Dealers don't use email?

[Rich A]

I'm thinking about getting a V7 III and have sent several email messages asking some questions (fees & shipping) about bikes I've found online. Very few responses. Seems strange that they can't be bothered to respond.

Still looking.

Rich A

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

I just purchased a V7lll Special online.  I sent out information requests through cycle trader.  A few salespeople responded within a few hours, some a day later.  Needless to say, I bought my V7lll from the dealer who responded promptly, but not necessarily the lowest price. We emailed back and forth countless times over the course of a few hours before I felt comfortable purchasing from him.  Overall it was a worthwhile experience.  Just be patient.  It will take longer than if you stop by the dealership in person.

Good luck!

Mario

[ITSec]

A good dealer will respond within a day or so at most. A sloppy dealer will miss the opportunity.

One thing to be sure of, though, is that your email is not caught incorrectly by spam filters. One of my email addresses has a tendency to be tagged as spam, and not be seen by some recipients. A quick follow-up phone call asking the dealer to respond is sometimes helpful in getting the conversation going, and in showing that you are a real prospect (not just amusing yourself).

[kirb]

Dealers are slow to move with the times. Most hold on to that "get 'em on the phone or in the door" to seal the deal. This does work for walk-ins, but not for internet savvy buyers. Sorry, world has changed. Quick information, quick response, good deals are what people want.

Technology has allowed consumers WAY more information than previous generations. That information is power...power to buy just about anything from anywhere. Good dealers roll with it. Dead dealers don't.

I bought two bikes from the same dealer via fly-n-ride. Others didn't offer the deal or the adventure. Not sure I'd ride a Ducati Diavel 880 miles with a full termi system without DB killers again, but you never know.

[Tusayan]

I suspect that some dealers may have found through experience that email inquiries aren't so often serious.  When I bought a new car in 2006 I used the manufacturer website to shop around between probably 5-10 dealers and received good responses from all of them the same day.   I made a good deal the very next day and it was both efficient and exciting.  Last year I tried to repeat the experience, looking to buy a car from the same manufacturer, using the same website...  and received not one response from any of the dealers in 3 days.  Something changed.  I ended up calling the 'winning' dealer from 2006, complained that they hadn't responded (to get connected with the internet sales guy) and then they made me a good deal.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Dealers are slow to move with the times. Most hold on to that "get 'em on the phone or in the door" to seal the deal. This does work for walk-ins, but not for internet savvy buyers. Sorry, world has changed. Quick information, quick response, good deals are what people want.

Technology has allowed consumers WAY more information than previous generations. That information is power...power to buy just about anything from anywhere. Good dealers roll with it. Dead dealers don't.

Very true!

The policy of the dealership that I purchased my V7lll from is that during the winter months he focuses on online sales.  He said that doing this generates enough revenue that he doesn't have to lay off staff in what normally would be a slow sales period.  Smart business me thinks.

[Lannis]

Technology has allowed consumers WAY more information than previous generations. That information is power...power to buy just about anything from anywhere. Good dealers roll with it. Dead dealers don't.

Some dealers don't have web sites, and some don't have Email.   That's fine if that fits their business model.   I wouldn't do it, but some dealers might be able to pull it off effectively.

The WORST mistake they can make is to have a website (just because "it's the thing to do") and then never update it or respond to inquiries through it, or to advertise an Email address and then never respond to incoming emails.   That's worse than not having one at all, because it's rude - like having a phone and never returning calls, or keeping the door of your shop locked all the time so people can't come in.

Answering Emails and phone calls is part of the business, like paying bills, stocking parts, or fixing bikes on schedule.   If you're staying really busy JUST from walk-in and word-of-mouth and don't want the aggravation of a phone or Email, then don't advertise them ....

Lannis

[guzzisteve]

All dealers have email & internet, otherwise they won't be a dealer. Guzzi doesn't do paper not since around 05.  This is how all warranty claims are handled and the Service site. If they don't answer, they don't care or don't give deals.

[John Ulrich]

If the sales responses are up to the sales staff to followup up on.....we all know many will drop the ball and not do it.

[bad Chad]

It's 2018 Lannis, anybody who want's to sell anything has an e-mail, and the vast majority have some sort of internet presence.

