Dave Preston
Member
- Aug 29, 2001
- 1
- 0
I was sent a copy of some postings dealing with "MXPIMP''s attempts to buy an '02 YZ 125 at Smokey Point Cycle Barn. I was struck by the many inaccuracies and by the apparent need to be rude and insulting. I can't do much about the last part, but maybe soem facts might be made apparent.
1. Hidden costs: WHAT hidden costs? MXPIMP was offered a bike at a price and he did not buy it. That is not hidden cost. That is called shopping. He later bought the bike in Wenatchee from Cory Condotta. That's fine - we would rather have made the sale, but Cory's a fine person.
Many dealers do not give bottom line prices until you sit down to buy the bike because they can't.. every customer comes in with different needs, different credit, different things they wanted added to the bike, etc. As the price is worked out, a good salesperson will point out what all of the costs represent.
If you think the price is too high, you can shop elsewhere or offer a lower amount. None of that makes the salesperson a "saleslime" or requires that you tell them to "shove it."
Shipping Costs: It does not cost that much to ship a bike from a warehouse in Kent, that is true. Today's quiz question: How did the bike get to the warehouse, and who paid for that?
I would not refer to having your intelligence insulted until you learn to spell the word intelligence!
"They are fine when it comes to parts, but..." Has it occurred to you that carrying a large supply of spare parts for a wide variety of models...costs the dealer money? You want to buy your parts locally and then travel to a small dealership to buy the bike. That is certainly your choice, but is it really fair to the local dealer you want to carry all those parts for your bike that you refused to buy there?
"It pays to travel a bit." Well yes, it might. That is, if you do not consider the cost of the travel! Things do cost more in the big city areas. It costs the dealer more to do business there, and so it costs more for you to buy there. With a large dealer, you trade the accessibility, handiness, parts stock , and some other things, for a higher price.
I am not going to argue that Cycle Barn is the best place to buy a motorcycle every time, because I know it is not true. We try hard to make it the best place, but we do not succeed all of the time. Some people do not like the way we choose to figure the bill, some people do not like the staff person they are dealing with, some people even dislike the decor and the design of the building. Then there are some people who come in burdened with an attitude that they appear to save for motorcycle dealers. I do not understand this at all, but I have only worked in this business for a year. I don't recall people being so bitter toward a store like Nordstrom's because they make a profit, or to Boeing! I bought a Ford Focus last year,and I bargained hard with the salesman. I assume they made money on the deal, and I hope so, because I want them to stay open when I need service!
In this case a customer was given a price he felt was too high, and he bought elsewehere. Did he try to offer a lower price? I do not know. I hope he is happy with his new Yamaha, and I am sorry things did not work out for him this time, but I just want to point out that the prices were not hidden, that there are reasons for the way things are done, and nothing in this tale of woe justifies referring to the staff as saleslime or to Cycle Barn as a rip-off joint.
Well, anyway, I feel better!
Ride Well,
Dave Preston
Director of Marketing
Cycle Barn fanatic@cyclebarn.com
1. Hidden costs: WHAT hidden costs? MXPIMP was offered a bike at a price and he did not buy it. That is not hidden cost. That is called shopping. He later bought the bike in Wenatchee from Cory Condotta. That's fine - we would rather have made the sale, but Cory's a fine person.
Many dealers do not give bottom line prices until you sit down to buy the bike because they can't.. every customer comes in with different needs, different credit, different things they wanted added to the bike, etc. As the price is worked out, a good salesperson will point out what all of the costs represent.
If you think the price is too high, you can shop elsewhere or offer a lower amount. None of that makes the salesperson a "saleslime" or requires that you tell them to "shove it."
Shipping Costs: It does not cost that much to ship a bike from a warehouse in Kent, that is true. Today's quiz question: How did the bike get to the warehouse, and who paid for that?
I would not refer to having your intelligence insulted until you learn to spell the word intelligence!
"They are fine when it comes to parts, but..." Has it occurred to you that carrying a large supply of spare parts for a wide variety of models...costs the dealer money? You want to buy your parts locally and then travel to a small dealership to buy the bike. That is certainly your choice, but is it really fair to the local dealer you want to carry all those parts for your bike that you refused to buy there?
"It pays to travel a bit." Well yes, it might. That is, if you do not consider the cost of the travel! Things do cost more in the big city areas. It costs the dealer more to do business there, and so it costs more for you to buy there. With a large dealer, you trade the accessibility, handiness, parts stock , and some other things, for a higher price.
I am not going to argue that Cycle Barn is the best place to buy a motorcycle every time, because I know it is not true. We try hard to make it the best place, but we do not succeed all of the time. Some people do not like the way we choose to figure the bill, some people do not like the staff person they are dealing with, some people even dislike the decor and the design of the building. Then there are some people who come in burdened with an attitude that they appear to save for motorcycle dealers. I do not understand this at all, but I have only worked in this business for a year. I don't recall people being so bitter toward a store like Nordstrom's because they make a profit, or to Boeing! I bought a Ford Focus last year,and I bargained hard with the salesman. I assume they made money on the deal, and I hope so, because I want them to stay open when I need service!
In this case a customer was given a price he felt was too high, and he bought elsewehere. Did he try to offer a lower price? I do not know. I hope he is happy with his new Yamaha, and I am sorry things did not work out for him this time, but I just want to point out that the prices were not hidden, that there are reasons for the way things are done, and nothing in this tale of woe justifies referring to the staff as saleslime or to Cycle Barn as a rip-off joint.
Well, anyway, I feel better!
Ride Well,
Dave Preston
Director of Marketing
Cycle Barn fanatic@cyclebarn.com