| Author | Message | |||
     Beachbuell |
You'd be surprised how much one of them "Chrome Consultants" can make in a year. And to get paid (very well) to play with motorcycles all day long. Hmmmmm, now who's laughing? | |||
| Reepicheep |
Its kinda funny... I've been in a local dealer, and the people I bonded with were an old grizzled guy restoring a panhead, and two parts guys. I had a pitted exhaust cam on the M2, and Aaron Wilson had taken a lot of time and trouble to tell me which *wrong* part number I could order so that i would get just the right cam (instead of having to buy a whole new set), and I was explaining it all to the parts guy, who was genuinely interested and actively working through it with me. The panhead guy was ordering parts for his restoration directly from Harley... gotta respect that. 40 year old bike, factory parts still available. Some of them were even in stock! A chrome and leather customer came up and was like a fish out of water, just like I have walked into chrome and leather stores where I felt like a fish out of water. No hard feelings in either case, just different tastes in hobbies. I enjoy meeting people that share my passions, and can't bring myself to be offended when other people don't, especially if they have passions of their own. I have better things to put my energy into then spending time offended and annoyed... | |||
| Cataract2 |
SVO, if my leave is approved in June to go down there. I will have to stop in your shop again to talk Buell. Besides, all goes well I'll have an 1125R that I'll be breaking in. | |||
| Svo1023 |
Ryan, Sounds good man....your gonna love that 1125. Mike | |||
| Wolfridgerider |
Training your employees to know their job doesn't sound that bad to me. Maybe if the dealerships had a few "Trilogy of Tech Technician" there would be more Buells on the road i still like my assless chaps no matter what you say. On my name tag "Ambassador of assless chaps" Can I help you? | |||
| Rubberdown |
Nance, I had a "Chromehead" a couple a years ago. Lovely bike. My family had a ton of fun on it. | |||
| M2nc |
Hmmmmm, now who's laughing? Me!  That title is funny. Sad thing is most of these guys have little time to ride. Most HD stores are going to 7 days a week. The GM at my local dealer is a former Buell owner. We got him out on one ride in the last three years. He is always working. I am a motorcyclist and I can not think of a manufacturer that does not make at least one bike I like. I have ridden with all kinds of riders and have enjoyed myself most of the time. Any more when I ride I cruise more than sport ride. Yes I still take the curves faster than most cruisers would but there are a few here on Badweb I have a hard time keeping up with when they are on their HD. It's not the bike or the folks at the dealership. Its the culture that would spawn a job with the title "Chrome Specialist." I joke with some of my HD riding friends and they joke with me. They comment on the fan. "The only time you hear a Buell is when its turned off." I usually reply "You better cut your ride short. Your bike has a spot on that cover and you will need time to polish it" All in fun! | |||
| Cityxslicker |
The dirty lil secret of the motorcycle industry, at least the sales portion of it. Your busiest times, the times that you make the most bank, are the exact times that it is peak riding season, all the rallies are going on, all the anniversary events, all the races, and you are locked and chocked at the storefront. I actually get to ride very little during the summer. And it is the spring and fall rains that make the best MUD anyways. So all ye who venture to work for a dealership, you have been warned. ( I suppose an independent shop like OCC could go traveling to all the events) | |||
| Chellem |
You guys are a tough bunch. The parts guys we have were pretty proud to be chrome consultants. It means that they have learned enough about customizing bikes to be considered knowledgable, and it makes our Harley customers feel more confident speaking to them. I know it's not big on the Bueller side, but customization (yes, the pretty kind as well as the performance kind) is important to Harley riders, who want to make their bikes a little personalized, as I think a lot of you do. I'm glad you guys are having a good laugh at the expense of our employees, but if they had buttons on that indicated that they were well trained on Buell accessories and performance, like, I don't know, Buelligan Expert or something, wouldn't you be glad to know that you were going to be speaking to someone who knew their stuff? And BTW, if there WAS such a thing for Buell training, I certainly would sign our guys up for it in a heartbeat. I hate hearing these horror stories. ->ChelleM | |||
