WORST bike shops

**Big Dave** · 7th November 2008, 20:07

Originally Posted by MarkH

This is simply a thread where people are free to have a winge

Which takes me back to my original point.

**ynot slow** · 7th November 2008, 20:30

For every 10 people complaining you will get 10 saying how great the place was.Each to their own,I tend to make up my own mind about service good or bad.I bought most of my gear from a shop which folks have bagged,first time experiance with them was great,have since gone back a few times and get looked at,annoying thing was each time I/we went in it was to buy pants,gloves etc,and a bloody bike maybe.After looking around the showroom,not one person came over to say g'day.

I spent 20yrs working in furnishing retail and since day one the two things drummed into me was,never ask can I help you?and acknowledge the customer,even a smile as they pass you if you are with another person,or on the phone.

**GrayWolf** · 7th November 2008, 20:46

Motomart:
Customer service was simply SHIT.
When in the old premises (about 1yr ago) they had some BMW 1100rs's in from Japan, 10k price bracket. I went in with a 'girlfriend' to look for an open class sport tourer. I'd been riding V twins (and one GS100) for over twenty years and the Bee eM seemed the logical choice. We were told they had not been complied yet so they couldnt be test ridden. (Obviously the pillion comfort was/is as important for long distances). Told come back next week (Saturday) they (BM's) are being complied Wednesday. Next Saturday, we rock up, oh sorry we've been too busy to do them. Ok fair enough. They were busy, come back next week they'll be done. Week 3 you guessed it,,,,,,, not farking complied. Now here I have to admit one of the sales staff could see my frustration and promised that he would personaly make sure the BM I was interested in was ready for the road next Saturday. Wednesday afternoon, he called my cell ph' and said the bike's done, and we arranged for 11am(ish) the following Saturday morning. Now this means a month of waiting and two people making/organising arrangements to go to the shop for a test ride. 11am we duly turn up...... no BMW! Sold? no, crashed? No.......... wait for it, Friday afternoon they hired the farking thing out for the weekend. Well obviously, Motomart were more interested in a few hundred? dollars hirage than the profit of actualy selling the bloody thing. They knew it was to be a cash sale! When I said, and I mean VERY quietly and politely , "then I guess I wont be buying a bike here then", the reply........ "thats your choice mate!"
nuff said! They dont get my custom in future.

**nallac** · 7th November 2008, 20:52

shit Graywolf thats a bit of a raw deal, i would've given up
after the second week.

**Gman71** · 7th November 2008, 21:29

Cyclespot Takapuna

dropped $15k cash into their bank account 3 days before delivery. picked up bike.
6 weeks later turn up for a booked in service. no sign of salesman to say hello. ok maybe he's busy.
4 weeks later wander in looking for hard luggage (after sending salesman e-mail enquiring about it) Looks straight at me, doesn't even recognise me or acknowledge me.

Now I sold cars for a couple of years, and a customer was something you remembered and worked hard to service after the sale.

Maybe motorbikes are just too easy....

These guys must have it too good.

**Gubb** · 8th November 2008, 07:25

Originally Posted by Gman71

Cyclespot Takapuna

dropped $15k cash into their bank account 3 days before delivery. picked up bike.
6 weeks later turn up for a booked in service. no sign of salesman to say hello. ok maybe he's busy.
4 weeks later wander in looking for hard luggage (after sending salesman e-mail enquiring about it) Looks straight at me, doesn't even recognise me or acknowledge me.

Now I sold cars for a couple of years, and a customer was something you remembered and worked hard to service after the sale.

Maybe motorbikes are just too easy....

These guys must have it too good.

I think this is a perfect example of what Big Dave is talking about.

Who can blame the guy for not remembering a face 10 weeks later?

**sweetp** · 10th November 2008, 20:41

my beef is with motormail's online ordering system. I ordered a kids motor x armour which was showing in stock. Turns out that not only was it not in stock but they couldn't get any more. They made a suggestion on a different armour (cheaper so would refund the diff - as i had to pay by credit card to place the order). Said ok but needed to wait till it came in. Two weeks later - nothing so emailed them. No response. Two weeks after that called them as there was something else on their site that was showing as in stock but i thought i had better check - with good reason. Because even though it may say "in stock" it doesn't mean that it is.

