How Working at Harley Davidson Crushed my Motorcycle Passion
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They got bought a few years ago. It’s not better.
@@feellnfroggy maybe not for customers. Curious an about the work environment though. Locally owned dealers tend to be all over the place and inconsistent with policy/rules
@@UncleBogator warhorse sold out to RideNow power sports 2 years ago. They are no longer locally owned. They are corporate now and acting like it.
@@feellnfroggy Right. I know it's a sin to like corporate, and I'm not saying I do in all aspects, but they tend to be more consistent, leading to less ambiguity than an owner making up rules as they go. At least in that aspect it may be a plus.
@@UncleBogator it's absolutely not a sin. It is however a death wish if you're not climbing the ladder. 4 new bike sales in a week paid me barely 1k dollars. No salesman makes over 40k a year. I was told, by the math 17 bikes every 2 weeks to be on track for 40k a year. corporate does not and will never care about employees beyond what it takes to keep em quiet and working. And they will never care about the customer beyond what it takes to make money. If I told you why I was no longer with them, it would spin your head.
Back in the 70s I was working as a auto mechanic. I owned an old CB450 and did all my service and repairs. The local Honda shop became acquainted with me and offered me a job working on bikes. I told them no way. I love motorcycles and I've learned from working on cars for a living, that what I once loved doing, now I hate. I still work on bikes for myself, family and friends with no pay, and I'm still loving it.
When you make your hobby your job, it becomes a job.
Mechanics have crappy cars as they say
you kill the novelty
Dude, I was a competitive powerlifter/bodybuilder and loved the whole lifestyle. Becoming a partner in a gym and made it my fulltime job, totally ruined my love for the industry.
You get it
You wanna know what’s a worst sales job than working at Harley? Being a recruiter for the Marine Corps
I worked at a Harley Davidson dealership in central Florida for 12 months and had similar experience. I did the least amount of riding during those 12 months, great video really spoke to me 👍
Amen man. Cheers
That's why I'd never make a job out of something that I truly enjoy
Thankfully I left so it didn’t get worse
I won't even commute on my bike. I never want it to become a chore. I used to fish a lot and guys would ask me to join their clubs and tournament fish because I was pretty good. Same thing, I didn't want to turn something fun into, I HAVE to do this.
Semper Fi!
M M
Fact! So glad I never went to mmi! I ended up doing hvac/r starter 15yrs ago and I still get to enjoy motorcycles vs resenting them
Absolutely great advice.
And never meet your hero’s.
Like my Grandpappy used to say, "Ya never ask a mailman to go for a walk."
Got that right
I like that one. I'm going to use it. WORD Pictures tell the story short & sweet. .
or ride a Honda Super Cub in his spare time [Australia]
Right there with you man, just stopped selling bikes after 18 months of doing so, the schedule is crushing and the constant reward of good work with more work pushes you to sell more and more as well. I was in a unfortunate position where in my busiest months I was selling 45-55 bikes. and struggling to pay my bills. All while losing my passion to ride. I wish it wasn't the truth, but most motorcycle dealerships just really don't appreciate their staff and would rather have a revolving door then treat people right.+
got that right
They don't seem to want to take care of their customers anymore the past 10 yrs . These multiple stores one owner corporations are loosing their customer base. It is not like the mom and pop operations anymore where you sell the customer what they want not what you want to sell them
I worked for Harley and Triumph in Cincinnati for just shy of 5 years total between the two and I do miss it at times but honestly I have no idea why I stayed so long. It really drained me everyday. I loved MY motorcycle but hated everyone else’s. Hated talking about them, working on them, looking at them.
Nothing ruins a hobby like making it your job.
My experience in Harley dealerships is that nobody really wants to talk to you because they possibly see that I can't afford a $30,000 bike.
And they are right.
I tried to ask some questions about a V Rod after a few sales people had walked right past. The guy I stopped seemed to be annoyed at me for asking a simple question.
