Why spend your money in NZ with this service?

**sub_low** · 14th December 2009, 20:24

Originally Posted by vifferman

On the other hand, you'd expect them to at least stock common items, wouldn't you, like brake caliper seals, fairing fasteners, etc? But some of them (Blue Wing Honda, f'rinstance) seem to stock practically nothing. The percentage of times they have had stuff in stock, versus the percentage when it's "Sorry - that'll be 3-4 weeks, ex-Japan, please pay up front" has been VERY low.
Then there was the time I paid up front, was told it was indent stock and could take up to 6 months, but was happy(ish) to wait patiently, as it was non-urgent. Rang back after 7 months only to find the order hadn't been placed!
Got the same item in a week, ex-USA, for just over 25% of the price.

I think those cases are completely different and entirely unacceptable especially form "HONDA" themselves. But you’re right the big boys on the block SHOULD be carrying a fair amount of , what youd consider to be a consumable part.
My argument tends to lend itself in defence of the little guy owners. Sadly stories like yours have happened to everyone at some stage but i dont think its typical of Kiwi businesses alone.

I know in the UK counter service is a million times worse simply because in most cases the guy/girl working behind the counter simply couldnt give a toss , period!
Mate youd be lucky in most cases to get them to even acknowledge you with eye contact once you rock up and stand within 2 feed infront of the person at the counter, let alone stop a conversation they would be having amongst themselves to serve you.
My 8 and a half years experience in the UK is filled with ignorantly bad services stories, purely because they really don’t give a shit and are happy to display that fact to the customer while its totally tollerated completely becasue its common.

When it comes to across the counter service I’m glad I’m back home, unless I’m in Auckland where i see its quickly catching up to the poms in that respect!

**sub_low** · 14th December 2009, 20:29

Originally Posted by JMemonic

..... but to have a request sitting on a desk for a week before actioning it is bs, and unacceptable.

100% agree ,there is no excuse for that period, if you are offering a service to the public.

**flyingcrocodile46** · 14th December 2009, 20:56

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

Why the hell couldn't you go to the hardware store????,

I said I would so I don't understand why you are asking me why I couldn't?... I can/am/will

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

these guys are ordering off a parts fiche that wouldn't tell them length thread length etc thats what you get for genuine parts!!

So are these guys and their price ($4.07 NZ) includes the shipping cost from Japan if they haven't already got it in stock. Unlike the tossers here, they aren't trying to rip anyone off.... They are a profitable business that know about proper service.

**Molly** · 14th December 2009, 21:08

Originally Posted by sub_low

I know in the UK counter service is a million times worse simply because in most cases the guy/girl working behind the counter simply couldnt give a toss , period!
Mate youd be lucky in most cases to get them to even acknowledge you with eye contact once you rock up and stand within 2 feed infront of the person at the counter, let alone stop a conversation they would be having amongst themselves to serve you.
My 8 and a half years experience in the UK is filled with ignorantly bad services stories, purely because they really don’t give a shit and are happy to display that fact to the customer.

You could be describing the bloke in my local service station... He looks stoned / hungover and can comlete a transaction without saying a single word.

**sub_low** · 14th December 2009, 21:16

Originally Posted by Molly

You could be describing the bloke in my local service station... He looks stoned / hungover and can comlete a transaction without saying a single word.

yours too ???

**Brian d marge** · 15th December 2009, 14:55

Originally Posted by sub_low

One think i do know here in NZ after spending many years travelling is that we are bloody rude most of the time to each to each other often outright if we don’t get what we want the fist time we bang our fist on the counter on arrival. There is bad service and then there is being a bad customer i think both are very apparent in NZ

Im not saying nothing !!!

Even jokingly, maybe its a sign of no confidence?

Having also traveled for many years and a lot of countries , I would agree with that statement

has spill over into over daily life , Bossy bosses ? bad driving ?

But the above doesn't explain the fact that , sorry mate will take 3 weeks from Japan , ( airmail is 4 days average )

when i can click on the INTERNET with me VISA ( 30 days money back) and have it delivered to my door

are they trading on the I want it now feeling??

As I have said , all I want is communication ...I can wait ,,as long as you tell me !

Stephern

**Swoop** · 15th December 2009, 15:18

Originally Posted by vifferman

But some of them (Blue Wing Honda, f'rinstance) seem to stock practically nothing.

So, you have seen their spares warehouse as well...

**Pussy** · 15th December 2009, 15:45

Originally Posted by Swoop

So, you have seen their spares warehouse as well...

If you look VERY carefully... there is a sparkplug in the far corner of that pic.....

**sub_low** · 15th December 2009, 16:20

Originally Posted by Brian d'marge

Im not saying nothing !!!

Even jokingly, maybe its a sign of no confidence?

Having also traveled for many years and a lot of countries , I would agree with that statement

has spill over into over daily life , Bossy bosses ? bad driving ?

