HD should try the hands off approach when selling bikes. Every time I walk into an HD dealership it almost feels as if I’m being attacked. Compared to Indian or Porsche the sales person may get to you eventually but you’re free to look without being hovered over. Hovering makes me take my business elsewhere.
Yes! Every indian dealership i ever been to made me feel comfortable. And then I walk into a harley dealership and I feel like i'm in the 80's at one of those sleezy car dealership.
in contrast i know people who went in to buy a bike and left because they were ignored, maybe the salesman should introduce himself and say anything you need i am over there and then leave you to browse.
It’s the opposite here at the one Harley dealer. I’ve been interested three times in buying a bike but they blew it ! The first time they took my name down and were supposed to call me when they got more bikes in then the other times I e mailed them regarding bikes but they never got back to me at all !! I guess I’m not cool enough to deal with lol.
I agree. I think sometimes the salesman are pressured so much to follow you and get your info….. sometimes I just want to 🗣️ leave me alone. I have a bike smh
If a motorcycle salesperson doesn’t ride I tell them to get the hell away from me. I want to talk to a rider who gets it! Point blank. It should be a requirement to ride if you work at a motorcycle dealership.
I felt the same way when I was working for a dealer as a parts sales person. I had the passion and desire to help and show the latest styles and parts. Most of the others would just answer questions and not get into a full on conversation about what they wanted or had dreams to get to. I loved connecting with the clients and sharing the excitement they had with ownership. I think a lot of the people that love the product are disillusioned if they ever work for the motor company.
Happened to me when I worked for a Scott fisher Harley Davidson dealer in Ann Arbor Michigan. He had a young lady from Texas who sold dreams and lied. I caught on fast and left after she ripped me off for $1200 spiff on sportsters $100 for each one you sell. I sold 12 and she said I didn’t say that. I never said $100 for each one you sell. That was my last day there.
I went into a H-D dealership in 2006 with a budget that would cover any ten of their bikes combined. I was dressed in my usual blue jeans, t-shirt and flannel, was looking at an Electa Glide Ultra Classic. The salesman came up and asked me if I had the money to buy it, which I thought was rude, so I said "Not on me", and he told me to come back when I had it. I haven't set foot in a H-D dealership since, and wouldn't have one of their bikes if you paid me.
I understand the feeling! But I would only ride a Harley. I called around and no one ever called me back in 2021. One dealership did, and when they called they had the bike I wanted and under msrp.
Thanks for confirming what I knew about harley dealerships ,but they still charge over 150 for 1 hour labor , and their prices is always higher on changing tires then a local shop. I see new salesmen every few weeks at my dealership ,which is not a good sign,but they are polite to me
Everything about working at that dealership seems shady. You can't change the rules when they don't benefit you. Earn your salary then we'll pay you what you make on top of that, no thanks! This is crazy and eye opening. Thanks for the transparency, man.
I’m originally from Cali and now live in Central Penn, I have found a new love for riding because it’s so beautiful here. I’m glad I found this channel because this guy’s passion for HD has rekindled my own love for the brand
Be be so quick to jump the gun! Harley Davidson's Dealerships are full of crap! The product is failing, the old REVO's were the best. EPA has come down on the Harley, but they can easily do what you have to after purchasing, especially the Milwaukee 8s
Sounds like this guy was working for one of the Harley dealers that had been bought by a Auto Sales Group, many have been! Avoid these places if possible.
I agree, bought my first motorcycle (street glide) from a harley dealer, what I thought was gonna be a fun experience was a negotiating nightmare, I left the dealer feeling exhausted and disappointed
@@El_Peto "trash engineering?" Yet, all others are emulating Harley Davidson.... Interesting concept! I haven't had a single issue with any of my Harley's, well just one. An old dyna with the Evo engine, terrible engine, leaks all over the place irregardless of the repairs but that was back back in the day, all those nightmares have disappeared these years.
Ripping off customers isn't enough for Harley anymore. They have to go after their employees now, too. Thanks for reinforcing my decision to never buy from a Harley dealership again. Only private sale for me.
@@carlostrujillo4750not at all. There’s so much more aftermarket parts sold less than HD and they’re either more comfortable, sound better or last longer.
100% agree on all points, my friend. I spent too much of my life in the motorcycle industry and sadly my many decades of experience have shown me that it’s a shady and disgusting environment to try to work in. It is an awful thing that the motorcycle industry takes advantage of the passion of its people to get them to work in bad conditions for next to nothing. It’s disgusting. It doesn’t need to be that way. sadly, the best place for a motorcycle enthusiast to be is “outside of the industry on his or her own motorcycle.”. Enjoy the ride, but don’t join the dealerships. I hope someday it fixes itself, but I think it’s gonna take a long time. Ride well.
I worked at Mr Cs. Harley Davison in Brighton Michigan as a mechanic during the AMF. Bicentennial line up in 1976 will never forget that part of Harleys history...Your a well spoken speaker ...great video on working for a dealer ! 🇺🇲
I just stumbled onto your video for the first time and you sound like a straight up dude. I don't consider myself a Harley guy even though I have owned two of them. When I go to a Harley dealership it is for one reason only and that is to buy parts I need for my bike. When I purchase a motorcycle its usually from a private party. I thank you for the better understanding of how the dealerships operate!
I can relate, I too worked for HD. I graduated from MMI and Been through everything you stated and more.I won't go back to riding HD,I am switching to a Goldwing!
I did the same. Bought my goldwing over the phone. I asked the Honda dealership to email me the “bill of sale” ……. Walked in with check in hand the next day. I had done my own financing .
Glad you got out brother. Good on ya for giving it a go. I've had some bad experiences at dealerships as a customer. I've seen the vibe and it ain't good.
Its nice to hear from a honest ,caring individual that was from HD dealership. Youre right alot of the new sales people are super pushy...and tbh it really pisses me off
I worked at a local HD dealership for 5 years back in the early 2000's in the parts dept and parts to service. It was disgusting how much not only the employees were getting screwed but how the customers got screwed on new bike sales and service work. As a parts dept employee we were pushed by the sales manager to talk a new buyer into any and all crap that they didn't ask for. We were basically told to upsale as much as $5000 worth of accessories to every bike sale whether the customers wanted those accessories or not. As far as service work, customers would bring in their bike for a new rear tire but when they came to pick it up they were charged for two new tires, new brake pads, etc, etc and would have to pay the bill or not get their bike. And the customers were never called by the service writer and told that they needed the extra parts. The parts were just installed and added to the bill with labor. They lost a lot of customers and employees because of the way they did business.
I 100% see & agree about the passion! As someone who started building custom bicycles as a kid then moved onto lawnmower powered minibikes, then old junk Enduro bikes, and Limey motorcycles because HD's were too expensive when I was a kid. I eventually was able to aquire some needy Harley-Davidson motorcycles and have & still have many over the years. Rode many miles and do all the work on the machines. I drive an hour to go to an out of town Harley-Davidson dealership when I need parts because the local dealer has clueless people behind the parts counter. I could give you many examples of the folly but the most recent one when I needed a fast small part; An accelerator pump diaphragm for a kein CV carburetor. This is a common issue albeit not modern. The parts counter person proceeded to attempt to humiliate Me by saying they only sell replacement carburetors and don't get into intricate items on old crap. Well I went home and looked in my parts manual and came back and gave the department store window tough Guy the number and presto! It was on the shelf. The prefered dealership I drive miles past this local one to get parts is a totally different ball of wax. You can go in there and get the smallest of little parts even the brass from inside wire connector plugs for a 30 year old bike if they have them. They are Bike people! They spend as much time on you for the little parts as big ticket items. The employees drive custom cars, older & newer bikes to work. Passion. Giant difference.
