I bought both my '08 FZ6 and the wife's '08 V Star 650 custom here. I have to say that regarding sales, dealing and price jockeying, they are outstanding and easy to work with.
HOWEVER, this is about their service department. And this... is the rest of the story.
Those in the know have read about the V Star front end issue. After getting back from TN with the bikes, I called and made an appt. for Friday knowing they were open late on Thursday. I left work a bit early Thurs and trailered her bike out to the shop. It's a little over an hour to get there. Dropped it off and the guy at the service desk finds my appt. and highlights it on the schedule meaning "Bike is here!" Cool! I tell the guy to call me when they know something on Friday and we will be out for their anniversary bash on Sat riding two-up so she can pick up her bike.
Skip to Friday... No call all day. They close at 6pm. I call at 4pm and get dumped to VM. Left a message. I call at 5pm and get a guy on the phone. He interrupts me and says "Can I have your name and number and I'll call you back before 6pm?" So I give him that. No call from them the rest of the day or evening.
Saturday... I wake up and my phone is off. Turn it on. No calls or voice mails. I call once, goes to VM, I call again... VM. I call a third time and instead of pressing 3 to get service, I start BANGING the 0 key until I get a live person. I talk to a lady and explain that I'd like to get a status on the bike. She forwards me out to the desk and runs out to be sure someone gets the call.
"Service, this is Tom." Got a live one! :steve:
I ask Tom about the bike. I get the wrong answer. They looked at it on Friday but because it was "raining" they didn't get to test drive it to feel the bouncing front end. So... First note: Do NOT bring a bike to this dealer for service is rain is forecast for the time it will be there. They DON'T diagnose in the rain.
(They sell rain suits though!)
I get a little edge to my voice and ask why they don't have any idea what is wrong all because someone is afraid of the rain? Tom then tells me "Well Sir, the bike was dropped off unexpectedly without an appt. so we'll get to it when we can."
A brief moment of silence as the pressure starts building. Voice drops a couple octaves and I say a "bit loudly" into the phone, "I HAD an appt. I TOLD you I'd be out today to pick up the bike! I want to speak to the service manager!" :rant:
I get put on hold.... not briefly, but for almost 3 minutes.... This must be Tom on the other end talking to the manager and covering his arse. Meanwhile, Eric is starting to really stew!
"Service, can I help you?"
I tell the guy I am waiting for the service manager. He says "This is Aaron, I am the manager."
We go through all the details and he knows I am very upset with the whole process. He tells me that he will have a guy on it within 30 minutes and will call me within the hour to tell me something definite. I end the conversation with "Aaron, this is my FIRST service experience with Freedom Cycle and I have to admit, it has left a VERY sour taste in my mouth!" He apologized up and down and said I'd get prompt treatment. He also told me Tom was mistaken when he claimed I did not have an appt.
90 minutes pass. Every time I look at my watch and see that more than 60 minutes has passed, I get that adrenaline rush, the one that says "I need to physically hurt this guy!"
Aaron finally calls... "How are you?" I say "Feeling 2nd rate, neglected and impatient." May as well set the tone proper right up front and be honest.
He explains his findings... http://www.600riders.com/forum/non-...-issues-continued-scala-story.html#post209681 tells that story.
I put him on speaker so he can tell my wife the same. It's better she yells at him than at him THROUGH me as I try to explain it. At this point, I think Aaron would have given her the bike of her choice if he had that authority.
Aaron tells us he'll call us back before 4pm with the pricing for the two options listed in that other thread.
Do I really need to tell you that come 4pm, there wasn't a call? No call after 4pm either. Now, I'm far beyond upset and feeling lower than a slug's slime trail. I bought two brand new bikes from these folks and paid cash for both. This is the kind of service I get?
I'm sorry this is so long but I HAD to vent. Plus, I plan on using this very thread, preserved here, as my letter to both the owner of Freedom Cycle and Yamaha Corporate because treatment like this cannot go on without some recourse. If anything, I don't want this to happen to a SINGLE customer beyond myself. Totally unacceptable!
After I get the bike back, I'll start the whole complaint process with both parties. I'm sure I'll have a couple additions to this thread down the road.
