another BS move by my stealership

mark419ny said:

is there something wrong with bringing my own oil cause i dont want to get hosed by the stealership? Is it wrong to give them my own shop towels because they charge me for what i can get a dozen rolls for. Maybe if they charged the rate that everyone else in the area charges i wouldnt do that stuff.
Is it wrong because i have money or a ducati i dont want to pay 20 a qt for oil when i get the same thing for 8 bucks a qt? Maybe charge 12 bucks and i wouldnt do that.
Maybe the way i am is why i can afford the things i have. Does warren buffet drive a ferrari nope he drives an acura or honda i forget.

If you want to give away money for no reason then hey ill give you my address start the checks coming

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yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stw said:

As I am sure many of us have I have watched the tech do this..... I am amazed that any dealer would either charge for this or ask for reimbursement from Ducati...it requires removal of rear seat/cowling and plugging in a cable..The DDS does anything required automatically .Really Jarel its this kind of nickel and diming that drives customers crazy.... Any dealership worth their salt would do this as a courtesy... Its great customer service and builds relationships..and it shocks me that some people do not see this as an issue ...

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Well, I wasn't trying to argue with anyone, just pointing out the facts surrounding when Ducati pays to have an ECU update performed since that was specified incorrectly in the prior post. I was referring to a TSB or RECALL issue, which requires a lot more than just "plugging in a cable". Every TSB and RECALL issue has a procedure dictated by Ducati on how we verify the condition, how the update should be performed (which is not always just plugging in a cable and pressing "GO", there are multiple types of updates that can be performed - most of the newer bikes have multiple on-board ECU's) and how we verify the condition has been rectified. TSB's and RECALLS are the specific times that Ducati will pay to have an ECU update performed. That is all I was specifying. Does Ducati Omaha charge to check for a software update if we already have a bike in? No we don't, as long as it's not a customer who's a pain in the ass.......

Did I understand this right. A panigale customer brings his own oil and shop towels to the dealership to save money. They ask him to pay for the computer hook up to check the updates. He complains about 65 dollars? Is this for real or did I miss something? 65 dollars, I think that is about 40 Euros. If I was the business owner in that place i would throw him out.

Jariva said:

Did I understand this right. A panigale customer brings his own oil and shop towels to the dealership to save money. They ask him to pay for the computer hook up to check the updates. He complains about 65 dollars? Is this for real or did I miss something? 65 dollars, I think that is about 40 Euros. If I was the business owner in that place i would throw him out.

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yes, you did read that correctly, however i think they did throw him out - (although he thinks he left because they wanted to charge him for the hook up)....meanwhile they knew that would push him out the door on his own power

rd let me ask you a question seriously. in my right hand i have a product its 30 dollars. in my left hand i have the same product its 80 dollars. which one do you buy. now lets assume you pick the product that is 80 dollars. you still have to pay 25% more than what anyone else pays to use the product. again i ask you if you are being charged more than 100% mark up on the product AND 25% more on the install than any other shop in the area AND YOU BOUGHT 2 BIKES FROM THEM would you think maybe just maybe you would get a little service? just saying.

now i dont feel i get service so i buy the oil myself and take it to them to do it if they are doing something to my bike. if not i change it myself.

As was said in the beginning of this thread and many times in other threads, it really is up to the individual dealer and the perception of their attitude towards customers.

I always bring my own oil for car and bike changes because I'm particular about goes in my machines. I've never had a car or bike service department bat an eye at that. I've also had a bunch of "freebie" or "favor" services like what Mark describes done by various Ducati dealers. Maybe it's because the dealers here have the attitude that they are in competition for my business (like STW pointed out), and they will do what it takes to get my business.

As a casual observer to this situation, it really seems like the NYC area dealers don't care about their service customers with behavior like what is reported here. Perhaps there are so many more customers in that area that they don't have to "compete" and treat customers as well as they do down here. Maybe it's a northern ........ attitude thing.

