Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[naitram]

i dropped some hints that i had been surfing h-d.com and had tried to do my homework. another dealer gave me a coupl,e of the promo brochure's that i have hanging here in my cube with all of the specs and stuff.


i hear what your saying though. people assume cause of our looks that we're stupid or something

[ccr]

The tests are called PHD's and Pace tapes - I am at Bronze Certification - 1352 questions on 54 seperate tapes involving 1/2 video - searching tech manuals - searching the parts system - etc - this alone in accumulated time took 8 months to complete with my time schedule

Wow Shovelhead. We can all only wish that StoneMountain HD was in our neck of the woods and that we could get you to serve us.  I don't expect every person I meet at a HD store to know all about my bike. But in general they should be aware of most of the upgrades. Now when it comes to the wrenchers - if they are putting hands on - I expect them to know, or to check some reference before they touch.  Me getting 16 oz in each fork when I asked for a fork oil exchange is completely unacceptable. And when I went back to the store the service manager acted all insulted when I asked if it were not possible that too much oil had been put in.  Mistakes can be made, and they are not all by the service folks and they are not all by the bike owners, but I like that idea that the dealers can have their employees be trained on the job.  Did you do the training on your time or the company time?

[HUBBARD]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, Striker,
 I may not have a dog in this hunt, as I do not ride a CVO Harley.  However, I do have an 'ol "Led Sled" Ultra that has yet to be dusted by any CVO!  That being said, I'll get back on topic.  It's all about numbers, Striker.  Model Production.  Model Margin.  The Model with the largest % of margin for the MoCo, and the Dealer, is the Ultra Classic.  The MoCo, as ALL manufacturers, recognize the Dealer as the Customer.  We are merely end users.  Later--HUBBARD  

[spydglide]

Yeah, 'er 'uh, Striker,
  We are merely end users.  Later--HUBBARD  

say WHAT???          Har!    [smiley=grin2.gif]      spyder

[Twolanerider]

both dealerships encourage the employee's to become fully knowledgeable about all phases of the business - so if I walk out of service and into motorcloths - i do not mis-represent anything or mistate anything - same as with me walking into sales floor - see a customer by himslef - we all are capable of 1st approach - they are all done on our OWN TIME - meaning watching tapes - searching tech manuals for the info - you get 1 try at the final test for each step (54 tests for Bronze) (each its on final test) 25 questions each test - if you get less than 23 wrong you fail - it DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE QUSTION YOU GET WRONG - meaning you research each qustion again - we have an aweome owner and I hold very few people as boss's with any form of respect - but these folks have my deepest respect and are terrific owners. But - you also have to daily practise what you have learned if this is not your "gift in life" these are just TOOLS and currect working programs - product information/model & year data/technical questions/customer service/display product info/ etc.

Is anyone else thinking it'll be worth a trip to Georgia when it's time to get a new bike  [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[naitram]

only so much can be learned from books though, in soggy valley a few of you saw my passing lamp switch relocation.

for thoses that didnt http://flhrsei.org/gallery/project_spring_05

i recently went to a dealer for a 20k service. and returned to my cube from lunch to find a strange voice mail... basically it stated that they couldn't test my passing lamps because they were not wired properly and the switch had been removed.

now product knoweldge would tell you that this bike did not come with passing lamps, and therfore they must have been added. so maybe a switch was added as well they basically wanted me to authorize labor for them to "properly wire" my passing lamps. that i had already properly wired

i think learning and passing test is great but sometimes you also need to do some free thinking

[Twolanerider]

i think learning and passing test is great but sometimes you also need to do some free thinking

Unfortunately Neal prescribed thinking is all that most technical training is anymore; and all that many managers "allow."  Your lights are simply a case in point.   Had something similar illustrated by the red bike awhile back.  

It had started very intermittenly cutting out.  Would sometimes cut out very hard.  Even enough to kill the engine.  But it might not do again for several hundred miles.  Then it might follow that with two or three episodes in quick succession.

Knew the dealership would have difficulty finding it.  Told them (politely but specifically) that it was intermittent and that they would have to do more than just test drive or hook up diagnostic equipment.  In other words they'd actually have to lay on hands if they hoped to find whatever it might be.

Sure enough.  They kept the bike for eight days and said "sorry, we can't find anything."  I asked what they looked at.  They test drove it a total of 47 miles and ran it in the shop with diagnostic equipment hooked up.  We already knew that when it was acting up the bike wasn't throwing a single code.  Se we knew this wouldn't be productive.  They just didn't "know" any other approach.

The following weekend I started looking at things that were at least moderately home servicable and checkable.  Injectors were ok, fuel strainer was fine, etc etc etc.  About 90 minutes in to the search found the fuel line from the tank to the EFI unit was collapsing inside. It actually "felt" bad to the touch when you squeezed it or twisted it.

So the shop chose to be "tech-ies' and hook up gear and wasted their time and mine when they could have been mechanics and had the bike in and out in a day.  And while it's a annoying and really problematic; it's also the case they just didn't know any better because it's the way they've been trained.

[Twolanerider]

TWOLANE - a wild guess here but here goes - being a flat rate shop it started out like this
1 tech told another "ain;t gonna make no money on this job"
conversation ended after road test saying  "cannot duplicate the problem"

it should have been the service managers position to step in an kick his lilly a

Completely agree on what the attitude should have been.  Couple more things to consider.  It was in fact a warranty task for them.  So there's no doubt that someone was thinking "duh, how do we bill this?"  But I had had precisely that conversation with the Service Manager.  In fact he's been there only a relatively short time and knows that his shop has a poor reputation for both carelessness and inefficiency and for being a bit lazy.  He makes all the right noises about keeping an eye on things and making sure they get done better.  Trouble is that in fact they don't.  So when the service manager's oversight is such that, his public promises notwithstanding, nothing gets done better you're just pretty well hosed.....

[Twolanerider]

just another unfortunate situation that makes me gag ----there is a house down the road from me for sale Twolane - and always MGD in the frig in the "workshop" but no drinking till work is done ALWAYS  [smiley=beerchug.gif]

Ah Shovel, tell me it isn't so.  No MGD while on the riding mower ?

[sefatboyscott]

Does that mean that my jacket is more rare than my bike??

[WFP]

Does that mean that my jacket is more rare than my bike??

Mine might be Rarer...

[Twolanerider]

Bill, is that jacket picture before or after the slide?

[WFP]

Bill, is that jacket picture before or after the slide?

funny...before and it is my XXL!  But I also have an unworn XL for when I lose a few pounds...and an unworn L if I lose too much weight ...

/Bill

[sefatboyscott]

yuh, nice jacket . But mine has the screaming eagle eagle and flames. What more could you want?? [smiley=worthless.gif]

[MYCVO]

That's why this site is so important!  We are taking care of ourselves the way good Bikers should.........and if we need specialized clothing we develop it (ie: the CVO Jacket that a number of members now sport).........if we need special calling cards we develop ( now in the process of a 2nd Edition)......and on, and on, and on.   The MOCO did not take us to raise, just developed the best looking and sounding V-Twin Street Bike around for us to purchase and begin refineing.   Har!    [smiley=xyxthumbs.gif] spyder

spyglide..I sure would like to be one of those members!!! Who or Where can that jacket be had???