Dealer product knowledge

Message

StillTry'n · #1 Post by **StillTry'n** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:30 am

This topic may be a bit off base but I would like to share my experience (although not long term) with bike dealers.

I have communicated with various dealers from HD to Ducati to Suzuki to Kawasaki and I have found the following to be consistent with all of them:

These folks do NOT know their machine product as well as anyone just browsing the internet. Period!

I am constantly amazed that I can ask a question to a rep (sales and/or service dept) about the bikes they sell and service and most times they give answers that are not factual.

In fact the answer they give me are almost to the letter are proven to be wrong when you check the bike builder.

And the dealers I am talking about here have been around selling these bikes for years and years.

Has anybody else run into this weird situation?

Dan

#2 Post by **Wrider** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:50 am

What you have to do if you want a straight honest answer is talk to the big boys at the shop, the owners, the managers, the ones that are interested in their product and have been there for years.
For technical or specification questions you gotta go to the service department. Hands down the Service Manager and Techs know more than any salesman on the floor.

jstark47 · #3 Post by **jstark47** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:58 am

IMO, there's no way in hell any employee of a dealership should ever give an answer if they're not 100% sure of their facts.

"I don't know, sir/ma'am, but I would be happy to research the answer and get back to you just as soon as possible" is always an acceptable response in my book. Don't guess, don't assume. Provide facts, or go get the facts.

I guess you can tell, this kind of baloney just gets me hot.

flynrider · #4 Post by **flynrider** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:10 pm

Not surprising. Salesman at motorcycle dealers are no different than salesman at car dealers. While you can occasionally find one that is interested and knowledgable about the product, that tends to be the exception rather than the rule. Most of these guys are hired for their ability to make a sale, rather than for their knowledge of motorcycles.

A good friend of mine used to own a bike dealership years ago. Most of his staff had minimal knowledge about the bikes they sold. If it wasn't on the brochure, they didn't know about it. Most of them were not motorcycle riders either. When I questioned my friend about this, he preferred salesmen that could move motorcycles out the door to the ones that knew a lot about the product, but were not so good at sales. I suppose from a business owner's point of view, I couldn't really argue with that.

Bottom line is when you buy anything, do your own homework. Doesn't matter if it's cars, bikes, audio/video equipment, whatever... Chances are good that the salesman that gives you the pitch isn't going to really know what he's talking about. This was made painfully clear last year when I decided to buy my first flat screen HD TV. After researching products and specs on the 'net for about a week, I was stunned at the misinformation I got from nearly every salesperson I spoke with.

Gunslinger · #5 Post by **Gunslinger** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:31 pm

Good posts by all, and some really good advice too. What salesmen need to do is put themselves in the shoes of the buyer. I would not expect a salesman to know what size sprocket is on a bike I'm interested in. But I would expect them to know some basic info like engine size, weight, HP, available colors, what kind of mpg can I expect.

If I'm spending several thousand dollars of my own money on a vehicle you can bet your azz I'm going to know more about it than the salesman will. And since most of us have access to the internet there really is no excuse not to be an informed buyer these days.

StillTry'n · #6 Post by **StillTry'n** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:48 am

Something also worth pointing out with regard to this topic is the following:

It is my (limited) experience that a high percentage of bikers know a lot about motorcycles regarding, terminology, parts, repairs, and hands-on care of their bikes.

A small percent (myself among them) know generally little about the bike's overall details as to mechanics and care.

It is possible to actually be able to ride a bike extremely well and be an experienced rider without knowing how to strip the bike down while sound asleep. Many bikers can indeed take their ride down and totally rebuild it.

Back to Dealers and sales reps and service departments.

Maybe eighty percent of people who walk into a bike dealer already know most of what they need to know and the dealers assumes that from the git go. They don't have to know much of anything.

And a lot of people believe that they won't be able to ride a bike if they can't give a detailed explanation on engine displacement and sprocket teeth.

Because of my age I didn't care what my dealer thought about my lack of knowledge I told him that I was bringing the bike in for "everything" including an oil change. OK, he didn't faint dead away, but the color of his face lightened up a bit.

Bottom line, if any dealers read this: You are missing a huge market of new riders who want to ride and will spend serious money on bikes but don't want to rebuild their bikes.....or anything else. But they are way to embarrased to admit it.

It doesn't help if you can't tell them why they should be carefull on new tires, ect.......because you assume they already know everything.

Dan

#7 Post by **blues2cruise** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:59 pm

I know what a swingarm is, but that does not mean I know how to service the bearing.

No, not everyone who rides can repair their bike in their sleep.

I know enough to converse with the service guy, but that does not mean I can fix it.

koji52 · #8 Post by **koji52** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:47 am

yea dude...i think there are more of us (you, Blues and me) than you think. When you see a thread here about some maintenance or troubleshooting, you're going to get the knowledgeable ones to answer. Those who don't know just stay silent.

That being said, I can change my oil, adjust the suspension, replace and install basic consmetic stuff....inflate the tires

, etc. All the easy easy stuff. Get a service manual and the real basic stuff becomes much much simpler.

Gunslinger · #9 Post by **Gunslinger** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:19 am

I'm the same way. I can do basic maintenance myself but some things like changing tires, replacing fork seals or balancing carbs requires special tools and space that I don't have.

I don't know if salesman assume anything when I walk in. If they do make assumptions of my knowledge (or lack of) they do so at their own peril. If you know what bike you want and do some research on your own it's a non-issue. If you go in there like a jackass with zero information you my friend are the salesman's E-ticket.

StillTry'n · #10 Post by **StillTry'n** » Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:08 am

If you go in there like a jackass with zero information you my friend are the salesman's E-ticket.

I am saying that there is a major market of potential first time bike buyers (with more money then they know what to do with) who will not "go in there with zero information".

Let's face facts guys:

People who ride motorcycles are "generally" (please...I don't mean everybody) people who have ridden motorcycles since they were kids.

Yes, I know there are people like me who ride late in life......but you can count them in the minority.

Dealers who sell bikes for a living are missing out on a brand new market of (older) uneducated riders.

Why?

Because they are living in the Easy Rider past.

Dan