Exemplary Customer Service

I got an interesting package in the mail yesterday. Hubby got one, too.

The package contained a personalized letter (thumbnail image shown at left) and a hat. Not just any hat either. A nice, good-quality hat with an image of my motorcycle embroidered on the front. Click on the image and a larger version of the letter should pop up for you to see.

Yes, it's a form letter. But it is hand-addressed and signed. Some effort and thought had to go into ordering the hats, not to mention signing the letter.

That's just one of the little things that make Bob's BMW stand out as one of the best customer service experiences I've had in a long time. Especially when talking about vehicle purchases. It was so nice to walk away from the experience not feeling even remotely like we'd been screwed in any way.

My Hat

Getting a new vehicle is always exciting, but in my experience the buying process is always unpleasant in one way or another. Car buying has gotten way easier thanks to the Internet. Many new-car dealers will quote you a price via e-mail/website contact form. Not just any price, but their best price because they know you've already done your research. Then you just go into the dealership, test drive your car, get the financing stuff squared away, and off you go. No haggling.

Motorcycle buying has yet to reach that point.

Hubby and I don't care much for most of the motorcycle dealers in this area. The customer service is horrible.  I'm not talking a one-time bad experience. This goes WAY back to 2000 when Hubby and I bought our first pair of motorcycles.

We're a little backwards in that I was the one who kept pushing for a motorcycle. I don't know how many times we'd be out for Sunday drives and I'd say something like, "This road is nice, but it would be a lot more fun on a motorcycle." Finally, one day I said, "I'm going to go look at motorcycles."

My first stop was a dealership east of Baltimore on US 40 where I'd bought my first motorcycle WAY back when I was 18. Keep in mind, during this visit I was looking at buying two motorcycles.

The place wasn't that busy, so the salesmen were all standing around BSing. When I approached to ask some questions, one of the guys reluctantly pulled himself away from his conversation. With obvious disinterest, he addressed a few of my queries. When I walked away from one model to look at another, instead of following me, he went back to the other side of the room to rejoin the conversation. I don't know if it was because I'm a woman, because I had Eric (then 11) with me, or just because he was a horrible salesman, but it pissed me off. If you're that uninterested in talking to me when I am trying to buy something, how will you act afterward when/if I need some help? I scratched that dealer's Glen Burnie location off my list after a similar experience there.

We ended up buying our two Yamaha 650 V-Star Classics at a dealership in Ellicott City. The experience was okay. So okay, in fact, that several years later when it was time for Hubby to trade up for a bigger bike, he bought his Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad at the same place. The first bit of unpleasantness was how they low-balled him on his trade-in. Used bikes lose value way faster than used car, especially used Japanese motorcycles. But still. He never did feel like he was given a fair trade.

That was bad enough. But things got far worse when he started having trouble with the Nomad. I forget exactly what was wrong, but their "service" required removal of his front wheel. On the way home from the shop, Hubby noticed the bike handling funny. Come to find out, they'd failed to tighten the wheel nuts completely. On his FRONT WHEEL. Losing a wheel off a car is bad. Losing a wheel off a motorcycle is catastrophic.

When confronted with the issue, I don't think the dealer admitted fault. Or, if they did, they gave him some lame excuse. They weren't even very apologetic. And it took several trips back there to get the original issue resolved.

When it came time for me to get a bigger bike, I first went to a dealer in Severna Park. I'd already done my research and was pretty sure I knew I wanted the Yamaha V-Star 1300, but I wanted to do a test ride. No dice. It was no surprise, really. A lot of Japanese bike sellers just don't do that, at least not most dealers in the Baltimore metro area. I would've bought the bike anyway, so I told the guy exactly what I wanted and said, "Give me your absolute best price." He wrote everything up at MSRP, handed me the quote, and assured me that was the best he could do. I knew better. And I hate haggling. If the guy was ignorant enough to insult my intelligence in that manner, he didn't want my business. I wasn't getting a great vibe from him anyway.

