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xX-Alex-Xx
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 Posted: 21:46 - 08 Nov 2022  Post subject: |
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Expence.... The new value of the pound.
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Shaft
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Bhud
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Posted: 01:33 - 09 Nov 2022  Post subject: |
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| Shaft wrote: | the bike industry is still light years behind cars when it comes to customer service - one day they might wake up and do something about it, but I've been thinking that for 40 years, so I'm not hopeful that will happen any time soon. |
My half-baked take: the psychology of bikes prevents it. If a man does the bodywork on a Lancia Zagato or Ferrari Testarossa, he will do it to the best of his ability because bodywork is his career. He doesn't aspire to own one of those cars. He will be working on Teslas later on. This is what he will be doing until he's 60. If a man is changing the oil on an R1, he is most likely deeply into bikes, has a track bike he's working on, and plans to build a bobber plus is into speedway, has social commitments, etc. The bike mechanic is a different breed. Salesman. Good for him although I'd rather have no dealings... There's nothing wrong with standard switchgears, tail ends, front ends and yokes, etc. is there. There's always some salvatory scheme isn't there. An escape to Benidorm... Dregs |
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Shaft
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Posted: 02:33 - 09 Nov 2022  Post subject: |
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| Bhud wrote: | | Shaft wrote: | the bike industry is still light years behind cars when it comes to customer service - one day they might wake up and do something about it, but I've been thinking that for 40 years, so I'm not hopeful that will happen any time soon. |
My half-baked take: the psychology of bikes prevents it. If a man does the bodywork on a Lancia Zagato or Ferrari Testarossa, he will do it to the best of his ability because bodywork is his career. He doesn't aspire to own one of those cars. He will be working on Teslas later on. This is what he will be doing until he's 60. If a man is changing the oil on an R1, he is most likely deeply into bikes, has a track bike he's working on, and plans to build a bobber plus is into speedway, has social commitments, etc. The bike mechanic is a different breed. Salesman. Good for him although I'd rather have no dealings... There's nothing wrong with standard switchgears, tail ends, front ends and yokes, etc. is there. There's always some salvatory scheme isn't there. An escape to Benidorm... Dregs |
Nah, the whole retail bike industry is leagues behind cars, doesn't matter what part of it you work in.
Example 1 - mate of mine was a decades experienced and very successful car salesman, with a lifelong love of bikes, fancied a change and switched to selling bikes, wiped the floor with every salesman in the place, simply by dint of looking after people properly and professionally - got fed up of every other department and/or manager letting him down when it came to customer care, so went back to cars.
Example 2 - I am a decades experienced car guy, worked in sales, service and parts, at management level, I also have a lifelong love of bikes; I was recently interviewed for a senior position in a soon to be opened bike dealership and it was all going very well, until I mentioned my desire to take it to the level of cars, in terms of overall service and aftersales back up, at which point people started squirming in their seats and frowning at each other - I didn't get the job.
The bike industry is where the car game was when I started in it 40 years ago, not too bothered about quality and standards of service, piss somebody off, not to worry, there will be another punter along in a minute.
Except, beyond the most basic commuters, bikes are bloody expensive now and the people who buy them expect and can afford a certain level of service.
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MCN
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| Posted: 11:26 - 09 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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The Honda dealer in Chiswick is run just the same as their car side. Unfortunately the move to shiney-shiney corporate means "spit and sawdust" Honda dealers like Tippetts going in the bin. I was quite happy with the service from the latter though 
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| Rob Fzs |
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Rob Fzs
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| Posted: 13:15 - 09 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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| Shaft wrote: |
Nah, the whole retail bike industry is leagues behind cars, doesn't matter what part of it you work in.
Example 1 - mate of mine was a decades experienced and very successful car salesman, with a lifelong love of bikes, fancied a change and switched to selling bikes, wiped the floor with every salesman in the place, simply by dint of looking after people properly and professionally - got fed up of every other department and/or manager letting him down when it came to customer care, so went back to cars.
Example 2 - I am a decades experienced car guy, worked in sales, service and parts, at management level, I also have a lifelong love of bikes; I was recently interviewed for a senior position in a soon to be opened bike dealership and it was all going very well, until I mentioned my desire to take it to the level of cars, in terms of overall service and aftersales back up, at which point people started squirming in their seats and frowning at each other - I didn't get the job.
The bike industry is where the car game was when I started in it 40 years ago, not too bothered about quality and standards of service, piss somebody off, not to worry, there will be another punter along in a minute.
