Ducati Monster Forum

Just an idea I've had for awhile but not sure if others like it. The reason for pickup at the shop is to get you to the shop not only for maybe buying other stuff while there but also making connection with the shop and other riders. To convince DucPond we are going to need some high numbers in the affirmative. - Gene

What would be nicer is if Ducpond would either open a satellite shop locally. 

I can totally see it, they'd sell more bikes that way too.

Not likely to happen as I posted elsewhere. Coleman and Battleys would cry foul with DNA and that would be the end. Persoanlly I don't mind the trip out, it's just once in awhile it conflicts with my schedule and getting one of the bikes out there is a challenge. - Gene

Quote from: twolanefun on June 22, 2011, 09:25:03 AM
  The reason for pickup at the shop is to get you to the shop not only for maybe buying other stuff while there but also making connection with the shop and other riders. to pay your bill before you take/get your bike  

as well as to inspect your machine to make sure it meets your satisfaction and discuss any and all aspects of your repair in person

Quote from: ducatiz on June 22, 2011, 09:32:51 AM
What would be nicer is if Ducpond would either open a satellite shop locally.  

I can totally see it, they'd sell more bikes that way too.

I know someone who was at one point putting together the financial backing to buy the Ducati franchise and rights from Colemans...because at the time, Ducati NA DID want a dealership within the DC city limits....this was at roughly the same time as when Donnie opened his shop, and was to be a more than feasable idea....but alas...the backing could never get aligned to complete the amount that Colemans was considering for to sell the rights....

A spot near the metro would be a huge incentive for me.

So you can drop off and catch metro home?

Problem is the cost of overhead for such a place. I was envisioning a small place where a service writer, somenone who actually knows something, would be for some set hours to accept the bike and write up the ticket. I suppose they could try and get a deal with another business, guess that would make the most sense. Until Metro gets to Dulles I think it would be tough, Tysons would be a nightmare, inside the Beltway would be costly me thinks.

Quote from: twolanefun on June 22, 2011, 10:59:49 AM
So you can drop off and catch metro home?

Problem is the cost of overhead for such a place. I was envisioning a small place where a service writer, somenone who actually knows something, would be for some set hours to accept the bike and write up the ticket. I suppose they could try and get a deal with another business, guess that would make the most sense. Until Metro gets to Dulles I think it would be tough, Tysons would be a nightmare, inside the Beltway would be costly me thinks.

it could work IF such a place was secured along that corridor NOW before Metro was completed with the idea of that kind of business model for the future....and you are 100% right about it being uber costly inside the beltway...

lets face it...there is no perfect solution...there will always be some obstacle to overcome for someone...so just choose what fits best or meets the most of your needs or wants...and Ducpond tries to do that and does fairly well, at least in comparison to other shops...

I'm a solid maybe.

It's an interesting idea. The issue, for me, is that Loudon and parts of FFX are half-way (in time) to DucPond, and I'd still have to trailer the bike some distance. So the incentive is not all there (yet).

Regarding the pick-up being in Winchester - I get your logic about drawing folks to the shop... But that would mean an empty truck/trailer one-way back to the drop-off location. Wouldn't it make sense to ensure the truck/trailer was full both ways? Maybe charge accordingly? What about having that "satellite" location be a kind-of-ducpond-experience? Maybe just sell accessories? Just some thoughts...

I get your point but again I think if anything is done at the location other than pickup some of the other shops are going to cry foul. I had orginally thoguht about a roundtrip situation, drop off the bikes that had been serviced and pickup the ones going in for service - but then realized you never get the shop experience, not to mention some quality time with Donnie et al... I personally would miss that and think they would too. Having a relationship with the shop is part of the ownership expereince, something that some of the other shops have not figured out or don't care. - Gene

Quote from: twolanefun on June 22, 2011, 10:59:49 AM
So you can drop off and catch metro home?

Exactly, I don't have a trailer or a pickup. Every time I need to get the bikes serviced it involves having another person escort me each way.

