| Author | Message | ||
     Dynarider |
Jerry..sure call me after 8:30 or so if you want. 657-4834 | ||
| Blastin |
Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb Dullorb There I made myself type it 50 times so I wont't forget.  P.S. Blasnit makes me chuckle. Sound like something that Mork(Robin Williams) from Mork and Mindy would say. | ||
| Cj_xb |
K Blastin, now you need to type 50 times that Thursday is Dec 4th, NOT 5th !!!  CJ P.S. Besides I'm guessing you copied, not typed dullorb ??!!! LOL | ||
| Nevco1 |
Sounds like Jerry is having another one of those days.  | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well I know I have said it before, but I can't emphasize enough how happy I have been with the service staff at Appleton Harley. None of the crazy show up at 5:00 am to hopefully get your bike looked at junk you have to deal with at Hals for service. I just call and make my appointment and they take care of me and nicely. They even wash my bike for free as part of the service. When I first went there my speedo was broke. They replaced everything, no questions asked. I then came to pick the bike up and later that day blew the rocker box gasket. I took the bike back that evening and without an appointment they took the bike in and fixed not just the bad rocker box gasket, but both of them even though the front wasn't leaking yet. Again, no questions asked and nothing but curtious service. Not bad considering I didn't even buy the bike from them and every bit of the work they did for free under warranty! Every spring they do an open house with FREE dyno runs. If that wern't enough, they also have free food, soda, and beer. They put out buckets for donations and ALL the money goes to charity. Not to mention Willie G. showed up last year just for fun. They are by far the best dealership I have dealt with. My Dad was considering buying a dresser from them and they gave him the bike for a day to try out. You just can't go wrong with good service. Their Buell department is a bit small but they will order me anything I ask for and have a dedicated Buell staff. When I talked with the service desk guy at Appleton and told him why I drove up from Milwaukee for service he wasn't surprised. They were all at Hals for the Dealers convention and when they were told the procedure for servicing bikes (along with the prices) they were completely shocked. They didn't even think that it was possible to treat customers like that. I know this can't help you much MikeJ but maybe it could help set an example of what you should expect. If Buellers want to get treated well, we would be smarter to work together. Pick one dealership in the local area to use. Then as a group use only that one dealership for everything: BRAG club, service, and parts. There are enough Buellers in the Milwaukee area to make a difference. Whether it was Milwaukee, HOH, Hals, Suburban, or somewhere farther out of town, you have to make it known where the best place to go is. Hals probably has the best setup right now, but that really isn't saying much. The fact that Kirk won't commit to offering the BRAG group the same privlages as HOG tells me they are not really commited to the BRAG chapter. The fact is that their prices are high and their schedules are poorly setup makes me disqualify them. (which is a contributing factor to the fact I am no longer a member) Personally the more I think about BRAG the more I feel it is going the wrong direction. If I were president for a day.... I would combine BRAG into HOG. You can still plan out seperate rides for more agressive riders. As shown by Brian (I think that was his name from Tillys) a sportsters can run with a Buell at Battletrax all day long depending on who's driving it. Being part of HOG would bring Buell more awareness as a Harley product and allow everyone to just be cycle enthusiests rather then Harley guys or Buell guys. Everyone would have the same privlages and Buell guys could be more involved with dealership charity promotions. Should the group of Buellers grow large enough to support themselves then they could break off if needed from HOG. That would only be after they had proven that they can sustain a decent membership base. BRAG Chapters at this time just doesn't seem strong enough to stand on their own. The 20th homecoming was cool but even that was less the 100 bikes. HOG chapters get more turnout at meeting in February to discuss how to polish their valve stem caps. As Brew City sits right now there is no reason to have an affiliation with any dealership or BRAG. Unless the Fuell magazine is worth $40 a year to you, there are no other advantages of being a member. If you want to remain a BRAG member it would be better to start a remote chapter of Waterloo BRAG. At least Dave will give you a discount on parts and keep you informed of Buell news instead of the members informing the dealership. Not to mention, I think Dave has probably offered more support then anyone at Hals over the last year that I have owned my bike. Ok, I think I am done ranting for a bit. Sorry I went off topic MikeJ.... | ||
| Dynarider |
Personally the more I think about BRAG the more I feel it is going the wrong direction. If I were president for a day.... I would combine BRAG into HOG. You can still plan out seperate rides for more agressive riders. As shown by Brian (I think that was his name from Tillys) a sportsters can run with a Buell at Battletrax all day long depending on who's driving it. Being part of HOG would bring Buell more awareness as a Harley product and allow everyone to just be cycle enthusiests rather then Harley guys or Buell guys. Everyone would have the same privlages and Buell guys could be more involved with dealership charity promotions. OH MY GOD!!! I have been preaching that exact same thing for over a year now here on the web & I believe its only a matter of time before it happens. Koz you are scaring me, I agree with your entire post. | ||