| Ft_bstrd |
I'd say that for what the average HD rider wants and needs, a chrome consultant would be a valuable asset for any dealership. Understand guys, that we ride PERFORMANCE bikes. Add to that the fact that our bikes are exceedingly minimalistic. There is virtually NO adornment. We have a culture that eschews that which doesn't make the bike handle better, stop better or go faster. We remove more crap from our bikes than most people strap on. I get really funny looks when I roll in in full gear, back protector, AStars boots, etc. I don't cop tude. I just laugh at the difference in cultures within the same sport. My local dealer, Bumpus, just got a dyno. Sure it's probably for the big bore kit installs, but I'd bet that I could use it if I needed to. In the end, we all ride. We simply have different desires in what we want to get out of our rides. If you want a really good laugh, visit the Gold Wing accessories counter at your local Honda shop. You almost have to be an electrician to figure all that crap out. | |||
| Tom_b |
regardless of how much money they make, or how serious they take themselves or whether the chrome consultant was in a harley, yamaha or bmw dealer. it is funny and i'm still laughing. | |||
| Ftd |
Carbon fiber consultant Just remember that CF won't get you home! | |||
| Ft_bstrd |
I agree that the title "Chrome Consultant" is ridiculous to anyone but HD people. The rest of us would prefer "Accessories Specialist". HD folks like the term Chrome Consultant. | |||
| New12r |
You'd be surprised how much one of them "Chrome Consultants" can make in a year. And to get paid (very well) to play with motorcycles all day long. Hmmmmm, now who's laughing? I know a number of CC's and none of them make any money worth talking about. Most of them could make more at McDonalds than slingin parts. When I applied I would have started at $8 an hour, and maybe after 15 years I could make a living. Oh yeah, Long Live Stone Mountain HD/Buell! | |||
| Ferrisbuellersdayoff |
I needed a part time job for the weekends to fund my new garage wing and I went into Douche Rossmeyer's Destination Daytona. I talked to the guy slinging the Buells... My mom would make a better sales person. I was told "We dont really sell many Buells because people want an American looking bike. This isn't for the older crowd. We sell to the retired guy who wants to get out and feel the wind." To which I replied, "Yea and then you sell him a windshield and chrome wind deflectors on the crashbars, a radio so he can still play "Born To Be Wild" As his latte brews in the tour pack, so his wife wont have to hold onto the heated passenger grips while she's surfing the net for the newest line of shoes by Dior." The guy didn't like that. Sparky, the guy at J&P cycles was more helpful, at least he knew what parts could be altered to work. | |||
| Jayvee |
I want to be a "Billet Consultant" That works for both Buells and H-D, right? Everybody happy now? As an aside, I have been de-chroming my bikes to the extent reasonable, for a long time. Right now, my M2 is down the the headlight rim, the handlebars, and the pushrod covers. I'll get those someday... (Message edited by jayvee on January 28, 2008) | |||
| Buellerthanyou |
For the record, I laughed when I first heard the term "Chrome Consultant". Under the terms of full disclosure however, I, too, hold the title (at least I've done the training and have a certificate...I love learning about everything). Haven't ever "Chrome Consulted" though 'cuz they keep me in the back out of sight (service parts/receiving). On the other hand, my business card says "Buell Specialist" on it! I didn't ask for that, the Parts Manager just thought it was appropriate (they come back and get me when they get a Buell question they can't answer at the counter) I didn't go to school to learn about Buells, though, 'cuz like Michelle says, unfortunately there isn't one. I think if I had that job, I'd prefer "Customization Specialist". That would cover Harleys and Buells as well. HellBuelly J Central Texas H-D/Buell Austin, Texas | |||
| Cityxslicker |
Funny thing about getting a bike the way you want it, at least through H-D, It costs just as much money, if not more to take chrome OFF of a bike as it does to add it. Removing every the pieces one by one as time and money permit.
