why bmw is not selling more bikes ...

[ferenc]

(bet bwm does not read this) ...
Walnut Creek dealer has no current brochures, no bikes.  nice folks and great parts dept.
Livermore dealer  answers phone only on third attempt.   Bike on floor in cobwebs – no info, brochure, nor time to speak with me – 4 of them, one customer.  30 minutes later,  i walk out.
Modesto  dealer says come on down for a test ride - just bring license.  His helpful staff offer ride on triumph(!) but demand my insurance cover all.  my insurance refuses, claiming dealer should be primary.
Back to livermore.  4 workers again, one talking to triumph customer.  10 minutes later, he disappears.   ‘workers’ on bwm side, chatting amongst themselves walk away as I approach.  puzzled, i do same.
5.  ktm/triumph dealer in concord discussed their offering in depth, and i'll be going back for a test ride.
BWM dealer help  not much worse than BMW not showing up at bike show in San Mateo.

[Nodaclu]

I know it's a bit of a drive for you, but I'm betting that you won't have those same experiences at A&S Cycles in Roseville.

[Stripes]

Weird... The same thing happened to me at a BMW dealership in Grand Rapids, MI. I called them(the dealer) on the phone to make sure they had a 2011 R1200RT that I could look at & they said they had one & that they even had a '10 model that I could take for a short 15 mile ride if I was interested. So my buddy & I stopped at the Triumph, Ducati & KTM dealer in Kalamazoo to look at a couple of new Triumphs & the '12 Multistrada before looking at the Beemer which is 2 hours away. The Triumph dealer was helpful, but I really wasn't interested in any of the bikes. I was actually a little disappointed, I was hoping I would fall in love w/ the Sprint GT or Tiger. I do however am still intrigued by the Multi Touring S. Anyway, we get to the BMW dealer & there are at least 5 employees standing there or sitting on bikes talking about rides. None of them even acknowledge me or my friend. After walking around the bikes, gear & parts dept for 30 minutes the parts guy asks how we are doing & we said good & if there is anybody I can talk to about the RT & where the '10 model was as it wasn't out on the showroom just the '11 was. He then says he thinks the '10 is in the back & that any of the dudes by the front door can help. I procede to the front door at which this time the employees are talking about how there has never been an accident at the intersection in front of the store, & as we're walking up to them they all kind of scatter like cockroaches in different directions. I meet my friend back at the '11 RT where we look at the spec. sheet & sit on the bike for 12 minutes when some skinny guy in jeans & a t-shirt asks if we are finding everything okay & I say to him that I would like to talk to somebody about this bike which he replies I will let them know & 14 minutes later no one comes out so my friend & I leave stopping by the service dept. & asking a question about removing the rear wheel on my '00 R1100R & the guy was very helpful.  We walk out to the bikes & suit up & leave, & as we pull out we notice the employees standing by the front door again talking. I'm hoping my experience at the BMW dealer in Canton which is only an hour from my house goes a little better. Cheers

[ferenc]

I know it's a bit of a drive for you, but I'm betting that you won't have those same experiences at A&S Cycles in Roseville.

thanks, i made a ride out my trip to moodesto yesterday (canyon, redwood, mines road and del puerto canyon) so it wasn' a total loss!  suggested routes?  i wont be taking my truck, in anticipation of buying!

i've bought parts from the roseville guys before - very efficient and helpful, but found out one of the local dealer parts guys is related to one of my engineers - had great service from him before, and he was the most helpful in discussing bikes (for which they had no brochures or floor models)!

the bmw  bikes i am interested in are the f series,
ferenc

[vitaminC]

How about SF BMW or CalMoto? If you know which bike you want to ride, try making an appointment instead of just showing up. And its the end of the season, which may explain the lack of bikes on the floor- especially the F's.  I think the new 12's start arriving this month.

[David 13]

It happens.  I've heard the same stories about Harley dealers, more than once.
dc

[DNA]

Interesting...

I just moved tot her east bay this month and was quite excited when I found a BMW/Triumph?KTM dealer 15 minutes away in Livermore.  Yes - I had all three of these brands in my garage at the same time last year and sold off all but the big GS.

I am quite serious about getting a Streety for lane splitting as I already have a lot of experience with the motors and most of the special triumph tools.  Same with KTM - I have owed several and love 'em.

