I've been following this closely from the beginning, and am really glad as a group we were able to help out a fellow forum member. But, just maybe, Yamaha did not enclose the bags on this one unit. And the dealer as well as the customer got the same line from Cyprus. The best thing is, all is right in the universe now.
Merry Christmas.
Well, junior...and others, this is the reply I have received from Tom:
"Steve,
Thank you for taking the time to write a gentlemanly response. I have cut and pasted the entire "Bag Liner" forum, from the beginning, and emailed it to my Inside Sales Reps at Yamaha for an explanation on how this happened. I want these Yamaha employees to know how upset their customer are at us, the dealer, and them, the manufacturer.
It is very unfortunate that the dealers are perceived to be thieves, liars and crooks to most of your riding partners. Clearly we are not in the business of ripping people off as without you, the consumer, we would be out of business in no time and a $99.00 set of saddlebag liners is not worth losing even one customer.
If its worth anything to you and your friends, here is a time-line of how this transpired:
After we got the email from our customer we searched the microfiche of the FJR1300 for the liners and they ARE on the microfilm as a Yamaha part on the saddlebag page. We next looked on the packing list of the FJR1300 crate for the contents lists of all the nuts, bolts, fasteners, windshield, mirrors, and hopefully the bag liners would be on the list. No luck. Since the liners were not in the saddlebags OR in the crate contents box, our next step was to call Yamaha and ask them where they were.
There are a few dealers out there that still try to keep customer satisfaction as their top priority. When I opened all of the email our dealership received on Sunday it literally made my stomach ache. I take such pride in my line of work and have a passion for this sport like no other. To read the hate and venomous comments that complete strangers have to say about my dealership is very difficult to digest. I understand that this is the day of modern technology and bad news travels fast. Clearly I thought that by calling Yamaha, and having them tell us what is included with the 07' FJR, then all would be good in the world. Obviously this was not the case.
I encourage you and your riding brothers and sisters to call the dealership principal or owners before you vent your frustration to the world. Most of the time the manager has no idea what has happened on his floor, and would go above and beyond your expectations to make you a happy customer. I know that when a customer calls my extension and has a problem, the first thing I say is, "thank you for telling me about this problem. Without your feedback, I would not know this happened and would not be able to correct it."
We have to remember that we are all riding brothers and sisters in this world and that motorcycling is FUN and every aspect of our sport SHOULD be enjoyable. As a dealership principal, I realize how competitive the powersports industry has become and value each and every one of my customers. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to helping you and your friends in any way possible. Anything you need for your FJR or any other bike, feel free to give me a call. We're here to help.
Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas!
Tom Hodlick"
Shoot/flame me if you like, but I think the guy has got the message, and maybe, just maybe, he is telling the truth. He has certainly (by all appearances) taken the thread very seriously, and is conducting his own "inquisition".
Merry Christmas all
