The meaning of "Ducati Family"

Ducati Owners Club GB Anything Else
#1

I was truly saddened and disgusted by the attitude of two UK based Ducati dealers on Saturday 14th June.

I had rolled off the ferry from Jersey where I live, arriving at Weymouth Friday night to find my 1198S would not start, it had an electrical fault which allowed me to start it with a battery pack and then it died when it was disconnected. It seemed fine on the way to the ferry, no problems at all. Stuck in Weymouth overnight, I paid a tow truck £120 to get me up to Moto Rapido in Winchester by 8am on Saturday. The boss (I assume) arrived and the first thing he said to me was " you know we don’t open for another hour!". I explained my dilemma, that I didn’t live in the UK and that I needed to get to Gatwick to meet someone flying in from Norway in the next two or three hours.

He didn’t want to know, refused to even consider looking at the bike and said that he was too busy. That’s the “Ducati Dealer of The Year” apparently! Wouldn’t even take 10 mins to help me, just walked off suggesting I tried WM Snell in Alton. I was stunned.

I reloaded the bike on the flatbed truck and went toward WM Snell, stopping at a fuel station on the way. I phoned them to give them the “heads up” I was on my way and explained my urgent situation, and that my bike had possibly developed an electrical fault. I was truly floored when the Manager there also told me he was not prepared to help me. I asked if he would just take a quick look to assess whether it was just something simple. He refused saying that they were very busy and couldn’t spare the 15 minutes I asked for. What Ducati family I asked myself? Is this how you treat a family member in need of help in what to me is as good as a foreign country? Is this what England is like now? People won’t even help someone in dire straits?

I didn’t know what to do. I had dealt with the guys at Pro V Twins in Godstone before, so gave them a try. I spoke to Pete there who said that they were also very busy but that he understood my situation and would try and see what he could do, though couldn’t promise anything as they were flat out. At last someone with a little compassion and understanding. Another £100 odd later and I arrived at Pro V Twins.

Pete immediately took a quick look at my bike, no fuss, no “jobs worth”, no grief and within 2 minutes he had diagnosed the problem. The battery had expired, simple as that. He put a new battery in and within 10 minutes my bike was outside the shop running as sweet as a nut.

Now that’s what I call a Dealer of the Year!! Bravo Pro V Twins, not only experts but decent human beings too.

All I asked for was a little help, understanding and 10 minutes of their time, shame on you Moto Rapido and WM Snell, clearly you don’t understand what it is to be part of the “Ducati Family” !

#2

[size=150]Sorry to read about your trouble. As you say I would have thought a dealer could have spent a few minutes to look at your bike especially as you were so far from home.
Well done Pro V Twins.
I would like to think if I had trouble abroad a dealer would care enough to at least look at my bike and show a bit of compassion. [/size]

#3

Very disappointing indeed.

#4

likewise, disappointed to hear that about the 2 dealers mentioned - but have always found ProTwins to be helpful …

#5

Sorry about your experience I was in France a few years back and a guy in the middle of nowhere east France opened up on a Sunday to see if he had rubber to replace the ripped up punctured tyre on my BMWR850R and he did! Helped me and the Mrs out of a hole there.I guess we Brits can be a surly lot. Good times though you’ve shared a seemingly good contact ( good egg anyway) which has gone straight on my Ducati novice favorites bar a s a recommended line of inquiry.

Happy Biking

#6

sorry to for trouble,i too have found the ducati dealer of the year most unhelpful with a second hand multi 1200 i purchased off them.they dont have time for the little man unless you can afford a hole fleet of ducs or super leggera once they hav your money the do`nt care, some family.

#7

As in every part of life there are some Ducati dealers that are better than others. Sometimes 2 different people have widely different opinions about the same dealer. I am not overly impressed by the dealer nearest to me, based on my own experiences, but other people locally say they are very happy with them and think they give a good service.

I always vote with my custom. I buy any parts I need for my Ducatis from Ducati Manchester because they give me better service. Even though they have to post the items to me I get them quicker and normally cheaper than sourcing them locally.

Even when I have popped in just to browse around the bikes on show the welcome is always warm and the coffee waiting.

Because of the service they have given, even when I have not been buying anything, I decided to buy my new Diavel from them. They gave me a good price to trade in my ST4s and the whole experience of buying the Diavel has been exceptional. Pictures of it being unwrapped from the box the day it arrived from the factory were not necessary but added to the experience.

When I took the bike back for its 1st service I stayed in a local hotel and they ran me back and then picked me up when the service was finished.

All the staff were knowledgeable and friendly - I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anybody.

If you find a dealer that does not give the service you want vote with your money - there are plenty of excellent dealers out there.

#8

pooor show, just goes to prove , all about chasing the dollar and thats it ,

never mind tho , what goes around comes around and all that… :smiling_imp: