No Maintenance Appointments Allowed?

My local dealer WILL NOT schedule service.  They expect that all customers drop off their bike (or boat, quad, car, lawnmower, etc.) and WAIT HOWEVER LONG until they're done.  At present, that means a 4-day or more wait for an oil change or whatever, because they have 83 units backed up.  My only choice is to leave 'er out in the weather in their back lot 'til they're done, because there is no other Honda dealer in town and I want to get my scheduled documented service done.  BAD HONDA, BAD!!

Your dealers the same? 

no, we do it both ways if you want to drop it off and leave it for a week go for it. if you want to wait in the showroom that's fine but need appointment for that too, depending on the service.

What about getting in line by phone and getting a call a day before it'll get in?  Would that be too tough for a "service provider"?

The 4 day wait is the answer.  They have all the work they want - no need to give a good customer experience.  I agree- BAD idea.  There's nothing like some good 'ol fashioned competition to sharpen people up. 

I'd guess that they are also overloaded right now since everyone else is also trying to get the dealer to service their bikes just before riding season. Kind of like how it's hard to get an AC repair guy to come out immediately on the first nice week of the summer.

The only thing my Honda dealer will get from me is warranty work and there probably won't be any.  I bought mine from the largest, least expensive dealer in the country which happens to be nearby. 

There are two Honda and other brand trained people with their own shop closer to my house with more reasonable pricing.  They have ownership in their business and the Honda dealer personnel don't have that ownership thus don't have to give a damned and they apparently don't.  They're like most car dealers.  They make most of their money from parts and the service dept.  I refuse to support bad service and you can get your parts online for a lot less money.  Dealers are their own worst enemy.  

2 hours ago, YoshiHNS

I'd guess that they are also overloaded right now since everyone else is also trying to get the dealer to service their bikes just before riding season. Kind of like how it's hard to get an AC repair guy to come out immediately on the first nice week of the summer.

Overloaded is one thing. Being polite and setting a schedule and expectation is another thing. If they cannot give a customer a clear indication of when something can be scheduled, then they are nothing but a disorganized mess.

We have one dealer in this metro area. The dealer has a very good service reputation, I cannot find any complaints from friends in the business. I called in fall 2015 to get an estimate on a valve adjustment.

So I talk to service and ask about a valve adjustment for a 1999. "We don't work on "old" bikes except during the winter. [NEVER MIND THAT THIS JOB IS EASIER THAN A 6TH GEN OR 8TH GEN]. "We have not done a VFR in the 5 years that I've been here." [Aka not smart enough to follow the manual and do it.] "We might call you tomorrow with the shop rate." THEY NEVER CALLED BACK.

If they said, "if there are adjustments the charge will be $1,000, and we'll center all of the valves for you", I would HAND THEM $1,000! 

I could have, but I never called back over the winter. Why? And deal with people who don't want me there and don't want to take my money?

Here is a contrast: My car mechanic. I call him and tell him the problem. I drop off the car that night. The car is fixed the next day. If he has a problem getting a part, typically an OEM part for my 16 year old car, it takes one extra day. 

This is one of the largest volume repair shops in the region. They take vehicles in, they move on them, they move them out. They give you a pretty clear indication of what the schedule will be like, or what a delay will be. The car is always fixed right and usually but not always, there are no grease marks or any indication that they touched it. No baloney, ever for simple standard maintenance. Charge? 60% of a dealer. Boy am I lucky, with the car that is. Well, turns out the car mechanic is very familiar with bikes and is happy to work on the VFR. Hallelujah.

I tried having the front master cylinder recall done on my GSXR locally a couple of years ago. Their comment was bring the bike in and drop it off. They would take the VIN number and order the part and when it came in a couple of weeks later, they would put it on and then I could pick it up. I called another dealer about an hour away. They had me give them my VIN over the phone and called me 2 weeks later when it came in. Took the bike there on a Saturday morning and they swapped it while I waited. He told me I could have even just brought the part and swapped them if I had felt comfortable changing the master cylinder myself. If he would have told me that over the phone, I would have opted for that option.

Sounds like there's an "open goal" in Grande Prairie, AB, should someone wish to open up a competing business...

I don't use dealers.  Why I no longer use dealers is due to having used dealers in the past!

Ciao,

I don't really expect anything, but I sent a polite inquiry to Honda Canada.  I bet I'll get the standard "Well, we don't dictate how independent dealers conduct their business..."

No reply as yet from 10 hours ago.

I'll look into a local independent shop.  Leery though; they do everything for every make...

12 hours ago, GP Paul

I don't really expect anything, but I sent a polite inquiry to Honda Canada.  I bet I'll get the standard "Well, we don't dictate how independent dealers conduct their business..."

No reply as yet from 10 hours ago.

I'll look into a local independent shop.  Leery though; they do everything for every make...

If you look at what dealers pay their mechanics, it becomes easier to understand why things just don't happen the way they could and should the majority of the time.

