Your opinions on what is fair.

**FROSTY:Me** · 9th September 2009, 15:18

Originally Posted by MSTRS

No good deed goes unpunished.
The customer might think he's being clever, puts the shop in an awkward position, but the sale agreement was very clear. It's there in writing.

and there you have the ONLY reason the shop would be concidering any kind of payment deal. The power of a big mouth is great.
Some days being a bike dealer is great --sometimes it really sucks.

**FROSTY:Me** · 9th September 2009, 15:22

Originally Posted by pzkpfw

Isn't it ironic?

In a thread that possibly hinges on misinterpretation, there are folk thinking the Ferrari was real, not a hypothetical "balance" to the "dealers are rich" claim; intended to focus discussion on the basic facts.

(Unless I'm wrong. Then it's not ironic, I'm just moronic.)

Ahh but was it said that it indeed was NOT real?

**NDORFN** · 9th September 2009, 15:33

Tough decision huh? We're faced with it all the time in my field. Customer satisfaction is by leaps and bounds our most effective marketing tool, so it's probably somewhat easier for us to decide to swallow an expensive bullet from time to time. You should just talk to the dude. Maybe gauge how much loyalty you will potentially get from him and decide whether his future patronage will offset the cost of repairing it. If not, fuck him. But be subtle. Discount vouchers are a good (shallow but effective non-the-less) way to keep him from spitting the dummy. Shit, maybe even going halves will pay for itself in the long run. Whatever you decide, don't forget the maths... 1 unhappy customer = 50 happy customers in terms of reputation.

**PrincessBandit** · 9th September 2009, 15:48

Customer sounds like a dork and just trying to screw more out of the dealer. Haven't read all the posts, but going by OP I stand by the opinion that some people are simply out to be greedy. This sounds like such a person.

Dealer shouldn't have to follow up. If the customer is likely to cause problems then hopefully the dealer has a good enough rep to be able to withstand a troublemaker.

**buellbabe** · 9th September 2009, 15:53

Good point but I reckon sometimes some customers just aren't worth keeping.
If I was that particular customer and I had bought the bike KNOWING there was a minor crack on the fairing I certainly wouldn't expect it to be repaired for free when I had already accepted its existance as part of the DEAL.
I think thats totally wrong.

Maybe this customer is gonna turn out to be the type that is a royal pain in the butt and will be forever finding fault and nit-picking and expecting stuff for free...is that a customer you want?

The shop shouldn't have to foot the bill but they need to be polite about it...and yeah...as suggested, offer a discount voucher...it means more $$s to be spent in the shop at some point LOL.

**FROSTY:Me** · 9th September 2009, 15:56

Hey thanks a million for the feedback folks.
This is a past tense (sp) situation. Recent past but past none the less.
At the end of the day the dealer went 50/50 on the repair for one reason only which was that the junior staff member did not spell out 100% clearly that the customer would be paying for the repair.
In their defense they believed they had no reason to do so.
It was I have no doubt a carefully contrived plot because the customer had not dealt or spoken to the junior staff member until the day he bought the bike in for repair. He had been back to the shop on at least two occasions before aparently happy as a sandboy with his bargain bike.
The day the manager was out was the day the junior staff member was hit up for the repair.

**Mystic13** · 9th September 2009, 19:36

I would have gone for 50/50. As fair. The deal is you can't know whether the bike owner was trying to pull a quick one or not.

A possible situation is;

Rider after a few weeks thinks, yep I'll get the crack fixed. Comes in and says Rider - "Hey can you fix this crack for me."
Junior - The junior happily replies yeah sure no problems.
Rider - Expecting a quote or to be given a price is pleasantly surprised the shop is just going to do it for him and is thrilled. I can see someone thinking that what the staff member said implied a freebie. You see bike shops ALWAYS give you a price or an idea of price. Rider thinks to himself these are shit hot people i love this place.
Manager - Calls rider and says done and the final bill is BIG BUCKS.
Rider - In a state of shock says "what, the bloke I saw said no problems in doing it"

I think miscommunication is likely. I think junior potentially made an error. I think you can't place this specifically at anyones feet. If the rider is young then I would lean in their favour even more. If this is the first bike they've really bought (Dad helped last time) then I'd see them as being greener in terms of these transactions.

