Not all bad news on the dealer front

[Froglodyte]

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=999999768823016&set=a.560400066116324&__cft__[0]=AZVpWUGfmMEwKnttgxCG1nF9hcAtu1MwXCeCJ_c0j5DoFhioA29NDG_adWsDwgfLAQooJ8AWMvmiwohcnDGP0Kp_-VwH2KUDoPhEy-THBauRKL1e1yKla0xnIuGlGoMM9-S0f5BMSBCW_iLqTXXFwH3cne_qcHq_W-vMkDzGCshAkh7G_RkvWi76C5F7J7UVTXdHDUFUb9z1s-F6kfEU1BJqCdKF-0rs6Te2M7VQ_XPBDkC8ytQIhZQWfRwLmZGIe88&__tn__=EH-y-R

[mr_diver]

I worked there a few years back when it was owned by Dave S and Dave M - Propper bike people.

They sold it to Completely Motorcycles who promptly made changes that put lots of people off buying bikes, closed the very popular cafe and generally started bringing in pushy car sales tactics that put even more off going there let alone buying anything... hence the whole group (Completely Motoring) went belly up last year.

I'm glad to see the place and many of the old faces returning and now being owned by a family run bike orientated company (CMC Motorcycles) that understands the bike buying public and have been discussing the complexities of re-opening the branch with the two Daves'.

They're even looking for someone to take on the cafe as a sublet 

[Upt North]

Good news indeed.
I did visit the Cannock shop in a previous life. They were OK.
I don't know why more bike emporiums don't have a decent caff, nothing flash, just good coffee and a good sandwich.......and good cake of course.
What better way to get folks to hang around a while?
Before I bought The B I visited a few NE shops, the sales staff were dire, no interest and zero communication. I bought private, they weren't getting my money.
Upt.

[NeilM]

That is good news.

I don't want to turn this into a rant thread but Upt made a good point about sale staff.

Cards on table here, I was a salesman / manager for 35 years. Not in the motor trade but in manufactured equipment used in the building trade.

A short while ago, on a quiet Thursday I popped into a BMW dealer in Exeter, as I wanted to see and try a GS800 out for size. The salesman was great. I made it clear I was not a buyer, but was planning a fly / hire trip. Didn't matter, he was helpful, let me try a couple of bikes for size, told me the differences between models... all the way around excellent, and just what I would have done.

By contrast, on another Thursday some while ago I dropped into Riders in Bristol, specifically to look at the (then) recently released Pan American. There must have been four or five sales staff in the place, all busy tapping away at computers, or looking through the Harley Davidson 'merch', and all desperate not to catch my eye. It's not hard to work out when you are being ignored, despite showing keen interest in the Pan Am, so I left.

I just read that BMW motorcycles had a record sales year in 2024.... not hard to see why.

[Phild]

18 months ago, whilst looking to replace my Honda, I visited Fowlers of Bristol.

No one at all on the Suzuki or Yamaha desks. However, plenty covering the Triumph section and over in the Honda building.🤷‍♂️

I looked around, decided on what I wanted to test ride, then went elsewhere.

[Upt North]

Neil....
I think it's just good manners to be welcomed and asked if they can be of assistance. It's all about building the rapport required to facilitate the sale.
If they are ignorant, ill-mannered and uninterested I will visit and possibly spend elsewhere.
I wonder what the sales person thinks when the customer walks out after 5 minutes of being ignored by disinterested staff, I'm sure the overpaid arrogant agents say something like, "there, I knew they weren't going to buy anything, time wasters".
Although I would say there's a fine line between being helpful and being a PITA, no one wants the instant best mate experience.
Upt.

[Sir Trev]

As someone who has been ignored in a dealership when I made it clear I wanted service, it really irritates me too. But, I often visit my spplying dealer, as the snack wagon outside is a good place to stop for a cuppa, and I've often seen people doing the same then wander in to the showroom, amble round, and amble out again.  They don't need service and the staff know it, so tend leave people be. It doesn't come naturally to some of us but we need to be a bit more pushy sometimes.

But (again), I went to a Tesco Mobile shop-in-a-shop in Norwich last week and the lone salesman had just started helping someone with a new contract, but still said hello and made sure we needed more than just a cable or charger, and even got us seats while we waited. That was excellent service.

[Brockett]

An in-store cafe will only make money if there is sufficient footfall to pay staff costs, energy and water consumption and the cost of whatever food they are selling. I doubt that the average motorcycle dealership could do it. A drinks and snack machine might.  Colchester Kawasaki had a good cafe that provided for their staff's needs and for customers. There was never more than three people customers in there. It was useful to me as I had to sit in there for four hours while my bike was being serviced. And, as you all know, I am too old to have a loan bike. CK has now gone and may reopen somewhere smaller in the future. As an aside: The Moto Guzzi GB Club with 44 Branches has published a list of Moto Guzzi dealerships. 24 in mainland UK with one each in the Isle of Man, St Hellier in the Chanel Islands and Dublin.