[kingoffleece]

E-mail gets lost, sent to spam, some dealers are closed Sunday and Monday, and other things.
A quick follow up phone call may assist in getting a deal.  Some of these guys are SMALL and lay off staff during the winter-who knows?
But, that's just my .02.  YMMV, as always.  Guzzi dealers usually are not superstores.

[kingoffleece]

I'd be shocked if there was a Guzzi dealer anywhere who didn't want to sell you, or anybody, a new motorcycle.

[LowRyter]

I bought my last new car from internet sales.  They sent me a smoking deal and when I tried to make the deal they never contacted me back.  Fast forward 6 weeks, I show up at the dealer and they tell me the internet salesman had left but they would honor the deal.  They found the car I had in mind and delivered it in a couple of days.

Like anything else, there are scams and disconnects.  Nothing would be worse than doing and fly and ride and find the bike was misrepresented when you finally see it.

[Guzzi Gal]

My Anni came to me via an email only transaction through Moto International.  Cadre Cycle is supposed to be fantastic too.  Maybe you can post a forum inquiry as to who others used for similar purchases and choose from one/some of the most referenced dealers.

[Devildog]

I would guess Moto International is one of the country's top MG dealers because of their internet/email presence, and their ability to make the buying experience enjoyable. I dislike dealer showrooms, I've been ignored by salespeople more often than not.

[Guzzi Gal]

Try being a woman.  Most salespeople ignore me and look for the man I'm (hopefully) with regardless of the gear I'm wearing (she's only a pillion).  I'm often asked if I'm looking for a gift for my significant other.  One asked me last week if I was looking for the scooter section!  Well, I do like scooters (own 3, soon 4) but I was sitting on an Eldorado at the time. HINT!

[GearheadGrrrl]

Exactly why I do most buying online... The "help" is often an impediment to buying what I need. Most of my purchases are parts rather than whole vehicles, but I'm amazed by the number of dealer parts e-mails that are never answered. Or answered weeks later by some useless new car sales person.

[BrotherJim]

Was nearly reeled-in last month on a NOS '16 Griso 1200SE that I test rode from La Moto in Arlington, VA back in October.  Mr. Salesman sent me a random email telling me about the reduced price and 0%, but further boring details prompted me to drop the deal.  La Moto Washington uses email!

[twowings]

I'm certainly not defending anybody...BUT the email inquiry function gets used to death by teeny-boppers, trolls, and lookie-lous and that may involve a weeding-out process on the dealer's part...BUT if they are looking to sell some bikes then maybe a second email inquiry or phone call with your contact info should not be ignored by a reputable dealer...I have had some fails with cycletrader's contact email function...use the 'Go to dealer website' function and use that contact info...YMMV

[Tusayan]

I'm certainly not defending anybody...BUT the email inquiry function gets used to death by teeny-boppers, trolls, and lookie-lous and that may involve a weeding-out process on the dealer's part...BUT if they are looking to sell some bikes then maybe a second email inquiry or phone call with your contact info should not be ignored by a reputable dealer...I have had some fails with cycletrader's contact email function...use the 'Go to dealer website' function and use that contact info...YMMV

Exactly, as per what I wrote above.  In 2018 I don't think dealers are in a 'coming up to speed on email' situation, they're well past that and may be into a 'nonsense email inquiry overload' situation.  Which I think is too bad for those of us who are generally looking to buy for real.

[tasdisr]

My Anni came to me via an email only transaction through Moto International.  Cadre Cycle is supposed to be fantastic too.  Maybe you can post a forum inquiry as to who others used for similar purchases and choose from one/some of the most referenced dealers.

Cadre Cycle is an excellent dealer. They recently raffled off a new V7 and the person who won it was coming in from Kansas to pick up a bike already and ended up going home with two, the one he bought and the bike he won.

[Lannis]

It's 2018 Lannis, anybody who want's to sell anything has an e-mail, and the vast majority have some sort of internet presence.

I know that most of them do; I'm thinking more broadly than just franchised Guzzi dealers.  I wouldn't, however, try to tell a guy like Joe Eish (RIP) how to run his business.  (And who's that guy who answers request for assistance with "Gotta call!"  )   A lot of very good craftsmen, booked solid all the time, don't use Email or keep a website.

I was just saying that if you DO use them, keep it up, or it looks bad.

Lannis

[wheaties]

My humble opinion: If the buyer is unwilling to do business with a dealership that doesn't answer emails, then why shouldn't a dealership make the case that they can't be bothered to chase customers that can't pick up a phone? 

