Charged for loan bike!!

BobJ

BobJ

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I had been a loyal customer of Wollaston's in Northampton where I purchased my R1100RT from and where I religiously had it serviced for 7 years.
When I bought my 12GS in 2005 I jumped ship for a better deal to North Oxford Garage where I've had that bike serviced since I bought it.
However, as Wollaston's is nearer I decided to take the bike there this time for a 12k service. Needless to say they were as helpful and efficient as usual when I booked over the phone. I asked for a loan bike - no problem.
When I got there however, I was greeted with notices on the service desk advising that use of all loan bikes incurred a £15.00 'administration charge'. Funny that no bloody mention was made of that when I booked the service :spitfire
To add insult to injury, rather than a new demonstrator of a latest model which I've usually been offered, I was palmed off with a tatty 4 year old R1150R which clearly hadn't seen soap and water for months and was running on fumes.
If I'd have known about the charge for the bike I'd have damn well stuck with NOG. Bumped the price of the service up to £230.00!! :mad:
Guess where I'm returning to for the next service.....
 
BobJ said:
I had been a loyal customer of Wollaston's in Northampton where I purchased my R1100RT from and where I religiously had it serviced for 7 years.
When I bought my 12GS in 2005 I jumped ship for a better deal to North Oxford Garage where I've had that bike serviced since I bought it.
However, as Wollaston's is nearer I decided to take the bike there this time for a 12k service. Needless to say they were as helpful and efficient as usual when I booked over the phone. I asked for a loan bike - no problem.
When I got there however, I was greeted with notices on the service desk advising that use of all loan bikes incurred a £15.00 'administration charge'. Funny that no bloody mention was made of that when I booked the service :spitfire
To add insult to injury, rather than a new demonstrator of a latest model which I've usually been offered, I was palmed off with a tatty 4 year old R1150R which clearly hadn't seen soap and water for months and was running on fumes.
If I'd have known about the charge for the bike I'd have damn well stuck with NOG. Bumped the price of the service up to £230.00!! :mad:
Guess where I'm returning to for the next service.....
Click to expand...


bad communication = bad customer service :nono

(hopefully they see your post and apologise, it's not big and it's not clever and not the way to trade if you want to keep customers)
 
Sounds a bit like my last Honda service with CJ Balls.

I could have had a loaner if I'd bought the bike from them, but as I'd bought it off a mate, I'd have to pay. Their service price was very good though, so I arranged a couple of lifts there and back with a mate (it's a 90 mile round trip, but he's a good mate and it was an excuse for a blatt).

Of course, when I went to pay, it turns out that they'd quoted me the price excluding VAT :spitfire By the time I'd bought my mate a tankful of petrol, I lost money on the whole escapade.
 
I think its a cost thats going round Ocean Plymouth currently have signs up everywhere warning of the same 15 quid administration charge, some to do with the costs of insurance.
 
If thats the case then I hope they have scrapped the £600 excess they usually dump on the policy!!! Surely they have a blanket policy that covers all their employees, customers and all the bikes they buy so surely this charge isnt necessary to cover bike loans. They dont charge for test rides!!!

I wouldnt mind paying for a loaner if they had a nice new under 4 year old bike.

£15 per loaner multiplied by 5 trading days in a week multiplied by 51 weeks trading multiplied by 4 years would give them just short of 16k to buy a bike for loan. So lets say they half that, and spend 8k on a basic 1200GS and replace it after 4 years, they are nearly 8k in profit and have the remaining value of the 4 year old bike in pocket too. Sounds good for the dealer doesnt it!!!

Surely thats possible???

Why do we put up with rubbish loaners!!! I usually get a 10 year + 1100 or 800 cc bag of doo doo. Although I dont pay so in fairness I really dont mind, but in theory, if I were paying like you guys, then I would expect more!!!

the ZC
 
zerocool said:
£15 per loaner multiplied by 5 trading days in a week multiplied by 51 weeks trading multiplied by 4 years would give them just short of 16k to buy a bike for loan. So lets say they half that, and spend 8k on a basic 1200GS and replace it after 4 years, they are nearly 8k in profit and have the remaining value of the 4 year old bike in pocket too. Sounds good for the dealer doesnt it!!!
Click to expand...