No motorcycle with two wheels and a motor should ever, ever cost that much...that's ridiculous lol
This can happen in any industry, I loved the game of golf growing up so in 1989 I got a job at a country club as a PGA apprentice to become a PGA member. I have since worked and taught at Florida Country Clubs. 33 years later I never want to see golf club ever again. Moral of the story, If you love something don't turn it into your career, it will be ruined for life.
Retail is retail, it doesn't matter if it's motorcycles or soaps. The hours are relentless.
I did traditional retail for many years at a few companies. Not really all that similar to dealerships. Just my experience.
You can be the only mechanic at a dealership. That knows how to work on the earlier bikes 1940 60 60 and they will not pay you a penny more to work on those bikes. A lot of them don't work on them. Anyway, but they're always real happy to say. We work on everything when they don't work on everything. There's one guy in the shop that knows how to work on everything and they don't pay him a penny more. For his knowledge and experience. If they can get you to double dip ( do 2 jobs) and only have to pay one paycheck, they'll do it.
100%
I just found your channel and the title hooked me into watching.
I've been retired for about a year and a half, I was a firefighter, injured then worked other jobs. A few years ago my local Harley dealership asked me if I wanted a job. I bought some bikes from them and I like to talk bikes, they picked up on that I guess. If it had been a few years earlier I'd have jumped on it because of my love for motorcycles. But, I remembered what others had told me about working in dealerships and never having a chance to ride so I turned them down. Plus I knew I was close to that retirement date.
At the end, you mentioned some hourly positions. If a dealer offered me part time grunt work, like three days a week to clean up, detail bikes, etc... then yeah, I'd go for that. I miss camaraderie.
Dealerships are nothing but a hustle. Like you said, you have to want to be there and be taken advantage of... glad you made the right choice for yourself.
Anyone who has ever worked at a dealership, especially here in Florida, shares your frustration with the experience.
My first job at 15 was working as a small engine mechanic for a local small business. I didn't make much, but i loved my job. After high school graduation, I decided to work for Sears as a field service technician. The pay was great. I also worked with some great people. I enjoyed the challenge for a while. Eventually, what I loved to do turned into feeling more like a job that was not appreciated. I left that job and went to work for another small business for years after that. It was great for a long time. I eventually got burnt out. I worked for a corporation again for more pay. That did not last long either. Long story, but i eventually switched gears and became a computer technician. I now work for the local government. I do not love my job, but i do not dread going into work either. Retail work is tough. Thanks for the video.
cheers my man. sounds like you get it
I worked in sales for 1 year, over 35 yrs ago, hated it, and said never again. That was at a retail computer store, yet was so similar to what you described. I have friends who are incredible sales people, I definitely give props to anyone who can succeed at that. Not me!
I enjoy stopping in a dealership for a look around, but I do feel sorry for the sales staff. I get PTSD 😮 just thinking about it.
Yup, I feel you - not just about selling bikes... used to sell preowned cars - lot's more to deal with than one would originally think.
Bingo
Working for 8 years with an auto dealership, I can agree with everything you say. It’s sad that balance is so hard to find in sales because the rewards monetarily can be good. Kudos on a great video!
Did you just ignite a Fire under me?! I worked for an insurance co., 20 years for a national/international company and had similar experience of being tossed around like a football. Not the first 10 years, but it got more & more stressful each & every year after that. You hit the nail on the head about balance in the work week in order for one to have sufficient family time. Did I earn a decent paycheck? Yes, but the added pressure, continuously, w/o letup was too much. It got to the point that I decided to 'retire' from that well paying job. I was encouraged to 'stay on a little longer' because it'll be better. NO it was not ever going to get better at that place given their push, push, push policy. I was not in sales, but I was a licensed appraiser. So even in other work descriptions, different from sales, there is that constant drum beat of this: "What you did last year was fine or even Good, but you'll have to do better this year, or you're not keeping up, not meeting expectations. So I retired. One could say I quit. By the time my annual medical physical exam came due my doctor said: "What's changed, you seem more relaxed". I briefly described my ordeal & how I remedied it by 'retiring'. I didn't wind up with a whole lot of money at retirement, but I don't have an ulcer now. I should have found other work years before I left that job, but that's hindsight. My advice for anyone who's listening: If you boss or your company does not respect your need for a balanced workweek in order to preserve a wholesome family life, then it's hi-time to leave that place. Some employees will believe the promise that things will get better if you stay on. OK, give them a week or 2 weeks, or even a month. But you're likely to find they're just leading you on with empty promises. That's Just My Experience and I had to express it. .
