[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

Heres some music for you to listen to while you read:

So yesturday I went over to a Honda dealership (that I used to go to exclusively until they screwed me on service) to go buy an oil filter and gasket and before I left I was checking out the CBR 1000rr current and previous design, until a SR came up to me for chat.

He asked me if I was looking to finally trade in my 250 and I was like "PFFT, it only has 8,000m on it", then we started talking about the 2013 model bikes and I could NOT believe all the BS that was coming from his mouth!

1. I mentioned Kawasaki 300 and he told me that he wasn't sure is they would continue to sell the 250 in the states anymore and I told him that they are switching it to the 300 here. He should really look up information on the competition if hes going to try to keep his business on par with the rest.

2. He then stated that even though the 300 has such and such specs, its a slugish bike compared to the CBR 250. I've never tried out the 300 to compare, but I'm pretty sure thats complete BS.

3. Then I started talking about Honda's 2013 line up and how I was disappointed in the looks of the new 600rr and he defended it without even knowing what it looked like! He actually looked it up on the computer to see what it looked like and tried using the excuse for the ugly nose as a better way for air to flow into the bike (as if it was a problem with the older models). He also mentioned that the bike was completely redesigned. I told him "No. It's pretty much the same bike under the new/old looking fairing." I then told him about how my experience when I test rode a 2011 CBR 600rr was much different than the 250 and he had the balls to agree and say that it produces around 160HP. I interupted him to correct him that the horse power was actually around 105, but responded that the 160 was how much the engine puts out compared to wheel. I was impressed how ignorant he made himself look. I'm not stupid. I've looked up the information on these bikes and he should consider that before trying to convince a potential buyer in the future.

4. We then talked about how impressive the NC700X is and when I mentioned that its using half a Honda Fit engine, he actually did NOT KNOW THAT. Are you a salesman or a receptionist trying to sell himself as one that he's not!?

5. Then I expressed my sadness at how they still haven't sold a VFR 1200 they've had on the floor since before I first visit the store, over a year ago (which is on sale for less than 12,000 now). We both agreed at how impressive the bike is, but then he wanted to talk about its performance, how fast it goes, then showed me this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znr5fbjdJxc

He tried to convince me that the spedometer was reading up to 200mph. I told him "Noooo thats in KPH. The bike produces around 150HP (some say around 170) and weighs almost 600 pounds. At best it will reach 160mph." Are you kidding me? Did he try to fool me or is he just fooling himself.

There was some other smaller things I could mention but I am draging the point I've made. This guy seems nice, but there is a difference between trying to make yourself/company look good and just plain spill incorrect claims all over customers who may know more truth than him. Luckily he got a call, so I took my chance to escape his insufferable misinformed butt; That and I was starting to sweat with my three layers of jackets.

I mean seriously. How many of you guys have experienced something like this from dealerships?

 

[lewiCBR250R]

not to that extreme but my dealership i bought the bike from tried to make me buy it the last night of a sale they were having where the abs model was $6119 and he said the next day it would go up to a bit over $8000 which was complete bullshit and i could sense it straight away. He was saying that ABS adds $1000 and when i eventually bought the bike he was trying to tell me where the power band on the bike was. He said all the power died off at 7,000 rpms which is n't true and that you should shift then because you won't get any more power up to the 13,000 redline; this is when i corrected him that it is in fact a 10,500 redline. He also said a couple of other things which annoyed me because they were lies and things to try and make me purchase the bike, but as i knew a lot more than him i ended up cancelling out the bs and buying the bike.

So yes, dealerships will do whatever they can to try and make you want the bike more, make it seem like it is better than the rest, better than the competition and employ some stupid tactics in the process, but in your case you knew a lot more than him so none of it worked, and in my case i also knew a lot more than him but newer riders etc. looking for a cbr250r may only know that it is a 250 and it has possible ABS but not much more so tactics like that work.

 

[northernlights]

that poll needs a "all 3 of the above" check box...

 

[TrueFaith]

I'm surprised you wasted so much time with this ninny.
I would have already been out the door after point #2.
Find a dealer with salesmen who know what they're selling. There are a few out there.
And I'd make it a point to tell the owner why I'll be buying my next bike elsewhere.

