Your opinions on what is fair.

**imdying** · 9th September 2009, 12:08

Originally Posted by Stirts

Well the work is already done, and there is a bill to be paid. I would certainly find out exactly what Junior member of staff said to this customer. Find out if costs where discussed in any way, shape or form.

Yes, this appears to be the only grey area. Need to make it clear to the junior staff member that if he actually did somewhat put his foot in it by offering the repair gratis, then that's life, but he needs to come clean so that the offer can be honoured. The rep of the business is more important than the dollars at this point, and it'll just be a lesson learnt etc etc. Of course if he's 100% suire no such offer was made, then the buyer must pay (with the ensuing shit fight that sounds like it's brewing). It's hard being young in the trade, but he needs to know that people do indeed make mistakes, and honesty is the best policy.

**vifferman** · 9th September 2009, 12:13

Yeah, what Imdying said.

**"D" FZ1** · 9th September 2009, 12:13

Originally Posted by The Stranger

Dealers make heaps as it is. The dealer should pay!

WHATEVER. You are obviously not a Bike Dealer.

**SMOKEU** · 9th September 2009, 12:22

The dealer should have fixed it before they sold it.

**pzkpfw** · 9th September 2009, 12:22

I voted buyer pays - mainly as it was in the report. (Did he sign the report to say he'd read it all?)

I'd note that maybe people ought to be given something in writing for estimates. This way the guy would have "known" he was going to be charged up front - he could be claiming the junior staff member was unclear about how the payment would work. (i.e. that he'd be charged or not).

Finally I'd wonder about the cost of the repair compared to the profit (if any) already made on the sale of the bike. Is it worth a deal being struck to generate an extra happy customer? Or is this guy going to be unhappy anyway and not bring back repeat business?

Geez, I'm gald I'm not in this kind of work. Sounds hard.

**Sidewinder** · 9th September 2009, 12:24

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

The dealer should have fixed it before they sold it.

nah buyer knew it was like that at the time tho

**FROSTY:Me** · 9th September 2009, 12:25

Originally Posted by Stirts

Certainly if he is a right wank and you don't want to have them as an ongoing customer.

Ahh but I asked what was FAIR not what is the commercial reality of the situation.
Commercial reality is that the squeaky hinge rightly or wrongly gets the oil or the bike shop rightly or wrongly gets a reputation for being rip off artists if they dont .
So based on the information given being EXACTLY the full extent of matters and conversations wadda ya reckon is the FAIR solution?
Quite rightly the junior member of staff did not say "You need to pay for this repair" but then they also diddn't say or indicate "yes this will be repaired for free".

**Sidewinder** · 9th September 2009, 12:26

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Ahh but I asked what was FAIR not what is the commercial reality of the situation.
Commercial reality is that the squeaky hinge rightly or wrongly gets the oil or the bike shop rightly or wrongly gets a reputation for being rip off artists if they dont .
So based on the information given being EXACTLY the full extent of matters and conversations wadda ya reckon is the FAIR solution?
Quite rightly the junior member of staff did not say "You need to pay for this repair" but then they also diddn't say or indicate "yes this will be repaired for free".

yea thats why people shouldnt asume things either

**onearmedbandit** · 9th September 2009, 12:27

+1 to what imdying said. It must be made clear what the junior staff member said at the time.

**NDORFN** · 9th September 2009, 12:27

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Hey folks I'd like to ask you opinion on what you think is the fair thing to do/ be done in the following situation.
A bike shop is advertising a bike for sale.
Customer comes in and views the bike and wants it.
A deal is struck on the bike cheaper than advertised price.
The deal is that the bike is sold as it sits but subject to being mechanically sound and having a new WOF and rego.
A FULL inspection of the bike is carried out by a competent mechanic.
Some cosmetic issues are noted as expected but NO mechanical issues in any way. One of which is a 75mm crack in a lower fairing panel
The customer reads through the report which he is happy with and deal is all done--away he goes on his bike.
2 weeks later the customer goes back to the dealer with the bike wanting the 75mm crack to be repaired.
A junior member of the staff says hey no problem we can fix that for you.
Fairing is fixed and returned to the bike shop manager
The customer is contacted and told his fairing is ready and the cost of repair.
Customer gets upset because he wasn't told he would be charged to repair the fairing,He argues that the crack was in the fairing when he bought the bike and so should be repaired free
Manager replys.- Hang on ,You saw the bike and the marks in the fairing-including the crack.Its noted on the inspection report that there is a crack in the fairing. You then later bring the bike to us to be repaired. Why would you think we would repair it for free? We repaired it because you as a customer asked us to carry out work on your bike.

Whats FAIR in this situation??

You're not talking about Colemans are you? If you are, the manager/salesman probably promised he'd get the fairing fixed if the customer brought it back in, then selectively forgot about it.

**Sidewinder** · 9th September 2009, 12:28

Originally Posted by NDORFN

You're not talking about Colemans are you? If you are, the manager/salesman probably promised he'd get the fairing fixed if the customer brought it back in, then selectively forgot about it.

happend before? get it in writing if you want it to last

**Headbanger** · 9th September 2009, 12:32

Originally Posted by "D" FZ1

WHATEVER. You are obviously not a Bike Dealer.

How does the bait taste?

**NDORFN** · 9th September 2009, 12:34

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

happend before? get it in writing if you want it to last

That's not how I'm used to doing business down here south of the Bombays. Businesses are alot less profit driven. Salesmen go out of thier way for you. They actually want you to go back to them. Down this way, the shop would offer to fix it for nothing because that's precisely what it'd cost them to fix! And you can't put a price of customer retainership... you never know, someone you've been going out of your way for might just win Lotto, or get divorced!

**madbikeboy** · 9th September 2009, 12:38

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Ahh but I asked what was FAIR not what is the commercial reality of the situation.
Commercial reality is that the squeaky hinge rightly or wrongly gets the oil or the bike shop rightly or wrongly gets a reputation for being rip off artists if they dont .
So based on the information given being EXACTLY the full extent of matters and conversations wadda ya reckon is the FAIR solution?
Quite rightly the junior member of staff did not say "You need to pay for this repair" but then they also diddn't say or indicate "yes this will be repaired for free".

Tough one. The guy is obviously a wank stain. But... If your salesperson didn't spell the costs out, and if the guy didn't get a cost upfront, then he has a point to argue based on his perception of something that needed fixing as part of deal (clearly he'd be lying through his teeth). But...