No charge for Loan bikes @ Rainbow BMW in Yorkshire
You Southerners must be easy to extract money and
from
You Southerners must be easy to extract money and
from
Charged for loan bike!!
- Thread starter BobJ
- Start date
Deleted Member I
Guest
No charge for Loan bikes @ Rainbow BMW in Yorkshire
You Southerners must be easy to extract money and
Is that a general policy for ALL customers or just for a select few?
Is that a general policy for ALL customers or just for a select few?
All clients I believe
Don't think I'm in anybody's 'Select Few'
You Southerners must be easy to extract money and
No such thing as a free lunch (or free bike). It's obviously easier to hide the cost from the punters oop North.
I believe the concept of loaners started in the 70's when insurance was pretty low, some dealers realised it was a good selling point to offer a loaner - the cost of which was pretty low and easily absorbed. At the time, when it was new, you were pleased with whatever you got.
Customers now have higher expectations than dealers ever intended - they expect an equivilent or better vehicle, they expect it to be free, they expect to get away with not putting enough petrol back in, they expect "reasonable" excess rates and so on...
Unfortunately, over the years, all the costs of these "perks" have risen making them pretty big loss leaders for the dealer. Customers expectations haven't changed though which means the motor trade has in effect, made a rod for its own back. How do they get out of this mess? Offering the same service points, but hiding the costs in the main bill or charging extra for the privileges. No other choice. Of course, its not an excuse for poor communication!
And no, I'm not a dealer!
Customers now have higher expectations than dealers ever intended - they expect an equivilent or better vehicle, they expect it to be free, they expect to get away with not putting enough petrol back in, they expect "reasonable" excess rates and so on...
Unfortunately, over the years, all the costs of these "perks" have risen making them pretty big loss leaders for the dealer. Customers expectations haven't changed though which means the motor trade has in effect, made a rod for its own back. How do they get out of this mess? Offering the same service points, but hiding the costs in the main bill or charging extra for the privileges. No other choice. Of course, its not an excuse for poor communication!
And no, I'm not a dealer!
No such thing as a free lunch (or free bike). It's obviously easier to hide the cost from the punters oop North.
Don't count on it
New bike time and I've never got a better deal from a southern BMW dealer over a northern one, when shopping for a bike
Just look at your labour rates too
NOGMANAGER
Guest
A Dealers perspective
Just to put a dealers point of view on this thorny subject, we have resisted charging for loan bikes for many years. However, we run 12 demonstrators and 6 loan bikes and you can imagine the cost of purchase, depreciation, fuel, tyres, insurance and servicing.
Since October last year we have been charging £10 for the use of a loan bike if you are in for a service. We do not make any charge if you are in for a warranty issue. You pick it up full of fuel, and all we ask is that it is brought back full. We feel this is fair to all customers, and the feedback we have received from our customers is that whilst obviously "free" would be better, most understand the commercial realities and appreciate that £10 a day is way, way cheaper than the alternatives. There are two BMW dealers within 50 miles of us who charge £25 a day, so I don't think we are being unreasonable.
Regarding the comments made by Miss 'Rin Sun', in a nutshell the issue with her bike is an intermittant one that we cannot replicate at the dealership,and our diagnostic equipment gives the bike a clean bill of health. Her bike was originally booked in for a service (hence the loan bike charge), but as she was also in for this intermittant "fault" the loan bike charge was removed from her bill. We have spoken on the phone today and we are continuing to work with her to resolve her issues.
On a lighter note, with regard to Johnny Boxer's difficulty in getting any southern dealer to beat his local dealers quotes the answer is simple - we're all scared to death of upsetting Louise Jeffries, and we know no self respecting Yorkshireman would spend his cash in the south unless it was hundreds of £pounds cheaper!
Just to put a dealers point of view on this thorny subject, we have resisted charging for loan bikes for many years. However, we run 12 demonstrators and 6 loan bikes and you can imagine the cost of purchase, depreciation, fuel, tyres, insurance and servicing.
Since October last year we have been charging £10 for the use of a loan bike if you are in for a service. We do not make any charge if you are in for a warranty issue. You pick it up full of fuel, and all we ask is that it is brought back full. We feel this is fair to all customers, and the feedback we have received from our customers is that whilst obviously "free" would be better, most understand the commercial realities and appreciate that £10 a day is way, way cheaper than the alternatives. There are two BMW dealers within 50 miles of us who charge £25 a day, so I don't think we are being unreasonable.
