Cycle News

CN III VOICES L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R P6 Lowside: Pulling Teeth – The Motorcycle Dealer- ship Experience Rennie Scaysbrook, Lowside, Pulling Teeth, makes accurate observations of the motorcycle dealership experience. Many shops seem to put staff on the floor with no training, no follow up on performance. A sales person needs to study his product, know sales techniques and give full concentration to customer—not to his smartphone, which should be left in the desk drawer. In reality, in 50+ years of riding, I've never counted on a shop to do more than sell me a bike I've already decided on. But with all the hype on attracting younger rid- ers, these new buyers expect and deserve more. And unfortunately, flakey distracted staff of all ages are working in many businesses. Mark Mederski Customer service is the corner- stone of any good dealership. We get that. We also get we are asking you to drop a significant chunk of your dollars on our mer- chandise. The other side of the coin is we need customers to buy from us. The internet is killing us be- cause big internet companies can buy 10 container loads of a commodity and get a good price; in turn they sell cheap. A shop like ours cannot. Also the internet sells the "gravy"—gear, tires, bags. We look up that bolt for your swingarm, that screw for your fairing. We know what your bike needs to stay going down the road. We make a couple of dollars on those transactions and count on the bigger purchas- es to make up the difference. The best way to keep enthu- siasm for our sport flowing and growing is to put it in the hands of people who are passionate. To do that, we need to keep the good dealerships open. When we go to a restaurant we add to the cost of the meal in the form of a tip, not ask for a discount. When you go to your well-regarded local dealer- ship we're not asking for a tip, all we're asking for is the customer be willing to pay retail. In return, we need to give you good advice, correct answers and help you feel included in our grand adventure on America's roads. Wade McQueen Rennie, you are absolutely cor- rect. I'm 47, and while there were dealerships that sucked back in the day, the proportion of crappy or indifferent service seems to be higher now. I think many of us have given into the notion that good help is impossible to find, yet that is a copout, too. An example I'll use is a national fast-food chain that specializes in chicken sandwiches. They are known for having a quality product and very good service. How is it that the 16-year-old kid at their order window is pleasant and gets the order correct, while the 16-year-old working down the street looks like they want to stab you in the eye for interrupting their Facebook session? It starts at the top. Your old boss knew this, implemented it, and demanded professionalism. It can be done if the management or ownership cares to spend the time and money doing it. Chuck Smith How about when you are trying to sell a part at your motorcycle shop (and make a fair profit), and the customer is looking it up on their "phone" at the same time. Then, when you tell him the part is 20 bucks (and you will be making five) they look at you as a crook, because they can buy it online for 12 bucks, with free shipping. How many of my dealer friends are going broke because their "franchise agreement" isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Do any of y'all think the OEMs will ever step in and try to "fix" the motor- cycle industry? Shops cannot survive not sell- ing parts; saw too many of them close the past few years because of this. Kevin Hutchinson I've been in the motorcycle busi- ness since 1976; I am 60 years old. The motorcycle industry lost its way a long time ago. For the most part, the motorcycle industry sells toys—dirt bikes, ATVs, PWCs, "The best way to keep enthusiasm for our sport flowing and growing is to put it in the hands of people who are passionate."

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