Even flagship brick & mortars suffer customer service issues.

[superhawk]

I am totally in agreement with you sir
When I worked for Road Rider had a customer who was in a pinch and needed a counter sprocket now. We didn't have it in stock and could get it next day, but that wasn't going to work. So I called cycle gear for him to check stock. I asked the kid on the line for a sprocket for an R6, I overheard him ask a coworker "who makes an R6". I felt bad for the guy, obviously he was new, but that didn't make him incompetent. The few times I had to help a harely customer, I had to ask follow up questions even though I had 40 years of riding under my belt.
I'd rather have someone who is willing to give 100% with less ability, Than someone giving 50% with more ability. The employee giving me 100% will only become more knowledgeable, while the employe giving me 50% will only become unemployed
But what the fuck do I know, i'm just an old fuck with no life experience
Oh and now I know what a brake snake is

Hmm, having worked in a motorcycle parts and equipment store for 12years and managed one for 4, I have to say that your standard for doing business is a bit nonsensical.
I get where you are coming from, but as a manager looking to hire help I'm mostly interested in someone that can pass the drug test first and foremost. Much harder to do than I initially expected. Also I will take a girl who knows nothing about bikes that I can train as long as she is punctual, has people skills and takes her job seriously overall over somebody that is in to bikes but lacks in all other more important aspects for running a business.
Also, again from my experience in the business, most youngsters that work at those jobs tend to be in to dirtbikes and MX. As such there isn't much fault for them not automatically knowing who roadracers are.

I remember some guy making a scene in the store I was working on because I didn't know what a "brake snake" was for his dirtbike when I was just a sales person in my early 20's. He insulted me and the whole crew and stormed out swearing he will never do business with such amateurs again.
I was club racing with CCS at the time and had been a motorcycle only commuter for about 4-5years. I but was still very newbie to dirtbike riding.

Long story short, you probably should reconsider your standards. Just my opinion.

btw, in case anyone wonders what a "brake snake" is

It's a cable that connects your brake paddle to the frame to keep debris from jamming it.

 

[TheRiddler]

I remember some guy making a scene in the store I was working on because I didn't know what a "brake snake" was for his dirtbike when I was just a sales person in my early 20's. He insulted me and the whole crew and stormed out swearing he will never do business with such amateurs again.
I was club racing with CCS at the time and had been a motorcycle only commuter for about 4-5years. I but was still very newbie to dirtbike riding.

I had a fun, similar experience working at the equivalent of a big-box store. I had been there 4 years at that point, full time moto-only commuter as I went to college, probably 100k 2 wheeled miles under my belt.

Guy came in asking for oil. I said we had it, and also noted we had alternatives. He was very offended that I would even offer something other than what he said he came in for. I wasn't pushy, I wasn't insulting, I just told him other options existed. He stormed out, with that being the first and last time I ever saw him.

I would argue most customers were dramatically worse than the employees.

The number of people who tried to return 525 non-oring dirtbike chains after breaking them in a few miles on their 600cc supersports was frustrating.

 

[Pushrod]

As a maintenance manager I understand both sides of the customer service situation. Both the rotten attitude and the resentment of dealing with people regardless of which side of the sales counter you stand. People are icky.

I started having positive experiences with both vendors and customers when I took a stance of long term seduction. It mostly worked and when it didn't there was always something going on in the background I wasn't aware of. I did it anyway, it costs nothing be this way.

Sometimes the help will give away the store if you give just two honest compliments while you visit.

 

[dtrides]

I don't get the "two to three weeks from Italy" B.S.
First off, most MC gear that is branded as "Italian" is made elsewhere so it is just coming from a whse.
HyperGirl order a new race suit , on her phone, in the pits at Thunder Hill from FC-Moto (based in Germany) on a Monday....
It was at our doorstep ,in Eureka, on Wednesday.
No special shipping charges and at a great price!
Now that is good service!
We also use Zevzilla due to their return policy.
Makes it easy to get just the right size with out worrying you might get stuck with one size too big/small.
See items all the time being sold here in Barf listed as new, wrong size....
DT

 

[DAVER6]

motocard

I found a spanish company MOTOCARD, website is motocard.com,
you have to click on ESTADOS UNIDOS under destination to get to and then click english, great for clothes etc , Only thing on helmets price is great all the top brands but not DOT, they are covered under european specs for highway.

but to give you an idea a pair of top of the line Dainese black cost 445.00 plus tax etc , you can get from spain same glove 306.00 plus 15.30 shipping, comes DHL or UPS, and have never been charged no duty etc , big saving.have gotten Alpinestar and AGV, for the helmets i use them for track, not sure what would happened if used on the street and european certified and not DOT, I have not seen a cop look for dot sticker, on a name brand helmet