But the above doesn't explain the fact that , sorry mate will take 3 weeks from Japan , ( airmail is 4 days average )

when i can click on the INTERNET with me VISA ( 30 days money back) and have it delivered to my door

are they trading on the I want it now feeling??

As I have said , all I want is communication ...I can wait ,,as long as you tell me !

Stephern

I totally agree mate with everything you’ve said.
I think in most cases its because when companies order over sea's they are bound to filling a minimum order total for customs. I know when ive ordered stuff, as a business, if i order 3 items from a manufacturer, i pay X amount of dollars as a processing charge to NZ customs. If i order 30 items from that same manufacturer , i pay same same X amount of dollars for that 1 order, obviously plus the difference in duty and GST. It has to be worth your while to place the order in the first place. Providing great customer service as the motivation to ignor that cost doesn’t put as much gas in my DesmosediciRR as id like

( i can dream !!!) and would be bad business plain and simple.

Most companies refuse to work that way with regards to swallowing the HUGE import costs for the one off orders if its coming from oversea. You end up with a business with massive turn over but stuff all if any profit and whats the point of going into business in the first place?
Ofcoarse the other reason for delay is becuase its gotta go through 20 phones calls to different people at different companies , red tape, blah blah blah
Obviously not everyone along the way is excited as you are about your order (which does suck!). I dont think thats just NZ service, i think thats typical human nature ANYWHERE.
Being in the little old south pacific certainly doesn’t help matters though.

My advice in that case is to offer to pay the overnight airmail charge if your that keen to speed things up!
I think youll still find yourself importing the goods as a private person! due to price and ETA

Order form a big US or UK warehouse type retail store and you will have it allot quicker because they wont be going to the importer who may in turn have to go to the manufacturer , they most likely will have what you wont on the shelf due to demand and ease of access, and if they don’t, most likely the next guy will and worst case senario they will have to over night it from the distributorWHO WILL HAVE IT, before they dispatch it off shore to you.

The reality is private people don’t pay half as much for customs processing as a registered business and this is 1 main reason why shite cost so damn much down here over the counter. Another is becasue of the duty slapped on different industries in NZ where we export. Try importing a table or chairs or any furniture into NZ and see what duty customs sting you for that!! Furniture is a "protected" local manufacturing industry. Im not saying the bike industry is but i hope you get my point in general?????

Its not alwasy the greedy business owner. Some times yes, but more often than not the business with less than 5 or 6 full time staff are constantly doing a juggling act with regards to it actually being worth while,
Greedy landlords, greedy government taxes, greedy government import duty , processing etc etc.
Ofocoarse you could parallel import, but good luck getting any help form the registered distributor if your order shites itself within the global warranty period.

Very few parallel importers offer anywhere near the factory terms of warranty so your protected. The reason being in most cases warranty claims are part of being a distributor. The importer swallows all that cost apart from the replacment of the actual goods if infact faulty in most cases with most products. Warranty repairs labour costs on the other hand are swalled in most cases( a tech spending 5 hours diagnosing the problem and or repairing the issue). All associated freight forwarding charges back and forth from the manufacturer are also swallowing by the importer on most warranty claims also unless there has been a factory recall.

another reason why businesses, especially in this game, dont last long donw here.

Whats the point ...

too hard basket !

Still at the end of the day there no excuses for rude service but not all of its BAD just becasue the transaction hasnt gone how YOU think it should have. Most cases people are doing the best they can what what they have to work with, especially down here in NZ.

**ukusa** · 15th December 2009, 16:43

my 2-cents worth.
I ordered some parts (Triumph original) ex USA, 3 weeks to the day & they arrived today safe & sound (and at a saving of around NZ$350 including freight).
In late October I ordered some other parts here in NZ, to date I am still waiting for the last of them to arrive.
These were all cosmetic parts (eg. pegs, racks, seats, shiny bits etc), not mechanical. Until the NZ distributors get their ass into gear on availability & price, I know where I'll be doing all my shopping in the future.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 15th December 2009, 17:04

Heres another frinstance.

I hate broadcast TV, I hate commercials, and I hate the morons that run and schedule programs.

I do, however, love TV shows.

So I buy a lot of DVDs.

I ordered Sons of Anarchy Season 1, and The Wire, Season 5 from Amazon last Thursday morning, and it was delivered to my door on Monday morning at 8 am. Completely amazing. SOA has not been shown here to my knowledge, and The Wire was shown I think on Sky or something at like 2.30 a.m.

Cost to me including shipping was $51 per series. Utter bargain.

I willl be re-watching The Shield next.

Oh, and I had asked at two stores locally to get these for me. Both the hipster douchebags behind the counter just stared blankly, said they would call me, and never did.... Pointless waste of time.

**geoffm** · 15th December 2009, 19:23

BMW parts in NZ are a classic - order in NZ from the only BMW dealer in the upper north island, "be 3 weeks", wait 4-5 weeks, pay $25% extra, minimum for the same item you can get from the UK or Geermany delivered to your door in 7 days.