That's how I ended up buying a motorcycle in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I'd rather ride 100 miles to a different state than deal with the bozos I've experienced in this area. Now, I'm sure not all of the people working at those places are like that, but you know what they say about one bad apple. The guy at Rider's Edge Yamaha in Gettsyburg was completely different. He let me take a test ride, treated me with respect, gave me a fair trade, etc. And, no I did not have Hubby along with me to help.

That's why, when we finally decided to get the new BMWs, neither of us were looking forward to the whole buying experience. The first time I visited Bob's BMW in Jessup, I was surprised to see a whole fleet of bikes sitting out front in what a sign announced as the "demo area." Come to find out, Bob's will let you test ride pretty much any current model of BMW motorcycle you want, as often as you want. No strings attached.

Hubby and I knew exactly what we wanted. All the salesman (Carter) really had to do was write it all up. Talk about a motorcycle salesman's dream. In the middle of January, a couple walks in off the street and says, without question, we want to buy two motorcycles.

Next came the trade-in negotiations. Again, we had two used Japanese motorcycles. Mine may have had 12,200 miles on it, but except for one scratch on the windshield, it was literally spotless. Hubby's had over 48,000 miles. They were already giving us a great deal on the bikes (we bought 2010 models). So we figured we'd get screwed on the trade-ins to make up for it.

Ashton, the Sales Manager, was responsible for assessing the trade-in values. He obviously spent a good deal of time doing research and then explaining his findings to us. He listened when we corrected him (I'd given him the wrong year for my bike) and even ended up increasing the values a bit when we pushed back. It was all very professional, very polite, and, given what we know about used motorcycle prices, very fair. Imagine that.

The day we took our old bikes in for inspection, I was quite delighted to see a motorcycle sitting there in Bob's showroom with my name on it. Spelled correctly, too. (You'd be surprised how many people have trouble with Kirkpatrick.)

Click image to see larger version.

Arranging the financing/signing the paperwork went without a hitch, too (thanks, Tim). No high-pressure add-on sales pitches. He did make us aware of a variety of options, but if I said "no" the subject was dropped.

When it came time for us to go get the bikes (we had to wait for the snow to melt and temps to climb above freezing), we were told that, before we left, Bob wanted to make sure he had a chance to meet us. It isn't every day that a husband and wife come in and buy identical motorcycles at the same time. They wanted to take a picture of us for their website, too.

That camera angle makes me look huge!

Bob didn't just wave and say, "Hey." He introduced himself and presented us with a pen, which he said was just a small token to remind us that we have a lifetime service guarantee, his door is always open to customers, inviting us to come back and hang out, etc. It was cool. It actually felt like he really meant what he said.

It's that kind of little stuff that makes customers like us want to come back. We'd already bought the bikes. It was a done deal. The keys were in our hands. He didn't have to talk to us. He actually wanted to.

Has the owner of a car dealership EVER said thanks to you? And we're not in a small town. We're smack in the middle of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area!

Speaking of little stuff, Bob's really does encourage riders to just come and hang out. I was tickled to see their womens restroom stocked with free feminine hygiene products, hairspray, etc. And it was very clean, too. Women LOVE clean bathrooms especially when there are emergency supplies at hand.

Those may seem like little things... a pen, picture for their website, and a hat. But it's what those things represent that is important. Service. We felt like we were treated fairly. Like they appreciated our business. Heck, Bob himself told us to stop by and say hi any time. THAT is how to cement a business relationship.

Maryland's Blackwater Refuge

Early last week when the weather folks were predicting warmer temperatures for Friday, I got a little excited. Not too excited, mind you, because we all know how often those forecasts can change. But as the days passed and the prediction for warmth persisted, my excitement grew. Not only do I have a brand-new bike that is just aching to be ridden, I was REALLY in need of a day off. So I requested and was granted a personal day. (I'm not sure what I would've done if the answer had been no.)

