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

[Paul Fox <pgf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 > 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

i don't know very many mail-order shoppers that don't factor in S&H,
plus mounting and balancing, when making their purchasing decisions. 
i certainly do.  and it always comes out cheaper.  _certainly_ those
of us that do our own mounting and balancing come out _way_ cheaper. 
why doesn't the dealer want that business?

 >  I would rather eyeball my tires, and since I live down the road from
 > Chaparral, I can get tires cheap and in person.

if i lived down the road from chaparral, i'd probably buy locally too!

 > 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.

this is hogwash.  the stuff i buy mailorder is exactly the same, or
better "shit" than i could buy from a dealer.  and it arrives at my
door.  if a dealer can't find a way to satisfy me as a customer, they
don't deserve my business.  and i've got to say that your attitude, as
the son of a motorcycle salesman, that those of us that are taking
advantage of the new ease of internet shopping are "cheapskate
assholes" goes a long way to confirming my suspicions.  perhaps if my
dealer treated me as a "descriminating, informed, consumer" rather
than a "cheapskate asshole", he'd get more of my trust.  if he
actually _stocked_ wear items, rather than making me wait just as long
or longer than it would take me to get them mailorder, maybe i'd be
interested in shopping there.  why is it that dealers don't stock
common hand levers, which commonly break and bend in tipovers?  a
dealer near me doesn't even have crush washers, which should really be
replaced anytime you open your brake system!  i consider myself lucky
if they actually stock my oil filter.  (okay, they usually do.  but
not always.) why can't my dealer have something drop-shipped directly
to my home?  what kind of gall is it for them to say they won't mount
tires they don't sell?  gee, they're happy to _sell_ me tires they
don't _mount_, aren't they?

it's a changing world.  dealers aren't the only game in town.  and i
think they'd better start recognizing that, and re-attract me as a
customer.  an example -- why not give my the third or fourth tire
purchased in a year at 50% off?  that would satisfy their need to
gouge most customers, but keep the high mileage riders happy.  another
example -- if i rode a kawasaki, i'd be thrilled as hell by
www.buykawasaki.com.  that's a _great_ service, one whose convenience
might make me happy to do business with my dealer.  every motorcycle
shop in the country should be demanding that service from their
manufacturer.)

paul
=---------------------
 paul fox, pgf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (arlington, ma, where it's 62.2 degrees)
 'oh-oh Sprint RS, '91 VX800, DoD #1462, AMA #545601

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