![]() ![]() “Nothing else seems to draw much attention anymore,” Walker noted, adding the dealership does quite a few promotions through e-mail. Internet advertising has been the golden ticket for the dealership in terms of marketing. They also do a second follow-up for extended warranty sales.” “They follow up after the service work has been done. “They do a two-step program,” said Walker. One thing that has helped the service department is follow-ups. We had to reduce down to one.” Service was the dealership’s strong point through the summer and into fall, but the slow winter season hit harder than usual in December. The only part that’s taken a hit there is the service writer staff. In our service department, we are lucky to still be fully staffed with five technicians. “We’ve had as many as seven, and we’re down to three. “Our parts department is probably the hardest hit in terms of employees,” said Walker. One of them is even a teacher at the local college to teach motorcycle repair.” The service and parts departments, however, haven’t missed the hard times of the economy. “Our technicians are long-term employees,” said Walker. The dealership’s technicians’ reputation has helped the store greatly. “Frame of mind is smaller means more economical,” said Walker. “Their riders probably have money,” he said, “but they’re not so apt to spend it right now.” Motorcycles that are moving, however, include everything between 250cc-650cc bikes. “That customer base (Gen Y) doesn’t even walk through the door anymore.” A lot of the cruisers aren’t moving either, notes Walker. “They’re probably in more dire straights than we are,” Walker said of middle-aged consumers. Good Times Motorsports has pretty much lost the new, younger generation buyer. “Everything else is a small portion of what we do,” noted Walker. Kawasaki is trailed by Suzuki and then Ducati. “That’s a bike you just can’t stop selling.” Kawasaki is the dealership’s most prevalent brand, adds Walker. “The most popular model in the past six months has been the Ninja 250,” Walker said. ![]() “‘No matter how much you have your heart set on this motorcycle, you might not get approved for it. “We’ve done a good job of explaining up front how approvals are going,” he commented. “One lender will say absolutely not, and another lender will offer you twice as much as what you were asking for.” Pre-warning consumers of approval rates has helped prevented some lost sales, says Walker. Not only does a lack of lending options make it difficult for customers to get approved, but a concern is also the inconsistencies among financial institutions, says Walker. The dealership sells Kawasaki, Suzuki, Ducati, Aprilia, Husqvarna and Moto Guzzi and has about 14 employees. They’re on their third, and final building, “unless things change and get a whole lot better,” said Jeff Walker, owner. Jeff Walker and his father, Sherman, bought the dealership in 1988 and have owned it ever since. It hasn’t come without its costs, but with well-known technicians, Internet marketing and a few other strong business practices, the dealership is moving forward. Fighting the good fight, Good Times Motosports is powering through the down economic time. ![]()
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