New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
I don't believe Curtis really answered the original question. There is an answer to why there are so few Moto Guzzi dealers. And another answer to the question "why people often avoid dealerships (any vehicle dealer)".Curtis' rant actually raises the second question, but never fully addresses the first.So, why are there so few Moto Guzzi dealers?
I'm curious how you guys feel about the small independent shop that specializes. There used to be a guy in Albuquerque that specialized in old British bikes. He was old school and used to set timing with a stethoscope.
I agree. The entity selling the o-ring for $.30 made money. Not as much $ but the customer was happy!True, Walmart captured the market, why? Inventory AND price among other things.! If I had more money than I knew what to do with I wouldn't care, but I don't. The majority putting Walmart on the map were concerned with making their few hard earned dollars go further which helps explain the "falling prices" ad campaigns. Who is mad at Walmart?, I ask myself. The business owner who sold the overpriced o-ring? BTW Harbor Freight sells oring assortments in both metric and standard for little $.
Funny thing about Curtis's post- Harper and MG get all my Guzzi business because my dealer never has the parts.
Most recently, I needed a new front tire so I did some research and got my best price (delivered). Then, I called a local motorcycle dealer (no Guzzi dealers within a couple of hours from me) and told him how much I could buy the tire for, gave him their website link to the tire for verification and asked for a price match. They charge $15 to mount a new tire (you bring the wheel to them) if they sell you the tire and $25 if you buy the tire elsewhere. After all was said and done, his price for the tire (mounted) was only $6 more than I could buy it for online and have this dealer mount it so I said, "close enough and I bought the tire from them. Their initial price for this tire was around $40 higher (before adding tax and mounting. I always attempt to give the local guys the business before buying something like this and some dealers tell you to piss off and want no part of it and others (like this one) understand that if they're going to survive, there's a big world out there (the internet) and they need to be competitive. They don't have to match or beat an internet price but they need to come close and I'd rather give them the business. The internet is here to stay and those who adapt will have a good chance of surviving and those who don't are likely to fail.
Are all Guzzi dealers listed on the official Guzzi WebSite? E.g. http://uk.motoguzzi.it/motoguzzi/UK/en/dealer.html
Q) How does one make a small fortune selling Moto Guzzi?A) Start with a large one.That's how it was explained to me once.Tom
Interesting....As mentioned ,Harper's ask to you to buy from your local dealer but he has an online store... that could take business from your local dealer...
Much of the discussion has been premised on the assumption that dealers are unable to compete on price. Some posters have said ..........
How so? If you local shop isn't selling MG motorcycles then that also affects his online store sales. A stagnant buyer population hurts all dealers, brick and mortar and online.
I'm assuming the reference to a local dealer is also a Guzzi dealer.
It doesn't matter what we say, it only matters what customers buying new motorcycles say and they are saying that they don't by and large want what MG is selling.
Or maybe they do, and they just don't know it.Marketing and advertising and infrastructure are all very expensive, and you need a mother company willing to tolerate a minimum 5 year (heavily) negative bottom line to get the message out there. Doesn't happen very often in today's corporate environment. John
Thousands of companies say otherwise. You hear this when a company doesn't execute or can't meet the demands of a market, somehow no one knows they need what the company is selling.Yes, they know. MG isn't a startup and advertising pays off quickly if the product being sold appeals to those looking to buy. The guy selling the stupid "fix me stick" manages to buy ads, MG can't? I'm not trying to say anything other than not selling a lot of something when others do so is not an indicator that customers don't know what they need or want, it is an indicator that they do and you aren't selling it.
I can't count the times I've bumped into people who had heard of Moto Guzzi, but had no idea they made bikes in the style of the Norge or Stelvio.
Preface: I don't have buckets of money (other than my penny jar) and I live in the 'far north' where the cost of living is higher than in urban regions. My belief is: money is useful but it isn't central to my worth.The points you highlight are the real middle ground for the majority of working people in developed countries. But I think there are flaws inherent in the philosophy. In large part, the success off 'box' stores is based on cost saving labour practices. The very ones that create the conditions for you having to squeeze every dollar and the same ones that move production offshore which leads to further weakening of your buying power. The 'supply price' part of the equations built on volume in theory but is as often built on threats and bullying by the large chains; "we'll pay$x for the o-ring ... or we dump the entire account." Saving yourself a dollar at the cashier is possibly costing you a little piece of your community.The crux is: we, as a culture, have turned the concept of money from a tool into a deity. We are willing to sacrifice our community and our neighbour in pursuit of an idea which has evolved from the tangible (I'll trade you this piece of gold for that iron sword) to the intangible ('corn futures have taken a hit on Wall Street today').Therefore: I trade my cash for your future because I belief your future is linked closer to my future than you imagine.~rant over ~ :Beating_A_Dead_Hors e_by_liviu
