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Pammy
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:27 pm: | 
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"With dishonest customers (Pammy's situation) and incompentent help (Wsplrll's situation)), it's no wonder it costs so damn much for a simple tire change."
With insurance added in. It makes what we do definitely a labor of love.
I had a customer come in once and chew me out because his brake pads fell out and his caliper was ruined along with his brake rotor and he could have died, I owe him this and that,etc...
I was horrified and very sympathetic. Well deeper into the conversation, after he had calmed down, I find out that he had indeed installed his very own brake pads. When I asked him how was it that he thought we were at fault he simply said "well, you sold me the pads".
Very interesting job I have(sometimes).
$85. per hour is kinda steep(should not be that for changing tires OFF the bike), but I think I saw you are in Cali. When I was there I was shocked at the price of just about everything. What I was saying was...get your wheels gouged or paint scratched...THAT's something to bitch about. Changing of the radio station...not so much. Again, I am not meaning to diminish your pet peeve. I freak if my family leaves their socks wrong side out. |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:41 pm: |
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Labor at the Harley shops out here is $85.00 per hour. They charge X amount of "book hours" for a job, which is an arbitrary number in my view. Nonetheless, for that price, I expect my bike to be as clean as when I dropped it off, if not cleaner. And I don't expect that after they safety check it I should hop on it and find my speedometer not working at all. And my mirrors all out of whack, and my brake and clutch levers adjusted out of my normal positions. And I certianly don't want to go home and find that my freshly changed oil hasn't been changed at all.
For $85.00 per hour I expect the best treatment, prompt and accurate communication, and no funny business.
When I go to the service center with my Peterbilt, they roll out the red freakin carpet. A tranny service gets me a free meal at the neighboring resaurant. A set of tires and a bumper to bumper service gets me a weekend in vegas at one of the big hotels on the strip. There are always fresh bagels and coffee and tea. Widescreen tv in the waiting room. I can visit the mechanic's pit any time I want and ask him questions.
That level of service only costs me $72.00 per hour. Maybe I'm spoiled. I don't expect all that from HD, but a little better would be nice. |
Dave
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:51 pm: |
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I fell your pain. AFter my last event at a dealership with changing ties, (gouging, wrong tires, wrong size tire, higher than quoted prices), I change tires myself too. At least I personally know the idiot working on my bike, the service manager and the GM. All of 'em are a bunch of assholes at times but once ya get to know them they're ok.
DAve |
Pammy
| | Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 10:01 pm: |
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It sounds to me that someone was fecking with you at your servicing dealer. I can understand you being upset about it.
However, you shouldn't lump everyone into the same catagory.
Sounds like your Truck center is making good money if they can gift you as they do. Good for them if they make a decent profit and make you happy at the same time. Definitely a Win-Win situation.
I am off to veg in front of the telly now. 12 hours today and I have to be at work early in the morning.
Later good folks |
Captpete
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:14 am: |
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There's a backwards way of putting toilet paper on?
I didn't even know you could wear that stuff!
How's it work in the rain?
(I'm sure you'll have fun with this one.) |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:56 am: |
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The truck shop makes plenty off me. That's because my trucks never break down. They charge a premium rate and use book hours just like harley for each job. But when the job is done, it's DONE. All the way, nothing is forgotten, and they wash my trucks when they are done. When I roll out of that bay, I have confidence in the work that was performed. After my 1000 mile service on my Buell, I got home and found my oil plug was one thread away from falling out. And the O-ring was all shredded up. So from that point on, I was going over my bike with a fine tooth comb myself after I got it home. I could never just get on the bike and ride after having it serviced, I would be a nervous wreck worrying about what's going to fall off. I bought a trailer to take the bike to the shop after that, and when the 10k service came up it was the final straw.
Laidlaw's Harley Davidson in Baldwin Park, CA.
Orange County Harley Davidson in Irvine, CA.
California Harley Davidson in Lomita, CA.
I lived in Long Beach, Ca at the time so these are the closest three dealers to me. I figured at least ONE of them should be worth something.
I was WRONG. They ALL SUCK. And to add insult to injury, Laidlaws, where I bought the bike, sends me a letter less than half way through my warranty stating that I'm on my own if I need warranty service.
I love my bike. It's one of the few Buell models that hasn't had any recalls. I consider myself lucky in that regard. I was worried about reliability, with my bike being a very low production number for a new model. It has served me almost as faithfully as any bike I've had. I say "almost" because I've only had it 3 years.
I'll never buy another Harley Davidson product from a showroom again. The Company can thank it's representatives listed above for that distinct honor. It really takes a lot to completely turn me off like this. |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:06 pm: |
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Are those three dealers related in some way, you think?
Like owned by the same tools or something? |
Pammy
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:07 pm: |
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"There's a backwards way of putting toilet paper on? "
Capitan Pedro...any self-respecting, anal retentive(no pun...)knows that the TP must be place in the holder so the paper comes from OVER the roll. Sheesh!
"I didn't even know you could wear that stuff!"
If your sig. other locks you outta the house sans skivvies...well let's just say it has been tested...maybe Charmin...definitely not Scotts. Paper towels, now...Bounty gets my vote for emergency couture.
"How's it work in the rain?"
Well, again, not so well...
And as you well know, I am easily entertained and can have fun at the drop of a...well, most anything.
Petey, did I tell you that you are my favorite Captain? Yep, you beat out Captain Crunch for that honor. Big smooch to you and your 4 legged sidekick. |
Chellem
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 02:30 pm: |
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I have to tell you, there is nothing more frustrating as a dealership then spending tons of time (and money) trying to be perfect all the time, trying to maintain that level of satisfaction for every customer, trying to positively promote the store, trying to do anything in our power to help people, and to have ONE less-than-perfect employee trash all of that in one sitting. Or, an otherwise good employee who is having a bad day.
