| Author | Message | ||
     Road_thing |
Tramp, you're such a cynic, what's got your drawers in a knot today? ...oh, sorry...I forgot...commando!  rt | ||
| Tramp |
yep- i've worked at palces where that's called a 'floor model'... honestly, RT, i'm just going by the law of averages, here. most of these factory service dep't.s just *Love* buells and buellers...  | ||
| Budo |
"If you want, I'll pick it up and take it for a ride and write MY account of how they did." Ooooh man! Let Court pick it up! I wanna see that. Especially if they know him. That would be only one step down from Erik picking it it up. If that did not get their attention then nothing would. Good luck. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Well, Got the bike back today - they delivered it to work for me. Along with a big box of my old parts. I checked it over and it looks like they pulled the heads again, pulled the timing cover, put about 100 miles on it for a test ride, and dynoed it to double check everything. Comment from the guy that delivered it was the tech said it ran like a raped ape. After putting another 100 or so relatively careful miles on it tonight, I agree. Still a little pinging but after I get it through the first oil change (funny saying that about a 10 year old bike, huh?) I'll follow Wes' CV setup advice and get it back on a dyno. So as much as I'd have loved to see what happened if Court picked up the bike - I can't thank you enough for even offering - I think I can close the chapter on this one. I'm going to call the service manager tomorrow and thank him for going above and beyond to get this resolved, and leave the dealer unnamed for now. Should it have been done right the first time? Yes, and they did miss some really obvious stuff. But they could just as easily have said "Hey, you got crappy parts from your supplier go back to them" and left me dangling. I've heard too many stories along those lines to think that couldn't have happened. Tramp and Bomber, Yep, back when I was wrenching I saw my fair share of "Wall art" - we used to push 'em around the lot in the afternoon so when the customer drove by on their way home from work they'd see it in a different spot and think we'd worked on it. Used to have to stop myself from laughing when they'd call and say "I saw you were working on it it was in a different spot today"  I'll take some pics of the old cylinders and pistons - It's a little spooky it ran as well as it did. Maybe sustained cruising at 85-100 isn't what this motor likes? I definitely got my money's worth out of the stock motor. btw my wife saw a black xb12 with gold wheels and decided maybe she wants to learn how to ride after all. Bling! D | ||
| Knotrider |
hey philly do not, i repeat do not thank anyone for going above and beyond.fromwhere i'm sitting no-one has.this will be the downfall of the U.S. if not the world! no-one seems to think they should be held responsible for their actions. it's very simple...you get hired by agreeing to do certain things,(maids clean,clowns be funny etc.)from that point on the employee is expected to do whatever their work is. in my line of work people die if i do a lousy job! that makes it my responsibility to not go to work hung over or distracted in any other manner.being a motorcycle mechanic is the same. if a wrench screws up bad enough people can die.this odinbueller cat writes of awakening in the night not sure if he completed a job or not thats beautiful...it happens to me as well,no joke. i think that more people should be doing the same.bet they did years ago.tramp seems to have the right idea,kick some but. every day i get up and go to a job that sucks and do the absolute best job i can.if there comes a day when i can't do the work perfectly or am not sure if it's right i will tell my boss he needs someone better qualified,and to check my work.also don't ever go back to that wrench. he insulted you by trying to hand you a bike you've been riding for 10 years that is all effed-up.no way is his behavior to be interpreted as a mistake.it is his job to put on the parts you want AND to make sure they work. the problems you had did not hide themselves during his test ride only to surface when you rode the bike.there was no test ride.his job was not done! that is not like making a mistake...it's simple lazyness and that doesn't warrant a second chance. what happens in your world if you screw up? do people keep coming back till you get it right? i think not.do poeple who count on you have to torture themselves wondering if you will even do the work again,and if it will be done right the second time.do people worry about maybe not getting their money back for a job done wrong. let alone money to replace parts you may have ruined by doing a lousy job? how about all the extra down time? how about a loaner? well now i'm all riled up and have no-one to vent on. thanks alot. c-ya | ||
