| Author | Message | ||
     Daves |
and then, at the end of the year, they send it all back to Buell? HD/Buell do have what is called an annual return. It gives dealers the chance to send back stuff that didn't sell. They can send it back as long as it is not obsolete. Not sure of all the rules, since I'm not a parts guy(I play one on the internet pretty well though) So in some ways Buell already offers this chance. I guess not too many dealers are taking advantage of it? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I agree on the forcing. I too believe that Buell must manage the space. If that means consignment, then that is the only way. I think we are at a point where it's poop or get off the pot. You are either pro Buell or your aren't. You can't force the willing. I would suspect that those dealerships that view such a move as being "forced" should probably not be Buell dealers in the first place. I think it's a chicken and egg problem. The dealers won't try a different paradigm unless forced to, and only trying a different approach is going to change the results. Maybe complete independence as a dealer is not possible when it comes to Buell. I don't have complete independence, and I am assuming you don't either Dave. You have latitude, but not independence. Is that different here? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think ya gotta have it in the store to be able to return it, don't you?  | ||
| Daves |
Nope, I don't have complete independence(I wish) I work for a dealer and then I have a GM and a sales mgr to answer to also. They do give me a certain amount of "freedom" to do the goofy sounding but successful promotions, to spend hours per day on the web,to offer rides, track days and stuff like that. Of course I do a lot of it on my own time. If I didn't love the bikes and "most" of the people that ride them I wouldn't work as hard at it as I do. If my life was "just about the money" I would spend more time selling 20,000.00 HDs instead of making sure a Buell rider gets a 1.25 gasket in time for them to do a primary oil change. Some would view that as being a little on the dumb side? I like to have fun at work(and life in general). Selling Buells and Buell stuff is fun for me. I guess that's what makes the difference? I have always figured, in the motorcycle business, that if my customers and me have enough fun, the money will follow. But what do I know? I'm just a simple, small town boy from Iowa  | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Iowa ain't bad, but it can't hold a candle to Kansas where I was born! Making money requires trade offs. I could make a lot more money, but it would require more time away from my family to do it. It would also require me not to do what I love but to do what I could tolerate. You could tolerate selling HDs for more money, but you are passionate about Buells! The big picture is how do we change the scene so that you make as much or more selling Buells. If you are making more, so is the dealer. Right now, I think most dealers feel Buell is low margin or a loss leader. This has to change. In order for that change to take place, I don't think we can dump 100% of it on the shoulders of the dealers. In their eyes, they feel that to fill a rack or two with even more merchandise that doesn't sell, they are going to loose more money. The problem is that if the merchandise is not on the floor, it isn't going to sell. How do we get merchandise on the floor without the dealer feeling they are taking a bath to do it? I drive past 6 Buell dealers as part of my territory. I have stopped by each one. None have Buell correctly marketed. Bumpus, a GREAT Buell proponent, sucks at merchandising Buell. I feel that the days of begging floorspace must end for Buell to take the next step. | ||
| Motornoggin |
Why don't HD dealers have any sense of urgency whatsoever? I've been waiting for well over a month for cosmetic parts to repair my Uly... The dealer says parts can "take a while" to show up. I got parts from Japan for my Suzuki in 8 days.  | ||
| Daves |
I do make the same selling Buell bikes as HDs. It is just more work and takes longer to sell each Buell than it would to sell a HD(although that margin is closing). All bikes pay me the same. So with the annual return thing, Buell dealers could take a chance on some Buell parts if they WANTED to. They have to want to. That is the challenge. How do we make them want to? For me, a confirmed HD guy at the time, all it took was meeting and talking to Erik and riding one of his bikes. I was hooked pretty easily. It has grown from there. Motornoggin, It does not take that long to get bodywork. What are you waiting on? | ||
| Motornoggin |
Daves, Waiting on front fender, fork guards, hand guard, turn signal, brake lever, grips, hard bags and a couple other things I can't remember anymore. My Uly was pushed over in a parking lot back in September and the dealer had it that same day. The service dept. had the labor est. done the next day. Have been waiting ever since. | ||
| Daves |
Do you know what parts are there and which ones are not? Can you find out? I can try and help if you want me to? | ||
| Motornoggin |
Daves, PM sent. Thanks! | ||
| Daves |
Got it. I'm on it. I'll let you know what i can find out. | ||
| Motornoggin |
Thanks!!! | ||
| Daves |
well, this is the customer service thread  | ||
| Naustin |
