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Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 04:34 pm: | 
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In my opinion NO ONE should have to work weekends.
My wife used to work in the retail clothing industry and all was good until one year the wonderful Provincial Government decided to allow Sunday Shopping. For about two years our weekends were absolutely screwed until she started a new career where she has most Fridays and weekends off.
Bike shops here on the island are only open until 12:00 noon or so on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.
You need that day to unwind and do absolutely nothing or something you really enjoy!!!!! |
Easyflier
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 06:37 pm: |
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Well I wanted to be riding today but my XB spit the belt 80 miles from home. 
Starved Rock HD/Buell was open, but alas, no belt in stock.
It is funny what consumers want and expect. In Germany shops close at noon on Saturday (except lang Samstag first Saturday of the month) and are closed on Sunday. Exceptions being gas stations, cafes, restaurants, etc..) Yet they seem to manage just fine. |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 09:52 pm: |
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Try getting a oil filler cap for a 95 Saab 900 2.5lv6 engine? If you want rare parts.
Apparently I have to get one from Sweden!!!!So much for the GM influence.
Wait - A Saturn L series engine will also fit but guess what.....I was told there are none in Canada!!!!
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Damm Retailers that do not stock parts.!!!!!!! |
Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Sunday, July 25, 2004 - 11:02 pm: |
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well how was everybodies day....mine? not that you ask.
pretty slow and boring...because I wasn't out riding.
daveS
that one post you wrote dang near sounded like me.
goin off as usual!
oh by the way......why the heck should service be open....5 years ago half the dang mc shops in the whole dang world were closed on sunday and monday.
how the heck did all the motorcyclist get along back in the olden days.
I can't wait til one day some customer gets pissed at me on a sunday. My standard response on a sunday when they come strollin in in their fashionable gear to grab a free cup of coffee before they leave for their 20 mile ride to eat and then go home and call it a "RIDE", they say to me...hey how you doin today...I say, well its sunday and I ain't ridin, whats you doin today...doin good. and the mostly obliviously don't get my sarcasim.
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Court
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 04:53 am: |
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Newf:
Want me to check my Saab dealer? They do well on parts.
If so, drop me a NOTE |
Bomber
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 10:29 am: |
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weighing in on this thread is stoopid, as I may offend a couple of folks I consider friends -- I trust they'll take my comments as just that, and not an attack on their time away from work/with family
years ago, when all shops were closed on Sunday/Monday, the average number of hours worked by folks was much less than it is today -- that's one of the reasons that the demand for evening and sunday shopping built up -- granted, folks could survive without it, but the conviniece is awfully tempting
no vehical sales on Sunday? no biggie, for me, anyways, as I don't buy cars/truck/scooters too often -- I can wait til Saturday, thank you very much ;-}
parts/oil/gear -- sunday is a great day to go riding, stop at a shop or two to grab some consumables and go . . ..
a shop in my neck of the woods has hired some retirees & teachers to staff the parts desks on weekends -- the really knowledge folks (who'll give you the right plugs the first time) rotate through weekend duty with other days off . . . . seems to be working (2 data points, the place I'm describing isn't Uke's {I'm not familiar with their staffing plan}, and the honcho at the place I AM describing sez that the new plan is very worthwhile for their bottom line)
No one should be forced to work all the time, nor every weekend, IMO -- owever, if ya get involved in retail, some of it is unavaoidable -- ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances
as a consumer, convinience is high on my list of decision makeing criteria, and not having to plan my week around someone else's so I can get done what I need to get done is very valuable to me
teachers' unions would riot if they had to work summers -- after all, those kids gotta go help get the harvest in, don't they? {I'll not go on further about that entire industry -- no one on this board has been bad enough to be exposed to THAT screed!) |
Daves
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 04:28 pm: |
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Not taking it personal Bomber. But, how many of you work til 6 or 7 every night? Most shops are open past quitting time for most for that reason. Do you or many others work Saturday? That's why we are open Saturday.
