[stilcrazee]

I agree with robsvision, we need to let them know from us owners that this is not acceptable. Anyone from Indian out there reading this? If you really want to compete with Harley you need to bend over backwards with service. We don't care about t-shirts and panties we care about you standing behind the $20,000-$30,000 bikes your selling.

But there are a lot of dumb buyers who are enamored by the Indian moniker and don't surf the net looking for forums and reading about issues or possibly even standard equipment (they don't self educate themselves about the product they so desparately want) who will blunder into their nearest dealer and plunk the money down to buy an Indian so they can say they have one, take it home and park it in their garage just to say they have an Indian.

Meanwhile Polaris is bragging about their gain in market share and not having a clue as to how to improve the owners who really do ride their products satisfaction. The owners with problems with products and dealer service are pimples on Polaris' a$$.

JMO

 

[mototwin]

With the exception of having more dealers a long history has nothing to do with good service. In fact they should be able to address issues faster because there simple aren't a lot of new Indians out there. Polaris must know how important it is with the release of the new Indians, EVERYONE is looking to see if it's for real this time.
I for one really want the company to suceed and seriously compete with HD. They have a great start producing what I believe to be a better bike than HD and have already forced HD to include options they used to charge for on the new "Project Rushmore" bikes.
Polaris needs to step up and make owning a Indian an experience with excellent service and commitment to their bikes.

 

[mototwin]

Your right Stilcrazee, there are a lot of posers out there, but they are the ones who can bring Indian down with bad reviews if they have problems that aren't addressed quickly. They don't have the passion for the brand that we do and won't look the other way because they don't give a sh-t if Indian suceeds or not.
Indian needs to not only build better bikes than HD they need to bend over backwards to provide outstanding service as well. Then while the poser's ego is being massaged by the service manager they can shop for t-shirts and panties and tell everyone about how great Indian is just like the HOG guys do.

 

[iabob]

I don't disagree with the above statements but it's more important that we train our dealers. We can let Polaris know all day long we want quicker response to repair issues, but that's not really the effective way to deal with the problem. Considering that a lot of Victory and now maybe Indian dealers are long time atv dealers consider this. What happens when Polaris atv owner needs his machine repaired? He rolls the muddy scratched up atv off the back of his pick up and says, "call me when it's done". Is it any surprise that this same dealer treats their new motorcycle line the same way? Does the ownership and the techs at that dealer know that we expect our bikes transported in a covered trailer and we want mechanics in white gloves to start working on our bike immediately while we watch over their shoulder to make sure our baby doesn't get scratched? I'm not saying Polaris doesn't still have some learning to do when it comes to being successful in motorcycles, but we will see results much faster if we work with our dealers and help them understand what we're looking for when it comes to spending our money. Case in point, I broke down once near Kearney, NE. Thanks to the help of some club members I got picked up and trailered to Kearney where we tried a parking lot fix...no go. So in the morning I went to Kearney Powersports. a Heinz 57 dealer that mostly delt with atv's and had only picked up Victory the month prior. Of course being new they didn't have squat for parts, no voltage regulator on the shelf for me. Phone call gets made and service tech brings me the news. They can have a new regulator here in 4-5 days. So here I am 300 miles from home standing across the counter from the tech and service manager and for once in my life I stay clam lol! I talk and ask about options and explain to them that I broke down on the highway 300 miles from home, 4-5 days really isn't an option. As it turns out (duh) overnight is an option but shipping costs a lot more. Yes of course I'm willing to pay more to overnight the part! I imagine that idea seems pretty rare amongst the atv crowd. But I didn't stop there. I pointed out that even though they don't have the part on their shelf they do have one on that Vegas sitting in their showroom so if I pay for the part how about they take that one off and fix me up now? I remind them I belong to the VMC and VOG and would be more than happy to share my good experience with Kearney Powersports in Kearney, NE with all my friends on the Interwebs...They happily do and an hour later I'm on I-80 headed home. The above story very easily could have turned into another complaint story of me getting hosed on a trip because of Victory's weak dealer network without spare parts in inventory. But with just a little extra effort it became a positive instead of a negative. I bet as more positives get shared and as more Victory riders ASK for the service we'll have more dealers like Kearny Powersports serving us.