Anyway, got the armour a month later, but as yet no sign of the refund.

**Richi** · 10th November 2008, 21:14

Norjos kawasaki?

My exs dad and his misses went to look at a bike...13k worth of bike. The Salesman there was "helping" them, so they asked a couple of questions about it (as you do..) And he told them to look on the internet!!! WHAT THE FUCK.. hmmm the 13k walked straight out the door...

Also my bike goes in for "service, hard to start and overheating" I get it back 5 weeks later (Recieved 1 phone call over the duration, but was for a part that arrived for me to pick up, til i told them THEY have my bike) I had to ring them every time to find out whats happening. So I get it back 5 weeks later and it STILL overheated on me, and now has "magically" developed an oil leak? OK mistakes can be made but i rang and tell and he tries to say it isnt his fault by any means.... Fuckin wanker.

My bike is now at a dif shop so hope it al goes better...

**Oscar** · 11th November 2008, 09:04

AMPs - They laughingly refer to their "Service Department".
Whomever answers the phone there must be a refugee from some Soviet Block Security Service.

"When do you think my parts will be here...?"
"When they get here."
"And that will be...?"
"When the boat docks..."

Boyd Motorcycles. Good people, great service, good prices.

**vifferman** · 11th November 2008, 09:10

Originally Posted by Gman71

Cyclespot Takapuna

dropped $15k cash into their bank account 3 days before delivery. picked up bike.
6 weeks later turn up for a booked in service. no sign of salesman to say hello. ok maybe he's busy.
4 weeks later wander in looking for hard luggage (after sending salesman e-mail enquiring about it) Looks straight at me, doesn't even recognise me or acknowledge me.

Now I sold cars for a couple of years, and a customer was something you remembered and worked hard to service after the sale.

Maybe motorbikes are just too easy....

These guys must have it too good.

In my experience, that's typical of them. In fact, mine was worse: they started being unfriendly and unhelpful once I'd signed up to buy the bike.

Originally Posted by Gubb

I think this is a perfect example of what Big Dave is talking about.

Who can blame the guy for not remembering a face 10 weeks later?

That's fair enough - but they could at least make an effort to treat every customer (even a new one) like they give a damn. In Cyclespot's case, it's almost like, "We've got your money. WTF are you doing back here?!?"

**crazybigal** · 11th November 2008, 12:27

sorry to hear that.
My wife and i were in auckland a month ago, it was a monday afternoon and we had time to kill so we went to this motomail place you aucklanders speak of!
Anyway they guy in the shop was a nice helpfull dude, showed us lots of gear and then i said wat about the outlet shop ive heard about? " oh thats downstairs and its only open thurs-sunday, But ill get someone to go open up for you". well the lady who does the intertnet sales spent over an hour with us Welly folk tryn on all sorts of goodies! like kids in a lolly shop!! my god the prices are fantastic!. So i spent near on 500 bucks!.
Would go back there any day. nice one motormail

Originally Posted by sweetp

my beef is with motormail's online ordering system. I ordered a kids motor x armour which was showing in stock. Turns out that not only was it not in stock but they couldn't get any more. They made a suggestion on a different armour (cheaper so would refund the diff - as i had to pay by credit card to place the order). Said ok but needed to wait till it came in. Two weeks later - nothing so emailed them. No response. Two weeks after that called them as there was something else on their site that was showing as in stock but i thought i had better check - with good reason. Because even though it may say "in stock" it doesn't mean that it is.

Anyway, got the armour a month later, but as yet no sign of the refund.

**b1kerb0b** · 11th November 2008, 22:28

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Best intentions and all that - I just felt sorry for the schmucks who go and put in an honest days work in any of the bike shops that have been 'anonymously' bagged - or given their side of the story.