I've been in NYC Ducati/Triumph and they are indeed stuck up and not friendly. Sure I was going in to buy some T-Shirts but my boss' son was with me, who has a personal wealth well over $500 Million. He could have bought the store and they were just as rude to him.

mark419ny said:

rd let me ask you a question seriously. in my right hand i have a product its 30 dollars. in my left hand i have the same product its 80 dollars. which one do you buy. now lets assume you pick the product that is 80 dollars. you still have to pay 25% more than what anyone else pays to use the product. again i ask you if you are being charged more than 100% mark up on the product AND 25% more on the install than any other shop in the area AND YOU BOUGHT 2 BIKES FROM THEM would you think maybe just maybe you would get a little service? just saying.

now i dont feel i get service so i buy the oil myself and take it to them to do it if they are doing something to my bike. if not i change it myself.

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firstly, i hope you take some of the comments here as poking you for fun, and not too seriously or actually attacking you as an individual, since all of us only know the forum persona.....

i'll say this: i would be frustrated - and i would have to revisit my decision on how i came to choose this shop to begin with - i would agree 100% that your description borders on, or might even be, price gouging....or the very least, taking advantage of a customer

-- with that i mind i would no longer visit the shop in question, as it would only lead to further frustration (at least for me, i would have learned my lesson at the first service call....paid it, and most certainly moved on to another shop) - retailers, and dealers are struggling to keep their noses above water, that doesn't mean they should take advantage of you, but they can charge what they feel they need to get - the customers will/should respond by backing away from such behavior......you are certainly entitled to respond the way you see fit, and if bringing in supplies is your answer, so be it.......if you voice it on the forum, i think you'll get picked on, and as you've seen, "the guys" here might tend to lean in favor of the shop.....(at least from the teasing stand point)....

-- i see you're from NY, so there is no real shortage of shops...there are however some real fools in the business...i used to travel over the GWB to Teaneck when there were shops closer.....i chose to do business where i felt most comfortable, and treated like a human......my thought was "you're going to pay no matter where you go...i might as well get treated like a human in a civilized manner" (price wise & interaction)

-- most recently (last few years) my local shop took in ducati, and wow...are they great....a shop and people i've known.....makes a huge difference when just going there.....sure they may up charge on some things, but in most cases they offer their customers a discount, especially the type of customer you seem to be ---- you should feel justified in expecting that type of response from your dealer, although maybe not demand it...

-- oh, and by the way.......buy the item for $30 and wrench it yourself in your garage..that would be infinitely more satisfying (at least to me)

JeffD said:

As was said in the beginning of this thread and many times in other threads, it really is up to the individual dealer and the perception of their attitude towards customers.

I always bring my own oil for car and bike changes because I'm particular about goes in my machines. I've never had a car or bike service department bat an eye at that. I've also had a bunch of "freebie" or "favor" services like what Mark describes done by various Ducati dealers. Maybe it's because the dealers here have the attitude that they are in competition for my business (like STW pointed out), and they will do what it takes to get my business.

As a casual observer to this situation, it really seems like the NYC area dealers don't care about their service customers with behavior like what is reported here. Perhaps there are so many more customers in that area that they don't have to "compete" and treat customers as well as they do down here. Maybe it's a northern ........ attitude thing.

I've been in NYC Ducati/Triumph and they are indeed stuck up and not friendly. Sure I was going in to buy some T-Shirts but my boss' son was with me, who has a personal wealth well over $500 Million. He could have bought the store and they were just as rude to him.

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500....damn...i'm still working on my first...!!!!

RD16RR said:

500....damn...i'm still working on my first...!!!!

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Join the club. He didn't exactly work for it - just happened to choose the right family to be born into.

Rd I don't take anything on here personally. I also know lots of comments are poking. So no worries in that. I do it all the time with my Rossi comments. I get reactions like I stabbed their child.