 

[satxron]

This part of the post I just read was very telling and very true. Brand loyalty is embedded after the sale is concluded.

"Harley is known to have reliability issues but I keep reading about people being broke down in the middle of nowhere and Harley bringing parts in overnight and the bike back on the road the very next day. Warranty or paid repair big or small issues someone at Harley is dedicated to service. AND SERVICE SELLS BIKES.... "

 

[11VICXC]

"You can't sell what you can't service". This an old phrase I learned over 30 yrs. ago working for a large pump and compresor dealer AND service center. Mandatory service training was required whenever we took on a new product line. The devil is in the details and I hope Polaris gives this more attention than they have demonstrated towards their Victory warranty/service line. I expect there to be some issues with a new product launch but for all they have invested in Indian, they can't neglect customer satisfaction and concerns at this early stage.

 

[mototwin]

I think Polaris by requiring existing Victory dealers set aside a stand alone space for Indian is trying to address the Heinz 57 issue but until enough new Indian dealers come on line there will be some dual dealerships.
All new Indian dealers have had their service personel attend training for the new Indian but since quite a few Victory and Polaris atv dealers are not getting the new line they haven't been trained. This is not an excuse for Indian not getting on top of the charging issue right away, they could have easily had a master mechanic talk to the service rep at any Victory dealership to help diagnose the problem. A mechanic is a mechanic, I know because I am one, and given the right proceedures and direction any mechanic could handle the repair.
Polaris needs to stand behind their words:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLEASSURANCE PROGRAM
The Indian MotorcycleAssurance Program provides confidence when you purchase an all-new 2014 Indian Motorcycle. Ride with the peace of mind that you'll enjoy every memorable mile.

 

[mototwin]

Billflag,

How about an update on your repair, still in the shop ?

 

[billflag]

Billflag,

How about an update on your repair, still in the shop ?

Sad to say, yes...but, they're working on it and have done a good job keeping me informed. Since they aren't factory trained, they're having to learn as they go along, just like us. BTW...I got a response from my tweets to Indian. It sounded like they were interested in opening communications with new Indian owners so they can get a global perspective on the issues new owners are experiencing. Not so fast...the communications ended up on a dead-end road. I was emailed by the Generic Polaris Customer Service unit with a case number and the same generic questions: VIN number, dealership I'm working with, and issues specific to my bike. I've already been down that road. I guess they just don't get it. They need a "hotline" system so they can get immediate and direct feedback from first owners. The generic "piece meal" approach is what they've always used. Until they have someone that will take the "global" approach, they will never understand whether the issues are unique or systemic. From what I've read, it's both. I think some issues might be unique to specific bikes or dealerships, but some are also systemic, whether it's problems with communications, management, strategy, or engineering....and, the band plays on.

 

[mototwin]

I'm sorry to here your stiil getting the run around. Indian is working on a owners group site which is not live yet but I would suggest that as soon as it goes live all of us owners should let them know what we expect from them as far as customer service goes.

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/2013/experience/community/pages/indian-riders-group.aspx

 

[billflag]

I'm sorry to here your stiil getting the run around. Indian is working on a owners group site which is not live yet but I would suggest that as soon as it goes live all of us owners should let them know what we expect from them as far as customer service goes.

http://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/2013/experience/community/pages/indian-riders-group.aspx

That's damn good news. That might be the very ticket! I did some research today and discovered that Polaris is the administrator for two new domains: indianridersgroup.com and .net. So, I was wondering if they would actually develop a site. It's not usual for a company to take this type of thing on because, as another rider state, it comes with a lot of risk and baggage. I'll bookmark it now and wait for it to become active.

 

[robsvision]

With the exception of having more dealers a long history has nothing to do with good service. In fact they should be able to address issues faster because there simple aren't a lot of new Indians out there. Polaris must know how important it is with the release of the new Indians, EVERYONE is looking to see if it's for real this time.
I for one really want the company to suceed and seriously compete with HD. They have a great start producing what I believe to be a better bike than HD and have already forced HD to include options they used to charge for on the new "Project Rushmore" bikes.
Polaris needs to step up and make owning a Indian an experience with excellent service and commitment to their bikes.