I have been buy items from them for years, very fast in answering questions and following up on shipping, usually shipping if they have in stock takes around 7-10 days to arrive.

the company is a major sponsor of Kawasaki WSBK team , so not fly by night,


As its harder and harder to find brick and motor stores that have inventory and give service

my .02

 

[kelsodeez]

good tip on the motocard website. just bought a pair of dainese gloves and saved 60 bucks on them compared to revzilla. crazy

 

[aminalmutha]

Preface: before I shit on retail workers (I used to be one), I understand this is probably a symptom of a larger economic and maybe cultural issues.

TL: DR at the bottom.

Sunday, June 2.

Long and short of it:

Wanted a jacket
Set on going to brick and mortar to help out the local economy. I would have waited for them to order if stock wasn't available. Just don't waste my time. Fuuck I hate it when that happens.

Called in for a very specific model of jacket. X colorway, x size, no perforations.

Sales associate over the phone: yes we have that!
Me: cool I'll be down there in a few to grab it.

20min later

At the store, sales assoc. has the jacket set aside.

I ask for maybe the 4th time, "....non perforated yes?" Before I can put on the jacket.

Sale assoc: uhhh, yeah... non perforated.

jacket: I'M MOTHERFUCKEN PERFORATED, SON. WHAT NOW BITCH?

Me: can you get me a perforated? I asked specifically for non perforated. I thought you had one in stock/in store, thats why I asked before I rolled up here.

Sales assoc. Oh gotta order this one from Italy, probably a few weeks.

Me: so I can't order this from RevZilla instead and have it here in a week?

Sale's assoc: ...

Crux of the story: train your employees better and maybe pay them more. Make it easier for me to throw money at you.

Bought the jacket online from RevZilla. Should be here within the week.
The local economy didn't get the money.

The end.

Tldr: asked for a jacket. Ready to spend. They didn't have the jacket even though they said they did.

Dude... that is exactly why I barely brick and mortar any more. I don't know how many times I've tried to support local business and have been met with contempt and distain.

Customer service has been dismal at best, for years. Motorcycle shops... good service has been the exception rather than the rule since before the '08 collapse.

Gun shops... same thing. I'll go to Big5 and deal with the guy who knows zilch rather than some condescending asshole at a shop.

Cars? Innan3tz. Tools? Innan3tz. Many of these places have been shooting themselves in the feets for years and years.

 

[295566]

I found a spanish company MOTOCARD, website is motocard.com,
you have to click on ESTADOS UNIDOS under destination to get to and then click english, great for clothes etc , Only thing on helmets price is great all the top brands but not DOT, they are covered under european specs for highway.

but to give you an idea a pair of top of the line Dainese black cost 445.00 plus tax etc , you can get from spain same glove 306.00 plus 15.30 shipping, comes DHL or UPS, and have never been charged no duty etc , big saving.have gotten Alpinestar and AGV, for the helmets i use them for track, not sure what would happened if used on the street and european certified and not DOT, I have not seen a cop look for dot sticker, on a name brand helmet

I have been buy items from them for years, very fast in answering questions and following up on shipping, usually shipping if they have in stock takes around 7-10 days to arrive.

the company is a major sponsor of Kawasaki WSBK team , so not fly by night,


As its harder and harder to find brick and motor stores that have inventory and give service

my .02

good tip on the motocard website. just bought a pair of dainese gloves and saved 60 bucks on them compared to revzilla. crazy

This is the reason smaller stores, brick and mortars, and customer service is going away. People shopping for the absolute bottom dollar price. Not to mention willing to send their money outside the US for cheapest price possible.

 

[kelsodeez]

This is the reason smaller stores, brick and mortars, and customer service is going away. People shopping for the absolute bottom dollar price. Not to mention willing to send their money outside the US for cheapest price possible.

Its not so much about bottom dollar prices, its more that i have wanted this pair of gloves for a while now and i couldnt bring myself to pay over $200 for a pair of short cuff gloves. ive been waiting for them to go on clearance and they are selling out before that happens. I had a price point that i was willing to spend and US retailers were just a little too greedy over it. Also, the spanish economy needs a little more of a boost than the US one does at the moment

 

[295566]

Wants a pair of $200+ gloves for less than $200 and calls the US companies, selling a European product (in which they have to pay duty taxes that you didn't), greedy.

You do you, buddy, you don't need to justify your actions to me. Just pointing out that reasons like this are why this thread exist in the first place.