They don't employ the best intellects out there because they don't pay them anything but starvation wages.  A smart person rejects those jobs if they have the talent and intellect to do other things.  Dealers aren't, however, afraid to charge a shop rate of $129/hour like mine charges.  Their mechanics are "ok" but I refuse to deal with the blonde bitch, poor attitude service writer behind the counter or pay their shop rate when there is an independent shop two miles away that wants my business and their owner/mechanics are better at what they do.  Their shop rate is also lower.  Most of us have choices.     

No reply from Honda.  I'll try the independent.

If they don't want your business don't give it to them. My dealer schedules an appointment and I can wait for it unless they need a part. I have never heard anything as ridiculous as I have just read here.

A couple of us VFR riders got together today to do some maintenance, repair, mods in a back garden....

You could maybe organise a "Little House Wrenchday on the Prairie"?   ;-)

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A nut was a biatch to remove and with no long bar at the ready, get out that airgun!

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'Twas for a good cause..

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Now where is that............

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No pictures of the hamburgers..........    :-(

Booked in to independent.  They took the time to go through the owner's manual and service manual I provided and called me back to double-check a couple of items - "Was the brake fluid changed last service?", etc.

Sounds like they actually WANT business. Nice!

P.S.  No reply from Honda Canada.  Oh, and that "Little Wrenchday on the Prairie" is a nice idea, but I'm a nasty, old, curmudgeonly SOB with no friends.  Just kidding.  Actually, I just like to ride and not do service/repairs.  (My mods I did myself.)  I don't mind spending a few bucks or supporting/trying a local entrepreneur.  Could be the start of a wonderful relationship!

2016 at 1:02 PM, Dutchy, April 30

A couple of us VFR riders got together today to do some maintenance, repair, mods in a back garden....

You could maybe organise a "Little House Wrenchday on the Prairie"?   ;-)

[image: index.php?app=core&module=attach&section]

A nut was a biatch to remove and with no long bar at the ready, get out that airgun!

[image: index.php?app=core&module=attach&section]

'Twas for a good cause..

[image: index.php?app=core&module=attach&section]

Now where is that............

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No pictures of the hamburgers..........    :-(

And no pictures of the rest of it either. At least for me and my iPad... :(

Not sure if it's just on my end or not, so I thought I'd mention it.

7 minutes ago, Duc2V4

And no pictures of the rest of it either. At least for me and my iPad... :(

Not sure if it's just on my end or not, so I thought I'd mention it.

Not just on your end. No pics for me either.

Dropped off bike this afternoon. VERY harley-centric shop.  But that's northern Alberta for ya.  The mechanic has 15 years' experience, and seemed to know what he's talking about, except for the "I did 300 km/h" story...  We'll see.  Report back Friday; I got called out of town until Thursday night.

And hey, it's my birthday, so the gods have to smile on me, right?

Our last local Honda shop here in the south Denver area (Britt Honda) went belly up because their customer service just plain sucked and that's the nicest way I can put it. No appointments for service, no calls to keep you up to date if you decided you did want to leave it for 2 - 3 weeks, no attempt at price matching anyone (I told them I don't mind paying a LITTLE more than an on-line shop as I like to support the locals but they wouldn't even blink), they damaged my last VFR >TWICE< and I had to threaten showroom destruction to get anything out of them, and then the last straw was when they mounted my tires on the wheels backward and said they couldn't tell which way was right/wrong - was I sure they were backward? LOOK AT THE FRICKIN ARROWS ON THE WHEELS DUDE!!! Not more than two weeks later, they were gone. I think the corporate shops have too many sheep that will just do whatever the shop suggests. My bucks go to a local mom n pop shop.

Similar thing happened where I grew up in the South Bay of Southern California--but even more inexplicable, given the huge potential year-round market for Honda "powersports" products there (not to mention the fricken' American HQ of the company is located in Torrance!)  I just noticed that a new Honda dealer has opened up in a warehouse location in Carson.  Not exactly courting walk-ins... but, the other surviving dealers for other brands seem to operate from similar facilities these days.  I'll have a look next time I'm in town--but they will never get their greasy mitts on my Yellow Peril!  <g>

Ciao,

Got 'er back today.

Mechanic did a whole checklist of routine things, gave me a copy.  Also did a few extra tweeks including adjusting clutch and brakes, which I didn't think needed it, but do actually feel better.  And, scrubbed the chain.  +1 on service.

But wait - when he pulled the bike out front, 2 bodywork bolts were missing.  -1 for service.  He did find them right away and installed.  Overall decent job.  Last plus: dropped me off and picked me up, no charge, 10 km across town.  Price: about as expected.  Oil change: Lucas 10/40 full synthetic, swears it will not cause clutch to slip.  (Oils with moly will foul clutch in CBRs.)

Overall: BYE, dealer.  Your new ownership sucks.  And Honda, still no reply?  Is it because I didn't include the bike's VIN?  Lame.