I think I've done a BGN

No, not in the batting for the other side sense but in the bike dealer
sense.

I had the GS at the dealer's yesterday for some warranty work -
basically replacement of corroded parts. That in itself was pissing me
off as they only agreed to change those parts that are easy to change
and the one that I was most annoyed about (beginning corrosion on the
frame after about 20k and less than two years) was appearantly not
corrosion but it "needs a clean". My arse, as if I couldn't tell the
fucking difference.

Anyway, so far in all the interactions with them that involved work on
the bike, those wankstains have managed to somehow screw up. Not
caliper-falling-off bad, but bad enough for me to get annoyed. I know
it's me, as I have this old-fashioned idea that if they relieve me of
decent amounts of my hard-earned, I expect decent work in return.

So far, I got plug leads that "accidentally" got left off, work not
done although asked for, bolt head sheared off and the bolt left in
which required two complaints to get it fixed. As I said, nothing major
but it shows to me a lack of care taken with the work.

However yesterday took the biscuit. As they don't have the space to
store the bike overnight, the arrangement is that I turn up in the
early evening to pick it up. Obviously they're gone by then so they
leave the bike around the corner where a gaggle of locked and alarmed
bikes are parked and I pick it up.

Yesterday they just plonked the bike around the corner with the top box
clasp visibly unlocked and didn't even bother to put the steering lock
on. Everybody could've wheeled the bike away and probably would have
eventually. I mean for god's sake, it's not exactly rocket science.

Oddly enough I think I shall phone them today and explain to them in a
not very reasoned manner why I'm cancelling the 24k service I've got
booked with them and why I shall never set foot in their establishment
again, let alone spend money there. **** the warranty...

 

Do you think it would make any difference if you raised a complaint
with BMW?

 

<snip>

Name & shame.......

 

I'm sorry but that is completely fucking stupid and should be
unnecessary. The HQ in Germany need to have a bloody rocket shoved up
their arse to get the situation sorted out.

 

That's interesting.

When I was testing trucks in Spain, some years ago, we were taken to a
*massive* truck dealership there, which handled a phenomenal amount of
factory-approved warranty and servicing work. Costs are so much lower
there that haulage companies would send loads via the dealership, using
trucks that were due for a service or needed warranty work done, and
kill two birds with one stone.

 

Agree completely.

 

I'm not arguing with you about whether it is practical or achievable.
It's the fact that people in the UK are so fucked off with the quality
of BMW's support that they will even contemplate taking a day off work,
riding half round the UK and stay in a B&B to get a bike serviced. Even
contemplating doing it on the continent is in the realms of the bizarre.

 

Wessie, YTC, he's not grumbling about the Continental aspect, but about
the UK aspect. Read the OP.

YTC (again).

 

From what I hear the attitude there isn't that much better. It seems
that these days even H-D is more willing to listen & sort out customer
complaints than BMW.

 

And the dealer in question isn't particularly bothered by doing
warranty work that takes longer than five minutes, by the looks of it.

 

Once I've had a chance to shout at them over the phone (most likely
tomorrow morning) I will do exactly that. *Especially* on UKGSer.

I guess they have me down as a fussy ****, but then again the
annoyances are of the "can't be bothered to reconnect four plug leads
if the bike runs with three connected" type.

Worra surprise. Thanks to UKGSer I found Brian Giles (ex-L&C, now
running his own shop) in Pembury who gets the dubious honour do they
24k service. I've spoken to him already, he knows what the score is and
thinks he can do a lot better. I certainly hope so.

I'd buy another modern Triumph before I'd even contemplate doing that.
I really don't have the time to take a holiday to get the thing
serviced.

 

Timo Geusch said...

You bought one, surely you knew the score before handing over your own
hard earnt cash.

 

Yes, I did. I'm not complaining about what I mentioned above, rather
tooting your horn here for you...

 

"we're crap"
"yes we know you are. What are you doing about it?"
"**** all. haven't got enough money and BMW UK aren't interested"
"you're double crap then"
"we know"

etc etc

That sort of dialogue?

Surely results and changes to workshop and dealership practice is what
is needed not dialogue?

 

I'm quite impressed by that. Well played.

 

Which is the right answer. No problem with that. Perhaps he'd like to
share his experience with BMW UK and the rest of the dealers to show
that shit performance is not actually necessary?

 

Dealer is Cannon Motorcycles in Chelmsford. I've now spoken to them and
explained why I'm cancelling the service and not coming back. While
they did apologise the impression I had was that they weren't overly
bothered by the complaints I had nor by the fact that I was pissed off
enough to go elsewhere. He tried explain one of the annoyances I
complained about - bolt head of one of the bolts on the crash bar had
been wrenched off - by "we had to order a new bar to fix this". If they
did, fair play to them but as I pointed out to him, it helps if you
tell the customer about it instead of just sneakily doing it the next
time round and the customer rides home under the impression that they
couldn't be bothered to fix it in the first place.

What didn't surprise me at all was that they made zero effort to keep
me as a customer. I mean, I've booked the bike in somewhere else (which
I didn't tell them) but you'd expect that they at least *try*. Well,
they didn't.

 

Short term business, IMHO.

Yup. Especially no fussy, pissed off boxheads.

Trouble is that someone's ripped out the customer retention pages of
the manual, too.

IMHO (with my economist hat on) they aren't - they're maximising
short-term profits by buggering up their long-term ones. I doubt I'm
the first one to walk out of a dealership vowing never to buy another
near-new or new BMW, let alone go there for a service. If they go on
like this they'll hand the whole "adventure touring" market to KTM on a
platter simply by default.

I'm smack bang in their target market - no clue[1], high earner and
willing to pay for a premium quality product (which I know it only is
to a certain extent and not as much as they'd like you to believe).
Their old core clientele is going the same way as the old Brit Iron
fanciers so you'd hope they move with their market.

Well, I haven't had a quote for it yet. But given the prices that have
been bandied about on UKGSer I doubt I'll get one, either.

[1] Well, that's how they treat you. They're very suspicious of people
who claim to know one end of a spanner from the other end.