Except, beyond the most basic commuters, bikes are bloody expensive now and the people who buy them expect and can afford a certain level of service. |
is it not because bikes are alot cheaper than anything else
i spend 60k on a new tractor, they fix it the same day alot of the time
Car 35/ 40k and they'll see you right
bike what, 20k for a top spec one ? not much margin on these things as it is
the old saying seems to be, you get what you pay for
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Bhud
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Posted: 15:30 - 09 Nov 2022  Post subject: |
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| Rob Fzs wrote: |
the old saying seems to be, you get what you pay for |
I'm not sure I entirely agree with this. Isn't it more to do with the values someone has: conscientiousness, integrity, honesty, etc. than money? Giving a bad man more money doesn't make him a good man. The other side of this problem is that you get Ruperts. Example: Rupert is a professional seat (re-) coverer. That's what he does in life. He's had a full apprenticeship and Google says because he spent n years on it, he's the equivalent of a brain surgeon. An trained seat restorer is officially a "level whateva", so who cares what GCSEs or A-levels he didn't take. Nobody's gonna look into how he got there. Why does he have all those tattoos, why did he join the army or go to prison, etc. Nobody goes down that rabbit-hole. He's a trained-up seat coverer! A dying art and skill, in a world turned namby-pamby! Not just a guy who made the best of things after making some bad choices in life. This is not a guy who will smile at you and scam you in a raffle... No no no.
Rupert charges £1000 a shot to cover a seat with some special leather from a specific breed of English cows. He gets indignant and furious when he watches a Youtube video of some dude covering a seat in vinyl. He is apoplectic and full of derision. "Can't the guy see, the lines aren't parallel!@!?!?!?! Dunning-Kruger!!!!", he types. He goes to bed, thinking he's really it, the country is going to the dogs, so thank heavens for his "generation" and the "get the job done" mentality. The months turn into years and the country goes into recession. Zero demand for his finely embossed leather seats. Rupert is accustomed to foreign holidays, a new car every couple of years, plus he's got divorces and child support to pay for. He doesn't understand what's going on. Who's to blame? Government? I would say, only partly. But the cultural perception around quality being an elite or expensive thing is much more to blame. Rupert was no good.
Last edited by Bhud on 15:43 - 09 Nov 2022; edited 1 time in total |
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| redeem ouzzer |
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redeem ouzzer
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| Posted: 15:40 - 09 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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| Bhud wrote: |
I'm not sure I entirely agree with this. Isn't it more to do with the values someone has: conscientiousness, integrity, honesty, etc. than money? Giving a bad man more money doesn't make him a good man. The other side of this problem is that you get Ruperts. Example: Rupert is a professional seat (re-) coverer. That's what he does in life. He's had a full apprenticeship and Google says because he spent n years on it, he's the equivalent of a brain surgeon. Rupert charges £1000 a shot to cover a seat with some special leather from a specific breed of English cows. He gets indignant and furious when he watches a Youtube video of some dude covering a seat in vinyl. He is apoplectic and full of derision. "Can't the guy see, the lines aren't parallel!@!?!?!?! Dunning-Kruger!!!!", he types. He goes to bed, thinking he's really it, the country is going to the dogs, so thank heavens for his "generation" and the "get the job done" mentality. The months turn into years and the country goes into recession. Zero demand for his finely embossed leather seats. Rupert is accustomed to foreign holidays, a new car every couple of years, plus he's got divorces and child support to pay for. He doesn't understand what's going on. Who's to blame? Government? I would say, only partly. But the cultural perception around quality being an elite or expensive thing is much more to blame. Rupert was no good. |
Shut up you boring cunt.
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Bunzena
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| Posted: 16:53 - 09 Nov 2022 Post subject: |
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What I do find sad is that we all love our bikes; we love our involvement in the sport/hobby. Five minutes on this website and I'm in no doubt about the passion and knowledge.
Yet this level of engagement isn't always mirrored by the trade. Is this is part of the problem?
I have one or two other hobbies and there is the passion and knowledge from the dealers and retailers that makes a huge difference.
It's not rocket science is it?
Stop treating bikers like a crop.
One review on the dealership I've had the issue with describes the 'owner' as having contempt for customers. The example is given of him talking badly about people while still in the shop.
Really?  |
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Rob Fzs
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Posted: 18:01 - 09 Nov 2022  Post subject: |
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| Bhud wrote: | | Rob Fzs wrote: |
the old saying seems to be, you get what you pay for |
I'm not sure I entirely agree with this. Isn't it more to do with the values someone has: conscientiousness, integrity, honesty, etc. than money? Giving a bad man more money doesn't make him a good man. The other side of this problem is that you get Ruperts. Example: Rupert is a professional seat (re-) coverer. That's what he does in life. He's had a full apprenticeship and Google says because he spent n years on it, he's the equivalent of a brain surgeon. An trained seat restorer is officially a "level whateva", so who cares what GCSEs or A-levels he didn't take. Nobody's gonna look into how he got there. Why does he have all those tattoos, why did he join the army or go to prison, etc. Nobody goes down that rabbit-hole. He's a trained-up seat coverer! A dying art and skill, in a world turned namby-pamby! Not just a guy who made the best of things after making some bad choices in life. This is not a guy who will smile at you and scam you in a raffle... No no no.
