I guess i just want the same as everyone else. Like any shop, when i walk in and just want to browse i dont mind if a staff member comes up to me to ask if i need any help, but if i say 'no thanks, just looking' i fully expect them to bugger off and leave me to my own devices. If I approach a staff member who isn't dealing with another customer, i dont want to be ignored, even for a couple of seconds, while they finish their discussion with another staff member about last nights piss up or whatever. My local bike shop is just about right. You can wander up to any of the staff with any question and you will get knowledgable unbiased answers about any product they sell. If you want a specific item that they dont stock, you can have a chat about it, the pro's and con's about the product in relation to what they DO stock and make an informed decision, so if you still wanted that particular item they will get it in for you. In the past when i have ordered stuff they don't stock, they have rung to let me know it has arrived, within minutes of recieving. I know this to be true as i was actually in the shop once when they rang me!. After sales care also is important. Bought my R6 brand new from another dealer, booked in for the first service and was assured a courtesy bike. Turned up and was fobbed off with excuses and ended up on a clapped out cg125. To say i was pissed off is an understatement. Then the battery swelled up like a melon, so took it to my local dealer, not the one where i bought the bike, and they promptly removed a battery off a showroom bike, fitted it to mine and asked me to keep popping back, the charging sytem was checked and was ok, but they wanted to check the fault wasn't intermittent. Guess where i bought all my bike cleaning stuff from, and a £1100 of boots, gloves and leathers, and ALL future consumables.
i,ve always dealt with my local kawasaki dealer for years along with mates and older brothers too. we all sort of grew up together ish. always get decent service a bit of banter and nothings too much trouble. still go there now even though i,ve fallen away from the bikes themselves i still let them help as much as i can and give them as much of my business as i can. feel a bit bad about not buying my last bike from them but was simply sold on the repsol cbr and not a fan of the zx10r. the dealer i bought the blade from i always said i would never buy a bike from them as the owner and 1 of the sales guys look you up and down (i,m not usually the smartest dressed guy in the world) and then carry on talking to each other but a few years ago they relocated to new premises with a dedicated honda showroom and the guy in there is first class. always stops and chats when i pop in even if not on bike and since then the obnoxious owner now speaks to me since i,ve bought the blade from them (not that i say alot back other than hi!). i choose to spend my money on bikes cars gadgets etc but not clothes and sshouldnt be judged otherwise.