For those that read this through, thanks for lending an eye. :Flash:
HOWEVER, this is about their service department. And this... is the rest of the story.
Those in the know have read about the V Star front end issue. After getting back from TN with the bikes, I called and made an appt. for Friday knowing they were open late on Thursday. I left work a bit early Thurs and trailered her bike out to the shop. It's a little over an hour to get there. Dropped it off and the guy at the service desk finds my appt. and highlights it on the schedule meaning "Bike is here!" Cool! I tell the guy to call me when they know something on Friday and we will be out for their anniversary bash on Sat riding two-up so she can pick up her bike.
Skip to Friday... No call all day. They close at 6pm. I call at 4pm and get dumped to VM. Left a message. I call at 5pm and get a guy on the phone. He interrupts me and says "Can I have your name and number and I'll call you back before 6pm?" So I give him that. No call from them the rest of the day or evening.
Saturday... I wake up and my phone is off. Turn it on. No calls or voice mails. I call once, goes to VM, I call again... VM. I call a third time and instead of pressing 3 to get service, I start BANGING the 0 key until I get a live person. I talk to a lady and explain that I'd like to get a status on the bike. She forwards me out to the desk and runs out to be sure someone gets the call.
"Service, this is Tom." Got a live one! :steve:
I ask Tom about the bike. I get the wrong answer. They looked at it on Friday but because it was "raining" they didn't get to test drive it to feel the bouncing front end. So... First note: Do NOT bring a bike to this dealer for service is rain is forecast for the time it will be there. They DON'T diagnose in the rain.
(They sell rain suits though!) I get a little edge to my voice and ask why they don't have any idea what is wrong all because someone is afraid of the rain? Tom then tells me "Well Sir, the bike was dropped off unexpectedly without an appt. so we'll get to it when we can."
A brief moment of silence as the pressure starts building. Voice drops a couple octaves and I say a "bit loudly" into the phone, "I HAD an appt. I TOLD you I'd be out today to pick up the bike! I want to speak to the service manager!" :rant:
I get put on hold.... not briefly, but for almost 3 minutes.... This must be Tom on the other end talking to the manager and covering his arse. Meanwhile, Eric is starting to really stew!
"Service, can I help you?"
I tell the guy I am waiting for the service manager. He says "This is Aaron, I am the manager."
We go through all the details and he knows I am very upset with the whole process. He tells me that he will have a guy on it within 30 minutes and will call me within the hour to tell me something definite. I end the conversation with "Aaron, this is my FIRST service experience with Freedom Cycle and I have to admit, it has left a VERY sour taste in my mouth!" He apologized up and down and said I'd get prompt treatment. He also told me Tom was mistaken when he claimed I did not have an appt.
90 minutes pass. Every time I look at my watch and see that more than 60 minutes has passed, I get that adrenaline rush, the one that says "I need to physically hurt this guy!"
Aaron finally calls... "How are you?" I say "Feeling 2nd rate, neglected and impatient." May as well set the tone proper right up front and be honest.
He explains his findings... http://www.600riders.com/forum/non-...-issues-continued-scala-story.html#post209681 tells that story.
I put him on speaker so he can tell my wife the same. It's better she yells at him than at him THROUGH me as I try to explain it. At this point, I think Aaron would have given her the bike of her choice if he had that authority.
Aaron tells us he'll call us back before 4pm with the pricing for the two options listed in that other thread.
Do I really need to tell you that come 4pm, there wasn't a call? No call after 4pm either. Now, I'm far beyond upset and feeling lower than a slug's slime trail. I bought two brand new bikes from these folks and paid cash for both. This is the kind of service I get?
I'm sorry this is so long but I HAD to vent. Plus, I plan on using this very thread, preserved here, as my letter to both the owner of Freedom Cycle and Yamaha Corporate because treatment like this cannot go on without some recourse. If anything, I don't want this to happen to a SINGLE customer beyond myself. Totally unacceptable!
After I get the bike back, I'll start the whole complaint process with both parties. I'm sure I'll have a couple additions to this thread down the road.
For those that read this through, thanks for lending an eye. :Flash:
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