|
|
Who's Working On Your Bike?
Know Your Mechanic
We get notes like this often, such is not uncommon - read on:
Dear Sound Rider,
I sent my dealer a scathing e-mail, but they have chosen not to respond.
They really did a number on my bike. Looks like they used a hammer and chisel to
remove my front tire and a pair of vise-grips to install the new one. The damage
didn't end there. They managed to gouge the right trunk panel very nicely, and
the left as well. I think they have hired some ex-baggage-handlers to work
in their shop. I am really ticked about this. Very, very careless, sloppy
work. They didn't even bother to put the valve covers back on.
DC/Auburn
DC's experience is becoming a common one around the Sound. The problem lies
in the fact that no dealer can hire a full crew of qualified techs to cover
their service needs, because there simply is not enough in the area. The classes
at Lake Washington Technical College, where they teach motorcycle maintenance
are all full, but I swear they must stick all the graduates on a plane and fly
theme out of state the day they get their diplomas. I have never once
heard a dealer say to me, "Sorry, I can't meet with you today, I'm
going over to LWTC to interview prospective service techs."
The economy has been good, more people are buying bikes, new and used, more
people are riding, and there's a tremendous shortage of skilled labor for
motorcycles in the region. Hence shop boys who were once picking up trash in the lot
last week are getting a crash course in how to change tires, oil, filters and
other simple activities. But do they treat your sweet pumpkin with respect?
What's that?
So here's a few tips we have for you the next time you
bring your bike in for service:
Learn who the mechanics are that do a good job on your machine and
specify that they do the work when you make your appointment. This will greatly
improve your chances of having no damage on your bike when it goes in for
service. I deal with a shop where everyone on staff knows there are only
two people who can even touch my bikes. Hey, at $65 an hour for labor this
should be your God given right to specify. This may not always be
possible, but if your favorite also happens to be the head mechanic, they
probably are keeping an eye on the service being done to your bike that day
anyhow.
It's also your God given right
to ask what a service tech's background is before they touch your bike.
You'll be surprised to find that some dealers don't have factory trained techs
and wing it with a hobbyist or otherwise. Ask and don't give them your
bike until you feel good about it. Ever had major surgery and never meet
the surgeon?
Wash your bike before you bring it in for service.
This will allow you to look over every square inch and make you familiar with
scratches and mars that might actually be there before you bring the bike in,
possibly eliminating any pointed fingers later.
Should you have a similar experience to DC's consider doing the
following: refuse to make payment until you have words with the owner, but
not right then. Get a cab or call a friend to pick you up, go home, cool
off and call the owner to set up a meeting to discuss the damage, no matter who
the dealer is. Dealing with this on the spot often ends in harsh words and
nobody wins. Most owners want to make it right for you. Most owners
appreciate your business more than the service staff, and a careless job
from someone in the shop is not worth losing your business over.
Before I wind this one up, though, let's talk about labor rates.
We get
notes all the time from people who want us to recommend a shop to get work done
on their bikes because they don't want to pay market labor rates to dealers and
qualified indy mechanics. To that I reply, Yyou get what you pay
for." Frankly, $65-$70 an hour isn't a lot to pay to have your motorcycle
worked on. When you figure the wage a qualified mechanic should be paid,
overhead for doing business in Puget Sound and what it costs to maintain a
staff of qualified people, it's a fair deal. Anyone who is charging $30 an
hour for labor is cutting corners to run their business and they'll be cutting
corners to fix your bike as well. The honest truth is, I don't know any
mechanics who charge under market rate for labor and I don't plan to have any
touch my bikes if I ever meet one.
PT/Fall 00 |
|