I was asked to fill in as a tech at a dealership while I was on vacation then asked if I would consider working for them full time. I decided to do it because I love working on and customizing bikes. They wouldn't let me drill and tap a hole to solve a problem and cut my hours. I put up with it for 2 years then left to take a union job. Working at a dealership did take a lot of the passion I had for motorcycles from me. I now do service work on the side and help an aftermarket shop when they need it just to keep people out of the dealership.
This was a really excellent video. I worked in sales for 1 year (35 years ago) and said never again, for many of the same reasons you mentioned. We live in very expensive times. For me to have a Harley means buying used and doing as much of my own work as possible. When I go to the dealership, they deserve my respect. Those employees are trying to eke out a living just like me. I share your passion for the brand. Nice vid 👊
You are 100% correct on everything you said man. I decided to step away from the wrenching side of Harley for awhile. I got burnt out on it and decided to go try my hand at selling. I sold the crap out of motorcycles and they kept shorting my paycheck, not giving me my bonus, and not giving me my spiff money which really pissed me off. What I've learned working for 4 different Harley Davidson dealerships is not a single one gives a f... about their employees. Now as a Harley-Davidson senior technician I was treated better than lets say a entry level tech or even a service writer but at the end of the day I didn't mean squat to them. Also if you love to ride motorcycles, don't work at a Harley-Davidson Dealership. You do just about everything other than riding your own bike.
The best part of working in the dealer was meeting cool people. Glad we met brother! I agree with everything you’ve said in this video. One of the best honest Harley dealer breakdown videos on CZcams
I had the exact same experience working at a motorcycle dealer. The SPIF arguments, the dishonest and entitled customers, the lousy pay, the ignorance, the coworkers cutting your throat, the whole thing. I went in a different industry, but I still repair my own bikes and my hobby is restoring old barn finds.
I`ve bought 5 new H.D.s over the years. Never sucked for that 1000mi service. (what a rip that is) The H.D. warranty is always a questionable predicament. My `16 Streetglide had a poor GPS and the arrow would point where it wanted when it was supposed to point north. I`m happy with my `90 FXSTS. Evos rule and Springers look so good.
AGREE 100%. I also worked for a HD dealer in SC. It was part of a group that had car dealerships also and they ran the HD dealer the same. Chasing greets and phone numbers sucked. And then being told constantly to get on the phones call those non buyers and pester the crap out of them. Then add the total lack of money,open 7 days a week, work every weekend, it was time to go. I could see myself loosing my love of the brand if I stayed.
I put my hand up. I am one of those guys who view dealerships and repair businesses suspiciously. I assume they are out to fleece me - and why not? They have families and bills too. And as you say clearly, you lose 60% of sales if you let them walk. But when you started talking about the radiator hose I had to laugh. I remembered the Oliver stone film, 'U-Turn' where Sean Penn's character takes his 64 and a half Mustang to a local hick mechanic in the back country, and gets quoted $400 for a radiator hose. It is pretty funny. Well, that's life and you speak in such a chilled and balanced way about it. I admit, it is a rare day for me to be able to talk like that. Thanks for a great video. I wasn't expecting much, but it was real and even a bit of a life-lesson type of vibe.
I'm an older guy, New to Harley, bought it from a ridding buddy. I've been in probably a dozen dealerships in our travels. There is 1 that I will never step foot in again, the rest, most were really nice folks, no pressure. I have no experience with service. I am like you and I service my own vehicles.
Great video, I'm the exact same with my bikes and cars. I trust very few people do perform my maintenance and if I do authorize a repair I double back and check the work.
Very well said, I enjoyed your video. Thank you for spending the time and effort to put this together. I knew nothing about the inner workings of the dealerships, now I know more!
OK. So you hit a topic that kinda burns me. Buying an older used motorcycle at a dealer. I used to assume that if a dealer was selling an older bike that they had looked over it as the so-called experts an made necessary repairs and taken care of known issues such as the spring cam chain tensioner. The used motorcycles should be in good running order and not be looking at major repairs in the immediate future. Or the condition should be disclosed upfront. Example: if customer wants to buy a cheaper bike then they should know what repairs they are facing. I do like this video. It was quite informative.
I bought a 2020 RKS and last year when I went to see a potential Roadglide purchase, the salesman says to me: Two are twice as much fun, why not keep the RKS and finance the RGS? I turned to him and asked if he even owned a Harley and aware of the investment it takes just to own one. I was so pissed.
Great video. Its like car dealers or service centres,they are there to help but they also are not a charity. I can't imagine all the thankless hours that go on behind the scenes
@RK-de5wg Far from it, I'm a gardener for over 25 years. I had a mate who worked in the industry of car dealerships, he said it's a tough way to earn a living. Lots of afterhours unpaid ,just trying to get the sales
I camped @ J&L HD in Souix Falls SD .. I noticed that many of the Employees rode their Bikes to work. Several ran straight pipes. They ran the bikes super fast down a Service road .. One guy did a wheelie in the Parking Lot each morning.. I looked on google maps to refresh my Memory and I see there is a new Indian Dealership being built across the street from the HD Dealer who also had a Powersports Dealership next door to their HD Dealership ..
How in the world are you supposed to make a decent living with that crazy pay structure?! Wow! I’m guessing turnover is very high there. I worked for HD for 15 years and when the dealerships around me all went to a similar car sales dealership approach to selling, I had to go. They took the fun out of the job and the customers absolutely hated the new selling approach. No thanks. I’ve never set foot in another dealership since.
When your incentive plan changes on the fly, without warning, you’ve been “Penciled”. A common, albeit unethical, practice of editing a bonus plan, retroactively, impacting commissions, bonuses, spiffs (whip-out cash or mama-don’t know money) without notice. I’m glad you found a job that provides better work life balance for you and your family. Thx for sharing your experiences.
I got out of sales (vehicle) because too many salesmen thought they were entitled to 1/2 of my deals cutting my commissions in half. Sure, half of something is better than all of nothing but I ha e had many deals "stolen" from me.
Had an experience where a guy dropped his appointment on me so he could try to pick up a walk-in. When I got mad cause I wasted two hours with his friend and said something he looked at me and said ohh I forgot he was coming in, 🤔. Too many games
I used to think the 10/20 k etc mile services were way overpriced. Then I started doing them step by step via the service manual and realized how much is involved in them. While I still choose to do everything that I’m capable of myself I have no problem with what most service departments charge for the work.
I really appreciate your candor. I have worked for Harley-Davidson at the dealer level selling parts for 30 years. I do ride and that keeps my passion for the brand fresh. My job sucks the life out of me.
Just once I’ve heard “oh, you have to get permission from you wife” which I have been single for over 43 years. My answer was “no, I can’t get that Indian off my mind.” I won’t work with an insulting sales rep.
Hi 👋, great content, sharing your experience working for Harley Davidson, I just left a comment in a box that I thought was connected to you, but I’ve now done it all over, somebody had passed the comment about Indian motorcycles being very helpful, not pressurised, About two weeks ago, I was in the UK and went to a farm called Krazy horses , they are in bury Saint Edmunds , I find them to be very polite, very helpful and was not pressurised in any way, shape or form , even had a very nice restaurant, where you could sit and have a conversation with somebody, In a very friendly atmosphere, I wish you all the success for the future,
I'm a now retired Master Of Technology when I quit working for the MotorCompany quite a few years ago. (Basically, as soon as I had a couple at that level which is the highest Harley has) I bid farewell to the Company! My most often given piece of advice that I would offer to both my new co-workers and my favorite customers alike is this: If you drop your keys or whatever while still on the dealership property ,kick them out to the sidewalk before you bend over to pick them up! Of all the wonderful things that management promised me to initially come to work there and then to get me to stay I never saw a single thing! A great place to be from....