The next challenge was deciding where to go. I've really been wanting to see the Snow Geese at the Blackwater Refuge. Not only are they pretty birds, there's just something really cool about seeing and hearing several thousand geese at one time. Snow Geese spend most of their time at their breeding grounds in the Arctic Tundra. During the coldest part of the year, they hang out in more-southern coastal marshes.

I was faced with a quandary. While Maryland's Eastern Shore is pretty, it is also quite flat. Because the Eastern Shore of the bay is pretty much a series of peninsulas, there aren't a lot of options as far as back roads either. So I'd be riding 100 or so miles each way on what is essentially a flat, straight highway.

There's just one word for that... boring. But I really wanted to see the geese. And I knew if I didn't go, I'd be kicking myself. The geese will be flying north any day now. Besides, I figured even a long, straight run on the bike on a 70-degree day in February would at least be pleasant.

I was so right.

Here's a link to a map showing my approximate route to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. My favorite bird photographer who goes by the name Nikographer has taken lots of great pics at the refuge. I captured a few shots during my ride, which I'll share below, but they are nowhere near as good as his.

I did take one little side trip through Wye Mills. But visiting the refuge was definitely the high point of the day as far as location. The very best part of the day was the ride.

Look closely at the upper waterway. The white stuff you see are the Snow Geese.

This is what Snow Geese look like close up.

This is what it looks like when a bunch of them take off at once.

I have more geese pictures, but I can't give them all away at once, right? Besides, the geese weren't the only thing worth seeing. I was perfectly happy on that sunny, warm day gazing out over the marsh.

I love marshes. The contrasting colors have always captivated me.

Especially the blue sky as a backdrop for the yellow marsh grass with the very dark sand in the foreground.

 

These were either raccoon or fox tracks going out to check the Osprey nest on the platform.

Every now and then, something would spook the geese and they would all take off.

One minute, you see quiet marsh and hear a little honking in the background.

The next minute, the sky is a riot of birds flying in every direction and all you can hear is honking.

Peaceful marsh.

Fluffy marsh grass.

Snow Geese and Canada Geese

Peaceful marsh.

Sky full of honking Snow Geese.

I absolutely LOVE my new motorcycle. Love, love, love it. It doesn't feel like a machine I am riding on, it feels like an extension of my body. It is so nimble and lightweight compared to my big old cruiser. And the expandable top case is big enough to hold my entire camera bag with room to spare. Awesome.

That last picture is my favorite. My bike with a sky full of Snow Geese in the background perfectly sums up the day.

I am REALLY glad I took the day off. Especially since as I sit here finishing up this post on Monday night, there's sleet ticking against the windows. Later tonight, it's supposed to turn to snow. By tomorrow morning, there's supposed to be five to eight inches of snow on the ground.

Breaks Interstate Park

A few weeks ago, I received a nice e-mail from a gentleman named Austin Bradley. He just recently started working at Breaks Interstate Park and, as he explained, "Part of my job is encouraging groups and corporations to use our facilities and experience the natural beauty of our Park." Breaks Interstate Park is located in the rugged Appalachian Mountains on the border of Virginia and Kentucky on State Route 80.

I think he was surprised when I told him I knew of the park, but had never visited. During a splendid week last Fall, which I haven't told Appalachian Tours readers about yet, Hubby and I did a tour down through West Virginia, across southwestern Virginia, and over into Kentucky. In an e-mail back to Austin, I referred him to a trip map I'd posted online and said, "you'll see how close we were to you. I think it was Grundy where we stopped at a Hardees for lunch. There was a very talkative older fellow there and he recommended that we drive through Cedar Breaks. We weren't having the best weather, though, and still had a good ways to go."

The weather I am referring to looked like this pretty much all day that day.

I had to chuckle at his reply: "You rode through my hometown! We have quite the supply of talkative older fellows, and they all seem to congregate at Hardees."

