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BRP Frustrated at Pockets of Popularity

We bought our Spyder in Kissimmee, FL. I saw a lot of people from other parts of the state come there to buy and get service even though other dealers were closer. Possible reasons: When we started looking at getting a trike I was leaning towards a GW, but decided we needed to at least try a Spyder. I had never driven a trike but the dealership let me test drive a RT and a F6B trike. That impressed me, but the service department was the real gem. Anytime my bike was in the shop, it came out with a full tank of fuel, and when I needed to do other things then sit and wait, a loaner was offered. They were also one of the first dealerships to do ROLO laser alignments, they offer a special deal on the BajaRon swaybar, support SRA fairly heavily in the area, etc.

I have a feeling that they are the ones selling 100.
 
Had forgotten about a message I sent (via their FB page) to the dealer I have bought and paid cash for, our 2008 GS SE5 and our 2010 RT SM5. If you want to know who he is, message me: :

Just want to let you know that my wife and I were there today. We went in and went straight to the Spyders (about 1:30). We looked at, sat on, walked around the 2 black RT Spyders (one basic and one Limited) and the flat yellow one and the one with the GIVI bags. NO ONE, and I mean NOT ONE of ANY of your people even acknowledged that we even existed! One man at the desk near the wall was busy playing with his cell phone, another across from him by the pillar was jabbing on the land line, the GM was walking/standing around on his cell phone. Not even an eye contact. I even walked around slowly, looking at each of your useless people, almost asking for one of them to come and say hello. The one playing with his cell was no more than 2 motorcycle lengths from where I was stopped in the aisle, looking right at him. He just looked and kept playing with his cell phone. WE have purchased a 2008 GS SE-5 and then a 2010 RT SM-5 from FBC, but today told us that they were the last thing we are going to buy from you.

Did I get a response? An apology? Not even.


 
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The dealer ownership makes the difference. In the Portland Oregon/Washington area we have two dealers. One of the dealer managers is actively involved in the oregon can am club. The other dealer manager is not.

Secondly the the dealer who is involved in the club has a Spyder tech who is absolutely the best tech I have ever seen.

Guess which dealer sells more Spyders?
 
There are actually three dealers in the Portland area - and the one in Portland proper could't give me a new bike... The Vancouver dealer is tops in all areas, just a long way away, and the dealer in Salem is new, and trying hard.

The Website for the dealer in Vancouver shows EVERY Spyder model, and all years they were made. Then the dealer highlights the number of each model he has in stock - if he has none, it shows none. That's the best system I've seen. My Salem dealer shows actual pictures of the units he has in stock - if there's a picture, he has it. He removes sold units as soon as paperwork is completed, and you take the keys. I don't pay attention to the third dealer....
 
nhoj said:
This quote is an excerpt from Cycle Canada's review of the F3 and its press launch. You can read the review here....
Cycle Canada==>Press Launch: Can-Am Spyder F3


But its this quote I find most interesting, "pocetized acceptance" of Spyders..

"“We are happy with our growth so far,” says José Boisjoli, president and CEO of BRP, “but we are also frustrated.” Pockets of popularity are why he’s perturbed. As an example, he discusses two dealers in Florida, both in locations with similar demographics. One sells 100 Spyders a year, the other only three. While it’s difficult to influence the diligence with which a dealer will flog your offerings, it’s easy to influence the offerings. Enter the F3."
Click to expand...


Yes, well the owner community is frustrated by pockets of dealer quality.

BRP has much work to do to develop and maintain a dealer organization with any consistent level of sales and service support.
 
It was my dealer's service dept., that sold me on the Spyder! The dealer WILL NOT allow test rides! Hey BRP, do you still read this forum? I test rode at a Spyder event somewhere else. The parts dept. won't give out the time of day! The parts mgr of 22 years left. The two new parts mgr's since are a waste of time. Sales blew everyone away on my 14 RTS when everyone was selling for retail+F+A!!! But the service is tops! They also built my GW trike, and again, awesome service. Butt, when I asked about the Spyder, everyone's eye's lit up. Even the GW Certified Tech, at the same dealer for 25 years beamed about it. So, I now ride a Spyder. :spyder: Tom :thumbup:
 
Mr. Boisjoli's frustration just reinforces how out of touch BRP is with their dealers and their customers. Sure, they run promotions to try and get people in the door to buy a Spyder, but as was pointed out there is a huge disparity among dealers as to sales and service. And, BRP support for owners leaves a lot to be desired. If BRP seriously wants customer loyalty, they need a better program than the one that they have now.
 
