Parts Guy!!!

[Moteaux]

I call up my local cycle shop to order something.  I tell him what I am looking for and he checks and says "We would have to order that."  I say "Okay" and he hangs up the phone.   I call back, same guy answers the phone and I asked him why he hung up, he said "I told you were going to have to order that."  I told him "I know, but you didn't tell me if you were going to or get any information from me."  He then says "You don't have to be rude."  So I asked him then, getting angry at this point I might add  :flame: , if he actually knew what he was doing.  He said at that point "I get off a 6 if you want to meet me!"  I said "If that's what it takes to get this straightened out, but be careful what you ask for because at this point you might get it and more than you bargained for."

Next I ask him if XXXXXX was working today.  He says no, he works in sale not parts.  I then said I know that but he used to work in parts and at least he has a clued about what is going on and how to treat customers.  Parts guy then asks my name and phone number and then tells me his name and says he will get it ordered.

It is 2 1/2 hours until 6 o'clock.  My blood is still boiling but starting to simmer a bit now.  I am trying to resist the urge to go up there and meet this guy.  I guess I'm just looking for a place to vent and someone to talk me out of doing something stupid.  I am supposed to be leaving tomorrow for Alabama to get ready for the 24 hour race.  I sure don't need to go up there with a busted hand as it is just now healing from an enduro 2 months ago.  Besides, bail money isn't in the race budget.

 

[Zerotact]

This is why finding a local dealer that takes care of you is Just as important as the actual bike you choose...... A great running, plush riding bike isn't worth the BS if you gotta go through that every time you need parts.

 

[truespode]

Originally posted by motohead00
someone to talk me out of doing something stupid

You came to the wrong place then :p

Ivan

 

[Moteaux]

Originally posted by Truespode


You came to the wrong place then :p

Ivan

I am lacin' up my shoes right now. :think:

 

[Farmer John]

Originally posted by motohead00
It is 2 1/2 hours until 6 o'clock.  My blood is still boiling but starting to simmer a bit now.  I am trying to resist the urge to go up there and meet this guy. 

Do it!

But not the way you are thinking.
Get there about 1/2 hour before closing. Ask him if everything went okay with your order, then give him a nice cold sixer for after work. You will now have "your" local parts connection.

Keep in mind, he may have had a morning full of gays looking for cooler racks for thier atv's & kids going "do you sell mini bikes"

 

[KiwiBird]

Motohead - take a six pack and make a friend, better in the long run.

 

[Moteaux]

Farmer John & Kiwi....  I have calmed down and taken your advice somewhat.  I called back up there and  "Parts Guy" answered the phone.  I told him he had 3 options.   #1  We could meet and get in on like donkey kong and settle it.  #2 We could meet have a cold beer and settle it, or #3 we could just call it water under the bridge. 

He then apologized and took option #3, told me my order would be here in 3 - 5 days and apologized again for any misunderstanding.  Maybe not a friend in the works but I feel better now and I think he does as well also.

Thanks for letting me vent guys.

Randy

P.S.  I hate to admit this but.... the parts were for a qu@d. :think:

 

[KiwiBird]

Oh man, I dig out my best advice for a QUAD part, have you no shame? :laugh:

 

[marcusgunby]

we all have off days-it not a excuse but it happens.

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Using space on the Flame Board for a QUAD part :flame:

 

[Senior KX Rider]

:)

 

[mx547]

Originally posted by motohead00

P.S.  I hate to admit this but.... the parts were for a qu@d.

no wonder he was pissed. :scream:

 

[kbud]

There was a good "Stuck Throttle" article in a Dirt Rider about not pissing off your parts guy cause the next time you need a part, it will be wrong. It happened to me all the time after i yelled at them for selling me the wrong fork seals, wipers, and bushing and not taking them back. Now that guy is fired.

 

[Wraith]

hey motohead00, it sounds like my local Honda dealer may be a sister company of yours. To top it off, none of the parts people ride bikes, and I really meen NONE! If I don't want to wait 10 minutes (at least 10 minutes no joke) for them to look up a part number, I have to get online and look up the Honda number myself. I made the mistake yesterday by giving them the benefit of the doubt, and went in with no part number. So I told him I needed a gasket for my RC cover. 5-10 minutes later and him asking "What year was that again, what bike, what was that thing called?". I grabbed his computer moniter turned it around towards me, and low and behold he had the clutch side scematic pulled up
:scream:

 

[Moteaux]

Originally posted by Wraith
I grabbed his computer moniter turned it around towards me, and low and behold he had the clutch side scematic pulled up
:scream:

This wasn't the first dealings I have had with this guy.  I was looking for some carb parts the other day, namely the float bowl screws.  Of course they didn't have them.  I asked him for the dimensions so I could go to a local fastner shop and pick them up.  He said his schematic didn't give them.  Another guy was there in sales and he used to work parts.  He looked at the schematic and showed the guy how to get the dimensions and went to the back and got what I was looking for. 