I'd imagine the £15 is for insurance admin, not exactly a profit.
And your only asuming they run one bike as a loan bike. What about the outlay on 3-4 bikes and the running costs ? What about damage not covered by insurance, what about the excess on any insurance claim.
Who's going to buy an ex loan bike thats been possibly abused by every person thats rode it unless it's a give away price.
The servicing costs the dealer more than you pay for your service = the mechanic and parts still need to be paid for, and while they're servicing their own bike, they're losing any customers paying work.

zerocool said:
Why do we put up with rubbish loaners!!! I usually get a 10 year + 1100 or 800 cc bag of doo doo. Although I dont pay so in fairness I really dont mind, but in theory, if I were paying like you guys, then I would expect more!!!

the ZC
Click to expand...

So you want a new bike, and for free.

Try a charity shop, the dealer is trying to run a business.

You don't get it do you. The more overheads any business has, the more it has to charge the customer to stay in business .
 
BobJ said:
, I was palmed off with a tatty 4 year old R1150R which clearly hadn't seen soap and water for months and was running on fumes.
....
Click to expand...

Perhaps they didn't have time to wash the bike.

And i can't believe the amount of customers that think a bike fills it's self with petrol.

They may have taken the decision that i may take. Let the customer have an empty bike, then the first thing they have to do is fill it with the fuel that they'll be using.

I can imagine giving a customer back their bike with less fuel than it arrived with and saying "it's to replace the fuel you've used in my loan bike and haven't replaced" - Actually i might do that :thumb2
 
Oh dear Steptoe, it would appear that your attitude towards the customer harks back to the 70`s - "once they`ve made the purchase there nowt but a bl***y nuisance"
If I had spent upwards of 12k on a new GSA I would expect any loan vehicle to be in good clean mechanical condition, prefferably a demonstrator - as would be the case at most main dealer car franchises, & I would definatley NOT expect to pay ANY cost for the loan.
If not then this in my opion would speak volumes as to the dealers total lack of respect for his customer, and I would go elsewhere.
As to the question of fuel, those that expect a full tank of fuel on any loan bike are in my opion "over egging the pudding".
So come on Steptoe - ditch the flares & rainbow tank-top and step into the 21 century.
 
BobJ said:
When I bought my 12GS in 2005 I jumped ship for a better deal to North Oxford Garage where I've had that bike serviced since I bought it.
However, as Wollaston's is nearer I decided to take the bike there this time for a 12k service. ...
Click to expand...

So.......2 years and 12000 miles later,you return to Wollaston to find things have changed slightly....and you mean they didn't phone you to tell you???.....What WERE they thinking??;)
 
BVM Stroud

Excellent service from BVM in Stroud. Had the bike in for a full service and given an older Rockster with a bit of fuel in it, but I was happy with that. If you use your own bike, you use fuel?

15quid isn't much compared with the inconvience of not having a bike to ride home to work whatever?

If you are looking for nice tidy bike, then ask for a demo ride for the day when yours is in for a service. But deal with the sales pitch on top?
 
Steptoe is correct, although it is clearly not what most of you want to hear.
Do you want hidden charges or up-front charges?

There is no such thing as a 'free loan bike', there never has been and never can be. Someone has to pay for those loan bikes, maintain them, tax them. The only people providing the income for those costs is the customer.

I want up-front charges, I want to pay for what I ask for and be given a choice.
 
I'd be happy to be charged £15 for a loaner, that seems a fair price.

