Hardcore Biker
Originally Posted by honda929
I went in most bike shops I found. Mt Eden motorcycles seemed to have no-one working there, but at least I got to sit on some bikes to try the size out because no-one was around to stop me. Haldanes were unfriendly and unhelpful. Red Baron didn't let me sit on bikes. Test ride? Never been offered one. I hate bike shops.
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Back on a 250 and riding more than ever.
Whisky Tango Foxtrot?
What time did you go there? Was it dark & did you have to pick the lock to get in?The times I have been there I have seen 2 or 3 staff members in the store, one who greeted me and asked if he could help me with anything.
----------------------------------------------------
"If the cops didn't see it, I didn't do it!"
- George Carlin (RIP)
Hardcore Biker
Motorad is the worst if you are buying a bike, I have brought two brand new bikes in the last 6 months including one from there, and now im after another , No way at all are they helpfull, Infact I tried to go in and talk to someone about one of there bikes but because im only 22 they pretty much told me to piss off, do I have to walk in there with the cash to get any service??? Im gutted they are the local kawasaki dealer.
Altho in saying that ben and one of the other parts guys are good dudes.
Hardcore Biker
Ha ha nope, there were tons of people in there. Just none who deemed me interesting enough to talk to. To be fair it's probably me, I am also invisible to waiters, bank tellers, chair lift attendants and ticket sellers.What time did you go there? Was it dark & did you have to pick the lock to get in?
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Back on a 250 and riding more than ever.
Hardcore Biker
This is an interesting dredge into the archive..............interesting in that not much has changed in nearly 5 years!!!
How a man wins shows much of his character....How he loses shows all of it!!"
Knute Rockne
Hardcore Biker
Casbolts Honda still rate as the worst of all in Christchurch...
Hardcore Biker
Most of the sales people I have encountered in bike shops are appalling. I think they get paid pretty badly (otherwise sales professionals would be applying for the jobs). I suspect they get the jobs because they are bike enthusiasts. There is obviously no training/mentoring happening in most of these shops.
A mate is looking for a new bike at the moment. (I went with him as I am also looking to buy a new bike in abut 3 months time.) We spent an afternoon having a look at a few bike shops.
We went to Haldanes first in Penrose and spent some time looking at a couple of bikes. No one greeted us, no one approached us. No one asked us what we might be looking for. We din't ask any one for assistance, After 10 minutes we left.
We then went in to Colemans Suzuki in K'rd to specifically look at a bike my mate had seen advertised and, asked to see the bike. We were pointed to the the bike and then ignored. I also noticed a bike that I was interested in and again we were ignored while I spent a couple of minutes looking over the bike, sitting on it, etc. - I would have liked to ask some questions about the bike. It was close to closing time and after ten minutes of doint their best to ignore us they asked us to leave so they could close the shop!
We then went down the road to Red Barron cycles (where several of the staff were in the process of pushing bike inside and shutting up shop) and despite being in closing up mode the sales guy took the time to ask me pertinent questions, establish my intent and budget and show me several bikes. He asked all the right questions and helped me narrow down the list of bikes I should be looking at for. (Not the first time I have had good service and assistance at Red Barron). I'll be keeping an eye ontheir stock over the next couple of months.
I tried to buy some Alpinestar gloves last week. I spent ten minutes trying on gloves at a shop in Barrys Point Rd while the guy stayed behind his counter talking to a fellow sales rep and then a mate who walked in. I walked out without buying them.
Don't these guys realise where there wages come from? Have they no ambitions, pride or desire for satisfaction?
Some of the experiences I have had in bike shops are nothing short of hilarious.
In one shop one of the service guys was initially helping me look at a road bike while the sales guy was busy with a customer. He was doing a pretty good job of it- but when the sales guy came free he took over.
He said he had overheard our conversation and launched into a sales pitch for a farm bike - he went on for about 5 minutes before I pointed out I couldn't ride it to work as it had no lights, etc. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
I bought a bike that was advertised privately here on Kiwi biker a while ago. The guy selling it was a building labourer, he had no sales background. However he displayed better sales skills than most of the 'sales' guys in the Auckland bike shops.
It's not just that the attidude is appalling, there is almost a complete lack of even basic skills.
