Dear Harley,

Thanks for making my bike pretty much everything I've always wanted in a Harley. The looks, style, ride, and of course, the sound, are things I've always wanted my bike to be.

However, your dealers, and the typical dealer attitude of "we have your money already, so now your on your own" is starting to really get on my nerves. From your parts guys who think they know everything (when they can't master ordering a couple of parts) to your service managers with the "here comes that pain in the neck again" eye-roll after they've been sitting on my bike for SIX WEEKS, to the GM's who figure if they ignore you long enough you'll go away.

Of course I will. I'll go away, back to the import market since you don't want my continued patronage.

Signed,
Disillusioned Patron

Amen Bro! I've been saying this, ever since I got my new 06 883C for $11,000.00 after all the BS was added (handling, etc. etc. etc.) and then they acted like they were doing me a GREAT favor, by giving me a FREE Harley "T" shirt. It has a crooked logo on the front! Ha! I've been back only twice, looking for odds and ends, and once they hear it's for a "Sportster", I get treated like a red headed step-child. "Harley" will go belly up, if they don't change their ways, and the attitudes of the people that represent them!
(no offense ment to the FEW good dealers out there)

then they acted like they were doing me a GREAT favor, by giving me a FREE Harley "T" shirt.



Exactly. They make you do some lame in-house poker run so you can meet all the jerks who will treat you like crap later on.




(no offense ment to the FEW good dealers out there)



There are any??? Quick, someone tell me where so I can at least attempt to get a little of my give-a-crap back!

It's never nice to be treated poorly, and unfortuantely this has happened to me as of late. Purchased a set of axle adjusters via ebay from FormanHD of Stillwater, OK. They sent me the wrong part. Emailed them, called them, emailed again...and although I received one email in return after having sent three, with a promise to resolve the issue...nothing was done. Called them up...they again said they would send out the right part...they never did.

I waited with the whole issue resolution thing, and didn't want to leave negative feedback for a possibly honest mistake...so didnt. Now it's too late to have ebay assist in resolving the issue and can't leave negative feedback.

I realize being a foreign customer makes it costly to send out yet another package...but all of the other dealers/stealers I use, never have an issue...and are always willing to order or do whatever it takes to get my greenbacks...so why? Why are they dogging me?

On a more positive note...a dealer that has always done right by me...given me +/- 15% off of MSRP every time is Trish at Harley of Mason City IA. Give her a call, she'll hook you up!

man you hit the nail on the head with that one i purchased 4 bikes from them and sent 3 friends there and they dont even know who i am ! i do believe this is my last harley !

First, let me say I am no apologist for all the truly crappy employees at the dealerships, or any business for that matter. Poor service is a major pet peeve of mine, in any industry.

Second, let me say that I worked for an HD dealer for 12 years, half as tech, half as service manager. If anyone here ever dealt with me at the shop, please feel free to share your experiences, good or bad. I know I had bad days and treated people poorly in some instances. Everyone has bad days, but they were the exception not the norm. I always tried to treat people fairly, but I'm only human too. I also apologize and admit when I'm wrong.

I bought my '88 XL new in '88. I bought it from the second dealer I visited, since the salesman at the first shop was a complete dick to me when I came in to buy it. So, I went to another shop and bought it there, although I can't say that the treatment I received there was much better. Didn't get a thing for free: bike was MSRP, and I bought a Service Manual, rear pegs and a passenger pad all on the same day. Nothing tossed in for free. No free t-shirt.

I had a couple problems in the first few years. Had an accident and got to experience the service department from that perspective. Had a tappet roller fail, and got to experience another dealer's service department. Also took it in for a 10K, because I did not think I had the skills and tools to R&R the swingarm and steering head to lube those bearings, and wasn't sure I was adjusting the rear chain alignment properly, so I figured I would take it to the dealer to "have it done right."

Well, those three experiences were what led me to go to MMI and learn to work on them myself. I was tired of feeling like I was getting screwed. The problem is, I learned that I wasn't getting screwed, it just felt like it every time I went into the shop.