Thanks Dave

OK so I work in a bike shop, I have read this thread and I am stoked to realize we're not mentioned, although I am aware that there are some people who have probably had negative or frustrating experiences in our store.

What I have read disgusts me, because regardless of the one-sided stories, there will be a sh!tload of truth behind all of this.

While not excusing the obvious and appalling experiences some of you guys have had, realize that some of us are very *you* focused, in fact the whole philosophy of our shop is that everyone matters and no one should get shat on. Everyone who comes in the door gets a "Hi, how's it going", and regardless of if they're looking at a pair of gloves or a phat expensive [brand name masked for obvious reasons], every person is treated with enthusiasm and equality.

HOWEVER... Some days, Saturdays in particular, we are swamped, even with extra staff. We can't speak to everyone, we can't remember every face and every name... We do pride ourselves on remembering as many names as possible...

So, for those other bike shop guys out there that might be reading this thread, be challenged, don't get pissed off.

And for those of you that love your bikes, pick a shop that loves bikes too. I hope we give that impression when people talk to us. Hey I ride what I sell. I wear what I sell.

Peace out

**coffeejunkie** · 12th November 2008, 08:09

Originally Posted by Hitcher

What is it about bike shops. Do you have to grab sales staff by the freekin' throats to get them out from behind the counter??

WORST BIKE SHOP AWARDS for the Wellington region:

1. Motomart. Out on its own the worst. If the retail staff haven't got a mate to yack to or a mag to read, they wander out the back. I'm tempted to wheel a Duc out the door and see if that gets anybody's attention. Crap location too. An unfriendly experience in all ways.
2. ANZA in Palmerston North. More interested in selling cars, I suspect. The guy behind the counter has his feet superglued to the floor. Its only redeeming feature is it's open on Sundays.
3. Wellington Motorcycles. "OK, so you haven't got it in stock. Any chance of ORDERING ONE IN??" Mrs H had to go to Palmerston North to get a test ride on a new Marauder coz WMC didn't want to get their's wet or something. Offered her a ride on a very used Honda 750 Shadow though...
4. Phil Turnbull in Palmerston North. Although Mrs H got a test ride AND bought her new ride from PTMC she got SERIOUSLY dicked around after riding up from Wellington for her bike's first service. Sawyers/Motorad have now got this job...

Hay there hitcher, I must say i totally agree with what you said......Seams they want us to spend our hard earned cash with them but they wanna do fack all to help us, Go figure aye, LOL

**Oscar** · 12th November 2008, 08:30

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Best intentions and all that - I just felt sorry for the schmucks who go and put in an honest days work in any of the bike shops that have been 'anonymously' bagged - or given their side of the story.

And there you have the inherent unfairness of being in a service industry.

The customer is always right.
Or more to the point = the customers perception is reality.
No matter what kind of shit day you've had, no matter if someone or something outside of your control is the actual cause of the problem, you're gonna get the blame because you're the one they're dealing with.

When I was an insurance broker, I used to have insurer staff trying to give me shit about how we did business. The stupidity of this is that 1. they were one of many insurers we could place business with, and 2. we didn't have to answer to them, only to our customer.

This is what I call Oscar's First Law of Fecal Dynamics otherwise known as Shit Only Flows Downhill.
Basically it works on the basis that if my client craps on me, then I hand at least some of it on to my supplier and so on down the line (if, as in insurance, there are more than two parties involved) .

It simply doesn't work any other way, as picking up the shit and flinging back at your client only has one result - loss of client.

**b1kerb0b** · 12th November 2008, 13:03

Originally Posted by Oscar

It simply doesn't work any other way, as picking up the shit and flinging back at your client only has one result - loss of client.

LOL yeah I remember back a number of years ago working for a design agency, I had to hang out waiting for a press pass for a brochure at a high-end printing company. The supplier took me to get a coffee in their smoko room, they had a sign proudly mounted on the wall that stated "The Client is an Asshole"...

I didn't say anything at the time but I never gave them any more work.