100% correct... I want them to kick some ass. But they did a and are doing a very bad job supporting Victory and look like they are heading in the same direction with Indian. These bikes aren't ATVs and need fast attention to any issue big or small. Hrs not days....

 

[robsvision]

I don't disagree with the above statements but it's more important that we train our dealers. We can let Polaris know all day long we want quicker response to repair issues, but that's not really the effective way to deal with the problem. Considering that a lot of Victory and now maybe Indian dealers are long time atv dealers consider this. What happens when Polaris atv owner needs his machine repaired? He rolls the muddy scratched up atv off the back of his pick up and says, "call me when it's done". Is it any surprise that this same dealer treats their new motorcycle line the same way? Does the ownership and the techs at that dealer know that we expect our bikes transported in a covered trailer and we want mechanics in white gloves to start working on our bike immediately while we watch over their shoulder to make sure our baby doesn't get scratched? I'm not saying Polaris doesn't still have some learning to do when it comes to being successful in motorcycles, but we will see results much faster if we work with our dealers and help them understand what we're looking for when it comes to spending our money. Case in point, I broke down once near Kearney, NE. Thanks to the help of some club members I got picked up and trailered to Kearney where we tried a parking lot fix...no go. So in the morning I went to Kearney Powersports. a Heinz 57 dealer that mostly delt with atv's and had only picked up Victory the month prior. Of course being new they didn't have squat for parts, no voltage regulator on the shelf for me. Phone call gets made and service tech brings me the news. They can have a new regulator here in 4-5 days. So here I am 300 miles from home standing across the counter from the tech and service manager and for once in my life I stay clam lol! I talk and ask about options and explain to them that I broke down on the highway 300 miles from home, 4-5 days really isn't an option. As it turns out (duh) overnight is an option but shipping costs a lot more. Yes of course I'm willing to pay more to overnight the part! I imagine that idea seems pretty rare amongst the atv crowd. But I didn't stop there. I pointed out that even though they don't have the part on their shelf they do have one on that Vegas sitting in their showroom so if I pay for the part how about they take that one off and fix me up now? I remind them I belong to the VMC and VOG and would be more than happy to share my good experience with Kearney Powersports in Kearney, NE with all my friends on the Interwebs...They happily do and an hour later I'm on I-80 headed home. The above story very easily could have turned into another complaint story of me getting hosed on a trip because of Victory's weak dealer network without spare parts in inventory. But with just a little extra effort it became a positive instead of a negative. I bet as more positives get shared and as more Victory riders ASK for the service we'll have more dealers like Kearny Powersports serving us.

The dealers don't make any decisions. They follow the rules set out by Polaris. Any delay getting your bike repaired is most likely a delay in Polaris getting back to the dealer. (Warranty issues)..... The dealers are warned ...do not touch without having Polaris ok. Also training is necessary but in no way cause a delay in getting a bike repaired. I supported a dozen guys that never seen some of the equipment they were expected to work on. A simple call and I would guide them through the repair. These are just motorcycles any hack with a manual and some support can fix them... You were very lucky with your 300 mile from home break down. Most dealers will not take a part off a new bike. And I bet dollars to doughnuts Polaris would not ask them too ether. No matter how far from home you were. Kearney Power-sports sounds like a great dealer. I would be happy to have it come down this way....... Let's say........My bike breaks down. It's under warranty ... The dealer say this is the way the warranty goes... Standard shipping for parts but you can have same day shipping or over night for X dollars. Special shipping is not covered by warranty ... Or if you pay the service time to take the part off the bike on the floor and pay for over night shipping so we can get the bike back together ASAP .....Ok I have no issue with that.. I will pay if I need to get back on the road in a hurry. The issue is not the bikes or the dealers... It's Polaris telling you that they will get back to you in 3 to 5 days. And from what I been able to dig up the dealers wait and wait for Polaris to get off there ass and call them back too.... Not good enough....no I take that back piss poor is more like it...