| Koz5150 |
I must be taking drugs tonight... ha ha ha So what aabout it, a remote Waterloo Chapter??? | ||
| Nevco1 |
Does Hal's have a Buell Manager yet or is Rick's position still not filled? | ||
| Koz5150 |
Don't know... There seems to be someone who sits in that area all the time now. He does't look familure to me though. | ||
| Dynarider |
Probably some bs rule against having a remote chapter. I do know there is at least 1 chapter out there that isnt sponsored by a HD/Buell dealer. Cant recall the specifics but it had something to do either with the local dealer not selling Buells or simply being against a chapter. | ||
| Daves |
I don't know why you all can't be members of the Waterloo Club? Because of the distance involved though, I think it would be better for you to try to "fix" the situation at your dealer first(I know, you've been trying) You riders in the Milwaukee area have a different opportunity than most Buell riders. You have, what, 5 Buell dealers to choose from in a fairly small area. One would think, that this would be a good thing. One would also think that one or more dealers would really "step up to the plate" and try to attract ALL of you and your business to their store. Why this isn't being done is beyond me. I know that if I was in charge(I want to be King for a day)that is what would be happening! I am far from the "sharpest crayon in the box" but I would think that anyone with a functioning brain could figure this one out. Kind of pisses me off, there you guys and gals are, in an area with a high percentage of Buells, the factory 40 miles away, 2 race tracks within EASY driving distance for track days,lots of potential business, I would give my left nut to have those advantages instead of being out here in the flatlands of Waterloo Iowa(from a business standpoint, Waterloo is a pretty good place to live). And yet, your dealers from what you all tell me and from what I read here are so-so at best. It just flat out BLOWS MY MIND! Oh, PS, I gotta blow my horn a little here now, I found out a couple weeks ago that HD/Buell Cycle Center is #2 in Buell sales for the midwest region(this, I believe, includes Milwaukee) #1 in my district(duh) and 29th in the country(bummer) but this is out of Waterloo Iowa so I guess not too shabby. Maybe I'm a sharper crayon than I thought? Nah, just lucky I got that Koolaid! Off my soap box now Ride to the edge! Dave Iowa HD/Buell (Buell Cycle Center) | ||
| Koz5150 |
Maybe if Dave wanted to step up to the plate he would interview for the Head Buell salesman position at Hals??? Imagine the possibilities??? I will be working in Chicago at a trade show for the rest of the week. I will read all responses on Monday. edited by koz5150 on December 03, 2003 | ||
| Daves |
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| Lake_bueller |
1) There are not stipulations regarding what local chapter you join. At least not from an "official" BRAG standpoint. As a matter of fact, you can be a member of multiple chapters if you so desire. 2) I hate to say this, put Hal's is becoming more and more of a "stealership" everyday. I first starting going to Hal's about 4 years ago. It was because they were tauted as the "best Buell dealer" in the midwest. Once they moved into their shiney new digs, all bets were off. I even interviewed for Rick's position. They wouldn't pony up the dough to have a knowledgable Buell-friendly salesperson. I may not have "motorcycle or car sales experience" (as they told me). But I bet I could out sell every salesperson on that floor because I care about the product. 3) I'm with Koz about the BRAG membership. It looks like I won't renew this year (although I say that almost every year). I may wait until I get a chance to meet the Doc's Zoo before making a decision. Their club is new and could be "different in every sense". Okay....I'll stop ranting. | ||
| Mikej |
Floyd, Got your email and concur completely. Merton. Koz, Not off topic at all. I was hoping WestBend might offer something since they've been involved in the BattleTrax for two years now, but pricing a tire there tell me they're not high enough volume yet. Suburban has been good for parts for me and even stocked a few things that Hal's was out of. The main things Hal's has for me now is contact people I can ping if I need to find out something, but if that's the only reason I go there then it isn't worth it. There is a small dealership in Sheboygan that I've only looked through the window of once before they opened in the morning when I was up there for a job interview at a nearby company, but after talking to one of their employees who was riding an XB9R I don't think they'll be the place to go for Buell stuff. I'll have to check out Appleton and see how far of a grind it is to get there from Port. Daves, The potential is here, but so are about 900million Harleys. I've talked to numerous people on Buells and told them about various BRAG meetings, BattleTrax free events, and other stuff, and few if any of them ever show up. Hal's has had very Buell-enthusiastic people, retired racers too, yet they all wander off after a year or three. But hey, the longest I've ever held a job is 5.5 years with 3.25 being about the average before moving on. Perhaps Buell owners typically have a bit of wanderlust in their genes or something, and perhaps aren't of the Join-Up mindset. I don't know. The potential is here, as it is in Sauk city as well, but the proof is in the pudding and it doesn't seem to have jelled very well yet. For me I'm just peeved off about getting burned on a money-back-guarantee promise, but will wait to further act on the matter