Yeah sounds like you made the right call
I got into healthcare 24 years ago. (Going on 25.) LOTS of turnover with HC. Even I admit I moved to TX in 2014 and have worked for 3-4 different organizations until I found a spot where I fit. Glad you didn’t lose this passion altogether! Keep up the content my friend.. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God bless!
No one ever said work would be easy, life is tough
Must have missed the part where I’ve been in the work force since 1990. I’m aware of how both work and life are.
I like the transparency. Thanks for your honesty, Merry Christmas!
thanks my man
Thank you for your sharing your experiences. Your shared reality will help people that are considering this lifestyle to go into it eyes wide open. It also explains the revolving door at many dealerships. I always thought it was the management at the dealerships, but I realize now that it's the old mindset this is how we've done it for the past X years and this is how we will continue to do it, and if you don't like it, there are 200 people behind you waiting for the job, so get to work or leave. Kind of work like a Soldier, but a Soldier is under a contract and doesn't have the option to quit! Again, thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you find a management position or even start your own company some day.
You nailed exactly what it’s like to work in an HD dealership. I did it in Central Florida for awhile. Got to ride to and from work but that was about it. Never two consecutive days off. “Discounted” tee shirts on the ones that sold poorly (in case you wanted to wear the RUB “uniform of the day” when you weren’t working).
I understand completely!
Good luck to you, Uncle B!
cheers!
Enjoyed this perspective on a subject I'm totally ignorant of. Well done, thank you.
I have a very similar story but not about selling bikes. It was about trying to manage 2, sometimes 3 jobs , under one roof. The expectation for each is the same as it was for the employees only doing one job. I have to agree with you on not only does it wipe you completely out but also you start to dislike what you do.
Nice video. It gives me as a customer a better insight as to what’s going on behind the scenes. You’re right about the Sunday Monday thing. I always wondered why some dealerships don’t try closing on Tuesday Wednesday and open the full weekend so as to offset the other dealers being closed. Keep up the great work.
Thanks man. Mondays at our dealership were dead as nails. But we had some sales so I guess it was worth keeping open.
"Sunday-Monday" was because in many states, like Texas, you have blue laws. Which means you have to be closed one day a weekend. Since many people attend church on Sunday and races normally happen on Sundays that was what all chose to close on. By attaching Monday (usually a slow day anyways) you got a two day weekend. Hence "Sunday-Monday" closed standard.
You're hitting the nail on the head! My friend worked in car dealership ⁵and its the same.
Interesting insight. Thanks for sharing. Semper Fi!
30 years in motorcycle sales. And having to endure several new owners. The best thing that ever happened to me was being let go. I used to love it but working for a spoiled rich kid and his yes men ruined biking for me. 600,000 miles on hundreds of different bikes. I never rode again for 10 years. Pretty sad!! So i hear ya 👍👍
600,000 !!!!!
@@1941392 Yep I used to put on 100 miles plus a day just commuting to work. Plus touring and a ton of fun riding. Had a lot of really fun times and didn’t have to pay a lot of it myself Was shocked when I started figuring it up No accidents or broken bones from street motocross or ice racing. Maybe I should park it as I’m probably due 🤣But dammit I love it 🙂
Mike I totally agree as to the expectations at any dealership. Worked at Harley in Illinois and now for a car dealership and ownership and management tends to have the same beliefs that your life needs to revolve around your dealership.
Nailed it
Uh, that’s just work. All workplaces are the same, but some jobs pay more for your time, which makes your time away from work more fulfilling.
