To all bike shops...

[gixermike]

this is quite enlightening, The girlfreind and I will be doing the rounds of Auckland bikes shops in a fortnight, and we have to be quite specific. She has a 'standard' uk full licence , so is restricted to 33BHP until she re does her licence in NZ. Probably something like a Ducati Monster 400 should do her.....unfortunately she has expensive taste...
any votes for good bike shops for awkward requests?

Mike

[Lou Girardin]

Shame you didn't come into the Accessories area, I would've talked to you. Couldn't sell you a bike though.
Colemans are friendly until you need help.

[Quasievil]

I reckon a great number of customer think they are so damn precsious that they are prevented from walking up to a salesman to ask for help, easier to do that than winge about the lack of service I reckon.
I say that tounge in cheek, but from a sales persons perspective I wonder how many times they go up and ask for help to be told "just browsing"
I guess they get a bit deflated at times.
I reckon if you ask for help you will get good service as they can understand your a hot lead and youre there for business.

I reckon the best place for buying testing bikes is here in Hamilton simply because the roads for a decent ride are like 2 mins down the road.

Sue if you want I can find out what 600 test bikes are down here for you, let me know, though I will be seeing you guys this weekend anyway

[Lord Derosso]

[QUOTE=Riff Raff;784297]Babe, I would look great on any bike!!!

I totally agree.... Are you sure you dont want to have my bike and I can be the pillion ? Its a massive act on my part I know but a mans got to do what a mans got to do. I think my little 600F would look great with you on her and besides it was Pete whom sold it to me in the first place!

[Mom]

[QUOTE=Quasievil;784994 I wonder how many times they go up and ask for help to be told "just browsing"
I guess they get a bit deflated at times.
[/QUOTE]

Best way to avoid that is not to ask if you can help.......they could try....."nice looking bike eh?" bound to get a positive response that way

[Big Dog]

This is why I quite liked dealing with a certain marine who no longer works at Red Baron.

He always came over with a non intrusive question, many very unorthodox, but then he did manage to sell be a Hayabusa when I went in to buy a new jacket too.

There is a certain comfort in knowing how deep the bullshit your dealing with is.

Kind of lucky he left..... no one tries to sell me anything anymore..... which is just as well given the ongoing cost of the Hayabusa and the fact you will get body parts from me before you get my bus!

[The_Dover]

If a fuckin salesman can't deal with being told you're just browsing he should go work in macdonalds where he is guaranteed a fuckin sale.

Is it so hard to approach every customer ask the question and if told "No thank you, I'm browsing" to reply "Ok, if you see anything you like or have any questions just give me a yell, I'm here to help"??

Quasi, that is why kiwi customer service is shit, because kiwi companies don't recognise the importance of first impressions and have no real competition.

9/10 shops/restaurants/dealers that I've used in NZ would be fucked in a properly competetive market and it's one thing that has twisted my tit since I was sent to report on the colonies.

I loved working in customer service, it gave me a chance to make a difference to every customer I dealt with, sales staff should have the same attitude.

[SARGE]

This is why I quite liked dealing with a certain marine who no longer works at Red Baron.

He always came over with a non intrusive question, many very unorthodox, but then he did manage to sell be a Hayabusa when I went in to buy a new jacket too.

unorthadox?? maybe.. attention getting? .. quite possibly..

glad ya like the Busa

[Squeak the Rat]

1. a lot of women go in there who make out like they are gonna buy, only to turn out that they neither have the money or the commitment. Many don't have a license. Most visits they can be spotted.

What came first, the ignoring of the likely no-sale or the no-sale itself? A self fulfilling prophecy and extremely short sighted.

I've gone browsing at bike shops many times with no intention of buyiung on the spot. I have simple expectations,
a "g'day" = nice
"can i help you" = cool
"be with you in a minute" when everyones busy = sweet, thanks
a "do you want some help" when I'm standing by a peice of kit for ages and looking around like i need help = priceless.

I've a mental list of the shops that have completely ignored me or were rude when "just browsing". Guess what, my next bike won't be from one of those shops....

Conversely I've bought some stuff from a shop up the road that I could have got cheaper elsewhere because they gave awesome service when I was looking to buy my current bike.

[matt77]

Just adding my two pennies worth....

I walked in to Wellington Motorcyles a while back when I was considering getting the new Triumph 675. I had to go find a sales person and after telling him what I was looking for, was told that "no chance, me, along wih every other man and his dog is after this one".....

Explained I was a cash buyer, no part exchange and asked if he could get one in...was told not for a long long time....ended up walking out - useless!

Its enough to put you of buying a brand altogether - I ended up looking at Ducati after a mate mentioned the level of service he got....

[Big Dog]

If a fuckin salesman can't deal with being told you're just browsing he should go work in macdonalds where he is guaranteed a fuckin sale.

Is it so hard to approach every customer ask the question and if told "No thank you, I'm browsing" to reply "Ok, if you see anything you like or have any questions just give me a yell, I'm here to help"??