Quote from: twolanefun on June 22, 2011, 11:43:23 AM
I get your point but again I think if anything is done at the location other than pickup some of the other shops are going to cry foul. I had orginally thoguht about a roundtrip situation, drop off the bikes that had been serviced and pickup the ones going in for service - but then realized you never get the shop experience, not to mention some quality time with Donnie et al... I personally would miss that and think they would too. Having a relationship with the shop is part of the ownership expereince, something that some of the other shops have not figured out or don't care. - Gene

While I totally agree with your opinion(Gene), I do think their is a loyal base that can be grown out of creating a system where they tow bikes in and out of the city.  I for one would be a HUGE fan of this and out of it I can say that I would gladly make the trip to DucPond for service and purchasing other merchandise.  Donnie and DucPond give a little and in return get service and money from folks that normally wouldn't shop with them.  Feel like the cost of a weekly or bi-weekly tow would be offset my service $$ made.

I know it will never happen but one can dream about a shop thats not too too far away, knows what they'redoing and won't wallet rape you because you own a Duc....For me, right now, that's Mike Collins(when around) and Battley's.  I don't own a truck so I'm in the same boat as Pepe

Hey guys/gals my opinion is not better or worse than anyone's here I'm just trying to get the different views and have the discussion. I'm only sharing my thoughts and hope you will too and join the conversation. Once we've done that I plan to share it with DucPond. What has motivated me is some idle conversations I've picked up on, especially since the gas and toll road prices have gone up. On a personal note I had thought about volunteering to make the trip a couple of times a month for everyone, I can carry 3 bikes, and thought others might be able to do the same. But the liability issues just got to be a concern for me and I'm not about to setup a commercial enterprise to cover myself transporting friends bikes out there. So, got to thinking about other ideas. Anyway, keep all your thoughts and votes coming, we'll see where this goes. Thanks - Gene

I'm in agreement on the proximity to public trans, however (as I think was pointed out) if your bike is broke you'd need to truck / trailer it anyways, so maybe the public trans isn't the most important thing.

Another option to consider is a reservation system so that DucPond doesn't pay an employee to wait for no one. I'm guessing their trailer could handle 4 bikes max? If you don't reserve no space for you! If no one reserves then Donnie doesn't have to have a truck waiting. If it's a bonus week you don't have 6 people vying over 4 spaces. Of course there would need to be a disincentive to booking and not showing up.

Just a thought.

Realistically I doubt I'd ever use such a service.  I do most of my work myself and if I ever wanted to use Duc Pond I'd probably drop the bike off myself. 

What I'd take over a more-local drop-off/pickup spot would be loaner or rental bikes.  I'd probably pay a few bucks for a rental bike to ride home and tool around on while the monster is being worked on and if the monster were my only bike I'd definitely pay for a rental.

Quote from: bikepilot on June 23, 2011, 05:19:15 AM
What I'd take over a more-local drop-off/pickup spot would be loaner or rental bikes.  I'd probably pay a few bucks for a rental bike to ride home and tool around on while the monster is being worked on and if the monster were my only bike I'd definitely pay for a rental.

+11ty B

Surely, it wouldn't be too hard to do like the car dealers and set something like this up.

Quote from: bikepilot on June 23, 2011, 05:19:15 AM
What I'd take over a more-local drop-off/pickup spot would be loaner or rental bikes.  I'd probably pay a few bucks for a rental bike to ride home and tool around on while the monster is being worked on and if the monster were my only bike I'd definitely pay for a rental.

I think that is actually a great idea. I don't know how easy it would be to implement due to scheduling and insurance issues, but I would definitely go for it. I also think of it as a reason to check out a different bike that I might end up buying either new or used (with a nice discount ;)).

