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Tourer
Posts: 307
Columbia, SC | The one thing that I HATE, is the dealer taking forever for a repair. A lot of times, it seems motorcycle dealers view our bikes as "toys" that we can do without for however long THEY take to do a repair. I've heard of stories of repairs taking MONTHS.
For me, I had an issue with the windshield going up and down (it doesn't anymore), and the neutral safety switch not working (bike only starts in neutral, I can't hold the clutch in and start it in first). So I made an appointment, and they asked me to drop it off on the 16th of June (made the appointment about two weeks before that).
Well.....it's been three weeks now. What the hell is going on?! No phone calls, I called them and they responded with what is PROBABLY a textbook, "Oh, they're working on your bike right now!" Well 'right now' was a week ago. If they were working on it a week ago, why haven't i heard anything since?
Do others have the same problem? It really ticks me off that a car gets done in a day or two, and bikes take weeks and weeks. Do they think I just don't care? Is it because it's a warranty repair? Are they turning my bike aside and working on "more important" customers that aren't using a warranty?
I mean, HELL, even an oil change (if done at the dealer) can take 3 days. WTF?! |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | That absolutely does NOT happen at my dealer.....my bike gets dropped off the day its getting worked on.....and Ive picked it up the next day without fail.
I had them completely rebuild my bike in 1 day after I wrecked it......no way in hell Id wait 3 weeks for what amounts to 2 or 3 hours of work. (entire front end destroyed, right side controls bent over flat against the motor.....over $5K worth of damage......got it done in 1 day AND detailed it....picked it up early the next).
Id go get my bike.....and find another dealer. Atleast Id be standing in their dealership when I was asking questions next time.....makes it alot harder to lie to you when you can just walk back to see if they are "working on your bike".
Edited by aaronrkelly 2012-07-04 11:32 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | I hear of this alot! And i know what you mean by a car dealer has you fixed in 1-2 days. Youll hear of a car dealership replacing a trany in a few days!! But a motorcycle shop takes weeks for something really small. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| It's the dealer. Some see their service departments as a profit center while others see them as a necessary evil. What many fail to realize is that one aspect of a business reflects upon the rest. Unfortunately many people simply accept the fact that some dealers take forever. And it's not exclusive to Victory dealers. My brother bought a Harley and it took them two weeks to get it ready for delivery. He added a cam,exhaust and a reflash. I've done those same things to my Harley and I can tell you it takes about four hours for me and I'm sure less for real tech. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | We all want a good dealer, one that treats us like we're the only one they are catering too. But guess what, those are so few and far between, with any brand of anything. I've learned to do as much work I can to my own bike so I can minimized stay-overs at the dealer. So far it has been a good choice. I've had my dealings with good dealers and so-called bad dealers. But we as owners have to realize that we are not the only one who they are servicing. If everyone got treated the same as though I was the only one, someone would have to suffer. They are not staffed with knowledgeable technicians, those are hard to find, and ones with a true passion for motorcycles are nearly none existant. The best we can do is hope for the best. You complain to your dealer enough you will make him close his doors. He gets tired just as you do, with people expecting too much from them for little to next to nothing. Most are trying to put food on the table too, but after a while the hassles get to be enough and they leave you higher and drier than before. Good for you if you have a good dealer. I really don't see any dramatic change in the near future, despite Victory is about to take off like never before. I expect the dealer network to start beefing up in about two years when profits continue to be high. The best you can do is make friends with your dealer and hope you can get some "special treatment" to stroke the ego. Man, I better shut-up...
Edited by varyder 2012-07-05 6:54 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| I want a dealer to treat me with respect. I don't expect him to kiss my ass but as a paying customer I expect a fair price,the repairs to be done in a reasonable time and the repairs or maintenance done correctly. That's what I call respect. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | kris1956 - 2012-07-05 8:07 AM I want a dealer to treat me with respect. I don't expect him to kiss my ass but as a paying customer I expect a fair price,the repairs to be done in a reasonable time and the repairs or maintenance done correctly. That's what I call respect. No one can begin to argue with your statement - well put. I hate to put a however in here, but each of the stated returns, "fair price", "reasonable time", and "done correctly" are all subjectable to the party. What the dealer calls a fair price may not be to you, but could be to someone else. Just as a reasonable time, I know of folks that have no problem dropping their bike off, even for the summer, and waiting for the dealer to get it fixed. Or even getting the job done correctly. I've let things go and straightened it myself after a dealer did repairs because I didn't want to have the bike spend anymore time there. It really is hard to find a happy spot sometimes and each situation is different. I'm not one that if I get screwed by a dealer to expect you to do something about it. The battle is mine, though I have done my share of complaining about a dealer. But it got me no good gain whatsoever, and when others did the same thing they just closed the doors. I don't know how anyone could have changed the circumstances either. Sometimes the dealers are in over their heads from the get-go and just don't have the passion or the business saavy to carry on.
Edited by varyder 2012-07-05 7:55 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 281
| I don't tolerate bad or slow service.
