Crazy things dealer's say.
#51
03-15-2011, 12:17 PM
I've had two that come to mind. First I called and asked if I replaced the ignition switch would it screw anything up with the fancy *** anti theft system. The service writer said it would and I would have to have it reprogrammed. So I put the aftermarket switch I had bought in and hit the fob and it worked just fine and has been working fine since.
Second....Same Dealer, Same service writer. I had bought a light bar so I could mount some fog light on my Springer. In order to do it I saw that I would have to take out the lower mounting bolt for the Springer Shock absorber. I have a service Manual but was too lazy to go find it so I called and asked if there was a special tool they used for holding the compression on the shock. I was told that there was and it would be cost prohibitive to buy and he couldn't tell me what it looked like or how it worked so I could make my own. I dug out my service manual and took a look hoping they had a picture of the "Special tool".
The manual stated something to the effect that the shock has no preload and can be removed without concern of it decompressing.
I just thought of a 3rd. Went to remove my front tire. Book says to remove the axle caps with the Harley Special tool. Sooooo....I motored on over the the Dealer and asked the Service writer how much the "Special tool" cost's. He told me if he could sell me one it would cost $110.00 but he couldn't sell me one! I went over to the service bay door and asked one of the Tech's if I could have a look at one? He showed me a small strap wrench that he said he bought at Home Depot for $10.00 so I went to Home Depot and bought one.
I probably have more but that's all I can think of right now.
For those of you that are going to flame me for not just looking in the Manual.......This thread is about dumb things that Dealer employees have told people, not about dumb asses that do work without looking at the Manual.
Second....Same Dealer, Same service writer. I had bought a light bar so I could mount some fog light on my Springer. In order to do it I saw that I would have to take out the lower mounting bolt for the Springer Shock absorber. I have a service Manual but was too lazy to go find it so I called and asked if there was a special tool they used for holding the compression on the shock. I was told that there was and it would be cost prohibitive to buy and he couldn't tell me what it looked like or how it worked so I could make my own. I dug out my service manual and took a look hoping they had a picture of the "Special tool".
The manual stated something to the effect that the shock has no preload and can be removed without concern of it decompressing.
I just thought of a 3rd. Went to remove my front tire. Book says to remove the axle caps with the Harley Special tool. Sooooo....I motored on over the the Dealer and asked the Service writer how much the "Special tool" cost's. He told me if he could sell me one it would cost $110.00 but he couldn't sell me one! I went over to the service bay door and asked one of the Tech's if I could have a look at one? He showed me a small strap wrench that he said he bought at Home Depot for $10.00 so I went to Home Depot and bought one.
I probably have more but that's all I can think of right now.
For those of you that are going to flame me for not just looking in the Manual.......This thread is about dumb things that Dealer employees have told people, not about dumb asses that do work without looking at the Manual.
#52
03-15-2011, 12:37 PM
Agreed, there are some dumb words that come out of dealer's mouths...however, there are some dumb things that come out of customer's mouths too.
When I did car sales I had a guy come on the lot with a beat up old Pontiac Tans Sport that he was getting service work done on. He decided to look around the lot for something to trade it in on rather than fix it. I was helping him and he came across a Toyota Senna minivan he was interested in but he kept being stoic and only wanted to talk price. Hey, I get it...don't want to get taken and don't want to waist your time. I'm all for that. But I also knew he was shopping "on a whim" and it wasn't like he came here looking for a Toyota Senna.
"Okay, let me go get the keys and we can take it for a spin." I tell him.
"No, no, no!" he says somewhat aggitated. "I just want to know what's the best price you can do for me on this car!" Now my patience was wearing thin. I had been hooffing around this lot with him for about 45 minutes just trying to find him something to look at. But, of course, I have to remain professional so I come up with something that will help him see things my way.
"Well, I tell you what. What if I sell that car to you for $5 but the catch is you cannot take it for a test drive until after all the paperwork is signed." I told him.
"Well, uh, no. I'd want to drive it and see if I like it."
"Then why do you want to talk price before you even know if you want the car?" He stammered for a bit then, very quietly, told me he'd wait for me while I got the key. LOL
He bought the car. It was more than $5.
Had another customer come in looking for a brand new GMC Yukon for his family. "I currently have a 2001 (2 years old at the time) Ford Excursion with three row seating that I have on lease. I had 36,000 miles on my three year lease but the vehicle has 75,000 miles on it (at $0.10 per mile over the 36,000 added to the payoff of the vehicle) so I'm a bit upside down and I don't have any additional money to put down. I want a NEW vehicle, with three row seating, on a purchase and keep my monthly payments at under $300/month."
Now, the reason this is funny is if you do the math on a $35,000 vehicle that even with 0% financing, taking his trade out of the equasion, and and put it on a six year loan (which 0% was only available at the time on 3 year loans) it was still $486/month. To get that kind of monthly payment he'd have to find a car for $21,600...still with no trade and 0% over 72 months which couldn't be done.
On the flip side of things, I was off looking at buying a new vehicle once.
"So what are you looking for?" the salesman asks.
"Well, I'm not sure exactly." I reply "BUT, I do know I don't want a minivan and I don't want white."
I **** you not the third vehicle he shows me is a White Minivan.
And speaking of turn signal fluid...if you haven't seen this site you should...funny stuff!
http://kalecoauto.com/
When I did car sales I had a guy come on the lot with a beat up old Pontiac Tans Sport that he was getting service work done on. He decided to look around the lot for something to trade it in on rather than fix it. I was helping him and he came across a Toyota Senna minivan he was interested in but he kept being stoic and only wanted to talk price. Hey, I get it...don't want to get taken and don't want to waist your time. I'm all for that. But I also knew he was shopping "on a whim" and it wasn't like he came here looking for a Toyota Senna.