 

[robsvision]

"You can't sell what you can't service". This an old phrase I learned over 30 yrs. ago working for a large pump and compresor dealer AND service center. Mandatory service training was required whenever we took on a new product line. The devil is in the details and I hope Polaris gives this more attention than they have demonstrated towards their Victory warranty/service line. I expect there to be some issues with a new product launch but for all they have invested in Indian, they can't neglect customer satisfaction and concerns at this early stage.

Well said...

 

[billflag]

The dealers don't make any decisions. They follow the rules set out by Polaris. Any delay getting your bike repaired is most likely a delay in Polaris getting back to the dealer. (Warranty issues)..... The dealers are warned ...do not touch without having Polaris ok. Also training is necessary but in no way cause a delay in getting a bike repaired. I supported a dozen guys that never seen some of the equipment they were expected to work on. A simple call and I would guide them through the repair. These are just motorcycles any hack with a manual and some support can fix them... You were very lucky with your 300 mile from home break down. Most dealers will not take a part off a new bike. And I bet dollars to doughnuts Polaris would not ask them too ether. No matter how far from home you were. Kearney Power-sports sounds like a great dealer. I would be happy to have it come down this way....... Let's say........My bike breaks down. It's under warranty ... The dealer say this is the way the warranty goes... Standard shipping for parts but you can have same day shipping or over night for X dollars. Special shipping is not covered by warranty ... Or if you pay the service time to take the part off the bike on the floor and pay for over night shipping so we can get the bike back together ASAP .....Ok I have no issue with that.. I will pay if I need to get back on the road in a hurry. The issue is not the bikes or the dealers... It's Polaris telling you that they will get back to you in 3 to 5 days. And from what I been able to dig up the dealers wait and wait for Polaris to get off there a$$ and call them back too.... Not good enough....no I take that back piss poor is more like it...

TOTALLY agree...this is not a dealer issue. The dealers want to do the right thing! EVERY dealer I've talked to is just as frustrated as the customer. Unfortunately, they are the first contact with the customer, so they take a lot of heat on behalf of POLARIS......I'm actively working with Polaris to address this issue. We'll see how it goes. GO DEALERS....and I ain't one...which means I have NO influence....BUT collectively we, the customers, DO!!!!

 

[robsvision]

That's damn good news. That might be the very ticket! I did some research today and discovered that Polaris is the administrator for two new domains: indianridersgroup.com and .net. So, I was wondering if they would actually develop a site. It's not usual for a company to take this type of thing on because, as another rider state, it comes with a lot of risk and baggage. I'll bookmark it now and wait for it to become active.

It sounds like someone is dedicated to Indian and on the other hand maybe there is a Harley owner working in the customer / dealer support department....

 

[hatchtcd]

Some of you Indian owners are funny, yes you spent good money on a nice bike, and it should be 100 % but what do you expect out of a first year bike, and remember the indian line was a hush hush till the relaese, then they need the time to train the tecs,on the new bikes, and at the same time get orders out the door, and set up at dealers. so yes their is a wait to get issues fixed, but you could ride the bike the way it was, and not hurt anything. The comment about the indians are not ATVs so they should be fixed faster is just too funny, have you seen the price of some ATVs some are 15k and up, and for most of the country its hunting and paly season , for ATVs and snow mobiles, do you think they are going to pull a tec. off them and send them to school? As far as the hinze 57 dealer ship, unless you want to pay 35k for a indian, thats what you get, a multi line dealership. I am board and just read some threads, sorry for the rant, keep the pinky up when you drink your starbucks and you will be OK.