@@alexwilsonpottery3733 absolutely not correct man. I’ve never worked for an organization like that until this one. Many jobs in the last 34 years.
Good vid, i can relate to the "only thing hard work get's ya is more hard work" bit
i did service at a hon,kaw,yam,suz,pol...(everything)shop. after dealing with the service managers, owner and customers daily, i was so sick of bikes for a while. i didnt even plate my Harley the last year i did it. out of 8 people in service, only 2 of us even owned a bike.. after 13 years, it was time for a job change and to reclaim my hobby.
a good introspective on working for the dealership. I haven't worked at one, but some family has in the past. I personally try to avoid the dealerships, I stepped in one the other week for the first time in a two years just to browse some of the newer bikes. Almost immediately I had 2 sales guys trying to hustle me into a new machine. I did sit on a the Sportster S and Pan America, and they felt awesome. I need to get a test ride on those bikes. Your T-shirt looks awesome by the way, I will be ordering at least one.
Thanks for showing that Mike. That was interesting.
I understand the sentiment.thanks for sharing.
Cheers man!
Great video! Warm greetings from Melbourne, FL.
This scenario, with slight variations, is all too common in America's workplaces today. Human beings are treated like business machines or other company equipment to be used as long as they produce pofit, then discarded when they are too sick and/or exhausted to meet the company's impossible demands--with no pension or severance package forthcoming..
Thanks for telling your story and very sorry for your experience with that employer.
Best wishes for your channel and other positive endeavors moving forward!
I’ve been there done that. Best you brother.
Many jobs are similar...I worked in a fabrication shop for 30 years...I used to love working all week and doing side fabrication jobs on the side...I got to a point that I didn't even consider a side Fab job anymore.
Merry Christmas Mike, I totally agree with you sales are tough line of work, as if they only want single people with no life outside of work
Honestly appreciated thanks
Merry Christmas Unc.
Thanks my man
Take care and God bless you and your family, Brother of the Highway
Cheers my man
I did long haul trucking for 27 years with over 40 job changes within that time, one day off for 7 worked, I'd stay on the the road for 3 to 7 weeks at a time, I went thru burnout for 26 of them 27 years, thanks for sharing your inside story Uncle!😎✌️
I totally get this message. Well said.
Cheers! 🍻
Most Dealers here in NJ of all brands, it's a thing to be closed on Sunday/Monday. However, I do know what you mean about dealing with Bikes all the time, you don't want to be around them. However, not working in this industry, the best places I can spen hours in are Bike Dealers, and Gun shops..I as the customer, love these places. Goos Luck man, Good video.
Yeah man as a customer I loved hanging out there
That PTO policy sucked and I could not even imagine the pressure. I get 2-3 weeks a year and I find that hard if you don't get to use your days off for some rest or relaxation. Love your videos and honesty and discovered you via ShadeTree Surgeon and other YTers. Love watching you and your wife enjoy motorcycles.
I only get 12 days off and that includes sick time. I didn't realize the sick time was taken from my vacation bucket until I got hospitalized because I never call out sick. This coming after I lost my old job where I had 6 weeks vacation because of my seniority and sick time was separate. The world isn't the same. Glad you was able to make the move that makes you happy.
Your video shines a little light on why you can’t even get through the front door at a Harley dealership without five salesmen immediately approaching you. It’s brutal! I don’t even want to stop in and shop for anything. I am actually looking into other manufacturers for my next bike purchase just because I hate the HD atmosphere.
Same thing happened to me. Having fun wrenching on my own stuff again after hating it while doing it for a living.
Merry Christmas
Cheers Jim!
Interesting perspective, ironically I watched this video, then your video titled working at harley davidson, what it's really like. Your take on the modern working world is spot on.
I recorded the work day during a time when I was still enjoying it. Definitely a shift
I worked for a short period at my local Harley dealership, back in the service area as a porter. What goes on “behind the wall” and what the customer sees in the showroom is totally different. Plus worked every Saturday, cut into riding. A great tech is indispensable, but everyone else was disposable. Motor clothes girls were encouraged to wear low cut tops and tight jeans to push overpriced clothing.