To put it into perspective - in the DC area - we only had 2 BMW dealers and the closest was at least an hour from my house.  A serious PITA for service.  Here there are several close together so there are nice options - but the service is lousy.  My experience witht he dealers in DC was it was a bit hard to get their attention - but once you spend money and make the jump from tire kicker adn dreamer to a customer they treat you very well indeed.  It remindede me of the airlines - once you make permier executive - you are a king and the peasants got trated poorly.  Is this fair?  As a business traveler I spend a lot on airline tickets - probably 20-30x more than the average person - so spending limited resources on serving me probably pays off in the end.  I sense BMW dealers are similar - loyal a nd loaded. Newbs might be a waste of time?

When I spoke with the owner, they talked aboput not being able to order the inventory they used to due to slow sales and credit limitations, so the good old days of lots of bikes sitting unsold are long gone - along with a lot of dealerships.

Quite frankly, I plan to hold back a bit right now- and possibly try to pick up something used at this point.  Having 5 bikes is just too much to keep up with 3 small kids int he house.

[viffergyrl]

^^This. You may not be perceived to be worth their time unless you hunt them down. 20% of the effort for 80% of the result is how they are working. And how I work as well.

If I am seriously interested in buying (not just looking) I chase down the sales people and make them help me.   Let them know you are interested in buying in the next three months. Or this month. Or this week. But I'm used to this being female and not to be taken seriously in the vehicle world (happens when I shop for a car too).   Or I tell them I'm just 'doing research' or 'seeing what's new' and just want to sit on some bikes but not ready to buy just yet. There are times when I want them to leave me alone.

[ferenc]

lol - i was wondering if i had to bring a babe with me to get their attention!

first time i showed up was after a call, saying i'll be down, and i did with my truck.  nada
second time, it was unannounced, and i rode in.  nada.

the moo-desto (pun intended) dealer i spoke with on the phone, first i left him a message, he called back a few days later, pushed for me to come down with my license for a test ride (or two).  i said i'll get back to him after i look at my schedule.  he knew i wanted to get a bike within a month, as i'm anticipating hitting 00000.0 on my odometer (!) at which time i planned to put that daily ride on the back-burner.  i called him the eve before said i'd be in - he suggested morning, which is when i showed up (113 miles each way), and then at the last minute i walk away because they had no insurance on their test ride bikes!

talk about incompentency and poor customer service skills!

i agree that a pushy salesperson will push away more customers like me, but i expect to be treated with courteous service and some sense of professionalism.

is it part of the ego-bmw image they are trying to instill?

by they way, i am not wealthy, but assured them that the decision on which bike to buy would not be based on budget.

ferenc
ps  before i  bought my vx, i was looking for a 2nd wee, and two suzi dealers (one of which is out of business) agreed over phone to sell the bike.  the sf dealer's manager said his sales guy should not have agreed, and the one that is out business backed out 5 minutes before i actually was about to head out, saying, oh, yea, we don't have the wee, but we do have other bikes we'd like to sell!!!

perhaps it's just a 'salesperson' style/'mentality'/nature here - not just beemer flakes i encountered.

[DangerMoney]

When I spoke with the owner, they talked aboput not being able to order the inventory they used to due to slow sales and credit limitations, so the good old days of lots of bikes sitting unsold are long gone - along with a lot of dealerships.

This is a common problem in business these days. Banks are reducing credit limits which limits the ability of businesses to carry inventory, which limits growth, which and thus the ability to hire new employees/bring the laid-off back.

[viffergyrl]

  The 'babe' idea only works if you bring an umbrella girl with you. I generally don't fit that category.  

[jhawk]

When I spoke with the owner, they talked aboput not being able to order the inventory they used to due to slow sales and credit limitations, so the good old days of lots of bikes sitting unsold are long gone - along with a lot of dealerships.

it's not limited to BMW.... it's a fairly common scenario across the country during this recession....  the BMW dealership here is doing well, they have plenty of new bikes

[ferenc]

it's not limited to BMW.... it's a fairly common scenario across the country during this recession....  the BMW dealership here is doing well, they have plenty of new bikes

during high unemployment and a recession is the time to dump the lazy, unproductive bufoons and hire hardworking, capable, and motivated staff - that is when such are more readily available and affordable.

