Motorcycle salespeople less aggressive than car salespeople?

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Sunspark

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Hi:

I realize my sample size of 2 non-GTA dealerships is hardly a fair representative sampling but I find myself a little taken aback at why when clicking on "Contact Us" on their website to enquire about a specific bike I don't get a response asking how they can help in making the sale happen as soon as possible?

Dealership 1: 3 attempts since last Thursday to 3 separate people due to no response.

Dealership 2: Admittedly last night for the message and it's only been an hour since they opened, but no response yet and I'm not really expecting one either.

Dear dealership managers, if your staff doesn't have access to email in the office, please consider having a shared terminal or remove entirely the email us webform. Functionality should only be there if it actually works.

Dear sales staff, if you actually do receive an email from a prospective client and are too busy making sales left and right to respond, please be kind enough to forward it to a colleague of yours who may need to make an extra sale. Or, send a quick 1-liner response and say, you have received their message and that you will get back to them within X amount of time.

Make that sale happen.

Thanks for listening!
 
Motorcycle shops are not internet nerds, go see them in person.
 
In my recent experience, I did get replies from Motorcycle dealers via internet forms, although no where near as quickly as auto dealers... Perhaps this stems from most Motorcycle sales not being regarded as a primary form of transportation, viewed more from a hobby/leisure/pastime perspective, hence not as urgent...
 
mikbusa: Ah, but they are out of town. I'm cannot drive for potentially nothing. I also cannot call because due to my hearing if I want to call during business hours I would have to do it at the workplace which would be frowned upon. So I am an example of how being reachable may result in meeting additional customers.

Fazzzer: Perhaps, still and all, a sale is a sale right? I worked retail for 5 years, it just seems alien to me to ignore a potential customer even if its just a washer and dryer set. The way I look at it, I haven't even had an exchange of communication with them and I am already wondering what are the circumstances. I saw 1 sales rep from 1 of the 2 posted on GTAM last year, so maybe he will explain. I haven't mentioned names because there may be reasons why they cannot and it wouldn't be fair to single anyone out if everyone is the same way.
 
Sunspark said:
mikbusa: Ah, but they are out of town. I'm cannot drive for potentially nothing. I also cannot call because due to my hearing if I want to call during business hours I would have to do it at the workplace which would be frowned upon. So I am an example of how being reachable may result in meeting additional customers.

Fazzzer: Perhaps, still and all, a sale is a sale right? I worked retail for 5 years, it just seems alien to me to ignore a potential customer even if its just a washer and dryer set. The way I look at it, I haven't even had an exchange of communication with them and I am already wondering what are the circumstances. I saw 1 sales rep from 1 of the 2 posted on GTAM last year, so maybe he will explain. I haven't mentioned names because there may be reasons why they cannot and it wouldn't be fair to single anyone out if everyone is the same way.
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Get off your *** and start visiting dealers in person. If you don't know what you want or don't know if you'll buy or want to waste time in general, then continue the internet fantasy world.

If you're serious about buying from a dealer and have the funds, what's stopping you from checking them out? you might call it 'time wasting' but in my day it used to be called 'gaining experience'.
 
mikbusa said:
Motorcycle shops are not internet nerds, go see them in person.
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Internet nerds? they have a contact us button on the site they made, the OP is simply using a service they provided. And it's 2013 man email is not exactly new. When I bought my 2nd bike 90% of the transaction was done through email with the dealer, neither one of us had a issue with it. Gotta love the technophobes...
 
if the dealer isn't getting back to you, then I say, cry and whine about it here....

the dealer is definately going to get back to an interested buyer this way
 
I bought my bike from Sturgess Cycle in Hamilton after an initial contact by email. I did speak with the sales person once early on but from there it was all email. I first visited the dealer when I went to arrange for pick up and met the sales person for the first time when I picked up the bike. If a dealer doesnt get back to you then F 'em, go elsewhere
 
Jampy00 said:
Internet nerds? they have a contact us button on the site they made, the OP is simply using a service they provided. And it's 2013 man email is not exactly new. When I bought my 2nd bike 90% of the transaction was done through email with the dealer, neither one of us had a issue with it. Gotta love the technophobes...
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You got lucky then, most dealers sites are cookie cutter and they had no say in the development and the website traffic/email is not closely watched.
I'm not judging, that's just how it is. The small shops don't always do the electronic stuff well.
 
mikbusa said:
You got lucky then, most dealers sites are cookie cutter and they had no say in the development and the website traffic/email is not closely watched.
I'm not judging, that's just how it is. The small shops don't always do the electronic stuff well.
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No luck involved, just found a dealer and sales person that wanted my business and they worked to get it. If they never bothered to reply or follow up I would have went elsewhere and found a place that did. Though I don't doubt that the sites are cookie cutter, they have to have enough common sense to realize what options are there and how to utilize them, ignornace is not a valid excuse and neither is making the customer have to put in 100% of the effort into a transaction and then have to hand over the cash. I for one am sick of lazy companies that want you to do everything then at the end stand there with their hand out. F them and any who support them. ok ok rant over...LOL
 
I am happy to report that Dealership 1 has now responded and I can now ask about the bike I was interested in.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367338463.407250.jpg
 
They probably respond to E-mails less because of 17 year old kids inquiring about liter bikes via E-mail all the time. Always best to go in and meet face to face.

I have found that bike dealers are WAY less aggressive than car dealerships in person as well. Most are friendly, helpful and not push at all. (In my experience)
 
Sunspark said:
Fazzzer: Perhaps, still and all, a sale is a sale right? I worked retail for 5 years, it just seems alien to me to ignore a potential customer even if its just a washer and dryer set. The way I look at it, I haven't even had an exchange of communication with them and I am already wondering what are the circumstances. I saw 1 sales rep from 1 of the 2 posted on GTAM last year, so maybe he will explain. I haven't mentioned names because there may be reasons why they cannot and it wouldn't be fair to single anyone out if everyone is the same way.
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The responses I got from the Motorcycle dealers usually came within one or two days, from the auto dealers it was the same day, with many repeated attempts to contact me afterwards (very pushy compared to the bike dealers...)

Glad to hear that at least one responded, surprised the other hasn't replied yet...
 
I'm sure there are lots of kids bugging dealerships but as stated before if they choose to post this option at their website then they should make an attempt to reply to prospective buyers. It is quite easy to weed junk mail out and focus on serious people. I don't buy into the, if you're serious just go there, philosophy. Not too many people have time and money to go anywhere any time they wish to inquire about something. That's why we started writing letters, that's why phone was invented, e-mail, etc.

I have noticed a very nonchalant approach in many bike dealerships. They just don't seem to care. Perfect example of that was Envy which folded - most horrible customer service. I have been there 3 times, never bought anything and not because I didn't want to but because no one could or would help. That's how you drive people into US online sites and then cry that people don't want to spend money locally, why would they? To support what?
 
Sturgess Cycle in Hamilton, Kelly's Cycle Centre in Hamilton and Clare's Cycle in Fonthill all respond to email. Usually the same day, often within minutes. Doesn't matter whether it's about bikes, parts or service
 
mikbusa said:
Motorcycle shops are not internet nerds, go see them in person.
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It's 2013 they need to learn to adapt. These are probably the type of dealers that will whine and blame the internet for their lost of sales when they go out of business.
 
The problem with Contact Us forms on websites is they get spammed huge. 1 out of 20 or 1 out of 50 are valid requests so I can see how the folks on the other side end up just ignoring them.

If you're serious about the bike, I'd suggest picking up the phone. Then you can get their e-mail address and I'm sure they'd be more responsive by e-mail.
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