Dudley said:
Had forgotten about a message I sent (via their FB page) to the dealer I have bought and paid cash for, our 2008 GS SE5 and our 2010 RT SM5. If you want to know who he is, message me: :

Just want to let you know that my wife and I were there today. We went in and went straight to the Spyders (about 1:30). We looked at, sat on, walked around the 2 black RT Spyders (one basic and one Limited) and the flat yellow one and the one with the GIVI bags. NO ONE, and I mean NOT ONE of ANY of your people even acknowledged that we even existed! One man at the desk near the wall was busy playing with his cell phone, another across from him by the pillar was jabbing on the land line, the GM was walking/standing around on his cell phone. Not even an eye contact. I even walked around slowly, looking at each of your useless people, almost asking for one of them to come and say hello. The one playing with his cell was no more than 2 motorcycle lengths from where I was stopped in the aisle, looking right at him. He just looked and kept playing with his cell phone. WE have purchased a 2008 GS SE-5 and then a 2010 RT SM-5 from FBC, but today told us that they were the last thing we are going to buy from you.

Did I get a response? An apology? Not even.
Click to expand...

Some dealers just don't get it. When I bought my 2014, the dealer gave me a gift certificate for a weekend at a beautiful Alaska resort (Lake Louise). I sure was not expecting something like that.
 
Doc Humphreys said:
Be interested in seeing how well the repair part of the two shops functioned and whether that affected sales. People won't buy from a dealer that they don't like for their repairs.
Click to expand...
DING DING DING
Having purchased two (2014 RTS and 2015 FS3) from the same dealer (most likely the volume dealer) here in Florida I can say for a fact that the service department was part of the reason. Excellent sales staff, reasonable prices, great parts department, thorough back office, and outstanding service. I tried another dealer and the service was not up to my expectations, got the bike back with poorly installed triaxis bars, greasy finger prints, oil drips, and the caps to the brake fluid container not screwed on.

CJ JAX
 
I ran this one by me dealer this morning, and his response was: "BRP expects every dealer to offer the Spyders at MSRP, with no discounts. Sales should be based on the quality of service, availability of parts, and customer loyalty. Many of the things they expect from us (dealers), doesn't make business sense. So we wing it, based on what we see our competition do, and the needs of our business."

Dealers are expected to have a demo for each model - in fact few do, and some even use trade ins for demos. None of the dealers up here offer "loaners" (to my knowledge), and most only let you test ride on their property, provided you have a valid motorcycle license. Perhaps they should try the Harley option, where there are NO test rides, but you can rent almost any model for an hour or day.
 
I don't own a Spyder.....yet. I've been in one dealership. I talked with the owner. He had no passion for his product, and didn't seem to even know much about it. He had no answer for my questions about after-market parts and accessories. It was close to closing time and he kept looking at his watch and giving me short curt answers. Man, talk about a bad experience!! I think he called his business PitBull or something like that. It's in Springfield, MO.


(I'm lying:rolleyes:.....it was totally the opposite of my little story above as I'm sure many of you know. I was very impressed!):2thumbs:
 
Back when I bought my BMW in 2008, I actually really wanted to purchase a Buell Ulysses. The H-D dealers which also sold Buells were so disinterested in selling Buells, that it turned me off and I found something else to buy.

I agree with the comment that if he is ticked off at the dealer inconsistencies, do something about it. Visit the dealerships. Talk talk to your customers. Take steps to deliver a consistent and positive experience at all your dealers. Numbers rarely lie and if a dealership consistently underperforms its peers, you can bet there are ressons for it. If he wants to truly know why....I am sue the reasons are out there to be discovered.
 
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