As a manager, it is incredibly frustrating.
To make matters worse is that some customers never even TELL US why they're mad. We can't fix things unless they're brought to our attention. Granted, a good amount of people have no trouble speaking their mind, but yelling at the service writer in front of customers, staff, and all of humanity does no one any good. The situation can only escalate.
Our customers are incredibly important to us. We're a H-D dealer, and I'm sure that we get lumped in with all the other bad experiences everyone has had in their lifetimes, deserved or not (and yes, many times, we deserve it!) It makes me very sad that people feel that H-D as a whole hates their customers. All of us don't.
Please, try to give H-D dealers (and Buell dealers) a half a chance when you first walk in. And if you're not happy, you might be surprised if you talk to a manager, calmly and rationally, about the situation. When something is brought to my attention, I try to address it. We can't always fix it, we won't always agree, but at least we're aware.
A lot of us H-D dealers, who are alternately called "criminal," "incompetent," "dangerous," "arrogant," etc are really really trying. We can't possibly watch every employee interact with every customer every time.
But we try.
So to those of you who take the time to let us know when we screw up, I really do appreciate it. It may not seem like it, but it DOES matter. |
Cochise
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 03:06 pm: |
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I can say to you, Pammy, I am in some ways like you, except, of course, I am a man. Sometimes we as people try to give people the benefit of the doubt. We put our trust in someone only to get burned by said person. I tried to tell my insurance company the truth about an incident (The truth shall set you free, it didn't, at least not yet.)
On the toilet paper thing...unroll from front, unless you have a kid who likes to run with the ends and unroll the entire roll. |
Captpete
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 05:02 pm: |
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If your sig. other locks you outta the house sans skivvies...
You have no idea how many questions popped into my mind when I read that.
But I will of course ask none of them.
Don't Mess with Wess. |
Pammy
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 05:16 pm: |
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"To make matters worse is that some customers never even TELL US why they're mad. We can't fix things unless they're brought to our attention. Granted, a good amount of people have no trouble speaking their mind, but yelling at the service writer in front of customers, staff, and all of humanity does no one any good. The situation can only escalate."
I am with you there, my friend.
"I can say to you, Pammy, I am in some ways like you, except, of course, I am a man."
Of course, as usual, I will be the judge of that.
Pete, I have surely told YOU that story and how I became proffecient at using the F word...Oh and I messed with Wes, believe you me...he felt my pain...yessireebob...he won't be doing that again. Nawsir, he'll be thinking about that one for awhile. |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 07:31 pm: |
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I have NO DOUBT that there are GOOD PEOPLE working at SOME dealerships. Unfortunately, in business like in life, you are only as good as the very last thing you did. Between those three, I have gotten scheduled maintenance 5 times and had my race kit installed. 6 times to the dealership, 6 times screwed in some way.
I'm patient. Forgiving. Understanding.
6 out of 6 service failures means I cease and desist all transactions, present and future. Period. Nothing personal.
(Message edited by pwnzor on August 12, 2006) |
Captpete
| | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 06:36 pm: |
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Pete, I have surely told YOU that story
Yeah, but look at the response I got; almost as good as the story. Yes siree Bob. |
Pammy
| | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 09:09 pm: |
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Good ol' Pete...Yeah, but did I show you the pictures?....of Wes? |
Skyguy
| | Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2006 - 10:58 pm: |
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Pwnzor, Add Qauid and Skip Fordyce to the list of horrible.
I hear decent stuff about Glendle HD.
I Think it is becasue we live in the land of uppity boutique dealers. With so many they figure they better get it while the getting is good.
BTW Skip Fordyce of Riverside charges $95.00 per hour. But the have a free pool table and a soda machine so I figure it is worth it.
NOT! |
Captpete
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 12:53 am: |
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Yeah, but did I show you the pictures?....of Wes?
No, you haven't. And you know Wes is my alter ego. Please don't ruin everything for me by making me look at those pictures. |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 11:21 am: |
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Unfortunately for Glendale, it was too late by the time I heard about them. I just can't bring myself to the dealer unless it's the parts counter. Even then, only in the extreme case that American Sport Bike can't acquire the part. But that won't be happening.
(Message edited by pwnzor on August 14, 2006) |
Cowboy
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 12:11 pm: |
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I love my rims to much to let any one fool around with them. It is to easy to do it your self. What a good time to save heart ache, $$$$$$$ check wheel barings and brakes. |
Pammy
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 11:25 pm: |
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"Please don't ruin everything for me by making me look at those pictures."
I wouldn't subject you to that honey. |
Trish
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 01:00 am: |
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They could do what our local HD dealer does--tell you they'll sell you the tire but refuse to mount it. No sh*t, I work at a Yamaha dealership and they send the Buells over to us for service. Since they dropped the Buell line, they won't even service them any more.
Wow.  |
Raceautobody
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 01:07 pm: |
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Hey Trish is that in Mankato?
Al |
Curtyd
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 07:00 pm: |
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"Since they dropped the Buell line, they won't even service them any more. "
None of them will that have dropped BUELL, last week I got some service done (a TPS reset) about 100 miles away from where I live because that was EASIER than dealing with getting in locally at the ones that are left, one is difficult to get scheduled into and the other is still 70 miles away. |
Trish
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - 12:58 am: |
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Yes, I'm speaking of the dealer in Mankato. |
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