If you look at the map embedded below, you'll see the green-shaded area that is Breaks just to the left of the center of the image.


View Pipestem to Middlesboro in a larger map

The route we rode took us around instead of through the park. It was the quicker route. Of course now I am kicking myself for not riding through the park. That night, once we'd reached our destination near Cumberland Gap, I looked on the Internet to see what the old guy was talking about. I'm not sure how I missed it while planning the ride, but he was right to say we should've ridden through.

Check out their web site: Breaks Interstate Park. It describes the park as having an area of 4600 acres along "A 5-mile gorge, plunging to 1650 feet, in this Grand Canyon of the South."

Hubby and I definitely  plan on exploring WV-20 again. Hopefully in dry weather this time. Hopefully we'll be able to make a weekend of it and zip over to Breaks Interstate Park.

Have you ever been? If yes, what did you think? I know we loved riding in that part of the state.

What's "Warm" Anyway?

There was a time when I wouldn't leave the house for a ride if it wasn't going to be at least 60 degrees. Because, really, when the ambient temperature is 60 and you ride down the highway at 60 mph, that equals COLD. At least that's what I used to think. Because I finally learned that if you're wearing the right stuff, you can really ride in any weather.

I'm working on getting the right gear. For now, I still have to rely on the leather. It does help keep me warm, but it really sucks in hot weather. And I've always felt a bit silly wearing my assless chaps. I did order a pair of pants (they were supposed to arrive this past Friday, but got delayed because of bad weather), but am still searching for the perfect jacket.

I was delighted on Saturday when temps hit the 40s. It hasn't been that warm in ages. And then yesterday, it hit the 50s. Woo hoo! You know what that means, right?

We finally got to ride the new bikes.

You probably can't tell that I was smiling ear-to-ear, but I was.

I really like my new motorcycle. Really, really. But then I've said that about a gazillion times haven't I?

Did you get to ride this weekend? Wasn't it awesome to be out there on the road?

As a side note, we did check out the Ellicott City route I mentioned a week ago. As suspected, College Avenue is full of houses, but it's still a FUN ride. It's got three or four hills that are so steep you can't see the other side as you near the top. It feels like you're riding on a roller coaster. If you're ever in the area, it's a route I highly recommend you check out.

Moto Photo Blog-o-Rama: Trees

One of my favorite bloggers, Fuzzygalore, hosts a photo meme periodically, which she calls her Moto Photo Blog-o-Rama. Her meme always has a theme. This time, it's trees.

She has some really cool ride pics featuring redwood trees. Really, check them out. Now, I knew I couldn't top redwood trees. But I thought certainly I have to have at least one motorcycle-related picture of a tree. Even if it's just a picture I took on a motorcycle trip that included a cool tree.

Nope. No trees. So I have to settle for awesome tree-lined roads.

Trout Run Road near Wardensville, West Virginia.

I discovered this road last year. Hubby and I had avoided it previously thinking, based on the map, that it was a gravel road. I'm glad I finally decided to check it out. It's a great little stretch of road. The kind you long for on hot, summer days... shady and cool. Unfortunately on that day it was also windy so I had to stay extra alert for downed limbs and small branches.

This is one of my all-time favorite roads. It's North River Road/CR-1 near Bean Settlement, West Virginia. Not only is it fun to say "I'm going to go ride through Bean Settlement," there's a farmer along here that keeps Oreo cows. They're not really called Oreo cows, but that's what I think when I see them.

Big and small Oreo cows near a tree.

Apparently a lot of other people call them Oreo cows, too, because "oreo cow" is a Google search term and the first hit is Belted Galloway Cows aka Oreo cows.

Do you have any motorcycle-related tree pics to share? If yes, you can play, too. Go to Fuzzy's post for the rules. And be sure to tell her you read about her at Appalachian Tours.