I have concluded that it's the communication that's important. A tech can do the best job in the world and even do a couple special tweaks and go the extra mile on your bike, but if the Service Writer doesn't communicate that to you, or the Service Manager is a dick, or if the bike comes back from being washed looking like it was just through a rain storm, all those things add up to a poor overall experience. Communication is key.

Of course, there are people out there working at the dealership because "it's their dream" or "it's something they always wanted to do" who have absolutely no business working on bikes or dealing with the public. As I said initially, I won't apologize for the truly bad employees out there, in any industry. And in some cases, the reason for the poor treatment is the management and ownership of the dealership: they have ingrained the poor practices into the culture of the dealership. Not much the employees can do there to change that. But just because there's a bad employee, it doesn't always mean the dealership is bad.

Flame away...

--Chris

First, let me say I am no apologist for all the truly crappy employees at the dealerships, or any business for that matter. Poor service is a major pet peeve of mine, in any industry. --Chris i work in the architectural/engineering industry.. i totally agree

But just because there's a bad employee, it doesn't always mean the dealership is bad.
--Chris again i agree, the local dealership gave me great service and advice until a new service manager & spare parts guy arrived, then it all went to shit.
the sales guy and owner still were great, but the overall impression wasnt good, because of the mentioned two i dealt with every time i went in there.
these two since have "moved on" i feel comfortable going to and dealing with the dealership again.
just make sure its not the "company" your upset with, it may just be the person your dealing with.

cheers
crackers

its been a mixed bag for me.

went to the local hd and was ignored. probably cause i was not looking at a BT
as soon as i started to they wanted to talk

went to the hd near where i work ,and the sales guy was great.

service , well 1/2 and 1/2 the service manager is bi polar, one minute nice the next complete jerk. the wrench , they have one the does most of the sporties, seems noce but i didnt like some of his answers. they didnt make sense.

the bottom line , ill go there when i have to , but like a car dealer i keep my expectations real low.

I guess I have it good. I bought my 1997 sportster from my local dealer here in Bowling Green,Ky. I saw it in may of 05 and decided I wanted it, but would not have all the money for it until Aug of 05. The salesman took it off the floor,put it in the back, and let me put $1,000 down, and over the next 3 months I came in and paid a little at a time ,then finally paid the bulk of it in Aug.
Everyone who works at the dealership is friendly, from the sales manager to the girls behind the motorclothes counter. They sometimes give us discounts 2 and 3 weeks after a sale(if we missed the original discount sale), and the guys behind the parts counter and in service are always ready to help me with questions, or concerns.
I had apes put on the bike along with chrome handgrips,and some other parts. They told me the bike would not be ready for about three days when they took it , then called the next day and told me it was ready. They had some extra time from a cancellation and got to mine. Incidentally, this was during the week that thier owner was killed in a motorcycle wreck. A woman crossed the center line in her truck and plowed into the ownwer and his three friends,all prominent buisinessmen here in town. Along with the H-D owner a bank manager was also killed and another auot dealer was injured. The H-D shop was still able to get through the funeral and closing the shop down for it that day, and still got my bike done early.
As I read all the horrorstories about other dealers, I am glad to have the shop here that I do. Thes guys are great. They all make us my wife and I feel like they are glad to see us, and we will buy our next bike there, even if we move.

i know this is off topic but ajax from the warriors was my fave, way better than swan

I have also had mixed dealings with my H-D dealer. The sales experience was good. I was buying an XL1200C and my sales guy owned one, so he didn't try to steer me to a BT. I told him I couldn't afford a BT (except maybe a Dyna) and he showed me Sportsters. So I bought the bike and they put it into storage for the winter.

My initial dealings with the service guys were good. I had some stuff put on the bike while it was there for the winter and they were very responsive while I was having it customized.

My problems with the dealer started when I picked it up. I scheduled the appointment to pick it up and they kept me waiting for a long time and then spent maybe 2 minutes showing me all the important stuff about the bike. I took it for a 100 mile ride and when I got it home, I put the key in the fork lock, which promptly fell out. Also, a few parts were about ready to fall off after just 100 miles. Perhaps the prep guys didn't do their job. It took me three visits to the dealer to get the fork lock fixed. I expected that they would take care of me since I had just spent $11,000 with them, but I was sorely disappointed. One of the service counter guys told me that "They didn't build the bike, so why was I upset with them?" Can you believe that?