I actually think it terrible that a business is trying to make a profit .
If you supplied your own oil and filter for a service at my Ducati dealership (if I had one ) finding another place to shop would not be your choice .
It's not like getting a service is something you do weekly suck it up and pay the bill if you don't like the bill make a choice and find a place more suited to your liking .
It's a easy thing to do most normal people do this without having to take to the internet .

wilkson said:

I actually think it terrible that a business is trying to make a profit .
If you supplied your own oil and filter for a service at my Ducati dealership (if I had one ) finding another place to shop would not be your choice .
It's not like getting a service is something you do weekly suck it up and pay the bill if you don't like the bill make a choice and find a place more suited to your liking .
It's a easy thing to do most normal people do this without having to take to the internet .

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of course and thats what i did i paid the bill only reason i didn't do it myself is that they were doing work on my bike already. cost me 120 bucks all in with filter and oil and labor vs 180 or so.

if you read what i said earlier, i said i have no problem with ANYBODY making a profit but you are not going to make your whole rent payment on my oil change. also if you charge me 25% more per hour on service and my chain needs to be lubed i expect you to spray it. not say oh by the way you should lube your chain. i think that is reasonable.

I get that your not happy . It's not exactly the crime of the century so why take to the internet with it .
I can think of issues with different "stealerships" with all of my awesome bikes I certainly didn't take to the internet about it .

Man oh man. I just read all of this and yes, dealership makes or breaks the ownership experience. I take mine to a dealer twice as far as the closest.

However, you have some nerve to nickel and dime a dealer and then bitch when they don't 'hook you up' with a freebie.

Come on man. You have to learn that penny wise and pound foolish applies here. The best thing you can have is a great relationship with the service guys. This is especially true with something semi exotic where you have limited choices for assistance.

I try to be a good customer, especially when it saves me a bunch in the end.

Bad customers hassle you about every nickel so when the option is available to charge them, you do it. Friends and good customers pay less than pain in the ......

Your personality type, as gathered from only this Internet forum and your like of Stoner tells me that you are likely to be a bad customer.

Ask yourself, would you have posted here how they did it for free?

Chris

Cloner said:

I dunno....maybe I'm just old fashioned, but when people bring a bike to Desert Desmo LLC they ALWAYS get more than they pay for. Sometimes they'll get a bit of brake fluid and chain lube, sometimes they'll get their bike cleaned up really well, sometimes they leave with parts they can't afford but that I don't feel safe omitting. I'll freely admit that I don't make my living out of my shop (I'm an Engineer by trade and I get paid entirely too well at that to become a full time motorcycle technician) but I feel like the small value added touches are what keep customers happy and keep them coming back.....that and attention to detail with quality service work.

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Desert it maybe overhead that dictates their hourly rate. Their rent may be high (not out of their house ), they may have loans on tools, have to pay mechanics more, etc. I just wouldn't slam someone's rate without knowing the details. Just go elsewhere, free enterprise and all.

And BTW, BMW, Land Rover, and Porsche all charge over $100 to hook up to the data plug (even if doing other services). They did pay $1000s for their devices, can't really blame them.

turnone said:

Man oh man. I just read all of this and yes, dealership makes or breaks the ownership experience. I take mine to a dealer twice as far as the closest.

However, you have some nerve to nickel and dime a dealer and then bitch when they don't 'hook you up' with a freebie.

Come on man. You have to learn that penny wise and pound foolish applies here. The best thing you can have is a great relationship with the service guys. This is especially true with something semi exotic where you have limited choices for assistance.

I try to be a good customer, especially when it saves me a bunch in the end.

Bad customers hassle you about every nickel so when the option is available to charge them, you do it. Friends and good customers pay less than pain in the ......

Your personality type, as gathered from only this Internet forum and your like of Stoner tells me that you are likely to be a bad customer.

Ask yourself, would you have posted here how they did it for free?

Chris

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So true, I have been self employed my whole life and I can't help but go the extra mile for our best clients. I find it a pleaser and my profit is what allows me to do so.

My dealer knows I don't haggle over price and just want my bike to be as close to perfect as possible. They often go the extra mile and I never feel like I have been taken advantage of. I realize that, like me, they have to make a profit to stay in business and if they don't they won't be there for me or anyone else. Furthermore running any business is difficult and the ones that do the best job tend to have the largest following. I can't find fault with any of them for giving less than stellar service to anyone who undermines their way of doing business.