 

[iabob]

The dealers don't make any decisions. They follow the rules set out by Polaris. Any delay getting your bike repaired is most likely a delay in Polaris getting back to the dealer. (Warranty issues)..... The dealers are warned ...do not touch without having Polaris ok. Also training is necessary but in no way cause a delay in getting a bike repaired. I supported a dozen guys that never seen some of the equipment they were expected to work on. A simple call and I would guide them through the repair. These are just motorcycles any hack with a manual and some support can fix them... You were very lucky with your 300 mile from home break down. Most dealers will not take a part off a new bike. And I bet dollars to doughnuts Polaris would not ask them too ether. No matter how far from home you were. Kearney Power-sports sounds like a great dealer. I would be happy to have it come down this way....... Let's say........My bike breaks down. It's under warranty ... The dealer say this is the way the warranty goes... Standard shipping for parts but you can have same day shipping or over night for X dollars. Special shipping is not covered by warranty ... Or if you pay the service time to take the part off the bike on the floor and pay for over night shipping so we can get the bike back together ASAP .....Ok I have no issue with that.. I will pay if I need to get back on the road in a hurry. The issue is not the bikes or the dealers... It's Polaris telling you that they will get back to you in 3 to 5 days. And from what I been able to dig up the dealers wait and wait for Polaris to get off there a$$ and call them back too.... Not good enough....no I take that back piss poor is more like it...

Well we just are going to see some things differently here. If you are getting warranty work done you should first realize that this isn't free work. The dealer is doing the work and Victory is paying the bill. So the dealer has to answer to the bill payer. Does that mean the dealer makes no decision? HA! Far from it! DId the dealer OFFER to overnight something at extra expense to the bike owner? Or do they just give them the easy answer? And anyone who thinks dealers hands are tied and have no fault...I got a bridge to sell you. You are not Victory's customer. Victory does not answer to the rider, the rider does not buy a bike from Victory. The dealer is Victory's customer, it's up to the dealer to demand better service, it's up to the dealer to go above and beyond to give better service to the rider. Pop quiz, guess how many dealers submit an order to Victory the same day the rider places an order for a part? If you answered the same day more often than not you are wrong. The dealer doesn't have a shop manual, but they;re available to the public, and you blame Polaris for the dealer not having a shop manual??? Hello...maybe they should ORDER ONE just like the rest of us!

 

[mototwin]

Some of you Indian owners are funny, yes you spent good money on a nice bike, and it should be 100 % but what do you expect out of a first year bike, and remember the indian line was a hush hush till the relaese, then they need the time to train the tecs,on the new bikes, and at the same time get orders out the door, and set up at dealers. so yes their is a wait to get issues fixed, but you could ride the bike the way it was, and not hurt anything. The comment about the indians are not ATVs so they should be fixed faster is just too funny, have you seen the price of some ATVs some are 15k and up, and for most of the country its hunting and paly season , for ATVs and snow mobiles, do you think they are going to pull a tec. off them and send them to school? As far as the hinze 57 dealer ship, unless you want to pay 35k for a indian, thats what you get, a multi line dealership. I am board and just read some threads, sorry for the rant, keep the pinky up when you drink your starbucks and you will be OK.

Hatchted,

Your right about dealers that sell ATVs, that's their bread and butter,and we realize that the new Indians have just been released. I also know from reading post from Vic owners on this and other sites that this service issue has been going on for years with Victory.
The facts are, if Polaris/Indian really has plans to take a big chunk out of Harley's sales and become "The Alpha Bike" it has to change it's tune and cater to the market like Harley does. They will also have to, through their dealers, provide the "experience" that HD dealers do with partys, rides, rallys, and of course every product known to man with an Indian logo on it. I don't think we have our pinkys up in the air anymore than you do and Vic owners should be demanding the same service. Now excuse me while I sip my latte from my new Indian mug. 8)

 

[robsvision]

Hatchted,

Your right about dealers that sell ATVs, that's their bread and butter,and we realize that the new Indians have just been released. I also know from reading post from Vic owners on this and other sites that this service issue has been going on for years with Victory.
The facts are, if Polaris/Indian really has plans to take a big chunk out of Harley's sales and become "The Alpha Bike" it has to change it's tune and cater to the market like Harley does. They will also have to, through their dealers, provide the "experience" that HD dealers do with partys, rides, rallys, and of course every product known to man with an Indian logo on it. I don't think we have our pinkys up in the air anymore than you do and Vic owners should be demanding the same service. Now excuse me while I sip my latte from my new Indian mug. 8)

Well said and they have a hell of a long way to go....