Best way to walk into a dealer is to answer the question they ask of what do you ride, is to reply I got fired last week from my job so no money to buy.
Same thing happens when I step on a car lot. It's the norm today but I have been in Powersports places and no one ever acknowledged me. Just learn to tell them you are just looking and don't want to be bothered.
I am old and old school, long ago Harley Davidson was a place where every employee knew what a spark plug was, today you may get a stupid look when asking for one.
Bert’s staff is fair, honest, and up front! I had them call the dealership I worked at and pay for a customers service over the phone to honor an agreement they had. Also Bert the owner is always there and humble enough to talk to you and have a drink with you!
I'm amazed at how many people working at Harley dealerships don't know anything about the product they are selling! And how Harley Motor Corp. DOESN'T CARE if someone at a dealership LIED to you to get you to spend THOUSANDS of your hard earned dollars!!! That's one of the many reasons why, after ridings Harleys for over 40 years, I'm looking at Indian or HONDA for my next bike.
I owned one of the new Indians for two years, (a 2014) and even road a Victory for about a year. I'm on a Road Glide and the bike I had prior to the RG was a 2017 SGS. I'm happy to be on an H-D again and so will you after you jump ship. I view the dealership as a place you go to get the bike you want. All I care about are the numbers. I'll shop around until I get the deal I'm comfortable with.
You realize each Harley-Davidson dealership is a franchise? The motor company can’t monitor their employees and how you are treated. Go to another dealership. What corporate does do is track complaints( not on CZcams) about the dealerships and respond accordingly to the franchise owner. You’re a customer of the dealership not the motor company. No different than good and bad car dealerships. By the way I went to my closest Indian dealer to buy a Jack Daniels bobber and they sales staff were the worst, called another and were very helpful locating one.
Most of the Harley Issues on the Evo engines are addressed and improved on Buel's thus HD could have made the engines more reliable if they wanted to. Older Yamaha's had grease zerks on swing arms ect.. also some of their snowmobiles had a several grease zerks
My 2005 Deuce does BUT my 2014 doesn't. Hell it doesn't even have fork drain screws, so if you want to change the fork oil you have to take the forks out !!!! 🤔😵💫🤬
People treat you the same way at an auto repair shop. I deal with it every day. Just because it has a big brand name doesn’t mean they have deep pockets. Lots of people don’t take responsibility for having an older vehicle. I like the passion you have. Too bad the customers don’t get it.
I live in Cleveland I have a 2000 with an 88 none of the dealerships will even service my bike, they won’t work on it or service it except for tire change and maybe breaks because it’s too old I think anything older than 10 yrs old they won’t touch it, I think it’s total bs, had to go to a performance shop to get my tensioner switched out and anything else I need, Harley doesn’t want you to keep your bike for a long time they want you to buy new is how I feel
It takes a special person to deal with the public on a daily basis, because all it takes is that one......(insert you own adjective), to make your day go from awesome to bad! I know I couldn't do it either! GOD Bless Brother!!!
I worked in sales for years. Its very demotivating to true get the person the correct thing for them. And then getting grief for not selling the particular thing the company wants you to push
Yeah I had the guy that looked like he never even sat on a bike tell me “I know who wears the pants in the family”. Just because I respect my wife. As she earns the money as well as I do. And you’re saying exactly what I felt. I didn’t buy a bike that day and wanted to punch the guy. Dude was a total ass hat.
There is no such thing as feeling comfortable at an HD dealership. I love the bikes, and they are the only ones I choose to ride, but the way dillerships are operated is usually terrible. They are like vultures around you. That is what my experience has been so far when visiting all but one so far, in many different states. In one of them a sales person positioned at the entry point jumped in front of me, tried to shake my hand and would not let me and my wife pass just like a bouncer (he was huge) until we told him what kind of bikes we were there for. I had to ask him to step aside. Why do they need to be like that? HD dealerships should be fun without the pressure. They suck in my opinion.
Reason is whoever talks to you first can claim you as their client. Dealerships have way too many fit specialist or salesmen on the floor and if you want to make any money you have be like that. That’s the reason I quit . Made me feel horrible. We had to get 5 peoples phones numbers every day to input into our system . Also had to call 25 people a day and try to get them in the dealership. The sales process turned me off from Harley’s for a few years
I agree that if someone insulted me about talking to my wife I would tell them to F-off , walk out, and would never EVER buy from that dealership. I've said that with EVERY bike I've bought and luckily I've never had anyone do that at my dealership
Had one say that to me and I looked at him and said that’s probably not the way to get me to agree with you. Never bought from them. It’s a respect thing.
It’s one thing to ridicule a customer, but it’s another thing to educate them and talk reason. For example, whenever a customer would tell me they have to ask the wife, I would ask them how long have they been married? One, that will tell you if he is lying about being married, and if he is, he will usually have an answer of 20 years. In 20 years of marriage, I would believe that you have your finances in order to be able to make a buying decision. Or, I would reply with let’s go show your wife! If he or she is a buyer, they will always comply, especially if you did your job by covering the concerns the buyer has.
WELCOME TO THE RETAIL VEHICLE BUSINESS YOUNG MAN, I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I SPENT 38 YEARS IN THE CAR BUSINESS AND 4 MONTHS WORKING FOR A LARGE HD DEALER (STILL OPEN, BUT UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP) IM THE EARLY 2001-2002 TIME PERIOD. I SOLD 114 BIKES IN 4 MONTHS. LOVED DOING IT BUT THE SAME CRAP WAS PULLED ON ME. CRAZY OWNER WHO WAS A PILL HEAD, THREATENED TO TAKE ME OUT BACK AND WHOOP MY ASS IF I DIDN'T WORK AN OPEN HOUSE ON A UPCOMING SUNDAY . I WAS ONE OF TWO FULL TIME SALESPEOPLE AT THE TIME AND WORKED KEY TO KEY 6 DAYS A WEEK. THE OWNER WAS FINALLY DUMPED BY HD (A FEW YEARS AFTER I LEFT) AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF ASSUALTING A GUY FROM THE PARTS DEPT AND SETTLING THE CASE FOR $500K. LOVED THE JOB, LOVED THE CUSTOMERS JUST HATED THE BS, IT WAS A FREAKIN' NIGHTMARE.
I've worked at a lot of motorcycle dealerships in both sales and parts (not HD). Never had a spiff taken away and if one salesman helps another with the deal it's customary to share part of your commission with the other salesman. Hell, if I was you I would've walked too.
Sounds like they need to be sued.. how the hell can they change the pay structure after you earned it. That’s BS. You’re not the only one who has mentioned this. I love the brand, but I don’t think I could ever work for H-D
I stopped using a harley dealership to do anything to my bikes. They caused a catastrophic failure after a service when they didn't test drive after. That failure caused a 65MPH highway crash. I was F'ed up but recovered. The highway patrol thought I was a dead man walking. That dealership is now out of business. Since that day I did all my own work.
Everything stated in this video holds water. It stands true for most dealers, regardless if it's Harley or Honda. Private, for-profit companies will always put the bottom line before the people. My dealership days lasted a short time, although I hated it I am grateful for the experience that I am able to share with others, just like you are doing.