They don't have any consultancy skills,
They don't know how to qualify customers,
They don't know the difference between greeting customers and being over the top.
They don't know what questions they should be asking and their negotiation skills leave them missing out on deals and discounting more on others than they need to.
They don't know what they don't know about servicing and assisting customers.
Potty Mouth
Why didn't you WALK OVER TO THEM. AND ASK?
Everyone seems to expect people to know exactly what they want. IF YOU WANT SOME INFORMATION. GO AND GET IT.
"It would be spiteful, to put jellyfish in a trifle."\m/ o.o \m/
Hardcore Biker
A good question.
My knee jerk reaction is that if I have to do the work of selling something to me I should just go to the Internet either that or the sales people should just pay me their commission.
However here is the reality:
In the case of Haldanes: Nothing currently on display that we were interested in - they missed the opportunity to find out what we were looking for and gain the opportunity to call us if they had something come in next week or even hunt one out for us.
In the case of Colemans we did ask but still managed to get ignored.
In the case of Red Barron both sales guys greeted us as we walked in and left us to browse. When I asked about a bike they were very helpful and asked some questions that helped them and me determine possible options for me. What more could I want?
In their case of the Honda shop in Barrys point road, (where I went to look at the Alpinestar gloves) I tried to catch the eye of the sales guy in the parts/clothing dept several times while he was talking to his mate and then ran out of time to wait for him. (Interestingly I bought a full wet weather gear and boots from them earlier in the year from a different sales guy - who was really good) as a result I will probably just buy the golves I want off the Internet I am not going to go out of my way to buy off sales people who don't seem to be aware of what there job is.
I am an older guy, I turned up in a modern expensive european sports car, these are possible clues that I might have disposable income.
Of course none of this indicates what the after sales support will be like from any of these shops.
I should mention I respect the sales profession, I have in it for many years (although I have never worked in a bike shop) and I have the highest respect for sales professionals who are doing one of the hardest jobs out there well.
is never afraid...
In all honesty what exactly did you expect?
The fact that you've shown up right on closing time says (to me anyway) that your not seriously shopping, after all, if you were, you'd arrive with gear in hand several hours earlier to test ride would you not? Perhaps even phone ahead to check that particular bike will be in the shop that day not already being test ridden? Common sense no?
Or maybe these are just 'clever' stratagies I've developed from experiencing discrimination from other bike shops because I'm female?
FWIW I've just brought a bike from Colemans in the last two weeks, all the guys were really helpful. Matt even hung around a little late so I could drop my car home & get driven back to pick up said bike the same afternoon.
Only complaint is that the dude (sorry can't remember his name) who made me a coffee could do to go on a barrista's course
Fully qualified Sifter.
For any bike purchase over 250cc (we don't have the margin avail on bikes under 250 to be able to do it).
Come and see me...I'd love to sell you all motorcycles!
Yes the coffee is shit...and hell...depending on how many Steinies I've had the night before, I may look and smell like shit (Steinie actually).
But I will treat you well.
Pete.
Wellington Motorcycles.
PS: Happy NY to you all!
sem fiddy pilot
I'm fuggin glad you've accepted that fact!
AND, Pete will treat you well and with respect.... VERY helpful.
If he could just improve his coffee.....
Member, sem fiddy appreciation society
Hardcore Biker
Good points but we weren't looking for a test ride. We just went in to have an initial look - If we had liked what we had seen the next step would have been to organise a test ride at a later date.. We turned up before closing time (but close to it) - enouigh time for them to have taken advantage of the opportunity we presented.
Glad you had good service from them - as I said sales skills arn't an indication of after sales service.
Fully qualified Sifter.
Awww fanks mate!
Best way to improve the coffee is to replace it with a Steinlager.
THAT I can do.
Bored Room
If you like sales people crawling over you I suggest a visit to Malaysia, as soon as you walk in you are followed eveywhere....I prefer being left alone but have someone there who can answer my questions.
I saw a bike at Haldanes on the net, rang up an asked about a test ride, no probs.
Same for Botany Honda....and got a 160 km test down the coast.
I get good service at Cycletreads too.
Maybe its the grey hair....
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