Diversions: Scenic Train Ride

I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have a spouse/significant other who also likes to ride. That makes trip planning sort of tough, right? It isn't always easy to find that delicate balance between a location remote enough to have awesome roads and no traffic, but populated enough to keep the family busy while you ride.

Hampshire County is one of those places. Romney is only about 25 miles southeast of Cumberland, Maryland. So it's really not that remote. The C&O Canal is nearby, which is the perfect place for a family bicycle ride.

Berkeley Springs is about an hour away, and it's full of quaint shops, cafes, galleries, etc. There is also Berkeley Springs State Park, which has a spa, massages, etc. Cacapon State Park is just a few miles south of Berkeley Springs. It is one of West Virginia's resort state parks, which offers a wide range of activities including lodging and dining.

Those two places are actually in Morgan County, but they're close enough to make an easy day trip if you're staying in Romney. Of course, you might also want to consider staying at the Cacapon Resort or one of Berkeley Springs' many bed and breakfast inns.

You'd still be close enough for the family to enjoy the most unique tourist attraction in Hampshire County, the Potomac Eagle scenic railroad. From Spring through Fall, the Potomac Eagle regularly offers narrated excursions through the South Branch Valley.

The train is actually based in Romney, a few miles from our house. We really had been wanting to try it out for a while, but the timing had to be just right. I think Fall is the best time, scenery wise. But then, I love Fall. Spring would also be great, especially if you've been suffering cabin fever and need to get out!

The Potomac Eagle rides south from Romney along the South Branch of the Potomac River. It really is a pretty area. The mountains may not be as dramatic as they are in the American West, but they’re still quite lovely. Especially in the Fall.

Here are my favorite shots from our trip.

You'll have to trust me when I say that either Hampshire or Morgan County would be a great jumping-off spot for some day trips you won't soon forget.

Windmills

My husband and I really did decide to build a house in West Virginia because of the awesome roads.

We literally built the place ourselves, with a little help from friends and family. For the first couple of years, we didn't do much riding. But every now and then we did manage to take a break.

Hubby shot that image of me leading the way on one of our rides.

Every now and then, we get that perfect sort of day. Blue sky, big, puffy, white clouds. Reasonable temperatures.

In all honesty, these shots are from 2007. I can't remember if it was hot that July day. But it sure looks pretty, doesn't it?

We were both surprised to see these giant windmills after cresting a hill headed north on US-219 just south of the MD/WV line.

We stopped to have a closer look and decided it would be a good photo opportunity. That's Hubby on his Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad.

There I am on my Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tourer. That big, fat cruiser I no longer own. :-)

Wanna know what we did after the ride? I probably drank a nice, ice-cold beer. I'll show you what Hubby did...

I'm really, really anxious for Spring to get here.

Do you usually plan your rides? Or do you just hop on the bike and hit the road with no particular route or destination in mind?

What a Day for a Daydream

Look what is sitting in my garage.

Since yesterday, when we brought the twins home from the dealer, all I can think about are my favorite roads and how much more FUN they'll be on the new bike.

Grassy Lick Road: This has always been one of my favorite stretches of road, but now it's even more awesome because it got a fresh coat of blacktop during late-Summer 2010. For some reason, Hubby and I think it's more fun running it south to north.

Old WV-55: This stretch of SR-55 between Moorefield and Wardensville is a phenomenal stretch of road. But you have to be careful to stay on OLD 55. The Corridor H highway is the fast way between the two towns. OLD 55 is the FUN way. Trust me.

Jersey Mountain Road: Our favorite fun detour from WV-29 to US-50.

Those are just three little roads in West Virginia. There are many, many, many more.

Of course, it's more likely that I'll be doing most of my riding in Maryland. At least for the first 600 miles. We want to keep the bikes in Maryland so we can get them to the dealership more quickly when it's time for the 600-mile service.