Harder than you think and expensive. Just ask yourself where in the USA can you rent a Ducati? I have a business plan that I put together to launch a tour company with Ducati's, 2 MTS 1100s, 2 M1100s, 2 796s so I have some idea of what the costs are and I don't see that as viable, probably why no one does it - not even the big multi-brand dealerships. - Gene

Maybe true, but there are a ton of bike rental places and many have more expensive bikes than your typical duc (HD for example).  The insurance/liability issues etc really aren't that difficult (says the lawyer [cheeky]) - between cage-dealer loaners, bike rental places and duc's own bike demo program the track record is there.  From a business perspective it might be really hard to make $$$ on the rentals, but if the rentals need to only break even or maybe not even quite that because they are really a form of marketing for the service and sales departments, then it becomes more viable.  I could be wrong, but I want to say some US BMW moto dealers already do this as well.

I believe duc dealerships in some other countries do this as standard practice already.

Insurance is not that expensive suprisingly, maintenance is a killer, and look at the cost to rent a HD from eagle rider as a guage. Just saying... Like I said logic says if this made business sense more dealers would be doing it, I know of none that do now or have in the few years I've been riding, but I don't profess to know everything. Here is a local exception, but there are quite a few caveats http://www.bobsbmw.com/service/loaners.html (http://www.bobsbmw.com/service/loaners.html)- Gene

I don't know of any that have remote pickup/drop-off locations either (though many offer pickup/drop off as a service for a fee). I am sympathetic to the argument that if it made sense more would be doing it - but that applies equally to the remote pickup location or the rental/loaner bike idea.  Of the two, as a customer, I'd be more likely to take advantage of a loaner/rental than a remote drop off location.

Quote from: bikepilot on June 23, 2011, 09:25:02 AM
I don't know of any that have remote pickup/drop-off locations either (though many offer pickup/drop off as a service for a fee). I am sympathetic to the argument that if it made sense more would be doing it - but that applies equally to the remote pickup location or the rental/loaner bike idea.  Of the two, as a customer, I'd be more likely to take advantage of a loaner/rental than a remote drop off location.

Thanks for the input. Hope this thread gets some more action. - Gene

Quote from: bikepilot on June 23, 2011, 07:43:19 AM
- between cage-dealer loaners, bike rental places and duc's own bike demo program the track record is there.  From a business perspective it might be really hard to make $$$ on the rentals, but if the rentals need to only break even or maybe not even quite that because they are really a form of marketing for the service and sales departments, then it becomes more viable.   

FROM A CAGE DEALER PERSPECTIVE of experience...

Loaner cars are generally a car that gets an exemption in title and value status from the manufacturer for a specific limitation of miles. a "demo" unit for example can not exceed a general limit of X # of miles whereas a loaner can usually do as much as triple or more miles while still keeping the warranties in tact. Loaners were really the 1st Certified Pre Owned vehicles backed by a manufacturer. When resold, they were considered as used, and not new, but were given a qualification of certainty due to the maintenance having been guaranteed by said dealer using that unit while it was in loaner rotation. This is the more common of practises when it comes to these vehicles. The other option is for the dealership to sell the vehicles to a subsidiary company(usually owned in some way by said dealer) to operate them as a rental vehicle, or to purchase them outright and delegate out as they choose. Doing the former alleviates them of a certain direct liability.

In terms of demo units like the Ducati truck hauls around, those vehicles are really not owned by anyone other than the manufacturer. The manufactuers assumes all liability and repairs. A demo owned by a dealer now has to assume all of that, and when a unit is not really owned by the dealer ( because it is owned by the bank that is floorplanning the note on that vehicle) the banks don't take too kindly to the risk of loss of their assett if something should happen to that bike while it is out on the road. In a perfect world, insurance will take care of it as it should, but nowadays, the insurance companies look for any and all avenues for to get out of paying any and everyhing they can. Which leaves the dealer on the hook. This is partially contributory as to why a lot of dealers do not have demo test ride units, like a car dealer does. Also, there is a certain accepted premise as a 4 wheeled vehicle being less of a risk to loan out in general in comparo to a 2 wheeled one, but I wasn't going to delve into that arguement.