The guys who I know who actually love, love working in the motorcycle industry, are two regional guys for Honda. All they do is travel to various dealerships, order bikes, check on things etc. But ...they also get tickets to all kinds of races, get to see new-before-the public models and info and get to ride stuff. And a pretty sweet discount. The sales guys I know or met, they are ok with it, only know one mechanic who loves it lol
There’s always a few who that’s their calling
I just bought a motorcycle, and every moment while the sales guy and I were waiting to hear back from the finance guy, the sales guy just talked to me about how much he hated working there. He even asked me if my job was hiring. No joke.
I've always done great with computers and programing and stuff like that. Over my lifetime so many people have tried to direct me into that line of work. I stayed away from that, just because I did not want to make something fun into my job. Where do you go from there? Working at a dealership has to be tough. Sales people need to be on the floor. Finance needs to be on deck waiting. If companys start to move to an all online model it will help some, but people will still need to be there. I bought my current bike from a cold call. Great info.
I understand completely! ! !
I can relate. I worked at a Harley-Davidson dealership for a year.
I must admit, it was very disappointing hearing how Harley dealerships are treating their employees. As much as they charge for these bikes, they should definitely share the wealth with those selling them. I appreciate your respectful description of your experience, hope that your passion for Motorcycling returns.
I don't think that there's as much wealth as you think there is given that every one of these Harley dealerships is like a mini Disneyland that costs money.
Not to mention millennials aren't really interested in Harleys and you also have an economic slowdown.
@kennethsouthard6042 Respectfully, the markups and sir charges that are being added to these bikes by dealers are crazy. They give you ridiculous prices for trading and selling your bike and they make a profit on parts and Merchandise. Not to mention the financing they offer. I'm sure they could share the wealth if they wanted.
Not just harley dealerships. All bike dealerships
The overhead at a dealership will gag a maggot. I've worked at both a Ford and a Subaru Dealership. Sales has always been a numbers game and when you're hot you're hot and when you're not you've got 60 days to get hot or adios'. The family run Harley shop I bought my RGS from finally sold out and I heard that Harley was cutting out some of the smaller dealers. Gues what, the dealership is now closed on Mondays. WHAT?@@ldubb9621
Thanks for sharing all that. I just quit working at a European brands dealership in AZ. Sales work days were 10.5 hours, cold calls, and an expectation of 10 bikes a month minimum. I didn’t loose for riding but I will definitely not work for another dealership. I met some great people and still ride with some previous customers but the hours were just too much considering the pay.
Hope what ever you choose to do you enjoy it . Also Semper Fi
Good stuff Mike. I’m sorry you got double dinged over there. I sold Dodge/Jeep back in 2010 and here I thought maybe things changed. In all honesty, I thought about selling HD up here in Ohio but I’m sure the BS is the same everywhere.
Thanks for sharing your personal experience Brother, and I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas! Cheers to a better 2024!
-Chuck
cheers my man. Yeah sold Dodge back on 2002 and still the same!
Thanks for sharing, Merry Christmas! 🎄
Totally understand. Most bosses, any company, whatever they can get out of you, and take ownership and credit for your hard work.
I wasn't in sales, but engineering as an Electrical Engineer. I was salaried at my last employer and he preferred us to work seven days a week. Immediate manager had mind games. If anything went wrong, alot was blamed on engineering. hah
Just before I was laid off, so was a sales guy. Real nice and honest. He said the reason for his layoff was, "You're not walking the company line".
dang. sounds like a bad deal
I worked at my local dealership as a porter in the back. I would bring bikes and parts to the techs to be worked on. The building was 2 stories with storage on the second floor, which was connected by a ramp. We had 10 service techs, and none of them wanted any down time. I was practically running to try and keep up. Each day I recorded on my phone 16,000 steps, 4-6 miles and 18 floors all indoors. At night I soaked my feet. I never want to touch a bagger again, such overweight pigs 🐷
I used to work at a dealership before and i did some side selling gigs. But after 10 years of doing the same thing over and over plus dealing with office culture got old. I considered the pandemic as a blessing in disguise because it got me thinking about a lot of things. I moved out of that job, started working for my old man, we opened a motorcycle shop and i got to be my own boss. But the best part is i get to spend more time with my family. Best decision so far.
hell yeah love that man
@TheManoy66 Where is your shop? I am looking for some custom parts parts for my Street Bob.
