Motorbike shops...

[Swoop]

Forget the coffee. Just some water is fine, thank you.

A parts person who knows their stuff and is not too lazy to do some research.

Yes! Plus - take the customers' contact details AND FUCKING WELL CONTACT THEM when you have ascertained the price/delivery date/etc that we bloody well asked for!!!
We customers ARE NOT FUCKING TELEPATHIC.
We are supposed to be living in the "age of communication"... unless you are working in the parts department.

I thought I was the only one who went invisible when I went into a bike shop. I've often wondered what would happen if I (invisibly) started pushing one of the more expensive bikes out. It would appear to be rolling along of its own accord, because I of course am ivisible.

I find the same, but it is quite easy to get a VERY fast response by sitting on the bike...
Especially those that have a little sign saying "DO NOT SIT ON THE BIKE".
(works every time)

[Number One]

Even though I'm a girl I get pretty good service round Welly. Though it does help when your hubby was in the bizo and you've been around the same shops for a good while too.

What is getting up my nose is that I can't get a pair of decent race boots in my size cos no one will import them. Surely there are other girls wanting boots too in a womens size 8-9ish?! It's soooo helpful to be told that I can get them myself online...WOW no shit sherlock! I woulda never thought of that on my ownsome

UMM Hello?! There's a good reason I wanted to get them from a shop and that is that I wanna check that the buggers fit before forking out a shit load of money.

Oh and I'm sure it's because I'm female but I always find it amusing when a new sales/parts person sidles up and starts trying to 'assist' me in that rather patronizing and condescending fashion - you know the one ladies?

As if it was the first time I'd ever walked into this 'mans domain' that is a bike shop...o hail! ...then along comes one of the 'old hands' who knows me, preceeds to offer me a coffee, ask after hubby, chuckle over shenanigans and stands there chatting at which point newbees (a bit confused) change their tune and scurry off to amuse themselves with someone else who is clearly in need of their 'expert help'.

I know retail is hard but please please please don't assume women are completely clueless or just getting started in bikes, or have walked in off the road to just look at the boys AND don't assume that they don't have a man/woman at home/close who will, upon hearing something that some newbee sales/parts person has told you, confirm that as you suspected they were talking shite or just giving you the run around because they couldn't be arsed.

ALSO just because I haven't got my gear on doesn't mean you can ignore me! I was recently looking for a bike AND full gear. Admittedly I pulled up in my people mover but I had money to burn and was keen to burn it....but it was all too hard in some shops and I felt like I was keeping them from serving the REAL bikers.

Oh and a tip for people trying to sell girls gear - Don't tell a lady that they are too fat to get gear in their size. I was told by one salesman - "O goodluck getting boots to fit your calves!" At which point I politely told him to "Bite me asshole" and walked out without the helmet (that I had said I wanted to buy), took my money elsewhere and never went back. Oh and for the record I knew many larger girls than I that had gotten their gear easily enough.

RANT OVER

[jafar]

'listen' to what your victims are actually saying. Weird I know but they are the ones paying the wages.
Smile when you talk even on the phone it does make a difference.
Don't rubbish what someone is riding to try & get a sale. ( yes it does happen )

Coffee +1

[toebug]

Sounds like bikes shops suck all over the country. I went to my local suzuki shop wanting to spend upto $3k on some engine work, I've been back 3 times and still have no price on parts on anything! They just dont seem to want my money!!

I have since sourced my own big bore kit and the other parts needed to do the job. now all I need is a reliable mechanic?

[vfxdog]

It's not difficult to run a decent shop- unfortunately the invisibility problem is rather widespread, as is the lack of decent coffee and knowledgeable staff. Recently I went into a largish Akl accessories shop looking for bike covers and was amazed at the layers of filth on everything; stock lying on the floor and in unsorted piles, staff either chatting with pals or texting, crap and noise from some guy using an angle grinder in the open workshop....I've been into perhaps the biggest Wellington shop with cash in hand and been totally ignored- funny, 'cos I used to work with the guys that run it and our old boss would have killed them for that kind of slackness....
It would be interesting to see a poll for best bikeshop in the country.

[Trident boy]

Now that a idea mate there would be a few Suprises in other word retailers get ya shit together

[pc220]

When looking for a learners bike to buy , Went into all four of the major dealers in Hamilton. HAd the plastic in my pocket "i was Buying". Unfortunatly because i pulled up in the cage wearing singlet shorts jandals .Dont have breasts and a cute ass I too was sucked into the invisible hole on three occasions. Even booting tyres and shifting bikes i remained invisible. The fourth and last shop i visited that day is where i bought a bike and is now the only Waikato shop i will deal. Waikato Yamaha were the only ones that could see me and gave great Service. So they get MY money.
SERVICE SERVICE SERVICE

[AllanB]

[QUOTEI find it annoying to have to buy magazines and go into bike shops to find what is available. Emails - I have also sent emails to bike shops and not got a reply.[/QUOTE]

Ha hear ya - I often walk in with a magazine - 'do you stock this' ..... now I don't expect anyone to stock everything but you would thing if Darby etc are advertising in a NZ magazine then they would have their reps trying to get it in store.