 

[kelsodeez]

This thread is about the lack of customer service at brick and mortar shops. comparing prices from an online retailer based in Philadephia to another based in Spain isnt why this thread exists.

 

[bergmen]

I used to get great service at Road Rider in San Jose. They were an exemplary shop that was hurt by the online retailers.

Me too, for decades. I now live three hours away from Road Rider and it was my only go-to place for moto gear.

Dan

 

[295566]

This thread is about the lack of customer service at brick and mortar shops. comparing prices from an online retailer based in Philadephia to another based in Spain isnt why this thread exists.

It's cool man, like I said you don't need to justify your actions to me.

However, can you not see the connection between people purchasing for the absolute lowest price, typically online, and the decline in customer service issues? More and more places are having to cut costs to even survive, and unfortunately customer service is one thing that loses out. But when that's not people's priority, it's justified...

 

[kelsodeez]

It's cool man, like I said you don't need to justify your actions to me.

However, can you not see the connection between people purchasing for the absolute lowest price, typically online, and the decline in customer service issues? More and more places are having to cut costs to even survive, and unfortunately customer service is one thing that loses out. But when that's not people's priority, it's justified...

Im not sure if you read my first post in this thread, but my justification for buying online is because ive been lied to by the D-store in the past, so buying from a brick and mortar shop is out of the question for these gloves. Money was never the initial issue, because i dont mind supporting an awesome company that cares about their customers. When the brick and mortar option isnt an option anymore because of my reasons, looking for the lowest price online becomes the main deciding factor of a purchase.

you seem to think that the poor customer service is a symptom of buying online, but in my experience, its the cause.

Maybe im an outlier, willing to pay a little more for a good experience to bolster the economy of my own city, but when that face to face interaction becomes a bad experience, brick and mortar purchases cease to be an option and I just dont care where an online retailer is located, as long as they give me the best price.

 

[295566]

You know customer service isn't exclusive to brick & mortar stores, right? A big part of the reason Revzilla got to be so popular and big was their great customer service. Free returns/no restocking fees, gear geeks to help you with any questions, price matching... plus the videos with HEY IT'S ANTHONY FROM REVZILLA WHERE YOU CAN WATCHDECIDEANDRIDE.

Sportbiketrackgear is another awesome site with features like the aforementioned.

 

[kelsodeez]

You know customer service isn't exclusive to brick & mortar stores, right? A big part of the reason Revzilla got to be so popular and big was their great customer service, plus the videos with HEY IT'S ANTHONY FROM REVZILLA WHERE YOU CAN WATCHDECIDEANDRIDE

Good customer service of an online retailer that is thousands of miles away is not enough for me to pay a 30% premium on a product. I dont mind paying a premium for good customer service from a brick and mortar, but when buying online, its not as big of a deal to me. It might be for others, but not for me.

I do like Revzilla's videos and i have ordered from them without issue, but its still not a factor for me. When buying online my main selling points are price and confidence that the product isnt counterfeit. When buying from a brick and mortar (which is usually my first option because i dont mind paying a little extra to help out places where i can physically go and fondle a product before i buy it) my main criteria is customer service and getting lied to on the phone, and then riding over a hundred miles to that store on a lie is where i draw the line

 

[onto1wheel]

Sales associate over the phone: yes we have that!
Me: cool I'll be down there in a few to grab it.
.

I just got a paper flyer in the mail from CycleGear, claiming they have the solution to this problem.
Their "reserve online" program.
Check inventory and reserve before going down to the B&M store.
Sounds good to me. Anybody use it yet?

Seems like a solution that even small B&M stores could utilize.

https://www.cyclegear.com/reserve-online

 

[295566]

Inventory checking systems like that are usually somewhat inaccurate. I wouldn't trust it.

I got into the habit of always asking the auto parts store guy to physically check that they had an item in stock, even after checking their computer. Saved many a trips by doing this.

 

[mackdaddy]

Preface: before I shit on retail workers (I used to be one), I understand this is probably a symptom of a larger economic and maybe cultural issues.

TL: DR at the bottom.



Tldr: asked for a jacket. Ready to spend. They didn't have the jacket even though they said they did.

I had the same thing happen to me at a chain parts & gear store. I complained online & they gave me a discount coupon to use to order the item.

Feedback's both good for the store so they know who their weak employees are that need targeted training & it might benefit you as well.

 

[onto1wheel]

yeah, I agree inventory checking systems aren't perfect either, but I think with time the technology should improve.

There are many ways for it to get screwed up, but look at fedex/UPS, they handle millions (?) of items a day, and they rarely screw up.

If a stores computer system doesn't know what they have on hand, they've got big problems, I would think!