Eventually, all the problems were worked out and the bike has been solid since then. I went to the dealer for my 1000 mile service, but I thought $265 was excessive for what they were doing. I am now taking my bike to an Indy for service and they charge less, plus the guy who owns it is my cousin's brother-in-law, so he tries to accomodate me, schedule-wise, if he can.

I'll buy another Harley, but I will probably look at 5 or 6 dealers in my area before I buy.

i just got a birthday card from my dealer aww shucks

Thats one reason why I drove 200 miles to get my bike when theres a dealer in town, I saved over $1000 because of mark up on the local dealers bikes.

One thing that's obvious to me from reading these kind of posts is that there are some really bad customer service people at various HD dealers.

I guess that I too am lucky, in that the whole experience from buying the bike, to getting it's 1K service, to buying parts from a good parts dept. who knows their stuff has been very good.

I think sometimes I'm in the minority though.

Poor customer service is shameless and those types of businesses don't deserve your patronage or respect.

I've dealt with two local MC dealers. We bought my wife's bike from a place called Wayne Cycle which is a Yamahondakawazuki dealer. Friendly and helpful but a bit undermanned so it can take a while to get some things done. The Harley place is much bigger. It's Shenandoah HD and they have been fine in terms of sales, parts and service. Big new place with a lot of clubhouse features like a big wrap around deck and picnic tables and chairs and coffee and popcorn and such. OTOH, I haven't had any real problems with either bike so I don't know what happens when things get difficult. Lots of folks stop by on weekends, either locals or folks riding through the Valley. Since it's on our most likely route north, we often stop by on Sat/Sunday rides because it takes about 35 miles for the morning coffee to work it's way through. :doh No question that it's a "theme park" Harley place but I'm very comfortable going there.

My Only Problem With The Dealers Around The So Cal Area Is Sales People Are For The Most Part Big Ticket Item Folks. So A Sporty Is Not On Their Radar After You Buy One.
They Are Not In The Least Interested In My Spotles Bike For A Trade In. Fullerton Hd Had A Honda Spirit For Sale As A Used Bike But Is Not Interested In My Sporty . I Was Looking At A New Soft Tail.
I Just Might Go To Victory And See How Bad They Want To Sell Me A New Bike.

My Bike was purchesed from a dealer out of state ( I live in Mass dealer was in RI) So I fugured instead of driving an hr to get parts I will go to the local dealer 15 min away Went in for a few things. sissy bar, back rest, pillion, rigid side plate and rear directional relocation kit. Pillion was on back order no problem. Put the stuff on started with ridgid side plates got that one. and the back rest was the wrong part. sold me one for detachable. go back replace that item for the correct one. the back rest was wrong. the relocation kit was wrong. was for front signals.. Gave them the benefit of the doubt and had them DO my relocational of directionals there. since it seemed to complicated and to involved. I set the appointment up 1 week in advance. talk to the parts department so they can get the part. they said they had it. I drop my bike off the following week for the work done. I get a phone call saying the part is not there they dont have it in stock. I said the appt was set up in advance. U said u would hold the part for me.They said sorry its the wrong one in our stock.Then they aksed why i wanted to relocated and had to argue with me that they didnt need to be moved for harley saddle bags.I said i want them moved andwhat do you plan to do. they said call back see if we can get the part. They made it like I put them out cuz they had to go to another dealer for the part. All in all they got it done got the part. Then I pick the bike up and there are holes in my fender. I ask why.. hes like well we couldnt find the plugs to stick in. I ask if i can buy them he looked at me like i had 6 heads. Then I said DO OTHER DEALERS sell them. hes like yeah i guess..I paid my bill and left. I wont go back there again or recommend any one to go there.They are unpleasnat when u call and act as if u are interuping there coffee breaks. I dont believe all dealers are the same. When I am in RI and go to that dealer they are ALL very pleasant and willing to help out.

I'm happy with my dealer even though it's 50 miles from home and 25 miles past the local dealer that sucks.
Fact is they are like car dealers,some are great some aren't so it pays to shop around.;)

Heres one for you.