ALWAYS need to keep your neck bearings greased up folks! Seriously though. think we have it slightly worse here in the U.K/Europe, pretty much all the spares or extras we buy have 'Made in China' on the back of the packaging, (Still HD prices though) also paintwork is done in China BADLY, I remember seeing 3 CVO glides (£30k ish each) lined up at a dealer here in the U.K. and ALL of them had 'orange peeled' paint on the boxes. For saying I wanted a HD because it was a 'piece of America', by the end of my last one it probably was 50% Chinese! I ride a BMW now! It's made in Germany... (Mostly) 😂
I had the SAME THING HAPPEN. Except I was told I would make what I set out to make. I told them what I needed to make and was told I’d make that if not more each pay period. THEN she hit me with “you have to hit $13,000 within a 2 week span to see any commission. With the low wage, commission was going to be my saving grace. Never hit that goal. Though about moving into bike sales but I had to get myself out of that situation. Shitsuation is what I should say.
A majority of sales positions that I have worked in. Have been cold call selling. In other words, going out and pulling doors and finding my own customers. If you sit there and wait. You’ll go broke. The Harley dealers in this area have some of the highest turnover over. That I have ever seen and I thought selling copiers was a breeze. Very correct. Sales reps gets up and running good. First change is the comp plan. Next separate the bikes he or she is allowed to sell. Some dealers. Say you choose to sell new or used, but not both. Next would be most sales people showing up in a truck and not owning a bike.
Most of the Harley Davidson dealerships I’ve been to ( and if you looked in my t-shirt drawer) you’d have an idea how many that is, tell me their policy is to not work on bikes 20 years old or more. That means from 2004 on your on your own. I get it , too big of a down side for them. A quote for service would exceed the customer’s willingness to pay. For those people, they can learn to do their on service or buy new under warranty ☹️
Either go to the wage and labor board of your state or get a lawyer and sue the shit out them. That is totally wrong. Changes impacting pay should be after a notice is given and prior to the end of the current pay cycle and before the one the policy affects. Having to cover your $15 Hr. pay before commissions is one for the wage and labor board may need to know about. Slimy.
Great Video, sorry you went through this, I stopped buying New Bikes at dealerships for the same reasons. I felt they were pushing sales quotas rather than listening to me, and when something went bad on my new bike purchased from them, they acted like they did not know me, always looking for loop holes in the warranty to avoid honoring them. I work with a certified used bike dealer now and have a local mechanic, who picks them up services them and brings them back. Like you they are also passionate about selling and fixing Bikes.
Ohiohdmc - that is a Draw vs Commission description, you absolutely have to cover your time before making a commission unless you are straight commission sales. Sounds like a bit of a shady place to not honor the spif money.
I only use my Local HD dealership for winter storage. They wanted $400 for a new rear tire while a Mobile guy who works on everything will do it in your driveway for $110 and takes less than 45mins.
Left the dealerships for different reasons, but I saw all the same issues on the sales floor, service suffers from the efficiency mandates, so quality work that's all about the small details go to the wayside in favor of mass output.
First video I've seen of yours nice to see you out there working I'm glad you love motorcycles heck I'm even glad you love Harleys tell you a little bit about me I was a custom builder at a Kamloops BC from Kevin long Cycles I'm the dude who built the original Night Train I built a lot of sweet bikes that turned into classic Harley models add my own experiences with them unfortunately these days is a lot different than back in the day in the 90s Harley had different ownership and it changed the whole game as soon as the ownership changed at first I wouldn't touch any other bike then the ownership changes can I get a guy from Harley-Davidson pull up talk to me for a minute tells me they built me two bikes that they want to give me because of the bikes I designed and they're basically trying to say thank you honestly I couldn't believe it they were gorgeous bikes you are the nicest Harleys off the showroom for I've ever seen both were Customs both were gorgeous unfortunately my finances at the time were pretty bad and I explained that that I couldn't afford to own a bike I didn't even have a place to live at the time when I explained that I would have to sell one they freaked write out they actually expected me to take those two bikes to the homeless shelter I was living in well that's a 35,000 value bike at the time and a $50,000 valued bike at a time when the rest of their bikes were going for $25 and 35 in the long run they wouldn't give me the ownership let me sell them or repaint them or change parts or do anything else what they wanted me to do was take a position as the caretaker of bikes that they had built. Anyway long story short I'll never ride another Harley they showed me they're not the company they used to be unfortunately I'm not the only one that feels that way back in the day I wouldn't work on anything else I wouldn't ride anything else now I can't even stomach to touch one
Thank you for this video. It was well balanced. I don’t own a Harley, I would like to but it’s too expensive. I know people who own Harley’s get frustrated with reliability and they are constantly upgrading. But your right if you can’t afford it don’t do it
So I use to go to this one privately owned HD dealer called Santa Clarita HD, (same place where the road king cause the sentra to flip and hit the escalade) I use to put a good amount a miles on my sportster and these guys were great they would have the most reasonable price, best work, and and they would do any upgrades (big bore kits) everything. Onetime I noticed my sportster was missing a drive belt cover, they went back and put one on for free also they slowly tried to help me get on a new street bob, I brought guys a 32 pack of beer for the free part, we became like family and the service manager saw me handing the street bob in the lot really good, he ccame up to me and asked do ou want to work with us in the service dept. I felt bad to turn him down since I was a aircraft mechanic but soon the managment changed and the WHOLE atmosphere changed ( only old people with baggers ) no young men and single handled destroyed the last real HD dealer in Los Angeles.
This is the first video I have watched from you. I respect your character and passion. Thank you for being real. God Bless brother!!
HD should try the hands off approach when selling bikes. Every time I walk into an HD dealership it almost feels as if I’m being attacked. Compared to Indian or Porsche the sales person may get to you eventually but you’re free to look without being hovered over. Hovering makes me take my business elsewhere.
Yes! Every indian dealership i ever been to made me feel comfortable. And then I walk into a harley dealership and I feel like i'm in the 80's at one of those sleezy car dealership.
in contrast i know people who went in to buy a bike and left because they were ignored, maybe the salesman should introduce himself and say anything you need i am over there and then leave you to browse.
It’s the opposite here at the one Harley dealer. I’ve been interested three times in buying a bike but they blew it !
The first time they took my name down and were supposed to call me when they got more bikes in then the other times I e mailed them regarding bikes but they never got back to me at all !! I guess I’m not cool enough to deal with lol.
That’s how I feel when walking into a Polaris dealership where you can buy a motorcycle, 4 wheeler, boat, etc. all in the same place. Lmao!!!
I agree. I think sometimes the salesman are pressured so much to follow you and get your info….. sometimes I just want to 🗣️ leave me alone. I have a bike smh
If a motorcycle salesperson doesn’t ride I tell them to get the hell away from me. I want to talk to a rider who gets it! Point blank. It should be a requirement to ride if you work at a motorcycle dealership.
I felt the same way when I was working for a dealer as a parts sales person. I had the passion and desire to help and show the latest styles and parts. Most of the others would just answer questions and not get into a full on conversation about what they wanted or had dreams to get to. I loved connecting with the clients and sharing the excitement they had with ownership. I think a lot of the people that love the product are disillusioned if they ever work for the motor company.
Happened to me when I worked for a Scott fisher Harley Davidson dealer in Ann Arbor Michigan. He had a young lady from Texas who sold dreams and lied. I caught on fast and left after she ripped me off for $1200 spiff on sportsters $100 for each one you sell. I sold 12 and she said I didn’t say that. I never said $100 for each one you sell. That was my last day there.
I got good advice from an old timer who told me “son don’t turn your passion and hobby into a job”
I'm stealing that quote!