| |||
| Road_thing |
they keep me in the back out of sight  Well, duh! Can you blame 'em? rt | |||
| Bebop |
And BTW, if there WAS such a thing for Buell training, I certainly would sign our guys up for it in a heartbeat. I hate hearing these horror stories. Wait... clarify. What kind of Buell specific training is available for technicians that work at the dealerships? Is it all "follow the instructions in the shop manual and learn as you go"? This would explain a lot. | |||
| Pwnzor |
Buelligan Expert or something, wouldn't you be glad to know that you were going to be speaking to someone who knew their stuff? Yeah, you know what, at the dealerships I've been to, they claim that their "Buell Technician" has been through special training. Of course, I ended up figuring out for myself that it was just another lie. "chrome consultant" is still funny to me. Yes, I laughed out loud at the parts counter, but that guy took it in stride. A few weeks ago, I was at the supermarket and some guy was wearing a dress, and he was there with his wife. I went right up to him and asked him if he had lost a bet. He said, "no, why?" I laughed at him too. I call things as I see them. | |||
| Chellem |
Wait wait wait - I should have been more clear. There is ABSOLUTELY Technician Buell training. In fact, OdinBueller is heading off to East Troy next week for some. There's more than one class, but I don't know the details. And I'm fairly certain that to be a Buell dealer, you have to have at least one Certified Buell Technician. I meant, there's no Buell equivalent of Chrome Consulting - that's all. No real counter training for Buell beyond a few dvds, or some quick online training. At least none that I've been able to find. ->ChelleM | |||
| Buellerthanyou |
Bebop, there IS "Buell School" for mechanics; several of our techs have been. They also learn Buell junk at MMI (or where ever they originally attend mechanics school). As new models (1125r) come out, new classes are created for them to attend, but the service departments aren't always in a big hurry to send them. On the Parts/Accessories/Apparel/Sales side, there are "Harley-Davidson University" teaching aids, online and in-store video. Of course there has to be interest on the part of dealership management to inspire employess to do the training. Some of these are part of how a dealer can earn a Pegasus Award. HBJ Central Texas H-D/Buell Austin, TX | |||
| Pwnzor |
And I'm fairly certain that to be a Buell dealer, you have to have at least one Certified Buell Technician. Here's the thing: Say the Buell dealer has one Buell technician. That guy gets fired. Are they somehow no longer a Buell dealer? Is the Buell technician's job so secure that they are bound by contract to hire another one before they can fire the first one? I think not. While I am certain that some Buell dealers are fully up to speed on Buell and have several Buell techs on staff, and knowledgeable counter help, around here they aren't and don't. I know to the dealers on this board it sounds like we slam all Buell dealerships, but we're really not, we're bitching about what happens to us at our local dealers. You good dealers must admit that you're in the minority which is a sad thing indeed. | |||
| Court |
>>>>I meant, there's no Buell equivalent of Chrome Consulting - that's all. Which is a real shame. In addition to having the best Buell shirts ever made . . .the good old "BUELL ACADEMY" was a well spring of information. I still have all the books, training gear and agendas. If I weren't a construction worker . . .  | |||
| Metalstorm |
Buell needs a "carbon fiber consultant" | |||
| Court |
Actually . . . Buell needs the have a facility (in the procedural, not physical, sense) to provide Buell-cific training, and indoctrination to factory processes and procedures to provide a sense of how and why things are done and the conclude with the day of riding all the available, Buell and competitors products, closed out wit the book that provides all the comparisons. There are few cases in life, other than bar room chatter, where knowing less is better. | |||
| No_rice |
i have one of those chrome consultant pins, that is the whole reason i know absolutely nothing about buells. | |||
| Chellem |
No_Rice - you're hopefully being sarcastic, right? There's no rule EXCLUDING Buell knowledge from those who have Chrome Consultant pins, right? They don't wave some sort of electro-magnet over their heads and purge Buell knowledge? Jeez, though, if they did, it WOULD explain a few things around here . . . :P | |||
| Molly_hatchet |
one would think that after 25 years in business there would be many more buell-rific things in action...it is possible to grow and brand within a brand but it does take some attention to detail...other than wanting a water cooled buell with more power the biggest complaints ive seen are within the dealer network itself...ya'll have sold bikes to these people for many years ..might be time to make them feel wanted and loved. |