At purchase time of the new 06 883 STANDARD, the dealer sold me a "Preferred Customer" package. In morning of day one, out no later then afternoon of day 2. What a load of bu!!$hit .. had the bike for 3 days. They were supposed to put on a set of lights and fix that piece of crap plastic clip that holds on the battery cover and fix an oil leak from the drain plug.

They did a 500 mile service .. no such thing as far as I can tell;just an oil change, didnt do the lights, fixed the oil leak, replaced the clip that I gave them which fell off and which coincidentally is not covered because its a wear and tear part. Bu!!$hit in itself. The bike is brand new, The only reason the cover was opened was because the clip failed. I had no reason to open it.

Should have went rice burner.

I dont expect an answer, should Harley be listening and want to answer .. vidalch_1@yahoo.com. HD services looses out. I will now take the bike to the S+S certified tech about 1/2 miles from my house.

My dealer has been pretty good overall. The parts people have been very helpful, and the "chrome guy" has offered good suggestions as well. The initial sales person was just so so, and of course offered plenty of BS in an attempt to make the sale. I kind of expected it though and didn't pay much attention to it. The thing that kills me is the amount charged for scheduled maintenance. I found a great local Indy who routinely charges 1/3 to 1/2 less than the dealership for the same service. The trick, IMHO is to simply decide what the indy should do, what I am willing to do myself, and what ocassional items should be entrusted to the dealer.

I don't understand all the problems with dealerships. I have never had a bad experience with any of the 5 local dealerships in my area. Mid-Ohio, Buckminns, Gover's, Aces & Eights or F&S. All located in Ohio. They have always been helpful and it has made no difference if I was shopping for my Sportster, my Heritage Classic, or a T-shirt. The other dealerships I've been to in Texas,Virginia, California, Florida,Kentucky,N. Carolina,Chicago, Tennessee,Nevada, Etc . Where ever, they have always treated me as though I was welcome and were very helpful. I work in an automotive dealership service department so maybe I go in with an understanding of what their day is like and that makes a difference. I don't know? I think a lot of good dealerships take a hit for a few bad ones or because someone came in with a poor attitude. I think that to many people on here carry a chip on their shoulder and expect to be treated poorly because they are riding a sportster. This mindset carries over into a lot of other threads here, Big Twins don't wave at me, Big Twins this , Big Twins that, get a grip people we are all riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. The ones we chose. We do not have to justify our purcahse to anybody. One is not better than the other. They are different bikes for different purposes,lifestyles, incomes, etc. I ride with people that have Hondas, Harleys (Sportsters and Big Twins), Kawasakis,Suzukis,Big Dogs, American Ironhorse, Apprilla, Triumphs,Yamahas and others we don't play that my bike is better than yours game. We all ride and enjoy riding. Isn't that enough?

im very happy with my dealer. they know my name and greet me when they see me. while ordering a few small things other customers walked in and were greeted equally. i feel my dealer's employs really try and be human. and i dont get that "oh a sportster" look. most of the employs there own sportys themselves.
hannums of media pa.

This mindset carries over into a lot of other threads here, Big Twins don't wave at me, Big Twins this , Big Twins that, get a grip people we are all riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. The ones we chose.

Tell that to the BT riders. I get more crap because I'm on a Sporty, and I get it from other riders *and* the dealer. I didn't buy a Sporty so much as that was what I chose, as much as that was what I could afford.

I don't know why the dealer I go to, well actually *went* to, treated me so poorly. But *they* did it, not me. Even after they jerked me around, I still didn't go in with an a-hole attitude, mostly because I'm not an a-hole, but also because I figured they get enough of it from others. So I tried to be cool, and *still* got the "you've got half a Harley" attitude.

On the plus side, I went to another dealer called Carlton in Mantua, Ohio, and they were very cool. Until the female behind the counter said "Oh! I ride a Sporty, too!" Doh! Inadvertant burn. :)

That is part of what I'm saying. I have a BT too and ride with other big twins and sporties and what ever we don't crack on each other or anyone else for what they ride. I've never heard anyone at the dealers crack on someone for having a sporty either. I refer to mine as "MY LITTLE SPORTY" all the time. When I'm on MY LITTLE SPORTY and my friend is on his we each refer to the other's bike as a girl's bike. It is all in jest. I've never heard anyone that knows about Harleys crack on the Sportster. It does amaze me how many people on here crack on the big twins but complain about any negative comment related to a Sportster.