| Tramp |
well-put. thye only did, at best, what they originally told you they'd do the first time. support independent shops. | ||
| Court |
Dave: I'd write the dealer a short note and THANK them for taking care of your concerns. They were wrong but they took responsibility and corrected the situation. That, dear friend, is success. Be wary of the "kick some butt" options. I saw a construction worker on my site (yes, the place where I spend my days tell grown men to put on safety glasses while grinding) exercise the "kick some butt" option. He got a free trip from the job site, in hand cuffs, in the back of a banged up Chevy Malibu with some nice NYPD folks. He's still in the slammer and his bike has been sitting on the street in Astoria for 3 nights (that, in NYC, will quickly be a "self solver" ). The good thing about a short note is that the dealer can hang it on his wall and it may become a reminder to do "more good". Congratulations.....besides.....I just wanted to wring your bike out anyway. | ||
| Henrik |
Knot - you're absolutely correct, but that doesn't make you right  What I mean is; darn right they should have done it right the first time, and NO they don't deserve a thank you for doing right the second time, what shouldn't have been botched in the first place ... But - a thank you will show your appreciation for the situation being resolved - stuff happens - and may encourage the dealer/owner/service manager to keep a better eye on things, which may improve things in the long run. Thing is, most people like appreciation and most people become stubborn and self-righteous if confronted with their screw-ups. So if you want to continue and improve the relationship, make your point without backing anyone into a corner. Example: I had a new roof put on my garage. 20'x20' with an 12x8 rise. It needed a new roof deck as well as architectural shingles and new soffits. I had specified that I wanted roof and soffit vents. Roofer had estimated the job would take 4 days, and I'll spare you the story, but 7 weeks and legal action threats in writing later the job was finally done. I was firm but polite when I told the guy that I liked the final result, but that due to his lacking attention and lax attitude towards the job, I would never - ever - hire him again. And you know what - he had the nerve to get pissed at me. The way he saw it, he'd bent over backwards for me - especially since he'd taken down the new soffits to drill the vents he should have made in the first place ... ??? Henrik | ||
| Bomber |
always nice to say thanks -- even if it's not deserved -- if it's ignored (like with Henrik's roofers), it didn't cost you anything at all on the other hand, if it's noted and appreciated, you will very likely get the same (improved) level of care next time ya go in with some work for em, and maybe, just maybe, you'll cause a small cultural shift in the entire joint that will lead to a higher leve of service -- indie shops are a great potential source of expertise -- I've not found one in my neck of the woods that terribly interested in talkin Buells, though -- my Y2K MaDeuece is Sportie-like enough in the engine room that I wouldn't be too worried about a Buell-ignorant wrench replacing a crankshaft seal, for instance -- not sure I'd ask em to R&R isolators though, and I have a feeling that an XB might have em really confused all that said, it's perfectly possible that the area's most Buell Savvy wrench works in an indie shop just around the corner, and I don't know about em . . . . could be the subject of a quick-board thread? Buell-friendly indie shops? Tramp, wanna start? | ||
| Tramp |
Nope- I had an independent BMW/HD shop for years, we did exceptionally well. We started taking on Buells by default, which was advantageous after the nearest dealer dropped the line (this was how we did so well with BMW, as well...local dealer closed down, we got all the service, and did it far and away better, AND, most importantly, we could refuse any job/customer we saw fit to. in the BMW world, that speaks volumes) anyway- back to the jerkoff dealership that ran the thread-starter around: Yeah- a note wmight get this one individual some better service in the future, BUT- it's only going to screw up most of the other customers who come in in his wake. What is being proposed here is to actually REWARD the dealership for the lousy treatment. Such behaviour on the part of buell customers is only adding to the problem. Don't ever reward anyone for un-f***ing something they originally screwed up to begin with. accept the correction with wan neutrality and move on. and, incidentally, I say to kick their a*ses in good jest. anyone who doesn't get that ballbusting verbiage should NOT be living anywhere near the big apple.... Incidentally, astoria's a nice, safe area, replete with excellent greek and egyptian markets and comparatively little crime. if you ever get the chance to dine on and along Steinway St., do so. very friendly area, esp. if you greet vendors with a hearty "yah-so!" | ||
