Why Is It So Hard to Find a Good Harley Dealer?

When riders go looking for a Harley bike, they may google ‘harley dealer near me’ and find any number of Harley-Davidson dealerships near a specified location. However, how would they know which ones are worth visiting?

With many people realizing the usefulness of online reviews in general, why then is it still so difficult to find solid reviews on local Harley-Davidson dealerships. I mean if a dealership gave amazing service and went above and beyond, why not shout it from the rooftops?

What happens to be easier to find are numerous complaints about dealerships and related service issues. Why is this so? Even though each franchise owner operates independently, dealerships are still held to certain standards and one would be sure that the Harley-Davidson company itself would seek to make changes in dealerships getting an above-average number of complaints.

So let’s explore why it is a trial to find quality reviews on Harley dealers in a given area.

How Easy Is It to Review a Dealership?

When checking for Harley dealers near me, I find that Suffolk County Harley Davidson® immediately pops up. Their dealership via the search engine is also connected to the Yelp platform for easy access to reviews. The dealership gathers and displays customer testimonials under the Customer Corner of their site and it is possible to read reviews, sometimes comparing one dealership to another. One such review mentioned Harley Davidson of Bellmore in addition to the one in Oakdale in their review. Would such easy access to leaving reviews be done consistently at nearby Harley dealer locations?

The use of review sites, in addition to a dealership website, is left up to chance. While a number do use Yelp platforms to share reviews, others like other options. Harley-Davidson of Stamford uses Yahoo instead.

What about the websites of each franchise? While some websites provide a place to gather and share customer reviews, some do not. Harley-Davidson of New York City is a case in point. This flagship location does not provide a location where customer reviews are shared, unless it is hidden deep within the website. This seems to be an oversight as many customers would like to know about the type of service they may expect at any a given dealership location. Perhaps some of these inconsistencies make it harder for riders to share their own experiences with a specific dealership?

How Does One Learn More About a Dealership?

It can be like looking for a needle in that proverbial haystack. Searching for the Harley-Davidson company in the Better Business Bureau, Inc. website can bring up complaints related to a specific dealership and communications between dealerships and the company, which can let readers know how well issues are handled when they escalate to the next level. It is another place to lodge a complaint, but don’t riders need to have an objective place to read about the positive experiences customers have?

Another place to get more details is through a review of the company on consumeraffairs.com but as of today, Harley-Davidson has yet to be accredited. On this site, 304 Harley-Davidson consumer reviews and complaints are listed and may help people decide on dealerships or Harley-Davidson models to avoid. So this make me think that the majority of riders like to complain or why would there be more complaints than positive reviews on sites other than a dealership website?

The Good, the Bad and Your Harley Dealer

When choosing a product or service I want a balanced handling of the good and the bad. This concept would apply to Harley dealers, their products and services. When not all dealerships use the same review sites or openly share reviews on their website, it becomes harder to decide who to buy from without actually visiting local dealerships in person.

I would rather deal with professionals from the start to avoid a headache. Reviews are available that often share when Harley owners have to deal with problems because of incompetence from a dealership. And it only helps a dealership when loyal customers spread the good word. So why not make it easier for riders to go to one location for unbiased reviews, both good and bad, of Harley-Davidson dealerships?

Having a single and balanced location for customers to review dealerships would make dealerships compete among themselves to improve their rapport with customers and naturally drive traffic to those franchise owners who care enough to put customers first. Customers would get a one-stop location where it would be easy to enter in an area and compare reviews of local dealerships and make their decision accordingly.

Please Enlighten Me

If I am not aware of such a site and it exists, feel free to share. Getting the down-low from a fellow rider is helpful but comparison with other perspectives is still important. In addition, what will make riders more likely to share great experiences, as well as problems, with a dealership online? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below or tweet @DiagnosticaNews.

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