Around here we have options for Victory service and I have exercised those options! There are a coiple of stinkers out there. |
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Tourer
Posts: 323
Troy, NY | If I schedule an appointment in advanced, I usually get the bike back in a day. This is for normal routine stuff. My bike was taken in after some ran it over while parked. They initially told be it would be about a month. They did loose one staff member. So I was annoyed but understood. My dealer pulled through and got it back sooner. I got it back in 2 weeks. I was soooo happy!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | This is the exact reason why i do alot of the things i can do myself.. Oil changes, brakes,etc. Youll hear from whiners saying thats why the dealers close down and dont last.. thats NOT the reason. the reason is poor service. If your service was so good people wouldnt feel the need to do alot of these things themselves. Hell i wont even take my bike to my dealer for FREE inspection!! you know why? cause i have to Leave the bike there..... which also means i have to find a ride too and from the dealer 2 times just for something very simple.. so what i will do is PAY someone else to inspect my bike the same day.... and that is the guy that gets my business.. Service got the sale.... I look at it like this. my money is green, it will spend anywhere. give me a Reason to spend it with you...... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| Chris, my idea of a fair price is to be market competitive. Tires for example, I bought a set of e3's for about 350.00 online. My dealer wanted 375.00 for the rear alone and 600.00 for the set. I realize a brick and mortar store has overhead an online store doesn't and I expect to pay about 15% more. But no more. A reasonable time is the time he tells me. And three weeks to fix something minor is ridiculous. Unfortunately fixed correctly can be trial and error and I've found word of mouth to be the best measurement.
As Double Vision says, I have options and I exercise them. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | wow your dealers prices are insane!! shocked he sales any tires at all |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| I think he only sells to those that buy in an emergency or don't have a clue lol. |
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Tourer
Posts: 307
Columbia, SC | I understand i can't be theinly concern they have, but isnt the point of making an appointment to minimize the time? I mean, if they werent going to look at or work on the bike till two weeks after my appointment, shouldnt they have told me to drop it off two weeks later? Especially since this isnt a major repair and the bike runs perfectly fine, except the windshield doesn go up or down and i habe toi put it in neutral to start. I couldve been riding for the last 3 weeks and just bring it in when they ACTUALLY have time |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| sfalexi - 2012-07-05 9:22 AM I understand i can't be theinly concern they have, but isnt the point of making an appointment to minimize the time? I mean, if they werent going to look at or work on the bike till two weeks after my appointment, shouldnt they have told me to drop it off two weeks later? Especially since this isnt a major repair and the bike runs perfectly fine, except the windshield doesn go up or down and i habe toi put it in neutral to start. I couldve been riding for the last 3 weeks and just bring it in when they ACTUALLY have time That should be the reason but obviously their intention was to use your bike as filler work. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 241
Monrovia, Ca | I assume that it takes them forever is because they always have to order parts and that is 4-10 days depending on the where you are and the day they order parts. It appears that other than some trinkets and oil filter changes, the dealers in my area don't stock much of anything. That's my biggest complaint. Having to hear, "we have to order parts" At least a week here on the west coast. And sometimes they order parts and then find they need something else. Another wait ensues.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1109
| The "we have to order parts" can simply be an excuse for "we know know whats wrong or we haven't looked at your bike". There are good dealers out there,I have no doubt that Kevinx works at one of the best. Unfortunately there are bad dealers that make everyones job difficult. No one can stock everything but if I can get 95% of anything I order within three days, a dealer certainly can.
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | Parts take 2 days if they are in stock (in my area). |
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Cruiser
Posts: 241
Monrovia, Ca | 4-5 Days to California. Perfect example. I just called my dealer looking for the little speed clips that hold the body panels on a Vision. "Sorry, we don;t stock them. I will have to order them for you" was the answer I got. Total BS to not stock parts that should cost a quarter or so.
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | For regular maintenance..I take it in the morning of my appointment and it is ready by closing time. They know my Vision is a daily rider not a toy.
One repair was going to take a while. I gave it to them before I left for a cruise for a week. It was ready two days after I came back. It would have been ready but they needed a part they did not anticipate.
Ride Safe |
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Tourer
Posts: 307
Columbia, SC | Regular maintenance i am learning to do on my own cause as of yet i haven't found that great dealer i can depend on for fast turnaround. But for warranty work i HAVE to use a victory dealer. Once its out ofvwarranty and i have to pay anyway, it'll open a lot more doors. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 130
Houston, Tx | We go through the same shit down here in Houston. Two main dealers...both seem slow IMO. LC had one as a sponsor but we've decided to not accept their $$$ anymore and spread the wealth around to others. As such, I used the other this time.
Problem: Rear shock wouldn't hold air and was leaking hyrdraulic fluid. Easy, right? Drop it off Tuesday eve after work. Come Friday, I get a call saying... Yup, shock is bad and needs replaced but they hadn't verified warranty yet. Tuesday the next week, they finally get 'er tore down and called in. Friday now, after NO response from them..I call. Find out warranty had just been approved on Thursday and part is being ordered and was told would arrive early next week. I decide I want my bike back as Svc Mgr told me when it comes in they'll call and get me right in as he wants our LC to go through his shop.
Just spoke to them today, 2 weeks after part was ordered - note, I CALLED THEM! Found out part arrived early in the week (Tues) so it took week and a half for the part to arrive and them to unpack it. Now they want me to schedule time for me to drop off bike b/c "it's a major job". BS! I'm going in first thing tomorrow (Sat) morning for them to do the work.
So tired of waiting on these guys....if it wasn't a warranty job, I'd do it outside the shop and would've been done by now. Total of 4 weeks from initial drop off and hoping it'll be worked on and done early in the morning. My guess is tho they'll have to many choppers on the rack and it'll get pushed to the side and have to wait in line...I'm already fuming just thinking of their upcoming excuses.
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How long does YOUR dealer take for a repair?