| Bomber |
Tramp -- I bow to your greater experience in pro sled wrenching (all mine is in the four-wheel world -- long story that Court will, no doubt, remind me to tell you sometime) wrt refusing Beemer work -- can you be more forthcoming? interesting comment, and I'd love to hear the story behind it -- one of my "gee, I think I might wanna buy one of THESE someday" bikes is one of a number of BMWs | ||
| Phillyblast |
Knot, Just to clarify, I'm not interested in thanking the Service Advisor that let the screw up happen in the first place, I'll send a note to the owner thanking the SA that _fixed_ the problem. He could easily have said "Oh, well you worked with that guy over there? Let me get him for you" and my bike would have become a "floor model" or cost me more of my time and money to fix myself. Instead, he stepped in and made sure the job got done right, as well or better than was supposed to be done the first time (Door to door pick up and drop off plus dyno time and a 100 mile test ride weren't in the original plan, I'm sure). So he does deserve some kudos for picking up the proverbial "dropped ball". That said, I'm looking out for a good indie shop in the area for stuff I can't/don't want to handle myself, and will be returning to doing all my own service work. Buell-friendly indie shops sounds like a good plan for a thread. | ||
| Tramp |
Oh, the bikes are Topnotch(although the xcellent K-series machines require a lot of special tooling) I love wrenching on BMWs... It's *some* of the savagely anal "i-coulda-been-a-jet-pilot- but-my-eyesight-is-subpar-so-i'm-a-BMW-rider-who-is-up-until-all-hours-reading-a bout-the-technology-and-i-know-more-than-any-tech-i-just-can't-wrench-on-them-be cause-i'm-too-busy-running-my fortune 500 firm-and-shopping-for-new-aerostitch-disco-bondage-snowmobile-suits-with-kevlar- and-nomex-fibres...etc...etc..." freaks. trust me, if you put up the BMW service shingle, the freaks will come like big, clumsy, buzzing junebugs to a porch-light... "freaks will come ray...freaks will most defintely come..." _James Earl jones, Field Of Geeks | ||
| Bomber |
Tramp -- ROFLMAO -- you just described my customer base whan I was spinnin indie wrenchs in the late 70s, mostly on italian alloy -- I don't know a combination wrench from a chain wrench, but I"m gonna stand behind you and make sure you install the light bulb in my Citreon SM properly before I go pick up my mistress in my private . . .. . . DIDN'T YOU WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE TO APPROACHED MY CAR?" yeah, I know the type ;-} | ||
| Phillyblast |
Tramp, Didn't see your second post before I hit submit - basically I want to make sure the second guy, the one that made it right, knows I appreciate his effort so the next poor slob that get j*rk*d off by these guys (like the guy with the Dyna that drove from Trenton to pick up his bike only to be told it wasn't ready and they couldn't find all _his_ old parts that was standing next to me last week) has a shot at getting his bike done right. Figure it this way - if you or any of us in our respective line of work step up and fix a co-workers screw-up, and then gets kicked in the nads for it, wouldn't we think twice before doing it again? I'm not talking lavish praise, just a thanks, with, as you so aptly put it, wan neutrality. I could care less if I get better service next time, 'cause there isn't going to be a next time. | ||
| Tramp |
Good thing i don't wear drawers, or they'd be soaked  (post-post disclaimer: tramp {aka Jay} does not discriminate against, nor even 'goof on', {to the best of *their* knowledge}, riders who so don themselves in said aerostsitch {reg. tm}. trampsky is fully aware of the superior safety inherent in riding whilst so garbed; indeed, the irony inherent in the mere prospect of hurtling, en mufti as a circa-1985 Swiss Ski instructor, down the highway in 90 O summer swelter is not lost on Tramp {aka Jay} or any of his aforementioned heirs...pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, he is not the mighty and wunnerful Wiz) (Message edited by tramp on July 01, 2005) | ||
| Tramp |
P-blast- my bad, i overlooked the subtler ethos buried none-too-deep within your post.... had I only listened when they told me it'd affect my eyesight. my eyesight may need correction, but my vision is excellent  (please, as some semblance of apology, accept a year's membership to Harry & david's fruit-of-the-month club, compliments of tramp. As always, I'll put it on the Underhills' bill.... (Message edited by tramp on July 01, 2005) | ||
| Phillyblast |