In the past, I've been given the option of 'hiring' a bike for the day, for £60. Strangely enough I turned that one down :eek:

When I got my bike serviced at St. Eptoes, I got free use of a perfectly serviceable 1100GS for 2 days, and I was even able to drop my bike off outside of normal working hours, for no charge but for petrol. I was more than happy to top the bike up above what it had in it to begin with, just to say thanks. And it was still cheaper to have him service it than to have it done in Suffolk :thumb
 
ROKKET71 said:
So.......2 years and 12000 miles later,you return to Wollaston to find things have changed slightly....and you mean they didn't phone you to tell you???.....What WERE they thinking??;)
Click to expand...

You seem to be missing the point by some margin. I say to the dealer '..and is it possible to have a loan bike whilst mine's in for the service please'. Dealer replies 'No problem Sir. Are you aware that there is a £15.00 charge to cover administration for the loan bike?'
I reply 'No I wasn't, thanks for letting me know'.
I can then decide whether to take my bike there for a service or tell them to poke it and go elsewhere.
As for the petrol, of course I expect to have to pay for the fuel I use but it would have been nice to have been told that they either run a full or empty tank policy rather than get 50 yards from their forecourt only to have the fuel light come on.
 
Dave56 said:
So come on Steptoe - ditch the flares & rainbow tank-top and step into the 21 century.
Click to expand...

You know a lot about my business. About customers being able to pick their bikes up/drop off until 9.30 pm, inc sundays, so as not to lose any work time.


I don't charge a penny for my loan bikes. They go out with full tanks, and i expect them to come back with full tanks ( for the benefit of the next user).

But it's surprising how many return the bike with the tank somewhat reduced of fuel, and then say add some money on to cover for the petrol. Without thinking of the next person that has to use it. Because they can't be bothered to fill it up, it means i have to, or the next customer. Thats called taking the piss.

But obviously most people don't see/have to deal with the awkward customers. They all perfect.

And i'll keep wearing the flares, thank you :D
 
Dave56 said:
Oh dear Steptoe, it would appear that your attitude towards the customer harks back to the 70`s - "once they`ve made the purchase there nowt but a bl***y nuisance"
Click to expand...

You obviously haven't dealt with Steptoe. Nothing could be further from the truth. He goes out of his way to help. You've got this seriously wrong.
 
Steptoe said:
So you want a new bike, and for free.

Try a charity shop, the dealer is trying to run a business.

You don't get it do you. The more overheads any business has, the more it has to charge the customer to stay in business .
Click to expand...

I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on every detail in the past, but we are singing from the same hymn sheet on this one :thumb2
 
Steptoe - I owe you an appology, I obviously made a mis-placed assumption with reference to your situation :blast. I do however totally agree with you with regards to the petrol situation, it should not be to much to expect for a customer to replace any petrol used during the loan period. :thumb
 
BobJ said:
I had been a loyal customer of Wollaston's in Northampton where I purchased my R1100RT from and where I religiously had it serviced for 7 years.
When I bought my 12GS in 2005 I jumped ship for a better deal to North Oxford Garage where I've had that bike serviced since I bought it.
However, as Wollaston's is nearer I decided to take the bike there this time for a 12k service. Needless to say they were as helpful and efficient as usual when I booked over the phone. I asked for a loan bike - no problem.
When I got there however, I was greeted with notices on the service desk advising that use of all loan bikes incurred a £15.00 'administration charge'. Funny that no bloody mention was made of that when I booked the service :spitfire
To add insult to injury, rather than a new demonstrator of a latest model which I've usually been offered, I was palmed off with a tatty 4 year old R1150R which clearly hadn't seen soap and water for months and was running on fumes.
If I'd have known about the charge for the bike I'd have damn well stuck with NOG. Bumped the price of the service up to £230.00!! :mad:
Guess where I'm returning to for the next service.....
Click to expand...
Hmmm...strange.

I took my new GS into Wollaston around a month ago for the 600 service. They loaned me an '07 K1200GT for the day without any 'admin' charge. What's more they took it round to their on-site pump before I left to fill it up for me. Mind you, there is (was?) a £1k excess on their insurance:spitfire
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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