I worked for a harley dealership fixing and working on bikes. 12 to 14 hours a day 7 days a week i got to the point i didn't want to pick a wrench up or ride my bike anymore. The pressure that's put on ya everyday to fix a certain number of bikes a day wears ya out. I was young and hungry and hyper and harley knocked all that out of me. I haven't for harley for years now and i still have people come and find me cause they loved the work i did on their bikes and they ask if i would fix theirs and once in a while i will but most of the time i tell them no and take their bikes to the harley dealership. People tell me the dealership where i live is over charging them and the mechanics keep their bikes longer than what was the estimate and they try to charge them for keeping their bikes longer and that is being taken advantage of and its not right. I loved doing road trips on my bike and to this day i still don't ride much. I seen you on shadetree's youtube channel.
I get it wholeheartedly. I grew up as a kid and young man that loved hot rodding and modifying everything and anything with an engine. Lawnmower? I bet I can squeeze a few more horsepower out of it, make it cut grass a little faster.. that eventually led to me becoming a mechanic at a Chevy dealership. It made me hate my passion. It made me hate working on cars. It drained all the joy out of taking an old Chrysler 318 V8 from a 200hp brick, to a 500hp drag motor. I just didn't want to do it anymore. Spending the whole day fixing people's junk, made the passion into work, and work ain't fun - work is work.
i think mechanics are the most classic example of what you described man.
Similar thing happened to me with IT. My whole world was computers when I was a teenager. Building 'em, fixing 'em, networking them together, etc. Dropped out of collage and worked help desk then network ops from 18 to about 26, working long hours, answering to very self-important people, and by the time I left, I couldn't stand computers anymore.
I always loved drawing, too. Wasn't all that good at it until I left IT, and went back to college for architecture. I got pretty good, honestly. Drawing brought me a lot of joy through the first few years of college. I designed a few tattoos, did a few wall pieces... then architecture studio hit. I spent at least 20hrs a week drawing, on top of a very stressful curriculum. after 2 yrs of studio, I stopped drawing for pleasure completely. It took about 6 years after graduation before I found any enjoyment in it.
In both of those situations, it wasn't the overload of the activity that killed it for me -- it was the associated stress. I subconsciously learned that these activities were bad for me.
Absolutely NOT a negative video brother. Nice look under the hood at realities. I was in military same as you and those 30 days of leave just isn't a thing in the corporate world 😢
One thing I noticed at the H-D dealership where I bought my bikes was that year after year the salespeople changed. I never really saw the same folks selling bikes. If I was going to trade in and asked for the last person who sold me a bike, they had already moved on to something else, sometimes to a completely different industry like construction. Vehicle sales is a high-turnover industry and that has to be horrible as a career. There were only a few people at the store who did not change: Parts counter, merch, and finance. One of the salespeople even told me that the mechanics also came and went. There must be something to mechanics turning over that you may cover in another video.
Techs don’t make much of anything the first 2-3 years. They are only allowed to do certain work until they achieve certain HD experience levels and in person training in Milwaukee. Makes it really tough on a Tech that spends 2 years in Orlando or Phoenix, trying to pay for school and a place to live, only to make less than $20 an hour the first couple of years. As a tech, you only make real money once you get to flat rate pay and that usually only happens after 3-4 years (depending on skill level of course).
The best way you can stop loving something is working with it. It happened to me with Disney and Universal Studios theme parks.