It's disappointing to hear all these horror stories. HD needs to step up to get this resolved. I love my dealer, Harley Davidson of Frederick. They paid their dues though as they weren't always very good. Most people really like them as well and that is evident as there are always riders there just hanging out on any given day. They know me by name when they really shouldn't. They called me one day to make sure I made it home ok because they knew I got caught in a bad storm. The engine designer for their race team spent a lot of time with me helping me buy as set of heads. Lastly, without really asking they discounted my new heads. I hope they don't change because it sounds like I have no where to go.

Hopefully, HD will step up and get this fixed. I would strongly recommend that, good or bad, you mail HD about your experiences. Unfortunately, they don't take email. Their contact info from their website is:

Harley-Davidson Customer Service
3700 W. Juneau Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53208

To speak with a Harley-Davidson customer service representative call (414) 343-4056.

i have a 1200 c & 883 and 05 glide and a 2004 805 kawasaki i dont give a shit what people think ! if ya dont like bikes ( all of them ) then take it down the road ! too each there own ! one bike is not better than the other they all have 1 thing in common ride it and feel the wind ! i will have one of every brand someday !

The two dealers here in Portland are not oo bad. Paradise still charges over list but they have something going on almost every weekend if you're into that kind of stuff. The sales people are friendly, the parts guys seem to know what's going on and the service department is frendly but not the brightest. Latus has pretty good parts guys but I've never dealt with the service department. I may give them a try if I need to ever take my bike back to a dealer. I bought my bike from a dealer over 160 miles away. They delivered the bike for free and it was set-up great. Everything has worked and nothing has ever fallen off.

I live in MILWAUKEE WI!!! You think there would be a decent dealer here???


NOPE... not even close.

I live in MILWAUKEE WI!!! You think there would be a decent dealer here???


NOPE... not even close.
None? Not even Hal's in New Berlin? Or House of Harley? I know both those dealers and have always liked them both.

What sort of problems do you have with your dealers in Milwaukee?

--Chris

I am more or less satisfied with my dealer, never got attitude, the sales guys talk to me even though they know I'm not going to buy anytime soon, and the parts people pull through for me pretty well. I cannot say much for the service end, because I do not use them unless it's an emergency. They are just too damn expensive. I either do it myself or take it to an indy I can afford. They got spoiled by the guys who will pay any price to bolt on a new mirror or change theit seat.

I couldn't break the bead on my old tire, so I said forget it, I'll take it to the dealer. $16 for 30 seconds of work. I asked at the chevy dealer if I brought in a tire on a rim, how much just to take the rubber off the steel? $10. When I bought the softail, since it was used, I considered taking it to the dealer just to get it checked out. They insisted they would have to do the "50,000 mile maintainance" which looked like a good idea, but $500? for gosh sakes, there are no parts involved, just packing some bearings and oil change, checking alignment of stuff, How much does a harley mech at a dealership make? maybe $25 an hour? That's fair, but I bet the mechanics themselves could not afford to take it to the dealer and pay full price. How much profit does the owner need? $75 for an oil change? hell, I'll do your oil change while you wait for $50 oil and filter included. Maybe "Jiffy lube" for bikes would be a good franchise to start. They try and explain why it's so expensive like I'm a little kid, But I'm not stupid. Harley DOT5 brake fluid is no better than Murrays Auto Parts DOT5 brake fluid. Who do they think they're kidding? Why does it cost double?

So, I have no complaint with the work done or the service, I just feel like a rube at a carnival getting fleeced when I go into the service department.

The local dealer sucks. They are all dickheads and everything is over priced.:banadanc

That is part of what I'm saying. I have a BT too and ride with other big twins and sporties and what ever we don't crack on each other or anyone else for what they ride. I've never heard anyone at the dealers crack on someone for having a sporty either.

You are very fortunate then. Many on here cannot say the same. Perhaps it's because you also own a BT, which automatically puts you in 'the club.' Maybe if you are 'in the club', it doesn't matter what else you own or ride because, after all, you do own and ride a BT, first and foremost, and therefore, are a 'real Harley' person.