Dave - BMC should hire you to personally head up the team in charge of fixing the Customer Service problem nationwide. Of course, you're probably smart enough to politely decline... LOL. | ||
| Daves |
but then I'd have to learn how many teeth are on a European spec rear pulley Not sure I'd want that headache. It all seems so easy to me. Pluss, I'm not coulege edujecated so they wouldn't har me anyways | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
So it's the college educated independent dealerships screwing things up? Shoot them all now! One of the wisest and most professionally proficient people I know isn't college educated. Sometimes with a college education, you just get a retard with a piece of paper! I'll take Joe Blow with more common sense than what God gave a screwdriver, thanks! | ||
| Daves |
I know a lot of really smart college grads and some really smart people that didn't even graduate high school. | ||
| Bomber |
a very well educated guy I know (two masters) likens education to tools some folks with snap on tools STILL round off the fasteners they touch some people with hardware store tools build wonderful things there is education, and then there is learning -- many companies confuse the two | ||
| Court |
>>>well, this  There's been some great thoughts shared here. It's neat when folks can step out of their day-to-day problems and "see the future". You guys have done a wonderful job of making a valued contribution. I've long maintained that one essential element of customer service is for the customer service folks to know what the CUSTOMER perceives as service. It goes back to the old story of the Boy Scout dragging the old lady across the street. . . turns out that's not what she wanted. You've been fairly concise about what you want. I see communication as high on the list. There will be some exciting things ahead in the world of Buell ownership. I'm excited. This is a tough week at Buell.(one of the long time Buell folks was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident several weeks ago, some of you may recall when I issued a plea for a badwebber in Michigan...apparently we had none, and last night he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. I'll be with him Saturday. This is also a great week in Buell history. I'm off to East Troy. Court | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Court, Have fun and good luck! | ||
| Daves |
wish them a speedy recovery from us! | ||
| Naustin |
Daves -  Court - Emergency surgury 2 weeks after the accident doesn't sound good. Hope he's ok. | ||
| Court |
>>>wish them a speedy recovery from us! Will do. Vickie and I will be at the hospital Saturday. Just got word that he is still in intensive care and can't talk. | ||
| Bomber |
got all the praryer wheel on high speed automatic -- small mammals to be sacrificed this evening | ||
| Diablobrian |
DaveS has discovered the key to happiness in life. It is better to surround yourself with good people than kill yourself chasing the all-mighty-dollar. When you surround yourself with good people you are happier then anyone who has loads of cash but has alienated their friends on the way to the top. You have to have people to share your successes and ease your failures. Those that step on others on the way up find no one to share with and if the fall they find lots of people ready to jump on them and speed their descent. This is a customer service related idea! If all you worry about is the dollar you squeeze a customer dry and throw them away. If you worry about the people, you take care of the customer and they keep coming back and you make more in the long run because of the relationship (trust) you build along the way. Buell is not popular with most dealers because Buell buyers don't immediately buy another $1k-5k in accessories at the same time they buy the bike. Buell riders tend to buy the bike, and then go for a ride. The dollar signs don't light up in the franchise owners eyes when they hear Buell, and most bought into H-D as an investment. Not because of a passion for riding. It is salesmen like DaveS that will show the way to a bright future for Buell. Customer orientation. Not sales orientation, that and knowing the products like they are his children. Wish the Elf in the hospital my best. I wish him a speedy and complete recovery. | ||
| Henrik |
best wishes for successful treatment and speedy recovery for the downed elf. Good JuJu projected towards Wisconsin. Henrik | ||
| Firemanjim |
Amen. | ||
| Davegess |
He's in our prayers | ||
| Kuuud |
... and most bought into H-D as an investment. Not because of a passion for riding. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!!! We have a winner! Brian, you nailed that one right on the head. Bret | ||
| Toona |
With the 2 businesses I've owned/own, I've kept this mentality: "I'd rather make a bunch of fast nickels, than a few slow dimes." I can make more $, by selling more "valued" items, than a few overpriced items, plus develop a business relationship with my customers, which in turn, develop into their friends becoming my customers, and their friends, and so on and so forth. To sum up, if the customer (myself included) feels that they have been taken advantage of, they deal with that business that one time and won't return. Period. If they feel that they have been treated fairly, they will return, and bring their friends. |
