Canadian Scooter Corp. & Client Treatment

[big]

Recently a married couple, friends of mine, won a new LX 50 Vespa scooter at a raffle. The event was organized as a movie industry function for it's employees and celebrities. It was donated by the Canadian Scooter Corporation for the draw. Needless to say, they were over joyed to win such a prize. They immediately went to a local store in Toronto and took a look at the model and it's accessories. They decided to up-grade the size of the engine to the 150cc, to keep up with the city traffic. They paid to have this upgrade done. The store was very helpful and pleasant. But when they tried to contact the Canadian Scooter Corp. directly, to arrange the delivery and pick-up of the scooter, their e-mails were ignored. The wife was forced into going down to the warehouse to deal with the company representatives, who in turn yelled at the woman, bringing her to tears. Apparently the function that the scooter was raffled at was mis-represented as a larger deal than it was and the company CEO's were pissed and decided they'd take it out on her. I don't know about you but two wrongs don't add up to a right. They made a bad business decision, too bad. My friends had nothing to do with organizing the event in question. To hold them accountable is plain wrong. There's no place for that type of behavior in any business. Shame on the company representatives who took part in this "witch hunt". I'm not recommending any body deal with this company, if they can help it. They expect accountability from their employees but not at the highest level. Seems like Corporate America 101, do as I say not as I do!

[nocattle]

Um, I don't quite understand your beef. Friends of yours got bad customer treatment. That's most unfortunate and obviously it's pissed your friends off, who in turn got you pissed off. Now I'm just wondering what the intention of this post is. Are you warning others that this is the treatment they should expect at a Vespa dealer? Or are you seeking some revenge on behalf of your friends by limiting the business that this Vespa dealer does?

I've had nothing but good encounters with my dealer. Canadian Scooter Corp is the exclusive Canadian importer and distributor of new Vespa scooters, but they don't own each individual dealership. I can't see Canadian Scooter Corp dealing with consumers, raffle or not, as that's what dealerships do.

I'm not sure but from reading your post it sounds like yours friends were asking to have an LX150 engine dropped into a brand new LX50. It's like winning a brand new Ford mustang with the V6 engine and wanting to drop the V8 in it. While I'm pretty sure it is possible with the LX, because they share the same frame, it'ld be less hassle, far easier and cheaper to just trade it in. They might not get the same frame colour/paint but so what?

[christine]

I didn't understand the complaint either, but didn't bother asking. It smelled a bit like an anti-Vespa post one would expect from an industry competitor.

Why someone would win a scooter from one business, negotiate some sort of side deal with a second (related) business and then expect the first business to be overjoyed and up-to-speed on the deal is a bit strange...

Maybe excitement at winning such a nice prize overcame their better judgment?

Christine

[nocattle]

Looks like the author, BIG, only posted on the day he joined up and hasn't logged in since. A little bit of a venting for an angry volcano?

[Daisy]

Yeah...I get a kick out of the people who will open a profile and this person even went through the trouble of creating an avatar, and then posting a complaint as their first or second post.....similarly the ones who sign up to ask one question and then are gone......

I find it all a bit odd.

[smd]

Maybe they are just a bit intimidated by those with over 1300 posts. It's a lot to measure up to.

Or they are just trolls.

D

[Daisy]

yeah but what they dont know is how many of my posts are fluff hahahaha

funny Dennis

[big]

Well, If you can't find the the jist of the post, then maybe you should read a little slower and allow it to sink in. Customer Service shouldn't be just a sign over a counter. I happen to think the new Vespa's are amazing and Piaggio did an excellent job in realizing a modern scooter. I'm not bashing the name brand or the design......my point is that you expect customer service to be good at the dealership. It should be exemplary at the corporate office of the sole distributor for Canada. One would think to compete in a market where your scooter is priced in the same range as a small motorcycle, and has far less power, you would go out of your way to provide a level of service that would exceed people's expectations. I'm speaking of the distributor,....The Canadian Scooter Corp. Saying, so my friends got bad service....oh well, is a sad statement on your own expectations of service . I thought maybe being Vespa enthusiats you might want to know how the company that brings the product in handles a delicate situation. I hope you all don't have to deal with this type of abuse. Here's a thought maybe being the Toronto contingent for the Vespa Owner's club you might want to call attention to this and demand a little accountability so that the Canadian Scooter Corp. knows you're out there, and the way they conduct themselves is being watched. Or you could turn a blind eye and shrug,....."not my problem." I guess my rant was wasted on deaf ears here.

