Last Saturday I got a call from a salesman at the Harley dealer a few miles from my house. He was working with a client who was looking to buy the top of the line CVO Softail. He described the client as a very wealthy person from Beverly Hills. The guy told the salesman that he had “tens of thousands of mile of riding experience” but could probably do with a “refresher course”. So the salesman called me to see if I could work with him. From what I heard his story sounded familiar, a guy who rode years ago looking to buy a new bike and wanting to sharpen his skills. I told the salesman that it sounded like two hours of one on one personal instruction on one of my bikes is all he needed to knock off the rust and build solid fundamentals to work on. I get on the phone with the guy and in half a second I could tell that he was the kind of person who was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted and how he wanted. He tells me he is going to be in town for only six days and then will be gone for 23 days. He asked if I could teach him to ride before he leaves. Like most folks I work with I asked about his riding history, what kinds of motorcycles he has owned, and if he has taken any riding courses.
Suddenly the story changed, and he tells me that he has been on a bike only three times in his life. Now I realize I am working with a beginner. What I thought would be a two hour session is now looking like at least five hours. I told him I needed to look at my schedule and I would call him back. Checking my calendar I saw that the next day, Sunday would work well for five hours of private instruction, so I called him back. He was still at the dealership and asked what he needed for class. I told him a DOT helmet, eye protection, boots that go over the ankle and full finger gloves. I told him that he would have a private one on one session with me on my bike for five hours, and that at the end of the five hours he was going to be exhausted. He said he thought it was a two hour lesson. I told him that judging from his riding experience (which was none) he would be better suited for five hours. I didn’t want to insult him and call him a beginner, but that is what he was.
He asked if I could come to the hotel in Beverly Hills where he was staying and teach him there. I said no, as it would be unsafe for me to teach him on the streets out in all the traffic. I said I needed a large empty parking lot free from cars, traffic and pedestrians. He saw my point but really wanted me to come to him. We went back and forth and finally I told him flat out that if I came to Beverly Hills and tried to squeeze five hours of instruction into two hours I would be doing him a great disservice. I told him that I could not in good conscience put him out on the street to ride under those conditions with that limited training. Then the guy tries to make me feel bad and starts reading off his laundry list of expenses to include the new CVO bike, riding gear and now private riding lessons. Suddenly the whole picture started to clear up. I told him to take his trip back to the Mideast, and when he gets back stateside to call me.
Today I stopped by the dealer to meet with the salesman. I felt pretty bad like I lost him a sale or something. The salesman was okay about it. He said the guy never bought the bike, he just wandered around the dealership with this gal, whom he described as “dripping with money”, hanging on his arm and every word. I told the salesman that once I learned that this guy had no riding experience, the whole picture changed. We laughed about it and the salesman said, “You know, he was a rich customer, and sometimes rich customers lie”.
And that is just another snapshot of life in LA.
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Topic: Suddenly the story changed. (Read 869 times)