questions were specific and very to the point not price related. One question he couldnt answer the others he seemed little interested in . Ohh well never mind someone else is gonna get my money

What were you looking at?

[James Deuce]

What were you looking at?

Probably something I want to buy. Bloody KBers hoovering up all good lower/mid-price range bikes. Mutter, grumble.

[LB]

Well, having captured the attention of a salesperson, ANZA made purchasing the new bike (it's big and red, and currently parked outside Ducati House on Lambton Quay) a very straightforward process. A big ups to the team!!

I like it!!!!!!

[vifferman]

Well, having captured the attention of a salesperson, ANZA made purchasing the new bike (it's big and red, and currently parked outside Ducati House on Lambton Quay) a very straightforward process. A big ups to the team!!

Oh yeah, they're good like that, are (some) salespeoples.
And other stuff too, like lying, cheating, and extracting money without apparent thought being given to customer satisfaction.

Well, at least the ones that look like people but which are actually money-grubbing carnivores are.

[Gasman]

I seem to have been here before. When I bought my first bike, nearly 30 years ago, the service was crap. If you weren't one of the 'in' crowd, that is into racing, customising etc you had to beg to get service. Even in the bloody Honda shop! (that was the days of CB100's, remember them?) Cool....NOT.

So, what's new. At least here in Christchurch we have some decent shops, with some staff that seem interested, no matter what you look like (or more to the point, what you don't look like!) The wise ones know that you can't judge a biker by his clothing and hair (or lack of!)

[Grumpy]

Coming home from a ride a few weeks ago I ran over a rather large piece of metal that made short work of f...king my rear tyre. As I had a trip planned for the following weekend I was in a little panic to get a new tyre in time. As I work in Auckland I thought it would be easier to score a tyre from up there and take it home with me on the plane.

Before heading up I emailed Cycletreads to get a quote on a Bridgestone 012.
Next day at work I checked my emails and there was no reply so I gave them a bell. I was quoted $385 for a new tyre. After I got up off the floor I suggested that surely he could do better. After talking to his boss he came back with $340. that was better so I asked him to put it aside and I'll pick it up later.

Before knocking off work I was checking my emails and found one from cycletreads with a quote for $300 for the same tyre. Needless to say that was what I ended up paying for it so I ended up with a smile.

Now I realise that it is my responsibility to make sure that I'm not ripped off and I've been around long enough to know what questions to ask ( this isn't the first time that I have experienced this shit with this shop) but I have never found this with any other shop that I have dealt with for tyres or whatever.

I realise that I'm not experienced in retail but why a shop that must be one of the largest sellers of motorcycle tyres in the country has to resort to this kind of crap surprises me. Wouldn't it be nice if when you ask for a price for something you get given their best price without all the bullshit. If every other shop that I've dealt with for motorcycle products can offer this kind of service, why can't Cycletreads?

[WINJA]

well I walked into a local dealership yesterday with chequbook burning a hole in my pocket. -excuse me mr salesman Ive got a couple of questions about these bikes. My questions were specific and very to the point not price related. One question he couldnt answer the others he seemed little interested in . Ohh well never mind someone else is gonna get my money

YAMAHA DIRECTED ME TO A BIKE SHOP FOR A TEST RIDE ON AN R1, I HAD A BUM BAG FULL OF MONEY , THE DEMO BIKE WAS THERE AND I SAID "HI I WOULD LIKE TO TEST RIDE THE R1 PLEASE"THE GUY LOOKED ME UP AND DOWN AND WALKED OFF LAUGHING, I WENT TO ANOTHER SHOP THEY SAID THEY CAN ARRANGE A TEST RIDE BUT ALL BIKES HAVE TO BE MODIFIED B4 LEAVING THE SHOP AS THERE WAS A CLUTCH BASKET DRIVE FAULT. OK HELLO KAWASAKI

[MSTRS:Me]

An earlier post in this thread mentioned somethig about the 'in' crowd....must have been talking about me then as I can't remember any crap in any bike shop I've been in. In fact, between Xmas & NewYear I was in New Plymouth & had a concern about spongy brakes. Bowled into the Suzuki dealer workshop, head mechanic topped up rear reservoir & bled back & front systems on the spot & had the audacity to say "on yer bike'" when I pulled out my wallet