Spiro Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 I recently aquired my third BMW, a R1200RT, and love the engineering. The package suits my style of riding pleasure and I thank their designers. However, it seems that the only decent feedback one can obtain about BMW bike issues is through this forum. We all assist one another, which is great, to resolve fault issues or troubleshoot potential problems but 'What do BMW (GERMANY) do to assist' ???? Im certain that they access this site to spy. Shouldn't they have a support link on their homepage or at least a FAQ page ? I ask my dealer if there is a fix for the temperatute gauge being constantly incorrect or the oil indicator not showing "OK" when the oil is full. They contact BMW of my country and then silence. Never a reply. Not even a suggestion of future firmware upgrades. How does one get a BMW reply to the fact that their sound system does not support MP3's or a simple jack to plug in a i-pod into the radio. Even a reply that soon there will or won't be a solution to the individuals request is good enough. Surely they could offer assistance to most of our posts, after all, they have quick access to the specifications. This would stop our speculations or physical investigation of the bikes workings. I believe that after sales service should be extended to include support. YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE !!!! AND YOURS ALSO MR BMW 'if your listening' I still love the bike ...... Link to comment
DickCW Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Spiro Not wishing to be cynical, I can only observe that they are in this for the money! Providing support staff to feedback information to existing owners will cost money and not result in any immediate new sales. As you say, you love the bike (my R12 is brilliant, my last 2 R11Ss even better) so why should they worry about providing feedback? As long as we continue to buy them, they will be happy. My opinion is that they trade on their reputation, which in the past has been superb. I had my first BMW car over 25 years ago and you could not fault it. I just think that they have an accountant somewhere in the system who thinks turnover and not customer loyalty. He will be long gone to another company by the time the s*** hits the fan and sales drop off. However much I agree with you, at the end of the day, focussing on the negatives will just make you dissatisfied with what you have. Enjoy the bike and if you don't like them in the future, buy something else! If enough of us do that, the accountant may still be there! Incidentally, I had major moans about the finish on my R11S; it took ages to get action but they put a stack of money towards a new one at my local dealer. Not all bad then .... Link to comment
jackflash Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Of course BMW is in it for the money. They are a "for profit" company. As far as support staff...they are deficient due to common German arrogance, IMO. As far as their reputation...there is nothing to trade on. Their reputation is "mixed". Read their car reviews and other information on this forum. I have owned and raced three BMW "M" series automobiles, among others, and presently own a 1200RT. I will never own another BMW car for fun or transportation. I've had enough dealings with German arrogance and defective engineering. Anyone that believes German engineering is superior is naive and not an engineer...just my experienced based opinion. As far as accountants running company's, this is one of the biggest myths alive. The people that run companies are well rounded people with a mix of financial expertise, engineering understanding, and a sales orientation. By definition and job description, accountants are in middle management. My 1200RT is a fun machine but is clearly lacking in many engineered efforts. It will soon be for sale. Link to comment
Lawman Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I know of one and only motorcycle dealer that will allow me to schedule an appointment, bring my bike in and watch my preferred mechanic perform the requested service..It's a Harley dealer and it's one of the reasons I ride a Harley..It makes no difference whether it's for maintenance or major work the deal stays the same..I have a great relationship with my mechanic.I always tip him and often buy lunch for him and the rest of the crew..They do great work and I don't mind paying $50.00 - $60.00 per hour for the work..I happen to believe that if every dealer did business this way they would all be better off..I know there are reasons that other dealers don't do it this way but the point is if this dealer can find ways to work around those problems they should also be able to..I once paid for a brake flush on my RT that I later learned was not performed..I have only one BMW dealer available to me and for that reason I doubt I will ever own another BMW..Not because I don't love the RT because I do but I can't do my own work and I can't / won't do business their way..Their attitude is arrogant and the service manager was the most unresponsive service employee I've dealt with..I believe that attitude filters down from the top..Harley may be lightyears behind BMW when it comes to technology but their service and customer committment excels..This could be changed if BMW wanted to. It's really a darn shame.. Link to comment
Peter Collins Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Jack, Please, please tell us how you really feel!! What are the (LACKING ENGINEERED EFFORTS) in your opinion? Link to comment
Whip Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 In San Antonio, both dealers HD and BMW are weak...lucky for us we have Hank and Jim at Rhine West for BMW and Ramon and Nick at Ramon's Precision For HD... without them I would just own the Yamaha...... Link to comment
alexp Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I hear your pain... Here in Hawaii we are stuck with only one dealership for all the islands. I'm hesitant in getting a new 1200 RT since I was told that can only be serviced at a dealer. I spoke w/ BMWNA with all our concerns and they told me unfortunately there is nothing that they could do. The lack of support is one of the weak points of BMW. I'm planing of keeping my 04 for a while... One thing I can assure you, they do monitor this site because the day I posted my problem with my brand new RT needing a brand new transmission, I did get a call from the factory on the next morning and they approved the repair. Link to comment
jackflash Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Peter, I apologize for being so vague... As far as engineering, it is a mixed bag. BMW tries hard to stay at the cutting edge. However, when their sound systems are generally thought of as inadequate, the computer on the 1200RT reads out wrong information, the seating and ergonomics are not the greatest by far, my bike is delivered without enough rear brake fluid, thier dealership network is thin and not highly thought of, their North American support is poor at best, on and on. For those that believe German engineering is superior, IMHO, it never has been. Best comparison is look at the real design flaws in some of their WWII weaponry...the ME 109, their medium bombers, the 88mm gun (inspite of it's reputation, look at how it was designed), the Tiger tanks, on and on. The Germans do believe in better engineering, IMO, but they execute the engineering and design efforts very poorly. The flip side is that BMW and other companies are helping to lift other manufacturers to a new level over time, IMO. Just another opinion. Jack, Please, please tell us how you really feel!! What are the (LACKING ENGINEERED EFFORTS) in your opinion? Link to comment
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