Quasi, that is why kiwi customer service is shit, because kiwi companies don't recognise the importance of first impressions and have no real competition.

9/10 shops/restaurants/dealers that I've used in NZ would be fucked in a properly competetive market and it's one thing that has twisted my tit since I was sent to report on the colonies.

I loved working in customer service, it gave me a chance to make a difference to every customer I dealt with, sales staff should have the same attitude.

I for one boycott the locations that are overrepresented by pushy sales people.

Freindly sales people seem to have no trouble emptying my wallet, pushy ones who approach me before I have even made it in the door are gonna have to work real hard for their commision.

Piss poor service? Or are we just a nation of whiners?
Having spent many years on both sides it pisses me off when people complain to everybody but the establishment.

At the end of the day, you want to get molested by sales staff every four feet just try and buy consumer electronics in this country. (kind of lucky really as otherwise i would own a lot more...)

I will bad mouth an establishment online, but only after giving them the opportunity to rectify the issue.

To all consumer electronics stores if you want my money see where I am heading before offering service.
If I tell you I am just killing time until the mrs is finnished leaving me alone is your best hope of a sale.
If I tell you I am "preshopping" I'll be back with my wallet another day. You are not going to sell me anything today, under any circumstances. But if I come back consider it sold.
If you bug me before I ask for help every time I say no I am Mentally giving myself a 10% discount on what I am prepared to pay.

Vehicles are different.
A purchase is largely emotional.
Try and sell me anything and you will fail. If I ask about something if we can agree on a price it is sold. This is because as an emotional major purchase can't be reasoned into or out of it.

What Salesmen (that's right salesmen, saleswomen seem to know this instinctively) don't get is that men have up to five reasons to say no. Women have seemingly unlimited reasons.

Men will say no because:
The you have not made them want it.
They are not willing/able to pay the price.
The wife says no.
The sales man gets caught in a lie. (note bullshit is different)
The product you have does not fit their needs.

Women have said no to me quoting the following reasons (when I sold cars):
I was too pushy.
I was not pushy enough.
I spent too much time answering the man she brought alongs questions.
I spent too much time talking to the woman and did not answer enough of her mans questions.
i checked her out
I did not check her out
I talked down to her
I used too many big words and technical terms.
The colour was wrong.
The interior was all wrong.
The stereo is hard to tune.

Reality, I sold most of what I sold to men, sales to men took less time. only about 5% of the cars I sold were to women. Forgive me if towards the end I took male marks over female.
As far as I am aware price was never once the reason.

[SARGE]

Just adding my two pennies worth....

I walked in to Wellington Motorcyles a while back when I was considering getting the new Triumph 675. I had to go find a sales person and after telling him what I was looking for, was told that "no chance, me, along wih every other man and his dog is after this one".....

Explained I was a cash buyer, no part exchange and asked if he could get one in...was told not for a long long time....ended up walking out - useless!

Its enough to put you of buying a brand altogether - I ended up looking at Ducati after a mate mentioned the level of service he got....

it comes down to Supply and Demand ..if the particular bike you are looking at is screaming out the door .. they will be hard to get. your best bet is to roll in there with, say $100 and tell the sales guy that the next black 675 you get is mine.. can you order that today ?

you may have to wait a few weeks or whatever but if the sales guy is on top of it he will keep you in the loop

[Big Dog]

What came first, the ignoring of the likely no-sale or the no-sale itself? A self fulfilling prophecy and extremely short sighted.

I've gone browsing at bike shops many times with no intention of buyiung on the spot. I have simple expectations,
a "g'day" = nice
"can i help you" = cool
"be with you in a minute" when everyones busy = sweet, thanks
a "do you want some help" when I'm standing by a peice of kit for ages and looking around like i need help = priceless.

I've a mental list of the shops that have completely ignored me or were rude when "just browsing". Guess what, my next bike won't be from one of those shops....

Conversely I've bought some stuff from a shop up the road that I could have got cheaper elsewhere because they gave awesome service when I was looking to buy my current bike.

Not saying you should not be entitled to attention. I am saying if this is a universal attitude you receive perhaps you need to look in the mirror for the answer.

I dress differently when I want to be spoken to on a car lot or bike shop than when I don't.

[matt77]

it comes down to Supply and Demand ..if the particular bike you are looking at is screaming out the door .. they will be hard to get. your best bet is to roll in there with, say $100 and tell the sales guy that the next black 675 you get is mine.. can you order that today ?

you may have to wait a few weeks or whatever but if the sales guy is on top of it he will keep you in the loop

Yep agree. This guy was not even interested in taking my details let alone a deposit, which I would have happily departed with and been prepared to wait a few weeks or even a couple of months.

All about managing expectations. If I treated my clients that way, i'd be out of a job!

[SARGE]

Yep agree. This guy was not even interested in taking my details let alone a deposit, which I would have happily departed with and been prepared to wait a few weeks or even a couple of months.

All about managing expectations. If I treated my clients that way, i'd be out of a job!

jeeze man .. i would order bikes on a $100 deposit all the time .. thats just wrong