Be cool if he also said: "Son- your gonna drive me to drinkin if you don't stop driving that HotRod Lincoln!"
@@TheOverisel ha! Love that dong
There is another one. Do what you love to do for work, and you will never work a day in your life.
@snowlothar45 might not eat either 🤷♂️
I went into a H-D dealership in 2006 with a budget that would cover any ten of their bikes combined. I was dressed in my usual blue jeans, t-shirt and flannel, was looking at an Electa Glide Ultra Classic. The salesman came up and asked me if I had the money to buy it, which I thought was rude, so I said "Not on me", and he told me to come back when I had it. I haven't set foot in a H-D dealership since, and wouldn't have one of their bikes if you paid me.
I understand the feeling! But I would only ride a Harley. I called around and no one ever called me back in 2021. One dealership did, and when they called they had the bike I wanted and under msrp.
Thanks for confirming what I knew about harley dealerships ,but they still charge over 150 for 1 hour labor , and their prices is always higher on changing tires then a local shop. I see new salesmen every few weeks at my dealership ,which is not a good sign,but they are polite to me
Everything about working at that dealership seems shady. You can't change the rules when they don't benefit you. Earn your salary then we'll pay you what you make on top of that, no thanks! This is crazy and eye opening. Thanks for the transparency, man.
Hard Sale techniques have always pissed me off...As I walk out the door.
I’m originally from Cali and now live in Central Penn, I have found a new love for riding because it’s so beautiful here. I’m glad I found this channel because this guy’s passion for HD has rekindled my own love for the brand
I bet that area is beyond great in Fall 🍂🍁
Amazing we love it@@jayteesgear
Be be so quick to jump the gun! Harley Davidson's Dealerships are full of crap! The product is failing, the old REVO's were the best. EPA has come down on the Harley, but they can easily do what you have to after purchasing, especially the Milwaukee 8s
Sounds like this guy was working for one of the Harley dealers that had been bought by a Auto Sales Group, many have been! Avoid these places if possible.
The worst thing about Harley Davidson ? The dealership sales process
I agree, bought my first motorcycle (street glide) from a harley dealer, what I thought was gonna be a fun experience was a negotiating nightmare, I left the dealer feeling exhausted and disappointed
Yep...the stealerships will stick it in and twist a few times till ya quit twitchin...LOL
Agreed. Awful experience, traumatic.
Worst thing about Harley? Their trash engineering
But also the persona of the posers who buy them
Their dealerships
F that entire company
@@El_Peto "trash engineering?" Yet, all others are emulating Harley Davidson.... Interesting concept! I haven't had a single issue with any of my Harley's, well just one. An old dyna with the Evo engine, terrible engine, leaks all over the place irregardless of the repairs but that was back back in the day, all those nightmares have disappeared these years.
Ripping off customers isn't enough for Harley anymore. They have to go after their employees now, too. Thanks for reinforcing my decision to never buy from a Harley dealership again. Only private sale for me.
Yes but you still have to buy HD parts.
@@carlostrujillo4750not at all. There’s so much more aftermarket parts sold less than HD and they’re either more comfortable, sound better or last longer.
@carlostrujillo4750 nope. Plenty of aftermarket parts are available.
100% agree on all points, my friend.
I spent too much of my life in the motorcycle industry and sadly my many decades of experience have shown me that it’s a shady and disgusting environment to try to work in.
It is an awful thing that the motorcycle industry takes advantage of the passion of its people to get them to work in bad conditions for next to nothing. It’s disgusting. It doesn’t need to be that way.
sadly, the best place for a motorcycle enthusiast to be is “outside of the industry on his or her own motorcycle.”. Enjoy the ride, but don’t join the dealerships.
I hope someday it fixes itself, but I think it’s gonna take a long time. Ride well.
I worked at Mr Cs. Harley Davison in Brighton Michigan as a mechanic during the AMF. Bicentennial line up in 1976 will never forget that part of Harleys history...Your a well spoken speaker ...great video on working for a dealer ! 🇺🇲
I just stumbled onto your video for the first time and you sound like a straight up dude. I don't consider myself a Harley guy even though I have owned two of them. When I go to a Harley dealership it is for one reason only and that is to buy parts I need for my bike. When I purchase a motorcycle its usually from a private party. I thank you for the better understanding of how the dealerships operate!
I can relate, I too worked for HD. I graduated from MMI and Been through everything you stated and more.I won't go back to riding HD,I am switching to a Goldwing!
I did the same. Bought my goldwing over the phone. I asked the Honda dealership to email me the “bill of sale” ……. Walked in with check in hand the next day. I had done my own financing .
Glad you got out brother. Good on ya for giving it a go. I've had some bad experiences at dealerships as a customer. I've seen the vibe and it ain't good.
Most Harley dealerships need a wake up.
They are still under the illusion that the boomers will prop up their company forever
Its nice to hear from a honest ,caring individual that was from HD dealership. Youre right alot of the new sales people are super pushy...and tbh it really pisses me off
I worked at a local HD dealership for 5 years back in the early 2000's in the parts dept and parts to service. It was disgusting how much not only the employees were getting screwed but how the customers got screwed on new bike sales and service work. As a parts dept employee we were pushed by the sales manager to talk a new buyer into any and all crap that they didn't ask for. We were basically told to upsale as much as $5000 worth of accessories to every bike sale whether the customers wanted those accessories or not. As far as service work, customers would bring in their bike for a new rear tire but when they came to pick it up they were charged for two new tires, new brake pads, etc, etc and would have to pay the bill or not get their bike. And the customers were never called by the service writer and told that they needed the extra parts. The parts were just installed and added to the bill with labor. They lost a lot of customers and employees because of the way they did business.
Harley Davidson Dealers will gouge every dollar from your pockets telling you bull crap!
There's a term for that, fraud
I think its ironic how the business practice of Harley goes against EVERYTHING so called "real bikers" are against.
I 100% see & agree about the passion!
As someone who started building custom bicycles as a kid then moved onto lawnmower powered minibikes, then old junk Enduro bikes, and Limey motorcycles because HD's were too expensive when I was a kid.
I eventually was able to aquire some needy Harley-Davidson motorcycles and have & still have many over the years.
Rode many miles and do all the work on the machines.
I drive an hour to go to an out of town Harley-Davidson dealership when I need parts because the local dealer has clueless people behind the parts counter.
I could give you many examples of the folly but the most recent one when I needed a fast small part;
An accelerator pump diaphragm for a kein CV carburetor. This is a common issue albeit not modern.
The parts counter person proceeded to attempt to humiliate Me by saying they only sell replacement carburetors and don't get into intricate items on old crap.
Well I went home and looked in my parts manual and came back and gave the department store window tough Guy the number and presto! It was on the shelf.
The prefered dealership I drive miles past this local one to get parts is a totally different ball of wax.
You can go in there and get the smallest of little parts even the brass from inside wire connector plugs for a 30 year old bike if they have them.
They are Bike people!
They spend as much time on you for the little parts as big ticket items.
The employees drive custom cars, older & newer bikes to work.
Passion.
Giant difference.
I was asked to fill in as a tech at a dealership while I was on vacation then asked if I would consider working for them full time. I decided to do it because I love working on and customizing bikes. They wouldn't let me drill and tap a hole to solve a problem and cut my hours. I put up with it for 2 years then left to take a union job. Working at a dealership did take a lot of the passion I had for motorcycles from me. I now do service work on the side and help an aftermarket shop when they need it just to keep people out of the dealership.
This was a really excellent video. I worked in sales for 1 year (35 years ago) and said never again, for many of the same reasons you mentioned.