The bike shop made a mistake in not training the junior sufficiently but i think they will have learned the lesson.

The preceeding comments by most of you make a fair few assumptions based on your experience of life to this point. If this was one of your first purchases years ago I'd like to think you'd agree with me.

If the bike shop got off at 50/50 then they got off lightly.

**Bronson** · 9th September 2009, 20:22

50/50? Should have been charged at least cost for the job & then told to piss off.

**caseye** · 9th September 2009, 20:45

What a crock of shit! the bike owner pays or he doenst get his bloody fairing back.
in this day and age no one attempts this sort of rip off without knowing theres a good chance they will be sprung.
The bike shop loses No Matter what.

On the one hand if they simply allow the guy to walk away with his now Fixed bike for free,he will simply tell all and sundry what an easy mark they are, because he's THAT sort of arsehole.

On the other hand if they stand their ground as they should be able to do, they're still a bunch of natsies to anyone who will listen to the rip off customer.

"The customer is always right" WRONG! when a customer has a genuine complaint they are that shop/businesses best advertising if they can accomodate them.

When a customer attempts a blatant rip off as this one did,the law and ethical standards should prevail and he/she should be told in no uncertain
terms to take a hike.

In particular business catagories in this town (Dorkland) there is now a register of all those types who try to rip companies off, if their name comes up they're instantly denied credit/service and guess what they slink off into the darkness where they damn well belong.
Fairness, is a two way street, no one minds trying to help someone who genuinely stuffs up and asks for help/assistance (monetary or service) wise.

Almost all of the answers have been in the positive for the shop Frosty, take heart and next time I hope the shop stands tall and bloody proud that their service and customer support is second to none and that they can cope with a bit of negative feedback.
This is of course my own personal opinion, I've spent thirty plus years in customer service, I've told maybe 3 clients flat out No! in all that time, to thier credit they all became life long customers and friends, but hey they're older like me and their word still means something.

**mossy1200** · 9th September 2009, 20:50

Call it learning curve and talk to staff about selling bikes that are not ready for resale.It would have been a better idea to show him the bike and let him know it would soon be ready for resale when repaired if he was prepared to pay a little more than the 10grand and let him mull it over.Sell mint product and leave tard me with the rest.Damaged bikes leaving your shop get seen by other bikers and its not a good look long term anyway.Get the best rep you can.I have purchaced my last 6 new bikes from the same bikeshop.You want good customers to return for your high reputation.

Once bitten twice shy.Never again I say.

If it makes you feel better the guy sounds like the kind of rider who will bin it soon.What goes around comes around.KARMA!

**ukusa** · 9th September 2009, 21:32

obviously bike owner should pay, but if no joy go for the re-break option.

**2much** · 10th September 2009, 06:03

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

crashed gixxas dont realy show it

That's coz you're doin it wrong. Don't worry son, practice makes perfect...

N frosty, if I was the dealer I'd have sent a few mates round to his address to clarify the situation.

**MDR2** · 10th September 2009, 18:15

Owner pays.

Owner does not get bike till bill is paid in full.

I can't believe somebody would try that on even.

**FROSTY:Me** · 10th September 2009, 18:35

A bit of a footnote really. Dealers meet up in various places from time to time. A bit of a chat was had about this subject. Turns out the person concerned has a reputation for doing exactly this sort of thing.
Aparently his last stunt was to book in an oil n filter change then get his missus to change it to a full service over the phone.
He comes in totally "shocked" that the bike shop charged so much for a simple oil and filter change.He was only prepared to pay for the work he asked to be done. He denied even having a wife even though her name was on the HP paperwork at another bike shop.