Spent 10+ years working at dealerships. In every department. When I left I actually didn't ride again until just a few years ago. About a 15 year hiatus. Work Monday-Saturday at dealership and on day off you had to attend races, rallies, rides, events..... The last few years most Texas dealerships adopted the Sunday and Monday closed standard. Loved having that consistent Monday off as no "events" ever happened on Mondays. Dealership work is a lifestyle not a career.
nailed it. lifestyle is what it is
If you do great work ,then they get you to do everything
One the worst jobs I have ever had although it did lead to the life I currently lead. I still have great friends still at the dealership, and love stopping in to see them from time to time
Completely feel that. Great people there. Just not my environment
I have never worked selling bikes, but I've had tons of sales jobs and they're ALL this way. They just don't respect your time. When I left sales and got my adjuster's license, my mind was BLOWN by having my time respected and being told to stop working outside of my regular office hours. I get enough time off to take two and a half week trips across the country on my bike a couple times a year. If you're the type of person that can really pound out sales, there's lots of money to be made, but for everyone else it's soul crushing.
Glad you came up better
My friend over here in the UK was a paramedic and a keen motorcyclist and he loved his brand new Honda Pan European. The NHS decided they could respond to medical emergencies quicker if they had a fleet of motorcycle paramedics riding Honda Pan Europeans. His dream job on a plate. He applied, took the advanced police riding course and was accepted. Six months later he hates motorcycles, has sold his Pan European and applied to go back on regular emergency ambulance duty. Hobbies and jobs don’t mix.
Amen to that
So glad you made this video...30+ years in pharma sales; started with 2 weeks off which ultimately became 4 weeks off per year, and the week between Christmas and New Year off. But when I can't find balance in work/life, I'm immediately looking elsewhere cuz I'm too old to just eat drink and sleep work.
Exactly
Every time I go to the dealership to get my oil changed it always seems like there's a lot of down time with salesmen standing around bullshittin
I got a buddy that really enjoys dirt bikes and Off Road. He became a salesman for Yamaha that was years ago. still to this day can’t keep him off his bike and enjoys riding every single day. He has dirt tires for summer and a track kit for winter. year-round, dirt bikes.🍻
Great information. I couldn’t survive working weekends. Lack of PTO is unacceptable. After 2 years I get 30 days off . It started at 2 weeks.
I worked for 34 years at Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and KTM dealers (three different dealers over those 34 years) in their Parts Departments, starting in August, 1987 at 21 years old and ending April, 2022 at 56 years old.
During that time at those dealers, I got to know the habits of the sales staff pretty well, and it typically went like this:
Practically all of the sales staff had at least some kind of an interest in motorcycles when they started working Sales at the dealership, and that varied anywhere from a fanatic who rode every chance they got (fairly rare), to the occasional rider who rode a few times a month (more common), to someone who rode once in a blue moon (more common than you might think).
There were even some who were not motorcyclists but had sales experience elsewhere prior.
The trend was usually they rode more before they started working at the dealer and rode less the longer they worked at the dealer.
There were occasional exceptions, but that was the usual scenario.
A fair percentage of the salespeople actually practically quit riding while they were working at the dealer, and this seemed to be a combination of overdosing on motorcycles and the daily pressures of working with selling them along with other changes in their habits as they got older since a fair percentage to the salespeople were young adults growing and going through life.
I estimate half of the salespeople did not last longer than a year and eventually decided to move on, realizing it was not exactly what they thought the job would be.
As you would expect to find out, the salespeople who did the best and lasted longest with the best attitudes were the ones who simply enjoyed talking to people and trying to get them to buy something.
They viewed that as their passion, or at least it seemed like it was while they were at the dealer.
Those that just thought it would be awesome to get a job at a dealer and be around motorcycles all day were often in for a wakeup call within a year, if not sooner.
The view of the dealer principal at the three dealers I worked for was very much the same:
Sell.
Sell.
Sell.
There were slight differences in personalities, but that was the common thing.
If that wasn't in your blood, it made the Sales Dept. job more difficult.
Nailed it
I like woodworking and making cabinets . People ask me why I don’t do it for money . I don’t want to hate it or have deadlines or lose creative control .