We live in very expensive times. For me to have a Harley means buying used and doing as much of my own work as possible. When I go to the dealership, they deserve my respect. Those employees are trying to eke out a living just like me.
I share your passion for the brand. Nice vid 👊
You are 100% correct on everything you said man. I decided to step away from the wrenching side of Harley for awhile. I got burnt out on it and decided to go try my hand at selling. I sold the crap out of motorcycles and they kept shorting my paycheck, not giving me my bonus, and not giving me my spiff money which really pissed me off. What I've learned working for 4 different Harley Davidson dealerships is not a single one gives a f... about their employees. Now as a Harley-Davidson senior technician I was treated better than lets say a entry level tech or even a service writer but at the end of the day I didn't mean squat to them. Also if you love to ride motorcycles, don't work at a Harley-Davidson Dealership. You do just about everything other than riding your own bike.
The best part of working in the dealer was meeting cool people. Glad we met brother! I agree with everything you’ve said in this video. One of the best honest Harley dealer breakdown videos on CZcams
I had the exact same experience working at a motorcycle dealer. The SPIF arguments, the dishonest and entitled customers, the lousy pay, the ignorance, the coworkers cutting your throat, the whole thing. I went in a different industry, but I still repair my own bikes and my hobby is restoring old barn finds.
I`ve bought 5 new H.D.s over the years. Never sucked for that 1000mi service. (what a rip that is) The H.D. warranty is always a questionable predicament. My `16 Streetglide had a poor GPS and the arrow would point where it wanted when it was supposed to point north. I`m happy with my `90 FXSTS. Evos rule and Springers look so good.
Have 4 older Harley’s Just bought a brand new Moto Guzzi can’t wait ti ride it
Cool story nobody cares
AGREE 100%. I also worked for a HD dealer in SC. It was part of a group that had car dealerships also and they ran the HD dealer the same. Chasing greets and phone numbers sucked. And then being told constantly to get on the phones call those non buyers and pester the crap out of them. Then add the total lack of money,open 7 days a week, work every weekend, it was time to go. I could see myself loosing my love of the brand if I stayed.
I put my hand up. I am one of those guys who view dealerships and repair businesses suspiciously. I assume they are out to fleece me - and why not? They have families and bills too. And as you say clearly, you lose 60% of sales if you let them walk. But when you started talking about the radiator hose I had to laugh. I remembered the Oliver stone film, 'U-Turn' where Sean Penn's character takes his 64 and a half Mustang to a local hick mechanic in the back country, and gets quoted $400 for a radiator hose. It is pretty funny. Well, that's life and you speak in such a chilled and balanced way about it. I admit, it is a rare day for me to be able to talk like that. Thanks for a great video. I wasn't expecting much, but it was real and even a bit of a life-lesson type of vibe.
I'm an older guy, New to Harley, bought it from a ridding buddy. I've been in probably a dozen dealerships in our travels. There is 1 that I will never step foot in again, the rest, most were really nice folks, no pressure. I have no experience with service. I am like you and I service my own vehicles.
Really good content I appreciate your sharing your insights on both sides of motorcycle life personal and business perspective
Great video, I'm the exact same with my bikes and cars. I trust very few people do perform my maintenance and if I do authorize a repair I double back and check the work.
Very well said, I enjoyed your video. Thank you for spending the time and effort to put this together. I knew nothing about the inner workings of the dealerships, now I know more!
OK. So you hit a topic that kinda burns me. Buying an older used motorcycle at a dealer. I used to assume that if a dealer was selling an older bike that they had looked over it as the so-called experts an made necessary repairs and taken care of known issues such as the spring cam chain tensioner. The used motorcycles should be in good running order and not be looking at major repairs in the immediate future. Or the condition should be disclosed upfront. Example: if customer wants to buy a cheaper bike then they should know what repairs they are facing.
I do like this video. It was quite informative.
I bought a 2020 RKS and last year when I went to see a potential Roadglide purchase, the salesman says to me: Two are twice as much fun, why not keep the RKS and finance the RGS? I turned to him and asked if he even owned a Harley and aware of the investment it takes just to own one. I was so pissed.
Good insight as to what goes on at a dealer. The info is appreciated man
Great video. Its like car dealers or service centres,they are there to help but they also are not a charity. I can't imagine all the thankless hours that go on behind the scenes
Spoken like a true person with dealership experience!
@RK-de5wg Far from it, I'm a gardener for over 25 years. I had a mate who worked in the industry of car dealerships, he said it's a tough way to earn a living. Lots of afterhours unpaid ,just trying to get the sales
I camped @ J&L HD in Souix Falls SD .. I noticed that many of the Employees rode their Bikes to work. Several ran straight pipes. They ran the bikes super fast down a Service road .. One guy did a wheelie in the Parking Lot each morning..
I looked on google maps to refresh my Memory and I see there is a new Indian Dealership being built across the street from the HD Dealer who also had a Powersports Dealership next door to their HD Dealership ..
Across the street??? Indian is nest door...
How in the world are you supposed to make a decent living with that crazy pay structure?! Wow! I’m guessing turnover is very high there. I worked for HD for 15 years and when the dealerships around me all went to a similar car sales dealership approach to selling, I had to go. They took the fun out of the job and the customers absolutely hated the new selling approach. No thanks. I’ve never set foot in another dealership since.
When your incentive plan changes on the fly, without warning, you’ve been “Penciled”. A common, albeit unethical, practice of editing a bonus plan, retroactively, impacting commissions, bonuses, spiffs (whip-out cash or mama-don’t know money) without notice. I’m glad you found a job that provides better work life balance for you and your family. Thx for sharing your experiences.
@@Fatschwab thank you for watching!
I got out of sales (vehicle) because too many salesmen thought they were entitled to 1/2 of my deals cutting my commissions in half. Sure, half of something is better than all of nothing but I ha e had many deals "stolen" from me.
Had an experience where a guy dropped his appointment on me so he could try to pick up a walk-in. When I got mad cause I wasted two hours with his friend and said something he looked at me and said ohh I forgot he was coming in, 🤔. Too many games
I used to think the 10/20 k etc mile services were way overpriced. Then I started doing them step by step via the service manual and realized how much is involved in them. While I still choose to do everything that I’m capable of myself I have no problem with what most service departments charge for the work.
But you know it's done.
I really appreciate your candor. I have worked for Harley-Davidson at the dealer level selling parts for 30 years. I do ride and that keeps my passion for the brand fresh. My job sucks the life out of me.
Thank you for your HONEST opinions . Much appreciated.
Just once I’ve heard “oh, you have to get permission from you wife” which I have been single for over 43 years. My answer was “no, I can’t get that Indian off my mind.” I won’t work with an insulting sales rep.
Hi 👋, great content, sharing your experience working for Harley Davidson, I just left a comment in a box that I thought was connected to you, but I’ve now done it all over, somebody had passed the comment about Indian motorcycles being very helpful, not pressurised,
About two weeks ago, I was in the UK and went to a farm called Krazy horses , they are in bury Saint Edmunds ,
I find them to be very polite, very helpful and was not pressurised in any way, shape or form , even had a very nice restaurant, where you could sit and have a conversation with somebody, In a very friendly atmosphere, I wish you all the success for the future,
I'm a now retired Master Of Technology when I quit working for the MotorCompany quite a few years ago. (Basically, as soon as I had a couple at that level which is the highest Harley has) I bid farewell to the Company! My most often given piece of advice that I would offer to both my new co-workers and my favorite customers alike is this: If you drop your keys or whatever while still on the dealership property ,kick them out to the sidewalk before you bend over to pick them up! Of all the wonderful things that management promised me to initially come to work there and then to get me to stay I never saw a single thing! A great place to be from....