A little FYI: nocattle- (from the Vespa Canada site) The Vespa LX is offered in a 50CC and a roaring 150CC version. ( they had the upgrade done before they picked up the scooter) And, for the record I posted this, and I also posted on parking in T.O. but I haven't felt the need to respond to any other post until now.

[smd]

big said:

I guess my rant was wasted on deaf ears here.

Not at all. Thanks for sharing.

[nocattle]

BIG, I like good customer service as much as the next person. But being on the other side of that as a service plumber, I do know some things are beyond my control; parts are not in stock, no longer manufactured, or whatever. And although the customer is always right, often some requests are simply unreasonable, or beyond what I'm willing to commit to. Walking away from a job is not something I want to do, but it's sometimes better if I do. Doing so with grace and respect is a challenge in it of itself. Occasionally it's not possible.

Your friends request seems unreasonable. As I said before, it would be far easier to trade in a brand new LX50 for a brand new LX150, rather then have mechanics spend a lot of time exchanging engines in an upgrade. The mechanics probably shouldn't have taken on the job, or accepted your friends money, but that's really not for me to say.

Still, the complaint should have been handled and ended in the dealership. If you don't like the way the steak was cooked in the restraunt, the complaint should start with the chef and end with the restaurant. Going further up the chain to the butcher, or cowboy... it simply isn't going to satisfy you.

That's what I don't understand. Canadian Scooter Corp is the importer. They're basicly the truckers and warehousers. They don't retail the product. They would only deal with the public in a very limited capacity. Their customers are the dealerships, not the consumers. So it sounds like you and your friends have placed blame on CSC erroneously. I don't believe they're at all responsible for whatever the situation is/was.

I'm sure that when CSC or Piaggio (not sure who)grants licenses to dealerships there some sort level of expectation of customer care. In this instance, surely that section of the agreement was abused. If this were regular conduct, not only would they find discipline handed down from above but they would suffer in the very business they depend on. Your friends problem is not one that has become commonplace.

Perhaps maybe the whole situation could have been handled in a more dignified manner, but rarely do situations escalate, that they get this far out of hand, entirely the fault of one side. It does take two to tango.

[Daisy]

big said:

Well, If you can't find the the jist of the post, then maybe you should read a little slower and allow it to sink in.

Hmmm in one fast swoop, you insulted everyone on this forum. It would appear that more people agree with nocattle (as I do). You are complaining to the wrong party, and think that we are going to do some leg work for your 'friends'?

I dont think so.

[big]

nocattle said:

Your friends request seems unreasonable. As I said before, it would be far easier to trade in a brand new LX50 for a brand new LX150, rather then have mechanics spend a lot of time exchanging engines in an upgrade. The mechanics probably shouldn't have taken on the job, or accepted your friends money, but that's really not for me to say.

Your assumption is incorrect in the above statement. Where you came to this conclusion is beyond me. The raffle was for a free LX50 scooter, to be ordered in the colour of your choice. They never took possession of the scooter. The dealership said that since the LX is offered in a 50cc and a 150cc version they could pay the difference of a few hundred more and get a 150. No engine swap was asked for or offered, they simply ordered a new LX150..........So they did exactly what you mentioned above, except they were dealing with the concept of a new LX50 not the actual scooter, if you get my drift.

nocattle said:

Still, the complaint should have been handled and ended in the dealership. If you don't like the way the steak was cooked in the restraunt, the complaint should start with the chef and end with the restaurant. Going further up the chain to the butcher, or cowboy... it simply isn't going to satisfy you.

