Recent purchasing experiences

Strika · Post by **Strika** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:05 pm

Some of you may have read my posts abut the dissatisfaction I recieved trying to buy a new bike recently. In particular with the Kawasaki metro dealers. Not all of them I may point out just some.

Rather than just winge and bleat about it, I put pen to paper and wrote to Kawasaki. The reply makes me think that if I were a Kawasaki dealer, I would consider myself on notice! Below is an excerpt from the reply I recieved. It was recieved promptly, and is a very frank and honest response, which will ensure I consider another Kawasaki next year.

I just thought I would share with you the professional response recieved from Kawasaki themselves. I can't wait till they own there own dealerships! I believe it is the way of the future. With manufacturer owned stores they control the quality and customer experience to a far greater extent. I have seen the results of this with several of the Car makers here in Australia and overseas who have gone down this route, and it works for all concerned. The customer benefits from a far greater experience, and also pricing as they have greater economies of scale. They also usually have a full compliment of vehicles available both to see, and to drive. As well as lots of colour and option combinations, which the private dealers tend not to invest in!

"Good afternoon Marty,

What can I say other than I am extremely disappointed in the service you have received from the Kawasaki dealers. I can not lie to you, we know we have problems in this market place and our market share figures confirm this. Unfortunately no matter how good your product is if you do not have the dealer network to do it justice then your product is going to suffer.

I sincerely hope that this experience has not turned you from Kawasaki’s for ever and possibly in the future you will give us the opportunity to redeem ourselves. Please keep this email and send it to me when you are next in the market for a motorcycle and I will do my best to ensure that you are treated with the respect that anyone that has purchased ten of our models deserves.

My sincere apologies,"

Barrabob · Post by **Barrabob** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:24 pm

Well strika i can tell you I felt the same way when i bought my bike new from the dealer, the salesman handed me the key and was waiting for me to take off when i mentioned this would be a good time to set up the bike like before i ride it out the door.

Ynow it wasnt much i asked and seting up the preload would have been nice but the salesmans reply was "I am not a racer", well this was not a good start to things and a call to the guys in the workshop would have been a better responce rather than thats ones sold i no longer give a feck.

Hey i would have even paid but there you go havnt had any other real problems with the product but the workshop sucks too just ask yappa.

red_dave · Post by **red_dave** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:34 pm

Well at least they acknowledge there's an issue...

mick_dundee · Post by **mick_dundee** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:37 pm

Pretty good response from Kwaka I reckon.

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:06 pm

u reckon u might get a free bike outta em??
hahaha

Strika · Post by **Strika** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:18 pm

red_dave wrote:Well at least they acknowledge there's an issue...

Yeah As I mentioned, I was really impressed by the speed and the content of the response. I hope they can get things rectified before they torch too many potential purchasers.

Smitty · Post by **Smitty** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:48 pm

Strika
you write to Kwaka Oz in Sydney or in melbourne...???

why?
just curious who the response was from
was it.....
a HO marketing type or one of the local (Vic) reps

cheers

krusty · Post by **krusty** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:52 pm

you got a better response than what you would have got from Holden, stuff only happens with them when you write to the Holden MD and cc a copy of the letter to the dealier principal (Mr Sutton was all to happy to solve our problems

).

Lucas · Post by **Lucas** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:58 pm

Strika
I deal with one of the dealers you may have
I purchased my 10R from them and get it serviced there and will only by my parts from there
i was treated well and continue to be by the staff and owner

Yes it's good that Kawasaki sent you an letter back so quickly
but it is easy for Kawasaki Australia to say this it is not taking blame for it's dealers

A few years back i dealt directly with Kawasaki with a part problem
it was rust in a almost new fuel tank
it took me months to deal with the problem and i was given a new tank but there was some cost to me ($190)
i just got sick of fighting with them over it

At the end of the day the dealers have to make money to stay open and believe it or not thay dont make that much out of a new bike
take off the on road costs and gst and my bike was 15000
so really what would i get for a trade

but at the end of the day it's whatever floats your boat

hidepenny · Post by **hidepenny** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:04 pm

i just feel sorry for kawa, even in overseas market as i know in other asia countries, they aren't that great with sales figures, with what they spend on marketing and stuff, honda has done a much better job, even the new CBR600RR isn't a bad bike but according to different reviews avaialbe on the net kawa is always the top choice when choosing a 600cc as far as i know, howere, the best seller has always been honda.

and you can see specials with peter stevens all da time about suzuki and honda, even triphm daytona was way cheaper than a kawa, it looked very attractive to me, for example cbr600rr for only $12999, and i never see any special from kawa , which makes alot of difference when choosing a new bike i reckon.

i see in mel even harley has more customers than kawa.

how sad

hidepenny · Post by **hidepenny** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:05 pm

forgot to mention i took my bike for a service in furntree gully kawa for the first time i owned a bike and they sent it to someone else to do the service and when done, sent back to them and asked me to pick it up.

YAPPA · Post by **YAPPA** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:28 pm

FARK ME....A RESPONSE, maybe i should send them an email about the outstanding service I get from Midtown kwaka, lets see, a crash repair that has taken 10 paint jobs & 15 months to fix....oh hang on, IT"S STILL NOT FUCKEN FIXED!!!!!!!!! now I'm waiting for decals that i was told are no longer available, so they got some made & they looked like shit, so miraculously they ordered some more (they musta became available again suddenly

) now I'm waiting for them to source the air ducts off of the back of the fairing that THEY FUCKEN LOST!!!!!!

at least i've had the z750 as a loaner for the last cuppla months, funny tho how when I ring THEM to find out W.T.F. is going on, & I get no joy, that the z750 loses 500 klm off the back tyre & my garage fills with smoke

Tones · Post by **Tones** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:43 pm

My own experiences have been favourable with Kawasaki Australia....they have put in where others have turned their backs or noses up.

Cheers

Post by **Wattie** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:22 am

a certain Kawasaki dealer at Penrith was great to me, perhaps coz i know them

but they didnt have one i could testride (Z1000) so they sent me to one in Parramatta...
when i ask to ride im told im too young to testride a bike, but im old enough to buy one and register and insure it.
"can i take on for a ride?"
"are you 25?"
"umm, no im 21"
"well you cant ride one then"
"but we can sell you one!"

i tries numerous times, saying i'd buy one if i could ride it.. but no.
so not happy.
i ended up going to liverpool and riding a second hand one.

ozx6r · Post by **ozx6r** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:31 am

if they are going to look after u maybe you could organise a group buy