A dealer's perspective - life at Oxford H-D

[Principal]

I've been sporadically posting on this Forum, but thought if I'm going to continue, it'd be better if I did so under my own thread, rather than hi-jacking another.

I'll try to keep you regularly updated with stuff going on here, and will try to respond promptly to any comments or questions.

Cheers

John

John Phelan
DEALER PRINCIPAL
Oxford Harley-Davidson & Buell
01865 735121

[Moley]

Bet you haven't got many customers today John

[Principal]

Originally Posted by Moley

Bet you haven't got many customers today John

Is that ever the truth! Won't sell many today, but boy, we'll buy 'em cheap!

[SX 150]

John now your a regular poster here.- will you give a discount to club members on these bourds?? I'm just trying to weigh up the pro's & cons of joining by paypal. - All the indies here do

[kiwidave]

fire away, would enjoy reading that. seriously. be good to hear from the other side of the counter.

you might win a lot of friends. UK dealerships' stature can only rise with many around here, and the effort would be appreciated.

[Principal]

Originally Posted by L.V.

John now your a regular poster here.- will you give a discount to club members on these bourds?? I'm just trying to weigh up the pro's & cons of joining by paypal. - All the indies here do

LV, the short answer to your question is "yes".

I operate a very simple philosophy at Oxford. In any dealings we have with our customers, we're looking for a fair deal for them and a fair deal for us, and that's what I drum into my team on a daily basis. Yes, I have a more structured package in place for our HOG Chapter members, and I'm sure you'll understand why, but that doesn't mean we won't "have a deal" with anyone else.

So, I can't offer you all a specific, guaranteed level of discount, but will guarantee you a fair deal on parts, accessories, clothing AND workshop labour, and to a certain extent, the level will depend on the specific products you want to buy.

I'm sorry if this is a bit of a woolly answer, but if you want to give us a try, I'm sure you'll be pleased.

John

[Principal]

I thought it might be an idea to introduce my team to you.

First off, me. John Phelan, Dealer Principal.

I've been in the motor business since 1979, but did have 20 years in the car business with Ford, VW Audi and Mercedes-Benz. One of only 2 people who have been at Oxford H-D since the start in June '03. Been riding since 1971.

Darren Nobbs, Sales Manager.

Vastly experienced in the motor business, and knows how to put a deal together.

Jon Crewe, Salesman.

JC's a young man, just 23, but his knowledge and passion for all things Harley is enormous. A little rough around the edges, but is basically a safe pair of hands. Owns an '05 Softail Standard.

Adam Cook, Salesman.

Adam's been with us about a year now, and very much a Harley man. Rides his own Night Train. Spent his first 8 or 9 months getting our Parts Dept. into shape, but has now moved across to bike sales.

Dean Cordall, Salesman.

Dean's a recent recruit, and is having his first taste of the motor business. Looks after Buell and non-Harley used bikes for us. Buell owner.

Colin Bennett, Service Manager.

A fully-qualified motorcycle engineer, Colin has been with us for two and a half years, and like me, spent a good few years in the car business. I've forgiven him for owning a *onda, but it is a 1979 CBX, and he's owned it for 24 years!

Ian Fagg, Technician.

A Tech. from the old school. Very experienced, and has a custom bike building background. Road King owner.

Leighton Gibbins, Technician.

Leighton is an ex-marine, who funded his own way through Tech school in Arizona. Owns a shovel that he takes to bits so often, he's thinking about fitting it with zips! Leighton is the other member of the team that has been at Oxford H-D continually the start.

Gavin Cupit, Technician.

Hugely experienced, and very well-respected in the network. We're very lucky to have him on board. Has a small collection of bikes, which did include an XR750.

Louise Moss, Service writer.

Lou joined us in 2006, and is a much prettier face for you all to look at if you bring your bike to us for service or repair work. She also knows what she's doing!

Neil Hall, Parts & Accessories Manager.

Joined us in May, and again, a hugely respected and experienced Harley man. Owns an '05 Ultra.

Kirsty Wreyford, Clothing and Collectables.

Kirsty's committed to doing a great job for us, but has spent a fair amount of time away from work recently due to illness. Hopefully she'll be back full-time in the next couple of weeks.

Richard Mathews, Valeter.

Simply the best valeter in the business. I've not met anyone who takes as much pride in their work as Richard does. Road King owner.

We've also got 4 part-timers who do jobs like van driving, a bit of valeting, running our coffee bar at weekends and helping out Kirsty with clothing on Saturdays.

So, that's the team. A good bunch of people that I'm generally very proud to have on board.

John

[bish]

as i live in sunny and at the mo quite dry essex, if i'm ever your way will pop in for a coffee. looks like u got a good team there. am v new to the harley world and not so jaundiced as some.

its nice that a dealer takes the time to introduce himself & his staff, sounds like a good place for a ride out , 1st dibbs on louise tho

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Principal

LV, the short answer to your question is "yes".

I operate a very simple philosophy at Oxford. In any dealings we have with our customers, we're looking for a fair deal for them and a fair deal for us, and that's what I drum into my team on a daily basis. Yes, I have a more structured package in place for our HOG Chapter members, and I'm sure you'll understand why, but that doesn't mean we won't "have a deal" with anyone else.

So, I can't offer you all a specific, guaranteed level of discount, but will guarantee you a fair deal on parts, accessories, clothing AND workshop labour, and to a certain extent, the level will depend on the specific products you want to buy.

I'm sorry if this is a bit of a woolly answer, but if you want to give us a try, I'm sure you'll be pleased.

John

good to hear a an honest reply , fair play to ye m8, instead of the usual b*llshit,