Thank you for making this video it was so informative and just real. Excellent video!
Best way to walk into a dealer is to answer the question they ask of what do you ride, is to reply I got fired last week from my job so no money to buy.
Best answer is "my wife".
Same thing happens when I step on a car lot. It's the norm today but I have been in Powersports places and no one ever acknowledged me. Just learn to tell them you are just looking and don't want to be bothered.
I missed that grease fitting. Real talk. I own I 93 sporty. Now a Street Glide
I am old and old school, long ago Harley Davidson was a place where every employee knew what a spark plug was, today you may get a stupid look when asking for one.
Ain't that the truth!!
There is still a few good ones out there though.
Which ones in Florida are good,reputable, worthwhile?? Please. Thanks
@philscalessr.7134 Bert’s barracuda! Bert’s black widow in the Tampa area
@@0hi0hdmc can I ask why you think that,because I’m looking to buy this fall..
Bert’s staff is fair, honest, and up front! I had them call the dealership I worked at and pay for a customers service over the phone to honor an agreement they had. Also Bert the owner is always there and humble enough to talk to you and have a drink with you!
I'm amazed at how many people working at Harley dealerships don't know anything about the product they are selling! And how Harley Motor Corp. DOESN'T CARE if someone at a dealership LIED to you to get you to spend THOUSANDS of your hard earned dollars!!! That's one of the many reasons why, after ridings Harleys for over 40 years, I'm looking at Indian or HONDA for my next bike.
I owned one of the new Indians for two years, (a 2014) and even road a Victory for about a year. I'm on a Road Glide and the bike I had prior to the RG was a 2017 SGS. I'm happy to be on an H-D again and so will you after you jump ship. I view the dealership as a place you go to get the bike you want. All I care about are the numbers. I'll shop around until I get the deal I'm comfortable with.
You realize each Harley-Davidson dealership is a franchise? The motor company can’t monitor their employees and how you are treated. Go to another dealership. What corporate does do is track complaints( not on CZcams) about the dealerships and respond accordingly to the franchise owner. You’re a customer of the dealership not the motor company. No different than good and bad car dealerships. By the way I went to my closest Indian dealer to buy a Jack Daniels bobber and they sales staff were the worst, called another and were very helpful locating one.
Most of the Harley Issues on the Evo engines are addressed and improved on Buel's thus HD could have made the engines more reliable if they wanted to.
Older Yamaha's had grease zerks on swing arms ect.. also some of their snowmobiles had a several grease zerks
Twin Cams had zerks.
My 2005 Deuce does BUT my 2014 doesn't. Hell it doesn't even have fork drain screws, so if you want to change the fork oil you have to take the forks out !!!! 🤔😵💫🤬
People treat you the same way at an auto repair shop. I deal with it every day. Just because it has a big brand name doesn’t mean they have deep pockets. Lots of people don’t take responsibility for having an older vehicle. I like the passion you have. Too bad the customers don’t get it.
I live in Cleveland I have a 2000 with an 88 none of the dealerships will even service my bike, they won’t work on it or service it except for tire change and maybe breaks because it’s too old I think anything older than 10 yrs old they won’t touch it, I think it’s total bs, had to go to a performance shop to get my tensioner switched out and anything else I need, Harley doesn’t want you to keep your bike for a long time they want you to buy new is how I feel
Yeah it’s wild
Took a shot everytime he says motorcycles instead a bike. Now I'm in the ER😂😂
Your welcome 😎
LMAO!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Very good take on what you went through. Thanks for sharing
It takes a special person to deal with the public on a daily basis, because all it takes is that one......(insert you own adjective), to make your day go from awesome to bad! I know I couldn't do it either! GOD Bless Brother!!!
I worked in sales for years. Its very demotivating to true get the person the correct thing for them. And then getting grief for not selling the particular thing the company wants you to push
Thanks for sharing this full inside look.
Yeah I had the guy that looked like he never even sat on a bike tell me “I know who wears the pants in the family”. Just because I respect my wife. As she earns the money as well as I do. And you’re saying exactly what I felt. I didn’t buy a bike that day and wanted to punch the guy. Dude was a total ass hat.
@@turtle19dad it’s messed up!
Thank you for sharing your passion for HD…
There is no such thing as feeling comfortable at an HD dealership. I love the bikes, and they are the only ones I choose to ride, but the way dillerships are operated is usually terrible. They are like vultures around you. That is what my experience has been so far when visiting all but one so far, in many different states. In one of them a sales person positioned at the entry point jumped in front of me, tried to shake my hand and would not let me and my wife pass just like a bouncer (he was huge) until we told him what kind of bikes we were there for. I had to ask him to step aside. Why do they need to be like that? HD dealerships should be fun without the pressure. They suck in my opinion.
Reason is whoever talks to you first can claim you as their client. Dealerships have way too many fit specialist or salesmen on the floor and if you want to make any money you have be like that. That’s the reason I quit . Made me feel horrible. We had to get 5 peoples phones numbers every day to input into our system . Also had to call 25 people a day and try to get them in the dealership. The sales process turned me off from Harley’s for a few years
I agree that if someone insulted me about talking to my wife I would tell them to F-off , walk out, and would never EVER buy from that dealership. I've said that with EVERY bike I've bought and luckily I've never had anyone do that at my dealership
Had one say that to me and I looked at him and said that’s probably not the way to get me to agree with you. Never bought from them. It’s a respect thing.
It’s one thing to ridicule a customer, but it’s another thing to educate them and talk reason. For example, whenever a customer would tell me they have to ask the wife, I would ask them how long have they been married? One, that will tell you if he is lying about being married, and if he is, he will usually have an answer of 20 years. In 20 years of marriage, I would believe that you have your finances in order to be able to make a buying decision. Or, I would reply with let’s go show your wife! If he or she is a buyer, they will always comply, especially if you did your job by covering the concerns the buyer has.
@RK-de5wg never assume you know another persons personal situation.
@@0hi0hdmc who said I was assuming anything? My experience is factual. Hence, why I shared what I did here.
Assuming that after 20 years they have finances in order. Sorry
WELCOME TO THE RETAIL VEHICLE BUSINESS YOUNG MAN, I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I SPENT 38 YEARS IN THE CAR BUSINESS AND 4 MONTHS WORKING FOR A LARGE HD DEALER (STILL OPEN, BUT UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP) IM THE EARLY 2001-2002 TIME PERIOD. I SOLD 114 BIKES IN 4 MONTHS. LOVED DOING IT BUT THE SAME CRAP WAS PULLED ON ME. CRAZY OWNER WHO WAS A PILL HEAD, THREATENED TO TAKE ME OUT BACK AND WHOOP MY ASS IF I DIDN'T WORK AN OPEN HOUSE ON A UPCOMING SUNDAY . I WAS ONE OF TWO FULL TIME SALESPEOPLE AT THE TIME AND WORKED KEY TO KEY 6 DAYS A WEEK. THE OWNER WAS FINALLY DUMPED BY HD (A FEW YEARS AFTER I LEFT) AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF ASSUALTING A GUY FROM THE PARTS DEPT AND SETTLING THE CASE FOR $500K. LOVED THE JOB, LOVED THE CUSTOMERS JUST HATED THE BS, IT WAS A FREAKIN' NIGHTMARE.
I've worked at a lot of motorcycle dealerships in both sales and parts (not HD). Never had a spiff taken away and if one salesman helps another with the deal it's customary to share part of your commission with the other salesman. Hell, if I was you I would've walked too.