You are very fortunate then. Many on here cannot say the same. Perhaps it's because you also own a BT, which automatically puts you in 'the club.' Maybe if you are 'in the club', it doesn't matter what else you own or ride because, after all, you do own and ride a BT, first and foremost, and therefore, are a 'real Harley' person.

I understand your logic. However I've my Sportster for 10 1/2 years I've had my Heritage for 2 1/2 years. So I was not "in the club" as you say for a long time. It honestly has never been an issue and I'd say this year I've put as many miles on my Sportster riding solo as I did on my Heritage riding two up and solo. Maybe I am very fortunate. I'm beginning to appreciate my riding buddies and dealership more all the time.

Since my main experience with dealers so far has been in South Korea, I have little to add (I've not really had much of a chance to meet my local dealer here in Melbourne, FL yet). I will say this, Norm in the parts department at Suburban Harley (where I order all my parts from) is a great guys and has been a great help to me. Not once has he ever talked down to me or treated me poorly.

Just my 2-cents,

-Sting

Until the female behind the counter said "Oh! I ride a Sporty, too!" Doh! Inadvertant burn. :)

Yeah, I was taking mine in for the 1000k service and the girl was taking my information and said "Is this your wife's bike?" She was really embarrassed and apologetic when I told her it was mine.

Overall, Guam Harley is a good dealer. I bought mine there, and have had a few dealings with them. I got a free helmet and when they didn't have the boots I wanted in the shop, they called the retail store in the mall (who had them but about $20 more) and had them delivered to the dealer less the $20 markup!!! After this encounter I really didn't have any reason to go back to the shop for a long time. But when I did go in about 4 months later, the salesperson and the girl behind the counter REMEMBERED MY NAME!!! I was amazed and impressed by this. I take it back Guam Harley is not good, THEY ROCK!!:banadanc

Joe

I've had my XL since it was new in March of 1988 and I've never felt like I wasn't in some club. Heck, I never wanted to be IN the club (although I am a HOG Life Member: go figure.) Never felt looked down upon, never did anyone call it a girl's bike to my face, I never even thought of it as a girl's bike. When I started riding, the guys I knew who rode XLs were pretty hard core: the bikes were Ironheads and they were all temperamental b*tches that took a man to kick 'em over, ride 'em and keep 'em running. Anyone over 120 lbs can kick over a BT Shovel or Pan. Just put 'yer ass into it. Kicking a Sporty takes a whole 'nother breed.

Pretty much rode with whoever I wanted with no discrimination in either direction (Brit bikes, Ducati, BT H-D, metric, HOG chapters, dealer rides.) Maybe my experience is atypical. I just never ever saw it. Not once. When I worked at the dealership, I never treated Sporty riders and different than any other HD rider. Heck, I'd even work on Urals and once a Bajaj scooter. No discrimination at all.

--Chris

i liked you better when you were owned by a.m.f. .

a m f !

I hate it when I find out about issues or recalls before my dealer does.When I asked about the mstr.cylinder recall they knew absolutely nothing about it.My friend bought a 35th Anniversary model superglide that was affected with the false neutral problem.I told him about the recall,which i read about somewhere on the internet,He inturn mentioned it to the dealer and the dealer said no theres not a problem.Six weeks later they called him and asked him to bring it in to have it fixed under warranty.I could go on but don't have a couple hours.It's the only licensed Harley dealership on Vancouver Island!There was another but a few years back it was purchased by the Nanaimo chapter of the H.A.Milwaukee got wind of this transaction and pulled their dealership license.The next good one is a 75.00 2hour ferrie ride away.

I'm not going way into details but they always try to make me feel like the ass for pointing out their BS done to MY bike. Their work isn't always bad, but own up to it when it is and I catch it. Unless it's warranty again, I won't be back.

Regarding dealers. I had my first experience with a dealer in Fife, Washington.

I walked in to the service department, asked where the parts department was, and one of the service writers escorted me to the parts desk. Personal escort......how about that!!

I asked the parts guy for a jet for an '02 883. He went into high speed, got my part, and used my name three times during the check out process.

Excellent customer service!!:tour