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[turbojet]

I'm sure there is a wide range of dealer experiences out there but I hope Zero takes feedback on their dealer network.  My dealer is a large 2 shop dealer that sells Yamaha and Suzuki as well as Zero.  Going out there for a test ride was super easy.  They had all the models available and let me go out and test ride wherever I wanted.  It was great.  Super friendly and knowledgeable sales guy as well.  However they were completely unaware of the "Fuel for Life" promotion. 
So I ordered a DSR with $3000 down and financing in place.  3 days later I was told it had shipped and should be there in a couple of days.  Never got a phone call letting me know the bike arrived.  Mind you I was super busy working so it didn't matter.  Finally after 2 weeks I call and they tell me the bike has been sitting there ready to go.   Now since getting the bike I've been trying to order a couple of Zero accessories.  I've called both stores and the parts people at both told me they would have to "research" where to get the parts and would get back to me.  Never happened.  Finally I got hold of the parts person and he wanted the parts number to get the parts.  It's not like I am ordering a brake cylinder for an obscure 1990's Suzuki model.  IfI I have to do all the groundwork I should then just order from Zero themselves. 

[David S]

My local dealer had them but didn't know much about them. I knew more about the bike than they did going in. I'm thinking of getting the charge tank soon but am afraid they won't know how to install it.

[turbojet]

Copy that.  My dealer hasn't installed one yet and I have one on order.

[benswing]

It takes time for dealers to figure out how to work with Zeros.  Who knows why they weren't as responsive about the parts.  I think it takes dealers a bit of time to learn the lingo and order parts from Zero.  Not sure why, but I've observed that several times. 

My dealer near NYC is excellent.  They have worked hard to get the experience to become very reliable at working on Zeros.  When they don't know the answer to a question, they contact Zero until they get a satisfactory answer.  Not all dealers have this type of exceptional service, and I appreciate it.

[Killroy]

I went to San Jose BMW/Zero to get me suspension set-up.  It was extremely stiff for me and not anywhere close to spec sag and I am average weight - 160 lb.

The have a big shop and a big service area with a lot of people running around.

They had there Zero guy ride the bike and he said noting was wrong.

They would not set the sag (very basic work) and the referred me to a suspension shop that has been out of business for a number of years.

I do work by Zero headquarters and when I got water in the dash/cluster, I asked nicely and they did the warranty work themselves.

[gingerjet]

A bad dealer is a bad dealer.  Doesn't matter what they sell. 

My all accounts Rocket Motorcycles in San Diego sells lots of ICE bikes and Zero's.  They appear to treat both customers well.  I ask them a question I get an answer and they never had an issue getting an answer out of Zero.   

(however ... i would rather just go to a website and press a button instead of having to go through a dealer ... but that's Zero's business model)

[Erasmo]

My local dealer had them but didn't know much about them. I knew more about the bike than they did going in. I'm thinking of getting the charge tank soon but am afraid they won't know how to install it.

Shouldn't they have at least one EV trained technician before being allowed to be a Zero dealer?

[Kocho]

Yes, but training gets them only so far. My SR is at the dealer for repairs and the "Zero" guy at the dealership told me they don't know anything about my particular issue and need to be calling Zero for guidance. They are a brand new dealer. Bike is still at the shop, so I have yet to see how long and how successful the fix process will be. At least they seem interested in fixing it and have been friendly so far. But call-backs have been slow. The more "experienced" dealership told me pretty much the same thing though - they'd be calling Zero for how to fix  things. Both places knew about the fuel for life promotion.

Zero, on the other hand, has been very responsive - I got them on the phone on the first try and without waiting. Got transferred quickly to someone who knew about my issue, helped me to get started with the dealer, and the emails I've sent afterwards were answered promptly. But the bike is still at the shop - shipping parts coast to coast takes time and I hope they got it diagnosed right, or there will need to be some other part shipped, and so on...

My local dealer had them but didn't know much about them. I knew more about the bike than they did going in. I'm thinking of getting the charge tank soon but am afraid they won't know how to install it.

Shouldn't they have at least one EV trained technician before being allowed to be a Zero dealer?

[benswing]

My local dealer had them but didn't know much about them. I knew more about the bike than they did going in. I'm thinking of getting the charge tank soon but am afraid they won't know how to install it.

Shouldn't they have at least one EV trained technician before being allowed to be a Zero dealer?

This is part of the learning process.  The great dealer I go to had never installed a power tank before mine, but they worked hard at it and got it done quickly.  It all depends on the people at the dealer and how interested they are in learning something new.  If they think electric motorcycles are cool and want to expand their skill sets, it will get done quickly.  If they just want to punch a clock, do the same thing every day, and resist change then it will take a while to get anything done there.