until I can find what box the original packet of paperwork is in (and after three moves since I bought the bike I've got some digging to do, but I will find it and use it to wipe someone's ass if necessary before feeding it to them if justifiable). I'll probably be HOG'd in short order due to simply getting discounts and such, might as well get any bennies I can while still in ownership of a mothership subsidiary product. And until Buell openly states that participation in BattleTrax does not void a warranty then I'll have to probably avoid riding the Buell in those anymore as well due to issues beyond warranty claims. (Did you know that "racing a motorcycle" can disqualify you for life insurance, and if BattleTrax is considered a race then insurance premiums can go through the roof, and if Harley Legal Warranty Claims has deemed BattleTrax to be a "race" then my Buell is out of it.) Bottom line analysis and decision focus does not always lead to future success, just short term gains. Works this way in the stock market with publicly held companies (do today what will make the stock go up with little regard for the company's future health), and apparently is the way issues are being dealt with in H-Davidson's Warranty Department as well. Got a meeting to go to. Bye. | ||
| Daves |
"They wouldn't pony up the dough to have a knowledgable Buell-friendly salesperson." "Hal's has had very Buell-enthusiastic people, retired racers too, yet they all wander off after a year or three." And in those two simple quotes, you may have the answer to the problem. Good help is expensive and that's the way it should be. Having incompetant help costs lots more in the long run than paying for good help. The other problem I see in many Buell dealerships(not talking about anyone in particular) is a total lack of support from the top. Or, and almost even worse, over managing. Hire the right person, let them do their job and leave them alone, trust their judgement(sp?) on how to get it done. All I've ever asked of an employer is to let me do my job, give me help when I ask or need it but don't micro manage every minute of my day.Yup, I'm going to go out and have a smoke from time to time during the day and I'm going to drink a diet pepsi or 5! I know what I'm doing and don't want or need a babysitter. If they think I do then they shouldn't have hired me to begin with. At the end of the day/week/month/year the job will be done and done well. I'd probably still be selling cars if the manager there would've understood this very simple concept. Kinda glad he didn't! Ride to the edge! Dave Iowa HD/Buell (Buell Cycle Center) | ||
| Cj_xb |
You riders in the Milwaukee area have a different opportunity than most Buell riders. You have, what, 5 Buell dealers to choose from in a fairly small area. One would think, that this would be a good thing. And yet I buy my bike from you ??!!! I tend to agree with Mikej, part of it has to do with so many Harley's in the area, with that kind of business not having the Buell business is really no big deal !? By the way Congrats !! you can be a member of multiple chapters if you so desire. That's good, cause it appears I am !! Lake, I'd give Docs a chance, I only know Char, Jeff and Lynn but they are really neat folks, very friendly !! And I'd have liked to see you in Ricks position !! Koz, a remote Waterloo Chapter would be really neat, I sometimes do wish we could all be one big BRAG group rather than all the smaller ones ! Not like we don't all get together anyway because we don't have the numbers Harley riders do !! Gotta work CJ  | ||
| Mikej |
"Having incompetant help costs lots more in the long run than paying for good help. " "(do today what will make the stock go up with little regard for the company's future health)" There appears to be a synchronous alignment in the force today. Scarey. Lake, I too passed on employment, didn't even bother to get to anything beyond superficial inquiry before deciding it wouldn't be worth the effort, and I'm not talking dollars here. Sad really. "And yet I buy my bike from you ??!!! " And that's really the bottom line. 5 miles from one dealership and a BRAG member there, 30 miles from another dealership and an apparent BRAG member/participant there, 8 miles from another dealership, 15 miles from yet another Buell dealership, and you buy your bike from a shop 260 miles away. Harley has rules on how far away a dealership can sell to customers within a region (with some notable exclusions/exceptions), but this doesn't appear to apply to Buell sales, which is good in some ways as long as the customer can still get local warranty support if/when necessary. CJ, Have you checked to see if Uke's or Hal's will cover your bike for a warranty claim, like, oh, maybe a broken belt or something? In the mean time I think I'll go apply at SuperAmerica. They just installed about 50-100 security cameras here, thing is we were told they were for our safety, yet the only thing they are being used for is micromanagement and employee beratement it seems. Life goes on in an ever downward spiral. Flush twice and turn out the lights when you leave please.  | ||
| Nevco1 |
Whew...the emotions are flowing. My experience with Hal's has been limited to the service department and parts counter. I really like the folks in both departments, am quite satisfied and will continue to give them my business. Between the X1 and the Wide Glide, it would have been nice to get a discount on the parts and accessories I purchased. However, by merit of the last meetings summary, it looks like some of you will be enjoying soda and snacks for quite some time based on what Diana and I spent at Hal's this year. | ||
| Blastin |
Dyna, Had trouble getting to a phone last night. Could you ping me a jleveille@sial.com today? Thanks. |