I fully understand the "you pays your money and ya take your chances" thing. It's not like I "have" to work in the motorcycle business, I choose to. I have often thought, dreamt, of going out and getting a "regular" job. Weekends off(Saturday AND Sunday), payed the same every week, when the bell rings you go home, but that just isn't me. I have a lot of respect for those that can do it but I have hated every "regular" job I have ever had, of course that was a long time ago.
I am a salesperson,right,wrong or otherwise, that's what I am and that's what I do best.
Every hour that the dealership is open, that I'm not here costs me sales and money. That's why I work the hours I do. It's just nice to have one day per week that the dealership is closed to everyone, so I can take that day off,spend time with Penny and my dogs, relax, go riding, go hunting and not worry.
I really don't think I'd stay in the business if I was forced to work Sundays.
Dave |
Bomber
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 04:33 pm: |
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Dave--understood, and, as clarification, the stores I was refering to do NOT have sales guys on duty those days ...
in any event, the hours a business is open is the business of the business owner (phew, say THAT 5 times fast) -- and not mine, yes?
as for hours adn days work, nossir, not any more -- last job, I averaged a 75 hour week, including most Saturdays -- this time around the wheel, I'm keeping the hours down to 55 or so, and, thus far, on;ly one weekend spent on work (now I've jinxed it! grin) |
Wyckedflesh
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 05:22 pm: |
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Its not the Sundays being closed that bother me...its the Mondays also that drive me up the wall. I don't know how many times something broke on Sunday and I needed the part on Monday to get to work on Tuesday but Nooooo...they took Sunday and Monday off. Since I started working I have yet to have a job where I got 2 days off in a row without asking for it special. I know the H-D shops have dropped being closed on Mondays but alot of the bike shops still follow that lead.
What I think would be really cool, is if we could say log in to Appleton H-D, peruse the parts book and leave a request for parts...oh wait...I already do that  Thanks Dave, enjoy your sunday's you earned them |
Chaser
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 05:35 pm: |
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I think it would be really really cool if Buell could provide a spare bike for me to keep at my house and if they could pay my payments.
Lets face it.
If it was profitable they would be open 24/7 like 7/11.
How many of you have walked into a car dealership and had to wait on a part?
I have and Honda sells more cars a month than buell and harley sell bikes in 6 months.
If you want to walk into a Harley dealership and get the part that day the part number better reference a t-shirt.
Enjoy your days off to guys!!!!!
edited by chaser on July 26, 2004 |
Daves
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 05:48 pm: |
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I totally agree with being open on Monday-Saturday.
Dave |
Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 08:51 pm: |
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monday thru saturday is peachy with me also....
would I have my job if I was a church going guy and religious....nope because to have my job I must work sundays......not for long tho |
Outrider
| | Posted on Monday, July 26, 2004 - 09:16 pm: |
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Friends are Friends and Business is Business. Sorry if I stepped on any toes with the Sunday hours thing, but it would be in the best interest of the dealers and consumers in many markets. Not to mention, Harley Dealers, above all, are the one's positioned to capitalize on it with their Neiman Marcus type stores.
How the dealers do it is not my concern. They have plenty of models to work from. If it is worth it, an aggressive dealer will do it. If they don't, they will lose business to whomever does. Just remember, there is more money in T-Shirts than Buells. Sorry, but somebody had to say it. |
Court
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 04:59 am: |
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>>>>there is more money in T-Shirts than Buells. Sorry, but somebody had to say it.
Particualrly for Vern Holubeck.
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Outrider
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 08:23 am: |
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Court...Thanks, glad you didn't take that the wrong way. Must have been a relaxing weekend, eh? |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 11:04 am: |
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What Dave said...
I've worked "regular" engineering jobs for 20 years. I worked many a long day, often 6-7AM until 7-8PM for months at a time on key projects. But I tried to keep weekends free when I was workin for da man.