You are describing why I am so glad to no longer be working retail and will never work sales. And, the PTO policy is ridiculous at where you worked.
My local HD dealer appears to have a huge employee turnover problem...the dealer is not able to hold on to their good employees and their services tend to suffer because when employees are asked questions they never seem to have the correct answer. Now, in regards to your dealer it appears they had no idea how inventory worked because I have worked with inventory and I have never been able to finish in less than 1/2 day, even with only 40 of 50 items needing to be restocked and recorded. In addition, to inventory responsibilities I had to be responding to parts phone calls (and that was all day long), therefore, sometimes inventory took me more than 1/2 day. Inventory is a busy business and it has to be done carefully and always ensuring you store the part in the right location, record it in the right location with the exact number of the same parts on that location. All has to be exact so we know at any time where the part is, how many are in stock and how many have been sold or issued. In a nutshell, inventory normally is not a 2 or 3 hours job.
Bingo man
I love motorcycles and was thinking about a career in sales. Good stuff to know…
Good for you, for taking care of YOU. A lot of people will get so caught up in their job, it becomes their life. Shame on the ownership and management of the dealership putting sales above their employees.
like everything it just needs more balance.
Funny how I found someone express my feelings. Tried selling HD approx 6 years ago in the Boston area, and loved wearing the bar & shield shirt. Sold 10 my first month, pretty good I thought. Sales manager had a meeting and said this is a serious business and just because you like to ride has no bearing on the job. Totally took away my desire to ride for awhile.
Yeah that’s a terrible take from the manager
Burn out is a terrible thing, I hope things get better for you in the comming year.
REALLY enjoyed this video! It didn’t come across as negative at all! The people who I think have the best work/life balance are the Amish and Mennonite folks up here in central Pennsylvania. They usually have a pretty early starting time in the morning and work very hard all day long. But they believe that there’s a time to work and there’s a time to go home. At the roofing crew I worked at for several years,nobody ASKED the boss for time off. They simply wrote the days they needed off on a whiteboard and it was accommodated absolutely without question. It was just an accepted part of their culture that they had personal lives and responsibilities outside of work. Sometimes 1 of the young guys needed to take off an hour or two early for a youth function that they wanted to attend in the evening-the whole crew would quit early and we’d drive home from the job site. Questioning their work ethic because they had a life would have been unimaginable! Anyway, “cheers” as they say down under!
I just left a Harley Dealership after 2 years (was in Service Dept) and it killed my love to ride. The pay was crap and the hours sucked. I hated going in at 9am because I’m a morning person and working until 6pm. My commute was in heavy traffic both ways and usually took 40 or so minutes going to and from work. The 1 hour lunch was too long. So I basically was gone from my home nearly 10.5 hours a day for a 40 hr paycheck. Then there is the mandatory weekend work and random weekday off BS. I left over 2 months ago and have road my bike maybe twice since (cold weather a factor as
Well). I’m hoping that I’ll get the passion back this Spring after having several months away from the dealership. Like Bogator said, I worked with some awesome folks, but there wasn’t much balance at all, especially for the paltry pay.
You get it
A friendly word of unsolicited advice from someone who's spent years in the wrong positions. When you get up in the morning and put your feet on the floor, if you're asking yourself how your going to make it through another day in that shit hole place. You know it's time to go, NOW! the longer you compromise yourself, the harder it is to leave.
Old ami grad here , dealerships suck , some indy shops were kinda cool . I was a condition report writer for an auction place , that was great fun but no $$ (ride 50 diff bikes a day)
no way I'd work for a company that wouldn't allow me weekends or more PTO than that... if they want me to be that engaged that the dealership is my life, then they need to give me a piece of the profits, big bonuses, and a very large salary. I wouldn't put up with that.
Great video man, thanks for the insights. I can tell you similar bullshit is part of most all big business. I work in technology and it’s been a blessing and a hell hole for nearly 30 years. They always say they care about the employees but the reality is that it’s only about making more money every quarter, and it’s never enough, ever.
never enough my man