Shop customer service review

Today I went looking for a short more casual pair of riding boots, I'd been thinking about it for a while and when a zip went in my touring boots I figured now was the time top get a 2nd pair while my others are repaired. The hardest thing for me with boots is finding them big enough, usually a UK 12-13 (US 13-14)

1st stop, Peter Stevens, Adelaide (I had to go straight past so I figured I'd give them another chance), 
over 10 minutes in store, not one offer of assistance so I walked out

2nd stop, GC Motorcycles, Prospect 
as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted and offered help, they had a great range of jackets, probably Adelaides best stock of tyres but sadly, very few styles of boots, none close to my size

3rd stop, Honda World, Prospect
as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted and offered help, nothing in my size though

4th Stop, Bills Motorcycles, Prospect
as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted and offered help, nothing in my size though

5th stop, Yamaha Pitmans, Prospect
no offer of help until I was about to walk out, then the assistant was very helpful, 1 pair that would have fitted but not what I was after

6th stop SA Motorcycles, Gepps Cross
over 10 minutes in store, not one offer of assistance so I walked out

7th Stop, Bills Motorcycles, Richmond
over 10 minutes in store, not one offer of assistance so I walked out

8th stop, Yamaha World, Clarence Gardens
as soon as I walked in the door I was greeted and offered help, found close enough to what I wanted on sale in the right size, because I'd bought there before and was on file, given a further discount

All in all, the customer service at most was shit at best

I think they get so used to people walking in, trying things on then leaving to buy it on-line that they've become discouraged and are not trying as they used to.

In some cases I think you could be on the money jstava, in at least 2 of those stores there were at least 2 behind the counter chatting about SFA and had looked in my direction a few times.

The one that surprised me was Bill's Motorcycles at Richmond, normally they go out of their way to help you, today they sat at the sales couter chatting to another employee and didn't seem to give a shit

I've never had bad service at GC's or Yamaha World in over 30 years

That's pretty standard service for bike gear shops. Actual bike sales staff seem much better.
I mostly shop at AMX chain stores now and the blokes in Croydon Melb are fantastic. 
I think the trick at bike shops is to attempt to walk out with gear. That would get some attention 

2wheelsagain wrote:That's pretty standard service for bike gear shops. Actual bike sales staff seem much better.
I mostly shop at AMX chain stores now and the blokes in Croydon Melb are fantastic. 
I think the trick at bike shops is to attempt to walk out with gear. That would get some attention 

AMX at Lynbrook pretty good too

Chook wrote:In some cases I think you could be on the money jstava, in at least 2 of those stores there were at least 2 behind the counter chatting about SFA and had looked in my direction a few times.

The one that surprised me was Bill's Motorcycles at Richmond, normally they go out of their way to help you, today they sat at the sales couter chatting to another employee and didn't seem to give a shit

I've never had bad service at GC's or Yamaha World in over 30 years

The trick with Peter Stevens is to find the most expensive bike in the shop, then start looking like your really interested in it. In next to no time you'll have all the sales staff you need

I used to find the same thing going into the big department stores, unless you are wearing a designer suit and sporting a $1,000 watch, to get service was quite difficult. So my trick was to start taking an up close interest in their cash registers, staff come from everywhere and always with the same opening line "can I help you ?", works every time.

The other day I noticed Canberra Motorcycle Centre has a naked Bandit 1250 on their site n I rang to find out if n how much rego it has, I told the guy I would come in the next day n take it for a test ride, I ended up not going in and the next day the bloke rang me with a pretty good pressure sales pitch. Is that service? The bloke almost sounded desperate.
The thing was, I was in there and spoke so some other "sales person"   and I told him I was after a GSX1400 and that I wanted a naked and asked if he had anything else that might interest me, he showed absolutely no enthusiasm and I walked out feeling a tad pissed orf. 
When I got home I decided to check out their web site n that's when I saw the Bandit.
I certainly won't be dealing with that fuckwit and in the end I decided to hang out for the 1400 if I can find one in a shop so I can trade my current bike in. 
That kind of "service" pisses me off way more than being ignored at the counter esp seeing as I live 75Ks from the shop. I would have taken the Bandit out for a test ride if that first idiot had told me about it.

Bills at Richmond surprises me as well ..............I got good service there last week ( and 30% off oil and chain lube with their sale )