ROFLMAO As a member of the dweeby Aerostich-wearin' crowd, I humbly accept your totally unnecessary apology - no offense taken, and hey, what month is kiwi fruit? Speaking of going blind coworker was thinking of getting some "family portrait" tats to add to the collection, and wanted a portrait of his mom on his forearm. I mentioned that probably wasn't what he wanted to look down and see staring up at him "at the moment" - he didn't get the tat. | ||
| Road_thing |
Trampster, for a panty-less ex-jock, you certainly seem to be a man of letters. After wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes that appeared after reading your posts above, on a hunch I did a search of the entire BWB for the word "mufti." I was surprised to see that it has actually appeared twice; my surprise faded when I learned that it was yours both times. I hope to meet you in person someday.  Thanks for the chuckle! rt | ||
| Tramp |
back atcha are-tea  | ||
| Knotrider |
o.k. heres the bottom line...if you thank the service boss or whatever his title is that will automatically take the mood in that shop from most uncomfortable to this will be ok in a day or two. that is not what is needed in todays marketplace. this wrench should be kissing the bosses feet if he's not loading his box in a truck to go elsewhere to ruin someone elses bike. he should realize that his practices are unacceptable and he needs to change his ways as there is someone waiting to take his job if given the chance. his boss should remind him of this.it's a shame that everyone needs this pat on the back even if it's not warranted.the boss should get rid of screw-ups, this would be good for the customer and the business. how could it be otherwise? "hey joe they fired that guy who ruined my bike." i think that kind of advertizing would be great. eventually every wrench in his shop would be a qualified consientious worker. they'd be lining up at the door. it is not our problem that his daddy didn't show him the support and coddling he so desperately needed(s). to the wayside with dead weight that thinks you and i and the rest of the world owe him something and can kiss his butt. they're are already enough parasites draining my wallet through government channels. i don"t need to eliminate the middle man and start my own charity for "wrenches who need hugs" i need someone to fix my bike! thats it! i'm not interested in being in anyones support group. the situation is already too many workers not enough jobs. that makes for a sink or swim environment. your wrench is a sinker,if the dealer doesn't realize that then he too is a sinker, it just may take a little longer for him to go under......am i on that soap box again? | ||
| Tramp |
Go Knotrider!!!!!! I think it all springs from today's parents rewarding their offspring at every moment for having a pulse.... | ||
| Knotrider |
tramp at least someone knows where i'm coming from. | ||
| Tom_b |
Philly, i've been watching this thread without comment so far. glad to see it got resolved. too bad it was such a pain. I would write a letter telling this shop owner thanks for getting it right finally and be done with them. I gotta agree with tramp and knot. this crappy whatever attitude a lot of service people have with owning up to their screwups is gonna their demise. I run my own bussiness, we screw up, we fix it period and kiss ••• in the process. I guess my dad and mom didn't pay enough attention to me as a kid or maybe it was the 4 yrs of getting up a 5 am to deliver newspapers before school regardless of the weather that taught me how to work, don't know for sure, but I understand your frustration, glad it came out ok | ||
| Court |
Wow....I hope you guys, when you finish off with this dealer, come to New York City and take on the building trades! Ooooppps.....don't come next week, the Teamsters went out on strike yesterday. Court (Concreteless in New York) | ||
| Tramp |
I hear ya, Court- the difference is that in the trades, the unions came about as a means of socialized protection for repressed labourers, and they make life miserable,mainly, for employers (this obviates pain and suffering for taxpayers as well, but let's stick with intent). motorcycle shops, on the other hand, began as a way to provide the enthusiast with models, parts and service, and to make a living while providing same. It's on us, as the consumer, to train them. It would be interesting to see a thread serving as a locator for good dealer services and good indy shops. | ||
| Knotrider |
court whats up with the building trades in nyc? i'm a union worker and i give more than a fair days work for a fair days pay every day,yet i still have to fight for my bennies. | ||
| Sandblast |
Uh- oh we had better not get into a Union discussion... | ||
| Knotrider |
i'll agree to that. | ||
| Tramp |
I third it....the ayes have it, then? |
