Re: [ST] And Dealers wonder why they are losing business to mail

["Stuart Mumford" <s2mumford@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I strongly agree with Charlie. Support your local bike shop.

My Dad has been a motorcycle salesman since before I was born, he currently
works at On Yer Triumph, some listers may even know him, Doug Mumford?
Therefore, I may have a different perspective than other listers.

On the tire argument, when buying mail order, there usually are significant
shipping and handling charges, and you're buying a pig in a poke. Not to
mention paying mounting and balancing costs over and above the norm. I think
if you total up all the costs, you're not gonna save as much as you think
versus buying from your local dealer. By the way, what business of yours is
it what the owner of the bike shop drives? (I don't get that idea at all?)

 I would rather eyeball my tires, and since I live down the road from
Chaparral, I can get tires cheap and in person.
However, I find that patronizing 2 other local dealerships (Malcolm Smith
Motorsports, Kawasaki of Riverside) for a lot of other motorcycle related
items (chains, sprockets, filters, gloves, bags, mirrors, accessories,
chemicals, etc.) is by far the best way to go.

The guys are glad to see me when I go there, they give me great service,
over and above the call of duty (mount and balance a tire for $10, (even
though I didn't buy the tire there), free valve shims, for example).
When I walk in the door at either of these places, they are glad to see me.
I know the guys that work there, (they don't say oh shit here comes that
penny pinching bastard), I like them, and I can hang out and talk bikes with
them if I feel like it.

When you go for the cheapest shit, you're gonna deal with someone that
worked at Burger King last week, you're gonna have to live with the cheap
crap you buy, and you will be regarded as a cheapskate asshole by your local
bike shop.

Patronize your local bike shops that you feel deserve your business, it's a
good relationship to have.

My 2 cents
Stuart Mumford
99 Sprint ST
99 KLR 650

- -----Original Message-----
hmmmmmmm.....

Always a debate - whether to support local dealer or go mail-order.

I'm a firm discipler of the "support-your-local-dealer" argument. I've been
doing business at one particular dealership (not a Triumph dealer) for the
past 10-15 yrs. They know me, I know them, and they will usually make an
effort to get close to what mail-order pricing is - at least close enough to
where I would do business with them. I don't look for 'em to match mail
order. I don't mind paying a bit extra to have an on-going working
relationship with 'em. They don't squeeze me and I don't squeeze them - they
know they will have all my repeat business, why gouge?
I get my money's worth. I don't have to stand in line on a saturday
afternoon for a tire change - I can show up and they'll drop what they're
doing to mount a tire on any wheel I bring 'em - even some tires (race
slicks) they didn't sell me. The shop manager, a certified Tig welder, will
gladly weld up anything I need fixing (has even come into his shop on a
saturday night after hours to fix a part - for free - so I can make a start
grid for a Sunday race). I can call 'em on the phone and they will get me
any part or accessory that I need or may want - without a deposit - and, if
I choose not to buy, will gladly return to mfgr without complaint.
This level of attention and service I can't get w/mail-order. I can't
begrudge anyone using mail-order since budgetary constraints may force
mail-order route, but it's something I avoid if at all possible.
I just like the human contact part......but then, I may be an extreme case -
I even avoid things like bank direct deposits and ATM's - would just rather
talk to a live face.

Charlie McCullough
tz250 WERA #90 Ex
Lotts Ducs
'99 Triumph ST


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