[WoadRaider]

I bought my 2013 S from Hollywood Electrics and had repair work done at Rocket Motorcycles. I had mixed experiences with both dealerships, but much more positive than negative. The representatives I interacted with were professional and friendly. It is a bit annoying that the dealers are closed Sun/Mon and Zero is closed Sat/Sun because that means there's three days out of the week they can't communicate; and as others have mentioned, the only people who know how to fix obscure Zero specific issues are Zero technicians. Not to mention repair work is hampered by Zero only sending one part at a time to see what needs to be replaced instead of sending all of the components that could cause a specific problem.

[Richard230]

I had excellent service and a lot of enthusiasm for Zeros at my dealer - until they went out of business.....   

[tico]

So I have experiences I can share about 3 different dealers in Texas:

HOUSTON, TX;
Initially I bought a 2012 Zero S and my girlfriend bought a model XU from the dealer in Houston (Gulf Coast BMW / British USA), and had no real problems with the sale, the folks I spoke with seemed fairly knowledgeable and helped us get the Cash for Carbon trade-in credit, and all was well. Unfortunately, shortly after the purchase my girlfriend was in an accident and took her bike back to the dealer in Houston to get it fixed up (plastics, handlebar, basic repairs). She wasn't going to ride again for a while due to her injuries, but the bike sat there, and month after month we'd call for a status, but nothing would happen (and this is after we bought two motorcycles from them, and her father had bought a couple of non-Zero bikes from them over the years). I also several times asked to buy racks or other accessories for my Zero, and was promised phonecalls that never came. Unimaginably bad service. They claimed they couldn't contact people at the Zero factory, meanwhile I myself was able to several times.

Meanwhile I start having problems with my Zero, and the factory started dealing with me directly because the dealer was totally unresponsive at this point. I replaced my own motor, sensors, etc and the folks at Zero were incredibly helpful where the local dealer had been a disaster. Eventually my understanding is that the local guys stopped being a dealer for Zero altogether, though I see that they're now listed as a dealer again. I can't imagine that they've actually gotten any better, and in talking to other guys in town that ride the Triumphs and BMWs that seem to be the staple of that dealer's business, they seem to be almost universally despised for simultaneously overcharging for terrible customer service.

AUSTIN, TX:
I got (warranty) repair work done at AF1 Racing in Austin, TX and they were fantastic and knowledgeable! I'd highly recommend them. When I bought parts from them or did a test ride of a later model Zero they were great to work with.
Their repair guys I especially have to commend because of how much time they spent troubleshooting problems with me by phone and email, even after they'd already been paid.

DALLAS [ALLEN], TX
When I traded in my 2012 Zero for my 2014, I shopped around to (almost) all the dealers in Texas. Ultimately I ended up going through Maxim Motorsports in Allen, TX (north of Dallas), and they were knowledgeable, responsive by phone, and great to work with.

Anyhow, I don't know if this is any help at all to anyone in the Gulf Coast but that's my $0.02 (minus inflation).

[Yon]

Israel dealer is awesome.

[MrDude_1]

99% of US dealers are horrible for anything other than the sale.
Its just due to how their business works. It doesnt help that these vehicles are completely different than everything else they work with.
If the guy you need to talk to at the dealership is into it, cool. then its a "good dealer"

if there isnt a guy, or your guy left.. now its a crappy middleman that probably doesnt want to do the work to get you taken care of.

there is no difference between them shipping an online order to the dealer, or the online order to me. I'll pay the (surprisingly reasonable) full markup for parts to cut out the middleman, if they let me.

I understand Zero cant and doesnt want to troubleshoot everything over the phone.. but the fact is most of us dont have local dealers, and even when you do, they are not EV mechanics.
Most dont even know basic troubleshooting.

[ctrlburn]

I'm struggling to recognize the point when "new company jitters" fades and I should be getting concerned.

I know (and am frustrated) when there is that insincere air of attempts at customer service (like the phone company)... but referring to dealing with Zero as a "cluster" when talking with the customer could be sharing a frustration, but also could just be ICE bias lurking in the form of poor follow up.

I get great email feedback from Hollywood Electrics, but when I email a more local dealer... no reply until I call them, and they don't know - so they email Zero, and I can't explain in kind enough tones "if the dealer doesn't answer emails, why rely on emails to others?" that is "if I had to call you to get action - then you should call Zero" as that is proven to be a reliable mode.

Then reconciling information between Zero and my dealer - when available, when shipped, when arrived.   In 2014 I struggled with Zero saying "it has shipped" when actually things hadn't. So I ask for the tracking number... I learned that in very few interactions with Zero. I'd presume a dealer who has more interactions would become adept that much quicker.   I know Zero has - because now when they tell me something shipped - they provide the tracking number without me asking.

So why isn't my dealer good at working with Zero yet?
         ICE bias?
         Low motivation?
         Poor margins?
         Burdensome procedures?

I dunno for sure, but at some point absolution from "new company jitters" has got to wear off.