Now I run American Sport Bike. No employees, just Joanne and I. I can't possibly get all the things done during the week that needs to get done and still stay in business. So I come in on Saturdays. We aren't "officially" open, but if the phone rings, I answer it. If someone needs help, I give it. If someone stops by (lots of Draggin Jeans customers on Saturdays), we sell to them. I guess that sounds like we're open, but the difference is, I come in at the time that suits me, and leave when I feel like it. If I want a weekend off to go dirtbiking, I'm going, and I'm not gonna feel guilty for not covering the phones on a Saturday. If I lose a sale over it, c'est la vie. I work for YOU from 7 to 7 every weekday. I work for ME on Saturdays. That very subtle difference has HUGE impact on my psyche.
But Sundays? I rarely come in, and if I do, it's because I'm way behind on something. I don't answer phones on Sundays. I wouldn't last long if I had to work 7 days. I'd burn out and go back to engineering.
In the end, it's motorcycle parts. Hobby stuff. Not emergency room, life-or-death stuff. Things can wait another day, in general. Heck, UPS won't pick up anything on Sunday, so there isn't THAT much of an emergency on Sunday that we can help with anyway.
Al
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Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 04:38 pm: |
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well said al....now lets find a bar ona saturday and drink and sing karaoke....if we feel like it |
Rex
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 06:08 pm: |
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As a retailer, it should be 7 days a week. open at 8 or 9 am and open till 9 pm. Cater to the customer....
Service dept. open 24 hours..Get um in and get um out......REX |
R1DynaSquid
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 06:13 pm: |
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Hospitals & Police stations are open 24/7.
What would anyone of us say if we needed to go to the hospital for surgery & they told you "sorry we are closed, the Drs are out riding"?
Im not saying a dealership should be open that much, but lots & lots of people ride on the weekends & believe it or not their bikes break. They cant all afford to spend the night in some town waiting for the dealerships to open on monday or tuesday. |
Henrik
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 07:11 pm: |
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Hospitals & Police stations are open 24/7
Having done the 24/7 Hospital thing, I can assure you it bites. Not much left of you after 24 hours in the ER, or even "only" 16 hours for that matter.
I'd love to have a *good* dealer open for service on weekends, but I frankly can't blame anyone for not really wanting to do it.
You gotta do what you gotta do, but I'm not sure many of you are aware of the personal "cost" of it.
Henrik |
Koz5150
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2004 - 09:06 pm: |
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Hospitals and Police stations Vs. Dealership???
Ok, put down the crack pipe and step away. I know with my business we will open on odd hours for a guy to get his bike detailed out (we stayed at the shop till 11:00 pm to get Dave's back window done). But nobody ever died from a dealership not being open on Sunday. If your bike breaks down on Sunday, that sucks, but it is not the dealerships fault.
Consider this also, if you have people working 5 days a week and then part-time staff covering the weekends, how good do you think that staff will be? I would rather wait till Monday and talk to the guy who is in the industry for a living then the college kid working on Sunday who knows nothing. Also with longer hours there is more overhead leading to higher prices. I think I can wait till Monday. Personally I keep a supply a parts at my house that I think could break like a spare belt. It's just a smart thing to do.
I think dealership hours are just fine the way they are. |
Reindog
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - 02:25 am: |
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Rex said:
"As a retailer, it should be 7 days a week. open at 8 or 9 am and open till 9 pm. Cater to the customer....
Service dept. open 24 hours..Get um in and get um out......REX"
That may be true for a medium to large size business that can pull a profit while supporting a staff.
A small business typically is a Mom and Pop operation that can't afford to hire help and survive. My hats off to ALL the sponsors of BadWeb. They are providing a decent service to us Buellers where there just ain't that many Buells in the marketplace to get big and fat on. Don't like it? Go buy a Hondasaki. Oops, they are closed on Sunday too while being impersonal when you CAN talk to them.
Thanks again to all the after market Buell retailers that make our bikes just a little bit better while being a whole lot different than the cookie cutter sputterers.
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Midknyte
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - 11:28 am: |
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"Now I run American Sport Bike..."
Al, thanks for your response. I'm more likely to make a purchase from you now... |
Brucelee
| | Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:24 am: |
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"As a retailer, it should be 7 days a week. open at 8 or 9 am and open till 9 pm. Cater to the customer.... "
Find me a car or bike dealer that meets these hours. You are kidding right?
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