Pit Lane is great in CHCH - if he thinks it is a good item he can sell he will get one in for you to look at - no obligation.
Sportzone has excellent bike sales service and good greif demo bikes.
Budget motorcycles are cool (especially now grumpy Trev is gone).
Street & Sport is excellent with the new owners.
Always had good service from Norjos
Casbolts - good bike service but getting someone from around the counter can be fun.
Rides have been fine.

Basically simple stuff - realise your client is there!
Train your staff - they should bloody know stuff about bikes!
Don't bullshit - if you are unsure say so and find out - grab a cell number or e-mail and call/text when you find the answer.

[soundbeltfarm]

yeah i agree there are alot of crap shops out there.
the classics i hate are when we get any of our bikes serviced or order parts in and you get a time to get ior they say we'l drop bike off this arvo.
and it never happens, all it takes is a bloody phone call.
our last farm bike we got in september and they said can i let them know when i've done so many hours. done that and they were like sweet we'l pick it up next tuesday. 2 tuesdays later i rang.
they are on to it they say.
i rang 3 times and always got the same answer that they are so busy and all the usual bull shit.
so i rang another suzuki dealer , told them the story and they were there in 2 days and bike brought back the next day.
i had a call from the dealer we got it off and they said we are coming to get your bike next week.
i rang them in october and it takes 5 months for them to get around to serviceing my bike.
fuck how efficient.
they got told to fuck off.
we get a new quad every 2 years, got 2 wheeler farm bike, my mx bike , both my kids got bikes too, trace rides now also.
thats a few bikes and parts , serviceing and gear that they have lost because their service department is shit.
its a shame because the seller is the best i have dealt with.
i rang and told him the story and he could at least admit their fuck ups.
i get a bit of gear now off Scott from here at MR motorcycles and he has been great to deal with, i love being able just to ask him something on here via Pm and he replies quick and he has been there done that so i trust what he says.
i also deal a bit with the guys that service our bikes now and they are also pretty good.
How much of the stuff ups are the manufactures fault?
eg. a classic is the 08 rmz450.
what a total fuck up i reckon.
No one seems to know what the hell is going on the release date is always put back, by the time the 08 comes out , we'll start seeing glimpses of what the other brands 09s will look like.
Do you know why the release is back to april Scott?
i've herad it was something to do with the gear selector fingers or something like that.

[Forest]

It's actually very simple yet most manage to get it horribly wrong. The best example of someone doing it right in Auckland (and probably NZ) is Motomail.

One thing I can't stand is bullshit. I won't mention any names but a certain Harley dealer on Khyber Pass Road, Auckland told me the biggest porky the other day. I'm importing a new Harley from California and some sales guy said BIG MISTAKE! He was adamant that they are built differently for strict CA emission controls which of course is utter bullshit.

Christ! Are those arseholes still in business?

Wonders never cease.

[MDR2]

I get that in motueka this probably isn't financially viable and the request mostley is a bit of beef I had when I lived in auckland... 5 shops in auckland that I could think of while I was desperatley driving around and not a damn single one of them was open on a sunday. I used to work a 6 day week on a regular basis and sunday was the only day I really had for bike/car/riding or driving and if just one shop had been open till 12 on a sunday it would have made things good.

[Edbear]

Pretty much agree with the thread, esp. the coffee! Has to be good coffee, though, like Maunder's in Whangarei...

Can also recommend Kelvin at Kaiwaka Suzuki and Matthew at Bikesport in Helensville.

[Insanity_rules]

Definately yes on the coffee. I like a shop that doesn't judge the fact I just pulled up on a 19 year old 250 (All be it tidy, well serviced and well modified).

I can't say enough good stuff about my regular shop, they treat you with respect, I can park near the door, they have coffee, the owner gives frank and honest advice (Stu's last bit of advice to me was get off the brakes grandma), they always deliver on time and their prices are pretty good.

I was made to feel like a criminal last time I parked outside a well known Honda dealer.

[Citroenjunkie]

Talk to your customers... not the fucking travelling reps.

Yes please!

I'm not Dan Carter, I don't have the PIN for Donald Trump's Gold Card but if you treat me like a human, I'll probably get a third mortgage and buy Motul.

Not all of us enjoy being ignored and looked at like we are insignificant. The last bike salesman who bothered to get up from behind his desk and talk to me like a human made comission, next time it may be your turn.

If I wan't coffee I'll have my KIA serviced.. get up and look interested.. PLEASE!

[Hitcher]

Things a bike shop needs

1. Staff. There are some dealerships around where a stun grenade could be thrown into the shop with no risk of hurting anybody.
2. Staff who would rather make a sale than talk to their girlfriends on the phone.
3. Friendly staff.
4. Friendly staff who aren't afraid to admit that they don't know everything.
5. Friendly staff who if they make an offer (like a test ride) then don't fuck off out the back and start polishing bikes and ignoring you.
6. Friendly staff who aren't looking around the showroom for somebody more interesting to talk to when you want to talk with them.
7. Friendly staff who will follow up on your queries.
8. Friendly staff who aren't afraid to venture out from behind the counter and take an interest in whatever it is that you may be interested in.
9. Demo bikes. What's the point of not having any?
10. A range of helmet sizes. Not everybody has a pin head.

You can keep your beverages. I'm not fussed by instant coffee in a plastic cup. And if I'm at risk of dehydrating while waiting for service, I'll go somewhere else.