Regarding the comments made by Miss 'Rin Sun', in a nutshell the issue with her bike is an intermittant one that we cannot replicate at the dealership,and our diagnostic equipment gives the bike a clean bill of health. Her bike was originally booked in for a service (hence the loan bike charge), but as she was also in for this intermittant "fault" the loan bike charge was removed from her bill. We have spoken on the phone today and we are continuing to work with her to resolve her issues.
On a lighter note, with regard to Johnny Boxer's difficulty in getting any southern dealer to beat his local dealers quotes the answer is simple - we're all scared to death of upsetting Louise Jeffries, and we know no self respecting Yorkshireman would spend his cash in the south unless it was hundreds of £pounds cheaper!
Good man.................nice to see some banter
Ironically I have bought bikes from Pidcocks, Balderstons and Wollaston before............but I don't know if they're classed as 'North of Watford Gap'
But in recent years, since 1998.......... Shaun @ Rainbow and his team have looked after me tremendously
However if I ever buy a new BMW I might see what Possu can do
Possu
Registered user
Good man.................nice to see some banter
Ironically I have bought bikes from Pidcocks, Balderstons and Wollaston before............but I don't know if they're classed as 'North of Watford Gap'
But in recent years, since 1998.......... Shaun @ Rainbow and his team have looked after me tremendously
However if I ever buy a new BMW I might see what Possu can do
Let me know what you're after & the spec, I'll see what can be done.
To NOGMANAGER
NOG currently label each of their bikes with ‘COURTESY BIKE’ the definition being ~ given or allowed, thus implying no charge.
You need to be re-label the bikes as ‘HIRE BIKE’ thus customers would then expect to be pay for their use.
I usually find that the correct use of the English language prevents misunderstandings
NOG currently label each of their bikes with ‘COURTESY BIKE’ the definition being ~ given or allowed, thus implying no charge.
You need to be re-label the bikes as ‘HIRE BIKE’ thus customers would then expect to be pay for their use.
I usually find that the correct use of the English language prevents misunderstandings
ROKKET71
Registered user
I usually find that the correct use of the English language prevents misunderstandings
What,like "Pedantic" or "Pernickety" perhaps??
To NOGMANAGER
NOG currently label each of their bikes with ‘COURTESY BIKE’ the definition being ~ given or allowed, thus implying no charge.
You need to be re-label the bikes as ‘HIRE BIKE’ thus customers would then expect to be pay for their use.
I usually find that the correct use of the English language prevents misunderstandings
Hmm...... if it was a HIRE bike then i would expect able hire it whenever I wanted - even if it was allocated to a service dept. customer as a COURTESY bike.
There must be some truth to the saying "The only thing that is cheap about a BMW is the owner"
Different dealers charge different prices for their 'courtsey bikes' The word courtesy implies Free of Charge. I know some car dealers who charge a nominal fee (usually £10) for their courtesy cars on the grounds that it contributes towards their annual insurance policy, which let's face it is likely to be astronomic. Many car dealers use an internet based system called Dealer Car Manager (underwritten by Norwich Union) which insures their cars fully comp for 24 hours for £5.00 per day. After the 12th day of courtesy use the insurance is FOC untill the end of the month. So in effect it costs the dealer £60 per car, per month to insure it fully comp.
My bike is insured on the BMW scheme and when the policy was sold to me one of the many features was that a courtesy bike would be covered FOC by my policy if my bike was in a dealership for service/repair. My excess is considerably lower than the excess of the dealers insurance policy (often £500 plus) so I do not expect to have to pay a fee if it is supposed to just cover the bikes insurance. Any other costs the dealer incurs such as vehicle purchase, depreciation, tyres and servicing are in my opinion all part of being an authorised dealer and come out of the hourly rate I pay them to service my bike. If, when my bike go's in for service the dealer insists on me paying a fee for a courtesy bike then I'll know for sure that it's nowt but just another charge
My bike is insured on the BMW scheme and when the policy was sold to me one of the many features was that a courtesy bike would be covered FOC by my policy if my bike was in a dealership for service/repair. My excess is considerably lower than the excess of the dealers insurance policy (often £500 plus) so I do not expect to have to pay a fee if it is supposed to just cover the bikes insurance. Any other costs the dealer incurs such as vehicle purchase, depreciation, tyres and servicing are in my opinion all part of being an authorised dealer and come out of the hourly rate I pay them to service my bike. If, when my bike go's in for service the dealer insists on me paying a fee for a courtesy bike then I'll know for sure that it's nowt but just another charge
NOGMANAGER
Guest
I give up
Hello Whele, how nice to hear from you again. Just for the record, we label our courtesy bikes with the words 'courtesy bike because:
1. 99.999999% of customers understand what it means
2. It helps us locate them in amongst the 70 bikes we usually have outside
3. It helps customers locate them
4. I did get a quote for a sticker that said " BRAND NEW BMW FOR A MEASLY £10 A DAY YOU LUCKY PEOPLE" but the cost was prohibitive and it wouldn't fit on the screen
However, I take your point about the possible confusion with "hire" bikes, so having done some research into motorcycle hire charges, just for you next time you're in and need a set of wheels to get you home I will be happy to rent you one of my courtesy bikes for the typical hire rate of £125 per day + vat.