 

[Wraith]

The only readon I go to mine is they are the only Honda dealer within 75 miles of me. Shoot, they don't even sponcer local races, let alone racers! :ugg: My buddy puts bikes together for them as a 2nd job. He works 30-35 hrs for them weekly, and they give him 5% off on parts :uh: I laways say I would do things different if I was in charge of the place, but I guess they are just trying to make a living like everyone else. But good grief, giving 5% to a guy that works there? He said a Honda rep was giving hats out, and he and his brother (a mechanic there) reached out for one. And the guy over the shop said no these are for the sales people. I think I would have threw the hat on the floor, whip it out, pee on it. Then head off to job placement.
I truely think that this shop is the worst run dealership in America.

 

[mx547]

i go straight to the parts manager. i don't even mess with those other guys. same with sales, straight to the sales manager.

 

[kbud]

My local dealer is the same way. I asked them a mechanical question today, and he said "I don't know anything, you'll have to talk to service." Now how in the Hell can he retrieve parts if he doesn't know his ass from a damn fork seal?

 

[yzguy15]

Hey yall, everybody's gotta make a living. That being said, I hope that when I turn 18 my local Yammie dealer will hire me and fire the jerk they got workin behind the parts counter. The parts manager is awesome, the other guy is cool too (not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but at least he's nice) but this one dude is a complete jerk. He acts like he just doesn't wanna be there. In fact, one day, he said he didn't wanna be there. Whatever :silly:

 

[Patman]

I have 2 Honda shops within an hour of me, both pretty large. What are the odds that they carry any 6mm bolts? "We'll have to order that but maybe the service dept can help ya'." I go back to the service dept and ask if they have any 6mm x 22mm shouldered bolts and the lady gets all pissy
"What kind?!"
I think for a moment and say "Uh,... aluminum?"
"NO! WHAT KIND?!"
I laugh and say "Honda?" :laugh:
No I mean hex or allen head!"
"Oh, either would work."
"We don't have any"
I roll my eyes chuckle tell her "I'm not suprised" and walk away.

Honda shop #2
Do ya' think they'd have a rear tube for a 2002 XR80? Nope gota order it. How about the same bolt? Gota' order it. :| Now I try to support my local shops but this kind of crap makes it pretty hard when I can order it from Service Honda and have it fast plus delivered to me for less $$$ and they support DRN. BTW the local KTM shop ALWAYS at least has bolts in stock LOL!

 

[yzguy15]

Hey Patman, inventory control (ie special ordering) is a big deal to these shops. Most can't afford to keep much in stock at once. A friend of mine that works at a local dealer said that he has to special order almost everything and it sucks but you gotta do what you gotta do to stay afloat. Hopefully somebody that actually works in a parts department will chime in here and back me up.

 

[Wraith]

Most of a dealerships profit comes from motocycle sales, not parts. At least that is the what is going on at the shop near me. They have about 250-300 dirtbikes in there showroom and warehouse combined. They have really great prices on all of there bikes (no freight charge or that other crap others try to stick on) and move a ton of bikes. But for some reason they think they should stock 50 Shoei Pastrana helmets and 50 Shoei Piscott helmet, and a bunch of exhaust, for street and dirt. And then they carry very few tires, 1 choice of grips, AND NO PARTS for a guy who is trying to race the coming weekend.

 

[jaction125]

I am a parts man--not for bikes though, heavy trucks. In my business we have to have everything in stock, people who make their living off of these vehicles cannot and will not wait for a special order. The article in dirt rider is spot on. If somebody comes in and gives me a hard time I will deliberately give them something wrong or not enough to do the job. The other little bonus they get is a MUCH higher price if I can get away with it. :debil: But I know my product very well. The guys they put behind the counter in bike shops make burger flippin' money, so assume they are as usefull as a burger flipper. :eek:

 

[Patman]

I can understand not keeping a seat cover for a 1972 CT70 in stock or even a cam chain for a CRF450R but basic bolts and brake pads?! Both of these Honda/multibrand dealerships are pretty large and the KTM shop is tiny yet they realize people need bolts and even brake pads! So since both of these shops are an hour from my house I make it a point to call about parts first and since I'm on the phose why not call the 800 number for Service Honda and get the parts delivered to my door? I guess I'm just spoiled from my KTM days when I could get basic pieces by going to the counter. If these guys were really interested in invetory issues yhey would keep basic stuff on hand and make the several hanging racks of pants, jerseys, leather goos and helmets a special order item.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

My KTM dealer has almost everything (except No-Toil) in stock. It may have come off another bike ;) but it;s there. Only bad thing is they are never open. They provide KTM trackside support so the shop is almost always closed.