it's a poor excuse to blame the economy for underperforming staff - and management, especially in the livermore operation - maybe it's just a laundering front???  of course, i'd be the first one to not use the threat of others wanting to keep one's job as a motivational tool, but we all have a choice.

going up to chico and roseville for a potential test drive as some have suggestd - hmm, not sure it's worth it - that's currently my choice ;-), so i guess i better stop whining!  unless, of course, they served peet's, or ...

regarding babes?  i say, each dealer should have one to bring in customers, not each customer should have one to bring the dealers around!  you can substitue 'babes' gender as needed for appropriate orientations of customers ...  a dealership is not the kind of place one should waste time in with one's 'babe', eh?

enjoy,
ferenc

[cbsnbiker]

Ferenc, I'm sorry that you're having such trouble with the BMW dealerships out there. If I were in your shoes, I'd tell them all to go pound rocks and I'd buy from a good dealership, whatever the brand (if you found a bike you like, of course).

If you feel motivated enough, how about writing to BMW headquarters and telling them about your experience? I bet they want to know about experiences like yours.

I've had the opposite experience. My local dealership is excellent. Dealers for other brands in the area have reputations from all right to pretty lousy.

[ferenc]

Ferenc, I'm sorry that you're having such trouble with the BMW dealerships out there. If I were in your shoes, I'd tell them all to go pound rocks and I'd buy from a good dealership, whatever the brand (if you found a bike you like, of course).

If you feel motivated enough, how about writing to BMW headquarters and telling them about your experience? I bet they want to know about experiences like yours.

I've had the opposite experience. My local dealership is excellent. Dealers for other brands in the area have reputations from all right to pretty lousy.

good idea:  here is my next email recepient:
motorrad@bmw.de
enjoy,
ferenc

[ferenc]

Interesting...

I just moved tot her east bay this month and was quite excited when I found a BMW/Triumph?KTM dealer 15 minutes away in Livermore.  Yes - I had all three of these brands in my garage at the same time last year and sold off all but the big GS.
...
Quite frankly, I plan to hold back a bit right now- and possibly try to pick up something used at this point.  Having 5 bikes is just too much to keep up with 3 small kids int he house.

hey, welcome to california!  looks like your map needs more coloring.
i know what you mean about juggling life's many demands.

for me, i'm basically looking for a sane standard bike that would easily lane share, and, except for lacking a center stand, the street triple may win out,
ferenc

[cbsnbiker]

good idead:  here is my next email recepient:
motorrad@bmw.de
enjoy,
ferenc

Make sure to send one also to the U.S. division, in New Jersey. We know they read English.  

It might even be better as an old-fashioned business letter via the U.S. mail.

[nevinfs327]

The Mission District dealer seemed really nice.  I went for parts, but was certainly acknowledged by sales people too, and they were busy (15 customers to 3 or 4 sales people it seemed).  Parts and service were both helpful.  Just had to wait my turn.  

Regarding the Street Triple, I bought an aftermarket center stand that works great and bolted on in maybe 20 minutes.  http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productprint/4942/699/

[Rincewind]

Sorry to hear that the West Coast BMW dealers are not meeting your expectations.  The two BMW dealers near me I consider exemplary.  

for me, i'm basically looking for a sane standard bike that would easily lane share, and, except for lacking a center stand, the street triple may win out,
ferenc

Like Nevin, my Street Triple is equipped with the same center stand.  Be aware though that the center stand may have issues with the latest bikes - there is some emissions gizmo that is said to be in the way for mounting the center stand on 2012 models.

The Street3 is a great bike, though the BMW's have good points too such as better fuel economy and some better accessory options.  

[ferenc]

The Mission District dealer seemed really nice.  I went for parts, but was certainly acknowledged by sales people too, and they were busy (15 customers to 3 or 4 sales people it seemed).  Parts and service were both helpful.  Just had to wait my turn.  

Regarding the Street Triple, I bought an aftermarket center stand that works great and bolted on in maybe 20 minutes.  http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productprint/4942/699/

hey, thanks for the tip on the mission dealer - will have to look them up.  i recall going with a friend to a dealership out by 280 - great crew, there, forget which japanese bike  he had, and what else they carried.

interestingly, the ktm/triumph/ducati dealer said that the '11 speed triple could not receive a center stand.

perhaps s-t.net users should buy bikes directly from factory - what is the value added (perhaps negative?) by the sales guys!

ferenc