Lots of love, all the boys at NOG
To NOGMANAGER
NOG currently label each of their bikes with ‘COURTESY BIKE’ the definition being ~ given or allowed, thus implying no charge.
You need to be re-label the bikes as ‘HIRE BIKE’ thus customers would then expect to be pay for their use.
I usually find that the correct use of the English language prevents misunderstandings
Hello Whele, how nice to hear from you again. Just for the record, we label our courtesy bikes with the words 'courtesy bike because:
1. 99.999999% of customers understand what it means
2. It helps us locate them in amongst the 70 bikes we usually have outside
3. It helps customers locate them
4. I did get a quote for a sticker that said " BRAND NEW BMW FOR A MEASLY £10 A DAY YOU LUCKY PEOPLE" but the cost was prohibitive and it wouldn't fit on the screen
However, I take your point about the possible confusion with "hire" bikes, so having done some research into motorcycle hire charges, just for you next time you're in and need a set of wheels to get you home I will be happy to rent you one of my courtesy bikes for the typical hire rate of £125 per day + vat.
Lots of love, all the boys at NOG
£125 per day plus VAT? Sounds like a bloody bargain
I did get a quote for a sticker that said " BRAND NEW BMW FOR A MEASLY £10 A DAY YOU LUCKY PEOPLE" but the cost was prohibitive and it wouldn't fit on the screen
Nice response Phil
Lots of love, all the boys at NOG
ahh bless, lets have a group hug
Nice response Phil
Lots of love, all the boys at NOG
ahh bless, lets have a group hug
Johnny Davies
Registered user
Any other costs the dealer incurs such as vehicle purchase, depreciation, tyres and servicing are in my opinion all part of being an authorised dealer and come out of the hourly rate I pay them to service my bike. If, when my bike go's in for service the dealer insists on me paying a fee for a courtesy bike then I'll know for sure that it's nowt but just another charge [/QUOTE]
...says it all really! Lets just fess up and stop hiding behind words. There is nothing 'courtesy' about courtesy bikes, they are very much a service charge item, and it would be nice if dealers just badged them so i.e. loan bikes and told it straight, regardless of how much it is. I don't mind paying for stuff as long as I know what for.
[/QUOTE]...says it all really! Lets just fess up and stop hiding behind words. There is nothing 'courtesy' about courtesy bikes, they are very much a service charge item, and it would be nice if dealers just badged them so i.e. loan bikes and told it straight, regardless of how much it is. I don't mind paying for stuff as long as I know what for.
pathfinder
Registered user
What,like "Pedantic" or "Pernickety" perhaps??
Hello ROKKET71,have you got that drink off NOG manager yet?Owes you a few i would think.
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I don't charge for the use of a bike while yours is being serviced. But you'd be surprised how few people can even be bothered to replace what petrol they've used, so fuel tank ends up empty after a couple of days.
So my new procedure is to leave the bike empty so the first thing someone has to do is put fuel in it. And i get moans "it's empty".
"Yes, well done, thats how you brought it back the last time you used it".
Another option i've thought about is draining 5 litres of fuel from customers tanks. Refundable if the bike is brought back with same amount of fuel as it left.
So my new procedure is to leave the bike empty so the first thing someone has to do is put fuel in it. And i get moans "it's empty".
"Yes, well done, thats how you brought it back the last time you used it".
Another option i've thought about is draining 5 litres of fuel from customers tanks. Refundable if the bike is brought back with same amount of fuel as it left.
Lerts face it - a bike dealers life would be so much easier without all these customers ruining it 
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