Rupert charges £1000 a shot to cover a seat with some special leather from a specific breed of English cows. He gets indignant and furious when he watches a Youtube video of some dude covering a seat in vinyl. He is apoplectic and full of derision. "Can't the guy see, the lines aren't parallel!@!?!?!?! Dunning-Kruger!!!!", he types. He goes to bed, thinking he's really it, the country is going to the dogs, so thank heavens for his "generation" and the "get the job done" mentality. The months turn into years and the country goes into recession. Zero demand for his finely embossed leather seats. Rupert is accustomed to foreign holidays, a new car every couple of years, plus he's got divorces and child support to pay for. He doesn't understand what's going on. Who's to blame? Government? I would say, only partly. But the cultural perception around quality being an elite or expensive thing is much more to blame. Rupert was no good. |
Alot of people are overrated
Farmer Friend has a 'land agent' working for him to oversee his payment for land on HS2, this fucker is on £235 an hour and he had to go last week to site 'to see whats going on' , 12 months and the farmers still had no payment for the land but they've completely took it over.
people run around on Prestige and you wont get the service for it unless you slate them, alot of people dont, so they carry on
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30> Yamaha RD350 YPVS F2 > Kawasaki ZZR 600 D1 > Yamaha TZR 250 2MA >Suzuki TL1000R > Yamaha TDR250 > Honda 929 blade > Suzuki SV1000 > Honda H100
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gbrand42
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| DUCAUDI |
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DUCAUDI
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| Posted: 00:58 - 07 Jan 2023 Post subject: |
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Interesting. A lot of people in here local to me!
I think you'll find anecdotal reports of any/all places being good or bad. Paul Chapman and all the guys at Mid Kent Motorcycle Training (anyone in here familiar with them? Great guys! Put my whole family through our motorcycle licenses, wife and kids the whole clan)... anyway I digress! But they swear by Maidstone Honda. Not just Paul but most of his trainers as well. Don't get him started on Yamaha however, they had a batch of MT-07s and had nothing but problems with them and, reportedly, piss-poor customer service from the main dealer and Yamaha UK refusing to put the problems right, couldn't diagnose/fix the problems and refusing to replace or repair under warranty. He's vowed never to buy another Yamaha ever again. But really rates Hondas, and Maidstone Honda specifically.
I have to say I'm in there now and then, and they're all thoroughly pleasant guys. I have spent hours in there before now just chatting to the salesmen about bikes (and not buying anything) and they've never made me feel like I was being a nuisance, that they were too busy to chat to me, or that they wanted to get rid of me or sell me something. We bought my wife's Rebel new from there and the customer service, I would say, was far superior to my experience buying a new Yamaha from a main dealer in the Gravesend area. Won't say who they are but pretty obvious who they are. No specific complaints about them, I just found Honda's customer service really shone in comparison.
Again, anecdotal evidence here. I'm not saying one is good and the other is bad. Just that for my personal experience Honda delivered, and Yamaha, not so much.
As for the quality of the servicing department though, well we only had the first 600 mile service done there and she's not done enough mileage for the second service yet so not a lot to go on but no complaints really. We presented the bike bogging (despite it only having done 600 miles) and got it back spotless and sparkling. Something that Lagunas in Maidstone (same owned company, by the way) have never done for me with my Yamaha.
I think it's luck of the draw, I think most, if not all, main dealers (bikes and cars alike) can be hit and miss with mostly apprentices working there and the workmanship can be a bit sloppy if trainees left to their own devices. Or maybe even experienced technicians just not giving a flying fudge because it's not their name above the door so can rush and be sloppy.
It's for this reason I have only ever used main dealers when absolutely necessary to keep a vehicle in warranty, or for warranty repair work/recalls or diagnose something that requires main dealer knowledge/equipment.
My best advice is find a good reputable local garage, preferably one where the owner actually does the work. Someone recommended. Form a rapport with them over time and keep going back all the time you're satisfied.
I do remember hearing somewhere that, as A100man has already said, I think as long as you use genuine parts, and possibly has to be a registered/established garage (maybe have to prove with companies house number or a VAT number) that you can keep your bike and car in warranty getting it done at your preferred garage. That's just what I heard. Possibly varies from manufacturer to manufacturer in their Ts & Cs???
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