Sounds like they need to be sued.. how the hell can they change the pay structure after you earned it. That’s BS. You’re not the only one who has mentioned this. I love the brand, but I don’t think I could ever work for H-D
I really enjoyed this video. I look forward to more videos. Thanks.
I get it, respect and passion for the job you work, once you get to the business and money aspect of the job it can be very disappointing...
Excellent. It's always hearing rational thoughts and opinions from somebody doing the work.
Excellent video! And congratulations on your new career.
Working at the dealership is like watching them, make the sausage. Once you know what it takes to do it? You don't want to do it anymore.
I had the same dealership salesman experience as you. EVERY aspect! I lasted 1 year.
I stopped using a harley dealership to do anything to my bikes. They caused a catastrophic failure after a service when they didn't test drive after. That failure caused a 65MPH highway crash. I was F'ed up but recovered. The highway patrol thought I was a dead man walking. That dealership is now out of business. Since that day I did all my own work.
amen i have had the same problems you did,if i had too tell you a story of my life at dealerships you just said it.
Everything stated in this video holds water. It stands true for most dealers, regardless if it's Harley or Honda. Private, for-profit companies will always put the bottom line before the people. My dealership days lasted a short time, although I hated it I am grateful for the experience that I am able to share with others, just like you are doing.
Bad management.
Agreed
ALWAYS need to keep your neck bearings greased up folks!
Seriously though. think we have it slightly worse here in the U.K/Europe, pretty much all the spares or extras we buy have 'Made in China' on the back of the packaging, (Still HD prices though) also paintwork is done in China BADLY, I remember seeing 3 CVO glides (£30k ish each) lined up at a dealer here in the U.K. and ALL of them had 'orange peeled' paint on the boxes.
For saying I wanted a HD because it was a 'piece of America', by the end of my last one it probably was 50% Chinese!
I ride a BMW now!
It's made in Germany...
(Mostly) 😂
Yeah that’s crazy! All our parts say made in china also 🤔🫣
I had the SAME THING HAPPEN. Except I was told I would make what I set out to make. I told them what I needed to make and was told I’d make that if not more each pay period. THEN she hit me with “you have to hit $13,000 within a 2 week span to see any commission. With the low wage, commission was going to be my saving grace. Never hit that goal. Though about moving into bike sales but I had to get myself out of that situation. Shitsuation is what I should say.
A majority of sales positions that I have worked in. Have been cold call selling. In other words, going out and pulling doors and finding my own customers. If you sit there and wait. You’ll go broke. The Harley dealers in this area have some of the highest turnover over. That I have ever seen and I thought selling copiers was a breeze. Very correct. Sales reps gets up and running good. First change is the comp plan. Next separate the bikes he or she is allowed to sell. Some dealers. Say you choose to sell new or used, but not both. Next would be most sales people showing up in a truck and not owning a bike.
Most of the Harley Davidson dealerships I’ve been to ( and if you looked in my t-shirt drawer) you’d have an idea how many that is, tell me their policy is to not work on bikes 20 years old or more. That means from 2004 on your on your own. I get it , too big of a down side for them. A quote for service would exceed the customer’s willingness to pay. For those people, they can learn to do their on service or buy new under warranty ☹️
Either go to the wage and labor board of your state or get a lawyer and sue the shit out them. That is totally wrong. Changes impacting pay should be after a notice is given and prior to the end of the current pay cycle and before the one the policy affects. Having to cover your $15 Hr. pay before commissions is one for the wage and labor board may need to know about. Slimy.
We also had guys in bike sales that have never even sat on a motorcycle. Wild shit man.
Very good, the parts people get it just as bad. The HD dealership charges $145 per hour for labor. Im in Tampa, i think that is high
Very high
Service sure does cost a lot in a Harley Dealership. Everything you mentioned about Service is in the Owners Manual ..
My next bike was a new 2023 BMW R 1250 GS triple black. The Harley is now gone. None of the dealerships could be trusted to do good work.
Great Video, sorry you went through this, I stopped buying New Bikes at dealerships for the same reasons. I felt they were pushing sales quotas rather than listening to me, and when something went bad on my new bike purchased from them, they acted like they did not know me, always looking for loop holes in the warranty to avoid honoring them. I work with a certified used bike dealer now and have a local mechanic, who picks them up services them and brings them back. Like you they are also passionate about selling and fixing Bikes.
Ohiohdmc - that is a Draw vs Commission description, you absolutely have to cover your time before making a commission unless you are straight commission sales. Sounds like a bit of a shady place to not honor the spif money.
I only use my Local HD dealership for winter storage. They wanted $400 for a new rear tire while a Mobile guy who works on everything will do it in your driveway for $110 and takes less than 45mins.
I love to support my local dealership, but I also like to support local mechanics
Left the dealerships for different reasons, but I saw all the same issues on the sales floor, service suffers from the efficiency mandates, so quality work that's all about the small details go to the wayside in favor of mass output.
First video I've seen of yours nice to see you out there working I'm glad you love motorcycles heck I'm even glad you love Harleys tell you a little bit about me I was a custom builder at a Kamloops BC from Kevin long Cycles I'm the dude who built the original Night Train I built a lot of sweet bikes that turned into classic Harley models add my own experiences with them unfortunately these days is a lot different than back in the day in the 90s Harley had different ownership and it changed the whole game as soon as the ownership changed at first I wouldn't touch any other bike then the ownership changes can I get a guy from Harley-Davidson pull up talk to me for a minute tells me they built me two bikes that they want to give me because of the bikes I designed and they're basically trying to say thank you honestly I couldn't believe it they were gorgeous bikes you are the nicest Harleys off the showroom for I've ever seen both were Customs both were gorgeous unfortunately my finances at the time were pretty bad and I explained that that I couldn't afford to own a bike I didn't even have a place to live at the time when I explained that I would have to sell one they freaked write out they actually expected me to take those two bikes to the homeless shelter I was living in well that's a 35,000 value bike at the time and a $50,000 valued bike at a time when the rest of their bikes were going for $25 and 35 in the long run they wouldn't give me the ownership let me sell them or repaint them or change parts or do anything else what they wanted me to do was take a position as the caretaker of bikes that they had built. Anyway long story short I'll never ride another Harley they showed me they're not the company they used to be unfortunately I'm not the only one that feels that way back in the day I wouldn't work on anything else I wouldn't ride anything else now I can't even stomach to touch one
Thanks for the transparency!
Thank you for this video. It was well balanced. I don’t own a Harley, I would like to but it’s too expensive. I know people who own Harley’s get frustrated with reliability and they are constantly upgrading. But your right if you can’t afford it don’t do it
So I use to go to this one privately owned HD dealer called Santa Clarita HD, (same place where the road king cause the sentra to flip and hit the escalade) I use to put a good amount a miles on my sportster and these guys were great they would have the most reasonable price, best work, and and they would do any upgrades (big bore kits) everything. Onetime I noticed my sportster was missing a drive belt cover, they went back and put one on for free also they slowly tried to help me get on a new street bob, I brought guys a 32 pack of beer for the free part, we became like family and the service manager saw me handing the street bob in the lot really good, he ccame up to me and asked do ou want to work with us in the service dept. I felt bad to turn him down since I was a aircraft mechanic but soon the managment changed and the WHOLE atmosphere changed ( only old people with baggers ) no young men and single handled destroyed the last real HD dealer in Los Angeles.
I am a previous Ducati 916 rider. Now I fancy a Harley Softail Deuce.
I have no tattoos and am not overweight. WilI I be accepted by Harley riders?