"Okay, let me go get the keys and we can take it for a spin." I tell him.
"No, no, no!" he says somewhat aggitated. "I just want to know what's the best price you can do for me on this car!" Now my patience was wearing thin. I had been hooffing around this lot with him for about 45 minutes just trying to find him something to look at. But, of course, I have to remain professional so I come up with something that will help him see things my way.
"Well, I tell you what. What if I sell that car to you for $5 but the catch is you cannot take it for a test drive until after all the paperwork is signed." I told him.
"Well, uh, no. I'd want to drive it and see if I like it."
"Then why do you want to talk price before you even know if you want the car?" He stammered for a bit then, very quietly, told me he'd wait for me while I got the key. LOL
He bought the car. It was more than $5.
Had another customer come in looking for a brand new GMC Yukon for his family. "I currently have a 2001 (2 years old at the time) Ford Excursion with three row seating that I have on lease. I had 36,000 miles on my three year lease but the vehicle has 75,000 miles on it (at $0.10 per mile over the 36,000 added to the payoff of the vehicle) so I'm a bit upside down and I don't have any additional money to put down. I want a NEW vehicle, with three row seating, on a purchase and keep my monthly payments at under $300/month."
Now, the reason this is funny is if you do the math on a $35,000 vehicle that even with 0% financing, taking his trade out of the equasion, and and put it on a six year loan (which 0% was only available at the time on 3 year loans) it was still $486/month. To get that kind of monthly payment he'd have to find a car for $21,600...still with no trade and 0% over 72 months which couldn't be done.
On the flip side of things, I was off looking at buying a new vehicle once.
"So what are you looking for?" the salesman asks.
"Well, I'm not sure exactly." I reply "BUT, I do know I don't want a minivan and I don't want white."
I **** you not the third vehicle he shows me is a White Minivan.
And speaking of turn signal fluid...if you haven't seen this site you should...funny stuff!
http://kalecoauto.com/
Last edited by Robotech; 03-15-2011 at 12:49 PM.
#53
03-15-2011, 08:46 PM
Your busted---- that should be "crazy", not "carzy".. I hate to see smelling pistakes.
#55
03-15-2011, 10:43 PM
Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Oklahoma City
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When I was trying to work a deal on a Ultra limited, the sales manager actually said,
" We have a reputation of having the highest prices"! He must of seen the reaction on my face, because he immediately said, Oh but we do so much for our customers, with bike night and ........! Needless to say I did not buy my Limited there!
" We have a reputation of having the highest prices"! He must of seen the reaction on my face, because he immediately said, Oh but we do so much for our customers, with bike night and ........! Needless to say I did not buy my Limited there!
#56
03-15-2011, 11:44 PM
Brand new Dyna. Pretty loud clank in front end going over a bump. Two different service departments both rode the bike and explained that the sound was normal. All Dynas have noisy front ends. Indy shop could hear the noise but couldn't pin point it. Pulled the seat one day and lo and behold the rear mounting bracket for the gas tank didn't have a bolt in it. Put in a bolt, tightened it down and the noise was gone. Front end made no more noise going over bumps.
#57
03-16-2011, 12:38 AM
Road Captain
non service related. I was trying to sell one of my old softtails years ago & had it listed in some classified ads, got a call from a dealer who bought & sold used bikes as well as new. This salesman is on the phone with me asking about the bike, & he tells me " SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD BIKE, BUT ALL THOSE
EXTRAS YOU'VE ADDED TO
YOUR BIKE DOESN'T ADD TO
THE VALUE. " So I said to him "
OH REALLY , THEN WHY
DOES YOUR CVO MODELS
COST MORE THAN ANY OF
THE OTHER BIKES ON YOUR
SHOWROOM FLOOR ? " He
was very quietfor a long time, &
then told me to have a nice day,
good luck on selling the bike , &
good bye. I still laugh everytime
I think of that.
EXTRAS YOU'VE ADDED TO
YOUR BIKE DOESN'T ADD TO
THE VALUE. " So I said to him "
OH REALLY , THEN WHY
DOES YOUR CVO MODELS
COST MORE THAN ANY OF
THE OTHER BIKES ON YOUR
SHOWROOM FLOOR ? " He
was very quietfor a long time, &
then told me to have a nice day,
good luck on selling the bike , &
good bye. I still laugh everytime
I think of that.
#58
03-16-2011, 12:49 AM
Road Captain
When I bought my Fat boy ' new' I asked the dealer to have the suspension adjusted to enable 2 up riding. His reply was. ' you can't to that. All the suspension on the softail range is preset and can't be adjusted. So I go home and get out the shock adjuster tool and do it myself.
#59
03-16-2011, 07:10 PM
Road Master
When I was trying to work a deal on a Ultra limited, the sales manager actually said,
" We have a reputation of having the highest prices"! He must of seen the reaction on my face, because he immediately said, Oh but we do so much for our customers, with bike night and ........! Needless to say I did not buy my Limited there!
" We have a reputation of having the highest prices"! He must of seen the reaction on my face, because he immediately said, Oh but we do so much for our customers, with bike night and ........! Needless to say I did not buy my Limited there!
I had to buy my '96 BadBoy there in '97 because bikes were scarce then. When I asked
about a little off the price, the owner says, "that is the price, if you don't want it, there's
the door."
#60
03-16-2011, 07:43 PM
Intermediate
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Me and my Marine buddy standing in a dealer service bay - Manager approaches my friend who is talking about his EVO and compression releases, Svc. Manager states "you can't put compression releases in an EVO." My friend responds would you care to come outside and see it? Deafening quiet in service bay = Priceless