 

[teemo]

In answer to your last question, ALL OF THEM.

Am in process of owning (long story) a barely used/new-to-me Ninja and recently took it for it's first service. Guy I'm buying it from was told first service was free (who knows why, but doesn't seem the type to lie), but when I got to the dealer they denied it up and down (minus one guy who almost blew the lies for them and said "oh yeah I remember when we told him that"), which meant a couple hundred in service charges.

On the one hand, it didn't appear it was in writing anywhere, so legally . . . fine, they "win", but really, can you ************************* be honorable just once in a while?

Before that, the ******************** I heard at various dealers I was going to buy a Ninja from . . . wow. And I can barely work on a motorcycle.

 

[Wynne G Oldman]

Salesmen make money every time they sell something. Some know what they're talking about, some don't. 'nuff said.

 

[FabiCBR]

It's always good to know your stuff when you're going to a dealership. I had to walk out of the place I bought my CBR250 from three times before they offered me anything legit. They originally quoted the bike at $3999 and offered me $300 on my flawless nighthawk with 8,000 miles. Walk out 1. The sales rep came running after me as I'm getting on my bike, offered $1100 for the trade in and to reduce the total cost of the bike. I agree, they run my credit everything was perfect but they want more than the trade in for a down payment and quote a ridiculously high percent for the interest. Walk out two. They call me the next day with a new quote, I come back in and as I'm about to sign the papers they try to stack on shipping charges and a mechanic fee. Walk out three. We finally settled at a total price of $3400 for the bike and $1100 for the trade in. I originally paid $1200 for the nighthawk so I'm pretty happy with the trade in.

 

[Michael]

I dunno.

I have come across some sales staff who are ignorant, some who are liars, and quite a few who are a bit of both.

I hate it when I come across sales people who don't know their products because either they have not been trained, or they are too lazy to find out. More than once I have suggested that I should get their commission because I knew more than them about the product than them, and effectively sold it to myself. They did nothing except evade questions, then take the money.

 

[ecustu7]

Most of the time I would say uninformed. Their main concern is sells tactics not specific information about the bike being sold. Same way with cars sales.

 

[NSU]

I don't expect a salesman to be as obsessed with the product they sell as I am before I buy it.

Really, I will research something to death before jumping in. I don't expect a saleswoman to do the same homework, every model year for every single product. They might be more enthusiastic about ATVs or cruisers or, for all I know generators, or have encyclopædic knowledge of the best local areas for riding a dirt bike.

That said, I expect them to know enough to not seem disinterested in the research I have done, and to have the personal skills to not correct a customer unless they're completely sure the customer is suffering an important misunderstanding.

 

[MotoMike]

Most of the time I would say uninformed. Their main concern is sales tactics not specific information about the bike being sold. Same way with cars sales.

"A guy doesn't walk onto the lot, unless he wants to buy... They're out there, waiting to give you their money, are you going to take it?"

A - Always

B - Be

C - Closing

Always Be Closing...

from GlenGarry, GlenRoss. (An excellent study in sales tactics. If you haven't seen the movie, you should. You'll never trust a salesperson again.)

 

[atakacs]

I was a computer salesman when I was still in college for about 6 months and I worked on salary + commission. I was always excited to sell but I was always upfront and honest. I didn't NEED the money. I had no house, car payment, school loans or anything. I had a scholarship and my parents were still supporting my basic necessities. I was somewhat surprised at what my peers would do though, and when I asked them about it, they would say something like, I have mortgage payments to make or I have to put food on the table for my kids. And it is TRUE, most salesmen will do anything to turn your passion into profit. Whenever I walk into a store, I ask 1 question to a sales rep, "Do you work on commission?" Then I tell every salesman, regardless of their answer, "I don't want to waste your time, I'm just looking and I'm definitely not buying anything today." This turns off the pressure. I can ask questions and get honest answers, and people aren't afraid to say, "I don't know." lMost of the time, I can find out more in 5 minutes on Google than I can get out of a salesman in 20 minutes.