Joined
·
845 Posts
As I post this I am listening to **** Jagger sing "It's only Rock and Roll But I like it!"
My dealership is full of lovable guys. They remember my name. The tech who worked on my bike remembers exactly what I had done to my bike almost 2 years ago. This is a major dealership with a lot of traffic from Northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania coming into the Lower Shenandoah Valley for our awesome roads, scenic byways and all the Revolutionary and Civil War history.
These lovable dealership guys come up to me and greet me whenever they are busy or just standing around on snowy days when I make a point to ride on over and impress everyone (mind you I live 5 miles from the Dealership, but who's counting.)
That's why I get so disappointed when they fling the BS at me.
Two weeks ago I needed a spot lamp bulb to replace one that had burned out, and I ended up buying two just to have a spare. I talked myself into buying the second one out loud, in front of the new parts counter guy, and then looked at him as he looked up the part number and asked "Now why exactly should I buy this bulb here and not <Discount Auto Parts Store> down the street?"
He told me the bulb had better anti-vibration characteristics. I believed him. I came on here and told you all about it. Someone was very nice to me and schooled me without ridicule.
Seriously - it seems like the peeps at my dealership have had customer service drilled into them ad nauseum - I mean seriously, so many of them remember the details of what I have bought and said down there that I must be the topic of weekly customer service meetings!
Why does it not occur to them that the very best customer service builds trust? And that despite all the friendliness, I don't trust them?
I would really like to have my engine rebuilt and blueprinted locally. But I have to drive it up to see Scotty in Central NY at some point. Why? Because I fell like I can trust him more. He puts his reputation on the line (I have seen his posts here and at other forums for years) so I know that he will give me value for the money I will pay him.
Harley survives because of pull demand. The MoCo remembers lean times, and I know some dealers who were little more than single door-front shops in industrial areas down by the railroad in so many places, and today are giant retail boutiques boasting thousands of feet or merchandise, but I have to believe that they remember the lean times too. I shouldn't have to be some grizzled biker who knows every manufacturing iteration of the Shovelhead Motor to get treated respectfully at my local dealership. And by "respectfully" I mean quit BSing me.
My dealership is full of lovable guys. They remember my name. The tech who worked on my bike remembers exactly what I had done to my bike almost 2 years ago. This is a major dealership with a lot of traffic from Northern Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania coming into the Lower Shenandoah Valley for our awesome roads, scenic byways and all the Revolutionary and Civil War history.
These lovable dealership guys come up to me and greet me whenever they are busy or just standing around on snowy days when I make a point to ride on over and impress everyone (mind you I live 5 miles from the Dealership, but who's counting.)
That's why I get so disappointed when they fling the BS at me.
Two weeks ago I needed a spot lamp bulb to replace one that had burned out, and I ended up buying two just to have a spare. I talked myself into buying the second one out loud, in front of the new parts counter guy, and then looked at him as he looked up the part number and asked "Now why exactly should I buy this bulb here and not <Discount Auto Parts Store> down the street?"
He told me the bulb had better anti-vibration characteristics. I believed him. I came on here and told you all about it. Someone was very nice to me and schooled me without ridicule.
Seriously - it seems like the peeps at my dealership have had customer service drilled into them ad nauseum - I mean seriously, so many of them remember the details of what I have bought and said down there that I must be the topic of weekly customer service meetings!
Why does it not occur to them that the very best customer service builds trust? And that despite all the friendliness, I don't trust them?
I would really like to have my engine rebuilt and blueprinted locally. But I have to drive it up to see Scotty in Central NY at some point. Why? Because I fell like I can trust him more. He puts his reputation on the line (I have seen his posts here and at other forums for years) so I know that he will give me value for the money I will pay him.
Harley survives because of pull demand. The MoCo remembers lean times, and I know some dealers who were little more than single door-front shops in industrial areas down by the railroad in so many places, and today are giant retail boutiques boasting thousands of feet or merchandise, but I have to believe that they remember the lean times too. I shouldn't have to be some grizzled biker who knows every manufacturing iteration of the Shovelhead Motor to get treated respectfully at my local dealership. And by "respectfully" I mean quit BSing me.