I know for a fact that there's more than enough to do in a small shop, day in and day out.  Sales is one part of that picture, but not necessarily the biggest part.  For every serious potential buyer, there are a lot of people that have no intention of buying a bike, or even accessories.  They come in to look at the pretty bikes.  They come in to be entertained.  I swear, I've seen people come in because it's warm inside and the bus isn't going to come for half an hour.  They take up your time.

Now add the potential for an endless list of questions sent by email.  Add in the folks that get their questions answered, then go find the product for $10 less on some website.  Any guesses how many people show up with their own tire to put on their bike?  "I saved $10 buying on 'JUMBO TIRE' --- can you put it on today?

So my humble recommendation is to demonstrate that you're a serious customer.  Call them up, make a visit.  Get past the dealer's "not worth my time" filter---it's not personal, they want customers, they want to help, they want you to be happy---but there are five or ten time wasters for every real customer.  Demonstrate you're ready to buy and they'll answer your emails all day long.

*** strictly my humble opinion ****

[kingoffleece]

That mirrors my experience when I was at a Triumph shop part-time.

[Rich A]

So my humble recommendation is to demonstrate that you're a serious customer. 

Several cases where inquiries were not answered were links for new bikes that were advertised on craigslist. I asked a few simple questions: (1) was the bike still available?, (2) how much would it cost to ship the bike to where I live?, (3) were there any other fees? I just wanted these questions answered and didn't want to listen to a sales pitch.

I don't have "the fever" to buy a bike at this point so I'm not inclined to follow up if I don't get a response to a query.

Rich A

[wheaties]

Several cases where inquiries were not answered were links for new bikes that were advertised on craigslist. I asked a few simple questions: (1) was the bike still available?, (2) how much would it cost to ship the bike to where I live?, (3) were there any other fees? I just wanted these questions answered and didn't want to listen to a sales pitch.

I don't have "the fever" to buy a bike at this point so I'm not inclined to follow up if I don't get a response to a query.

Rich A

Then I don't blame you Rich.  It sounds like a salesman put out the Craigslist ads as bait, never intending to follow up on replies.   If a dealership puts out Craigslist ads, then it's an invitation to inquire via Craigslist.   

[kingoffleece]

Salesmen also get ticked off and play F@@k  F@@k with other dealers who low ball customers in the same area as them.  I've seen this firsthand.  Dealer A will put out a price way too low, customer walks into dealer B, says "I can get it for this-you gotta match" and dealer B knows the price is not doable.  Customer gets in a huff, storms out because B won't match, and low and behold, returns a week later to "see if we can make a deal" because dealer A was playing games.  Sometimes sales guys at the dealerships hate each other so much they put out all kinds of pricing on the internet just to make the other guy's life miserable.  Or, if it's a really unreasonable buyer (they do exist) the saleperson will give a price (not in writing) and send the customer off knowing they will badger the other guy.

Now, Guzzi being so small for US sales I'd be surprised if that was the case, but it does happen with other brands.  My car sales friends say it all the time. "Buyers are liars".

Don't shoot the messenger.

[Vagrant]

I made a good living in sales before the internet was a factor.
IMHO if I was a sales guy at a dealer I would instantly follow up the first email with a yes we have it and or can get it by... Here is my phone # call me for the details.
Too many people that are bored or couldn't buy anyway are willing to waste your whole week for nothing.

[Lannis]

So my humble recommendation is to demonstrate that you're a serious customer.  Call them up, make a visit.  Get past the dealer's "not worth my time" filter---it's not personal, they want customers, they want to help, they want you to be happy---but there are five or ten time wasters for every real customer.  Demonstrate you're ready to buy and they'll answer your emails all day long.

*** strictly my humble opinion ****

In my visits to motorcycle shops (where I actually buy motorcycles and things and so am past the "not worth my time" filter), I see an awful lot of people who have been tire-kickers and looky-loos for years.   You can do that with Email and get a dealer not wanting to see you, but you can also do it in person and have a dealer REALLY not want to see you, since it's obvious that all you are going to do is talk, socialize, criticize, tell stories about your Glory Days, and take up shop personnels' time.

It's probably harder for a dealer to get rid of an on-site nuisance who is never going to buy anything than it is to ignore an on-line nuisance who is never going to buy anything ... and they're both pretty common ....

Lannis

[wheaties]