Your restaurant analogy is convoluted and makes no sense in this instance. The CSC offered the LX50 scooter in the raffle. My friends were instructed to go to a dealership to pick the colour. They paid extra and ordered the LX150 in a certain colour, which the dealership showed as being there at the CSC warehouse. No problem! The problem happened when they were trying to arrange pickup of the scooter from the warehouse. They were being told the scooter was not there but the dealership was showing that it was. You can understand their aggravation.

nocattle said:

That's what I don't understand. Canadian Scooter Corp is the importer. They're basically the truckers and warehousers. They don't retail the product. They would only deal with the public in a very limited capacity. Their customers are the dealerships, not the consumers. So it sounds like you and your friends have placed blame on CSC erroneously. I don't believe they're at all responsible for whatever the situation is/was.

Well, again you're assumption is wrong. They offered the scooter at the raffle NOT a dealership. It was a publicity promotion between CSC and the organizer of the event. Like I said above, they had to order through a dealership because you're right about them being an importer and distributor. But the pick-up had to be done at the warehouse because of the inconsistencies in the inventory. They decided to go to the warehouse to get a straight answer from some one because all their e-mails and phone calls were being ignored by the CSC. So, in your eyes, because they are the exclusive importer and distributor of Vespa in Canada, they don't need to show any regard for the satisfaction of the general public, just their dealership customers. If that's how you and the other respondents to this thread feel, than I truly wasted my time here!

nocattle said:

I'm sure that when CSC or Piaggio (not sure who)grants licenses to dealerships there some sort level of expectation of customer care. In this instance, surely that section of the agreement was abused. If this were regular conduct, not only would they find discipline handed down from above but they would suffer in the very business they depend on. Your friends problem is not one that has become commonplace.

Your right, it's not common place. So it's okay for the exclusive dealer in Canada of the Vespa line to act in a completely unprofessional manner. It's alright for a CEO to yell at a woman until she's in tears because they're upset with a publicity deal that didn't work out and had nothing to do with her. It's completely understandable that the dealerships have a level of customer satisfaction and care that doesn't start with the EXCLUSIVE supplier of Vespa. I mean why should they show civility at all, what are you going to do, get a Vespa some where else. Yep,....your right, my bad.

nocattle said:

Perhaps maybe the whole situation could have been handled in a more dignified manner, but rarely do situations escalate, that they get this far out of hand, entirely the fault of one side. It does take two to tango.

You know what you're absolutely right, about that. It's my fault for thinking The Vespa Club Of Canada would like to know how the one and only supplier of the product they so profess to love, is in fact, run by a bunch of hot heads and thugs. My apologies.

[big]

delia said:

big said:

Well, If you can't find the the jist of the post, then maybe you should read a little slower and allow it to sink in.

Hmmm in one fast swoop, you insulted everyone on this forum. It would appear that more people agree with nocattle (as I do). You are complaining to the wrong party, and think that we are going to do some leg work for your 'friends'?

I dont think so.

Don't lump all the viewer's and users of the forum in with yourself. I believe the above comment was directed at nocattle and yourself. Don't turn it into your own personal witch hunt. Your welcome to agree with the comments of nocattle but I think he/she should hold off on commenting on something based on assumption and conjecture. Even I don't have all the facts, but I do know enough about customer service to know that no matter how tough the customer is, it's up to you to deal with it in a professional manner, period. No if ,ands or buts. If you're unable to because it's getting personal then hand it off to some one who can. That's all I have to say about that

[wheels]

[Daisy]

The only person on a witch hunt here is YOU Big.

I have no more to say to you about the matter...it is getting rather boring and repetative and at the very least NoCattle and I are not changing our view of CSC or you.

[scooterman]

I think we should appreciate Big s comments as a valid story... we may all have had good treatment from CSC, but this dosn t mean his story is bogus. Posting pictures of Trolls is just dumb... sorry, but that is just childish and trollish in nature by itself.
Let s give this guy a break for heavens sake!
Thanks for your posting Big.

[naughtiusmaximus]

Freedom of speech baby, yeah. If the zealots don't like it, take off eh!

[wheels]

scooterman said:

Posting pictures of Trolls is just dumb... sorry, but that is just childish and trollish in nature by itself.

[paget]

That's my Nambla brother!

[Daisy]

Hey Wheels...if we haven't told you lately

You Rock
oh yeah....

Love Daisy