There's a route from near BWI Airport area to Ellicott City our friend Barry Spice showed us years ago that we still like today. Although they're building more and more houses along College Avenue so I won't be surprised to see all of the fun stripped out of that road. This is one of those routes that feels very rural at times yet is surrounded by development.

The first nice day when I have a couple of hours to spare, I'll be hitting my favorite southern Anne Arundel County loop.

Oh, the possibilities...

Where in the World?

It's still cold here. And there's still snow on the ground. So I'm back to poking through the archives. Sigh...

Although having so many past trip pics is one of the primary reasons I created this blog, so just think of it as me getting you up to speed.

Which of these four things do you think Hubby and I did on Saturday, August 9, 2009?

a) Visit Paris
b) See the War Correspondents’ Arch
c) Walk the Appalachian Trail
d) Ride an automobile ferry
e) all of the above

Come on, give it some thought. We couldn’t go to WV because Hubby flew off to Chi-town the following day for a work thing. That means were traveled in the car. Sad, I know. Especially on such a pretty day.

Give up? You’ll never guess.

We did all of the above!

Our trip to Paris, Virginia was brief. So brief, in fact, that I didn’t take any pictures. But here’s a good one that someone else shot.

We were exploring Northern Virginia, between Leesburg and Winchester, for a possible relocation destination. Any move would be quite a ways down the road.

Here's a map to show where Paris, Virginia is located.

Since we love back roads, and I love cool, quirky stuff, Hubby plotted a route that took us across the Potomac River at White’s Ferry.

This is near Poolesville, Maryland, at mile 35.5 along the C&O Canal. There used to be around 100 ferries facilitating river crossings on the Potomac, but this is the last.

It is used by a variety of vehicles. We’ve been across it before, twice I think, on our motorcycles. It's a short ride, but definitely different. It's a nice little diversion.

We passed a gazillion bicyclists (not one was chubby!). That’s our green car in the foreground. Hubby is behind the wheel, but you can’t see him because of the glare.

I think the ferry can hold about 21 cars.

It is actually quite efficient. I had just enough time to hit the potty and snap some quick pics before we boarded.

Notice the horse trailer? I told you it carries a variety of stuff.

Here come some bikers. It was a gorgeous, summer day. Too bad our bikes were at the WV place.

This is the Virginia side of the river. It’s just outside of Leesburg.

This is a view of the river, from the ferry, looking northwest.

The area around Paris was gorgeous. East of there, towards Leesburg, is horse country. Lots of very large horse farms. West of there is the Shenandoah River. It’s sort of mountainous there, too.

On the way home, after crossing back over the Potomac at Harper’s Ferry (no longer a ferry), I saw a sign for Gathland State Park. It’s a Maryland state park I have never seen, and have always wanted to, so I said to Hubby, “Turn there!”

Of course he listened. He’s pretty good about humoring me.

This is the War Correspondents’ Arch. This is why there’s a Gathland State Park. If you really want to know more, follow the link. I don’t feel like recounting the history here.

I was sort of excited to see that the Appalachian Trail goes right through the park. Since I’m sort of fascinated by the trail and anxious to hike on it (not the entire 2,000+ mile length!), I just had to walk on the trail.

We didn’t go far. It was sort of hot and VERY gnatty (as in bugs). But I did get Hubby to agree to return later in the year for a 12-mile hike! (Remember what I said about him humoring me.)

The arch is sort of cool, I guess. Again, one of those odd, quirky things. I suppose if we were Civil War buffs, which we aren’t, it would’ve been more interesting.

There were some picturesque buildings there (the remains of the summer home of the guy that built the arch). I like stone buildings.

Since I didn’t get to take any pictures in Paris, at least there was something interesting to capture images of to share with my blog audience.

Want to know more about Gathland State Park? Visit their Web site at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/gathland.asp. You can also take a peek on this Google map.

How many state parks are there in your state that you haven't visited? How about nationals parks? They belong to all of us, you know. Get out there and explore. Be sure to share pictures when you do.