Motorbike shops...

[Trident boy]

In the interests making our little shop better for the customer I need comments what do you expect when you walk into a Bike shop come on 10 things you love and hate of the Dreaded Motorbike shop Yes its Friday and there will be a few had

[Str8 Jacket]

Apparently coffee is very high on the list. But it has to be good..... I dont drink coffee so i'd prefer diet coke and it would be great if you could supply chocolate macaroons.

Its really great to walk into a bike shop that actually has a range of womans apparel, but not that gross pink stuff. Staff that smile and treat everyone the same is great as well. I can spend ages looking in some bike shops at gear, bikes etc and not even get a hello yet when I walk into a bike shop where the people actually know me and know I ride I always get a hello and a "how can we help you".....

[HornetBoy]

+1 to coffee ,eg Phil Turnbulls in palmy is a good well known one for good coffee,

well stocked apparel -eg from a range of brands and price ranges

[shafty]

Atmosphere - a local FM station on in the background; a path to walk freely in the store, pref in a loop, a noticeboard with rides/rallies/events etc, a coffee spot adj to noticeboard pref, with some mags, a "bike of the week" (or month, something to check out, maybe a special of the month, be it a service or accessory. An acknowledgement - be it a "Hi, hows it going" or "great day for a ride" whatever, and if you are busy, just some acknowledgement. Access to a toilet. Suggest a lucky draw to obtain e-mail addresses - and e-mail specials, rides etc. Info on demonstrators available.

There's a start for ya!

[martybabe]

Keep some stock!!, especially accessories. doesn't have to be a besquillon dollars worth, 1 givi pannier, 1 pack rack, fly screens, exhaust samples.

I keep finding bike shops I haven't visited before, diving in to spend some cash only to find, 1 1965 cobweb encrusted BSA goldstar head lamp hanging on a rusty nail and one pink helmet, size xxs on the floor.

I'm fed up of "no mate we aint got that but I can run a tiny black and white drawing off the interweb for you to see and stick a $700 deposit on"

How about, we aint got yours in stock but I can get it by tomorrow and here's one to look at, different fittings but basically the same as your ordering. yeeha!

If you have some good stuff to look at your worth a visit, if your worth a visit and I get a coffee you'll get an order.

[Usarka]

Lots of clothing that we can try on for size and then go and purchase from the internets.

I'm usually contented with some bike porn.....

How about, we aint got yours in stock but I can get it by tomorrow and here's one to look at, different fittings but basically the same as your ordering. yeeha!

bingo, makes a hoooj difference dunnit.

[90s]

Apparently coffee is very high on the list. But it has to be good..... I dont drink coffee so i'd prefer diet coke and it would be great if you could supply chocolate macaroons.
Its really great to walk into a bike shop that actually has a range of womans apparel, but not that gross pink stuff. Staff that smile and treat everyone the same is great as well.

Is this the same Str8J who claimed on another thread not to be high maintainance?!

I don't have a macaroon handy so I hope you will accept ... bling?

[Finn]

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.

[Str8 Jacket]

Is this the same Str8J who claimed on another thread not to be high maintainance?!

I don't have a macaroon handy so I hope you will accept ... bling?

lol! I dont actually really like chocolate so bling will do!

[90s]

Well my bike is old, a not-top-of-range even in her day, and pretty scuffed up as I commute dialy and hardly ever wash her. But she runs perfect and suits me fine.
So I don't like bike shop staff who sneer at it and really try to push why its no good and how I must trade up to a new VFR etc appropos of me only asking if they sell cat crap or earplugs or something.
What I do like is a shop where they let you talk directly to the mechanics when servicing.
And as for buscuits, I go for chocolate hobnobs. As you would have to import them, it would really show you cared.

[dipshit]

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

[Katman]

What I do like is a shop where they let you talk directly to the mechanics when servicing.

I hope you mean "before" or "after" servicing and not "when" servicing. A mechanic being distracted by the customer when servicing is a recipe for disaster.

[Dooly]

Respond to emails.

Still waiting after 5 days to a response to an email in regards to buying a new 1098 from a Duc dealer.
It will be their loss.
Fuck that annoys me when places dont respond to emails.

[ManDownUnder]

Someone willing to understand me, what I want, and what I need.

End of Story.

[onearmedbandit]

Acknowledgment that I'm in the store. Don't ignore me but do not crowd me. If I want to ask something specific or get into a lengthy conversation, I will approach one of your salespeople. The salespeople should be like the ideal waiter when out to dinner, far enough away so that you can hold a conversation with your date but close enough so that when you need them they are aware.

Somewhere safe for me to put my helmet and glove, in a non-public area.

A good range of accessories and bikes.

Knowledgeable salespeople. Was looking at buying a helmet last year, went to one dealership and asked him about a brand of helmet they were pushing. The only info he was able to give me was 'um, we've sold a few'. No colour ranges, no comparisons between different brands, no reasoning behind his claim of why they had 'sold a few'. I dropped a grand on an Arai up the road.

Under promise and over deliver. Nothing lets me down more than when promised that my bike/part will be ready at 2pm Wednesday, only for me to go in there at 2:30 to find you are still waiting on a part. Ring me, send smoke signals, whatever, but when I'm paying you to work on my bike, and take time out of my day to arrange to come and pick it up and it's not ready and you haven't rung me, how do you think that leaves me feeling. I do realise some things are out of your control, that's why you have customer contact details.